Group says interest high in its plan to guard border (California)

signonsandiego.com ^ | April 30, 2005 | Leslie Berestein

[TERMINATTOR]

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's praise for the anti-illegal-immigration Minuteman Project in Arizona is encouraging copycat civilian patrols along the border, some immigrant rights advocates and political leaders fear.

And the response to a budding California operation affirms their concern.

Since Thursday, when Schwarzenegger said on a Los Angeles radio talk show that the volunteers of the Minuteman Project had done "a terrific job" patrolling the southern Arizona desert for illegal border crossers, the leader of a similar patrol planning to come to San Diego in August said he has been flooded with inquiries.

"I don't know if it's a direct result of what the governor said, but I'll tell you what, we've sure had a lot of calls today," said Andy Ramirez, the Chino-based chairman of a group that calls itself Friends of the Border Patrol. "We're getting a lot of volunteers."

Ramirez said the goal is to recruit enough volunteers to patrol from the coast to the Imperial Valley to scan for undocumented immigrants and report them to authorities. Roughly 400 people have already volunteered, he said, many retired law enforcement and military personnel.

Yesterday, Schwarzenegger was standing by his statements, a spokeswoman said, although at a Los Angeles news conference he sounded conciliatory, calling himself "a champion of immigrants."

"I'm an immigrant myself," he said. "Millions of immigrants come to this country, but it's important that they do it in a legal way."

The governor's endorsement of the Minutemen, meanwhile, was called undiplomatic and reckless by numerous Democratic leaders, the American Civil Liberties Union and others.

Rep. Bob Filner, D-Chula Vista, said the governor's comments only inflame and support vigilante action.

"I thought the governor's remarks were extremely irresponsible, and I hope he retracts them as he did previous remarks," he said.

Last week, Schwarzenegger retracted a controversial statement he made about closing the border, blaming its wording on his faulty command of English. But those offended by the governor's latest comments are unwilling to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I think he should just close his mouth, instead of the border," said National City councilman and longtime community activist Luis Natividad.

On KFI-AM's "John & Ken Show" Thursday, Schwarzenegger said of the Minutemen, "I think they have done a terrific job, and they have cut down the crossing of illegal immigrants by a huge percentage, so it just shows that it works when you go and make an effort and when you work hard."

State Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, D-San Diego, said Schwarzenegger's praise contradicts the federal government's position. President Bush has characterized the Minutemen as "vigilantes." The ACLU also condemned Schwarzenegger's comments as "irresponsible." The governor also drew the ire of Mexican government officials.

"Maybe he confused 'terrific' with 'terrible,' " quipped San Diego's Mexican consul general, Luis Cabrera Cuarón.

But Assemblyman Mark Wyland, R-Vista, defended Schwarzenegger.

"I think that what he is simply saying about the Minutemen is that citizens are reacting, and this is a crisis that needs to be solved right now," he said.

Ramirez, who plans a classroom training session in San Diego for his prospective volunteers in June, said he was happy for the governor's perceived plug. However, he is skeptical that Schwarzenegger will stand by his latest words, given last week's clarification.

A Minuteman Project spokesman said yesterday that the Minutemen plan to take their project nationwide after receiving calls from groups hoping to start their own spinoff projects.

[MeekOneGOP]

hehe! :)

[meema]

Good Job, cy, and the mods.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Notice how everyone who is against it has white surnames? Notice how people who are immigrants still feel the need to kick out others For God sake the Senator of California used to be a body builder."

Not only a troll but a stupid one at that. I didn't know that Feinstein or Boxer were body builders.

[gubamyster]

ping

[Brad’s Gramma]

No! Are you KIDDING?

Barbara BOXER was a BODY BUILDER?

Well now. Whodathunk it!

[junta]

Maybe we should ask these people if they are loyal American citizens.

[Neil E. Wright]

I know you're already GONE, but I just had to weigh in here:

I cannot believe how incredibly stupid you are. I mean rock-hard stupid. Dehydrated-rock-hard stupid. Stupid, so stupid it goes way beyond the stupid we know into a whole different dimension of stupid. You are trans-stupid stupid. Meta-stupid. Stupid collapsed on itself so far that even the neutrons have collapsed. Stupid gotten so dense that no intellect can escape. Singularity stupid. Blazing hot mid-day sun on Mercury stupid. You emit more stupid in one second than our entire galaxy emits in a year. Quasar stupid. Your writing has to be a troll. Nothing in our universe can really be this stupid. Perhaps this is some primordial fragment from the original big bang of stupid. Some pure essence of a stupid so uncontaminated by anything else as to be beyond the laws of physics that we know. I'm sorry. I can't go on. This is an epiphany of stupid for me.

Jim, Admin Mod: Was I over the top with this one???? :)

SILLY, Viking Kitty! As you can see from the pics she is a well qualified Viking Kitty. She eats jerky and "tries" to drink my beer, she's ornery, headstrong, and generally a pain in the butt!!! (Particularly when she's in heat and I won't let her outside!!!!) LOL

In this photo we see Silly at the door when I say "Disruptor"	Silly immediately takes up her position on the desk and contemplates the "ZOT" button	Here, Silly decides that the "ZOT" is in order, and she reaches for the "ZOT" button	Here, Silly advises me of a successful "ZOT" operation.

(click on each image to view a larger pic)

[Serenissima Venezia]

I didn't know that Feinstein or Boxer were body builders.

I think they need to up their reps.

[JoeBob]

"Maybe he confused 'terrific' with 'terrible,' " quipped San Diego's Mexican consul general, Luis Cabrera Cuarón.

Since when does a foreign diplomat have the gall to insinuate himself into the politics of the country that has accepted him as a representative of the power he serves?
Diplomats should have the training to keep their mouths shut about things that do not concern them. They are only to convey to the host country whatever their ruling government tells them to convey. The Governator should demand that Bush have this Mexican A*****E recalled to Mexico City and replace him with someone who is a real diplomat.

[LNewman]

We had all of that including the mountains, in the Arizona MMP. No problemo!

Speaking of mountains, what happened to the group of illegals reportedly holed up in the mountains there? Did Jorge Bush have them air lifted to Crawford?

I followed that situation up to a point and either lost track or it dropped off radar.

[janetgreen]

Notice how all the people telling the Governor he should shut up have Hispanic surnames?

As the hispanic population here in California increased (illegal and legal), the hispanic "leaders" got a foothold in local politics. Lots of illegals voting here. Lots of free perks here. Lots of overloaded schools here. Lots of closed hospitals here. Lots of taxes to pay here. Parts of California are looking like Mexican slums.

[janetgreen]

LOL!

[JoanneSD]

Barbara Boxer?