Alan Gentges is running against John Sullivan, a Republican bastard and a half who the Democratic Party has been trying to unseat for several elections now without success.
I just got this e-mail from the Gentges campaign, quoting a Tulsa World article in which Gentges challenges Sullivan on his claim that "Al-Qaeda terrorists are sneaking into the U.S. across the Mexican border." Article text is below the flip.
The Gentges campaign really thinks it has a shot this year, because Sullivan is being challenged on the right by an Independent candidate, though the national media, including the netroots, has been pointedly ignoring Oklahoma. I think this is a wrong strategy--especially since competitive races are emerging in Kansas, for example. I'd like to put this diary on recommend and have people check out Alan's campaign site and donate some money to him:
http://www.gentges4congress.org/
Tulsa World article:
Tulsa World: Terrorist Claim Draws Challenge
First District congressional candidate Alan Gentges has challenged incumbent John Sullivan's claim that terrorists might be infiltrating the United States through its southern border.
"Some of these things have clearly been debunked," Gentges said Tuesday in a telephone interview.
"It appears he (Sullivan) is practicing the old politics of fear."
In a separate prepared statement, the Bartlesville Democrat said Sullivan's assertion that Korans and other Islamic materials have been found along the U.S.-Mexico border are untrue.
Gentges also demanded that Sullivan document his claim that Islamic terrorists have offered to pay Latin American drug smugglers as much as $100,000 a head to sneak them into the United States.
"In a conference call today about immigration," Gentges said in his statement, "the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence (Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.) was asked about Mr. Sullivan's assertion that Korans and prayer rugs have been found near the southern border. She said there is no evidence -- classified or unclassified -- that this information is true.
"I also question Mr. Sullivan's claim that al-Qaida is offering $100,000 per person to illegal immigrants to guide them across the Mexican border. I challenge Mr. Sullivan to clearly identify his sources or retract these statements."
Sullivan, a Tulsa Republican who is seeking his third full term, has tied illegal immigration to terrorism several times in recent months, including earlier this week during an appearance at a Tulsa retirement center.
In response to Gentges, Sullivan issued a statement reiterating that link but without specifically mentioning the southern border.
"There is no doubt that per sons from a variety of countries, including those in the Middle East, are trying to sneak across our border," he said. "We have apprehended some of them -- for example, 101 from Pakistan in 2005 -- but we should expect that we have not captured all of them."
The Pakistanis did not reach the U.S. through Mexico. According to an Associated Press report, it has become "almost impossible" for citizens of Pakistan to obtain Mexican visas because of security concerns.
"We are limited in what we can say about specifics," Sullivan's statement said, "but the general lawlessness in the border region, combined with a determined enemy, are trying to take advantage of our lack of border security.
Gentges said Sullivan's is "an extreme, unworkable approach" to illegal immigration.
"The proper approach to immigration in general is to not make people afraid," he said. "We need a congressman who is sure of his facts. The motivation should not be to make people afraid. I can't abide by that approach.
"I believe that our policy on the war on terrorism is too important to be based on rumors or innuendo. It's time to end the politics of fear."
By RANDY KREHBIEL, Tulsa World Staff Writer