McCain Double-Talk on Immigration?
EmailSen. John McCain, R-Ariz., met Wednesday evening with Hispanic Republicans in Chicago.
In an Associated Press story about the meeting, one quote jumped out at me: "He’s one John McCain in front of white Republicans. And he’s a different John McCain in front of Hispanics," Rosanna Pulido, a Latina who heads the Illinois Minuteman Project, told the AP. "He’s having his private meetings to rally Hispanics and to tell them what they want to hear," she said. "I’m outraged that he would reach out to me as a Hispanic but not as a conservative."
Pulido seemed to be in a rather interesting position to talk about McCain and immigration, so I gave her a call.
An advocate and escort for seniors professionally, Pulido told me that she’s one of the original Minutemen who stood on the border between Arizona and Mexico in 2005 and she’s also Illinois spokesperson for "You Don’t Speak For Me, American Hispanics Speaking Out On Illegal Immigration."
Her parents were from Mexico, but she was born in the U.S. (She spent a year in Mexico in the 1980s as a Christian missionary.) Pulido says her activism against illegal immigration stems from her Christian belief system and sense of right and wrong, as well as the unmet needs she sees in the senior population through her work.
"What they’re doing is stealing from the American people," she says of illegal immigrants.
Pulido found out about the McCain meeting from a local newspaper, the Beacon News. She called the McCain campaign contact and let them know where she stood on the issue of illegal immigration, but said as a conservative and a Hispanic, she wanted to attend the meeting. She was curious as to what McCain was going to say.
"I have friends in Washington, DC, on this issue," she says. "We’ve had conversations on this issue." After comprehensive immigration reform was killed in the Senate and McCain changed his rhetoric on the subject on the campaign trail, Pulido says, "we were hopeful after John McCain started saying, ‘I understand where the American people are coming from, there’s gotta be enforcement first,’ we thought great, he’s had a change of heart."
So she went to the meeting, a room full of 150-200 people. "Sure enough," Pulido says, "his mantra at the meeting was comprehensive immigration reform.’ And there were cheers and applause whenever he mentioned comprehensive immigration reform."
"Then he said, ‘I bet some of you don’t know this — did you know Spanish was spoken in Arizona before English?’ And the crowd roared. I was appalled," Pulido said. "He was pandering to these people — that’s what they wanted to hear."
The meeting was jammed up because McCain had attended the Tim Russert funeral that day, and had a fundraiser to attend. He was about 45 minutes late, and only spoke for approximately 15 minutes, she recalls. Originally the plan was for him to take questions, but there didn’t appear to be time, she said.
Which is just as well, as far as she was concerned. "The truth of the matter is, I was in the room with 150-to-200 people, and if I’d spoken out I would have been disruptive, which was not what I wanted to do."
"He was telling one group of people one thing and the Hispanics another," says Pulido. "I’m a conservative and I think he’s throwing conservatives under the bus."
Pulido doesn’t know who she will vote for and says she may not know until election day. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, is not an option. "I’d never ever vote for Barack Obama," she says. "He was an Illinois state senator and unlike the rest of the nation, I know who Barack Obama is, he’s too liberal for me."
What she saw of John McCain Wednesday night, however, makes her inclined right now to support Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin.
- jpt
UPDATE: Some posters have inquired about what McCain says that contradicts the message above. The Obama campaign on a conference call just now suggested it might be the January GOP debate at the Reagan Library where the following exchange took place. (You can watch it HERE.)
JANET HOOK, LA TIMES: Senator McCain, let me just take the issue to you, because you obviously have been very involved in it. During this campaign, you, like your rivals, have been putting the first priority, heaviest emphasis on border security. But your original immigration proposal back in 2006 was much broader and included a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who were already here. What I’m wondering is — and you seem to be downplaying that part. At this point, if your original proposal came to a vote on the Senate floor, would you vote for it?
MCCAIN: It won’t. It won’t. That’s why we went through the debate…
HOOK: But if it did?
MCCAIN: No, I would not, because we know what the situation is today. The people want the border secured first. …We will secure the borders first when I am president of the United States. I know how to do that. I come from a border state, where we know about building walls, and vehicle barriers, and sensors, and all of the things necessary. I will have the border state governors certify the borders are secured. And then we will move onto the other aspects of this issue, probably as importantly as tamper-proof biometric documents, which then, unless an employer hires someone with those documents, that employer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. And that will cause a lot of people to leave voluntarily. There’s 2 million people who are here who have committed crimes. They have to be rounded up and deported. And we’re all basically in agreement there are humanitarian situations. It varies with how long they’ve been here, et cetera, et cetera.
We are all committed to carrying out the mandate of the American people, which is a national security issue, which is securing the borders. That was part of the original proposal, but the American people didn’t trust or have confidence in us that we would do it. So we now know we have to secure the borders first, and that is what needs to be done. That’s what I’ll do as president of the United States.
President Obama Tops Mitt Romney in New Poll 
Romney on a Roll
McCain will lose the Hispanic vote.
Posted by: Vanessa | June 20, 2008, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
I kept waiting for the part in this lengthy post where you tell us what McCain says to white audiences that contradicts what he says to Latino audiences. I’m guessing that a Minuteman member is predisposed to dislike McCain, so I’ll reserve judgment for now. I do recall McCain in one of the Rep debates making a pretty strong statement on immigration and getting booed.
But: with Obama’s weak support among Latinos and McCain’s support of immigration reform, this is a story worth following.
Posted by: Judasmac | June 20, 2008, 12:38 pm 12:38 pm
McCain will lose, PERIOD.
Choose an issue. He doesn’t match up against Obama at all.
In this race, you have a world class sprinter going against a political sloth in a wheelchair.
BLOWOUT
Posted by: Nat Turner | June 20, 2008, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm
Senator McCain changes his positions daily. If you are basing your vote on the issues, he has supported all sides of each issue.
The only thing you need to know about John McCain is that he isn’t black and he isn’t a Muslim. Any questons?
Posted by: Nobodys fool | June 20, 2008, 12:48 pm 12:48 pm
Neither party seems to want to do what the American citizens want–close the border and deport illegals. Most of the legal Hispanics want more lenient immigration laws so their hordes of relatives can come into the country. after all, gotta keep families together.
With our unemployment rate going up and jobs disappearing, illegals need to be sent home. After all, once they cross the border without papers, they are criminals.
Posted by: Mary | June 20, 2008, 12:48 pm 12:48 pm
Until McCain rids himself of Dr. Juan Hernandez as his Hispanic Outreach Director as well as the CEO of Univision as his 2008 campaign finance guy – he is totally UNcredible to the American people regarding his purported stance against immigration. He’s a liar. No surprise there.
Posted by: KDR | June 20, 2008, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
A lot of Latino/as decry illegal border crossings, regardless of how they label themselves. Yes, the quip about Spanish was obvious pandering to their ears. It’s fair to say both candidates are lacking in relational skills to a major voting bloc.
Posted by: kat | June 20, 2008, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
McCain is for border security construction.
Obama flip flopped on the border security fence.
In 2006 he voted for the border security fence.
Now he says he will stop the border security fence that is under construction right now.
McCain is for allowing the construction to continue for barriers at the border.
Obama accuses Lou Dobbs of doubling hate crimes against hispanics. Obama’s facts are wrong. Hate crimes have not doubled.
This election is a nightmare.
Posted by: David | June 20, 2008, 12:54 pm 12:54 pm
So Mccain says one thing in front of a hispanic audience and another in front of the mouth-breathers? What’s new?
Posted by: abiodun | June 20, 2008, 12:55 pm 12:55 pm
David,
Your nightmare will soon be over when OBAMA is President.
5 more months of lost sleep for you and then reality will set in.
Posted by: Nat Turner | June 20, 2008, 12:57 pm 12:57 pm
Trying to change the subject jake?
Big story today is about Obama throwing away whatever credibility he had. Russert must be spinning in his grave.
Posted by: geevill | June 20, 2008, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
Obama wants to stop all border security.
Obama is for stopping all border protection that is going on now.
Obama wants to stop the barriers that are being constructed that stop cars from bringing in drugs.
Obama wants to stop the fence construction.
Obama wants to stop all border security improvements.
When the bush administration announced they would go forward with barriers in areas that the enviormentalists were against Obama agreed with the enviormentmentalists.
The worst part is obama flip flopped on this. In 2006 he voted for funding for the border security fence and now wants to completely stop any border security improvements.
How is Obama winning. He blames Lou Dobbs for doubling the hate crimes against hispanics. Hate crimes haven’t doubled.
Does America really want to go so far left.
Obama is further left than any european leader.
This election is a living hell.
So just because of Bush you want to elect the most liberal candidate ever for president. The most liberal senator ever. Have you seen his voting record. Most liberal senator period. Not even close.
Only 140 more days to beat up on McCain.
Then you people will see how far left Obama is.
Obama will have 60 senators filibuster proof, obama will have 300 house seats, obama will stack the supreme court.
This is a one party nation right.
The far left rule this nation.
Posted by: Jason | June 20, 2008, 12:59 pm 12:59 pm
Maggie,
I don’t think you’ve finished all of the crow served up to you in the Clinton debacle.
Sweetie, stay in your lane. That’s the one with the sign stating “For Whiners Only”.
Remember what Nat told you? Let me remind you:
OBAMA WILL BE POTUS, and whining won’t stop it.
Smile and Say CROWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
Posted by: Nat Turner | June 20, 2008, 12:59 pm 12:59 pm
McCain is the biggest flip flopper around.
Posted by: Nancy | June 20, 2008, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
Don, Ron Paul officially dropped out of the race last week.
Posted by: James Danley | June 20, 2008, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
The only people to whom it is news that McCain shamelessly panders to anyone gullible enough to listen, are those who do not follow politics, and have bought the phony media myth that he is a “straight talker.” Phony baloney if ever there was.
Posted by: Dave Hysinger | June 20, 2008, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
Jason,
Finally, a cynic that faces the reality of the inevitable.
You got it right for once Grasshoppa. Supreme Court Judge nominations, solid control of both the House and Senate, in addition to world approval.
Life is Good
To the Victor Goes the Spoils
OBAMA 08
Posted by: Nat Turner | June 20, 2008, 1:05 pm 1:05 pm
How much do FLIP FLOPS cost these days?
just asking.
Posted by: johnosahon | June 20, 2008, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
Thank you Mr. Tapper,
The financial times have published an article a few days ago about the two Senator Mc Cain. For all those whining about the coverage of his constant double-talk. Senator Mc Cain’s camp has been trying to paint his opponent as untrustworthy, may be they should try to clean their own house. On every major issue in this campaign, he has tried to have it both, sometimes going as far as flirting with contradictions. I’m just glad the medias are waking up.
Posted by: jess | June 20, 2008, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
geevil if you want jake to continue to talk about obamas public financing then i think its only fair jake report on mccains public financing
hes in it, then hes out of it, now hes back in it…
he opted in to get money and get his campaign on track, then dropped it because he used that money to raise money and then suddenly didnt need it, and now after obama makes his statment mccain is suddenly opting back in
Posted by: bhrandon | June 20, 2008, 1:11 pm 1:11 pm
Why don’t you talk more double talk Obama? Bho’s latest exhibit of financing deception is called single talk?
Posted by: Olbermn3 | June 20, 2008, 1:13 pm 1:13 pm
Obama logic: if the devil does devil deeds, then it is OK for BhO to be a devil himself.
Posted by: Olbermn3 | June 20, 2008, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm
It’s funny that McCain’s camp is hammering Obama today about his flip flopping on public financing yet McCain is flip flopping on immigration.
I guess we are indeed on the double talk express.
Posted by: Janey | June 20, 2008, 1:19 pm 1:19 pm
Mccain has double talked so much hes been around the bases six or seven times… who even knows where he stands on any issue…
and then he has so many waffled policies that contradict other policies of his that your head really starts to spin…
for immigration against immigration, for drilling agianst drilling for drilling against anwr drilling, for environment doesnt care about the environment, for the veterans and our heros against our veterans and heros, against teh war for the war, the wars for oil no its not, yes it is, i meant the first war in iraq no i was talking about this one, against the bush tax cuts for the tax cuts, im a maverick no im a puppet, i voted for bush i didnt vote for bush no i voted for him.. maybe, hillary was treated unfairly by the media no i never said that oh theres a tape yes i did say that, i know nothing about hte economy i never said i know nothing i am giving out mccain bucks for paid bloggers on my site tahts economic, drilling will do nothing for gas prices yes it will dos omething for gas prices, i differ from bush on almost every major thing even though i voted with him 95% of the time, I want to save the everglades i voted against saving them, i voted for new orleans and katrina victims except when i voted against them on every single measure 2 for levy reform and three times for aid
i mean… the list goes on
FLIPPPPPPP
FLOPPPPPP
Posted by: bhrandon | June 20, 2008, 1:23 pm 1:23 pm
OBAMA:
“When I hear John McCain say that he is now in favor of the same oil drilling off the coast that he was opposed to just a week ago,” he said. “What he doesn’t tell you is that George Bush’s own Energy Department has said that this would have no impact on consumers until at 2030m — 2030 no appreciable impact for the next 22 years, something they’re not telling consumers. Imagine what we could do over the next 22 years in investing in completely transforming our transportation infrastructure. That’s the kind of approach that I think all of us agree we need to take.”
agreed, mccain wants to destroy amtrack
lol we need to think about reforming travel and blowing up amtrack is possibly the stupidest thing… well no i guess not were tlaking about mccain here, but in this kind of crisis having something like amtrack where its far more economical for poepel to travel this way, why would you destory it?
Posted by: bhrandon | June 20, 2008, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm
quoting a member of the minutemen project is a little desperate isn’t it? the quip about ‘spanish’ being spoken in the southwest first is historically TRUE not pandering.
everything in this story is what mccain has said all along. i do not see a contradition. the only thing lacking in the story is the fact that mccain when speaking before WHITE republicans always reminds the white crowd that immigrants are children of GOd, and deserve to be treated humanely. i find it interesting jake that you forgot to add that.
Posted by: sonia trevino | June 20, 2008, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm
John McCain is counting on a Democratic Congress to pass his egregious comprehensive immigration reforms, despite his tepid calls for securing the borders first. Both Republican RINO’s and Democrats are complicit in this as its a win-win regardless of who wins the White House. I note that neither candidate is willing to accept the will of America’s Citizens on the issue, preferring to count on who ever wins as some sort of “mandate” for CIR. Plain and simple, America’s Citizens are focusing on taking back control of our government. The near revolt of America’s Citizens who shouted down the egregious McCain/Kennedy CIR legislation, and virtually every other non-enforcement focused immigration reform legislation since, should serve to reflect the “true” public sentiment over this issue. So many complained that Obama stole the party primary Clinton, yet they fail to see the much more subservisive attempt by both parties to undermine the will of America’s Citizens and force this dangerously misguided Comprehensive Immigration Reform down our throat. Worries over one candidate or the other losing the hispanic vote pale in comparison to the real negative consequences of America losing control of its government to foreign nationals.
Posted by: Ed Weirdness | June 20, 2008, 1:31 pm 1:31 pm
Historically speaking, Navajo and other Indian languages, most lost, were spoken before both Spanish and English.
Posted by: kat | June 20, 2008, 1:37 pm 1:37 pm
kat correct absolutely but spanish was spoken before english as well. kat don’t twist the point.
Posted by: sonia trevino | June 20, 2008, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm
John McCain has an amnesty activist on his campaign payroll. What do you expect from a guy who runs a border state and suppports putting immigration officals in prison for doing their job. He is a Teddy Kennedy Republican. Ever hear of those, that’s because anybody who gets his talking points and policy positions from Teddy Kennedy, sure AINT no Republican!!! He’s a carpetbagger who married a rich heiress, and had her daddy bankroll his campaign for Senate. He’s NO conservative. He’s a Envro-Nazi, who is pro war, pro death and pro debt. And his idea of good economy is giving illegials your jobs, while he advises you to go under continual job retraining. For what little jobs are left after globalization and uncontrolled immigration plug up available jobs. And of course if you can’t pay your college debt or credit card debt to MBNA, while working two minumim wage jobs; They can seize your assets and hound you until you die. And as for his health care plan, just pray you don’t get sick! That’s the REAL John McCain. Tyranny you can depend on!!!
Posted by: pity | June 20, 2008, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm
off to class kat, will take this up later. have a nice day.
Posted by: sonia trevino | June 20, 2008, 1:47 pm 1:47 pm
devin thank you.
Posted by: sonia trevino | June 20, 2008, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm
What a waste of a vote. Pulido says her vote will definitely not be for Obama, and McCain has left a bad taste in her mouth, so she’s voting for a Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party. Why bother voting?
Posted by: Sandra Johanson | June 20, 2008, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
Senator Obama will never be POTUS even with Nat Turner’s support. Most rational and informed people believe as Jason does. Senator Obama has never told the complete truth about anything the first time and the dirty baggage he carrys around is starting to smell. Rezko, Ayers, Young, Sinclair, etc. He also beleives that drilling for supplies of oil and gas is wrong. He believes sending criminals back home is wrong. He believes give-aways to irresponsible people is right. Obama is so wrong.
Posted by: Mary | June 20, 2008, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm
MCCAIN does what ever he thinks will get him votes from who ever he thinks he can play. he is talking about how great hillary was but a few years before that he called her daughter ugly and called her a lesbian by making a joke about chelsea’s father being a women. Then he outright said she was a great politician then laughed about him asking her to be his VP as though she was a joke! now he is talking about more women in top jobs? cause he wants hillary’s votes for himself.. now he is playing head games with hispanics talking about spanish was in arizona before english. what does he have to do with that?
he has already attempted to pander to the religious right but they arent buying it…
Posted by: melissa | June 20, 2008, 1:57 pm 1:57 pm
One thing in particular Ms. Pulido said that was quite disingenuous, “I have friends in Washington, DC, on this issue.”
She actually has an employer in Washington DC that she failed to disclose.
Pulido is a field staffer for the controversial Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the oldest and most influential nativist organization in the country.
FAIR has continued to come under scrutiny for receiving more than $1.2 million from a white supremacist foundation and employing white nationalists.
Pulido herself has been widely condemned for anti-Catholic statements she’s made in Chicago.
Posted by: Devin Burghart | June 20, 2008, 2:02 pm 2:02 pm
It all comes down to whether or not you think we should continue the bush policies. If you think the war should continue indefinitely, while we spend $10,000,000,000 a month, and you think that bush has done well with the economy then mc-more-war is your man. If you think that it’s time we start to get out of iraq and do some positive things for the average American instead of just the top 5% then vote for Obama.
Posted by: pt | June 20, 2008, 2:06 pm 2:06 pm
Flip Flop Hippity Hop, another lame excuse for a politician drops. who cares what mccain thinks, who cares what obama thinks, the only one that should matter is what America thinks and Americans think that julio and pedro need to come to America via the proper channels and not scampering through the underbrush or swimming the Rio Grande on a makeshift pontoon. Now Legal Immigration is alright by Mr and Mrs America but those who enter illegally and flaunt their lawlessness should be hunted down, imprisoned, deported UNLESS they are drug runners/traffickers. Then we get to execute them on the 6 O’clock news. Yee Haa
Posted by: Judasme | June 20, 2008, 2:38 pm 2:38 pm
DR- I’m in agreement. McCain is not the real McCane. That’s because he got too busy pandering to too many people and interests. You can’t apply either maverick or centrist to him these days. Sometimes it’s like he’s become a blank screen even unto himself.
Posted by: kat | June 20, 2008, 2:43 pm 2:43 pm
Zeezil -Right on. Sometimes you gotta take care of your own backyard with fences.
Posted by: kat | June 20, 2008, 3:20 pm 3:20 pm
I have a couple points I would like to make quickly:
(1) What about the Canadian border? Everyone makes a big stink about the Mexican border, but if it is really about security, and not about RACISM, then what we should be doing is building a wall at the Canadian border — it is much longer and easier to cross illegally.
(2) There is no way that Hispanics are going to vote for a Republican this year. They have seen enough from the Bush administration, who was supposed to be friendly to them, to know that Republicans are wolves in sheeps’ clothing.
Posted by: KH in Houston | June 20, 2008, 3:33 pm 3:33 pm
Hispanics must vote for all Democrats representatives for the US Congress and for John McCain as president. McCain
will be a lame-duck president with no veto power that will have to compromise with a Democratic Congress.
Pass along Hispanics this option.
Posted by: 2bContinued | June 20, 2008, 3:34 pm 3:34 pm
What does McCain stand for? It’s good if he’s sincerely trying to take steps to clarify his position on immigration. It’s dangerous if he’s only willing to voice a positive, solutions-based stance in private, closed-door meetings with NO MEDIA.
McCain is not the straight-shooter we need him to be.
I hope Obama keeps a spine to support real solutions for our broken system. We’ve had enough of the pandering to the anti-immigrant crowd.
Posted by: chicago moon | June 20, 2008, 3:38 pm 3:38 pm
Mr. McCain is on record supporting comprehensive immigration reform. The bad news is, it’s unpopular with conservatives. The good news is, the liberals position is worse. Conservatives are patriotic and will turn out to vote, confronted with the choices, they will hold their nose and vote for Mr. McCain.
Posted by: Independent | June 20, 2008, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
Nice try, but it doesn’t work. You try to lump under Immigration banner the Illegal Migration so as to liken opposition to illegal action opposition to immigration in general. We all know the difference between Legal Immigration and Illegal Migration, try as hard as you might to blur the difference. Remember, Hispanics/Latinos are NOT monolithic. The American people are not fools, but try you must so try again! Yeah, you may whip out the old race card, but fail again you will.
Posted by: SilenceNot | June 20, 2008, 6:47 pm 6:47 pm
The direct massive negative consequences on today’s and yesterdays economy, has been illegal Immigration. The new President will enact a massive AMNESTY, that promotes an open-door solution for millions more to come; compliments of the Globalists. McCain, the globalist has already stated to the Hispanic caucuses he will promote a path to citizenship. While Obama has never hesitating that he would introduce a new Comprehensive immigration reform package. If McCain or Even Obama thinks he is going to force a massive Amnesty on the hard pressed taxpayers. To support between 15 to 38 million illegal foreign national labor, they are going to have monolithic battle on their hands. Already Americans are forced to pay for free health-care, education, and wide spectrum of cornucopia of state and federal welfare programs. How come citizens and legal entrants who are denied many programs, but illegal squatters in our nation get special preference? Why should American subsidizing a war, be forced to forfeit their meager wages to underwrite the low incomes of illegal aliens who broke our laws. Why should this countries legal population underwrite corporate welfare for business to make huge profits.Our nation already admits more immigrants to this land than any other country, and runs 10 guest worker programs that in many cases are exploited by parasite employers.
A few states now are representing the American taxpayers, such as Arizona, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Rhode Island, instead of the special interest lobby. It’s taken forty years of complete inattention or betrayal by Washington and timid Governors, Mayors, judges and their lieutenants. Now they must face up to the fact that the majority of taxpayers are sick and tired, of being a welfare system for big business who hire cheap illegal labor. Read the facts at NUMBERSUSA.
Posted by: Brittanicus | June 20, 2008, 7:09 pm 7:09 pm
@Sandra Johnson
She’s not voting for John McCain because she realized that a vote for John McCain is a wasted vote. A vote for Chuck Baldwin on the other hand is a vote cast for a man of integrity who today holds the same positions that he has held for years. He has not flip flopped as JM has. Just do a google search to find about eight years worth of Chucks writings on a variety of topics and see for yourself.
The Constitution Party has a fantastic candidate in Chuck Baldwin and this will be a break out year for them.
Posted by: Ray | June 20, 2008, 7:27 pm 7:27 pm
McCain will lose the hispanic vote but Obama will not do anything about the Immigration either. Get in line like everyone else. Stop coming to this country illegally and you won’t have to beg for AMNESTY. Stop the freaking whining already. Before someone response to me I am speaking as a hispanic.
Posted by: Obama the Flipper | June 20, 2008, 9:19 pm 9:19 pm
I am with Pulido 100% on everything I heard from her. She is right on target about what is happening. Our country is being auctioned for the illegal immigrants leftist Republican and liberal Democrats votes. McCain is despicable and a traitor to our country. Like Palido, I also plan to vote for Chuck Baldwin. If enough people see the light before it is too late and vote for him, he could win.
Posted by: Torde | June 20, 2008, 10:55 pm 10:55 pm
Hispanics Are People Too & They Vote!
DOES THE STUPIDITY EVER END?<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial,Helvetic…
Posted by: The Pink Flamingo | June 20, 2008, 11:30 pm 11:30 pm
Dear Fellow bloggers,
Immigration should not be about pandering, border control, and sending illegals anywhere.
The truth of the matter is that our borders have always been open. Limitations of immigrants were instituted after the Great Depression in the 20s…limitations, not closed borders.
Our forefathers took this nation by terror from the American Indians (the original owners of the land this nation calls the United States of America). I can not imagine what this country would be like if not for people like you and I being immigrants.
I thank God everyday for the freedoms this country provides and that its borders weren’t closed in the mid- 1800s when my ancestors came from Ireland and Germany. I know several things about my ancestors when they stepped foot in New York: they couldn’t speak much English, they worked their ass off, they had a boatload of children; and integrated themselves into greatest melting pot on the face of God’s creation.
Wake up and smell the coffee…any new inhabitants of this great country are seeking the same thing our ancestors did..seek a better life for their families through hard work and dedication.
Why would anyone want to deny any other human being of the same rights our ancestors did and that our forefathers took away from original inhabitants?
Posted by: Michael Huppman (Folsom, PA) | June 21, 2008, 12:43 am 12:43 am
Not sure why anybody is worried about immigration.
People came from south of the border to work in the construction industry, building McMansions during the housing bubble.
Construction has gone bust and will be bust for the foreseeable future. And in fact, we are headed into a general recession.
Most of those folks will be returning home, as their jobs have or will have dried up in the near future. And if as is likely we’re headed into an inflationary period as well, nobody will want to come and work hard for dollars that are fast losing value.
No need to waste the taxpayers’ hard-earned on stupid fences and the like.
People only want to come to prosperous nations. We are bust.
Hope the prospect makes you all happy.
Posted by: Nancy Irving | June 21, 2008, 3:07 am 3:07 am
McCain is going to shape-shift between Canada and Mexico several more times before the general election. It should be entertaining to see what he morphs into by then. UhOh..It’s a McBush.
Posted by: KC | June 21, 2008, 4:40 am 4:40 am
I’m not fond of the emotions that this issue generates and really hope that the country can develop a common sense solution that works. We’re not going to get any where with McCain’s flip flopping around on this matter like a fish on a boat deck.
I thought this guy used to have some courage. Where did it go?
Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | June 21, 2008, 6:07 am 6:07 am
“but she was born in the U.S.”
I wonder what this Minuteman lady would do if she was not born in USA??
I leave Judgment to Almighty God, for every Human is Almighty gods child, without borders.
Almighty God did not create Borders, HUMANS DID, The Native Americans had no borders and did not own LAND, They Belonged to this land, The Europeans came and gave them PIECES of PAPER, and took away their land.
Anything built by force will go down by force, for GODS Lives in Every Human Soul. STOP THE HATE.
NO HUMAN IS ABOVE ANOTHER.
WE ALL DIE IN THE END.
Posted by: Truth | June 21, 2008, 10:11 am 10:11 am
Over 20 million unidentified and undocumented aliens have illegally crossed the Mexican border to wreak havoc across our nation. The damage they have inflected is insurmountable.
There is no higher national priority today than to secure the Mexican border.
Posted by: Panola | June 21, 2008, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm
Most everybody in the U.S.A. are immigrants!! Only the Native American Indians are not. The so-called “U.S. citizens” of yore and today merely came ahead of the so-called “illegal immigrants” of today. NO difference. They all helped the U.S.A. become a stronger force than other nations. Cuomo, Kennedy, Obama, Schwarzenegger, McReilly, etc, etc … these are NOT American last names!! And these are all good outstanding men! Vive le difference! Give the deserving a pathway to citizenship, and right away, the economy will boom, starting with the airlines. 12 million “illegals” will IMMEDIATELY buy airline tickets to visit their native homes which they have not visited for maybe 20 or more years! Then after that will be airline tickets to visit exotic vacation places … just this area will translate into a great circulation of currency, more jobs, more businesses sprouting up because of the traffic, etc. The benefits are immense. Who truly benefits? America! It will again be the power it was … blessed by God, the Father of ALL PEOPLE! I pity the bigots … for they know not what they do.
Cee
Posted by: Cee Zee Burger | June 21, 2008, 7:53 pm 7:53 pm
There are a number of things he’s said in addition to this:
1. He said he could not support his own bill.
2. He gave a speech about enforcement first at CPAC.
Posted by: debrazza | June 22, 2008, 12:01 am 12:01 am
This campaign needs to be called “Apocalypse Now” no matter who wins, they are both about the scariest two people to ever run for President.Both of them are panderers of the worst kind
Posted by: C. Jones | June 22, 2008, 12:39 pm 12:39 pm
I think it’s pretty funny how Ms. Pulido claims to have her conservative (round-’em-up-and-throw-’em-out) views on immigration because of her religious beliefs. Hasn’t she ever read the Christmas story? She’s the innkeeper claiming no room at the inn, when the truth is there is plenty of room. What the press never ever mentions is that our economy now DEPENDS on illegal immigrants. Ask any economist, if we were to deport all of them with the snap of a finger, our economy would fall apart. How could anyone advocating tearing apart families and treating fellow human beings like animals call themselves a Christian.
Posted by: GKenyon | June 22, 2008, 3:06 pm 3:06 pm
As a very serious and conservative Republican, I will vote for Obama because that man said he would honor, obey and enforce the laws of the land. McCain tells us we are better than that and that always means we will pay through the nose for his concept of honorable. It will be interesting to see the contest between Mr. Barrack and the Catholic Church/Mormon Church as they demand we continue with the illegal aliens and staggering welfare payments.
Posted by: Joel E. Wischkaemper | June 23, 2008, 9:36 pm 9:36 pm
Both presumptive Senator Obama, McCain and then House Speaker Pelosi have a lot to answer for, regarding to illegal immigration.. Their idea of Comprehensive Amnesty last March would have helped to bankrupt the country. Because what illegal aliens cannot get in benefits now, such as free health care, education and a host of benefits from both federal and state programs, they would have inherited after getting legal status.
Posted by: Brittanicus | June 24, 2008, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
McCain the big flip floper, lying again, he had his chances, what did he do, lying to get your vote, vote him in & you’ll get another 8 years of the current leader….gas is $4.39, rice is $20 from $7….wants Latino vote, but no reward…fix immigration before election & you’ll be elected fair enough..
Posted by: new yorker | June 25, 2008, 5:02 pm 5:02 pm