Minuteman Civil Defense Corps founder Chris Simcox is expected to announce today that he will challenge Arizona Sen. John McCain in a Republican primary in 201o:
PHOENIX — The co-founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps in Arizona will challenge Sen. John McCain in the 2010 Republican primary.
Chris Simcox — who rose seven years ago from an obscure newspaper publisher in Tombstone to a national figure in the debate over how to control the U.S.-Mexican border — is scheduled to appear today at a press conference outside the state Capitol, where he will announce he is stepping down from his position with the Minutemen to challenge McCain.
I have a great deal of respect for Senator McCain and the sacrifices he made in the service of this country but he’s part of the problem in Washington and it’s time for him to go.
That said I’m not sure how much of challenge Simcox will be… If the Obama Administration and Democrats in the House and Senate push hard for amnesty this year and it becomes a galvanizing issue for the base, McCain’s in trouble. If not, Simcox will be stuck between a rock and political hard place. He won’t be able to tact to the right on immigration in primaries without alienating a sizable chuck of the electorate he’ll need to win in the general.
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