Fox Makes It Easy for Amnesty, Part XXVIII: I had forgotten this fairly explicit paragraph from Ryan Lizza’s 2013 article on the Gang of Eight Amnesty-First bill:

McCain told me, “Rupert Murdoch is a strong supporter of immigration reform, and Roger Ailes is, too.” Murdoch is the chairman and C.E.O. of News Corp., which owns Fox, and Ailes is Fox News’s president. McCain said that he, [Lindsey] Graham, [Marco] Rubio, and others also have talked privately to top hosts at Fox, including Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Neil Cavuto, who are now relatively sympathetic to the Gang’s proposed bill. Hannity voiced support for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, which he previously dismissed as “amnesty,” on the day after the 2012 election. “God bless Fox,” Graham said. “Last time, it was ‘amnesty’ every fifteen seconds.” He said that the change was important for his reëlection, because “eighty per cent of people in my primary get their news from Fox.” He added that the network has “allowed critics to come forward, but it’s been so much better.”  [Emphasis added]

Now they seem to have clamped down on the ‘allow the critics to come forward’ part. … Alternative ledes: 1) Rubio lobbied Ailes for amnesty. Hear that, Iowa? 2) Things Daily Caller can’t cover. ….

Picking up where Eric Cantor left off: AP’s Erica Warner reports on Twitter that at his “pen and pad” press conference today, GOP House Majority Leader McCarthy, “hedged on whether House will pursue legal action against Obama on immigration, saying they already achieved what they wanted.” And what was that, exactly? A District Court judge has held up Obama’s executive amnesty, but it’s by no means dead. McCarthy (and his sidekick, Rep. Renee Ellmers!) will apparently pass up no opportunity to talk tough and then wimp out on immigration. …

P.S.: Warner also tweets that McCarthy “said … he will bring back the border security bill abandoned when conservatives balked, combined with Goodlatte bills.” It was widely — and rationally — feared that these bills are seen by the House leadership as a precursor to passing some kind of amnesty before the 2016 election ( ‘See, the border is secure!’).

The Boehner/McCarthy drive for amnesty hasn’t gone away. Stay paranoid. …

538‘s Nate Silver to Ezra Klein’s Vox: Quit jacking our charts!  First Vox steals from Slate. Now Nate. I sense a pattern. Also a subtle undercurrent of desperation! I don’t think they’d do this unless they thought they had to …

Chelsea, toxic asset? Byron York rightly mocks the Clintons for launching a campaign with an anti-inequality theme while Chelsea poses on the cover of Elle wearing a Gucci dress, Cartier bracelet, , etc. But the Chelsea “optics” are a little more complicated than the term “plutography” (gawking at the rich) suggests. As readers of Dana Thomas’ books know all too well, the market for Cartier bracelets isn’t the rich but the upper middle class. They wear them — well, I don’t know why, but it has a lot to do with status and at least a bit with snobbery. Which raises the issue of social equality. Which makes Chelsea’s cover shoot more toxic, not less. …

Update: “They’re working on her relatability,” a “former employee” tells Politico.

VAT’s Day? If you were a lobbyist for the Value Added Tax, this would be the week to make your pitch, no? I’d happily pay more in a Euro-style VAT that seamlessly skimmed money from my purchases if it meant I wouldn’t have to keep track of all these expenses. … P.S.: To simplify things, the VAT would have to either replace the personal income tax or be accompanied by some radical revisions. Half-measures (e.g. keeping the complex income tax while relying on it less) wouldn’t do, though that is what the system usually serves up. … P.P.S.: And yes, the VAT is regressive. I’m not necessarily for it. Just saying April 15th is its best day. …

Why the surge in Central American minors crossing the border? A short, clear explanation. …

Re: Paul Buff — This is the Hollywood Persuaders most famous recording, “Drums a Go Go.”  I don’t know if Buff actually played the drums on it, but this site suggests yes. …

Here’s Chelsea Clinton’s new spread in Elle. She’s the cover. “[W]riting her own story as a mother, wife, advocate, and, yes, the beloved daughter of two of the most powerful people on the planet.” Seems pretty clear she is fair game for diligent investigation — not only is she thrusting herself into the public eye, as they say, but she’s about to become an integral part of a presidential campaign. Privacy, schmivacy. … P.S.: Does Chelsea really think she will help? She does not seem to be universally beloved. … [via @ByronYork]

“Birthing centers that cater to Chinese women eager to bear American babies“: According to ICE “USA Star Baby Care Center averaged $ 5.3 million in annual revenues in each of the past 15 years.” That’s even more profitable than blogging. [via @JonFeere] ….

Smart take …