[UPDATE: Did McCain pledge to stop immigration raids?]

Yesterday, Barack Obama spoke at the National Council of La Raza convention. Today, it's John McCain's turn to pander to that far-left, extremist-funding, racist-awarding group, and his prepared remarks are here.

"La Raza runs one of the largest housing counseling programs in the country that has helped tens of thousands of Latinos become homeowners with secure mortgages."

Yes, indeed. And, they've made it quite clear that that or a similar program is racially-specific.

He then says that he's an "unapologetic supporter of NAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and the Colombian Free Trade Agreement" and once again promotes a "hemispheric free trade agreement".

Then this bit of "conservative" thinking:

I'm a strong believer in charter schools. La Raza has helped establish 100 charter schools and the results they are producing are very encouraging.

One of the charter schools funded by La Raza is has a "reconquista" nature, the Academia Semillas del Pueblo. See this for more on some others. Does McCain know the nature of those schools? Does he care?

He then reiterates that he supports amnesty:

I don't want to fail again to achieve comprehensive immigration reform. We must prove we have the resources to secure our borders and use them, while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States. When we have achieved border security goal, we must enact and implement the other parts of practical, fair and necessary immigration policy. We have economic and humanitarian responsibilities as well, and they require no less dedication from us in meeting them.

Then, McCain reads an excerpt from the Arizona Republic's article "205 Migrants Die Hard, Lonely Deaths", the same excerpt he read into the Congressional Record on July 12, 2005 in support of McCain-Kennedy (PDF link):

Several years ago, the leading newspaper in my state published an article putting faces on the tragic human costs of illegal immigration, and I would like to briefly quote from it: 'Maria Hernandez Perez was No. 93. She was almost 2. She had thick brown hair and eyes the color of chocolate... [two other cases deleted]... We can't let immigrants break our laws with impunity. We can't leave our borders undefended. But these people are God's children, who wanted simply to be Americans, and we cannot forget the humanity God commands of us as we seek a remedy to this problem.

Needless to say, he's being extremely sleazy. If our laws were enforced - something that both McCain and the NCLR have opposed - many of those deaths would not have occurred. It's those who support illegal immigration - including McCain and the NCLR - who are partially responsible for those deaths, not those who want our laws to be enforced.

Then, as if the above wasn't enough, he confirmed his support for amnesty yet one more time:

"I spoke recently at both the NALEO and LULAC conferences, as did Senator Obama. I did not use those occasions to criticize Senator Obama. I would prefer not to do so today. But he suggested in his speeches there and here, that I turned my back on comprehensive reform out of political necessity. I feel I must, as they say, correct the record. At a moment of great difficulty in my campaign, when my critics said it would be political suicide for me to do so, I helped author with Senator Kennedy comprehensive immigration reform, and fought for its passage. I cast a lot of hard votes, as did the other Republicans and Democrats who joined our bipartisan effort. So did Senator Kennedy. I took my lumps for it without complaint. My campaign was written off as a lost cause. I did so not just because I believed it was the right thing to do for Hispanic Americans. It was the right thing to do for all Americans. Senator Obama declined to cast some of those tough votes. He voted for and even sponsored amendments that were intended to kill the legislation, amendments that Senator Kennedy and I voted against. I never ask for any special privileges from anyone just for having done the right thing. Doing my duty to my country is its own reward. But I do ask for your trust that when I say, I remain committed to fair, practical and comprehensive immigration reform, I mean it. I think I have earned that trust.

Then, even more Hispandering:

"Let me close by expressing my respect and gratitude for the contributions of Hispanic-Americans to the culture, economy and security of the country I have served all my adult life. I represent Arizona where Spanish was spoken before English was, and where the character and prosperity of our state owes a great deal to the many Arizonans of Hispanic descent who live there. And I know this country, which I love more than almost anything, would be the poorer were we deprived of the patriotism, industry and decency of those millions of Americans whose families came here from other countries in our hemisphere. Latinos are among the hardest working most productive people in our country. The strength of your religious faith and the strength and closeness of your families are a great force for social stability and individual happiness. In my recent visit to Mexico, I visited the Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and was greatly moved by the experience, and came to appreciate all the more your deep devotion to the God who created us and loves us all equally. I will honor your contributions to America for as long as I live. We would not be the special country we are without you.

Then, he smears those who support our laws:

I know many of you are Democrats, and many of you would usually vote for the presidential candidate of that party. I know I must work hard to win your votes, but you have always given me a respectful hearing, and I appreciate it. I know many of you were disappointed and hurt by those who used the debate on immigration last year, not to respectfully debate the issue, as most did, but to denigrate the contributions of Hispanics to our great country. I denounced those insults then, and I denounce them today.