May 07, 2008

John McCain "flip-flops", will support "comprehensive immigration reform"; DNC still concept-challenged

John McCain has "flip-flopped" on immigration. Except, it's not really a flip-flop because it's been his position all along, despite attempts by the Democratic Party and others (such as Media Matters) to pretend otherwise. On May 5, while announcing his new Spanish-language website, he said this:

"Unless we enact comprehensive immigration reform I don't think you can take it piecemeal... In other words... because as soon you and I start to talk about the highly skilled workers, our agricultural interest people are going to say, 'Look we need ag workers, too.' And then somebody’s going say, 'We need the DREAM Act,' and then somebody’s going to say, 'We’ve got to enforce our border.'"

His previous position was that the borders needed to be certified as secure first. But, even if he meant to do that, it would basically be a sham designed to making getting amnesty ("comprehensive immigration reform") easier. So, this isn't so much a flip-flop as simply a more explicit indication of what he really wants.

Needless to say, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) continues their charade and also reveals that they're still concept-challenged (link):

McCain said he would pursue comprehensive immigration reform as soon as he takes office. But in the same news conference, McCain also took the opposite position: saying that the borders have to be secured first. McCain touted a virtual fence today and said we could have secured the border if it wasn't for all the earmarks and pork spending in Washington. But as recently as March, McCain called the virtual fence a "failed effort" and a "disgrace." Asked whether state and local law enforcement agencies should be enforcing federal immigration laws, McCain said "I support the enforcement of every law that's on the books in the United States of America." But moments later McCain took the opposite position, blaming the federal government for having "failed to act" and asserting, "when I'm president, beginning in January 0f 2009 we will have a federal approach to what is a federal problem." ...Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda [says] "John McCain cannot have it both ways. He cannot pander to the right wing of his Party by promising an enforcement-only approach to immigration while telling Hispanics that he supports comprehensive reform.

Obviously, their "opposite positions" aren't opposite at all.

Posted to Immigration2008a at May 7, 2008 11:15 AM