Reporting from St. Louis: Yes, Rudy Giuliani checked himself into a St. Louis hospital last night after complaining of flu-like symptoms, according to an AP report.

I, for one, suspect the Republican presidential candidate will attempt to take advantage of his opportune illness — genuine or concocted — to convey the image of a presidential candidate who knows what it's like to walk in the shoes of an illegal immigrant.Think about it for a minute, and you'll see how the pieces fall into place for the quick-thinking lawyer-politician.

Despite the 9-11 bona fides he waves in front of crowds and cameras at every opportunity, Rudy's opponents have criticized him for having allowed New York City to function as a so-called "sanctuary city" and for being soft on illegal immigration in general. In turn, many "likely voters" responded negatively to questions about his immigration stance. So he adopted a tougher stance on the issue.

Based on his recent decline in presidential tracking polls, I think it's safe to conclude Rudy's change of political heart on immigration-related issues appears to have fallen on deaf ears. He simply wasn't sounding credible on the immigration issue when speaking to voters in key states such as Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida and South Carolina. So Rudy decided to use the few characteristics he shares in common with the stereotypical "illegal" as a way to gain a better understanding of immigration issues:

* Like an illegal immigrant, Rudy was far from home;

* Like an illegal immigrant, Rudy was traveling with a large group of people, many of whom were strangers to him; and

* Rather than simply waiting until the next morning to visit a doctor about his flu-like symptoms, Rudy opted for a late-night emergency room visit.

Will Rudy's hospital experience in St. Louis enable him to regain voter confidence — especially on the issue of illegal immigration — as he continues his 2008 race for the White House? Unfortunately for him, it probably won't.

Unlike most of the illegal immigrants who spent hours in the emergency room at Barnes-Jewish Hospital last night, Rudy likely sped to the front of the line and didn't have to go through an admissions test to determine whether he had a "negative" or "positive" wallet biopsy. It remains to be seen whether or not already-overburdened taxpayers will have to foot the bill for his care.

-- Bob McCarty Writes™