IMMIGRATION has emerged as the faultline among the 10 candidates vying for the Republican nomination for president, as they faced off in a crucial debate in new Hampshire, one of the early states to hold its primary next year.
Senator John McCain, who is trailing former New York mayor Rudi Giuliani in the polls, put up a spirited defence of the immigration proposals championed by President George Bush. Mr McCain is a joint sponsor of the controversial bill, which will be voted on later this week.
The bill aims to allow the estimated 14 million illegal immigrants in the US to become citizens over 12 to 14 years. It also establishes a program for guest workers.
"It's a national security issue and to do nothing is to agree to a silent and a de facto amnesty," Senator McCain said. But he faced sharp criticism from virtually all the other candidates.
Mr Giuliani said the bill did not enable the tracking of immigrants through databases, but Senator McCain said Mr Giuliani did not fully understand what the bill specified.
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney favoured tougher border security controls, and Tom Tancredo went further, advocating an end to legal and illegal immigration.
Many commentators later judged that Senator McCain had performed well on immigration but a "worm" measuring the responses of the small studio audience was more receptive to candidates advocating a tougher enforcement of borders.
The debate highlighted the challenge facing Republican candidates: they need to appeal to the organised, Republican base now, but will later need to have broader appeal.
The debate also revealed the difficulties that President Bush faces as a lame duck president in the next 18 months. Virtually every candidate criticised his handling of the Iraq war, but none went as far as suggesting an immediate withdrawal.
Whoever wins the Republican nomination, US voters will be offered starkly different policies on the future of the war.
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