Johnson Says Gitmo Comment Misconstrued

Published July 18, 2010 at 8:28 a.m.

ATLANTA (AP) Republican gubernatorial candidate Eric Johnson said his comments about creating a Guantanamo Bay in Georgia for illegal immigrants were misconstrued.

In a debate taped on Friday and sponsored by WSB-TV, Johnson said ``if we have to set up a Guantanamo Bay of Georgia, I would do it.''

Johnson told The Associated Press on Saturday that he didn't mean to suggest that he wanted ``to scoop up people and put them in camps.''

The former state senator from Savannah said he was trying to explain that if Georgia adopts an Arizona-style immigration law there will be more illegal immigrants arrested ``and you have to find a place to put them.''

Johnson is one of seven candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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