Although those issues are not prominent in the campaign debate, the candidates are also converging on the major issue of immigration -- to the surprise and delight of immigrant advocates and businesses who depend on their labor.
"The best news all year is that after competitive presidential primaries in both parties, we end up with nominees on both sides who get it on immigration," said John Gay, an official with the National Restaurant Assn. who heads a business coalition favoring a legalization plan for undocumented immigrant workers. "That was by no means a certainty when the campaign got started."
Most of McCain's rivals for the GOP nomination had criticized the idea of legalization as amnesty, and many campaign ads played on growing concerns about illegal immigrants.
McCain had been an early supporter of a legalization program for the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. During the primary, he distanced himself from that plan and said he had learned his lesson, that Americans want the border secured first.
But now McCain has shifted his emphasis again, indicating that as president he would push for broad legislation that tackles all of the country's immigration troubles, including the legalization question.
Obama speaks more directly to the idea of legalization, and McCain addresses it in subtle terms, but advocates say the position is essentially the same.
"Sen. McCain never really repudiated his [original] position," said Tamar Jacoby, who heads a business coalition called ImmigrationWorks USA. "Saying you're going to do it in phases doesn't mean you're not going to do it."
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janet.hook@latimes.com
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peter.wallsten@latimes.com
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peter.nicholas@latimes.com
