Sen. McCain Not Sure If Immigration Bill He Praised "Is Legal Or Not"

Last week, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) praised Arizona's harsh, new immigration law, calling it "an important step forward." During an interview on Fox News, McCain added that he would be "very sorry" if the initiative leads to racial profiling, but justified it because "illegals," he said, "are intentionally causing accidents on the freeway."

It was striking rhetoric from McCain, who supported comprehensive immigration reform just a few years ago.  However, at a town hall meeting over the weekend, McCain told constituents that he's not even sure whether the bill "is legal or not." As reported by the Arizona Star Tribune:

Although McCain had sounded a note of support for the bill, calling it a "good tool" for law enforcement, he stopped short of fully endorsing the measure. "I haven't had a chance to look at all the aspects, but I do understand why the Legislature would act," he said. Even though it wasn't clear to him "whether all of it is legal or not," he said state lawmakers "acted out of frustration because the federal government didn't do its job."  

McCain is walking a very fine line. Facing a tough primary challenge, he's already lurched to the right and can't afford to look squishy.  But he's also trying to salvage what little credibility he has left.