McCain Term 'Regularization' Draws Criticism from Opponent

PHOENIX - In the race for U.S. Senate, J.D. Hayworth is accusing John McCain of flip-flopping on the issue of illegal immigration.


Does McCain want border security or a path to citizenship for illegals -- or both? McCain once championed comprehensive immigration reform that would allow people here illegally a path to citizenship.

"The present situation with broken borders and 11 million people that are in America without citizenship is unacceptable," he said on the campaign trail.

Now McCain says border security must come first before tackling what to do with the 12 million illegals already living in the u.s..
Fox 10 News obtained a letter from McCain's office dated April 16 of this year. In it McCain writes... "Let me be clear, I do not support amnesty. We can't reward lawbreakers, but we also have to deal with the reality of this enormous undocumented population." The letter goes on to say... "We must provide these individuals with incentives to come forward, complete security background checks, pay any owed taxes and stiff penalties for breaking the law, learn to speak English, and regularize their status.

"We asked McCain's office what the term "regularize" means. McCain's aide Brooke Buchanan says "regularize means follow the law."McCain's primary opponent JD Hayworth thinks it means something else."Basically for all these years he's tried to use the poll-driven term comprehensive immigration reform. But now we have a new term in the McCain vocabulary -- regularization," says Hayworth.Hayworth also claims the response from the McCain camp falls short."For the McCain people to say it means follow the law… No, regularization means amnesty plain and simple."It should be noted, Hayworth's position on illegal immigration has also changed over the years. Back in 2001 he favored more guest workers and a path to citizenship. But he says that all changed after the 9/11 attacks.

Foxnews10 Arizona