ILIR at the White House

THERE are times in your life in America when a sense of awe grips as you realize the sense of power this country can project. Such was the combined sense Ciaran Staunton, Kelly Fincham and myself, had as we slipped into the West Wing of the White House on a cold gloomy Friday afternoon last week.

We are the senior officials of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR), and we were there to meet Ed Gillespie, proud son of an Irish father from Donegal and President Geroge W. Bush's closest advisor.

With us was former Congressman Bruce Morrison, creator of the Morrison visa program and now a consultant to ILIR. Morrison has forgotten more about immigration legislation than most of us will ever know.

Our visit was facilitated by supporters of Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain, who has always been a staunch backer of immigration reform.

Despite the best efforts of his opponents to demonize him on the issue, McCain has stayed true to his belief that immigration reform for all is a necessity.

He appeared at three different lobby days for ILIR, and few who were there will forget the reception he received from over 1,000 ILIR supporters at St. Barnabas in the Bronx when he paid a visit earlier this year.

Later, ILIR helped raise $100,000 for his presidential campaign. Given the way the race is moving, it may well have been money well spent.

The West Wing is, I have to say, a disappointment. As a devotee of the TV show of the same name I expected long, graceful corridors, staffers buzzing to and fro and an enormous hive of activity.

Instead all was quiet, calm, very controlled. One would say almost say low key, except for the large gentlemen with earpieces standing around conspicuously.

We were ushered up a flight of stairs bedecked with photographs of Bush and along a narrow corridor to the office of Gillespie.

Gillespie himself emerged to meet us. He has had an extraordinary rise in Republican politics.

He began at the bottom parking cars at the Republican National Committee, and now he is the man who has replaced Karl Rove as President Bush's closest aide.

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