McCain "inclined" to vote for fence bill
From CNN's Ted Barrett

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said he is leaning towards voting in favor of a bill this week to build a 700 mile security fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"I'm inclined to vote for it," McCain told CNN, following a news conference with religious leaders and Senate supporters of a stalled comprehensive immigration bill.

Many conservative lawmakers oppose the bill because it would provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already living in the country. McCain favors the comprehensive legislative approach to illegal immigration.

McCain's willingness to vote for a scaled down immigration bill could cause problems for supporters of the comprehensive approach, who are worried they will lose leverage if the fence bill becomes law. But a vote for the fence bill might help McCain, a likely 2008 presidential candidate, quiet critics on the right who are adamant about stemming illegal immigration.

"I'm all for border security," McCain said. "I always have been and I always will be."