FIRST THOUGHTS: GOP AND IMMIGRATION  —  Good news/bad news for GOP in NBC/MSNBC/Telemundo poll on immigration... The poll shows that Latino voters are swinging widely for the Democrats, while their support for the GOP is dropping like a rock... Has the GOP learned the Pete Wilson lesson? …

Republicans' new Web site not exactly what they hoped it would be  —  Republicans want to take over the House in the fall, but there's a problem: They don't have an agenda.  —  So on Tuesday, they set out to resolve that shortcoming.  They announced that they would solicit suggestions on the Internet …

Exclusive: All 7 Republicans on Senate Judiciary Committee Ask AG Holder to Appoint Special Prosecutor to Look Into Alleged Sestak Job Offer  —  In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder today, all seven Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee “urge the appointment of a special prosecutor …

Arizona immigration law will boost crime in U.S. cities, police chiefs say  —  Arizona's new crackdown on illegal immigration will increase crime in U.S. cities, not reduce it, by driving a wedge between police and immigrant communities, police chiefs from several of the state's and the nation's largest cities said Tuesday.

‘Political Stupidity’: Democrat Slams Obama's Response to BP Oil Spill  —  Democratic Strategist Said White House Should've Acted Quickly: 'We're About to Die Down Here'  —  The White House is seemingly making an increased show of pressuring BP, but President Obama is facing political heat …

Labrador upsets Ward, eyes Minnick  —  Worries about nation's direction motivate many voters in Tuesday's Idaho GOP primary  —  In a rebuke to the Republican establishment, state Rep. Raul Labrador defeated Vaughn Ward in western Idaho's 1st Congressional District and punched his ticket …

Chris Christie to teacher: If you don't like my education budget, find a new job  —  I begged for video on Twitter, my friends, but none is forthcoming.  What can I say?  I tried. … Elsewhere today, he warned about New Jersey becoming a new Greece.  In lieu of a clip of the exchange …

Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output  —  Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), also known as the economic stimulus package, certain recipients of funds appropriated in ARRA (most grant and loan recipients …

S.C. blogger reveals texts with top Haley aide  —  The blogger claiming to have had an affair with Nikki Haley has posted a series of text messages between himself and Haley's campaign manager on his website.  —  (CNN) - The blogger claiming to have had an affair with South Carolina …

Biden jokes about Blumenthal's military service record  —  Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday took an unexpected dig at Connecticut Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal (D) for misstating his military service record.  —  While speaking at a barbecue for wounded soldiers, he commented about veterans coming home from the Vietnam War.

Obama administration calls for emergency education spending  —  Arne Duncan is calling for emergency education spending.  —  Washington (CNN) - Education Secretary Arne Duncan says President Obama “absolutely supports” a congressional proposal for $23 billion in emergency education spending …

McConnell disagrees with Paul's claim that Obama's BP criticism is ‘un-American.’  —  On Friday, GOP Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul told ABC News that the Obama administration's promise to keep a “boot heel on the throat of BP” was “really un-American.”

The Manufactured Deficit Crisis  —  Harold Meyerson wants Washington to quit the deficit hawkery and focus on creating jobs: … This reminds me of a point Dean Baker made a while back about the fact that the country is “facing a serious crisis in the form of a manufactured crisis over the budget deficit.”

As Ugly as It Gets  —  I confess that when I first saw the May 17 picture of Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, joining his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with raised arms — after their signing of a putative deal …

Barney Frank wants to see Rep. Djou's birth certificate  —  Tongue firmly in cheek, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) on Tuesday afternoon called on reporters to demand to see the birth certificate of new Rep. Charles Djou (R-Hawaii).  —  As Djou (pictured here) was being sworn into office …

Inside my Palin mailbag  —  My post Tuesday on the irresponsibile nature of Sarah Palin's grudge against author Joe McGinniss inspired more mail than anything I've written here.  I'll post some while protecting the names of the authors, to give you an idea of the response I got and to answer …