Des Moines Register
07-25-06
Iowans weigh in on Vilsack border decision
Some attribute immigration concerns to the deployment, other say it was
politically motivated
BY TIM HIGGINS AND PERRY BEEMAN
REGISTER STAFF WRITERS
A list already exists of Iowa National Guard volunteers to go to the CaliforniaMexico border, an assignment that could begin as early as next week, officials
said Monday.
Iowa Guard officials were trying to figure out who will be deployed to the border
for duty described as supporting efforts to curb illegal immigration.
The Guard is awaiting word from California officials about what types of skills are
needed, said Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood, public affairs officer for the Iowa National
Guard. Possibilities include the need for soldiers capable of surveillance,
engineering or administrative duties, he said.
As up to 50 Iowa troops prepare to go to the Mexico border, Iowans are judging
Gov. Tom Vilsack's decision - announced Sunday - to send them there.
Some see the move by the governor, a Democrat, as a political decision made
with an eye on the 2008 presidential contest. Others see the move as aiding the
country's efforts to deal with illegal immigration.
"The governor takes very seriously his role as commander in chief of the Iowa
National Guard and would never make a decision on their missions based on
politics," Vilsack spokesman Rodell Mollineau said Monday.
President Bush, a Republican, has asked all states to send troops, but so far only
about a dozen, including Iowa, have signed agreements to do so - making it hard
for the administration to muster even half of the 2,500 National Guard soldiers
planned for the Mexico border this summer. The nation's governors are not
required to send troops.
"While some might look at this as a political issue, the fact is that immigration is
an issue that we as a country face," Mollineau said. "The governor is not looking
at this in political terms."
For weeks, Vilsack's office and California officials have talked about Iowa's role.
Vilsack has stressed that Iowa's part will not include detaining or handling
suspected illegal immigrants.
Immigration policies are expected by many political experts to be a major issue in
the 2008 presidential elections, especially in the West, where large numbers of
Latino immigrants are taking up residence.
Iowa State University professor James McCormick, who specializes in
American foreign policy, said Vilsack is trying to make his mark on the issue.
"He wants to signal his interest in the immigration issue but at the same time not
in a particular punitive way by getting National Guard involved directly on the
board," McCormick said. "If Governor Vilsack is positioning himself for a
presidential run, it seems to me very important for him to get on record his
interest in this and what he would do."
University of Iowa political science Professor Peverill Squire agreed.
"It's a defensive message. I don't think he wants to be seen weak on
enforcement of immigration laws. So by sending a token contingent of Iowa
National Guard, he is demonstrating that he has some concerns about enforcing
the immigration laws on the border," Squire said.
Iowa's presidential caucuses are expected to once again kick off the Democratic
and Republican nominating contests in January 2008.
Recently, Vilsack has begun talking more about foreign policy issues, such as
criticizing the Bush administration's handling of U.S. evacuations from Lebanon
and complaining that the National Guard is being spread too thin.
In Denver at the Democratic Leadership Council, Vilsack continued with tough
talk on foreign policy issues.
"Given the right leadership, given the right set of values, given the right set of
ideas and solutions, we can in fact be safer," Vilsack said during a speech to the
centrist policy group he chairs.
Vilsack's decision received mixed reviews Monday.
Reporter Thomas Beaumont contributed to this article.