Different backgrounds but a common purpose

The eight senators who banded together to pursue bipartisan immigration reform span the political spectrum from conservative to liberal. Some are longtime lawmakers while others are rising stars who represent the future of their parties. But each brings talents to the table that reform advocates hope will culminate in an overhaul of immigration laws.

The Republican side includes a former presidential nominee and a likely future White House contender. The Democratic side includes the chairman of the Senate's immigration subcommittee and a top-ranking leader.

The heavyweight group includes both of Arizona's senators, Republicans John McCain and Jeff Flake. The other members are Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Robert Menendez, D-N.J.; and Michael Bennet, D-Colo.

"It's quite a set," said Mark Peterson, a political-science professor at UCLA. "It's got John McCain back in the game. He's back, and I think that's an important signal."

Rubio and Flake speak the language of the right, while Schumer, Durbin and Menendez anchor support from the left, Peterson said.

Where immigration reform is concerned, conservatives are the critical bloc because Democrats traditionally have backed reform efforts. For their part, President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies are eager to deliver on promises of reform. Proponents are hoping Republicans may be more supportive if only to help rehabilitate their party's image with Latino voters, who overwhelmingly backed Obama in November.

Still, whether the powerful personalities can marshal legislation into results remains to be seen. Six years ago, a group that included the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and then-Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., as well as McCain, couldn't get a bill out of the Senate.

Since then, the Republicans have lost two presidential elections, which could change the political dynamic. Days after Obama won more than 70 percent of the Latino vote in his re-election victory over GOP challenger Mitt Romney, prominent Republicans began talking about the need for reform.

So far, there's no bill. The group of senators on Monday unveiled a framework of principles that will guide the drafting. And even if it passes the Democrat-controlled Senate, the legislation likely would face more resistance in the Republican-controlled House.

The outline proposes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the United States that would be contingent on a new commission's declaration that the border is secure. The senators' plan also would include a guest-worker program and workplace-verification requirements.

One Republican member of the group, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, parted company with his colleagues because of what he described as a disagreement over "a policy that will grant special benefits to illegal immigrants based on their unlawful presence in the country."

Although McCain and Graham are veterans of past bipartisan efforts -- two attempts failed in 2006 and 2007 -- one expert cited Rubio as the most important GOP figure because of his status as a "tea party" conservative.

Even though McCain and Graham staked out a tougher position on border security in recent years, the duo may already have worn out their welcome with the party's right wing, which traditionally has resisted proposals that it perceives as granting "amnesty" to undocumented immigrants, said John J. "Jack" Pitney Jr., a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California.

"If there is any chance for this measure to move, those chances depend on Rubio," Pitney said. "He's in a unique position on the one hand to appeal to Hispanics, but on the other hand he has appeal to party conservatives. If John McCain or Lindsey Graham say something, party conservatives just roll their eyes."

While Rubio, a possible 2016 White House hopeful, this past week was selling the bipartisan ideas to conservative opinion-shapers such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, McCain has been talking on mainstream networks such as ABC, CNN and CBS.

Others say McCain and Graham bring a lot to the table, too.

"What if there was a rollout of principles that didn't include McCain and Graham?" asked Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, a national organization that advocates for comprehensive immigration reform, and an expert on the politics of the issue. "People wouldn't take it nearly as seriously, because they both have been so identified as leaders on this issue over the years and as champions who have stood up to those in their own party. They are incredibly persuasive with their colleagues."

McCain said he was glad that Rubio, a late-comer, joined the bipartisan talks.

"I certainly think he is an important participant," McCain told The Arizona Republic.

Here is a closer look at the members of the "Gang of Eight":

Charles Schumer,

D-N.Y.

Besides being chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security, Schumer, 62, also has a reputation as a deal-maker and coalition-builder. "He knows where to find the common ground and get others there," said Frank Sharry, a reform advocate.

John McCain,

R-Ariz.

McCain, 76, and Edward Kennedy co-authored a 2006 reform bill that passed the Senate but not the House. He also championed a 2007 bill, which stalled amid an outcry from conservatives. McCain pivoted to insisting on a secure border as a condition for a pathway to legal status.

Dick Durbin,

D-Ill.

Durbin is the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate and carries clout with his party's caucus. Durbin, 68, has been a leader for years on the Dream Act, introducing a version of the measure in every Congress since 2001. Durbin is viewed as an advocate for the so-called "dreamers" in the ongoing negotiations.

Marco Rubio,

R-Fla.

A potential 2016 presidential candidate and "tea party" favorite, Rubio, 41, has been a voice for border control. A Cuban-American and one of two Hispanic GOP senators, Rubio has stature with conservatives. His support for broader reforms could help consolidate GOP support for a reform bill.

Robert Menendez,

D-N.J.

The son of Cuban immigrants, Menendez, 59, is the sole Hispanic Democratic senator. He is still involved with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a voice for House Latino leaders on immigration reform. He has framed immigration reform in economic terms and as a matter of family reunification.

Lindsey Graham,

R-S.C.

A longtime ally and friend of McCain's, Graham was derisively dubbed "Lindsey Grahamnesty" by some conservatives for his support of past immigration-reform efforts. Graham, 57, has long warned that anti-reform positions threaten the long-term viability of the Republican Party.

Michael Bennet,

D-Colo.

Bennet, 48, is the group's youngest Democrat and its only Democrat from a Western state with a growing Latino population. Bennet understands the politics, having defeated a "tea party" Republican and "amnesty" foe in a tough race where Hispanic turnout may have tipped the balance.

Jeff Flake,

R-Ariz.

New to the Senate after six terms in the House, the libertarian-leaning Flake, 50, is considered one of the most articulate and well-versed conservatives on immigration reform. Like McCain, Flake has returned to a comprehensive approach after campaigning for office on a security-first platform.

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