Thread: California rep touts conservative appeal - Hunter

This man so needs support. He isn't going to get it from his party leaders, he isn't part of their plan.

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx ... b680c33cf4

California rep touts conservative appeal
By JOHN DISTASO
Senior Political Reporter

Nov 9, 2007

MANCHESTER – Wrapping up a weekend visit to the first-in-the-nation primary state, likely Presidential hopeful U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California yesterday called himself the most conservative Republican in the Presidential sweepstakes.

That, he said, "gives me a chance," despite his low name recognition.

Hunter, 58, is the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee and was first elected to the House from his San Diego-area district in 1980.

He said his formal Presidential announcement will be made later this month.

Hunter said he has "good national security credentials as chairman for the last four years of the armed services committee." He said he "built the border fence in San Diego, and I authored the provision the President signed that would extend it 700 miles across Arizona, New Mexico and Texas."

Hunter said the double-fence has been bid at between $2 million and $4 million per mile," for a total cost of about $3 billion. He called a recently publicized report by the Congressional Research Service that the fence could cost as much as $49 billion over 25 years an example of "the Washington bureaucracy reverting to their 'Mission Impossible' position.

"They ought to take the actual bid for the jobs made by construction companies," said Hunter. "The Associated General Contractors testified before Congress with respect to the $2 million to $4 million per mile figure.

"We incarcerate right now about 250,000 criminal aliens in federal, state and local penitentiaries and jails," Hunter said. "The cost of incarceration would virtually pay for the party fence, if you presume the border fence would stop that."

Hunter said the border fence in San Diego "reduced the smuggling of people and narcotics by more than 90 percent in San Diego. We eliminated drug drive-throughs, and we stopped the border murders, which were averaging more than 10 a year. Border security now is a national security issue, not an immigration issue."

On the Iraq war, Hunter said he has suggested to President George W. Bush that Iraqi troops take on a larger role in the fight before more American troops are sent into battle.

"There are 18 provinces in Iraq," he said, "and nine of them have less than one attack per day. There are 27 Iraqi battalions, trained and equipped, stationed in the quiet provinces. I suggested that we ensure that those battalions are saddled up and moved into the fight in Baghdad before we increase American forces in that area."

He said he has received "signals" from the White House that any U.S. troop increase "will be accompanied by a moving of Iraqi forces from the quiet areas into the fight."

Hunter said he "led the increases on the House side for the size of the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army and increased our precision firepower. Our committee recommended, and we passed pay raises, in the last eight years that amounted to 40 percent for members of the armed forces."

"We are going to need to spend a larger percentage of the gross domestic product on defense," Hunter said.

Hunter said he also wants to get tough on trade.

"We have a $200 billion trade deficit with communist China, which is essentially a one-way street, based on China's cheating on trade," he said. "That's occurring to the detriment of American businesses and workers, and it's also providing China with the hard cash they are using to build a military which at some point will threaten America's security."

As for his long-shot bid, Hunter said, "I think I'll just tell people what I stand for and we'll see if we can't attract a crowd. I think I have good issues."

jean wrote:

This man so needs support. He isn't going to get it from his party leaders, he isn't part of their plan.

You are so right, jean! He's not going to get much from the media either. The RNC and media are counting on him to slip gently into the night with little more than a peep. He needs massive grassroot support if he's to be expected to put up the good fight against the Washington darlings like McCain and Guilliani(sp?).

For those that haven't been listening - Rep. Duncan Hunter is the only candidate choice we have at this time for President in 2008! That is of course unless stopping the great illegal immigrant giveaway isn't big on your agenda.

Rep. Duncan Hunter's official website:

http://www.house.gov/hunter/

Please show him your early support by thanking him for his stand against illegal immigration:

Congressman Duncan Hunter
1870 Cordell Ct, Ste 206
El Cajon, CA 92020
PHONE: (619) 448-5201
FAX: (619) 449-2251

Make a donation to Congressman Hunter's campaign at his PAC website.
www.peacethroughstrengthpac.com
We must support a good candidate. I sent my check.