Arizona Border Dispute

Republicans Senators McCain & Kyl Introduce Rival Immigration Bills

(CBS) 
Some conservative groups have declared they will fight any legislation including so-called "amnesty" for illegal immigrants, but most business, labor and Hispanic groups are behind the McCain-Kennedy bill. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, a leading conservative Republican with presidential aspirations, has signed on as a co-sponsor.

For Republicans considering a run to succeed Mr. Bush as the party's nominee for the White House in 2008, immigration is a thorny issue. They are under pressure to strike a balance between the concerns of conservative primary voters favoring a hard-line approach, and those of Hispanics, who are largely sympathetic to the plight of migrant workers, and represent a pivotal voting bloc in the general election.

A few House Republicans have doubts about both of the competing GOP immigration bills before the Senate. The most vocal of these critics, Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, has threatened to raise the stakes. If none of the major candidates for the GOP nomination in 2008 takes a more restrictive approach on immigration, Tancredo has declared he will run for president himself to put the issue on the table. While not a household name, Tancredo has generated a buzz among the political right.

Conservative Patrick Ruffini who puts a straw poll on his blog has added Tancredo to his list of ’08 candidates. So far he is getting only 5 percent of the votes but he topped Bill Frist, Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee, Chuck Hagel and George Pataki in the August poll.