The Coronado National Forest in southern Arizona features beautiful views, open spaces, well-maintained roadways, sprawling oak trees, a pleasant climate, lots of wildlife, and drug and alien smugglers. In fact, visitors to the tax-supported national forest are greeted with an entrance sign that says, "Travel Caution: Smuggling and illegal immigration may be encountered in this area."

And the National Border Patrol Council, which represents all 12,000 of the agency's non-supervisory agents, is not happy about it.

"There's tons of trash, shootings, stolen cars, shooting and a pit in your stomach if you dare take your family there for a 'relaxing' day, weekend, or vacation," the council's Local 2544 in Tucson posted on its Web page. "Needless to say, it's almost always bereft of the good, solid, taxpaying American citizens who should be enjoying it."

If Sen. John McCain, the Republican whose home state is Arizona, should become president, Local 2544 believes there will be another huge amnesty program and "the rest of America can start looking forward to these types of 'recreational' areas as well." Local 2544, which has bitterly opposed the McCain candidacy, also noted that "a Border Patrol agent and a fine family man" was killed in broad daylight by a drug smuggler in another recreation area last month, the Imperial Sand Dunes about eight miles west of the Arizona-California border.

"Thanks for your support Sen. McCain. Please keep selling us out so we can look forward to more deaths, more rockings, more shootings, more assaults and more mayhem. If McCain can contribute to this much mayhem in his 'home' state by encouraging millions more illegal aliens to come here with incessant pandering and promises of future massive amnesty programs, just think of the damage he can do as your president," the local said.

— Jerry Seper, national political reporter, The Washington Times

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