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Hayworth says Bush insulted Minutemen

Billy House
Republic Washington Bureau
Apr. 28, 2005 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - Rep. J.D. Hayworth on Wednesday accused President Bush and others of having "maligned" the Minuteman Project, the civilian patrol group that placed volunteers along a 23-mile stretch of the Arizona-Mexico border this month to monitor immigrant activity.

And another Republican lawmaker, Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, called on Bush to "meet with the people he calls vigilantes," and "issue an apology to these folks for what he's called (them)."

Both lawmakers, members of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, made their remarks during a news conference at the Capitol attended by Minuteman organizers and dozens of supporters, an event that nearly took on the fervor of a religious revival. advertisement

Another Arizona member of the caucus, Republican Rep. Trent Franks, also praised the Minutemen who are based in southeastern Arizona, though he did not criticize the president. White House spokesman Taylor Gross said Wednesday that no apology will be coming from the White House.

Gross explained that on March 23, when asked by a reporter about his view of people "hunting" migrants along the border, Bush simply said he was opposed to "vigilantes in the United States of America."

Bush later added: "I'm for enforcing the law in a rational way; that's why you have a Border Patrol and they ought to be in charge of enforcing the border."

Gross said the president has not changed his position.

Earlier in the day, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told The Arizona Republic that he has "no position" on the Minuteman Project. McCain is expected to soon unveil new immigration reform legislation he is co-sponsoring with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

But Hayworth, speaking at the news conference, said that he saw the Minutemen at the border "up close and in person" and said their mission was "an unqualified success."

"These are extraordinary Americans from all walks of life who followed their constitutional right to petition their government for redress of a grievance, in this case, the abject failure of the federal government to secure our borders," Hayworth said.

"And for that simple constitutional act of standing up for border security these citizens were maligned far and wide by hysterical editorial writers and yes, sadly, even by the presidents of the United States and the Republic of Mexico," Hayworth continued.

At the same news conference, Chris Simcox, a Minuteman co-organizer who lives in Cochise County and who is a founder of a second, similar group called Civil Homeland Defense, said he hoped to start patrols in New Mexico, California and Texas.

The group also is looking to expand its mission to the Canadian border.

"Thousands of people have been compelled to join this effort and will continue in the spirit of the civil defense movement during World War II," Simcox said.

"When our neighbors and our government and our country needed our help, we rolled up our sleeves, we have a can-do attitude, and we get the job done. We proved that for the last 28 days in Cochise County, Arizona," Simcox said.