Putative Democratic candidate for president Sen. John Forbes Kerry, D-Mass., is not afraid of the charged "amnesty" word when it comes to his stated policies on undocumented immigrants.

Despite amnesty's nettlesome connotation as being synonymous with "rewarding persons who have engaged in illegal activity," Kerry told the world at the Albuquerque, N.M., Democratic Primary debate:

"I supported and was prepared to vote for amnesty from 1986. And it is essential to have immigration reform. Anyone who has been in this country for five or six years, who's paid their taxes, who has stayed out of trouble, ought to be able to translate into an American citizenship immediately, not waiting."
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/arti...3/224520.shtml