THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/JOSE LUIS MAGANA
Presidential nephew George P. Bush and his wife, Amanda, greet photographers at a news conference in Mexico City on Saturday.
Posted on 08/22/2004 8:22:34 AM PDT by Dubya
MEXICO CITY - President Bush's nephew, campaigning for votes from Americans living in Mexico, called the federal policy of arming U.S. Border Patrol agents with plastic pellet guns "reprehensible."
Speaking in a mix of English and sometimes-halting Spanish, George P. Bush said Saturday that his uncle is not to blame for the policy, which has angered Mexicans. He instead blamed it on "some local [immigration official] who's trying to be tough, act macho."
"If there has been American approval for this policy, that is reprehensible," Bush said of the guns, which fire paintball projectiles filled with chile powder. "It's kind of barbarous."
The pellet guns, which were approved at the federal level, have been used on a trial basis since 2001 in California and Arizona. The U.S. Border Patrol fired the pepper balls in 81 instances in 2002 and 2003 and reported no deaths or severe injuries.
President Bush's Hispanic nephew -- he's the grandson of migrant worker Jose Maria Garnica -- is in Mexico on a weeklong visit to drum up support for his uncle among the estimated 1 million Americans living there.
George P. Bush's father is Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and his mother, Columba, is originally from Mexico. His wife, Amanda, is from Fort Worth.
He acknowledged that "there are some people in our party who don't see the benefits of immigration" but promised that President Bush is a proponent of immigration reform.
Christopher Fussner, global chairman of Republicans Abroad, which funded Bush's trip, called Mexico "the most important country" for getting overseas votes. ONLINE: Republicans Abroad, www.republicansabroad.org
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/JOSE LUIS MAGANA
Presidential nephew George P. Bush and his wife, Amanda, greet photographers at a news conference in Mexico City on Saturday.
HAHAHAHAHA...that is too funny. How racist!
better chile powder pellets than real bullets, I suppose....
He's blaming an unnamed "local official" for a federal policy? What a dork...
fill the paintballs with glow in the dark chili powder!
how humane compared to dropping them illegals dead!
LOL
George W should 'reign' him in. This is not helping me want to support my president in the least.
Is it really true that our border patrol agents are only 'armed' with pellet guns? If that's true, we have to be the only country in the modern era that hasn't put armed guards on its border while in a state of war. That's pretty unbelievable if true. But what is even more unbelievable is that George P. Bush would criticize our use of pellet guns while he is in Mexico given that the border patrol agents Mexico utilizes on its southern border with Guatemala are armed with much more than pellet guns.
Compare chile bullets to shaking a bottle of soda and holding the open bottle up to a prisoner's nostrils, as done by guards in some prisons south of the border. Now that's gotta hurt.
Somebody is going to have to take a "time-out" after this performance!
You misunderstand. The idea is that the border should be left unprotected, period. Let the mexicans come at will. Now GW is sending his nephew out with "come one, come all" message to mexicans.
"He's blaming an unnamed "local official" for a federal policy? What a dork.."
So this is a federal policy? If it is, it' sstupid as he!!. Just close the border. Quit playing games.
George P. Bush is talking nonsense. He clearly isn't ready for politics. Not exactly an asset to the campaign.
What's 'Julio Inglesis's' main pitch...pandering to the Mexicans who are about to cross over and vote?
Maybe he can promise them if he is elected he will put guacamole in the paint balls....
I did not see anything in the article that led me to believe that the boarder guards were armed exclusively with paint ball guns.
Subduing the illegals with pepper balls certainly seems more humane than using billy clubs or shooting them.
HAHAHAHAHA...that is too funny. How racist!
Future plans include arming them with:
The Taco Taser
The Guacamole Grenade
The Burrito Bomb
The Chimichanga Cannon
And of Course, Fajita Vision
That is pretty nice of us to fire condiments at them as they cross to make them feel welcome. I guess they fling tortillas like frisbees at them as well.
If Kerry's elected, they will switch to using Heinz 57 sauce. Maybe even Vietnamese fish sauce. I wonder if we throw Molson's at our northern neighbors?
Depends on who's side you're on.
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