Political Ranting From a Different Perspective

Today, I would like to introduce you to my mystery guest.  The person has a political angle that is always interesting and though-provoking. Because of the high-profile position this person has, their identity must be kept a secret.  And their views may or may not be similar to my own.  But, who wants to read only posts that are exactly like their own all the time?  How can your political mind expand and learn anything that way?  I know you will enjoy this first guest post........

What was Jan thinking?

Unlike most of my Republican friends, I didn’t want Governor Brewer to sign SB 1070, the anti-illegal immigration boogeyman that continues to frighten good citizens everywhere.  Its not that I’m soft on illegal immigration. Rather, I just don’t like to aggravate liberals and do-gooders.  There is nothing more dangerous to the cause of freedom than a do-gooder with a cause.  And SB 1070 has brought them out of the woodwork by the thousands.  Along for the ride of course are the political and economic opportunists who are now taking free shots at Arizona in order to establish their own civil rights bona fides and hopefully steal our All Star and BCS games, not to mention our tourists and convention business.  These political tick birds get to sucker punch us because no matter what the facts are, America loves to have someone to hate on.  And for now at least, that someone is Arizona.

Oh sure, there are people coming to our defense, or trying to.  But too often the voices of our defenders, the ones carefully and adversely selected by the media, have a hillbilly drawl or are wearing a gun or, even worse, are the good sheriff himself – Joe Arpaio.  That guy gets on TV more than a BP exec and is equally unconvincing.  If you had to select a single person to go on national TV and discuss the how and why of SB 1070’s passage, to explain that really, after all, most of what it does is already allowable under Federal law or to admit, as few are willing to do, that its provisions are not as groundbreaking as its critics and supporters allege, or to put in perspective the frustrations of a state long ignored by the Federal government, better a horse tapping out Morse code with its hoof than Joe Arpaio.  Repeating over and over how he is going to keep doing what he’s doing no matter what the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division says is not the best way to convert the masses.

I think Jan should have vetoed the bill.  If only because it was a Pearce Bill.  Who signs anything from Russell Pearce anyway?  She should have vetoed the bill and blamed President Obama for it.  And while she was at it, blamed Janet Napolitano too.  Immigration, after all, is a uniquely Federal responsibility and Obama and Napolitano are uniquely responsible for it.  If the immigration situation in Arizona is in disarray, why should the Governor have to solve the problem?  Given the tremendous amount of national attention that preceded her signing of the measure, a veto would have been equally newsworthy, especially if it were accompanied by a promise to call a special session to re-pass the bill if Washington did not get busy doing its job. 

Giving Obama and Napolitano a specific length of time, such as 60 days, to do their jobs would have allowed Jan to own the political high ground, highlighted Washington’s indifference to our problems and given us an elevated platform from which to demand the same level of border security afforded California and Texas.  Brewer could have used the SB 1070 boogeyman as leverage, while looking like the reasonable and able person she is.  At the end of 60 days, she would either be signing a popular and populist bill or taking credit for securing the border.  Either way, she wins.