John McCain: National Guard Should Seal the Border

Arizona Sen. John McCain sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano yesterday calling on Napolitano to send National Guard troops to the "southern border region" between the U.S. and Mexico.

McCain points to "the continued and apparently growing violence" along the border in his letter, which you can see here. He notes the death of an Arizona rancher who was shot to death on his property and writes that the federal government should act to "curb this violence and protect its citizens from criminals coming across the border from Mexico."

"The people of Arizona and the United States demand and deserve secure borders," the 2008 Republican presidential candidate writes. "I hope that you will take a personal interest in ensuring that Arizonans can feel safe and protected on their own property and not live in fear of the increasing violence along the border."

McCain is attempting to fight off a primary challenge from the right from former congressman and conservative talk-radio host JD Hayworth, who has attacked McCain for his position on climate change, campaign financing and, most aggressively, immigration.

Seemingly in response to the challenge, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee has seemed to move right on immigration and other issues. When President Bush was in office, McCain backed immigration reform that would provide a path to citizenship for the millions of illegal immigrants living in the United States -- a position he no longer appears to support.

On his campaign Web site, McCain says that his first priority when it comes to immigration is securing the nation's borders.

"John McCain does not support amnesty and believes that we should not reward lawbreakers," according to the site.

McCain wrote in his letter that he is merely reiterating his past calls for troops at the border. Last year the Obama administration declined a request from the Arizona governor, Jan Brewer, for National Guard troops to be deployed there.