The John McCain campaign has some harsh words for J.D. Hayworth over comments the former congressman made in regard to McCain calling on the National Guard to be deployed to the U.S./ Mexico border in wake of a the murder of an Arizona rancher over the weekend.
Police suspect that the Cochise County rancher, Robert Krentz, was murdered by an illegal immigrant he found on his property on Saturday afternoon. The Cochise County Sheriff's Office tells New Times there are no suspects in the case and that the only evidence they're willing to share suggests that an illegal immigrant was involved -- a set of footprints that lead from the murder scene to the Mexican border.
In response to the murder, McCain sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking her to beef up security along to border -- something McCain spokesman Brian Rogers says the senator has been requesting for a while.
Hayworth, who is running as the "consistent conservative" and is an outspoken opponent of illegal immigration, put out a statement saying McCain was only making the request because it is an election year and he's trying to appeal to conservative voters.
"I'm glad John McCain has decided to join the effort to secure our borders. I only wish this same passion and fervor had come sooner. One day of anger and outrage does not make up for 28 years of inaction," Hayworth says.
Rogers says Hayworth is suggesting that McCain has Krentz's blood on his hands because of "The Maverick's" failure to act -- a suggestion Rogers finds both "despicable and dishonest."
"Congressman Hayworth should be ashamed of himself, because he clearly knows that what he's saying today simply isn't true. In fact, nearly a year ago, on April 20, 2009, Hayworth on his own radio show played footage of Senator McCain telling 12 News Phoenix that more resources were needed, including the National Guard, to secure the border," Rogers says.
Rogers even hooked us up with a statement McCain issued in March 2009 calling for more security on the border. Check it out here.
Hayworth campaign manager David Payne didn't immediately respond to our request for comment.
