Dean calls the border top priority

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Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean yesterday called border security his party's top immigration priority for November.

"The first thing we want is tough border control," he said. "We have to do a much better job on our borders than George Bush has done. And then we can go to the policy disagreements about how to get it done."

Republicans reacted with surprise to Mr. Dean's announcement, which puts the DNC chief's views at odds with those of many Democrats in Congress.

"If Dean means what he says about border enforcement, that would put the Democrats somewhere to the right of President Bush on immigration," said Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican.

A spokesman for the Republican National Committee dismissed Mr. Dean's "newfound commitment to border security" as "not believable."

A Gallup Poll of 1,004 Americans this month found that 81 percent think illegal immigration to the United States is out of control and that 79 percent think it's extremely or very important for the government to take steps this year to halt the flood of illegal aliens.

Mr. Dean said he wants "immigrants who obey the law and pay taxes to be able to apply for citizenship. We support earned legalization vigorously. And, much to my surprise, so do the American people."

Mr. Dean said his party will make immigration an issue as part of its strategy to "nationalize" the fall elections and is opening a television advertising campaign -- beginning with Spanish-language pitches on radio stations in three Southwestern states -- that puts tougher border enforcement first.

Only recently, after prodding by Republican lawmakers who said they were feeling heat from frustrated constituents, has Mr. Bush applied rhetorical emphasis to stanching the influx of illegal aliens.

Nevertheless, the latest Bush-backed immigration proposal in the Senate includes a guest-worker program that some Republican lawmakers denounce as an amnesty that would reward lawbreakers.