Reporter Dave Montgomery of McClatchy Newspapers is doing some valuable and fresh work in the immigration beat. (Congratulate him)Last week he produced an interesting piece about the AFL-CIO tip-toeing off the Immigration Acceleration Reservation where the Treason Lobby thinks it has the Democrats corralled. This week’s essay (Pro-immigrant Democrat embodies shifting dynamics The Mercury-News Friday Jan.12 2007) has several interesting elements.

• Is Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) about to jump parties on immigration? The new chief of the House sub committee on immigration, Zoe Lofgren (D-Ca) is quoted:

Lofgren, in an interview, said she's been approached by moderate Republicans - whom she declines to name - eager to work with her. "One Republican told me he's been more included by me than he was in 10 years by his own leadership," she said.

Immediately afterwards (get the hint?) Flake is cited:

A potential Republican ally is Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake, a House co-sponsor of the McCain-Kennedy bill…"I have a contrary view to my own party," Flake said. …Flake said he hopes to work with Lofgren and other "reasonable" Democrats.

Memo to 6th District AZ GOP: you may need a new Congressional candidate.

• Montgomery produces some useful if unpleasant news about Chairwoman Lofgren. Carrying a career grade of F - and a recent D grade from the authoritative Americans for Better Immigration survey, Lofgren is actually a career Treason Lobby member

She handled immigration issues as a staff assistant to Rep. Don Edwards, her predecessor, in the 1970s, and specialized in immigration law. She also taught immigration law at the University of Santa Clara School of Law.

From a district one-third foreign born and cheap-labor-hogging High Tech industry locally dominant, the Democrats might as well have put a Mexican official in the slot.

Worse is better, however, as such an skewed perspective is liable to lead to offensive extremism. And, as noted concerning Tennessee last week, exposure to reality on the ground is the Open Borders crowd’s main problem.

• Here Montgomery has significant input:

Freshman Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., who defeated Republican J.D. Hayworth, a leader of anti-immigration forces in the House, is a supporter of the McCain-Kennedy approach and says he came to Washington expecting that the measure would have "a pretty easy" glide path with Republicans no longer in power.

But after hearing misgivings among some of his fellow freshmen, Mitchell said, he's lowering his expectations.(VDARE.com emphasis)

"Just because Democrats are in," he said, "I wouldn't say it's a slam dunk."

Gentlemen, fire up your computers!