Duncan Hunter: "I'll Complete the Border Fence, Pardon Border Agents"

Contributed by Thomas C. Hanson

Apr 18, 2007 at 12:00 AM

When Duncan Hunter speaks, Duncan Hunter picks up conservative votes. The San Diego congressman, ranking member of the House Armed Services committee and presidential candidate, spoke to the Greenville County Republican Women, April 13 at the Poinsett Club. He delivered his message of securing the U.S.-Mexican border,strong defense, fair trade and commitment to appoint pro-life judges, which resonated with club members and guests. Rep. Hunter’s speech was in advance of the Greenville County Republican convention April 21 at which a presidential straw poll will be conducted. Many club members are convention delegates and were in attendance Hunter’s speech. Securing the nation’s borders Rep. Hunter’s efforts in Congress have resulted in more than 59 miles of border fence being constructed in San Diego County. The border between San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico, was the No. 1 smugglers corridor in America, where most people and narcotics were smuggled. The San Diego fence dropped the smuggling of narcotics and people by 90 percent, and FBI statistics showed that the crime rate for San Diego dropped by 53 percent. Rep. Hunter wrote the Secure Fence Act to extend the San Diego fence 854 miles across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. President Bush signed the bill, but the money is sitting in Homeland Security, and only two miles of fence have been built. Rep. Hunter said that “if that border fence is not finished when I become president, I will complete the border fence from start to finish in six months.” He pledged to pardon U.S Border Patrol agents Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos, who were sent to prison for slightly wounding a drug dealer trying to bring 750 pounds of drugs into this country. Hunter’s thoughts on family Rep. Hunter held up a copy of the Jan. 31 Times Examiner with a lead article about his presidential campaign kickoff in Spartanburg Jan. 25, which contained photos editor Bob Dill shotof the congressman and his granddaughter Sissy and his grandson Duncan III. Rep. Hunter noted that if a judicial nominee can look at a sonogram of an unborn baby and not see a valuable human life, “then I will not appoint that candidate to the federal bench.” International relations On Jan. 11 the Chinese shot down one of its own old weather satellites in orbit. Rep. Hunter noted that the United States has military satellites in space that help guide weapons systems, aircraft and troops, and that when China shot down that satellite they heralded an era of military competition in space. He also noted that as president, “I will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.” Rep. Hunter said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Syria and Israel earlier this month “hurt the Democrat party and made it look silly.” She “embarrassed herself and hurt our country, because it gives our adversariesthe idea that we are a fractured nation, and that the president does not have the full faith and support of the U.S. Congress in foreign policy.”  Rep. Hunter pledged to scrap unfair trade deals and negotiate new ones that benefit the United States and provide a level playing field. Message to America’s critics Rep. Hunter said this to the critics of America: “When your countries were sick, we brought you medicine. When you had floods, the Americans were there, asking for nothing, taking nothing, only helping. When you were hungry, we brought food. When you had tsunamis and earthquakes and hurricanes, Americans came to help you. When you were invaded, we left the security of our own homes to come and protect you. America is a great country because America is a good country, the greatest nation on the face of the earth.” Rep. Hunter concluded: “God still loves this nation. We are still a people of character, hope and faith. So with the confidence in the goodness of the American people and faith in God and the support of my family, I am running for the presidency of the United States, and I hope you will join me.” The Hunter campaign web site is www.Gohunter08.com.