Ciaran Staunton, vice chairman of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR), met with Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain for a private half hour meeting - also attended by members of the AOH - in advance of the Irish Presidential Forum on Monday morning.

"I spoke about the immigration issue which I found he was very well briefed on," Staunton told the Irish Voice.

"He talked about the work he had done with Senator Kennedy in trying to pass an immigration reform bill. And he explained that he knew the immigration issue was going to be tough for him in the primaries."

McCain spoke candidly about comprehensive immigration reform, which he told Staunton would have to get done.

McCain also acknowledged the 50,000 undocumented Irish people who were living in the U.S. now.

Staunton reminded him that with unemployment increasing in Ireland the 50,000 number would increase.

"McCain talked at great length about the plight of the people in our community. He had been to the Bronx ILIR meeting and he reminded us that the work the organization had done had helped a number of senators to support an immigration bill," said Staunton of the meeting.

"Significantly he said he wants comprehensive immigration reform while he's in office. He said it would be his first priority if he becomes president."Staunton did not attend the Irish Forum to endorse a candidate.

"I was there to talk about the immigration issue. I reminded all those in attendance that it was literally impossible for Irish people to immigrate to America now," he said.

"I talked to him about the roads and the railroads and how the people who built them now could not drive on them because they couldn't get a driver's license. Later when McCain spoke to the forum about what immigration did for America he got a huge response from the crowd."

Contrasting the access to McCain campaign with that of Obama's Staunton said, "I'm disappointed that with all the contact we have to the Democratic Party from the Irish American community that the Obama campaign has chosen not to show up yet.

"Give us a city and a date and we'll have a venue for you, which has always been the line. I know that now McCain's campaign is saying maybe there should be another venue in Ohio for an Irish American Presidential Forum, and a further one in New York with Irish American leaders for example."

Staunton said that instead of leading on the immigration issue the Obama campaign is currently following, and expressed his disappointment.

"If we go back and look at candidate Bill Clinton in 1992, he reached out to the Irish community - but no one has actually done that from the Obama campaign yet. A lot of people have asked me why doesn't he show up and meet with us? Why doesn't he address the issues about the north and immigration?"

Staunton said he hoped that in the next number of weeks ILIR would get the same platform to discuss its concerns from the Obama campaign, whether an event is held in Cleveland or Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.

He added the he thought the Obama campaign needed to get out in front of this issue soon.