EckerNet.Com

Despite being labeled the \”immigration guy\” around the local blogosphere, I\’ve been purposely ignoring this issue, because quite honestly this issue just doesn\’t have legs….not for at LEAST a year, probably longer.  Despite all their protestations otherwise, there is no possible way they are seriously tackling the immigration issue before November, and if November turns out like we all think it will, probably not for at least two years after that.

But regardless, the Democrats need to pander and I\’m enough of a political hack I can respect that, even if it is disingenuous.  But perhaps one of the most talked about aspects of this issue is the new position of John McCain

But on Monday, McCain was talking only about enforcement: \”The lesson is clear: First we have to secure the border,\” McCain said.  \”If you want to enact some other reforms, how can that be effective when you have a porous border?”

He\’s suddenly very pro border enforcement.  He\’s wanting to put National Guard on the border.  He\’s stopped the \”you\’re racist if you oppose amnesty\” talk.  So on and so on.  And it\’s very very easy to criticize McCain for flip-flopping just because he\’s facing a primary challenge, in fact it\’s my gut reaction.  But….and I can\’t believe I\’m doing this, I\’m actually going to defend McCain on immigration because…

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Sorry, I had to vomit there for a little bit.

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Ok, what was I saying? Oh yeah, defending McCain….be still my stomach.  I\’m afraid I have to give McCain the benefit of the doubt here.  He\’s dense and he\’s stubborn but even he has his limits, and conditions have changed drastically along our southern border.   So much so, that even McCain can no longer ignore it and the wishes of his constituents.  It\’s actually summed up pretty well in a recent letter to The Corner.

As someone who has lived in Tucson, AZ since 1972, I don\’t think you all back east understand how much things have changed down here in the last few years. This is not the same border we were protecting just a few years ago. The difference is the Mexican drug cartels and the war that is going on down there between them and the Mexican government and among themselves. Just last week, three of the cartels joined together to try to take out the Zetas, a sort of rogue group responsible for all sorts of horrible things. We have never had a rancher murdered before Mr. Krentz two weeks ago.

We\’re rapidly losing control down there, and there is very little stopping the cartel wars from spilling across the border and we start seeing non-corrupt police officers gunned down.  Our resources are stretched thin and there is very little on deck to help them out in the near future.  The Secure Border Initiative project by the Department of Homeland Security, to use technology instead of a proven fence to secure our borders was a craptastically miserable failure and has since been abandoned.  That means nothing new is coming online any time soon to help.

So I\’m not going to criticize McCain on finally coming around on this issue.  That said, his inability to see this coming years in advance demonstrates a horrifying lack of awareness and horrible judgment.  And his enthusiasm for demagoguery of his opponents on this very issue has earned him no good will.  So I would shed no tear if he was defeated for his seat, especially if it\’s taken by someone that didn\’t have to come around on this issue years too late to do anything about it.

Sorry, McCain, I\’m glad you\’ve finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, but unfortunately that light is a train.

[Crossposted at True North]