Minuteman To Challenge McCain In Primary

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Senate 2010

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Chris Simcox, who founded the border-patrolling Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, plans to challenge former Republican presidential nominee and current Arizona senator John McCain in the Republican primary in 2010.

Ben Smith, who reported the story today, points us to Simcox's Web site. Here's a bit from the "border security" section:

Immigrants new to this country need to learn what freedom is and how you go about keeping it. They need to learn to speak our language to be a productive part of our work force. For American citizenship to have real, lasting meaning, we must reject the amnesty that causes even more to come here illegally, we must secure our borders and create a legal immigration system built on a rubric of national security and economics with the welfare and job security of the American citizen first and foremost in the design.

Smith reports that Simcox plans to formally announce his candidacy at an event at the Mexican border tomorrow; in a release, he will say that McCain "has failed miserably in his duty to secure this nation's borders and protect the people of Arizona from the escalating violence and lawlessness."

McCain, long known as a moderate on immigration, gave up on his immigration reform legislation during the Republican primary campaign.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by OneTerm April 22, 2009 1:09 PM EDT: Simcox is change I can believe in.; Reply to this comment


by truth-b-toll April 22, 2009 11:47 AM EDT: SlimCox is JOKE! BUNCH OF RACISTS TERRORISTS ! CRY & WHINE ALL YOU WANT IT WILL NOT MAKE A BIT OF DIFFERENCE...; Reply to this comment


by starleo146 April 22, 2009 8:39 AM EDT: I wish Simcox all the luck in the world, and at the same time I do not underestimate the power of Money, of which Cindy has, and he will need, the republicans the champions of dirty tricks are the two parts and most important part of there platform. Dirty tricks and Money.; Reply to this comment


by oftencensord April 21, 2009 9:28 PM EDT: McCain should just retire. After his pathetic 2008 campaign he is a laughing stock. Despite all his cumulative Government experience he could not even raise a credible debate with Obama 's social justice positions. His lack of leadership allowed Obama and his supporters to exchange the individual freedoms Americans had died to secure, for US Government control of opportunity, control of state governments, control of private banks, silencing dissenting opinions, catastrophic spending, taxation and redistribution of wealth never seen before.; Reply to this comment


by 45ford April 21, 2009 7:41 PM EDT: I have already made a donation to the Simcox for Senate campaign via his website. Others need to do the same. It's time to flush McCain and his b.s. into history.; Reply to this comment


by taceva April 21, 2009 7:01 PM EDT: Republican values?????????? no such thing; Reply to this comment


by rdncoic April 21, 2009 6:05 PM EDT: Goodbye Mr. McCain,
Lots of respect to you as a soldier statesman, but you do not have Republican Values. Take a nice vacation and relax with your mom!

Goodbye.; Reply to this comment