How The West Could Be Lost

From Right Democrat:

Will the Justice Department suit against the State of Arizona's immigration control law hurt Democrats running in swing districts this year ? Some observers suggest that the Obama Administration challenge to the Arizona law may undercut Democrats in the West and other areas of the country impacted by illegal immigration. With millions of Americans in the unemployment lines, the Obama Administration position can only help to advance the fake populist message of the Republicans this year.

From Politico:

The Obama administration's lawsuit over the stringent Arizona border law might have just made the incline a little steeper for many Western Democrats, providing instant fodder to Republicans who are already optimistic about regaining ground lost over the last two election cycles.

The dust from the Department of Justice lawsuit filed Tuesday is just starting to settle, but the reflexive sense among strategists on both sides is that it will be a net negative for Democrats this fall.

The suit could, of course, help boost turnout among Hispanic voters in key areas across the West. And stridently anti-immigrant rhetoric could turn off independent voters. Yet many foresee a midterm electorate featuring an energized Republican base — for whom the immigration issue has emerged as a priority — prompting moderate white Western voters who are concerned about jobs to decamp to the GOP at least in the short term, political observers said.

“This is a tough issue for Democrats,” said former Colorado Gov. Dick Lamm, a Democrat who is co-director of the Institute for Public Policy Studies at the University of Denver. “Politically, I just can’t think of any place in the West where this is going to play well.”

"If you look like you're siding with illegal immigration, you're in trouble," said one national Republican strategist, adding that when it comes to the discussion of secured borders, "people think that's what should happen."

The National Journal's Hotline On Call reports:

Arizona Democrats facing tough re-election fights this year are unhappy with a lawsuit the Justice Department filed today aimed at scrapping the state's harsh new anti-immigration law.

"This lawsuit is a sideshow, distracting us from the real task at hand. A court battle between the federal government and Arizona will not move us closer to securing the border or fixing America's broken immigration system. The legal fights and boycotts are drawing focus and attention away from what has to be a policy-driven, substantive debate," said Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ), a freshman. "Washington failed us on this issue again today, and Arizonans have had enough."

Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-AZ), a second-term Dem from the Phoenix suburbs, said he was "extremely disappointed" the lawsuit has been filed.

"This is the wrong direction to go," Mitchell said. "The only thing this lawsuit will do is demonstrate to Arizonans that Washington still doesn't get it."

The Arizona law found support from a leading Tennessee Democrat. Mike McWherter, the Democratic nominee for Governor, strongly criticized the Justice Department lawsuit:

“I think the administration is wrong on this one. Arizona’s trying to get a handle on the immigration policy because of Washington’s total failure to deal with the real problem. Immigration has become another political football in Washington and this lawsuit only continues the game, rather than solve the problem. We need to control the border, crack down on businesses that employ illegal workers, and give businesses the tools to quickly and reliably verify a job applicant’s status.”