Of course, this would all be avoidable if GWB had not made himself vulnerable to this wedge politics. The RATs don't need to advance any wedges of their own...just emblazon the President's own abandonments of law and principle on immigration and profligate domestic spending for the sake of whatever, and make it clear to his base that he indeed is willfully ignoring them.
At this point, he has fallen into the same pit as his father. Many, many people here in Minnesota have told me they are just too depressed to go vote for him. He has committed political hari-kari. Susan Estrich was right, when she said on Fox News: "George Bush beats George Bush."
Perhaps the only thing he could do is if he PUBLICLY abandoned his unholy pact with Mexico, ...repudiating Fox, and APOLOGIZED to the base for his pandering to the special interest voting blocs and heavy-duty campaign contributors.
I expect to still be voting for GWB, but we can at least rain on his warm fuzzies he is planning for his convention.