Obama criticizes McCain over immigration stance

WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain told a Hispanic organization Tuesday that he supports immigration reform - but only after the borders are secured, a stance presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama later criticized in light of McCain's previous push for a legalization process for illegal immigrants.

"He used to buck his party on immigration by fighting for comprehensive reform," Obama, D-Ill., said. "One of the bills I co-sponsored he was the lead (sponsor). I admired him for it. But when he was running for his party's nomination, he abandoned his courageous stance, and said that he wouldn't even support his own legislation if it came up for a vote."

In separate appearances at the League of United Latin American Citizens annual convention, Obama and McCain, R-Ariz., continued their efforts to attract Hispanic votes, which are potentially crucial in some swing states. Both recently also spoke to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. And both will speak next week at the National Council of La Raza's annual conference in San Diego.

Both candidates got warm receptions on Tuesday, but there was considerably more enthusiasm for Obama.

McCain, speaking first, repeated his primary season position on immigration, noting the failure of his plan that had included a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, a concept he still supports.

"Many Americans, with good cause, did not believe us when we said we would secure our borders, and so we failed in our efforts," he said. "We must prove to them that we can and will secure our borders first, while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States."

On McCain's campaign Web site, the issue is indexed as "Border Security," a tab that leads to a "Border Security and Immigration Reform" section that makes no mention of legalization.

McCain, whose legalization plan was opposed by many GOP primary voters, said Tuesday that any immigration plan must also include ways to address "economic and humanitarian responsibilities as well."

But there were no specifics, something that concerns Rosa Rosales of San Antonio, the LULAC national president who introduced McCain by praising his "strong stand in being for comprehensive immigration reform."

"When he tells me he is for comprehensive immigration reform, I truly believe the senator is for that," Rosales told the audience.

In a later interview, Rosales said McCain needs to offer more specifics. In a Monday meeting, according to Rosales, McCain said he remains in favor of "comprehensive immigration reform," including a legalization process for illegal immigrants, but does not now have the votes to pass it.

"We will ask him for time frames and plans of action ././. but it is a beginning," she said.

Obama is not convinced, and used immigration reform to link McCain to President Bush, a consistent theme of the Democratic campaign.

"For eight long years, we've had a president who made all kinds of promises to Latinos on the campaign trail, but failed to live up to them in the White House, and we can't afford that anymore," he said. "We need a president who isn't going to walk away from something as important as comprehensive reform when it becomes politically unpopular."

Obama promised to make the issue "a top priority in my first year as president" as he pushes for a plan that would require illegal immigrants to pay a fine, learn English and "go to the back of the line" as they seek citizenship.

"We have to finally bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows," Obama said, drawing cheers and adding, "We have to put them on a pathway to citizenship. That's how we'll finally fix out broken immigration system and avoid creating a servant class in our midst."

But McCain backer Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., said Obama "was consistently and absolutely AWOL, nowhere to be seen in any of the meetings that we held on this issue of immigration."

"It's absurd for him now to try to take credit on that issue when he was nowhere to be seen," Diaz-Balart said.

He also challenged Obama's contention that McCain is a political battlefield convert to the cause of border security.

"It's a recognition by Senator McCain that the American people did not trust us, here in Congress, to get it done in the right way the first time," Diaz-Balart said. "But it's not a change in position. And the first and primary chapter, and most emphasized aspect of the legislation that was on the floor in the Senate was control of the border."