Thread: McCain hears critics of immigration bill

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... ain26.html

McCain hears critics of immigration bill


JJ Hensley
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 26, 2005 12:00 AM

The presidential election is still more than three years away, but the campaign season started early for East Valley residents who attended Sen. John McCain's town-hall style meeting in Mesa on Thursday night.

McCain shared his views on broad topics such as the need to win the war in Iraq and the government's lack of fiscal responsibility, but it was his controversial opinion on immigration reform that drew the strongest reaction from several hundred people at Mesa Community College.

McCain has introduced a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States if they pay a fine and participate in a guest-worker program.

Though McCain opposes amnesty for millions of undocumented immigrants in the country, his proposal didn't appeal to many of the Republicans at the meeting. The bill would allow foreign workers to take jobs Americans don't want, McCain said.

"He's not a conservative platform Republican," said Paradise Valley resident Rob Haney, 63.

Haney is the leader of a group that wants to have another GOP nominee emerge in the 2008 presidential election.

"We need to energize the grass roots," he said. "We don't want it decided three years beforehand that McCain is our candidate."

Others in the audience agreed, repeatedly pressing McCain on the immigration issue. The senator stood firm in his belief that the guest-worker program gave America the best chance to control immigration.

"Then we could go after the employers that employ people illegally," he said.

" The senator stood firm in his belief that the guest-worker program gave America the best chance to control immigration.

"Then we could go after the employers that employ people illegally," he said.

these aliens aren't "guests" nor are they immigrants -- they're illegal foreign nationals that have invaded our country and a "guest-worker program" for "illegal invaders" has nothing to do with controlling "immigration" and the ONLY power Congress has is to "repel invasion"

and if Congress isn't making sure employers that employ "ALIENS" are punished now, why is later going to be any different. ...

this country has a problem that was created by Congress and all they want to do is sweep the slate clean and start over . . . what the American people need to do is sweep Congress clean and start over!