Jawdropper of the Day

Wed, May 17, 2006 at 12:43:42 pm PDT

President Bush announced a plan to station National Guard troops at the Mexican border, and Vicente Fox said he respected US sovereignty.

But if those National Guard troops actually do anything to stop the flow of illegal immigrants, Mexico says they will file a blizzard of lawsuits.

Lawsuits. Legal action to stop the US from using legal means to stop illegal immigration.

That’s why this is the Jawdropper of the Day.

But almost as drop-worthy is watching the Associated Press getting their spin together. The first AP report on Mexico’s legal threats is here: Mexico Threatens Suits Over Guard Patrols. (Hat tip: Fox3.)

NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico - Mexico warned Tuesday it would file lawsuits in U.S. courts if National Guard troops detain migrants on the border, and some officials said they fear the crackdown will force illegal crossers into more perilous areas to avoid detection.

In the revised report, the headline is the same but the section about lawsuits is buried deep in the middle of the piece, and the first sentence has been drastically re-spun: Mexico Threatens Suits Over Guard Patrols.

NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico - A U.S.-Mexico border that’s impossible to sneak across could devastate impoverished Mexican and Central American communities that depend on the millions of dollars that undocumented migrants send home to loved ones.