McCain on immigration

October 8, 1:44 PMConservative Politics ExaminerKathy Shaidle

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To say that the GOP base doesn't trust John McCain on the immigration issue is an understatement.

During the run up to the 2007 Kennedy-McCain Immigration bill, many conservative talk show hosts and columnists called on their listeners and readers to protest the bill, which they felt rewarded law breaking and would ultimately cost many American citizens their jobs.

McCain grudgingly (and grumpily) acknowledged the outrage, but the base remains highly suspicious of McCain's true intentions and beliefs about immigration, both legal and illegal.

The section on immigration on John McCain's web site is designed to reassure that angry base that he really did "get the message."

That's why the first point of his program is now to "Secure the Borders First". However, it is unclear whether or not this includes the border fence that many conservatives have called for.

The rest of John McCain's immigration policy involves:

• Prosecuting "bad actor" employers
• Set up a temporary workers program for high- and low-skilled workers
• Resolve the status of undocumented immigrants, who will either be deported or placed on a path to citizenship
• Focus on family reunification
• Clear the 20 year backlog for green cards