Readers following the curious tale of Senator Day's run for the border ( part of his run for the GOP endorsements in MN-01) will recall that Star Tribune reporter Mark Brunswick wrote:
"Accompanied by members of the Minuteman Project and later by federal Border Patrol agents, Day drove and hiked miles back into the desert, where, he said, he encountered thousands of discarded backpacks and hundreds of pairs of shoes strewn along the path known locally as the Amnesty Trail. Illegal immigrants had discarded the clothing and equipment after making it across the border."
As we posted early yesterday, that passage tweaked our curiosity about the process by which elected officials could get federal Border Patrol agents to accompany them as they "drove and hiked miles back into the desert." Surely, we reasoned, there must be a procedure, since the hard working men and women of the Border Patrol quite literally have their hands full trying to enforce the law. Sudden, unannounced visits and escort duty probably aren't part of that job description--even our local police force, who are far less stressed than the Border Patrol, generally like a heads up and requests through proper channels for ride alongs.
A call to the Border Patrol press office in Washington D.C. routed us to the dedicated agent in charge of setting up such visits for the media, politicians, and other dignitaries. Indeed, Ramon Rivera informed us, there is a process through which the press and politicians can gain insight through a ride along.
No, Senator Day had not made such a request through his office, and Rivera wrote us after a little double-checking:
Sen. Day did not officially visit the Tucson Border Patrol Sector.
How, then, did Senator Day get to be "[a]ccompanied . . . later by federal Border Patrol agents" when he "drove and hiked miles back into the desert," as Brunswick wrote?
We have an answer below the fold.
Dave Bertrand left a comment on the post, in which he offered an explanation:
I'm not sure how I came across this posting, but let me assure everyone, Senator Dick Day did in-fact talk with 3 U.S. Border Patrol agents for a period of approximately 20 minutes at MM15 on Hwy 286 with 18 apprehensions that were waiting for Wackenhut transportation.
The agents were also talking with Darla Jaye, from the Darla Jaye Show (KMBZ Radio Kansas City).
I personally asked for permission from the senior B.P. agent if we could take pictures, etc.
Therefore, the article in question is correct, however, NO...I did not get a chance to go through proper channels at the time. The pictures are available...
Dave Bertrand
Media Relations Director (AZ)
Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (MCDC)
According to our traffic logs, Bertrand came into BSP via http://www.wikio.com/news/Dave%20Bertrand, which brought him to our November 19 post about Day's visit to Arizona.
Now, we believe that Day did spend 20 minutes talking to Border Patrol agents while the federal law enforcement personnel waited for Wachenhut to pick up the 18 detainees. That explanation, however, paints quite a different picture from Brunswick's account, which has Border Patrol agents accompanying Day as he "drove and hiked miles into the desert."
Bertrand noted in this first answer that he had not gone through proper channels on behalf of Day. Judging from the account of the Washington, D.C., Border Patrol agent in charge of arranging media and visiting dignitaries ride along with the Border Patrol agents, neither had Day.
We asked for more information from Bertrand, including details about the talk show host (had her presence been arrranged through the Border Patrol's official channels?). Bertrand kindly sent a more elaborate email answering our questions.
As we noted in our first post in this series, Bertrand did not send the picture of Day talking with the Border Patrol agents, as it is the Minutemen's policy not to take such pictures. Bertrand wrote:
I personally escorted the Senator to the 'lay-up' area where 3 illegal aliens were spotted by our search and rescue (advance team). The I.A.'s were carrying large backpacks, most likley drugs. We had MCDC air support that communicated with our volunteers that were with Border Patrol agents, about 1/4 mile from the Senator.
That afternoon (11/17/07), I escorted the Senator to Sasabe to view the government fence. Behind us was KMBZ (Darla Jaye and her producer). At approximately 3pm, we spotted Border Patrol at mile marker 15 on hwy 286 with 18 I.A.'s
I exited the vehicle first and talked with a captain and told him that I had Senator Day with me and KMBZ. I asked for permission to have the Senator and the KMBZ folks exit the vehicles for pictures. The Senator and Darla Jaye, both talked with agents for approximately 20 minutes about the border crisis.
It does not appear as if Border Patrol agents accompanied Day anywhere. Rather, Day and a talk show host (one with Minnesota roots) were going to visit the fence that the United States government is building along that section of the border, when they came up a group of agents doing their job. Once his escort obtained permission in the field, Day spent 20 minutes talking to three agents.
Not quite the bold trek through the desert in the company of agents that Brunswick depicted for Star Tribune readers.
And it looks as if the Minutemen tried to make contact with the Tucson office on Day's behalf:
I told at least 3 agents the day before that I would have the Senator with us and to please contact their supervisor accordingly. I had also put in a request for the Senator to meet with officials from the Tucson Sector, through Agent Fitzgerald, via our Operations Chief, Lance Altherr, but Agent Fitzgerald did not respond.
And the presence of the Kansas City talk show host:
FYI...
Generally, MCDC does not make those arrangements with Washington, but often enough, we encounter Border Patrol agents everyday when we have media, therefore, questions are asked and the agents respond.
Re: KMBZ
Her show should be archived now at: www.kmbz.com
She did a live show from Camp Anvil here, the day before the Senator showed-up.
Okay then. And there's this final bit:
I hope that straightens-out the misconceptions about the Senator's visit with the Minutemen, especially with B.P. in Washington D.C. Obviously, Washington has no record of the Senator's visit, but the Senator was able to get Border Patrol's perspective while he was here.
Thanks for taking the time to correct the post....
Dave
Now, we are quite willing to believe that Day heard the opinon of three Border Patrol agents. Moreover, we'd bet the farm that they were polite and professional: that's our (limited) experience with all federal law enforcement personnel. We should expect no less, and the Border Patrol deserves both our respect and adequate funding for their mission.
However, Bertrand's statements don't clear up "misconceptions" in our post. Senator Day's press release implied--and Brunswick's news articles clearly stated--that Day was "accompanied" on his tour of the desert by the Border Patrol. Not so: the Minuteman tour stopped when it came across agents watching detainees.
It's not so much the Minutemen's role in the story that we find most deeply troubling. Rather, it is Day casting himself as a heroic observer on the border--and the Strib's failure to question his self-portrayal.
What emerges from Bertrand's two accounts--coupled with Rivera's explanation of the process by which elected officials can participate in ride-alongs with the Border Patrol and the Strib article--is a picture of a politician seeking his party's endorsement who is willing to manipulate public perceptions of his trip to the border. The fanciful tale would surely raise Day's stature among that part of the GOP activist base which believes immigration to be the most pressing issue for Minnesota's First Congressional District.
Much of that concern among conservatives springs from a respect for law and order, for people following process. By not going through the proper channels with the Border Patrol, while leaving all arrangements to be made by his hosts, Day reveal a troubling disregard for the process as he executed his publicity stunt. After decades of service as an elected official, frequently in leadership positions, he has little excuse for doing an end-around the Border Patrol itself as he grandstands on immigration politics.
In today's Star Tribune, Day rants against failure of leadership in our state and tells readers to look solely to the DFL for the explanation of that failure. He asks that leadership reject the gimmick and the sensational when it comes to transportation issues:
I suggest we stop the grandstanding, threats and fearmongering and get serious about a solution.
Grandstanding? Day's representations of his Arizona trip--and the Strib's stenographic account of it--are a case study in grandstanding. As for fearmongering, we will let others consider that aspect of this trip. One thing is clear: Day was willing to ignore the process of working officially with the Border Patrol to learn about their situation in favor of a quickie photo op.
And what did that photo op yield? In the picture at the top of this post, Day poses in front of the detainees as if he were a tourist standing before the Grand Canyon. It's not a picture of leadership, but a snapshot of opportunism.
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