Morning Update: Republican Disillusionment
A new study (PDF) by the Pew Research Center for the People & The Press indicates disengagement from the campaign among Republican voters. The report cites a “familiarity gap” as evidence—81 percent of the public can name a Democratic candidate unprompted, while only 59 percent can name any Republican candidate.
Immigration: Republican candidate Fred Thompson released his “Border Security and Immigration Reform Plan” yesterday. The plan includes a significant increase in the number of enforcement officials and Border Patrol, and “increasing detention space to incarcerate illegal aliens we arrest rather than letting them go with a promise to show up later for legal proceedings against them.” He also supports the completion of an at least 854-mile wall on the border by 2010.
FISA: Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) both said they would support Sen. Chris Dodd’s filibuster of the FISA reforms that would grant immunity to telecommunications companies that took part in eavesdropping on U.S. citizens.
