MCCAIN TALKS ABOUT IMMIGRATION, IRAQ

U.S. Senator and possible 2008 presidential candidate John McCain (R - AZ) was in Lakeland last evening as the featured speaker for the Polk County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner, and he touched on at least one issue that some of the more conservative GOP faithful disagree with him on.

McCain promoted the compromise immigration reform bill he has co-sponsored with collegue Ted Kennedy (D - MA), and spoke about how the current situation has touched his state. The bill allows an employer who cannot fill a job for 60 days to contract with a worker in Mexico who would be provided with a tamper-proof visa. He also reminded those present that it makes more sense to grant guest worker status after the payment of fines to those here longer than five years.

"If you don't agree with me, then I want to hear your solution. E-mail or write me," he said.

McCain did get lots of applause when talking about Iraq and that the U.S. cannot simply leave the country. He also told the crowd that it is wrong to compare our involvement in Iraq to Vietnam.

The Lakeland Ledger story notes that the senator came to Florida from New Hampshire (where he embraced the man who once denounced as "an agent of intolerance", Dr. Jerry Falwell), and that "It is just a coincidence," he said, laughing.

Yeah, sure...