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Home Front: Politix
McCain vows to make immigration reform 'top priority'
2008-06-29
WASHINGTON — Republican candidate John McCain promised on Saturday that he would make Immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for illegal residents "my top priority" if elected president. McCain made the promise to a group of Latino elected officials as both he and Barack Obama court Hispanic voters who are a key constituency in several Western swing states and in the perennial electoral battleground of Florida.

In a separate appearance before the same group later in the day, Obama charged that McCain had backed away from his longtime support of comprehensive Immigration reform during Republican primaries under pressure from GOP conservatives.

Both McCain and Obama see opportunities for their campaigns among Latino voters. Asked if he would make comprehensive Immigration reform and not just strengthening border enforcement a high priority, McCain responded, "It will be my top priority yesterday, today and tomorrow," drawing sustained applause. "There are 12 million people here and they are here illegally but they are God's children, they are God's children," McCain said, pounding the podium for emphasis as he repeated the words.
Posted by:Steve White

#23  Hell, we should write in Tom Tancredo
Posted by: Jan   2008-06-29 16:37  

#22  I'm gonna write in my name for President.

My platform:

Secure the border
Kill the terrorists
Punch the hippies
Posted by: DarthVader   2008-06-29 16:31  

#21  Traitor. Fuck real Americans, this turd has made his intentions clear and right now there is little we can do about it.

Time to write in Daffy Duck.
Posted by: Icerigger   2008-06-29 14:40  

#20  but I don't have much problem with regularizing the status of the illegals currently in the country

Welcome to permanent minority party status. Hispanics vote 2:1 for the Dems or a 4 million net shift for the Democratic party. Can you say $trillions more in taxpayer transfer payments and absolutely no hope of ever erecting barriers at the border? 12-20 million not enough? There's still 500 million more south of the border.
Posted by: ed   2008-06-29 14:18  

#19  Once upon a time, McCain made campaign finance reform a top priority. He blew that just like he will blow the election. This bulb is too dim to resolve anything without real help from a brain. I wonder if his old lady is smart enough.
Posted by: wxjames   2008-06-29 13:42  

#18  Both McCain and Obama see opportunities for their campaigns among Latino illegal voters.
Some of 'God's children' break the laws, why do they see these swing states as having to keep the illegals happy, instead of enforcing our rules on the books and making our citizens happy. If a strong stand isn't made now, it will only get harder to do in the future. Is it because Hispanics have illegal family members that they want to get citizenship and benefits?
Time for more blood pressure medicine.
Posted by: Jan   2008-06-29 13:29  

#17  Fence First.

Period.

Then internal enforcement of the laws, especially proof of citizenship or proper visa to work prior to hiring -- and criminal charges wiht expulsion for those who use falsified documents and stolen IDs.

After that, we can talk about "a path to citizenship".

Posted by: OldSpook   2008-06-29 12:47  

#16  Once again I'm in the minority here, but I don't have much problem with regularizing the status of the illegals currently in the country, ONCE the fence is built. 95%-plus of the illegals here now just want a decent life, one that they certainly aren't going to find in Mexico.

My family's ancestors had the same desires, and that's why I'm an American.

I keep saying it: 1) build the fence, high with a wide gate 2) guest-worker program for those who want to work 3) fix the employer abuses 4) take care of the people who have been obeying the law and who want to be here and 5) finalize the status of those already here.

And 6) limit welfare and aid to illegals. You came here to work. So work.
Posted by: Steve White   2008-06-29 10:58  

#15  ...But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --

Sign me up.
Posted by: Hellfish   2008-06-29 10:45  

#14  I loath McCains backstabbing conservatives like he did. However this cannot be overstated:

I don't like McCain worth a damn but I'd vote for him over Obama in a heartbeat. If Obama wins and appoints three more libs to the SCOTUS, we're not only screwed, I'm thinking we're on the fast track to civil war. We're way too divided, and the animosity is far too deep, to continue on this type of track long term.
Posted by: Lumpy Spusoth6394 2008-06-29 09:19

Posted by: Vinegar Elmamp8965   2008-06-29 10:27  

#13  Are Latinos and their hangers-on more critical in those states than those desiring secure borders?

For the last few years, the city with the highest growth rate in Latino immigrants has been Allentown, PA.

They're not alone.
Posted by: lotp   2008-06-29 10:07  

#12  I'm here in Utah now, where Rep. Chris Cannon just got his butt kicked by some unknown guy who had never run for office before but who absolutely NAILED Cannon on his pro-immigration stance. If this place is any indication of what the rest of the Republican Party is thinking, McCain better stop his pandering to Latinos NOW and get with the program of enforcement first, expulsion second, and citizenship nowhere. If he doesn't, he's toast because if these folks aren't going to vote for him, he doesn't have a chance in hell.

I don't like McCain worth a damn but I'd vote for him over Obama in a heartbeat. If Obama wins and appoints three more libs to the SCOTUS, we're not only screwed, I'm thinking we're on the fast track to civil war. We're way too divided, and the animosity is far too deep, to continue on this type of track long term.
Posted by: Lumpy Spusoth6394   2008-06-29 09:19  

#11  All of which is why electing members of Congress is just as important as the President.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2008-06-29 09:09  

#10  He keeps pissing off the conservatives that are already holding their nose to vote for him, Obama is gonna have a landslide victory.

Until he puts in writing that he will secure the border, no vote, no money.
Posted by: DarthVader   2008-06-29 09:04  

#9  This election will be won or lost in the strip of Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Are Latinos and their hangers-on more critical in those states than those desiring secure borders? I don't know, but I doubt it.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2008-06-29 08:14  

#8  Latinos will decide this election. You can get McCain with his faults or you can get Obama who will openly offer blanket amnesty and a return to the Clinton policy of deliberately not enforcing any immigration laws.

Your choice, Republicans.
Posted by: lotp   2008-06-29 08:11  

#7  Hear, hear, Iblis.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2008-06-29 07:30  

#6  I, for one, never believed him. And I never will.

The problem is, I *do* believe Obama...
Posted by: Iblis   2008-06-29 01:47  

#5  Lying sumbitch. He said during the primary that buidling the fence and securing the border would be what he would do first and foremost. Said he had heard us loud and clar last summer.

Lying pandering asshole.
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-06-29 01:39  

#4  NADA, John. (Not A Dime Amigo) My donations go to conservative Congresscritters.
Posted by: Muggsy Gling   2008-06-29 01:16  

#3  Build a fence John!
Posted by: 3dc   2008-06-29 01:08  

#2  helloooooooo John? The daily funding requests your minions send are negated by your mouth. Not one frigging dollar, McAmnesty
Posted by: Frank G   2008-06-29 00:50  

#1  "There are 12 million people here and they are here illegally but they are God's children, they are God's children," McCain said, pounding the podium for emphasis as he repeated the words.

-the clinton's would call that triangulation - trying to reach out to latinos while referencing God in hopes it softens christian conservative critic's stance on amnesty. I call shennanigans on shamnesty which is what this is. f*ck you mCCCPain & all the idiots that misconstrue the original intent of the "anchor baby" ammendment - it was not meant for illegals - it was meant for the offsprings of newly freed slaves so as not to screw them out of citizenship. I'll grant that mCCCPain is definitely a war hero but he's also definitely a shitbag as a republican. I still can't believe this douchebag won the GOP primary. Un-f#cking-believable. Billary, Obomba, and mCCCPain - that's the best we got that will run? What a laughingstock we've become. Sorry Mr. Franklin, we could not keep the republic. Our congress is full of feckless myopic whores, our SCOTUS is infested by 4 lunatics and Not one of our three front runners for the prez generates the least bit of confidence from me.
Posted by: Groting Bucket6626 aka Broadhead6   2008-06-29 00:40  

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