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Forgetting for the time being the Johnny-come-lately aspect of this whole thing, I thought the President did a pretty good job tonight. The plan he described, as far as I can tell, is basically Kennedy-McCain with a touch of Napolitano-Richardson’s National Guard in supporting roles plan.

I am curious how the Democrats will respond, personally I hope the stick to their guns – which in this situation means agreeing with the President about the elements of his plan that we agree with, and calling for the improvements we want. Beyond that, I say we shut our fat yappers and wait for the Republican on Republican massacre that is bound to happen.

Tom Tancredo , J.D. Hayworth, and Randi Graf are going to shred the President BIG TIME on this. If they don’t – then they are “flip-floppers”. Locally we should be pushing to get guys like them and Jim Weiers to say they disagree with Bush – putting their party into even more of hodgepodge when it comes to immigration. It would be great if when the President is in town, local coverage highlights how badly divided the GOP is so the Governor, Pederson, Mitchell, and the CD crew will look more together and more able to lead on this issue.

Jon Kyl will probably hedge, pretend like he always agreed with the President, and do all he can to distance himself from the “massive deportation” stuff. I think this makes him vulnerable. If the Pederson camp plays this right, we might here some “flip flop” type charges coming out soon.

If you have a second, go back and watch Pederson’s immigration ad where he calls for many of the same elements the President does. I wonder how the Kyl camp will react to the Pederson, Kennedy-McCain, Congressional Hispanic Caucus agreement on all this – considering how hard they have pushed back on Jim with the “Amnesty” charge.

UPDATE – Here is the Pederson reaction to the national guard portion of the President’s plan (full link)

PHOENIX, ARIZ. – Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Jim Pederson issued the following statement in advance of President Bush’s address to the nation tonight on immigration reform:

“First, I compliment President Bush for addressing the immigration crisis and recognizing that the Border Patrol lacks the necessary resources to do its job.

“Putting National Guard troops on the border might provide some short-term help, but it’s a band-aid. It’s also an admission that the current administration has not adequately enforced our border. Moreover, our overstretched National Guard is not trained to enforce immigration laws.

“The long-term solution is to significantly increase the number of Border Patrol agents as part of a comprehensive immigration reform package that includes a guest worker program and a realistic plan to deal with the 12 million undocumented immigrants already here.

“My immigration plan contains the following recommendations to secure the border and quickly and permanently increase the ranks of the Border Patrol:

* 12,000 more Border Patrol agents

* The creation of a high-tech ‘virtual fence’ to monitor our border around the clock

* The creation of a Border Patrol service academy, like West Point

* Better pay and benefits for Border Patrol agents

* Access for Border Patrol agents to the GI Bill

* A minimum three-year commitment to the agency”

UPDATE 2 Here is Mitchell’s Response:

“Tonight’s President Bush addressed an issue that is that is very important to Arizona.

“The President told the nation this evening what Arizonans already know: we need additional security resources at the border, and a realistic and comprehensive approach to immigration reform.

“Up to now, the federal government has failed in its responsibility to secure our border. As a result, illegal immigration has gotten worse.

“The solution begins with securing the border, but it doesn’t end there. We must secure the border with additional Border Patrol agents and technology, reform our immigration laws to include a temporary worker program, and sanction employers who knowingly and willingly violate the law.

“The bill passed by the House late last year may make for good sound bites, but it is not a realistic approach to comprehensive immigration reform. This is a serious problem and needs a serious solution. If the House ends up killing urgently needed, realistic, comprehensive immigration reform, I don’t think voters in Arizona will appreciate it.

“Furthermore, I applaud the President for tonight urging the nation and the Congress to debate this issue with the tone and respect it deserves. My opponent tried to use this issue to divide our nation, not unite it. His remarks about Arizona’s governor showed a lack of respect for our state, and a failure to grasp how important this issue is to all Arizonans.”

JD is on CNN right now arguing with a Republican strategist. He is keeping things cordial – but I do think the tone of this disagreement will change.