Saguaro
11-03-2007, 05:45 PM
SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. (AP) — John McCain spent months earlier this year arguing that the United States must pair border security efforts with a temporary worker program and an eventual path to citizenship for many illegal immigrants.
Now, the Republican presidential candidate emphasizes securing the borders first. The rest, he says, is still needed but will have to come later.
"I understand why you would call it a, quote, shift," McCain told reporters Saturday after voters questioned him on his position during back-to-back campaign appearances in this early voting state. "I say it is a lesson learned about what the American people's priorities are. And their priority is to secure the borders."
The shift is certain to draw criticism from his GOP opponents, all of whom oppose comprehensive immigration reform. The issue has been a flash point in the GOP presidential race with Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson all seizing on it.
McCain, who has for the last few years taken the lead on the issue in the Senate with Democrat Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, got a wake up call of sorts earlier this year when Congress again failed to enact a broad immigration proposal that he co-sponsored and that split the country.
The measure also exposed deep divisions within the Republican Party, and McCain's high-profile support for it hurt him politically. During debate on the issue in Washington and across the country, the Arizona senator saw his poll numbers in early voting primary states slip and his fundraising wane.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
Now, the Republican presidential candidate emphasizes securing the borders first. The rest, he says, is still needed but will have to come later.
"I understand why you would call it a, quote, shift," McCain told reporters Saturday after voters questioned him on his position during back-to-back campaign appearances in this early voting state. "I say it is a lesson learned about what the American people's priorities are. And their priority is to secure the borders."
The shift is certain to draw criticism from his GOP opponents, all of whom oppose comprehensive immigration reform. The issue has been a flash point in the GOP presidential race with Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson all seizing on it.
McCain, who has for the last few years taken the lead on the issue in the Senate with Democrat Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, got a wake up call of sorts earlier this year when Congress again failed to enact a broad immigration proposal that he co-sponsored and that split the country.
The measure also exposed deep divisions within the Republican Party, and McCain's high-profile support for it hurt him politically. During debate on the issue in Washington and across the country, the Arizona senator saw his poll numbers in early voting primary states slip and his fundraising wane.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/