Thread: McCain’s Immigration Stance Coming Undone

McCain's Immigration Stance Coming Undone
By: Joe Murray, The Bulletin
07/01/2008

Just days after Congressman Tom Tancredo wrote a firm letter warning his party's presumptive presidential nominee to stay the course on border security, an appearance by John McCain at a Latino leadership conference reopened the very immigration debate that practically derailed his presidential ambitions last year, raising some questions as to the Arizona senator's position on the controversial issue.

Democrats and some conservatives are pointing to Mr. McCain's address before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEAO) conference as evidence Mr. McCain is trying to walk both sides of the immigration issue; attempting to merge the pre-presidential candidate McCain's adherence to comprehensive immigration reform with presidential candidate McCain's promise to bring about border security.
"It'll be my top priority yesterday, today, and tomorrow," Mr. McCain those at the conference when asked by a participant "will comprehensive immigration reform - and not just enforcement - be one of your top policy priorities in your first 100 days in office?"

Mr. McCain's commitment to comprehensive immigration reform came after a proclamation he would secure the border first, a policy he adopted after his immigration reform bill was defeated last year.

"Many Americans, with good cause, did not believe us when we said we would secure our borders, and so we failed in our efforts. We must prove to them that we can and will secure our borders first, while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States," Mr. McCain said.

But then moments later Mr. McCain argued the country must "move forward with our border security, and then address this issue in a humane and compassionate fashion," leading Democrats to accuse Mr. McCain of shifting on the issue in an attempt to appease conservatives and Hispanic voters.

"Apparently, Senator McCain's idea of 'straight talk' means giving two different answers to a straightforward question about whether he supports comprehensive immigration reform or an enforcement-first approach to the issue," DNC communications director Karen Finney said.

Of all the issues that have dogged the McCain campaign, immigration has to be among the top ten. In the Senate Mr. McCain has built a solid record on the immigration issue and has often led the fight for immigration reform. The only problem is Mr. McCain has been on the opposite side of his party's base.

"Immigration, as an issue, in the Republican party is in chaos right now," said Jessica Echard, executive director of Eagle Forum. "There is a big gap between the average Republican voter and their candidate for president."

The internal feud between Mr. McCain and conservatives seeking a secure border came to a boiling point last June when the Senate, with an assist from the Arizona senator, sought to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill seeking to provide a "pathway to citizenship" for the nation's estimated 12 million illegal aliens. Conservatives viewed the bill, dubbed the Kennedy-McCain-Bush immigration bill, as amnesty and orchestrated a grassroots revolt to defeat the measure.

In the months leading up to the Senate vote, Mr. McCain did not mince words when chastising measures that sought to place border security first.
Describing the enforcement first approach as "an ineffective and ill-advised approach," Mr. McCain took to the Senate floor in September 2006 and argued, "I believe the only way to truly secure our border and protect our Nation is through the enactment of comprehensive immigration reform. As long as there is a need for workers in the United States and people are willing to cross the desert to make a better life for their families, our border will never be secure."

Mr. McCain, however, failed to overcome opposition from his own party last year and, in the aftermath of the 2007 bill's defeat, the fate of Mr. McCain's campaign was unknown. Broke, battered and bewildered, Mr. McCain adopted a new tone on immigration reform and went on to win the Republican nomination.

But some conservative skeptics questioned Mr. McCain's immigration mea culpa and remain unconvinced their party's nominee is in step with the party faithful. Instead, many immigration reform advocates are looking to the GOP convention in Minneapolis to see whether Mr. McCain will embrace a secure or open border.

"The biggest thing that will indicate how things play out will be the platform because it will be a signal on how far John McCain will let the base influence his candidacy," explained Ms. Echard. The conservative activist believes if the party emerges from Minneapolis with a solid platform statement on border security, conservatives will be more trusting of their nominee, but cautions an adverse result would be detrimental to Mr. McCain's White House ambitions.

"It will definitely deflate the base," argued Ms. Echard, adding it is "taking tons on effort to turn out conservative support for Mr. McCain and any momentum will be deflated if there is comprehensive reform language in platform." Such language would include any support for amnesty, guest worker programs, or other forms of legalization of illegal aliens.

Republicans, however, are not deterred and argue Mr. McCain's open dialogue about immigration and his commitment to finding a bi-partisan solution is a sign of strength; something that is lacking in his Democratic opponent who voted in favor of five "poison pills" last year designed to kill the immigration reform compromise.

"John McCain understands that important issues like immigration reform require leadership to work through divisiveness and provide a solution that is good for the country," stated Blair Latoff, RNC spokeswoman. "Not only did Barack Obama disappear from view during the immigration debate, he has a chronic absence from any debate that requires bipartisan leadership."
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Mr. McCain, however, failed to overcome opposition from his own party last year and, in the aftermath of the 2007 bill's defeat, the fate of Mr. McCain's campaign was unknown. Broke, battered and bewildered, Mr. McCain adopted a new tone on immigration reform and went on to win the Republican nomination.

His recent hispandering will leave him broke, battered and bewildered once again come November.

The ONLY way I may vote for him is if he goes on the record as abandoning "reform" and pushing ENFORCEMENT. Illegal aliens and their protectors must heed the writing on the wall and make plans to self-deport, we will never approve any amnesty, no matter who the POTUS is. McCain must heed the majority of his base or he will lose.

I think he will lose anyway, UNLESS he makes a stand for enforcement. THEN he may very well beat Obama. That's his only chance.

Barack Hussein Obama did NOT disappear on immigration....he was MARCHING in the STREETS of CHICAGO with all the radical, leftists, pro-Mexican, pro-illegal alien, anti-enforcement, organizations in the windy City.

Any President who hinders, ignores, impedes or prevents full border security and enforcement of our laws needs to be impeached.