Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) call for the deployment of troops to the U.S. border with Mexico has set off a war of words over immigration in the Arizona GOP Senate primary. Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who’s trying to defeat McCain for the GOP nomination by attacking him from the right, immediately called McCain’s plan a cynical political ploy that takes advantage of the death of an Arizona rancher. The McCain campaign, not surprisingly, says it’s simply shocked anyone would accuse him of playing politics with the issue.
“I’m glad John McCain has decided to join the effort to secure our borders,” Hayworth said in a statement. “I only wish this same passion and fervor had come sooner. One day of anger and outrage does not make up for 28 years of inaction.”
But he also went farther, suggesting that McCain was using the death of Arizona rancher Robert Krentz — who neighbors say was recently shot to death by someone who crossed the border illegally onto Krentz’ southern Arizona ranch — to run away from a record on immigration reform that’s left him vulnerable to attacks from the right.
In his letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano calling for troops to be sent to the border Monday, McCain said the story of Krentz raised the specter of cross-border violence that needs to be contained. McCain wrote that he was “saddened and outraged” about the death, and that federal troops are needed to “curb this violence” and “protect” American citizens “from criminals coming across the border from Mexico.”
Hayworth claimed McCain was using the death as an excuse to shore up a vulnerability. “McCain’s recent call for troops on the border is yet another election year conversion which only came after the shooting death of Rob Krentz,” Hayworth said in a statement.
McCain released a scorching statement claiming it was Hayworth who was making political hay out of Krentz’ death.
“It is despicable and offensive that Congressman Hayworth would attempt to exploit a family’s tragedy to score cheap political points,” McCain campaign spokesperson Brian Rogers said.
Rogers said that McCain has long called for increased security and troops to protect the border, and that Hayworth was trying to rile up his base after Krentz’ murder.
“Congressman Hayworth’s comments are disgraceful and dishonest, and demonstrate a candidate so consumed by political ambition that he’ll say anything to anyone,” Rogers said. “No matter how shameful or inaccurate.”
Krentz’ death has moved the troop on the border issue beyond the Arizona Senate race and into the national spotlight. So far this week, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has dispatched national guard soldiers to the border in his state, and right wing commentators have attacked Napolitano for not doing more.
Evan McMorris-Santoro
Evan McMorris-Santoro has covered politics for TPM since 2009. Before that, he was a reporter at National Journal’s Hotline covering election 2008. He started his career covering local politics at newspapers in TN and his native NC.
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