Match That, Hayworth
John McCain is proving to be a rather undependable independent – he apparently mastered the art of flip-flopping during the 2008 presidential election and is further honing his skills now that he faces conservative JD Hayworth in the primary election for his Senate seat.
The sponsor of the eponymous Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act which included “legalization, guest worker programs, and border enforcement components” with focus on the first two, now thinks that Arizona’s DWC bill is completely acceptable and justifiable because:
If you don’t like the legislation that the Legislature passed and the governor signed in Arizona, then carry out the federal responsibilities, which are to secure the border. You probably wouldn’t have had this problem
From this it would seem, McCain is defending federalism, but then:
The borders are broken … The cartels are in an existential struggle with the government of Mexico, the violence is at an all time high … the federal government has a responsibility to secure the borders. They have not.
Further:
I do not want any discriminatory behavior, and I’ve talked to a group of lawmen, … They think they can implement this law without racial profiling
Is he being naive or just politically savvy enough to recognize he’s got to paper over the worst critiques of the bill?
Even his daughter Meghan disagrees with him:
Let me say up-front that I do not support the bill that was signed by Governor Jan Brewer … I believe it gives the state police a license to discriminate, and also, in many ways, violates the civil rights of Arizona residents.
I used to have respect for Senator John Sidney McCain, circa 2000-2006, but the stories of the underhand ways McCain used to rise to power and prominence during his early career now ring true.
