Poizner makes a run for the border to talk immigration control

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With just four weeks to go until election day, immigration has become the hot topic in the Republican gubernatorial primary, thanks to Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Poizner went to the U.S-Mexico border in San Ysidro on Monday to speak to reporters yet again about the need for tighter border controls and the need for the state to ‘turn off the magnets’ that attract undocumented immigrants to California.

Poizner’s move comes as private polls show the race for governor is tightening. This weekend, Poizner released a new television ad focused on the immigration issue.

But Poizner’s trip earned some pointed commentary from Meg Whitman surrogates. In a release circulated by Team Whitman on Monday, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) said, ‘This is another example of Steve Poizner using an issue that he has no interest in addressing but for pure self-interest and political gain. His priority is not addressing illegal immigration, it’s getting elected.’

Poizner spokeswoman Bettina Inclan said the campaign would not respond directly to Issa’s comments but did point out that Issa got it wrong when he said this was Poizner’s first trip to the border. Inclan said the insurance commissioner had been to the border twice before.

-- Anthony York