Recent Event Highlights: Revokes Support for DREAM Act, Immigration Reform a Top Priority , Comprehensive Immigration Dies, Defends His Senate bill, S 774: Dream Act, Immigration Reform dies, and 17 more...
Created by ColorLines on Aug 23, 2010
Last updated: 08/24/10 at 09:10 AM
Arizona GOP Senate primaries
Has spent $21 million for his re-election campaign
Says he doesn’t necessarily support taking birthright citizenship out of the 14th amendment
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=11395046
Releases commercial with sheriffs from Arizona, touting McCain’s border hawk bona fides
McCain talks with Arizona radio station KTAR and revokes support for the DREAM Act, on “humanitarian” grounds
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/06/12/mccain-dream-humanitarian/
Releases commercial with Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, promises that he would “complete the danged fence” if he were re-elected, blames “drug and human smuggling, home invasions, murder” on immigrants coming across the border
Frank Sharry, executive director of the national immigration reform group America's Voice wonders where McCain went:
"I find it so hard to believe that he was insincere then and he's sincere now. I would prefer to think that that was the real McCain and he's making some political calculations that he thinks are necessary. And I'm not sure he realizes how much he is undercutting the thing that people find most admirable about him."
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/05/14/20100514arizona-immigration-law-john-mccain.html#ixzz0xXBB0e8p
The same day Gov. Jan Brewer signs SB 1070 into law, McCain defends the law against Obama administration criticisms.
“If the president doesn’t like what the Arizona Legislature and governor may be doing, then I call on the president to immediately call for the dispatch of 3,000 National Guard troops to our border and mandate that 3,000 additional Border Patrol [officers] be sent to our border as well.” “And that way, then the state of Arizona will not have to enact legislation which they have to do because of the federal government’s failure to carry out its responsibilities, which is to secure the borders.”
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/94111-mccain-to-obama-send-troops-to-the-border-if-you-dont-like-new-immigration-law
The New York Times beckons the principled, reasonable McCain of old to return.
"But this pandering is tragic for a man who was one of the architects of the humane, comprehensive approach to immigration he has now disowned — threatening a filibuster to prevent its even coming to a vote."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/opinion/23fri2.html
McCain introduces 10-point border security plan with Jon Kyl. Demands 3,000 National Guard for the border immediately.
Goes on O’Reilly to discuss his joint border security plan and support SB 1070, says “illegal immigrants” are “intentionally causing accidents on the freeway.”
: John McCain rejects his own “maverick” branding, claims “I’m no maverick,” but Talking Points Memo proves otherwise.
J.D. Hayworth officially enters the Arizona Senate race to challenge McCain
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/02/15/Ex-Rep-Hayworth-to-challenge-Sen-McCain/UPI-34891266269359/
Rasmussen polls show the as-yet unannounced J.D. Hayworth’s candidacy against McCain pushing hard against McCain’s seat.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704779704574553892531703298.html
Barack Obama wins presidential election
Cecilia Munoz of NCLR says: “I don’t think [McCain] can appease the hard-core xenophobes and convince the Latinos he is standing up for them at the same time,” said Cecilia Munoz, senior vice president of NCLR, who has been in the middle of immigration bill negotiations. “I think he has to pick a side and make it clear. Is he going after the votes of the xenophobes?”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11240.html
Promises to make immigration reform a top priority if elected president.
“Senator Kennedy and I tried very hard to get immigration reform, a comprehensive plan, through the Congress of the United States,” he said. “It is a federal responsibility and because of our failure as a federal obligation, we’re seeing all these various conflicts and problems throughout our nation as different towns, cities, counties, whatever they are, implement different policies and different programs which makes things even worse and even more confusing.”
“I believe we have to secure our borders, and I think most Americans agree with that, because it’s a matter of national security. But we must enact comprehensive immigration reform. We must make it a top agenda item if we don’t do it before, and we probably won’t, a little straight talk, as of January 2009.”
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/mccain-says-immigration-reform-should-be-top-priority/
During 2008 presidential debate says he would not vote for his own 2006 immigration bill.
The 2007 version of comprehensive immigration reform dies
“We need to come up with a humane, moral way to deal with those people who are here, most of whom are not going anywhere. No matter how much we improve border security, no matter the penalties we impose on their employers, no matter how seriously they are threatened with punishment, we will not find most of them, and we will not find most of their employers.”
Co-sponsors S 774, the 2007 version of the DREAM Act
Unofficially enters the 2008 presidential race with an announcement on The Late Show with David Letterman.
The 2006 and 2007 versions of comprehensive immigration reform die.
McCain defends the need for immigration reform against critics:
“They tell me my poll rate has plummeted over this, but I’m a big boy, I can take it.”
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/mccains-tough-stance-on-arizona-immigration-bill/?scp=3&sq=immigration&st=cse
During the immigration debate, McCain defends undocumented immigrants’ right to collect Social Security.
"We all know that millions of undocumented immigrants pay Social Security and Medicare taxes for years and sometimes decades while they work to contribute to our economy,” he said. “The Ensign amendment would undermine the work of these people by preventing lawfully present immigrant workers from claiming Social Security benefits that they earned before they were authorized to work in our community. If this amendment were enacted, the nest egg that these immigrants have worked hard for would be taken from them and their families."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/may/18/20060518-114132-2456r/
Co-sponsored the 2006 Comprehensive Immigration Act with Arlen Specter. That same day John McCain went to New Hampshire and discussed immigration. “What do you do with the 11 million people already here? You’ve got 3 choices, status quo, 11 million somewhere in the shadows, living without the protection of our laws, being exploited, just a very bad situation, the status quo we’d all agree. The second, is to send they all back…Somebody’s going to have to tell me how you do that. It’s not possible. What would happen to our economy if you did? Third answer is to make them earn citizenship because they’ve broken our laws.”
Co-sponsors S 2075, the 2005 version of the DREAM Act
Introduces S. 1033 with Sen. Ted Kennedy -- immigration bill. The bill included border enforcement provisions, guest worker program and options for undocumented immigrants already in the country to revise their status.
Co-sponsors S 1545, the 2003 version of DREAM Act
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:SN01545:@@@L&summ2=m
Update Sources