Arizona Democrat Napolitano Cannot Now Slink Away From Her Own Immigration Reform Bill
By J. James Estrada (06/30/07)
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, with the defeat of the Bush-Kennedy immigration reform bill, is now in a very tenuous position. On her desk is a bill passed by the Arizona Legislature that calls for tough employer sanctions for any business found to knowingly hire illegals in Arizona. Napolitano had said this week that she has made a decision on whether or not to sign the bill into law, but will make the announcement on Monday. Why Monday? Likely because she thought her friends in the Democratically-controlled Senate would get their bill passed and she would then conveniently kick the Arizona bill down the road saying it wasn't necessary now that the Feds were taking responsibility.
Here's how she responded to the news out of Washington , D.C. yesterday: "I am sorely disappointed by the Senate's failure today to act on this issue of such national importance," said Napolitano. "For years now, I have spoken out on the devastation, the lack of action from the federal government and the desperate need for reform. By leaving it unattended, Congress is shirking its responsibility to not only Arizona, but the entire country."
Translation: "You're making me make a tough decision (something I loathe to do). I thought I could take cover with my old standby of saying the problems of illegal immigration is a federal matter. Now I have to actually take a stand. Hillary, Harry, my old friends, you said it wouldn't come to this!" [For the record, Napolitano was put in place as U.S. Attorney for Arizona by Bill and Hillary when they fired all the U.S. Attorney's in 1993 – she ascended into higher office from there].
All of us in Arizona await her decision next week, which, incidentally is a shortened holiday week.
J. James Estrada
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