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Kyl gets Border Patrol union backing
Leaders applaud senator's push for more funding

Robbie Sherwood
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 27, 2006 12:00 AM

U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl picked up a key endorsement Wednesday from a southern Arizona Border Patrol union whose leaders lauded his push for increased funding for border enforcement.

Edward "Buzz" Tuffly, president of the National Border Patrol Council's Local 2544 in Tucson, said Kyl has been "a tremendous asset" for its about 2,500 agents, who patrol one of the nation's busiest and sectors for illegal immigration. Tuffly said that Kyl, who is facing challenges from Democrat Jim Pederson and Libertarian Richard Mack, is the first politician the group has ever endorsed.

"We've had a number of agents reach out for his help, and he's always been tremendous," Tuffly said. "And we appreciate his efforts to get us additional funding."

Congress has reached a stalemate over comprehensive immigration reform, but Kyl said he recently asked the Bush administration for $3.76 billion in emergency funding to help enforce existing immigration laws.

"They are doing a tough job under very difficult circumstances, and it's appropriate that we take our hat off to them," Kyl said of the Border Patrol.

While the Tucson-area Border Patrol union has not endorsed other candidates, the national affiliate of the Border Patrol union did endorse Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist in his failed run for Congress last year in California.

And Tucson's Local 2544 has been aggressively critical of politicians who support what its members call "amnesty" for undocumented immigrants. Chiefly, the group has focused its ire on Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain, whom it has derisively dubbed "Amnesty John" on its Web site. The group has also criticized President Bush's proposal for a guest worker program.

Pederson spokesman Mark Bergman said that Kyl has stood in the way of comprehensive immigration reform, and added that Tucson Local 2544 of the National Border Patrol Council has not supported moderate politicians who favor comprehensive immigration reform.

The high-profile race is starting to heat up of late. Pederson is back on the air with commercials promising to take on high gas prices by ending tax breaks for "big oil" companies.

He will unveil his plan to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil during a news conference today at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute. The plan includes a "virtual campus" to allow laboratories and researchers across the country to team up to research and develop alternative energy technologies.

State Republican Party officials took issue with the accuracy of Pederson's commercial, saying that gas prices depicted ($3.79 for premium) are higher than any yet seen in Arizona, suggesting that the footage came from another state. The highest average prices in Arizona were $3.52 in Scottsdale after Hurricane Katrina, according to AAA.

Pederson spokesman Bergman said the commercial was filmed locally and that gas prices have been as high in Arizona as the footage showed.

"They are just trying to divert attention from the real issue," Bergman said. "And that is the failure of leadership of Jon Kyl and George Bush to create a sane energy plan that will actually reduce dependence on foreign oil and save consumers money at the pump."