McCain On Border Security

When John McCain spoke (before Barack Obama) on July 8, 2008 before the League of United Latin American Citizens, he commented only briefly on immigration/illegal immigration. But he did remark

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 of America...

Note McCain said: a) "We must prove to them that we can and will secure our borders first"(emphasis mine) and b) Americans did not believe us when we said we would secure borders and so we failed in our efforts" (emphasis mine). Taken together (or even the second remark alone), the statement does not mean that he believes that the borders must be secured first (and does anyone believe that we're going to secure the Canadian border first, second, or even third?) but merely that people need to believe that the border(s) will be "secured first."

Perhaps if elected, McCain will start the snow job with his signature "a little straight talk," then try to convince the American people that the border will be "secured" (and how does one measure "secured"?) prior to laying a path for citizenship. I don't want to give my liberal/progressive readers a reason to vote for John McCain for President; there isn't much of a reason. But if you favor "comprehensive immigration reform," "amnesty," or (far worse) a guest worker program, rest easy: so does John McCain.

Better Than A Flip-Flop

John McCain, then later Barack Obama, spoke to July 8, 2008 to the gathering of the League of United Latin American Citizens in Washington, D.C. The greatest attention, justifiably, was given to Obama's criticism of McCain's seeming 180-degree reversal on the matter of "comprehensive immigration reform." Virtually every report of the appearance of either or both presumptive nominees noted Obama's statement

....for eight long years, we've had a President who made all kinds of promises to Latinos on the campaign trail, but failed to live up to them in the White House, and we can't afford that anymore. We need a President who isn't going to walk away from something as important as comprehensive reform when it becomes politically unpopular.

Notable enough, but Obama's remark immediately prior to this comment is more telling but noted in fewer articles reporting on the candidates' comments. He noted

Now, I know Senator McCain used to buck his party on immigration by fighting for comprehensive reform, and I admired him for it. But when he was running for his party's nomination, he abandoned his courageous stance, and said that he wouldn't even support his own legislation if it came up for a vote.

This wasn't the first time someone has pointed out that McCain said that he would vote against McCain-Kennedy if it hit the floor again. But a reversal this blatant is extraordinary, beyond the famed "flip-flop," but virtually ignored by the mainstream media. It's one thing to "walk away" from your legislative proposal- quite something else to admit you would vote against it if you have a second chance.