http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/148477

Minutemen's Graf ads: Rival is 'way too liberal'
TV spots say Giffords favors aid for entrants
By Daniel Scarpinato
arizona daily star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.27.2006
advertisementIn an effort to boost support for Republican congressional candidate Randy Graf, the Minuteman Political Action Committee launched the first in a series of ads on Tuesday.

The television advertising, appearing on cable stations, criticizes 8th District Democratic candidate Gabrielle Giffords as being "way too liberal for Arizona."

The Giffords campaign calls statements in the ad lies, and campaign officials are working with lawyers to have the commercial removed from the air.

But the Minuteman group stands by its statements, hoping to draw Giffords into a discussion of her position on border issues. The committee plans to run more ads, both on television and radio, through the Nov. 7 election, Minuteman spokesman Rick Shaftan said.

"This is definitely a winnable race," Shaftan said. "Nobody's talked about her record."

The ads come less than a week after both national parties dropped plans to run nonstop advertising through Election Day.

Polls have shown Giffords leading Graf. And an Arizona Daily Star poll conducted days after the primary indicated Giffords led Graf slightly among voters who consider border security the most important issue in the race, even though Graf made it a focus of his campaign.

"Thinking about voting for Gabrielle Giffords?" a male narrator asks in the ad.

A female speaker responds: "Think again. Giffords is a liberal extremist who supports Spanish ballots, amnesty and even citizenship for illegals."

The ad also contends that she supports welfare, food stamps, health care and Social Security benefits for illegal entrants.

The group said those statements are based on Giffords' opposition to Proposition 200, which restricted some state-funded benefits to illegal border crossers.

The Giffords campaign points out that Proposition 200 did not address "welfare, food stamps or Social Security," but it did address education and other state benefits.

Graf supported and worked on the 2004 initiative, which passed. Giffords opposed it, said campaign manager Rodd McLeod, because she believed it would limit access to voting. The proposition requires identification to register and vote.

McLeod said Giffords does not support amnesty or giving Social Security, welfare or food-stamp benefits to people in the United States illegally, things he says already are illegal.

But Shaftan said that position doesn't make sense, given her opposition to Proposition 200, though he couldn't cite anything to back up the claims.

"So she's for state welfare programs going for illegals, but not federal welfare programs going for illegals?" he said. "That doesn't make sense. I don't think anyone believes that. She realizes her position is completely out of touch with the voters."

In a prepared statement, McLeod made the same criticism of the Minuteman PAC, calling it "an out-of-state group which makes false attacks and refuses to show any evidence."

Part of the disagreement between Graf and Giffords over "amnesty" has to do with what should happen to immigrants who are here illegally now. Graf want them to leave the country and get in line before being eligible for citizenship. Giffords favors allowing them a path to citizenship, with the illegal resident paying back taxes and fines.

Graf also supports limiting medical care to illegal entrants and ending the policy granting citizenship to children of people who come here illegally, stances that Giffords opposes.

The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, of which Graf is a member, monitors the border and — through its political action committee — supports candidates who advocate securing the border and cutting benefits to illegal immigrants.

Shaftan said that despite criticisms for their border monitoring activities, the Minutemen are viewed favorably in the 8th District, based on polling the group has conducted.

Giffords and Graf will face Libertarian David Nolan and independent Jay Quick in the general election.

● Contact reporter Daniel Scarpinato at 807-7789 or dscarpinato@azstarnet.com.