Immigration

George Wallace in a dress defies the federal ‘guvmint’ again

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Brewer_hateIt must be an election year again. George Wallace in a dress, Governor Jan Brewer, is out waving her Neo-Confederate "states rights" flag and demonizing Latino children as she demagogues to the nativist and racist base of the modern-day Tea-Publican Party. It worked so well for the Arizona GOP in 2010, they have decided to double-down and do it again in 2012.

When Willard "Mittens" Romney talks about a campaign of "division and attack and hatred," he is projecting onto his opponents the modern-day Tea-Publican Party.

On Wednesday, the Obama administation's DREAM Act-Lite (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) policy went into effect. Thousands of young undocumented immigrants lined up Wednesday hoping for the right to work legally in America without being deported. Thousands line up for right to work legally in US – East Valley Tribune.

So naturally, George Wallace, er, Jan Brewer decided to stick her boney finger in the face of President Obama, once again, and waved her Neo-Confederate "states rights" flag by declaring that the state of Arizona will not comply with the laws of the federal "guvmint" — the ghost of George Wallace blocking the school house door defiantly telling President Kennedy, "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever!" Jan Brewer orders denial of benefits to illegal immigrants Obama is allowing to stay – East Valley Tribune:

Gov. Jan Brewer on Wednesday told state agencies to deny benefits and even driver's licenses to those illegal immigrants the Obama administration will allow to remain in the country.

In an executive order, the governor said the "deferred action'' program for those who arrived as children does not actually grant them any legal status. And that, she said, makes those in this category ineligible for public benefits under the terms of a 2004 voter-enacted measure.

PDF: Executive Order 2012-06

Brewer also said driver's licenses will be off limits to those in the deferred action program because state law prohibits the Department of Transportation from issuing licenses "unless an applicant submits proof satisfactory to ADOT that the applicant's presence in the United States is authorized under federal law.''

But that directive flies in the face of current ADOT policies which say that licenses are available to anyone with an Employment Authorization Document issued by the federal government without further documentation.

Andy Thomas’ Judicial Tyranny Conspiracy Theories

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By Michael Bryan

Thomas123Disgraced and disbarred, almost-Arizona-Attorney-General Andy Thomas published a conspiracy-theory laced diatribe on 'judicial tyranny'. It is an impressively reality-challenged piece of political propaganda. The defining feature of propaganda is hyperbolic and unsupported assertions lacking any sort of proof or factual basis: Andy's rant has this feature in spades.

Let's take a look at what Andy has to say, and point out it's many, many problems. Andy is in bold and I'm in italics…

[hat tip to Sonoran Alliance for publishing this oozing sore on the face of our public life…]
Read the oozing sore, and my attempt to apply antibiotic, after the click…

Maricopa hullabaloo: Can the Dems beat Arpaio?

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by Pamela Powers Hannley

Maricopa County Democrats smell blood in the water. The notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio is facing multiple legal battles– finally— and the Dems think that maybe… just maybe… they can oust him from the office he has held for decades.

There are two Democrats running in the primary: John Rowan and Paul Penzone. There is a lot of verbal wrangling amongst Maricopa Dems regarding who is the best candidate. (Hey, it's politics.) Rowan, who has come out strongly as anti-SB1070 and pro-reform– is seen as the more progressive choice. Labeled a "party darling" by activists, Penzone is much better funded than Rowan– but not anywhere near as well-funded as Arpaio, who has millions on hand to trounce a challenger. 

Is Maricopa County ready to clean up the sheriff's office? 

Watch videos of both candidates after the jump.

Saturday Editorial, July 21, 2012

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In the flurry of news and opinion gusting out of our computer screens and smart phones, it is easy to become ‘news blind’ – so focused on the flakes and flurries that we forget where we are headed. We stumble confusedly ahead with no map to our destination. It’s easy to get lost in the storm.

Donkeysatmanger2I personally read almost every news source in Arizona – and keep up with national reaction to our politics, as well – in bringing to readers of BlogForArizona the Arizona Donkey Feed, which appears on our right-hand sidebar every day (you may also have the Feed emailed to you daily). So I, too, often find myself in that blizzard without a map.

I decided I might like to sit down once a week and take some time to look around, and identify what I think are the most significant landmarks around where we stand now. It might not be a map that will tell us where we are headed, but maybe I can get some idea of where we are. Over time, perhaps it will become a map of sorts.

I would also like to let you all know that Matt Heinz, candidate for Congressm in AZ’s CD 2, will be guest-host at Drinking Liberally in Tucson. Come down to the Shanty of 4th Avenue this Wednesday at 6pm and enjoy a beer with Matt.

So, here are some thoughts on what I think are the most important, or just most interesting, developments in the past week in Arizona’s politics…

The Immigration Debate Ignores Topographical Reality

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By Karl Reiner The anemic economies of Latin America have never been a U.S. foreign policy priority. There were always more important matters to contend with: the Cold War, events in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  As the American economy expanded, it attracted job seekers from the sluggish economies to the south.  They followed … Read more