A new Quinnipiac poll conducted last Friday shows that support for immigration reform may be suffering a bit in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings. Thirty percent of voters now believe that immigrants who entered the country illegally or overstayed a visa should return to their country of origin before they could begin the citizenship process, but support for giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship has fallen from 59% to 52%, its lowest level of support in Quinnipiac polling. Twenty two percent of those polled said giving immigrants a path to citizenship would lead to more terrorism.

Maybe Quinnipiac should quit polling dumb, panicky animals right after acts of terror. So twenty two percent of the people polled said giving immigrants a path to citizensip would lead to more terrorism. Yeah, because we all know how hard our government cracks down on illegal immigration. Why is it so illogical to worry more about the people who just walk on in, rather than the people who are actually attempting to become a citizen? Why marginalize their drive and their accomplishment by making someone a citizen by default? That would be like giving a bank robber an account because he held off the cops for four hours, or giving someone a drivers license because they eluded police in a car chase.

The numbers are starting to mount, with only 14 percent saying immigration reform would make the country safer, against 55 percent who didn't think passing reform would make the country safer. How can they say that? There was an 800 page immigration reform bill just dying to be passed, and that's 800 pages! That's like the width of a Stephen King novel! There had to be some kind of solution in there for 800 pages of intensive, round the clock backbreaking work, he typed, mildly eyerolling toward the ceiling.

As hard as it is to believe, immigration reform will make the country, safer, only if there is follow-through. Quit laughing, there is more. Immigration reform that provides a clear path to citizenship for new entrants, and for those already in the country, and provides for adequate and clear border control, will make the country safer. Now, if you think anything there that is going to happen, then you may start laughing again.

With sloppy conditions greeting the field at the start of the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday afternoon, the horses responded by putting on a solid show, highlighted by Orb breaking out from the back of the pack for the win, giving Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey and jockey Joel Rosario their first Derby win each. 

Orb, running as the 5-1 favorite at post time, turned in a 2:02.89 mile and a quarter, paying $12.80, $7.40, and $5.40. Long shot Golden Soul was second, paying $38.60 and $19.40 with Revolutionary finishing third, paying $5.40 to show. Early leader Normandy Invasion faded to a fourth place showing.

As for the two riders chasing milestones, Rosie Napravnik finished fifth on Mylute, the best showing ever by a female jockey in the Kentucky Derby, and Kevin Krigger, riding Goldencents in a bid to become the first black jockey to win the Derby since 1902, came in 17th place.

As for my official Derby predictions:

Yeah, that would have been ten bucks well spent. Okay, for starters, I know now I misspelled Goldencents' name. If the horse was offended, I apologize. Wait...I picked Goldencents to show, and he comes in 17th out of 19 horses? Apology rescinded. Guess Rick Pitino's recent run of good fortune is slowing a bit.

Didn't think I did too bad with Orb and Revolutionary, even if I jumbled their finish a bit. Usually I'm no closer to the winner's circle than the prime viewing spot in my living room, but to actually be in the ballpark with two horses is kind of cool. I might even have to pay more attention next year than just the week before the race.