This article comes from Politico.
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Activists' efforts fall on deaf ears
By Kasie Hunt
Arizona’s religious leaders came to Washington on Thursday to remind John McCain that he used to be on their side in liberalizing immigration laws.
They didn’t get very far.
“They want comprehensive immigration reform, and I explained to them that we have to secure the borders first,” McCain told POLITICO on Thursday afternoon. “I explained to them and showed them — told them about 2008 when I ran for president that my position was we had to secure the borders first.”
McCain, who continues to tack rightward on issues where he was once considered a maverick, remains unmoved by pushback on Arizona’s immigration laws. Like other Republican incumbents nationwide, he’s facing a stiff primary challenge from the right, and the last thing he wants to do is look like he’s working with Democrats on immigration reform.
Far from engaging in dialogue with immigration reform advocates, McCain has embraced the tough-guy routine. In a new campaign ad, he walks with a sheriff along the border and declares: “Complete the danged fence.”
Asked about the ad Thursday, McCain said: “It’s great; it’s wonderful. I love it.”
The ad fits into a broader narrative for McCain, who went from hedging on his public comments to a full-on embrace of his home state’s harsh new immigration law. His support is a far cry from where he was just two years ago, when the immigration reform measure was known as “McCain-Kennedy.”
Senate Democrats are looking for just a handful of Republican senators to sign on to a comprehensive package. But McCain certainly won’t be one of them. With former Rep. J.D. Hayworth running further to the right and stoking the state’s GOP base, McCain is in no position to compromise on immigration.
So the religious leaders’ lobbying efforts fell on deaf ears.
“We emphasized to Sen. John McCain that he is an important voice, that he has been an important voice and continues to be an important voice, and I think he understands that,” said Bishop Gerald Kicanas, who leads the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson.
McCain’s stance reflects the tough political environment this election cycle in Arizona, where an overwhelming majority of the state’s voters support a new law that requires police to ask people for proof of citizenship if they suspect someone is undocumented.
The law has had a dramatic effect on Latino communities in Arizona, the religious leaders said Thursday.
