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.
A coked out homeless dude could run against McCain for all I care. McCain is too dangerous to be kept in office.
Simcox will lose.
I will offer it as my gift to Mr. Simcox!!
I may build a small, but satirical web site after Saturday.
Oh come on now, John ran an “honorable” campaign against Emperor Zero. Sure let’s feed Sarah Palin to the wolves on day one, Katie is so nice.... One has to confront EVIL with FULL FORCE. John, take your honorbale campaign BS back to your immigration HQ.
Just Darn... Now I’m going to feel obliged to make a campaign contribution to this guy, and I don’t even live in AZ.
I believe you may be thinking of Jim Gilchrist, not Chris Simcox.
“Has he run for office previously ?”
All the better if he hasn’t...
The referenced website requires a username and password to view the article. Is the information posted elsewhere so we can link to it?
Amen to that!
I hope so!
It’s encouraging that Republicans are waking up and realizing that we can’t win as a moderate party. Getting rid of Specter in PA and McCain in AZ is a good step in the right direction.
Wake-up.
Simcox will get crushed by McCain in the primary.
This is a horrible turn of events for those who truly want to oust McCain.
Let's see, Specter and McCain have consrervative challegers, where are they for rino's Snowe and Collins?
If Simcox and his supporters or anti-illegal alien supporters can get one or several anti-illegal immigration ballot initiatives on the primary ballot and the general election ballot , then McCain will be toast.
That seems like a manageable task for the upstart Simcox, one he has the organizational strength to pull off to better his personal chance against McCain.
The Rino party would then back McLame like Specter and say any thing less than Rino.inc. would hand a filibuster proof senate to Democrats.
i want a website. i’ll send the guy $10 right now. :)
“Wake-up.
Simcox will get crushed by McCain in the primary.
This is a horrible turn of events for those who truly want to oust McCain.”
And you say this based on...nothing.
“I don’t think he’s “out there,” except with respect to thinking the Senate is a good place for a beginner politician.”
Well, Al Franken didn’t let that stop him...
Please don’t waste your money on supporting Simcox until you find out who Sarah Palin will be supporting in this contest.
If Sarah supports McCain, it’s game over for Simcox.
Instead send the money to SarahPAC; you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck.
Let’s also not forget that McCain was on the verge of a recall elelection until 911. After that, the effort was pulled “for the good of the country.”
There are a lot of people in AZ who want McCain out of there!
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