John McCain has been all over the talk shows on cable this week. He is a shadow of his former self. John McCain used to seem fair-minded. He co-sponsored the Immigration Reform Bill of 2007 along with Edward Kennedy, for Pete’s sake.
I heard him on TV today calling illegal immigrants ‘illegals’ and calling for our military along our borders. I was disappointed to hear him use the term ‘illegals.’ He is an educated man. He knows that illegal is an adjective. But I heard him on Fox News so maybe he was just trying to fit in. Most of those anchors say ‘illegals.’
McCain is fighting a tough primary to be held in August. His opponent is J. D. Hayworth whose political stomping grounds are the suburbs of Phoenix. Hayworth is sort of a Tancredo on steroids. He continues to try to paint McCain as the Uber RINO. According to the Washington Post:
Hayworth’s 12 years representing parts of the Phoenix suburbs have been described by his former colleague Dick Armey as a “fairly short, undistinguished congressional career.” But Hayworth attracted national attention after an epiphany of sorts in 2005. Though he had previously sponsored legislation to create a guest-worker program, Hayworth became a militant foe of Mexican immigration. Not just illegal immigration. Hayworth proposed a moratorium on legal immigration from Mexico. He declared an intention not merely to secure the border but also to “stand up for our culture” — which implies that Mexicans adulterate American culture. Hayworth warned of activists who would create an Aztec state on the ruins of American sovereignty in the Southwest. He voted against an anti-immigrant measure — which, among other provisions, prohibited religious charities from aiding illegal immigrants — because he thought the legislation was too soft.
From 2004 to 2006, Hayworth’s share of the vote in some Hispanic-influenced precincts dropped by more than 20 points, and he was carried away in the national anti-Republican deluge. Hayworth now presses his anti-immigration message in a primary challenge to McCain — contesting for the right to run for the Senate in a state that is about 18 percent Hispanic. To this appeal, Hayworth has added a “birther” message accusing President Obama of “identity theft.” Here he is on legalizing gay marriage: “I guess that would mean if you really had affection for your horse, I guess you could marry your horse.”
The Tea Party also plays an important role in this primary. Some pundits are speculating that the future of the Tea Party might very well be defined by this primary election. Some Tea Party People supposedly like Hayworth but want to distance themselves from his less ‘mainstream’ persona. Michael Gerson of the Washington Post also added:
Tea Party leaders have been understandably reluctant to endorse a candidate likely to embarrass any movement elastic enough to include Hayworth. Both Rep. Michele Bachmann and Sen. Jim DeMint have declared themselves officially neutral in the Arizona Republican primary. Sarah Palin has campaigned for McCain.
So we are all kept in suspense by these politicians from Arizona. Many people expect this race to dominate the election cycle. McCain and Palin still seem very much like the odd couple to me. Does he pay her to appear or does she appear free of charge as a thank you gesture to him for bringing her down to the lower 48?
J. D. Hayworth gives his opinion of the gay marriage court case in Massachusetts:
Arizona has become a second front for the Mexican war. Phoenix has the highest kidnapping rate in the US due to the drug conflict. He is calling them “illegals” now because his constituents are furious about the killings and kidnappings being caused by illegal aliens, mostly connected to the drug cartels.
The killing of a rancher on his property after reporting illegal aliens on his property to the police have enraged the locals. So, between a tough primary and an angry public, McCain has started to use harsher language.
The difference in the word ‘illegal’ and illegal alien’ or ‘illegal immigrant’ to me is one of literacy, not one of political harshness.
I don’t believe Hayworth distinguishes between drug thugs and those coming in to our county illegally in search of work. Maybe McCain and Mayworth want to say illegal drug dealers. I do not like the lines being blurred between families desperately seeking work and those who are members of drug cartels. There is a huge difference.
I am sorry to see John McCain feel like he has to resort to the tactics of F.A.I.R. to keep his senate seat.
For Cargosquid and those of you opposed to Obama’s health care reform and support fiscal responsibility, here’s something you should know about JD Hayworth.
Congressman Hayworth voted to expand Medicare in 2003, wheras John McCain opposed it. You can read it here:
Hayworth, McCain trade jabs of ‘big spender’
As challenger announces Senate bid, pair debate who is most fiscally conservative
Among other Bush-era priorities, Hayworth supported and McCain opposed the 2003 Medicare prescription-drug benefit that is estimated to saddle taxpayers with between $8 trillion and $11 trillion in unfunded liabilities over 75 years.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/02/15/20100215bigspenders0215.html
You conservatives are a confused bunch. Your favorite pols say one thing but vote something else. You don’t know what the hell you want.
I don’t remember hearing many on the right holler and yell about the unfunded liabilities of the Medicare rx benefit.
I liked the idea. I had a mother who took a LOT of medicine.
I hope sincerely that McCain can pull this out. Republicans have the wind at their backs now but must not make the same mistakes of the past. The Party needs thoughtful candidates who are not driven by the fringe, corporate contributions, or sound-bite seeking personal ambition.
I am glad to say that I was one of a handful who voted for McCain in the 2000 Republican primary. I can honestly say, “Don’t Blame Me,” because I voted for McCain in both 2000 and 2008.
One, I’m not a Hayworth supporter. I’m neutral in this fight. This is what primaries are for; to allow the voters to have a choice. I have no problem with McCain representing Arizona. I don’t know anything about Hayworth. Many conservatives don’t like McCain because he has supported many liberal, statist bills and denigrated the movement. He’s a typical Republican. Hayworth is too.
Second, whether they come here as drug thugs or looking for work, they cross the border illegally. They are, therefore, illegal aliens. If they want to come here, let them follow the rules and immigrate and become Americans. Do we need immigration reform? Yes. But, until then, follow the law. And no, I don’t just mean Mexicans. We need to reform the enforcement also, so that we can track all “visitors” that overstay their welcome or sneak into the country. “Immigrants” seeking work also commit crimes. That rancher was killed by, according to stories, “run of the mill” illegal aliens, not druggies.
Either we enforce our borders or we have no sovereignty.
I don’t like the word “illegals” but sometimes, well intentions people slip into the vernacular, no matter how distasteful.
Open borders is an insidious effort to expand the Democrats power base – nothing more. Yes, I know all about the arguments that certain farmers and companies want cheap labor, but that is all Democratic spin. Do you really think the SEIU wants to compete with lower cost illegals – No, they want lower skilled membership growth and voters as they also seek to raise the minium wage (living wage) and dues revenues.
The problem will illegal immigration is that it undermines our national security. Its not just about the workers, the human traffickers, the jobs that are lost to citizens, the inducement to make use of illegals, the drugs, the drug violence, respect for the law, the impact it has on other legal immigration, the cash and guns moving back and forth or the extraordinary cost of law enforcement – such as it is – to the taxpayer nationally and even to Prince William – as if that were not enough – but it is also about the risk that illegal immigration presents to us by those who really want to do us harm. You cannot have this conversation without taking responsibility for advocating the likely movement of real terror across our border.
There are plenty of people who support immigration reform who are not ‘open borders’ people.
PWC loses his argument immediately by dragging SEIU into the discussion. It then becomes a rant from one of the far right electronic tabloids.
Cargo, I think that the 2 different situations have to be handled differently. What most people seem to overlook is that there really is almost no way to immigrate legally if you are from certain countries. That’s one reason we need reform.
Another reason we need immigration reform is because current ‘laws’ (interpret practices of enforcing the law) are not consistent. Why would one family recieve a change of status and all is well and good and another family who filed at a later time still not have legal change of status? It makes no sense. In both cases, there was a marriage to an American citizen. The month you file really shouldn’t be the compelling argument, yet it is exactly that.
The entire law needs to be replaced by something more current and manageable. It would save us money in the long run.
Meanwhile, all efforts need to be placed on controlling the drug-driven violence that is being used as a centerpiece to discussion of immigration. Running drugs in and out of this country is NOT immigration and really has no basis is the discussion of immigration.
@Moon-howler
So what are you saying, that SEIU and liberal support for amnesty and easier immigration reform has nothing to do with political membership and voter strength? Do you really believe that? Is it also your view that control of the borders is not a national security issue? Even this Administration will at least tell you different on that score. It is very much about our having failed to secure the movement of people and material.
Nobody in any responsible government position would argue that our borders are not important windows to the legal movement of goods and people to and from the United States. It impacts revenue, trade agreements, access to markets and yes how many folks from country a vice country b can come per year. Illegal movement adversely affects those relationships and puts those who are willing to play by the rules at a distinct disadvantage. Securing our border is a pre-requisit to immigration reform and there is no indication that after seven years of DHS and billions of dollars in new people and equipment that anything has yet substantially changed. That is the problem. The size and risk of the problem is continually understated for political purposes . If they can move tons of cocaine, tons of pot and ship-loads and truckloads of people, illegally throught the system we are at real risk to much more significant terrorism. This is only tangentially about border violence as the drug cartels fight over access routes.
I am saying that the minute you start dragging out SEIU and ‘liberal support’ as your qualifiers you paint yourself into a corner and invalidate much of what you want to say. Those are buzz words to me ….buzz words for having read one too many right wing cage liners.
Serious discussions about immigration reform deal with issues, not rhetoric.
Finally, don’t put words in my mouth. What I have said on this issue has an electronic paper-trail a mile long.
We all know what the problem is. Just how would you fix it, realistically?
@Moon-howler
First, formally recognize that it is a national economic security, anti-terrorism issue and put active Army and National Guard troops on the border with full arrest authority in the 500 foot Federal security corridor around the border. Second, build the fence. Third, extend immigration law enforcement authorities now held by ICE to state and local police for use at their discretion. Fourth, make having a US driver’s licesnse without a valid visa (to include an expired visa) a felony. And fifth, make it illegal to hire an illegal – the fine being in the amount of any wages or other benefits provided – to eleiminate the economic incentives that still make it cheaper to pay the fine – if caught. All easy, all realistic and all cheaper by comparison to much of the DHS effort and to any act of terrorism. All we need is the political will to secure ourselves without all the earmarked BS that comes with it.
Don’t underestimate the rebound effect the death of that well-known rancher on the Mexico-U.S. border had upon the citizens of Arizona. It was a culmination of a lot of bad things down that way. As that Democratic Party leader of yore once said: “All politics are local.” If McCain went through this primary season acting as if nothing had happened or changed, he would soon be ex-Senator McCain. Incidentally, I have heard some say that J.D. Hayworth, a strong opponent of amnesty, lost his House seat the last time out partially because he was out-Hayworthed by his Democratic opponent on the issue of illegal immigration.
I have no problem putting the military on the border….any of them. I also have no problem with putting up fences.
I think we also need to have new laws that modernize the immigration process. Obviously something is wrong or we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
I oppose our police being used as ICE agents. I oppose the state police being used as ICE agents. A great deal needs to be fixed.