Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Lurching to the Left?

First Obama now McCain.

Slate highlights a Los Angeles Times story on McCain's attempt to appeal to Latino voters, which includes muddying the waters on immigration. Is he countering Obama's move to the center with one of his own?

Although McCain spent much of the primary campaign assuring Republicans that his priority in immigration policy would center on securing the border with Mexico, he's now singing a different tune. Mindful of the growing importance of the Latino vote in swing states, as well as the fact that Barack Obama has a strong lead with that group of voters, McCain is now espousing "a message that gives equal weight to helping employers and immigrant workers and their families," says the LAT. In new ads, McCain says that dealing with the needs of immigrants is "as important" as securing the border. Although he never comes out and says he wants to create a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, "his subtle language matches that of legalization advocates," notes the LAT.

And what of illegal immigration anyway? Has $4 gasoline pushed it off the front page?