McCain in Irish Joke Shocker (well not really...)

Ponster

Not exactly Breaking News but McCain addressed an Irish-American Presidential Forum yesterday and spoke a lot about immigration (not something he's known for).


http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/09/john_mccain_immigration_reform.html

"Sen Obama has never once stood up against the leaders of his own party, never once,'' McCain said. "There are 50,000 Irish men and women who are in this country illegally at this time... who want to become citizens... I want to assure you that I will enact comprehensive immigration reform.... I will do it for this nation, because this nation is all the stronger - this nation is stronger for the fresh infusion of vitality'' of the immigrants, including Hispanic immigrants, who have "enriched our nation.''

I wouldn't have minded being there just to hear the Dropkick Murphys (who 'opened' for McCain)

alastair

In fairness - McCain has spoken up for an amnesty deal in the past - and not just for the Irish vote - he was talking primarily about illegal Mexicans.

brianthebard

What are you on about OP, McCain has spoken about immigration tons of times.

Ponster

True. My 'thanks' for alastair was a short-cut method of saying "Thanks, I didn't know that.'

Ludo

But didn't McCain state only a few months ago that he would now vote AGAINST his own immigration reform bill as he no longer believed in it.

One of his many flip-flop issues as the "base" hated him for it in the first place.

Unless he has flip-flopped again to be in favour of it now when in front of an "Irish" audience?

Maybe his support depends on who he is talking to.


Can't be bothered now looking it up but I am pretty sure he said that. Please correct me if I am wrong (cue multiple corrections).

alastair

McCain has just been pandering to his various audiences, but he keeps coming back to his core proposal for an amnesty deal of some sort:

"I said, OK. We'll secure the borders, but after we secure the borders, we'll have a temporary worker program, we'll have to address the 12 million people here illegally, and I think the best way is the proposal that we had," McCain said.

"It's not a switch in position. I support the same solution. But we've got to secure the borders first," he added.


“I believe we have to secure our borders, and I think most Americans agree with that, because it’s a matter of national security. But we must enact comprehensive immigration reform. We must make it a top agenda item if we don’t do it before, and we probably won’t, a little straight talk, as of January 2009.”

Ludo

So he proposed a solution.

Realised his party hated it and it would cost him the nimination so he then said he would veto his own bill to help him in the primaries.

Once he gets the nomination, he says he if for it again with a new addition of securing border first....right.

That clears up his stance on that one...sitting on the (border) fence I guess!

norbert64

while it may tick off his base, the fact that he put forth the McCain-Kennedy bill in the first place will endear him to the average voters somewhat.

ie. Obama can't really make much hay out of McCain/Immigration.

Ludo

Unless they see through it for what it is...blatant pandering.

Overheal

I dont know. It seems to me that he's only really been a Republican Poster-Boy in the last couple years: about as much time as it took him to realise he wanted to tun for President (again) in 08'.

Hobbes

alastair wrote: »

McCain has just been pandering to his various audiences,

I would say it is less his audiences and more he can't keep in his head what he said two people ago. Seriously, watch some of town halls.

alastair

Hobbes wrote: »

I would say it is less his audiences and more he can't keep in his head what he said two people ago. Seriously, watch some of town halls.

I believe that he's in favour of an amnesty deal. He just has to dress it up with some tough talk for the right wing crowd. Arizona, like California and Texas have a rather more pragmatic attitude to illegals and the ongoing economic benefits that they bring to the local economy.