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Kolbe has been meddling in Border Patrol operations for years. His constant micromanagement has disrupted their efforts in his district leading to it becoming a virtual doormat for criminal invaders to cross the border. Both the Border Patrol management, the Border Patrol union (not a friend of management) and the rank and file agents have loudly complained about Kolbe's meddling - especially his shutting down of the critical permanent checkpoints. Obviously Kolbe has no understanding of "defense in depth" nor his limited role in legislating, not directly managing border security operations. Kolbe's been injecting the border checkpoint shutdown language into 7 years worth of "must pass" appropriations bills. It wasn't until last year that Kolbe suddenly said, "Well, maybe we should actually do some sort of study to see if the checkpoints are effective or not - despite whatever the boots on the ground say they need."

Here's what the Union has to say about Kolbe's constant efforts to hamper their border security operations:

From Local 2544 - Border Patrol Union - Tucson Sector:

HELP BORDER PATROL AGENTS DO THEIR JOBS. HELP AMERICA SECURE ITS BORDERS. DEFEAT JIM KOLBE!
Local 2544 officers are all Border Patrol agents. We represent Border Patrol agents and other non-supervisory employees in the Tucson Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, covering most of the State of Arizona. We are the largest Local in the Border Patrol. Border Patrol agents perform the dangerous job of policing our borders without any support from President Bush and many of our local politicians (Jim Kolbe and Raul Grijalva to name a few). President Bush has made it publicly known that he doesn't even want us catching illegal aliens unless they are career criminals or known terrorists. Kolbe endangers agents and hinders the security of this nation through his ridiculous appropriations bill restrictions on our traffic checkpoints. Grijalva is adamantly pro-illegal alien and a vehement open-borders advocate. There are currently 15 to 20 million illegal aliens in this country by many estimates, but the real numbers could be much higher and the numbers increase every day because our borders are not secure (no matter what the politicians tell you - don't believe them for a second).
A Note To Our Supporters
We have recently received a tremendous volume of e-mail. Please understand that we simply don't have time to respond to all the messages. We read them and we deeply appreciate the support we are getting for rank-and-file Border Patrol agents from Americans all over the country. We will keep trying to do the best we can enforcing the laws of this country, and we are hopeful that the politicians will finally give us the full support we need to carry out our mission properly. Please continue to tell the politicians that we need the tools and resources to do our jobs. Some politicians, such as Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe, continue to hinder our ability to effectively patrol the borders. He sits on the House Appropriations Committee. He uses that position year after year to control our funding in the Tucson Sector, and he forces us to continually move our checkpoints against our better judgment. Kolbe is up for re-election soon and we hope he is finally thrown out of office in favor of someone who gives us the real support we need. Kolbe threatens to cut off funding for the Tucson Sector if his continual demands regarding our checkpoints aren't met, showing a serious lack of leadership ability and a completely selfish perspective on border security. We believe law enforcement decisions, such as when and where to set up traffic checkpoints, should be left to the professionals enforcing the laws, not by a politician trying to keep a few of his favorite constituents happy. We also find it inexcusable to threaten a funding cutback to protect this Nation's borders simply to punish us for not moving our checkpoints often enough to suit Kolbe's view of the world. It is akin to a child throwing a tantrum when he doesn't get his way, only with much more serious consequences. Kolbe has also voted in the past to make all Border Patrol agents "at-will" employees, attempting to ensure that we could be fired for no reason. Fortunately, the measure has not passed to date. Such a measure would destroy the morale of the Border Patrol agents who work so hard to protect this Nation. Kolbe also favors massive amnesty programs to reward the illegal aliens who are successful at eluding us. Such programs render our jobs almost meaningless, they have been colossal failures in the past, they are dangerous, and they encourage millions more illegal aliens to come to this country. It is time for Kolbe to go.

What they're referring to when they talk about Kolbe's threats is that a couple of weeks ago Kolbe was interviewed on local television (KVOA-Channel 4). The station reported that the Border Patrol had come up with a few ways around Kolbe's no permanent checkpoint rule to provide a semi-permanent checkpoint between Nogales and Tucson. Upon hearing about this, Kolbe was red-faced and extremely agitated. He threatened Border Patrol, threatened to cut their funding, and said he would take Congressional action that would "sting" them.

Kolbe is clearly and obviously a threat to our national security. He has spent his career in Congress attempting to undermine our nation's border security. He's been successful in doing so especially in his own district. Why do you think the Minuteman Project came right HERE? This is the worst spot along the border - thanks in great part to Kolbe's malfeasance.

And then Kolbe's joins up with Ted Kennedy to push the latest "reward-the-lawbreakers" amnesty plan. Every time they start talking about this garbage, the border invaders come across in greater numbers. It was very irresponsible to bring up amnesty right before the hottest time of the year in the Arizona deserts. How many more came across hearing the siren call of another amnesty who are now dead in the desert from the scorching heat wave we had last week? Kolbe bears some responsibility for that too. If we would stop them right at the border or just beyond the border, and if we didn't promise them anything except apprehension and deportation, they would not be coming across in the first place. Kolbe has weakened our border security AND promised them eventual citizenship. Add that to the equation and you get more dead illegal aliens in the desert.

YOU can help stop this insanity by helping remove Kolbe from officed. Kolbe is being challenged again in next year's Republican primary election by conservative Republican Randy Graf. Graf was an Arizona State Representative, actually the Majority Whip, who did not run for re-election, instead opting to challenge Kolbe because of the problem that Kolbe has become. Outspent 10-1 in the last election, Graf nearly beat well-entrenched, 20 year incumbent Kolbe. Graf was one of the central organizers of the highly successful Proposition 200 which passed in Arizona last year and was a volunteer with the wildly successful Minuteman Project in April. But he needs YOUR support to remove Kolbe from office.

You can find out more about Randy Graf and his campaign, and donate by going to his website at www.votegraf.com.

You can also visit his Send a Minuteman to Congress page at www.Minuteman2Congress.com.

Randy Graf is a man of the people, one we can trust to do what is right. Graf is a candidate with values and morals; he is not afraid to tackle tough issues with a common sense approach. If you want leadership that responds to you as a constituent and represents Arizona in Washington...support Randy Graf for congress.
- Chris Simcox
President Minuteman Civil Defense
Publisher Tombstone Tumbleweed
Randy Graf joined me as an unsolicited volunteer on the month-long Minuteman Project… It is refreshing to know that a candidate for public office has the bold tenacity and passion necessary to face the serious challenges of an endless onslaught of illegal aliens invading and occupying U.S. territory. He did more than offer lip service to this clear and present danger to our country. He actually did something about it!
Randy's participation gave The Minuteman Project one of its finest hours and he made each of the 876 volunteers…proud to have served the state of Arizona. I support Randy Graf for Congress.
- Jim Gilchrist
Founder, The Minuteman Project