McCain's Democrat opponent for Senate will be Rodney Glassman, a former Tucson Councilman. And he sounds and looks like your average Democrat public official on the issue of illegal immigration:
http://www.rodneyglassman.com/issues/immigration/
Immigration
We need a sensible, reasonable approach to immigration. Washington and John McCain have failed us. For 28 years, McCain has taken all sides of the immigration debate while the problems have only gotten worse. In the meantime, Arizonans have been searching for answers. SB1070 is not the answer; it is a rash attempt to score political points. As a former Vice Mayor for the City of Tucson, I understand the importance of safety in our communities. SB1070 is an unfunded mandate and additional burden on local law enforcement at a time when every municipality in Arizona is struggling with budget cuts.
We must hire and train the appropriate number of border patrol agents and utilize technology to secure and monitor the border. Additionally, we must have a system in place for those who would like to come to our country legally, work, pay taxes, and return home to do so in order for our economy to function properly.
Those who are in our country illegally must be held accountable for breaking the law, but it would cost billions of taxpayer dollars to arrest or deport them all. We need a realistic solution so that those who work hard, pay back taxes, and contribute to society pay a fine and get in the back of the line to become U.S. citizens. Those who otherwise do not obey our laws should be deported immediately.
Glassman would ordinarily have no chance against McCain. But what if he were to alter his position on illegal immigration to a stricter approach? He should start running ads, saying that he now realizes how effective SB-1070 has been. Thousands of illegals have left AZ, saving Arizona taxpayers millions of dollars. He can say that he now realizes that law-enforcement officials will not be overburdened, with fewer illegals residing in the state. He can say that the economy will eventually rebound, and any new jobs created will go to unemployed Americans.
He could even scold the regular Democrat establishment in the public-service sector for secretly hoping for a massive, Federal Amnesty, who think that millions of newly legalized illegals will automatically vote for Democrat candidates. He can proudly proclaim, "That's not what America is all about".
Glassman should realize that we already have "a system in place for those who would like to come to our country legally, work, pay taxes, in order for our economy to function properly". It's called legal immigration. Come here legally.
Ironically, Glassman also states that "Washington and McCain have failed us". Glassman should get on McCain's case for McCain's failure to realize, until the Congressional 2007 Amnesty attempt had failed, that "Americans want the border secured first".
Perhaps Glassman can get some advice from Senator Byron Dorgan from North Dakota, one of the few Democrat Senators opposed to illegal immigration. (Ironically, Dorgan chose not to run for re-election this year).
What else can Glassman run on? The economy? ObamaCare? The prospect of raising taxes on Americans once again? He should use his imagination, and adopt a stricter stance on illegal immigration.
If Glassman wants to have any chance at all against McCain, he should try this novel approach. Otherwise, he'll simply lose in the normal fashion.