Less than two minutes into John McCain's speech at the National Council of La Raza Annual Conference, the two-time Senator from Arizona and presumptive Republican presidential nominee was rattled by the sounds of protesting beyond the doors of the enormous convention hall.
"This happens every once in a while, my friends," joked McCain.
Outside the San Diego Convention Center, less than seven miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, the ongoing war of words over immigration being fought by Sen. Barack Obama and McCain played out between Minutemen and pro-immigration protesters.
"Mexico is for Mexicans, and you are a criminal if you come here," one protesting minuteman shouted into a megaphone.
"Immigrants made this country great," another protester fired back.
Many of the signs called McCain a traitor for supporting La Raza and immigration reform, while others called for amnesty for all illegal immigrants.
Inside, at the same podium where his opponent stood a day earlier, McCain tried to make the case for his immigration stance. When Obama spoke to NCLR on Sunday, he told the crowd that he had been inspired by McCain's efforts to draft immigration reform, but was disappointed when he publicly reconsidered his own bill while on the campaign trail earlier this year. "A president shouldn't walk way from something as important as comprehensive reform just because it becomes unpopular," Obama said.
McCain began his rebuttal by informing the crowd of his repeated attempts to have public debates with Obama about important issues like immigration reform. He went on to relay the story of his two attempts to pass comprehensive immigration reform despite being told by other Republicans that it would be political suicide. "I feel I must, as they say, clear the record," McCain said. "And I do ask for your trust that when I say I remain committed to fair, practical, and comprehensive immigration reform, I mean it." In a reference to his recent political ad of the same name, McCain recounted the stories of immigrants who lost their lives crossing the border, referring to them as "God's Children."
McCain also took time to discuss other issues, including his support of NAFTA. McCain praised Colombian president Alvaro Uribe for his help in freeing Americans held prisoner in his country, a reference that drew one of the few outbursts of applause from the crowd. McCain said he believed having the negotiated trade agreement between the United States and Colombia passed as soon as possible would be a way to show the same statesmanship Uribe showed America during the rescue operations.
McCain's speech lacked the three standing ovations his opponent received the day before, a fact not lost on the Republican senator. "I know many of you are Democrats," said McCain. "I know I must work hard to win your votes."
With the Latino vote being called the decisive edge in several states, including his home state of Arizona, McCain and Obama's visits to three Latino conventions in the last month only serve to reinforce the influence Latinos could hold in the November.
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"Anti-immigration" Don't you mean Anti-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION? All ILLEGAL ALIENS no matter where they come from need to be deported and those who hire ILLEGALS should be jailed and heavily fined. We need to secure our borders and continue LEGAL immigration. I think most Americans (no hypen needed) would support that.
You are kidding aren't you? La Raza is a political advocacy group, not a gang of drug runners. My guess is that if you surveyed MS13 gang members almost none of them have even heard of La Raza.
McCains's PAS de DUEX with LA RAZA ('the race') will only allow him to tread water with Hispanic voters; simultaneously, he drives members of his own, natural base to the likes of Ron Paul et al. All the same, as the campaign percentages tighten, McCain will be tempted to shade his support of so-called "comprehensive immigration reform" (READ: AMNESTY for ILLEGAL ALIENS!) with the tones of "ENFORCEMENT FIRST."
OBAMEE's open embrace of AMNESTY for ILLEGAL ALIENS will cost him millions of independently-minded voters he otherwise might take in.......all for a shot at a cohort ("Hispanics") that historically vote in LOW PERCENTAGES!
Obama is winning Hispanics by 62%. What you heard was the CW from the primary, and it is just not true. As for McCain, he has protesters ever where he goes, the MSM just will not cover it.
Why cant McCain be atleast consistent in one or two issues,why not borrow the leaf from Obama.
Thanx to Obama vibe, in southern africa ,for now we can read news articles from newspapers about America since Iraq Invasion and we cannot afford another invasion in Zimbabwe please coming from warmongers
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Posted July 14, 2008 | 07:48 PM (EST)