Where's the fence?

Rep. Duncan Hunter put President Bush on the spot by asking, "Where's the fence?"

With only a small fraction of the border fence between the U.S. and Mexico complete, California congressman and Republican presidential candidate Duncan Hunter is warning President Bush the construction mandated by the Secure Fence Act is falling drastically behind schedule.

"Unless construction is promptly accelerated," Hunter wrote in a letter to Bush, "deadlines for the completion of fencing will not be met."

President Bush has a lot of pluses and a lot of minuses. Illegal immigration and border insecurity are among his most obvious minuses.

The Bush administration's unwillingness to build a border fence, even when mandated by a law Bush signed as recently as Oct. 26, 2006, questions the credibility of Bush's denial, especially when the border with Mexico remains wide open today, nearly six years since the Bush administration declared war on terrorism.

Hunter's letter points out the Secure Fence Act calls for completing 392 miles of fencing from Calexico, Calif., to Douglas, Ariz., by May 30, 2008.

Additionally, the act mandates 30 miles of fencing be completed in the Laredo, Texas, sector by Dec. 31, 2008.

Be sure to read the entire piece at the above link. The fact that the fence has been and is such low priority for this administration is a major point of contention for otherwise supporters of President Bush.