McCain Tells Mexico: Border Security First

Web India 123 ^ | 07.05.2008 | Web India 123

[Coffee200am]

Presumptive Republican U.S. presidential nominee John McCain told Mexican leaders security at the border is a precondition of immigration reform.

McCain ended a visit to Colombia and Mexico Thursday, The Arizona Republic reported.

I believe we must have comprehensive immigration reform. The American people want our borders secured first, McCain said at a Mexico City news conference. That will require some walls. It will require virtual fences. It will require high-technology equipment. We must secure our borders, and then we will address the issue of comprehensive immigration reform.

McCain was one of the authors of an immigration reform bill that failed to get any traction in Congress, and caused him to lose support among illegal immigration hard-liners. Since then, he has toughened his stance on the issue.

McCain, accompanied by his wife, Cindy, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, also visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the most important Catholic shrine in Mexico.

[Rottweilerson]

“McCain tells Mexican leaders to their faces - the border must be secured first.”

Yeah, with a wink and a nod.

[Stonewall Jackson]

We need to construct a fence or a wall from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. Then we need to get the catapault that the Mythbusters used for their cross-border excursion and start sending the illegals home.

After video of the first couple of guys missing the mattress hits the airwaves and the internet, I would almost guarantee that there will be a line of folks begging to be allowed to drive, walk, or hitchhike across the border.

[doc]

I believe McAmnesty about as much as when Bush said eight years ago that he was going to work on comprehensive immigration reform.

[Norman Bates]

You just can’t admit he isn’t backing down from his pledge of securing the border first.

[kenavi]

I suppose it’s a step forward that McCain has been brought around to the point where he thinks it’s worth lying to the conservative base instead of just sticking another finger in their eye.

But a trip to Mexico and Guatemala may not have been the best place to do it.

You're right, Mexico and Guatemala weren't the best place for "lying to the conservative base". It was the best place to let our neighbors know that we are serious about stopping illegal immigration, and they need cooperate if they want to be our friends.

[GulfBreeze]

So you prefer Obama? (I doubt it.) What is your alternative.

[lexusppd]

"Too bad McCain and the American people are not on the same page. If they were McCain would be emphasizing border security over comprehensive immigration reform (aka, amnesty for illegals)."

Did you read the article? He did exactly what you suggested.

[freeangel]

I never said I prefer obama, Mr. elect mccain pinger. I like many, will be holding my nose and my breath at the ballot box and hope he doesn’t kill the US like obama would most certainly do.

[TomGuy]

He did exactly what you suggested.

No. He is only giving lip service.

McCain has NOT pushed for one extra foot of fence, etc.

McCain's 'secure the border' is a line he started using in the debates because he saw how unpopular [as in audience boos] his CIR was and he couldn't defend it. As Senator, McCain has done little since CIR to add to border security.

He is giving lip service and many of us aren't buying it. In McCain's case, his actions [or lack thereof] speak louder than his words.

After all, he reportedly promised Hispanics in private meetings a couple of weeks ago that he would push CIR.

[As I have indicated in other posts -- McCain has a credibility problem. I don't trust him nor his 'promises' on the campaign trail. It was nearly 2 years ago when he made his infamous rant -- 'I'll build the damn fence' -- and yet, he still has done little to make that happen.]

[lexusppd]

He “reportedly” assured Hispanic in a private meeting” This you believe?

And his saying he now wants the borders secure before and immigration reform, you do not believe?

Other then you simply dislike McCain, what evidence have you that one is a lie and the other the truth?

[TomGuy]

And his saying he now wants the borders secure before and immigration reform, you do not believe?

McCain: 'I'll build the damn fence.'

[It still hasn't been built.]

The problem is the political rhetoric -- 'secure the border'. That means zilch. It can be defined and parsed and nuanced any way a politician wants. In the debates, McCain said that would mean that the border state governors would be responsible for 'signifying that the border is secure'. It is a bunch of gobbledygook. You may buy it; I don't.

[lexusppd]

Bottom line is the fence IS being built and the border IS being secured. Illegals are leaving the country because there is a crackdown on employers and the actual influx of illegals has been halved or more by all accounts.

[kabar]

For McCain, the lesson learned is secure the borders first and then grant amnesty to the 12 to 20 million illegals already here who will in turn sponsor another 66 million to 100 million more LEGAL IMMIGRANTS thru chain migration, i.e., family reunification. If that happens, this country is finished. Amnesty is forever.

[TomGuy]

the border IS being secured

Only in a parallel universe.

the actual influx of illegals has been halved or more by all accounts

Halved? Then that means they are still coming in, and that means the borders are NOT secured yet.

tsk tsk tsk. You have contradicted your own argument in the same paragraph. [Reminiscent of Hillary and the driver's license contradiction in one of the early Dem debates.]

[kabar]

Bottom line is the fence IS being built and the border IS being secured.

Congress is putting a halt to it. Chairman Price is holding it up.

Border Fence Construction Not Moving Fast Enough for Rep. Hunter

Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member Harold Rogers, R-Ky., said he is concerned that the bill places too many restrictions on the department when it comes to spending money to build fencing along the southwest border.

PRICE DELIVERS MAJOR SPEECH ON HOMELAND SECURITY: "Our Subcommittee has also taken on the challenge of border security – through what will be a one third increase in the number of Border Patrol officers from the beginning of FY 2008 to the end of FY 2009; by compelling attention to the vast Northern border (which is more significant as a potential entry point for terrorists than the Southern border); and by requiring some accountability as DHS spends hundreds of millions of dollars to build fencing along the Southwest border. We are insisting that cost-benefit estimates be provided and that alternative means of border protection be seriously compared before funds are spent on expensive fence construction.

I haven't heard any McCain condemnation of Price.

Illegals are leaving the country because there is a crackdown on employers and the actual influx of illegals has been halved or more by all accounts.

We are still apprehending about a million people a year at the southern border trying to enter illegally. Another 500,000 to 1 million get through. Attrition thru enforcement works, but again, McCain has been MIA on that strategy. He also voted against making English the official language of this country.

John McCain, Multiculturalist Immigration is just one problem

[lexusppd]

Do you seriously expect to go from whatever the number of illegals were coming in a year ago to zero immediately?

There is progress and it is substantial

http://www.nationalledger.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=24&num=19915

[TomGuy]

Now, you are hedging, and parsing.

You stated that the border is secure. You stated the number of illegals entering has been halved.

I contend that having thousands of illegals still flooding across the border does NOT signify a ‘secure border’.

And that is the problem with McCain’s position: what exactly is the definition of a ‘secure border’ and what are the provisions to make it that way? Those are the provisions, means, methods that McCain has never identified. So, by your reasoning, cutting the flood of illegals in half implies that the border is now secure. McCain would love that reasoning. He might make you head of Homeland Security for that.

[gubamyster]

ping

[lexusppd]

Well no, I did NOT state the border was secure. What I said was “the border IS BEING secured”

That is a difference with a distinction, wouldn’t you say?

[Cicero]

You think? After promoting the McCain-Kennedy bill in the teeth of the base, and refusing to back down, and still keeping a top member of La Raza on his campaign staff while firing staffers because the Democrats complain about them, he has a lot of explaining to do.

I read his statement and what it seems to say is, “I will build the fence and then give them all amnesty.”

Sorry, but he has a long history on immigration, all of it is bad, and getting even worse in the past year or two.