Graham rails at Obama's push on immigration

WASHINGTON - South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham lashed out at President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yesterday for putting what he called "phony" immigration law changes ahead of a major climate-change bill Graham and other senators said late last week they were about to introduce.

Graham, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) had scheduled a news conference Monday to unveil energy legislation they've been developing for months.

Reid, who's facing a tough re-election fight in Nevada, and Obama have indicated dealing with the nation's nearly 7 million illegal immigrants would be next on the Senate's agenda after its current bid to tighten regulation of banks and investment firms. Obama Friday criticized a new Arizona law authorizing a crackdown on undocumented workers.

Graham, however, charged that "raw, political calculations" underlie the Democrats' new push on new immigration legislation - which he said has no chance of passing this year. "Moving forward on immigration in this hurried, panicked manner is nothing more than a cynical political ploy," he said.

Hispanic advocacy groups have criticized Obama for failing to make good on his campaign promises to help illegal immigratns gain legal residence.

Latinos are a key voting bloc in Nevada, where Reid's approval ratings have fallen and polls indicate he'll face a stiff challenge from whichever of a half-dozen Republican candidates is victorious in a GOP primary in June.

- McClatchy Newspapers