Despite this and the flaccid joke our CA GOP has become in the wake of Prop 187, and the 2008 loss of Latino votes who voted for Bush in 2004, McCain is saying he heard the voters and Pedro has got to go.
Never mind the fact that in 2008, every GOP candidate but McCain adopted a no-tolerance policy on illegal immigration and they all were rejected by the GOP primary voters.
I think McCain is likely to be re-elected anyways. I think if he held a grudge against the party he'd just quit. His shot at the Presidency is gone. He may indeed feel he is the best man to help stop 0. Graham just got re-elected 2 years ago unlike border zealots like Graf, Hayworth, Hostettler, DeLay, Pambo, and Bonilla in 2006. The border firsters have lost a lot of power since 2006 but McCain's and Graham's 2 votes ain't enough to pass a new amnesty. For that 0 will need a pass from the unions, who don't want to compete with unskilled cheap immigrants for their unskilled cushy union jobs. Democrats exempt unions in disclosure bill (drive-bys finally confirm what we've known all along)
The SEIU -- who appears to have more clout with this administration than any other union -- is actively promoting amnesty.
Like you, I think McCain will probably win his primary. But I also believe that the illegal issue has become a much more powerful issue than it was in 2006 or '08.