Dems critical of Cornyn border claims

WASHINGTON, March 5 (UPI) -- Democrats in Washington are taunting Texas Sen. John Cornyn for a tweet claiming he has a "friend" who witnesses 300 illegal border crossings a night.

If true, crossings on that one piece of property would eclipse the number of estimated border crossings by more than double what the Obama administration says takes place in all of Texas each year. Democrats charge it's unlikely such a "friend" with property in south Texas exists.

Cornyn, facing re-election in 2014, made the remark as a bipartisan group of senators works to draft comprehensive immigration reform, a key element of which is border security.

The Republican senator did not respond to a Dallas Morning News request to comment Tuesday on his statement. That gave the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee more than enough fuel to needle Cornyn in an email to reporters, subject lined "Who's your mysterious 'friend' John Cornyn?"

"It's time for John Cornyn to stop ducking and dodging reporters' questions and verify the truthfulness of his claim," said DSCC spokesman Justin Barasky. "John Cornyn's continued refusal to reveal his source amounts to an admission that this was nothing more than his latest effort to endear himself to the far right ... . John Cornyn either owes Texans an explanation, or needs to admit that he's simply making stuff up."