McCain: Immigration reform failure would cost GOP
WASHINGTON (AP) - In a warning to fellow Republicans, Sen. John McCain said Wednesday that failure to pass comprehensive immigration legislation could mean continued election losses for the GOP and cause Republican-friendly states like Arizona to fall to the Democrats.
The Arizona Republican, his party's former presidential nominee and one of eight senators to sign onto a bipartisan immigration reform framework this week, said failure to act means the trend of Hispanic defections from the GOP would continue.
Latino voters supported President Barack Obama over Republican Mitt Romney 71 percent to 27 percent in November, helping to ensure Obama's victory.
McCain said that Republicans have failed to understand the importance of immigration to Hispanic voters and that's cost the party at the ballot box.
"If you have a large bloc of Americans who believe you're trying to keep their ... fellow Hispanics down and deprive them of an opportunity, obviously that's going to have an effect," McCain said.
The Senate framework would provide a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country, secure the border, attempt to simplify legal immigration, and add requirements for employers to prevent hiring of illegal immigrants.
If no bill passes, McCain said, the forecast for Republicans is that "the trend will continue of lack of support from Hispanic voters, and also as you look at the demographics of states like mine that means that we will go from Republican to Democrat over time."
McCain spoke alongside Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, his partner on the immigration proposals, at a breakfast hosted by Politico.
The Arizona Republican, his party's former presidential nominee and one of eight senators to sign onto a bipartisan immigration reform framework this week, said failure to act means the trend of Hispanic defections from the GOP would continue.
Latino voters supported President Barack Obama over Republican Mitt Romney 71 percent to 27 percent in November, helping to ensure Obama's victory.
McCain said that Republicans have failed to understand the importance of immigration to Hispanic voters and that's cost the party at the ballot box.
"If you have a large bloc of Americans who believe you're trying to keep their ... fellow Hispanics down and deprive them of an opportunity, obviously that's going to have an effect," McCain said.
The Senate framework would provide a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country, secure the border, attempt to simplify legal immigration, and add requirements for employers to prevent hiring of illegal immigrants.
If no bill passes, McCain said, the forecast for Republicans is that "the trend will continue of lack of support from Hispanic voters, and also as you look at the demographics of states like mine that means that we will go from Republican to Democrat over time."
McCain spoke alongside Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, his partner on the immigration proposals, at a breakfast hosted by Politico.
The Republicans are fools if they think passing a amnesty will get them the Hispanic vote. Hispanics support big government and that's because so many Hispanics use government programs. U.S.-born Hispanic households in California use welfare programs at twice the rate of native-born non-Hispanic households. And that is because nearly one-quarter of all Hispanics are poor in California, compared to a little over one-tenth of non-Hispanics. Nearly seven in ten poor children in the state are Hispanic, and one in three Hispanic children is poor, compared to less than one in six non-Hispanic children. The Hispanic out-of-wedlock birth rate is 53 percent, about twice that of whites.
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Voter surveys show that Hispanics have overwhelmingly favored Democratics for decades. It would be really stupid for the Republicans to grant amnesty to illegal aliens because it would just create more Democratic voters!
http://www.fhu.com/stream/sunday-large.html Opinions stated in this video are not being considered. It is irritating that any of our government officials don't care about what danger they have and are putting the American citizens in. The video is titled Al Queda is here. Up for viewing Sunday 1/27
 @Jan Qwib From the about page of fhu.com
"the Foundation is dedicated to assisting anyone who is interested in perfecting their spiritual natures through the principles of Judeo Christianity."
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I watched about 2 minutes of your video and all I can say is that it certainly appears to be fear mongering.
Pretty good trash in the US ILLEGALLY tries to dictate what laws they will follow and which ones they won't. How can those illegally in the US apply any pressure upon our political parties?
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Let's see here, they entered the US illegally, they steal SSN's, they steal jobs from US citizens, they illegally bring drugs into the US, they illegally obtain public benefits that are for US citizens,
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Now lets think of the laws they do obey? ?????  ????? darn I can't think of any.
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Deportation and only deportation and never allowed to return to US soil again.
 @FreerideNOT You forgot, they have resources who provide them with legal information, their rights and financially support that normal Americans have to pay for. Also, our government is kissing their governments butt to ensure they are friends for some reason.
Illgeal Immgration cheated their way coming to USA and they want rights?  I dont think so we have a long list of people that have waiting in line to come to USA!  I will not support Obama or Amnesty at all.Â
 All politicians really care about is getting re-elected" You are right, that is what is important to them at this time. The Democrats already rule one house, and the midterm election is approaching fast. I don't believe the GOP is going to prevail this time around, with the Dems, MSM, and obama, working together to make all of them look as bad as possible, with insinuations that all the Republicans are old,prejudice,gun toteing white people, that only care about themselves, and are hoarding the money that they earned, but shouldn't have any right to keep. Also, that The GOP only wants to balance the budget, so they can put more money in their own pockets.By balancing the budget, it will take money and foodstamps away from the 47% of the entitled. You can't win anything when you have so many that feel their entitlement is worth more to them, than what's good of the country. This NATION is all about ME. Obama enforced obamacare, not because he cares about the poor. Obama and the Dems have an agenda. The only way they will get it put through, is by getting the nation to embrace them, and endear the masses to them and their cause. Once that is accomplished, and it is happening now,there will only be one party in the whitehouse. In 2014, the house and the senate will BOTH be totally run by democrats. Obama, MSM, and the dems will be in charge of America. Mark my words.Â
 @myopinion240 In 2014 employers will be dropping insurance for their employees because they can't afford it. Your ignorant, and living under an illusion. The nation is about people paying their own way, and living here honestly out of respect.
"If you have a large bloc of Americans who believe you're trying to keep their ... fellow Hispanics down and deprive them of an opportunity, obviously that's going to have an effect," Wow illegals dictating the conversation. McCain you pussy.
 @TreeWizard McCain is anything but a pussy.
As far as us Republicans go, we are past the tipping point and I truly see a demise of the GOP within this generation. Yes, as a gun-toten tax-stomping job-creating SOB redneck, I can admit that. We ALLOWED this to happen by not enforcing laws already in place. McCain is right in this case. It's too bad he picked Palin.
The Mexicans have both parties by the heuvos because the Democrats don't want you to have to show ID to vote, but if they give that up and the Republicans capitulate, they might lose because -working- hispanics are traditionally more much religious--Catholic--and family-oriented. My aunt, who died recently, would tell people she met that she was an Italian, but a PROUD American citizen who earned her citizenship and honed her English by reading the front page of the newspaper every day. The army gave her a special certificate of appreciation for staying beside her husband throughout 35 years of military service. America is about THOSE people, not Democrats who get elected by illegal aliens who don't have to show ID.
 """"""""In a warning to fellow Republicans, Sen. John McCain said Wednesday that failure to pass comprehensive immigration legislation could mean continued election losses for the GOP and cause Republican-friendly states like Arizona to fall to the Democrats.  """""""
Actually, McJackass has it completely backwards.........
AZ residents are seeing first hand the high cost of open boarders illegals  ....... they are NOT the ones who want open boarders and Amnesty.
 @kramr What will be difference, if republicans are going to do the same thing as democrats whats the difference. I am dropping both parties.
1) Pass a law making it a crime to hire an illegal or undocumented worker. Fine is $100,000 per illegal per day. Jobs for illegals will vanish overnight, leaving them no way to support themselves. Interestingly, this was in the Alabama anti-immigrant legislation, but was dropped at the insistence of Wal-Mart, Tyson, and Purdue.
Note: Anyone who thinks people come for the "generous" public benefits are delusional. Most public services actually do have a legal residency test, and an audit that my company did of Oregon's TANF program in 2007 showed less then .5% of recipients didn't have that documentation in the files already, and many of those missing the documents were actually legal (no count on that number as the filings were after we completed the audit).
2) Children who were brought here by their parents are victims, not law breakers. If they have stayed in school, served in the military or USA Corps, not broken the law, etc., they should have a path to citizenship, AND a provision that they cannot sponsor their parents for residency.
3) If someone came here illegally, and has paid taxes (most illegals do without any hope of a refund!), broken no other laws, and has been here for a period of time (10 years?), they should have a path, but it has to involve serious fines.
 @ShallowEnder I like your thinking. I have never had any problems with immigrants....as long as they come here legally. If they want to become citizens then give them the path but don't just arbitrarily allow them to stay. They need to learn the language and assimilate into our culture, not us assimilate into their culture. We shouldn't have to press "1" for English. ATM's shouldn't be bilingual.
@ShallowEnder You and I are close on this. I do know that since many of these illegals have no insurance or health care coverage, they go to the emergency room for everything which does cost the public. Even Obamacare wont stop that since they are not citizens, they will not be forced to buy health care coverage.
 @scared_citizen  @ShallowEnder I was talking to a tax consultant. People under a certain income level, will be refunded whatever they pay in. It's a hidden welfare. Why not make everyone pay something. 10% of their wages each month if they have medical bills )(includes people on welfare), and everyone should have life insurance. I pay $9 a month for 250,000 coverage. If a bill isn't paid off, then the life insurance pays it off. I also believe doctors do a lot of unneccssary testing. If people want life extending procedures, they need to pay for it. Most life extending procedures don't prolong life that long. I wouldn't want others paying for me. They don't owe me. People are using the government like it is a husband they chose to marry.
Yeah... I doubt it. I bet a lot of folks would support the GOP for standing up against law breakers. Illegals (not undocumented) immigrants steal social security numbers, but that's fine. Break the law and get rewarded.Â
"In a warning to fellow Republicans, Sen. John McCain said Wednesday that failure to pass comprehensive immigration legislation could mean continued election losses for the GOP and cause Republican-friendly states like Arizona to fall to the Democrats." Yep. Just what I was talking about in a thread earlier this week. All politicians really care about is getting re-elected.
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Listen, Senator McCain, how about you urge your party to uphold that which is good and true and right? Encourage them to push for enforcement of our current immigration laws and deportation of every illegal immigrant?
 @theprodigal The GOP is owned by Big Business which supports illegal immigration as a downward pressure on wages. Don't ever expect Republicans to take action on the issue.
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 @ShallowEnder I hate to burst your bubble, the Democrats are owned by big business as well. Just look at the lobbyist disclosures year after year.
"Hey Hernado, didja hear about the Obama immigration reform bill?"
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"No"
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"If we pay a fine, learn to speak english and fill out some forms, we can be citizens!"
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"Nahhhh, I don't plan to"
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"Why not?"
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"I go get my license, I speak spanish, so do they, I take my kids to school, they speak spanish, they understand my kids, I go shopping, they understand what I say. I work and they understand what I say. Why do I need to learn english and pay taxes when I don't need to?"
 @disgustedman You need to add, when I am legalized I can become a policeman, fireman, and doctor. I don't like American rules, we can police like they do in Mexico. There will be layoffs, and people will need to be replaced like the the teachers, and it will be with previously illegal people because they have higher college degrees that the taxpayers paid for.
The failure of immigration reform may hurt the GOP but that same immigration reform WILL hurt America as much as the lack of immigration ENFORCEMENT is doing to America now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWOZKeOauNI
'You can't do it my friend'.
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Sen. McCain: While I respect and appreciate your service to the country, talking down or demeaning your fellow citizens is neither good political strategy nor is your comment based upon any reality. Â Please, please, please - retire now! Â You have done enough harm to America in your time in the Senate, and at least let someone else have a chance for a change.
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PS. You might not have noticed, but most Americans aren't exactly overjoyed with the performance of most US Senators these days as well.