Posted on 04/21/2009 11:51:46 AM PDT by rabscuttle385
Sen. John McCain will face a challenge from the right in next year's Republican primary, as one of the country's most prominent border hawks will announce his candidacy for Arizona's Senate seat on April 22.
Chris Simcox, who founded the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, will file campaign paperwork today to formalize his challenge of McCain, who has angered conservative Republicans for his stances on a variety of issues - most prominently, illegal immigration and border security.
Simcox will represent a stark contrast in Republican ideology compared to that of McCain, said Eric Johnson, a senior advisor to Simcox and former staffer for Don Goldwater's gubernatorial campaign in 2006.
"He is a true, conservative Republican. His platform is what it should be," Johnson said.
Some of McCain's clashes with conservatives in the Republican Party include his sponsoring 2006 effort in Congress to reform American immigration policies and allow a "pathway to citizenship" for millions of immigrants in the country illegally. He also spearheaded campaign finance reform in 2002 and has supported efforts to limit sales of firearms at gun shows.
Johnson said Simcox's proven ability to organize a grassroots campaign will give him an advantage over McCain. And Robert Kiley, a California political consultant who will manage the campaign, said Simcox's national profile will allow him to raise the $10 million to $15 million needed to take on the entrenched senator.
"We don't think there's going to be an issue raising money," Kiley said. "There's a lot of anger out there."
Although Kiley and Johnson touted Simcox's stances on other GOP issues, such as abortion and gun control, they said immigration will play a larger role in the campaign. Simcox will push to secure the border immediately by using the National Guard. But unlike in President Bush's 2006 Operation Jump Start, in which thousands of guardsmen were sent to the border to support the Border Patrol, Simcox wants the soldiers to take an active role in stopping illegal activity and detaining people who are trying to enter the country illegally.
Johnson said the campaign also will target voters who have left the Republican Party in recent years because of dissatisfaction with elected officials whom they believe abandoned the party's principles.
"There are a lot of people who left Republicans and became independent because of McCain," Johnson said.
That is still superior to McCain.
Oh, cut me a break. We need honest men and women to run for government. We don’t need grifters. We’ve got enough of those in DC already.
A guy did just that to help build the fence. It was all grift. Simcox would fit in just fine in today's corrupt DC. But the point of our efforts should be to block the grifters, not support them.
Unless there is something way worse than McCan has ever done (and I don’t think so) Chris has my support and vote.
I voted and supported McCain in the last election, but we need a new line of Republicans who will not fold to the sleazy Democrats.
Out with the old, in the with the new!
Dukakis and Dole stayed away from elected office after their defeats. Why couldn’t Kerry and McCain do likewise?
BTTT!!!
If it worked for Hilary on her first shot at running for office, then it will certainly work for Simcox.
That would be so great!!!
Does Simcox have a PAC yet? My wallet is in my hand.
Then I`ll NEVER vote for another rat wanna be again.I don`t give a crap who they are!
That’s how he won the Republican primary.
“Source?”
Univision: Governor, let me ask you about immigration. How many undocumented immigrants are there in Alaska?
Sarah Palin: I don’t know, I don’t know. That’s a good question.
Univision: As governor, how do you deal with them? Do you think they all should be deported?
Sarah Palin: There is no way that in the US we would roundup every illegal immigrant - there are about 12 million of the illegal immigrants - not only economically is that just an impossibility but that’s not a humane way anyway to deal with the issue that we face with illegal immigration.
Univision: Do you then favor an amnesty for the 12 or 13 million undocumented immigrants?
Sarah Palin: No, I do not. I do not. Not total [Fred Thompson called it, “not blanket”] amnesty. You know, people have got to follow the rules. They’ve got to follow the bar, and we have got to make sure that there is equal opportunity and those who are here legally should be first in line for services being provided and those opportunities that this great country provides.
Univision: To clarify, so you support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants?
Sarah Palin: I do because I understand why people would want to be in America. To seek the safety and prosperity, the opportunities, the health that is here. It is so important that yes, people follow the rules so that people can be treated equally and fairly in this country.”
http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?chid=3&schid=10414&secid=25534&cid=1716304&pagenum=2
Oh, this is exciting! To think we knew him when... :0)
I don't know what that means. Nor do I understand how you think it bolsters your argument.
The GOP doesn't "nominate RINOs to high office" as you put it. The democratic primary process is what selects general election candidates for district, state and national offices. If purely orthodox conservatives is what the constituency wants, then that is what the constituency will get.
As for RINOs losing in landslides, usually that's not the case. In fact, RINOs are usually located in very competitive districts and states, and that's the reason they're RINOs in the first place. It feels like you, and many other apparently, think that these moderates are where they are because of some secret cabal that's hand-selecting less-than-perfectly conservative Republicans. The moderates are moderates because they reflect the ideological make-up of their districts. It's not the other way around.
2010 is going to be an interesting year. The political landscape doesn't favor the GOP in the Senate races. The majority of races that are being contested are in states that voted for Obama last year. In addition, the GOP has at least 5, perhaps as many as six Senators that are retiring. That's not good. The majority that the DEMS currently ejoy is not filibuster-proof. But, if they can pick up a couple more, or heaven forbid 4 or 6 more seats in 2010, the agenda that Obama, Pelosi and Reid will be able to purse will be far to the left of where they are today.
Just tell me where to send him some CASH! Let's FLOOD this good man with MEGA-BUCKS! He deserves nothing less than our FULL SUPPORT!
TO HELL WITH JOHN McLAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good Riddance!!!!!!
It’s something he can do, but will he?
Does Steele have the power to stop all open primaries?
No. State committees write the rules for primaries.
Thanks, thats what I thought. Was hoping that maybe the rules had changed and Steele would would be able to grab the brass ring.
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