Mr. Gingrich predicted bipartisan support for the immigration plan.

The poll was conducted shortly after Mr. Bush made his first major speech on his immigration plan.

A21 Republicans defeated an attack on their immigration plan.

Opposition to Mr. Bush's immigration plan, which calls for a way to legalize illegal workers who are here now, has been stiff for years.

The immigration plan is critical to the domestic politics of both men.

In short, some three-quarters of these likely Republican voters favored a comprehensive immigration plan much like the McCain-Kennedy package.

And finally, any workable immigration plan must deal with the 11 million illegal immigrants who are already in the country.

And why was Bush, sounding just like a Democrat, pressing an immigration plan that could help illegal immigrants become citizens?

If a new immigration plan gives them work for a few years and then sends them home before they can apply to return, many will opt to stay underground.

What happened was that Mr. Ortega heard about President Bush's new immigration plan.