In Texas today, President Obama gave a speech that calls for a renewed national focus on immigration. You can find the full transcript at whitehouse.gov. It's an Obama speech, all right; he looks at both sides of the issue: "Now, if the majority of Americans are skeptical of a blanket amnesty, they are also skeptical that it is possible to round up and deport 11 million people. They know it’s not possible. Such an effort would be logistically impossible and wildly expensive." He tries to frame the issue historically: "Today, we have more boots on the ground near the Southwest border than at any time in our history. Let me repeat that: We have more boots on the ground on the Southwest border than at any time in our history."

He comes down hard on a side that will make the Republicans uncomfortable: "That’s why businesses must be held accountable if they break the law by deliberately hiring and exploiting undocumented workers." And he comes down on the issue in a way that will make the far-left base wail and call him a sellout:

Finally, we have to demand responsibility from people living here illegally. They must be required to admit that they broke the law. They should be required to register, pay their taxes, pay a fine, and learn English. They must get right with the law before they can get in line and earn their citizenship — not just because it is fair, not just because it will make clear to those who might wish to come to America they must do so inside the bounds of the law, but because this is how we demonstrate that being — what being an American means.

You should read the whole speech; it's a pretty good one. He even calls Arizona's recent anti-immigration laws out by name. The analysis is just starting to come in, but it basically looks like this is a salvo that Obama is firing directly at Republicans, in the hopes that it'll become a big issue for 2012. Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post thinks Obama is trying to appease both Latinos and centrist independents with this speech. And as a political maneuver, it's a smart one. If Obama can whip the say-anything Republicans up into an anti-immigration lather, they'll look even less presidential in the buildup to 2012. The only question now is whether Republicans will take the bait.