Thread: McCain backs Minuteman Graf; Giffords wants Hastert to resig

McCain backs Minuteman Graf; Giffords wants Hastert to resign
The Business Journal of Phoenix - October 8, 2006
by Mike Sunnucks
The Business Journal

Arizona Sen. John McCain has endorsed conservative Tucson congressional candidate Randy Graf despite a split between the two on immigration and the Mexican border. Graf is also a member of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, a controversial group that patrols U.S. border and wants tougher immigration controls. The Minutemen have opposed McCain's approach to immigration, including a guest worker program.

Graf faces an uphill climb against Democratic rival Gabrielle Giffords in a southeastern Arizona U.S. House seat being vacated by retiring Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe. The Arizona House race is one of the most competitive contests nationally and a top target of Democrats.

Dems hopes the affable Giffords can win the Arizona contest and help them gain control of Congress in the wake of the increasingly unpopular Iraq War and GOP ethics scandals including the recent incidents involving Mark Foley and male congressional pages.

McCain is backing Graf, according to Graf's web site and a Sunday story in the Arizona Daily Star. McCain and Graf have profound differences on the issue of illegal immigration. The Republican senator favors a guest worker program and some sort of legal path for some illegals already in the U.S.

Graf opposes McCain's guest worker plan and favors the Minuteman approach to immigration including tougher security and opposing legal paths or 'amnesty' for illegals already in the U.S. Graf has been critical of President Bush on immigration. Bush favors a guest worker program. National Republicans and business groups backed state Rep. Steve Huffman, R-Tucson, over Graf in the September GOP primary but the latter prevailed. Graf challenged Kolbe in 2004. The retiring congressman backed Huffman in the primary and is not supporting Graf. Kolbe also supports a guest worker plan.

Graf, a former state lawmaker, has the backing of the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and security-first immigration hawks. Polls show Giffords, a former state senator, leading Graf and national Republicans have been hesitant to focus on the race.

Giffords has the backing of Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson/Yuma/Nogales; labor unions and environmental groups. Giffords - whose boyfriend is an astronaut and U.S. Navy fighter pilot - is telegenic and considered an upcoming star in the Democratic Party.

If Giffords defeats Graf in November, she could also be eyed in future runs for Arizona governor or U.S. Senate.

McCain is expected to announce a second run for president after the November elections. He has been campaigning hard for Republicans in key contests and has sought to heal old wounds with conservatives. That includes backing conservative candidates such as Graf.

Giffords has recently joined other Arizona Democrats, including Grijalva, in calling for House Speaker Dennis Hastert to step down in the wake of the Foley scandal. They say Hastert and other GOP leaders did not act fast enough when first informed of Foley's inappropriate advances towards male pages.

http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/phoen ... ily57.html

Arizona is a festering pimple on our collective American rump! This state has gone insane thanx to the massive influx of ILLEGALS and their backers

How is Graf, doing, we sure need him to win in AZ. IF the Dems win, what then?