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January 16, 2008
Michigan Crowd Boos McCain On Illegal Immigration
Labor leaders boo McCain on immigration, Iraq
Sen. John McCain threatened Tuesday to cut short a speech to union leaders who booed his immigration views and later challenged his statements on organized labor and the Iraq war.
“If you like, I will leave,” McCain told the AFL-CIO’s Building and Construction Trades Department, pivoting briefly from the lectern. He returned to the microphone after the crowd quieted.
“OK, then please give me the courtesy I would give you.”
It was a contentious session that tested McCain’s commitment to the straight-talking image he honed during his failed 2000 presidential bid. An underdog six years ago, the Arizona Republican is expected to seek the 2008 GOP nomination as a front-runner.
“I loved it. I love mixing it up like that,” McCain said after the speech to a Democratic-leaning crowd of several hundred.
He did seem to enjoy the back and forth that began minutes into his address, when he mentioned campaigning on behalf of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a fellow Republican. The crowd booed the reference to Schwarzenegger but laughed at McCain’s self-effacing joke that followed.
He said somebody came up to him at the Schwarzenegger event and said, “Do people tell you look like John McCain?"
“Yes, they do.”
“Doesn’t that make you madder than hell?”
Guest worker talk stirs crowd
Later, the senator outlined his position on the Senate immigration debate, saying tougher border enforcement must be accompanied by guest-worker provisions that give illegal immigrants a legal path toward citizenship.
Murmurs from the crowd turned to booing. “Pay a decent wage!” one audience member shouted.
“I’ve heard that statement before,” McCain said before threatening to leave.
Afterward, the senator said he offered to cut his speech short “because I wanted to be heard.”
In the speech, McCain also argued that withdrawing U.S. troops prematurely from Iraq would turn terrorists loose on the United States.
This time, there was no booing — though one audience member cursed from the back of the crowd.
McCain got another laugh when he finished the speech and asked whether anybody had “questions, comments or insults.”
The first questioner seemed to challenge his commitment to organized labor. When McCain started to praise a particular labor group in Arizona, the crowd booed again.
“Stop!” he said with a smile, drawing laughter from the crowd. “I surrender.”
But he took more questions, including a pointed one on his immigration plan.
McCain responded by saying immigrants were taking jobs nobody else wanted. He offered anybody in the crowd $50 an hour to pick lettuce in Arizona.
Shouts of protest rose from the crowd, with some accepting McCain’s job offer.
“I’ll take it!” one man shouted.
McCain insisted none of them would do such menial labor for a complete season. “You can’t do it, my friends.”
Some in the crowd said they didn’t appreciate McCain questioning their work ethic.
Impressed by McCain’s moxie
“I was impressed with his comedy routine and ability to tap dance without music. But I was impressed with nothing else about him,” said John Wasniewski of Milwaukee. “He’s supposed to be Mr. Straight Talk?”
Others said McCain showed some moxie, if not the best political judgment.
“Most of us don’t agree with him on immigration, but I give him credit for trying,” said Chris D. Schoenbeck of Milwaukee.
With his profile rising, a growing number of Democrats are accusing McCain of flip-flopping on issues to court conservative GOP primary voters.
McCain denied that charge later Tuesday — after addressing the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a GOP-leaning group that backs his immigration views. There were no boos. Just laughter, and at the end of his remarks, a standing ovation from the Hispanic leaders.
Yet McCain’s mind was still on the labor activists and their prickly reception.
“I can’t tell you how much fun that was,” he said.
Wild Thing's comment........
Good, McCain is hearing back from America on illegal immigration. I think McCain's famous temper will have him explode in a fit of fury at some point. It is inevitable.
LOL well it’s about time the unions realize that illegals are taking their jobs, as well.
IF McCain cared about the security of this nation he would just say he learned his lesson from the overwhelming public reaction, and will truly clamp down on illegal immigration. But nope!
McCain needs to be made to understand that he can’t stab the GOP base in the back over and over again and still have them trust him.
Posted by Wild Thing at January 16, 2008 02:55 AM
Comments
Damn good reply by McCain on that video. He is not going to change his mind on illegal immigration. He might or might not attempt to close the border, but he still is an amnesty guy. And, I don't know if Congress is willing to close the border anyway.
McCain is tough. I just wish he was conservative.
Posted by: TomR at January 16, 2008 07:09 AM
I say it again, this man does not know what the hell he is talking about. His favorite line is, 'I will give you 50 dollars to go and pick lettuce in Arizona', He thinks this is and end the debate question answer. As far as I am concerned it just starts it. People in Michigan are not farmers.
My question back to McClain would be , why don't these farmers have Combines to pick their lettuce. The Industrial revolution started almost 200 years ago and these farmer in Arizona are still hand picking crops. Why... because they can get cheap labor.
This is McCain's plan, he has not changed his stance on Illegal Immigration.
Another point is McClain did an interview, somewhere, and was asked about the Energy bill, which he voted for. the Interviewer said, he didn't like the idea of the government telling us what kind of light bulb we should use.
McCain's answer was, "oh it doesn't do that". Interviewer said, " oh yes it does by 2012 we have to be using CFL's."
McClains answer,'Oh well it will be a more efficient bulb'. The glib Senator missed the boat completely on that one.
The bottom line is he doesn't even know what garbage is in the bills he votes for. How in hell can this phony be a president.
If he does get the nomination, I don't think I could even hold my nose and vote for him. Maybe if I get drunk ... yea that might do it.
Nawwww
Posted by: Mark at January 16, 2008 07:57 AM
McCain sure gets testy when people disagree with him.
It's about time those $30 per hour auto workers realized that Illegals will do the same job they're doing for $7.50 per hour. Now, if they can only get their union realize this.
Posted by: BobF at January 16, 2008 09:14 AM
Please stop over at my place and pick up your well deserved Award as well as a glass of Chateau Latour to celebrate.
Posted by: DD2 at January 16, 2008 09:23 AM
I had a shit eating dog once, loved him, but I deplored his eating habits. Hell, McCain is like a whore on Heroin, he'll perform his single issue skit for the public edification then crawl back into the sack with Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold the first chance he gets.
Posted by: Jack at January 16, 2008 12:19 PM
Excellent post. Have you heard about his bill on CO2 emissions?? I hear its a dooser....stay well.....
Posted by: the tapline at January 16, 2008 02:10 PM
John McCain is so wrong on the illegal alien issue that it is pathetic seeing him spout such nonsense. Using his logic, I wonder how he would feel if the public "hired" guest worker politicians to do the job that he and the other 534 members of the Senate and House refuse to do. That is, pass meaningful legislation that is within the federal governments responsibility to protect and serve the people while letting the states and free markets do the rest. I'm sure the guest worker politicians would do a better job (they can't do much worse) for a third of the current salaries without all the pork-barrel laden projects that we have now.
Posted by: Les at January 16, 2008 07:06 PM
Tom, yes McCain is totally for amnesty. I thought he might change his mind after he found out about all of us responding to it, but so far he does not care.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 16, 2008 11:11 PM
Mark,yes I looked up several of the bills and if he was even present for them. He was MIA, and that to be shows no interest. He wasn't there arguing why the pork should be taken out to bring down the spending he doesn't care. He brags how his state didn't have any but at the same time he didn't try to stop it from happening any where else. That is just one of the many things I don't like about him.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Bob, yes he has a temper.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 16, 2008 11:19 PM
DD2, thank you so much.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 16, 2008 11:22 PM
Jack hahaha good comparison.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 16, 2008 11:24 PM
the tapline, thank you. Thanks for the information. I have only see somne things about his supporting global warming stuff.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 16, 2008 11:26 PM
Les....LOL good one.
"guest worker politicians"...that would hit home fast with these amnesty lovers. heh heh
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 16, 2008 11:28 PM
When it comes to the McCainiacs and their 'maverick' and 'rino' records ... call him REAR ADMIRAL McCain! The record is in black & white and he couldn't even build a wall in his own backyard of Arizona? He sure gets CONSERVATIVE every election cycle! "France is governed by prostitutes" sayeth Mark Twain... and so are we!
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at January 17, 2008 12:36 AM
Darth that is so good, yes he does. Elections sure change a person for the moment, too bad it doesn't last.
Good one...."he couldn't even build a wall in his own backyard of Arizona".
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 17, 2008 04:10 AM
