Centralization of power, baby! Yglesias reports on a breakfast in which Speaker Pelosi implies that she may be against the filibuster. Yglesias himself does not approve of the filibuster (calling it a "horrible prop of status quo bias"). With hopes that Democrats will control the House, Senate, and presidency in 2009, are some "progressives" gearing up for a fight to eliminate the filibuster? Especially if Democrats number fewer than 60 in the Senate...kind of like the way Republicans, when they controlled House, Senate, and presidency in 2005, talked about eliminating the filibuster for judicial nominees...Do members of a temporary majority really want to weaken their position when they become a minority again (and, so far at least, every majority has become a minority--just ask George Allen!)? I thought the US Senate was intended to have something of a "status quo bias" or at least a moderating one (and it seems as though many opponents of the filibuster aren't in favor of moderating public passions)....

A "focus group" didn't find Obama's "answer" on giving licenses to drive to "illegals" very satisfying.

A federal judge is currently evaluating Arizona's recently passed immigration enforcement measures. Some proponents of these measures have boasted that, if AZ's laws are upheld, similar ones could spread to other states.

Krikorian points out some attempts by Democrats in the House and Senate to strengthen immigration enforcement.

In the face of collapsing approval ratings and high levels of public opposition, Gov. Spitzer (D) of New York backs away from his plan to offer licenses to the "undocumented."

Following the lead of New Haven, CT, the Supervisors of San Francisco have voted to offer city ID cards to residents regardless of immigration status.

Walter Witherspoon, a South Carolina member of the RNC, is considering running against Sen. Lindsey Graham in the Republican primary for US Senate.

Tensions in the Democratic caucus over bilingualism.

In Iowa, it sounds like Romney might be going after both Huckabee and Giuliani on "illegal immigration."

It sounds as though some are considering introducing laws based on Oklahoma's immigration-related HB 1804 in other states:

"With the success in Oklahoma, there's been just a fallout of people calling and e-mailing and wanting to know how we did it in Oklahoma," said Carol Helm, founder of Immigration Reform for Oklahoma Now.

In recent months, Helm has advised citizen groups from Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, California, Alabama and New Jersey about immigration enforcement campaigns.

Last week she was in Florida meeting

with a congressional delegation.

She also said anti-illegal-immigration efforts are also under way in South Carolina, North Carolina, Utah, Missouri and Tennessee.