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Goldwater Lambasted for 'Tent City' Plan: Candidate's Call for Entrant Camp Draws Ire of Top State Republicans

Posted on: Saturday, 24 June 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Daniel Scarpinato, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

Jun. 24--Top Arizona Republicans pounced Friday on gubernatorial candidate Don Goldwater's plan to build a "tent city" for illegal immigrants, who would be required to build a fence along the border and clean the desert.

The criticism came from Sen. John McCain and U.S. Reps. Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake, who have all advocated for a moderate -- or "comprehensive" -- approach to immigration.

Goldwater's plan apparently incited controversy after the publication of a story by EFE News, a Spanish-language news agency.

Without attribution, the publication equated the tent city to a concentration camp, a comparison Goldwater says he has never made. There's no evidence he has ever used that description.

But his tent plan isn't a new one. He's talked about the idea since announcing his candidacy last fall. He even wrote a letter to President Bush last month advocating the idea.

"Either change the laws or uphold the laws," Goldwater said Friday. "When I go into another country, the minute I set foot in the country, I live by the letter of their laws. We should expect the same."

Goldwater, nephew of longtime Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, is seeking the Republican nomination for governor in a four-way race. A poll released in May showed Goldwater as the front-runner, although support for all the candidates was low.

Goldwater says what he has suggested is no different than what's being done by hundreds of correctional organizations throughout the country.

Under his plan, illegal immigrants would be prosecuted through existing laws and they would serve time in a tented area near the border, cleaning the desert, building a fence and repairing ranches.

Goldwater said that he expects the three Republicans to pull back from their strong accusations.

"We are working with the Republican party to get the full story back to them so they can hopefully clarify their position," he said.

But McCain, who could not be reached to elaborate on his written statement, used strong language in criticizing the plan.

"That Mr. Goldwater is either unaware of or indifferent to the loaded symbolism, injustice and un-Americanism of his 'plan' to address the many serious issues caused by illegal immigration reveals his flaws as a candidate, and a stunning lack of respect for the basic values of a generous and decent society," McCain said in his release.

McCain also attempted to paint Goldwater as out of touch with his famous uncle's legacy.

"I hope that Arizona Republicans, no matter how passionate they feel about the issue, will not want Barry Goldwater's Republican Party to be associated with such an obviously inappropriate messenger," McCain said.

Kolbe said: "This is a sad day in the national debate on immigration policy. It is time for all people to renounce such abhorrent ideas and return the debate to a discussion of workable, reasonable and compassionate policy."

Goldwater has become known for tough talk about the border.

During an April debate, Goldwater said, "Mr. Bush, build this wall now," putting an border spin on Ronald Reagan's famous Berlin Wall speech.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Arizona Daily Star

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