WUI (Writing under the influence)

If they don't pay attention to their constituents. The latest congressional insiders poll identifies illegal immigration and border security as number one issue in Republican districts. The Washington Times reports:

Seventeen of the 37 Republican House and Senate members who responded to the National Journal's survey identified immigration as the issue "most on the minds of your constituents these days." That easily topped the next closest issue, the economy, which gained 10 votes, followed by gasoline prices with four votes and terrorism with three votes.

But Republicans can stay in power or even gain in both the House and the Senate because Democrats don't seem to care at all about those two issues:

Immigration doesn't appear to move Democrats the same way it moves Republicans. Of 35 Democratic members of Congress who responded, just two mentioned immigration as the top issue for constituents, while another person specifically disregarded immigration, saying his or her constituents were talking about "all of these issues except immigration."

One of the two Democrats who did cite immigration as the top constituent concern said it is a difficult balancing act. "The burning question of 'What can we do to simultaneously support the plight of undocumented immigrants while still keeping our streets and borders safe?' has never been more prevalent," the lawmaker said.

But some lawmakers who are not yet married to the illegal immigration lobby are trying to fight back:

Faced with the costs of coping with illegal immigrants, one county is looking to the courts for help - by filing a racketeering lawsuit against the businesses that hire these workers.

The legal theory: that a pattern of immigration violations by employers is costing Canyon County millions for law enforcement, education and social services.

"Their presence lowers the labor wage for American citizens and removes employment opportunities," county Commissioner Robert Vasquez, an ambitious politician who just started a bid for Congress, said of the illegal workers. "Certainly it uses tax dollars to provide them with educational services, medical care, unemployment compensation for those that are injured on the job. They are a drain on the taxpayers of Canyon County, the state of Idaho and the U.S. in general."

The county's attempt to recoup its expenses would be filed under the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly called the RICO Act, which has been used against targets ranging from organized crime to Internet spammers.

I'm the first one to defend business from taxes and over-regulation but I hope Mr. Vasquez succeeds in his lawsuit and that other politicians around the country follow the suit (pun intended.)