Thread: Iowa Minuteman leaders give support to Paul

Iowa Minuteman leaders give support to Paul
By JASON PULLIAM • REGISTER STAFF WRITER • December 28, 2007


Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul Thursday picked upendorsements from several individual leaders of the Iowa MinutemanCivil Defense Corps, an anti-illegal immigration group.

RonDuncan, the deputy director of the group's Iowa chapter, and Mark Land,Taylor County Minuteman leader, each offered the Texas congressmantheir personal endorsements.

Craig Halverson, director of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps Iowa chapter, said the group as a wholewill not endorse a candidate, but its members are free to supportcandidates as private citizens.

"As a citizen, I kind of lean towards Ron Paul, but I don't reallywant to jump out there too strongly because of my position," Halversonsaid.


Halverson added that the bulk of another Iowa grassroots group, Citizens for Tom Tancredo, has also backed Paul.

Tancredodropped out of the race last week and endorsed former MassachusettsGov. Mitt Romney. Tancredo's former Iowa campaign chairman, BillSalier, endorsed Sen. Fred Thompson's bid for the Republican nominationthe day after Tancredo withdrew.

Illegal immigration has rankedamong the top presidential campaign issues for Republican voters,according to a recent poll from Rasmussen Reports.

Halversondeclined to provide the membership numbers of Tancredo's citizens groupor the Iowa Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, but described the state'sMinuteman branch as one of the nation's fastest-growing chapters.

Paulpredicted attracting support from more voters concerned about theimmigration issue and agreed with the Minuteman position that insecureborders and illegal immigration threaten U.S. sovereignty.

"Nationalsovereignty to me is very important because our rights come from ourConstitution," he said. "If we undermine our own government, weundermine our individual rights. I see this as very important (to)defend our freedoms."

Reporter Jason Pulliam can be reached at (515) 284-8214 or jpulliam@dmreg.com

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