Bachmann in Arizona - Not from Our Crowd?

Although masked by various sneering and disparaging headlines in many MSM outlets, AP produced an important and possibly encouraging story about the visits of Michelle Bachmann and Mitt Romney to Arizona on Wednesday:

Bachmann courts AZ's tough anti-immigrant sheriff JACQUES BILLEAUD, Associated Press The Houston Chronicle Thursday September 15, 2011

Both broke the peculiar GOP silence – about which we keep grumbling – to make remarks to reporters at least which could alter the campaign if ever they get attention:

"Bachmann… focused almost entirely on immigration during the three minutes she talked to reporters.

"As president of the United States, I want to solve the border issue," Bachmann said, noting that the nation's immigration problems extend beyond the southern border states. "I want to build the fence that needs to be built and I want to solve this problem."

She said she would also eliminate inducements for illegal immigration into the U.S…..

"I know that as president of the United States, I would not be suing the state of Arizona," Bachmann said. "I would be fulfilling the commitment that the federal government needs to fulfill, and that is to secure our borders." "

Romney was in Tucson and not also ducking the matter completely:

"Romney…said he doesn't want the uneducated or unskilled coming across the border or overstaying their visas, expecting the United States to provide them with education and health care…

Later Wednesday Romney told an audience in Sun Lakes, Ariz., that he'd build a border fence and impose heavy sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants.

"Let's protect legal immigration and make it work for America and the families that come here legally," he told an audience in Sun Lakes, Ariz.

"I will stop illegal immigration," Romney promised, adding later, "It's time to do it." "

However Romney also expressed enthusiasm for importing “foreign workers with graduate degrees”- the underemployed PhD community  are apparently not members of his church – and keeps relapsing into pro-immigration happy talk, which Bachmann seems not to do.

Nevertheless one wonders, with two opponents taking this stance, how long Perry can persist in his dogmatic anti-border Fence position, which has the potential to be an acid test in this campaign.  At present the MSM seems confident they can rush him to the GOP nomination like they did McCain – but McCain did temper his immigration stance in the 2008 election and his subsequent Senate Primary. Perry has not.

It is not over until it is over.