Muskogee County Republicans wanting to strengthen America’s borders, empower the states and get rid of the Internal Revenue Service heard about presidential candidates who want most of those same things at their monthly meeting Thursday.

Representatives for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Texas Congressman Ron Paul and former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson promoted their candidates’ position before about 50 GOP supporters at Jasper’s Restaurant. Absent were representatives for U.S. Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Speaking for Huckabee, former state Sen. Scott Pruitt got the most rounds of applause from those in the room.

“Mike’s not for reducing the tax code but eliminating the tax code,” Pruitt said. “Huckabee said we don’t need a tax on production, we need a tax on consumption. We need to get rid of the imbedded costs of production. He’d like to see a ‘vacancy’ sign at the IRS.”

Huckabee also supports modernizing the efforts to curb illegal immigration and for making borders more secure, he said.

“He was the only candidate talking about illegals going back and starting over” and coming into the United States legally, Pruitt said.

Sharon Caliendo, a Norman political consultant speaking for Giuliani, reminded Republicans that the United States has “two borders to secure.”

“The northern border is the more dangerous because Canadian immigration policies are so open,” she said, adding that Giuliani proposes Border Patrol outposts every 50 miles along the borders.

Giuliani, who was mayor when terrorists hit the World Trade Center in 2001, feels national security is a big issue, Caliendo said. “But so is border security.”

State Rep. Charles Key said Ron Paul wants to shrink the federal government, eliminate the Internal Revenue Service and return power to the states.

“Paul is against income tax,” Key said. “Our problems stem from being so used to big government.”

Paul also opposes American involvement in Iraq, but supports efforts in Afghanistan, Key said.

“The war alone will bankrupt us if we continue on the path we’re on,” he said. “It is costing us $3.5 trillion.”

Several in the audience challenged Paul’s opposition to involvement with Iraq.

“If we just bring them home, who is going to fight the war on terror?” asked Tom Tinnin of Fort Gibson. “The Islamic world wants to kill us.”

Speaking for Fred Thompson, Canadian County businessman Richard Engle, also challenged the anti-war position.

“The most dangerous action in battle is retreat,” he said.

As for immigration, Engle said, “Fred wants a fence” along the borders.

“He never negotiated with chicken factories to hire more illegal immigrants,” he said in an apparent dig at Huckabee.

After the meeting, William Grayson, a custodian at Oklahoma School for the Blind, said he supports Huckabee because, “I believe in some of the same things he believes in.”

“We need to be more dependent on ourselves,” he said. “And, of course, I’m pro-life.”

Grayson was one of about 20 people wearing nametags with the Huckabee logo. Some of those people, however, said they wore them just because they were nametags.

But plenty did voice support for the former governor.

“If you go to our Web site, you’d notice that we had a ‘meet up’ announcement for tonight’s meeting,” said supporter Melanie Grayson.

“I can support any of these guys for president,” said Charlie Wilson of Muskogee. “Giuliani has the leadership, and anyone wanting to do away with the IRS, I like. I like McCain’s position on national security, but he’s been in Washington for too long. And Romney has a lot to offer.”

Jamison Faught, who was in charge of arranging the speakers, said he had called representatives for McCain and Romney before Thursday’s meeting.

“They tried to make it, but they couldn’t secure their schedules to get somebody here,” said Faught, who turns 18 a few days before the Feb. 5 primary.

Reach Cathy Spaulding at 918-684-2928 or Click Here to Send Email