Saturday, June 28, 2008

Obama & McCain comparing their committment to immigration reform

At this point in the U.S. presidential campaign, it is hard to believe what anybody says. Obama has been going back and forth on a number of issues... moving more towards the center. McCain likewise is trying to present several faces at once. Now McCain is thinking immigration is important (again) - McCain was not present for the DREAM ACT vote in October 2007 - was he avoiding the vote or was he really unavailable?

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US presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain have clashed over their commitment to immigration reform.

BBC News
Page last updated at
22:29 GMT, Saturday, 28 June 2008 23:29 UK

Addressing a conference of Hispanic officials in Washington, Mr McCain, the Republican candidate, said the US must secure its borders.

Mr Obama, the Democratic Party candidate, said he admired Mr McCain's attempt last year to get an immigration reform bill approved by Congress.

But he said that Mr McCain had since walked away from that commitment.

Mr McCain was one of the few Republican senators to back President Bush's comprehensive immigration plan which contained an amnesty for some illegal immigrants...

Mr McCain paid his respects to Hispanic-Americans.

"I know this country... would be the poorer were we deprived of the patriotism, industry and decency of those millions of Americans whose families came here from Mexico, Central and South America," he said...

Nation of immigrants'

Appearing later before the same audience, Mr Obama accused Mr McCain of walking away from comprehensive immigration reform.

"When he was running for his party's nomination, he walked away from that commitment. He said he wouldn't even support his own legislation if it came up for a vote," Mr Obama said.

"If we are going to solve the challenges we face, we can't vacillate, we can't shift depending on our politics."

"We must assert our values and reconcile our principles as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. That is a priority I will pursue from my very first day," he [Obama] added.


for link to complete BBC article click here

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