Posted on 05/22/2008 11:46:28 PM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
First, my friends, a reminder of what was printed right here on January 23, 2008:
After spearheading a disastrous, security-undermining illegal alien amnesty bill last year with Teddy Kennedy, “straight-talking” GOP Sen. John McCain claims he has seen the light. In TV appearances, he vows to put immigration enforcement first. On the campaign trail, he offers a perfunctory promise to strengthen border security and emphasizes the need to restore Americans’ trust in their government’s ability to defend the homeland.
“I got the message,” he told voters in South Carolina. “We will secure the borders first.”
But how can McCain cure citizens’ distrust when his own credibility on the issue remains fatally damaged? He doesn’t believe his own election-year spin. And he knows we know it. This is cynicism on steroids with a speedball chaser.
Not all of us have forgotten how the short-fused Arizona senator cursed good-faith opponents in his own party (“F**k you!” and “Chickensh*t” were the choice words he had for Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn during a spat over enforcement provisions). Not all of us have forgotten that he voted against barring felons from receiving amnesty benefits under his plan. Not all of us have forgotten the underhanded, debate-sabotaging manner in which McCain/Kennedy/Graham/Harry Reid conspired to ram their package down voters’ throats.
His admission of the shamnesty failure is grudging and bitter. While he now tells conservative voters what they want to hear about the need to build the southern border fence, he takes a contemptuous tone toward physical barriers when talking to businessmen. “By the way, I think the fence is least effective,” he told executives in Milwaukee, according to a recent Vanity Fair profile. “But I’ll build the goddamned fence if they want it.” Straight talk? Try hate talk.
For all his supposed, newfound enlightenment about what most Americans want—protection against invasion, commitment to the rule of law, meaningful employer sanctions, an end to sanctuary cities, enforcement-by-attrition plus deportation reform, and an end to special illegal alien benefits that invite more law-breaking–The Maverick remains a Geraldo Rivera Republican. Like the ethnocentric cable TV host who can’t string a sentence about immigration together without drowning in emotional demagoguery, McCain naturally resorts to open-borders platitudes when pressed for enforcement specifics.
And, now, straight from the campaign trail with Arnold “Move Left” Schwarzenegger, McCain has shed every last pretense that he “got the message” from grass-roots immigration enforcement proponents and is back to his full, open-borders shamnesty push. No surprise to any of you. But his complete regression back to the “comprehensive immigration reform” euphemism is a notable milestone.
Also, you don’t need to guess anymore how he would have voted on the Feinstein/Craig illegal alien farmworker amnesty:
Republican presidential candidate John McCain joined Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in calling today for comprehensive immigration reform, including guest worker visas to bring employees to California’s Silicon Valley and the state’s vast agricultural fields.
The two men brought up the issue at McCain’s prompting during a global competitiveness roundtable featuring California technology executives and entrepreneurs.
Asked by Silicon Valley panelists on what he would do to grant more visa for skilled technology workers, McCain broadly advocated the comprehensive immigration reform plan he had backed with Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy in Congress.
The same issue brought McCain intense criticism during the Republican presidential primary from conservatives who assailed him as soft on illegal immigration and an advocate of amnesty.
But today McCain, the now presumptive GOP presidential nominee, said an immigration program is needed that protects America’s borders and national security. While he called for punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants, he also advocated a humane approach that treats illegal workers as “God’s children.”
McCain said they should be allowed to seek legal status in a “humane and comprehensive fashion” through a program “they can count on and trust.”
Responding to a question about so-called H1-B visas for Silicon Valley workers, McCain said: “We have to attract the best and brightest minds. It isn’t just H1-B visas. In our agricultural sector, they can’t find workers as well. We need a temporary agriculture (worker) program.”
Schwarzenegger echoed McCain’s remarks after the Arizona senator asked his opinion on the topic.
“We need to change the system. All this is part of a comprehensive immigration reform. You can’t piecemeal this thing,” Schwarzenegger said.
While the governor said, “securing the border is extremely important” to California he added: “You have to have the courage to do this kind of immigration reform so we can bring people into this country legally.”
Schwarzenegger said he supported a pathway to legal status so that more people can have “legal drivers licenses” and “everyone would have bank accounts…and there would be background checks so that there would be no criminal element in this country.”
Same old, same old about sham background checks.
They’ve learned nothing. Nada. Zippo. How about you?
***
More from the NYT:
“Senator Kennedy and I tried very hard to get immigration reform, a comprehensive plan, through the Congress of the United States,” he said. “It is a federal responsibility and because of our failure as a federal obligation, we’re seeing all these various conflicts and problems throughout our nation as different towns, cities, counties, whatever they are, implement different policies and different programs which makes things even worse and even more confusing.”
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.”
Juan's big ole ego got hurt when his MeCain/Kennedy Amnesty got shut down.
Juan is a mean, old vinditive stubborn Jackass who routinely slaps his own party in the face in retribuiton for not supporting his liberal agenda.
The man makes me puke.
"Objection, Your Honor! The Prosecution is reading directly from Senator McCain's resume again!" ;)
Malkin hits The MeCainiacs right between the eyes!
In attacking Michelle like a juvenile, your transparent support of Amnesty and liberals like MeCain and Kennedy is truly revealing.
I guess MeCain does to you what Obama does to Chris Matthews.
This amnesty b.s. is probably the single biggest threat to destroying the Republican party.
I will not vote for anyone pushing amnesty for ILLEGALS.
If amnesty is part of the Republican party platform I will not vote for another Republican and I am a life long Republican.
Til now the only Democrat I’ve ever voted for is my local sheriff.
“How about you?”
Well, somebody made him the nominee, AFTER the immigration reform fiasco.
In case anyone had doubts, we have more confirmation that McCain is a shameless liar when it comes to his political ambitions. Recall his pre-Florida primary lie about Romney’s having supposedly supported time lines for withdrawal from Iraq?
Now, his weasel words about how he “got the message” have served their purpose, so that has now been pushed into the background.
Not a man to be admired, let alone trusted.
That means he will all but throw the thing.
You might recall that Dole, the old Viagra promoter, disappeared right after his wife did her Oprah imitation at the GOP convention in 1996. The media wanted him that spring just like they wanted McCain this year. The liars constantly told us how electable he was during the primaries, then turned on him after the convention, and regularly produced phoney polls showing old Bob down 25 points, when he was actually down about ten. He lost by eight. The press just smiled and slapped palms with their hero Bill Clinton.
I voted for the last “war hero.” I held my nose though I wanted to puke. Dole was the biggest accomodationist in Washington. So now we get an even bigger scoundrel, who also qualifies as a Democrat kissy face. McCain is the ultimate insult to Republican voters. He deserves the same thumb in the eye he has given us all these years, but we can show class and not cuss and blaspheme like he does.
It is laughable that anyone would think McCain would do the right thing on a single issue. He specializes in betrayal. It's going to be bad losing to the commies. But our people are their enablers, and are more devoted to the status quo than to us. It's time to let them go down in flames and to let Aztlan John start selling Cialis and Rogaine.
Hear, hear!
Candidate for FR Post of the Day.
As usual, Spot On Michelle!
Message be damned. - I'm staying home to send them home.
“Because the alternative is someone who’s /never/ going to listen to us, who is going to constantly go the other way, and no, no magic horse is going to ride in to the White House in four years to ‘save’ our party.”
You think McCain will listen to us? He won’t, because he’ll be “reaching across the aisle” and sucking up to Dems. to pass all sorts of objectionable bills with the help of a few RINOS.
McCain and a Dem. Congress will do more damage than Obama and a Dem. Congress. The Republicans would fight most Obama initiatives, but go along with too many by McCain.
The SCOTUS thing is greatly overrated for the next few years. The most likely retirees are libs, and McCain could only get confirmed those pre-approved by Leahy and Kennedy. No more Roberts or Alitos for the next few years, no matter the campaign rhetoric.
The WH will not be our friend for the next four years, no matter the winner. The Congress is the place conservatives and even Republicans must begin to regain what has been thrown away the past few years.
Duh... I do not understand how the party first types do not realize McCain is a Democrat in Republican clothing.I am pretty sure the guy wants to lose the election.
PING for your list.
Roofing contractors like you should have to do your own work or hire Americans.
You are correct. We can start taking this back in 2010. With the economy in complete chaos, some smart fiscal/social Conservatives can get a food hold again.
With the coming majority, there will be only ONE thing McCain can do if (God forbid) he gets elected. He will have to give the Democrats everything they ask for. He will have ZERO Veto power because the House and Senate will be clearly both in a 60% majority. And, looking at the current “Republican” RINOs who recently voted to over ride the Bush veto on that ridiculous farm bill just passed, McCain is certain to go along with the Dems on pretty much everything.
This election is a complete loss for us, no matter how you slice it. We need to learn to take advantage of it for what it will bring. Like Carter brought us Reagan, we have to weed out all the scum and keep the cream.
We won’t make that happen by voting for the McScum.
Already on there, 2nd from bottom... :)
You’re too quick for me. ;)
That's right. All he ever conceded was, "All right! I'll build your %^$%@&!! fence!"
I hope McCain picks a conservative running mate.
But I am not voting for a socialist POS.
The enemy is Socialism within our borders.
I hope McCain is sent home by conservatives a bitter and broken man.
We can fight the democrat POTUS in congress.
SCREW MCCAIN.
I, too, fail to see how importing 60 million socialists, communists and welfare bums will enhance our republic. This was done before.
Between 1890 and 1920 we imported about 20 million immigrants from eastern Europe, many of whom were the proto-Marxists of their day (the newspapers called them “red flag wavers.”). These new voters gave us the income tax, direct election of senators, socialist unions and the destruction of many capitalist ventures. We are still suffering from that today.
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