Republican presidential candidate John McCain, once seen as more maverick than James Garner himself, is again burnishing those credentials with great peril to his political fortunes in Iowa.

McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, unabashedly supports an immigration reform package that many conservatives in Iowa believe smacks of amnesty.

In a conference call just minutes ago with Iowa Independent and other media, McCain said this issue separates him from a crowded GOP presidential field.

“I note with some interest that I’m the only one of the 10 candidates that supports this proposal,” McCain said. “I’m proud to have been a part of it not only for months but for years.”

He added, “I believe that if you are opposed to this plan and this piece of legislation then you have the obligation to propose something of your own.”

McCain said it is unacceptable to have "broken borders" and an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the nation.

“It’s our obligation to do the hard things,” McCain said.

McCain cited a CBS News-New York Times poll that showed support nationally for an immigration deal that would allow those here illegally before Jan. 1 to obtain legal status if they pay fines and stay out of criminal troubles.

According to that poll:

Two-thirds of those polled said illegal immigrants who had a good employment history and no criminal record should gain legal status as the bill proposes, which is by paying at least $5,000 in fines and fees and receiving a renewable four-year visa.

Many Republican lawmakers have rejected this plan, calling it amnesty that rewards immigrants who broke the law when they entered the United States. But the poll showed that differences are not great between Republicans and Democrats on this issue, with 66 percent of Republicans in the poll favoring the legalization proposal, as well as 72 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of independents.

But while that may be the case nationally, western Iowa is a land represented by perhaps the king critic (U.S. Rep. Steve King)