By Ian Berry
Staff Writer
Ed Bryant and Bob Corker have gone to Arizona in their effort to win the open U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee.
Mr. Bryant, who faces Mr. Corker and Van Hilleary on the Aug. 3 Republican primary’s U.S. Senate ballot, was at the Arizona-Mexico border on Thursday. From there, he said in a conference call with Tennessee reporters that he is helping build a 10-mile fence on private property to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the border.
During the conference call, he said his background as a prosecutor makes him more qualified to address illegal immigration. He said that Mr. Corker, because of his background as a builder, would have a tougher time addressing the issue.
“I think it would be more difficult, because (builders) would have in some cases, a history of using people who are undocumented,” Mr. Bryant said. “From his background, I think he would bring a different approach than I would clearly have.”
Corker campaign spokesman Todd Womack labeled Mr. Bryant’s comment “a ridiculous and outrageous accusation, characteristic of their desperate campaign.”
“The truth is that people who have worked with Bob Corker know how diligent he is in making sure all workplace laws and regulations are strictly followed,” Mr. Womack said.
Mr. Bryant said he was not accusing Mr. Corker of hiring illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, Mr. Corker appears on the border in Arizona in a television advertisement that began airing this week.
Mr. Corker said he has spent more time than anyone in the race speaking with local government, businesses and sheriffs about the issue.
“Well, I’m glad to see we continue to set the pace in this campaign,” Mr. Corker said of Mr. Bryant’s Arizona trip.
Mr. Hilleary said the immigration problem is pretty simple and must be solved by first stopping the flow of illegal immigrants.
“I don’t have to go down there and look at it and have a marketing gimmick and have a press conference,” Mr. Hilleary said.
Mr. Bryant and Mr. Hilleary are former U.S. representatives.
The three candidates have offered similar views on the immigration problem, opposing amnesty and saying the first step is to close the border.
Mr. Womack criticized Mr. Bryant’s comments.
“While Bob Corker was right here in Tennessee using conservative principles to achieve positive results, Congressman Ed Bryant was in Washington failing to address a worsening immigration problem,” Mr. Womack said.
In the conference call, Mr. Bryant said an overhaul of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service occurred during his time there.
Mr. Corker, like the two other candidates, said he supported a fail-safe identification system that would help employers avoid hiring illegal immigrants.
“I think by and large, the vast, vast majority of employers want to do the right thing,” Mr. Corker said.
Mr. Bryant said he was helping the Minutemen build the new 10-mile-long fence for a rancher. Mr. Bryant praised the Minutemen as “patriots.” The group has called for tighter border controls and an end to illegal immigration.
The winner of the Republican primary is expected to face U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., D-Tenn., in the Nov. 7 general election.
Also on Thursday, Gov. Phil Bredesen asked the state adjutant general to assess whether it would stretch the state’s National Guard forces too far to send them to guard the Mexican border, according to The Associated Press.
Times Free Press reporter Andy Sher and assistant metro editor Michael Finn and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
E-mail Ian Berry at iberry@timesfreepress.com
Staff Writer
Ed Bryant and Bob Corker have gone to Arizona in their effort to win the open U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee.
Mr. Bryant, who faces Mr. Corker and Van Hilleary on the Aug. 3 Republican primary’s U.S. Senate ballot, was at the Arizona-Mexico border on Thursday. From there, he said in a conference call with Tennessee reporters that he is helping build a 10-mile fence on private property to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the border.
During the conference call, he said his background as a prosecutor makes him more qualified to address illegal immigration. He said that Mr. Corker, because of his background as a builder, would have a tougher time addressing the issue.
“I think it would be more difficult, because (builders) would have in some cases, a history of using people who are undocumented,” Mr. Bryant said. “From his background, I think he would bring a different approach than I would clearly have.”
Corker campaign spokesman Todd Womack labeled Mr. Bryant’s comment “a ridiculous and outrageous accusation, characteristic of their desperate campaign.”
“The truth is that people who have worked with Bob Corker know how diligent he is in making sure all workplace laws and regulations are strictly followed,” Mr. Womack said.
Mr. Bryant said he was not accusing Mr. Corker of hiring illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, Mr. Corker appears on the border in Arizona in a television advertisement that began airing this week.
Mr. Corker said he has spent more time than anyone in the race speaking with local government, businesses and sheriffs about the issue.
“Well, I’m glad to see we continue to set the pace in this campaign,” Mr. Corker said of Mr. Bryant’s Arizona trip.
Mr. Hilleary said the immigration problem is pretty simple and must be solved by first stopping the flow of illegal immigrants.
“I don’t have to go down there and look at it and have a marketing gimmick and have a press conference,” Mr. Hilleary said.
Mr. Bryant and Mr. Hilleary are former U.S. representatives.
The three candidates have offered similar views on the immigration problem, opposing amnesty and saying the first step is to close the border.
Mr. Womack criticized Mr. Bryant’s comments.
“While Bob Corker was right here in Tennessee using conservative principles to achieve positive results, Congressman Ed Bryant was in Washington failing to address a worsening immigration problem,” Mr. Womack said.
In the conference call, Mr. Bryant said an overhaul of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service occurred during his time there.
Mr. Corker, like the two other candidates, said he supported a fail-safe identification system that would help employers avoid hiring illegal immigrants.
“I think by and large, the vast, vast majority of employers want to do the right thing,” Mr. Corker said.
Mr. Bryant said he was helping the Minutemen build the new 10-mile-long fence for a rancher. Mr. Bryant praised the Minutemen as “patriots.” The group has called for tighter border controls and an end to illegal immigration.
The winner of the Republican primary is expected to face U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., D-Tenn., in the Nov. 7 general election.
Also on Thursday, Gov. Phil Bredesen asked the state adjutant general to assess whether it would stretch the state’s National Guard forces too far to send them to guard the Mexican border, according to The Associated Press.
Times Free Press reporter Andy Sher and assistant metro editor Michael Finn and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
E-mail Ian Berry at iberry@timesfreepress.com
