Since McCain and Obama have identical views on immigration, I used to think that the issue wouldn't come up much in the general election campaign, just like in 2000 and 2004. But after their respective speeches to NALEO this week (the Sunday Post had a roundup piece) and watching Emanuel and Pawlenty trading barbs Sunday morning on "This Week," I see that I was wrong. It looks like Obama will be bringing the issue up repeatedly, accusing McCain of being insufficiently committed to amnesty, and McCain will take the bait and pledge in increasingly strident terms his commitment to legalizing all the illegal aliens. It's a win-win for Obama: he shows his solidarity with skeptical Hispanic Democrats by pointing to McCain's modified limited hangout on immigration after the collapse of last summer's bill, and McCain continues to inflame his ostensible supporters by constantly reminding them that he's Amnesty John.
