According to WM. Jake Friel of Renfrew (where the heck is Renfrew?), the answer seems to be a resounding YES.

The July 9 article "Santorum Bets on Immigration in Re-Election Race" should be a must-read for all Pennsylvania voters.

The article does a great job of pointing out the strategy of making illegal immigration a hot-button issue for voters in this state to divert our attention from issues of much greater importance to Pennsylvanians. Passage of either proposed legislation will have zero impact on 99 percent of Pennsylvanians, yet our politicians want this issue to be in the forefront of the upcoming election.

Hot-button issue to divert our attention -- sound familiar?  Since the PA legislature minced its way out of the gay marriage bailiwick, the homo-threat has become less of a rallying cry for the faithful. 

Jake makes another interesting point about the relationship of the immigrant threat to your average yinzer Pennsylvanian:

The fact that Pennsylvania is not a destination for the desperate should be of greater concern to us. Even the desperate see little opportunity here.

Now that's an interesting perspective -- we suck so much that even illegal immigrants won't come here. 

I don't agree with his analysis on this point (I'm an optimist) or his perspective that anti-immigration legislation will impact Pennsylvanias.  My cousin's girlfriend is Southeast Asian.  My other cousin's husband is from India.  Yet another cousin's in-laws are from China. My dad's cousin's wife is from the Philippines. A former coworker was from Sweden, another is from Germany.  My friend's parents are from South Korea.  And that's just the first few people that come to mind.  So, yes, immigration issues are personal for me here in Pittsburgh. 

So, Santorum is right (a ha!) that immigration reform does matter to Pennsylvanians.  Divisive mean legislation intended to persecute and isolate struggling minority groups, incite xenophobic hysteria and further bash the rest of the world over the head with idiotic "America rocks" imperialism does affect us here in the Keystone State. 

Just wait until the mighty whites tucked in their gated enclaves realize that this legislation will impune their ability to recruit white immigrants for nanny and governess duties. 

Jake -- thanks for writing to the Post-Gazette  People like you give me hope that the tyranny might soon end.