Reid, McCain Spar Over Immigration Add-On In Defense Bill at Pat Dollard

Reid, McCain Spar Over Immigration Add-On In Defense Bill

September 16th, 2010 (8) Posted By Pat Dollard.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. John McCain escalated a confrontation Thursday over the Democratic leader’s move to give some illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship, with the nation’s military budget hanging in the balance.

Reid announced this week that he would attach to the defense authorization bill a program to grant young people who join the military or attend college legal status. This drew outcry from Senate Republicans already miffed over an add-on that would repeal the “don’t ask, don’t policy” barring gays from serving openly in the military. They say the so-called DREAM Act needlessly politicizes the blueprint for military spending.

McCain, in keeping with his threats, objected Thursday when Reid tried to call up the defense bill. This prompted Reid to try forcibly advancing the bill to debate with a vote next week.

Reid then singled out McCain in a written statement, urging the former prisoner of war to listen to his patriotic side.

“Any American so courageous and patriotic that he or she wants to serve our country in the military should be able to do so. Senator McCain and anyone else who thinks the DREAM Act is not directly related to our national security should talk to the brave young men and women who want to defend our country but are turned away,” Reid said. “Senator McCain should know better than anyone that patriots who step up to serve our grateful nation should be offered a path to citizenship, and that anyone who volunteers to serve should be welcomed regardless of their sexual orientation.”

But Republicans, including McCain, say Reid is just trying to shore up his reelection bid against Sharron Angle in Hispanic-heavy Nevada.

McCain, in an interview set to air Thursday with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren, explained that his objection concerns process, not substance.

“It may have merits or demerits depending on how you look at it. But to put it on a defense bill? And so it’s really his effort to get re-elected,” McCain said. “And he’s doing that at the expense of this legislation, which is about the men and women who are serving in the military. It’s really remarkable.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Foreign Policy’s The Cable blog that Reid is trying to “check a box with the Hispanic voters.”

Under the DREAM Act, anyone who came to the United States when they were under 16 years old and has lived in the country for five years would be eligible if they join the military or attend college for at least two years.

Those who qualify would be granted conditional residency and after nearly six years would be able to apply for permanent residency. From there, they could apply for citizenship.

President Obama voiced support for the policy in a speech to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Wednesday.

“I’ve been a supporter since I was in the Senate, and I will do whatever it takes to support the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ efforts to pass this bill so that I can sign it into law on behalf of students seeking a college education and those who wish to serve in our country’s uniform,” Obama said. “It’s the right thing to do. We should get it done.”

McCain frequently takes heat from Democrats when it comes to immigration because he previously worked in-depth on a comprehensive immigration overhaul with the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. He was accused of taking more conservative positions on immigration issues during his Republican primary campaign, from which he emerged victorious last month.

As the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, his position on the defense bill is attracting heightened attention.

A gay rights group called GetEQUAL also confronted McCain Thursday during a committee hearing over his “don’t ask, don’t tell” position, urging him to support repealing the policy.

McCain says he wants to wait for the Pentagon to complete its study on repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” before voting on any change.

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YERMOM

there is already a fast track to citizenship for serving in the military.
Ty

Reid
McCain
Lindsey Graham
Obama
Spanish Caucus

Pretty much fuck everyone and every entity listed in this article. :gun:

Phil Byler

McCain does not belong on your list. He is doing right on this issue.

mike3481

I’m shocked, shocked, that Johnny, upon request, didn’t drop his pants and bend over a barrel, after-all, it was a Democrat asking him to do so like they have so many times before and Johnny complied…willingly.

Phil Byler

You would not be shocked if you were dealing with the real John McCain and not a caricature of him.
Phil Byler

Let me elaborate on that last post.

McCain has certainly not been accommodating but confrontational with the Democrats concerning foreign policy, military matters and national security as to which he is one of the more knowledgeable persons around. He was right about the Iraq War when even many Republicans went wobbly and fought off Democrat led efforts to cut off funding our troops in the field in Iraq in 2007. More recently, McCain attacked Obama for dithering about committing to winning in Afghanistan and for not supporting the Iranian dissidents.

McCain has also not been accommodating with respect to domestic issues. Historically, McCain’s voting record overall is rated moderately conservative, and he has been a consistent opponent of out-of-control federal spending and earmarks. In 2009 and 2010, McCain’s voting is as conservative a voting record as you could ask for. He voted AGAINST every Obama bailout bill (and even voted against the second release of TARP monies when Bush was still President in late 2008). McCain voted AGAINST every Obama spending bill, denouncing Obama’s multi-trillion dollar deficit spending as “generational theft.” McCain voted AGAINST the confirmations of tax cheat Geithner, radical pro-abortion advocate Sibellius, leftist attorney Kagan and transnational advocate Koh to their respective positions in the Obama Administration. McCain voted AGAINST the confirmations of Sotomayer and Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court. McCain voted AGAINST ObamaCare and was attacked by the New York Times for throwing bombs on the subject.

Chuck O

McCain only grows a set when there’s an election to be won. He’s part of the problem, not the solution. He is going down the same path as Thurmond, Kennedy, Byrd, and Murtha.

All four remained in office for decades until the day they died (with the slight exception of Thurmond who retired at the age of 101 barely 6 months before he passed away.)

Thurmond: Nearly 48 years in the Senate.
Kennedy: Nearly 47 years in the Senate.
Byrd: Over 50 years in the Senate.
Murtha: 36 years in the House.

I’ll add another one to the list; one of Illinois’s finest. Anyone remember Mel Price of East St. Louis? Died in office after 43 years in the House. The last few years of his life he was so senile it was (justifiably) suspected that he could barely function. In his increasingly rare appearances in the House chamber he had to ride in a motorized ‘hover-round’ chair and ALL of his statements were issued through his aides. He barely uttered a word. It got so bad that the Democratic Caucus had to strip him of his committee chairmanships in 1985. And yet the Combine re-elected him again in 1986.

Adding Mel Price to the list serves to help illustrate that the mess that Washington DC, Illinois and the United States are in has roots going back for decades.

5 men elected and re-elected over and over again even when they were well past the point where mental decrepitude and even senility had set in.

5 men elected and re-elected over and over again with almost 224 years in office between them.

5 men who had to be virtually carried out of their offices in a long box.

5 men who through their long incumbency (and regardless of the party they belonged to) contributed mightily to the mess this nation is in.

5 long term incumbents who, I would argue, long before they passed away had stopped serving the people and the nation and starting serving their own egos and feeding their appetites for power, prestige and money.

Phil Byler

One problem with your criticism of McCain is that he was instrumental in saving our Iraq War effort in 2007, and he did so, saying he would rather lose a campaign than lose a war. What he did then was not popular, just right.