McCain Defends Controversial Illegal Alien & Wildfire Remarks: ‘I’m Puzzled’

Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:24am by Jonathon M. Seidl
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John McCain says he’s “puzzled” that there’s a controversy surrounding remarks he made suggesting illegal immigrants were responsible for some of the massive wildfire in eastern Arizona.

McCain tells NBC’s “Today” show all he was doing was repeating information he’d been given by federal officials at a briefing that occurred before he appeared at a news conference last weekend.

McCain said in an interviewTuesday, “We all know that people who come across our border illegally … that these fires are sometimes, some of them, caused by this.“ He said ”I’m puzzled .. that there should be any controversy.”

McCain earlier had said that illegal immigrants “have set fires because they wanted to signal others … and they have set fires because they wanted to divert law enforcement agents.”

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Comments (66)

TH30PH1LUS
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 10:11am
John McCain,

The idiots who spit on our military and threw feces at them during the Vietnam War now run our society. They teach America’s students, and walk the Halls of Power. They laughed with glee when men like yourself were taken as POW’s.

Please stop being surprised, you should be well acquainted with their anti-American, freedom-hating, commy-warped perspective – even when confronted with plain facts such as, who started a fire.

Lawbreaking Illegals are their patron saints. Don’t speak ill of their heroes or you will be spanked by the schizophrenic media.
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- Rowwdy
  Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:07am
  Amen th3oph1lus!
  Report Post »
azghost
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 10:09am
I live and have lived 125 miles north of the mexico border all my life. In the last 5 years I have been to the border area many times, it’s a dump down there and the illegal aliens do start fires to hide their presents, you can see burnt places all over our national park. While I‘m no fan of Mr Mccain and haven’t voted for him in years. He does have this right. Mr Obama and friends have put up signs telling Americans to stay away from our own land, because he refuses the rule of law. And now he refuses to go after illegal aliens because he needs the Hispanic vote to win in 2012. We are at a cross roads do we continue into darkness or will we seek the light of the America that once was?
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- Arizona Don
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:42pm
  I used to live in Douglas and know what you are saying.
  
  I’m not surprised McCain is confused he has been confused for many years and I know I’m from
  Arizona and a conservative, but I quit supporting him over 6 years ago when it was obvious how confused (liberal progressive) he really is.
  Report Post »
elphi43
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 10:05am
The MSM is puzzled, its self. You are suppose to be their RINO,… and here you go on record saying that SOME illegal aliens have caused SOME of the fire, according to trusted state officials.
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Eliasim
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:51am
Guess what McCain? If you are puzzled by their reaction, then you clearly have no place in the White House.
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azsmitty
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:32am
Immigrant activists are upset…………………yeh, cause McCain is hitting too close to home, “illegals” are setting fires not immigrants. Immigrants come into the country via legal means ie. Visas’ for legal work or education opportunities and to become US Citizens…..illegals enter under the cover of darkness via human traffickers bringing them across wildness areas off limits to anyone but those who refuse to obey laws….you know , “illegals”. They are no different than one who commits burgulary of a residence. America is the residence of its “Citizens” those who enter illegally are no better than common thugs.
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sjohn70037
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:29am
REMEMBER: Sarah Palin endorsed this moron.
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Deanna in Missouri
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:22am
For one I am going to completely stop myself from saying “illegal immigrants” and correct others that say that. It is “Illegal Invaders”.
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DiscoBall
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:17am
Does Smokey the Bear speak Spanish? I guess not…
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nomercy63
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:17am
Mccain I had to vote for last time around and I am still picking the bugs out of my teeth!!
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calebgs83
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:12am
Let me explain it to you…the media HATES republicans!
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SamIamTwo
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:10am
Illegals do make fires in the night, while camping out under the stars. Maybe a lettuce puller forgot to put out the camp fire, eh?
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- TomFerrari
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:56pm
  They also cook rats near the border in camps. (Border patrol has found evidence)
  They also set fires to delay Border Patrol Agents, and to divert them.
  One of the current fires is reported to have been set in a national (or maybe state) park while it was CLOSED. This increased the likelihood that illegals set it, as they are known to camp in such places regardless of posted hours / overnight policies or whether it has been completely shut down to the public for extended periods.
  Report Post »
sbleve
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:10am
Senator McCain is reeling under his near nothing notoriety – political. Arizona re elected this Senator, full knowing that he is inside the chicken pen, while his rival opponent was the fox still outside of that pen.

However the realization some of the wild land fire origins currently in the Southern border area have been caused possible by illegal alien trespassers is founded in historical fire data. Southern California 3 counties have any number of fires with origins related to illegal alien campfire use in the past 40 years.

Additional consideration is that the drug movement thugs currently dominating the illegal alien invasion has left its fingerprint everywhere. There is no known pre requirement of these illegals to have common sense regard for campfire safety. How many have ever seen Smoky Bear?
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Conkuur
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:00am
I love how the left titles the clip “McCain suggests immigrants caused wildfires” NOT ILLEGAL!, just poor helpless immigrants who can barely afford lighters or matches let alone the skills to start a fire! We should all be ashamed! LMAO.
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- sbleve
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:16am
  Illegal, alien, Liberal , left.
  
  How to fool the foolish. There never has been a socialist-Left of our Constitution person that has advocated Liberty of thought.
  Report Post »
NevaDan
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:00am
Can’t someone tell this old fool to shut up and get off the stage!
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starman70
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:59am
McCain finally has spoken what everone in Arizona and the rest of the people in the southwest already knew. He is being villified by the press and those who want to keep he flow of illegals and the drugs they bring going.

They are thlnking about bringing home troops from Afghanistan, let’s station them along the border with Mexico and stop the influx of these illegals. We have a war here at home, just as, if not more dangerous to America than anything anywhere in the world.
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let us prey
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:58am
ughhh
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normbal
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:58am
How soon we forget. The so-called palestinians have used forest fires as a method of jihad and terrorism for decades. IIRC there were vast cedar forests in Jordan which were burned down in the 80′s before the remnant Palis were evicted from the country. Do a web search on this topic, it’s still happening in Israel. Settings fires diverts attention from other issues and costs enormous amounts of time, money and resources which could be better used elsewhere. As a tool for jihad I believe it’s mentioned in the Manchester UK al qaeda manual.
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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:47am
.
McCain ‘I’m Puzzled’? Well John so are the rest of us…………….
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Gonzo
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:45am
In the world today, the truth is often the enemy of progressives.
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- randy
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:51am
  @GONZO “Often???” I can’t think of “any” instance where the truth is not the enemy of progressives.
  Report Post »
Ironeagle
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:42am
Duh, John…you’ve been in bed with the left so long, how does it feel like to wake up and smell the reality of smoke?!
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IMPEACHBHO
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:40am
Not PC, therefore freedom of speech is voided, even if the truth, and you will be attacked by the power freaks on the left. Is this what we want in America? HELL NO!! We all need to stand up for our freedoms or we will lose them.
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- IMPEACHBHO
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:10am
  Hope this wakes you up McCain, but I doubt it.
  Report Post »
randy
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:29am
Of course John…. Didn’t you know? In todays world, the truth is a lie and a lie is the truth.
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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:27am
Indeed some large fires are natural, some are man made; anyone also consider the possible reason could be one of the drug groups or the terrorist bands could be setting them to see what the reaction of the border guards and first responders are?
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Aaron in Polk County
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:27am
The only people hot about this are the illegal aliens you gave Voter registration, In-State Tuition, Welfare and Driver’s licenses too.
Enjoy your constituency, Senator McCain!
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- TomFerrari
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 5:57pm
  well stated
  Report Post »
NOBALONEY
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:26am
Give names.
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- lovenfl3
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:34am
  While I do agree with his comments on this issue, it’s time for “the maverick” to sit down and shut up. We don’t need this guy involved in the 2012 election. John McCain had his chance last time, and look how that worked out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWDHs-GnHh8
  Report Post »
- ozchambers
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:36am
  I’m still puzzled how this guy won the nomination in 2008.
  Report Post »
- Stuck_in_CA
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:36am
  @NOBALONEY “Give names.”
  
  Maria, Juan, Jose….
  *************
  Check this:
  http://americanpatrol.com/
  Report Post »
- Patrick in AZ
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:51am
  Just a few weeks back there was a fire southeast of Tucson. That fire was reported as having been started by illegal immigrants on the news (of course I think they used the term migrants, but we all know what that means). So why anyone is confused by what McCain said is beyond me.
  Report Post »
- NOBALONEY
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:54am
  @ STUCK Those are good, but I want the name of the forest service official.
  Report Post »
- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:57am
  McCain, thank you for your service, but I think you were hit too hard, on the head, by your POW captors. Puzzled? Nah, must be that dementia you’ve had for all these years. Even partial liberalism is a mental disorder.
  Report Post »
- Sinista MACE
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:59am
  He was pandering to people who are against amnesty, and he came up short.
  
  He’s the biggest proponent of amnesty.
  
  He tried a switcheroo, and it didn’t work.
  
  Most of us call it a flip-flop…I call it lying and deception.
  Report Post »
- SamIamTwo
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:08am
  MSMs are not a puzzle to me…they avoid the real news and I bet McCain was briefed on the possibilities…
  Report Post »
- salvawhoray
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:21am
  @ozchambers
  
  Because the lame stream media pick him, just like there trying to get “Mitt R.“ to run against ”Obama” this time around.
  F! Mitt.
  Report Post »
- ozchambers
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:38am
  @SALVA: Correct, you are! I’m not gonna play the stupid game where I voted for McCain because he was the lesser of 2 evils. THIS time around there are now two candidates that I will NOT EVER vote for if they win the Republican nomination. Mitt is one of them and Jon Hunstman, Jr. is the other. I will vote 3rd party if there is a candidate who “gets it”. Even if one of those progressive repubs WINS against Obama, it will not save our nation from complete ruin because they have proven themselves incapable of recognizing either the problems OR the solutions.
  Report Post »
- HogansHero
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:57am
  We are being attacked on so many fronts right. That is part of the government plan to keep us running to fight all the battles they throwing at us. We need to find a way to retake our country front these crooked, well organized, conspirators that are now leading our country. It is time to weed the garden before there is no garden left! McCain is a weed. Sometimes he tries to look like a pretty flower, but anyone that knows what Morning Glory looks like will know that it a very bad weed that will choke your garden if you let it.
  Report Post »
- drbage
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 10:59am
  The more I see and hear out of this RINO, I wonder when he is going to flip over to the Democrat side along with Sen. Grahamnesty.
  Report Post »
- Sound The Trumpet In Zion
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 11:06am
  There is no controversy, it is only the usual brainiacs making whatever claims they want to redirect the focus from the illegal aliens, who by the way, probably are responsible for at least some of the wildfires. Especially since it is curious that this is happening after Arizona started getting tough on the illegal aliens.
  Report Post »
- QweeQwa
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 11:36am
  @ ozchanmbers
  
  You said, “I’m still puzzled how this guy won the nomination in 2008.”
  
  What is even more puzzling was who he choose to be his running mate.
  Report Post »
- chazman
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 11:45am
  … yer puzzled, John, because you are on the cusp of dementia.
  Report Post »
- militiaman
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 3:06pm
  Sinista MACE
  Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:59am
  “Most of us call it a flip-flop…I call it lying and deception.”
  
  Well, you should know pothead. That’s all you do on this forum.
  Report Post »
- Rowwdy
  Posted on June 22, 2011 at 8:57am
  Thanks for the link Stuck_In_CA. Good info.
  Report Post »

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