I believe we have to have a commitment -- because it's a national-security issue as well as an economic issue as well as a humanitarian issue that we enact comprehensive-immigration reform.
Nothing about "securing the borders first". He apparently thinks Sarah Palin is enough to win the support of anti-illegal-immigration conservatives. More importantly, he's still demagoguing the anti-illegal position as being anti-immigration:
This nation is stronger for the infusion of fresh blood and vitality that has come to this country in wave after wave," he said. "Everyone that has come to this country has enriched this nation, including our Hispanic citizenry.
Only the bigots are saying we should stop all immigration from Central and South America. And there just aren't that many bigots. The real opponents of comprehensive-immigration reform are those who worry about the effects of a lawless border. These opponents agree that uncontrolled borders are in fact a major "economic...as well as a humanitarian issue." But they argue that the way to solve it is to solve it, by enhancing border security and improving immigration policy and procedures. Sen. McCain wants to ignore the problem. He wants to make the problem disappear by granting amnesty to the millions of illegal immigrants in the country now, but without securing the borders to insure the problem doesn't repeat itself in a few years.
UPDATE: In an interview with Univision, Sen. McCain promised to introduce comprehensive immigration reform on his first day in office as President.
To paraphrase Gov. Palin, what should we make of a candidate who promises his party he'll secure the borders first, and then tells Univision he'll push his original comprehensive reform on day one?
(h/t Kaus)
