McCain calls Hispanic immigrants “God’s children”

To his credit, McCain was a big supporter of the 2007 Immigration Reform Act that ultimately failed last year amidst conservative rhetoric over amnesty. President George W. Bush and many of the United States Catholic bishops were also in favor of the bill, including my own archbishop, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo (Katerina and I blogged on this at the time).

In a new campaign ad set to air in Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico in Spanish and English versions, McCain says:

My friends, I want you the next time you’re down in Washington, D.C., to go to the Vietnam War Memorial and look at the names engraved in black granite. You’ll find a whole lot of Hispanic names.

So let’s from time to time remember that these are God’s children. They must come to our country legally, but they have enriched our culture and our nation as every generation of immigrants before them.

I don’t take this as mere political rhetoric meant to win over Hispanic voters, though that outcome is certainly desired by McCain. McCain is genuinely concerned over reforming immigration policy in this country, saying that it would be a “top agenda item” for a McCain White House. Granted, McCain talked more about border security than immigration reform during the Republican primary season, but his efforts as senator have been good in terms of immigration reform, even teaming up with Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy to push the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act in 2005 (better known as the McCain-Kennedy Bill) which called for guest worker programs, easier paths to legalization and citizenship, and border security.