Radio Hosts Lead Charge to Free Agents

There are dozens of radio talk-show hosts broadcasting this week from Washington, D.C., as part of a rally that aims to pressure Congress to defeat an illegal alien amnesty bill, protect the border, and support the U.S. Border Patrol. But the president isn't planning any meetings with them, according to a spokeswoman.

Dana Perino was responding to a question from Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House. He asked, "The president has more than once invited up to two dozen talk radio hosts to broadcast from the White House. But now, while three dozen are broadcasting on Capitol Hill for three days on illegal immigration, we have received no such presidential invitation or even word of welcome. And my question, does the president wish we would all go home?

"I think you're talking about apples and oranges, Les," said Perino.

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"If the president really feels as you contend he does, when will he visit us on Capitol Hill or invite us to the White House?" Kinsolving asked.

"I didn't know there had been an invitation. But we do talk-show radio day every once in a while. We'll keep you in mind for the next one," she said.

The talk-show hosts from across the nation, including Texas radio talk-show host Edd Hendee and colleagues such as Roger Hedgecock and Howie Carr, are working with organizers of the Hold Their Feet to the Fire 2007" rally now going on .

The Federation for American Immigration Reform in Washington, D.C., will feature 19 straight hours of talk-show broadcasting by various hosts. One of their topics will be Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, two former Border Patrol agents serving 11 and 12 year sentences for their actions in the shooting of a drug smuggler, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, as he fled back to Mexico after driving across the border with a load of 742 pounds of marijuana in February 2005.

U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton gave the smuggler immunity to serve as the government's star witness and testify against the border agents.

Hendee's call to remove Sutton comes after news of the arrest of Cipriano Ortiz-Hernandez, the stash house operator involved in a second drug smuggling attempt Aldrete-Davila made, after being given immunity.

"When a U.S. attorney allows a Mexican national like Ortiz-Hernandez to operate a drug stash house without being arrested for almost two years, there's no excuse," Hendee told WND. "It's a clear dereliction of duty on the part of Johnny Sutton."

Hendee pointed out it's now known that millions of dollars worth of marijuana went through Ortiz-Hernandez's home in Clint, Texas, over a two-year period.

"Ortiz-Hernandez should have been indicted and arrested so his whole operation could have been busted up and put out of business, long before Aldrete-Davila showed up to drop off his second 'October load,'" Hendee said.

Hendee hosts a morning show on KSEV in Houston and KVCE in Dallas–Fort Worth.

FAIR has created a Border Patrol Family Fund, called "Defend Those Who Defend Us," for Ramos and Compean. The fund will be split between the two families at the rally banquet today.

Among the broadcasters scheduled to attend the FAIR rally are:

• Hedgecock, KOGO-AM, San Diego

   

• Carr, WRKO-AM and syndicated, Boston

   

• John and Ken, KFI-AM, Los Angeles

   

• WND columnist Les Kinsolving, WCBM-AM, Baltimore

   

• Janet Parshall, Salem Radio Network

   

• Armstrong Williams, WWRL, New York

   

• Phil Valentine, Westwood One, Nashville

( http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55360 )