Rick Perlstein misleads about John McCain immigration position

In The Nation, author Rick Perlstein offers "All Aboard the McCain Express" (link), which includes the following:

...McCain's bowing down before the conservative holy grail of super-harsh enforcement-first immigration reform...

In actual fact, McCain's position would be, should all be said and done, the same as Barack Obama's and Hillary Clinton's. The only differences are that he supposedly wants the border to be certified as secure first, something that would probably be done by the four border state governors, all of whom are cheap labor hacks. And, after it was certified/"certified", McCain would push amnesty. He's backed away from his previous bill, but that's only because it was a failure and its egregiously bad provisions became known. Note that trying to portray McCain as a hardliner is a DNC tactic. Note also that the "conservative holy grail" would be oppose amnesty (by any name), something that McCain has refused to do.

And, a corollary to Perlstein's comment is that "liberals" apparently have issues with the responsible step of securing our borders; does anyone think he wouldn't refer to "reform"-mandated border enforcement as "super-harsh" as well?

Others misleading about McCain include Eric Hananoki of Media Matters, Joel Achenbach, Bennett Roth, Elisabeth Bumiller and John Broder, and Ron Claiborne and Peter Canellos.

Comments

Anyone who is a conservative knows full well the traitorous actions of John McCain on Illegal Immigration. Do any of them believe him about securing the bordser???I don't think so.....I can't stand the man and will not vote for him or his evil competitors....They have left true patriotic Americans no choice for leadership in this country. The corporations have made sure the fic is in and the only choice is open borders or open borders.......Pretty soon the civil war will begin .

'super-harsh enforcement-first immigration reform' Ever notice how if enforcement is first or by itself it's 'super harsh'. But the same enforcement is somehow different when accompanied by a spoonful of sugar (amnesty and guest worker). Considering the number granted Z-visas might exceed the population of New York state it's a pretty big spoon. And, of course, the enforcement medicine can be curtailed at any time while amnesty is forever. Don't be surprised if enforcement then becomes too 'harsh' again. All the enforcement prohibitionists will be back in action literally the day after CIR passes. Maybe they'll wait a week to make CIR look like less of a farce but they really won't have to. It will be too late.