Romney Robo-Caller's White Nationalist Controversy

[babsbunny]

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/11/mitt-romney-paul-babeu-white-nationalists

Arizona sheriff Paul Babeu recorded robo-calls for the GOP front-runner in Iowa. In 2010, he appeared on a radio program that watchdog groups say is "overtly racist."

—By Tim Murphy

When GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney deployed his first robo-calls in Iowa last week, he went straight for the soft underbelly of his most serious rival. "Rick Perry is opposing a border fence and granting in-state tuition benefits to illegal immigrants," the caller said. "Rick Perry is part of the illegal immigration problem."

The voice belonged to Paul Babeu, the sheriff of Arizona's Pinal County and a possible Republican congressional candidate. As Romney looks to ding Perry for being insufficiently tough on undocumented immigrants, the support of such a high-profile law enforcement official could be a valuable asset—especially given the former Massachusetts governor's own wobbly history on the topic. But Babeu comes with some serious baggage. Over the last two years, the federal government and local politicians have repeatedly chided Babeu for making sensationalist, unsubstantiated allegations about border violence. Babeu has called President Obama "the enemy" and said the president has come close to committing treason through his immigration policies. He has also come under criticism by for appearing on a white nationalist talk radio program that's been a frequent platform for white supremacists.