If you want to know what Sen. John McCain said to the the national convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens, LULAC, you are probably best off reading the transcript of his speech in Denver yesterday, which was nearly identical. As you read it, just imagine it peppered with references to the industriousness of Latinos.

Today, McCain continued his courtship of Latino voters. LULAC is one of the oldest and most prominent Latino civil-rights organizations in the country. The group came to national prominence following the 1954 Supreme Court decision, Hernandez v. Texas, which barred jury selection discrimination based on national origin under the 14th Amendment.

With Sen. Barack Obama scheduled to speak later in the afternoon, McCain used his early slot to his advantage, informing the crowd that he had invited Obama to participate in a town hall meeting on their stage, which Obama did not accept.

As noted yesterday, McCain tiptoed around illegal immigration at a town hall meeting in Denver, only discussing it when an audience member raised a question on the issue. Here, before one of the nation’s largest Latino advocacy organizations, he was much freer with his words:

I and many other colleagues twice attempted to pass comprehensive immigration legislation to fix our broken borders; ensure respect for the laws of this country; recognize the important economic necessity of immigrant laborers; apprehend those who came here illegally to commit crimes; and deal practically and humanely with those who came here, as my distant ancestors did, to build a better, safer life for their families, without excusing the fact they came here illegally or granting them privileges before those who have been waiting their turn outside the country.


Many Americans, with good cause, did not believe us when we said we would secure our borders, and so we failed in our efforts. 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. But we must not make the mistake of thinking that our responsibility to meet this challenge will end with that accomplishment. We have economic and humanitarian responsibilities as well, and they require no less dedication from us in meeting them.

There is no issue McCain tailors his message to his audience so starkly as immigration. He framed the issue in front of this Latino audience in terms of respect for those who come to this country to work hard for a better life. With his mention of the need for humane treatment of illegal immigrants and “humanitarian responsibilities,” McCain is appealing to the great swaths of Latinos in the Southwest — a few of whom are in this audience today — who view the issue as one of life and death. According to No Mas Muertes, an activist group that works to prevent deaths of illegal border-crossers — more than 2,000 people have died along the Mexican border since 1998.

With the addition of just a few words, McCain altered his hard-line message to one of sympathy. Unfortunately for him, many on the far right — who are demanding zero tolerance on illegal immigration — are already wary of his sincerity following a recent unannounced meeting with Latino voters in Chicago. As McCain continues his aggressive pursuit of Latino votes, his big gamble hinges on whether the right will still be there for him in November.