Bad Vetting

It seems that not only did John McCain hold a private meeting with Latino leaders in Chicago at which he tacked left on immigration (after having tacked right after having tacked left earlier) but that his staff let an Illinois Minutemen leader (who happens to be Hispanic) into the meeting so he could hear everything and get pissed off:

So she went to the meeting, a room full of 150-200 people. "Sure enough," Pulido says, "his mantra at the meeting was comprehensive immigration reform.' And there were cheers and applause whenever he mentioned comprehensive immigration reform."

"Then he said, 'I bet some of you don't know this -- did you know Spanish was spoken in Arizona before English?' And the crowd roared. I was appalled," Pulido said. "He was pandering to these people -- that's what they wanted to hear."

I guess I basically agree with what appears to be McCain's real position on immigration, and I look forward to David Brooks' column on McCain's unprincipled flip-flopping on this subject.

Comments

Nothing about that is unexpected, except the fact that the BHO campaign is highlighting through proxies McCain's supposed flipflops on the issue. By doing so they also highlight the fact that BHO's position is essentially that of the MexicanGovernment's.

Note also that McCain and BHO are both going to speak to the NCLR, a group that - among many other things - wants to give a break to those who engage in IdentityTheft, gave an award to a vile racist who said if the worse comes to worst "gringos" would have to be killed, and that has links to and fund extremists.

The plans from BHO and McCain - plans supported by MattY - would give groups like that as well as the MexicanGovernment - even more power inside the U.S.

Posted by TLB | June 20, 2008 2:29 PM

Atrios's take on this sounds right: "Since at this point he's been on all sides of just about every issue, this involves making sure voters understand that whatever they think about the issues, John McCain agrees with them!"

It doesn't matter what McCain's "real position" is on immigration, if it exists at all. He will say anything to anyone to get elected. God alone knows what he'd do on any issue if he's president-- certainly, he has no idea.

Posted by Elvis Elvisberg | June 20, 2008 2:31 PM

I look forward to David Brooks' column on McCain's unprincipled flip-flopping on this subject.

Leave John McCain alone! He's my best friend!

Posted by southpaw | June 20, 2008 2:32 PM

Juan McCain es muy loco. No va a ganar las elecciones.

Posted by Viva Aztlan! Viva la Raza! | June 20, 2008 2:33 PM

Perhaps Brooks' intent was to show an unprincipled flip flopper in BHO, but reading that article made this supporter quite happy. About time we don't have some limp-wristed pansy running for president, but a sharp-minded, sharp-willed operator who is going to out-hustle and out-maneuver his opponents every time. Like he said at the end, perhaps when President Obama goes toe to toe with Putin (or the Saudis), he won't make us look foolish and weak the way GWB does.

Posted by stan | June 20, 2008 2:40 PM

Racial profiling fails again.

Posted by turko | June 20, 2008 2:40 PM

Poor John McCain. To please the base on this issue, he has to pander to the right wingnuts so carefully cultivated by Karl Rove. To get a majority, he has to speak sensibly. He's hoping the following math holds true:

pander + sensible = semi-sensible

Instead, the math actually works out like this:

pander + sensible = feckless

Posted by LFC | June 20, 2008 2:51 PM

so she could hear everything, Rosanna is a woman.

Posted by Ed | June 20, 2008 3:14 PM

I look forward to David Brooks' column on McCain's unprincipled flip-flopping on this subject.

Brooks wasn't alone. The entire frakkin' Vienna Sausage Choir was chiding Obama for breaking the promise he didn't make.

Morons.
.

Posted by Grand Moff Texan | June 20, 2008 3:30 PM

About time we don't have some limp-wristed pansy running for president

I don't think David Brooks can run for president.

Isn't he Canadian or something?
.

Posted by Grand Moff Texan | June 20, 2008 3:32 PM

John McCain's Grand Strategy is the same as George W. Bush's:

Invite the World
Invade the World
In hock to the World

It's seamless! What could possibly go wrong?

Posted by Steve Sailer | June 20, 2008 3:38 PM

I guess I basically agree with what appears to be McCain's real position on immigration . . .

McCain has been on so many sides of this issue. As with so many others, there's no way to tell what his "real" position is. The problem is, when people think they know his "real" position on an issue, they generally pick the one that they agree with and assume that everything else is just a pander. This would be a mistake.

Posted by Rob Mac | June 20, 2008 3:46 PM

I second Stan.

Brooks article brings up a good point - Obama isn't always the do nothing wrong saint some of his star-gazing supporters make him out to be.

However, I would much rather have Fast Eddie Obama running for the Dems than Saint Obama.

Posted by Kjac22 | June 20, 2008 4:53 PM

"Then he said, 'I bet some of you don't know this -- did you know Spanish was spoken in Arizona before English?'

I suppose McCain should get a little credit for letting a factually-accurate statement slip out. But why would he think a Latino audience wouldn't know that?

Posted by Thlayli | June 20, 2008 7:23 PM

"factually-accurate statement "
Except he missed the part where Arizona was part of Mexico - before THAT war.....

Posted by robert | June 20, 2008 7:44 PM

"factually-accurate statement "
Except he missed the part where Arizona was part of Mexico - before THAT war.....

Posted by robert | June 20, 2008 7:45 PM

Here's an idea.

Let's give Arizona and New Mexico BACK to Mexico - they wouldn't even have to change the name much in New Mexico's case.

Who gives a shit about those two states? Texas we keep - it has oil. Those other two states? Desert and snakes and heat - and in Arizona that asshole sheriff.

Fuck 'em. Like DAS said about the Palestinians, if the white residents of New Mexico and Arizona don't like it, they can move to Nevada.

Mexico gets a boost from tax revenues, we get rid of a major bunch of Mexican-Americans.

The only negative thing is we have to remove two stars off the flag. So add a star for Iraq - since it's going to be our next state - and maybe make Puerto Rico a state - or Cuba.

Do I need a "joke tag" here or do you morons get it?

Posted by Richard Steven Hack | June 20, 2008 10:56 PM