McCain's compassion | The Salt Lake Tribune

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I like Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the pragmatic conservative. I didn't like McCain the tea partyer. This past week, I was actually moved by his words about the bipartisan Senate immigration bill. It was the compassionate conservatism I want to support and that has been lacking for too long:

"What is going on now is not acceptable. … We, the American people, have been too content for too long to allow individuals to mow our lawn, serve us food, clean our homes and even watch our children while not affording them any of the benefits that make our country so great.

"... It is not beneficial for our country to have these people here hidden in the shadows. Let's create a system to bring them forward, allow them to settle their debt to society and fulfill the necessary requirements to become law-abiding citizens of this country. This is consistent with our country's tradition of being a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants."

What a pity our own Sen. Mike Lee lacks that Christian and American charity. "Charity for all," said Abraham Lincoln, father of the Republican Party, who would be proud of McCain, not so much of Lee.

Robert Fischer

Salt Lake City