AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano is likely to head Homeland Security

[lady lib]

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) has been chosen to serve as secretary of the vast and troubled Department of Homeland Security for President-elect Obama, Democratic officials said. Napolitano is a border governor who will now be responsible for immigration policy and border security, which are part of Homeland Security’s myriad functions.

Napolitano brings law-and-order experience from her stint as the Grand Canyon State’s first female attorney general. One of the nation’s most prominent female elected officials, she made frequent appearances on behalf of Barack Obama during the campaign. She was re-elected to a second four-year term in 2006.

............

In 2005, TIME magazine named her one of America’s five best governors, calling her “A Mountaineer on the Political Rise.”

TIME reported: “The one issue Republicans think they can use against the popular Napolitano is illegal immigration, because the huge number of border crossings have left many Arizonans feeling overwhelmed and powerless. Her critics claim she came to the problem late, but she seems to have navigated it deftly. … Napolitano opposed … several bills that targeted illegal immigrants. Instead, she looked to the systems and people that make illegal immigration possible: she ordered state contractors to ensure that their employees are legal set up an undercover unit to catch forgers of identity documents … In mid-August she declared a state of emergency in Arizona to direct more funds to protecting border areas from illegal crossings.”

The Democratic officials said Napolitano has not been officially offered the job but is likely to be named and to accept. The selection was first reported by CNN.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15815.html

other links
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/19/janet-napolitano-homeland_n_145093.html
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Napolitano_picked_to_head_Homeland_Security_1119.html

[silverojo]

1. THIS IS A DISASTER!!

Arizona needs her as governor! Those RW kooks they have for Congresscreatures and Senators will strip away all the good she's done for Arizona!

This is just unspeakably awful for the Grand Canyon State. :(

[lady lib]

2. Exactly what I was thinking!

We need our Janet to be the ADULT and to keep saying NO to our state legislators and all their not so great ideas -- like being able to bring guns into bars -- because we all know how well bullets and alcohol mix.

She has been wonderful for Arizona. I really can't imagine what it's going to be like here without her.

[Undercurrent]

3. She is term limited anyway,

and will be out in 2010.

[my3boyz]

13. Perhaps that is why she might do it. She would only have less than

a year left in Arizona. Hmmmmmmm...

[Bicoastal]

7. Great, Obama picks a woman, a non-DLC'er, a non-Chicagoan, and non-Palinesque "Outsider..."

And now people aren't happy because she's so awesome we can't remove her from her state.

ARRRGH, will we NEVER be satisfied?

[bunnies]

16. +1. nt

[knowledgeispwr]

18. Never ever.

LOL. Obama isn't even in office yet and he's already terrible to some people here.

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. Actually, she is a DLCer:

http://www.ppionline.org/ndol/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=106&subid=122&contentid=254270

http://www.ppionline.org/ndol/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=104&subid=116&contentid=254745

http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=106&subid=122&contentid=253665

The DLC will be well represented in the Obama administration.

[LynneSin]

23. I kept hoping she'd run against John McCain for Senator

I'd love to have Janet in the Senate!

[scheming daemons]

28. Sorry... the well-being of the entire nation trumps the well-being of one state

[ccharles000]

4. I had hoped she would run against John.

If Napolitano does indeed accept this job, that both removes her from contention for a 2010 Senate race, and also would move up Republican Jan Brewer, Arizona's Secretary of State, into the Governor's mansion. Brewer is already mentioned as a likely candidate for Governor in 2010, so this would obviously give her a big leg up for the entire field.

[Colobo]

5. Excellent choice! I'm loving the cabinet!

[lady lib]

6. Let me add one more thing

If Napolitano accepts an offer to go to Washington, it would set up a handover of executive power to Republicans from Democrats. Secretary of State Jan Brewer, a Republican, would take over as governor if Napolitano leaves office before her terms ends in 2010.

http://www.azcapitoltimes.com/story.cfm?id=9890


Oh my, be calm my heart

:scared:

[DemFromMem]

8. Won't there be a special election to complete the term ?

[Sebastian Doyle]

9. No, it would be an immediate promotion for Brewer (right wing neocon)

Because AZ has no Lt. Governor, so SOS is next in the line of succession. Arizona has been gradually turning blue, and Janet has been a big part of that. I figured that she might have got tapped for AG, but declined because she didn't want to leave the state under these circumstances. Like I said in another thread on this subject, she may not be the best pick for Homeland Security, because she's been the governor of a border state that's had a bit of an "immigration problem" and the Repukes are going to make a huge deal out of that in the media and in the confirmation process, should she actually be the official choice. And McCain will probably be the head cheerleader in that witch hunt.

None of it bodes well for Arizona Democrats. Maybe Janet needs to stay where she is for now?

[happychatter]

12. if McCain wants AZ to be red, why would he lead the charge against confirmation?

and isn't McCain's own record a sticking point, for the GOPs largely anti-Hispanic, xenophobic base?

Napolitano must have been great for Arizona... she is DLC, I believe.... BUT she ran on Public Campaign dollars.

I really like her

Isn't Public Campaign financing a driving force behind Arizona's shift from deep red?

I don't know... honest questions here.

[lady lib]

10. I think so...hmmm.

I looked up the AZ Constitution and here's what it says in Article 5 Section 6:

6. Death, resignation, removal or disability of governor; succession to office; impeachment, absence from state or temporary disability

Section 6. In the event of the death of the governor, or his resignation, removal from office, or permanent disability to discharge the duties of the office, the secretary of state, if holding by election, shall succeed to the office of governor until his successor shall be elected and shall qualify.

------

What does that mean? Is the successor elected during the next regular cycle or during a special election???

[lady lib]

11. According to the AZ Republic the answer is NO.

Her departure would send ripples through Arizona politics. Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer, next-in-line to the governorship, would serve the remaining two years of Napolitano's term - putting all three branches of state government under GOP control.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2008/11/20/20081120napolitano1120.html

OMG.
OMG.
OMG.

[GoldenOldie]

15. Disastrous for Arizona??? Outstanding for US

Everyone speaks of her failures on illegal immigration, yet none speak nor know of her involvement and expertise with the growing drug wars/killings, along the borders of Arizona and Mexico. Gov Napolitano, has first-hand knowledge and has acquired respect and admiration from all agencies and personnel both local and Federal who are dealing with these threats to our Nation.

We not only ME terrorists, we have drug-lords on our Southern borders, fighting not only each other, but willing to cross our borders and kill anyone and anything that get in the way of their expansion.

As a Southern Arizonan, and with a family-member who has worked closely with Gov Napolitano, I only pray, that Gov Napolitano's work and record for all of Arizonans will not allow the Republicans to go back to the days of yore under previous Republican Governors such as Evan Meecham.

[AzDar]

14. Jesus, NO! Homeland Security is a joke. We need Janet to finish out her term here, desperately.

She's pretty much the only sane member of our state government.:cry:

[brianna69]

17. Excellent choice

[jillan]

20. If Obama takes her - Az is screwed!

The rest of our state is run be repugs of the worse kind.
And unfortunately this last election didn't change anything :(

[lady lib]

22. Yup, In the short run.

But after the knuckle draggers make a mess of things (and there's no reason to believe they won't), perhaps AZ voters will realize we need a balance of power and vote accordingly during the next election cycle.

Dunno. I'm trying to look on the bright side of this even though I'm quietly having a heart attack :(.



BTW, hey pirhana :hi:

[jillan]

27. I was really disappointed in the results of the last election.

Az still has such a long way to go.

How have you been?
I was actually thinking about you about 1 month ago.
I was driving on Hunt Hwy, and was wondering what ever happened to you :)

[calico1]

21. I'm sure she is very qualified but...

I really hate to see Democratic senators, governors, etc. picked that will be replaced by Republicans. Aren't they taking this into consideration?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

24. Richard Clarke - who better?

[wildflower]

25. I love this, but Arizona really needs Napolitano...

there are so few Democrats left in AZ after this last election.

I'm really torn here.

[Barack_America]

26. I like it.

Puts the emphasis of "Homeland Security" on immigration rather than on terrorism/imperialism.