GOP Nominee Proposes Landmines For Mexico Border
The Republican nominee for a northern New Mexico congressional seat suggested during a radio interview that the United States could place land mines along the Mexican border to secure the international boundary.
Asked Monday to clarify, Tom Mullins emphasized that he does not advocate doing so.
"I am not suggesting we do that," he told The Associated Press.
Mullins said border security came up during a radio interview last month, when he was campaigning for the GOP nod to run against Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M.
Mullins subsequently won the primary on June 1.
During the May 18 interview with KNMX radio in Las Vegas, N.M., Mullins said the U.S. could mine the border, install barbed wire and post signs directing would-be border jumpers to cross legally at designated checkpoints.
"We could put land mines along the border. I know it sounds crazy. We could put up signs in 23 different languages if necessary," Mullins says in the radio interview, where he also expressed concern that terrorists could carry a nuclear weapon across the Mexican border.
He explained Monday the suggestion about land mines was something he'd heard while campaigning, and that it came in response to a complaint that nothing could be done to secure the border.
"When I heard it, I said, 'Well, that's an interesting concept,"' Mullins said.
As he did in the radio interview, Mullins went on to say the national laboratories could be directed to develop non-lethal detection equipment to improve border security.
"People are concerned about securing our borders," Mullins said. "We're hopeful we don't have additional terrorist attacks. They expect our central government to actually do something and not avoid the problem."
A spokesman for Lujan's campaign had no immediate comment.
Matt Martinez, host of the "Political Watch" radio program, said Mullins spoke during a proposed forum for congressional candidates. His GOP primary opponent, Iraq war veteran Adam Kokesh of Santa Fe, didn't attend, so the event became a one-on-one interview.
Martinez said some listeners complained about Mullins' remarks.
"It was crazy. I probably got 20 calls that day. I'm still getting calls," Martinez said.
Mullins, a petroleum engineer from Farmington, is running in the 3rd Congressional District. The northern and eastern New Mexico district doesn't include any part of New Mexico's border with Mexico. The 2nd District in southern New Mexico has a 180-mile stretch of international border.
AP Asked Monday to clarify, Tom Mullins emphasized that he does not advocate doing so.
"I am not suggesting we do that," he told The Associated Press.
Mullins said border security came up during a radio interview last month, when he was campaigning for the GOP nod to run against Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M.
Mullins subsequently won the primary on June 1.
During the May 18 interview with KNMX radio in Las Vegas, N.M., Mullins said the U.S. could mine the border, install barbed wire and post signs directing would-be border jumpers to cross legally at designated checkpoints.
"We could put land mines along the border. I know it sounds crazy. We could put up signs in 23 different languages if necessary," Mullins says in the radio interview, where he also expressed concern that terrorists could carry a nuclear weapon across the Mexican border.
He explained Monday the suggestion about land mines was something he'd heard while campaigning, and that it came in response to a complaint that nothing could be done to secure the border.
"When I heard it, I said, 'Well, that's an interesting concept,"' Mullins said.
As he did in the radio interview, Mullins went on to say the national laboratories could be directed to develop non-lethal detection equipment to improve border security.
"People are concerned about securing our borders," Mullins said. "We're hopeful we don't have additional terrorist attacks. They expect our central government to actually do something and not avoid the problem."
A spokesman for Lujan's campaign had no immediate comment.
Matt Martinez, host of the "Political Watch" radio program, said Mullins spoke during a proposed forum for congressional candidates. His GOP primary opponent, Iraq war veteran Adam Kokesh of Santa Fe, didn't attend, so the event became a one-on-one interview.
Martinez said some listeners complained about Mullins' remarks.
"It was crazy. I probably got 20 calls that day. I'm still getting calls," Martinez said.
Mullins, a petroleum engineer from Farmington, is running in the 3rd Congressional District. The northern and eastern New Mexico district doesn't include any part of New Mexico's border with Mexico. The 2nd District in southern New Mexico has a 180-mile stretch of international border.
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68 Comments Add a Comment See all 68 Comments
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- http://whoistommullins.com/
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- Poor guy is feeling down now that we stopped the torture...
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- I am also NOT in favor of Illegal Immigration, but my God! What does he want to do, start blowing up Children?
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- Just when you think the GOP could not get any more BatS**T crazy, they go ahead & prove you wrong!
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- A few things...to comment we have to be informed if not we look ignorant, like Mullins did...anyway, if a person does not have documents they can't apply for goverment aid, the jobs these immigrants do, are the ones a citizen won't do, because maybe they think they are too good, they prefere to go an apply for welfare since they are citizens, then how easy we forget...how the unfortunate terrorist attacks happened? I never heard it was an "illegal immigrant" crossing the border running days and nights in the desert; these men had money to find the ways to reach their targets...how sad, terrorist have money to fund they horrible acts and they aim to kill innocent people that is just trying to survive..ha, this sounds familiar.."We could put land mines along the border. I know it sounds crazy. We could put up signs in 23 different languages if necessary,Well, that's an interesting concept"...
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- This whole subhect is such a half baked crusty one. I means seriously use landmines? Wouldnt it be far simpler and less expensive if we simply started fining employers who hire illegals $100,000 per offense and also start fining landlords who rent to them? Also how about simply requiring proof of citizenship for goverment aid? If they cannot get any goverment aid and cannot work or have a place to live they wont bother crossing in the first place!
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- OUTSTANDING. I WOULD VOTE FOR THIS GUY!!!!!!!!! Lets DO IT. FYI in 25 years this country will be done, our children will be living on the streets and mexico will rule, it will be just like mexico is now, drug loards and gangs. Thank god i will be dead by then.
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- Okay, I disagree with the part of a landmine that would take a life. However as an alternative, there is a liquid spray that is in use in many stores so that when someone breaks in it soaks them with this chemical that is only visible under ultra-violet light. So what if they were giant paint bombs loaded with this chemical so that they could be identified from a helicopter or various businesses as soon as they entered. Then the GOP would still have their bombs and no physical injuries.
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- Put a microphone under the nose of an idiot and this is what you get...he'll be a fine addition to the collection of useless GOP protoplasm in Congress.
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- Another sound, sane solution from the GOP!
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