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

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

It 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.

Our lawless legislature and governor are going to wind up in court, again, pissing away your tax dollars in their futile attempt to refight the Civil War:

Potentially more significant, an attorney who specializes in immigration law says the governor's action is illegal.

Regina Jefferies acknowledged that those who will be part of the deferred action program will not have legal status. What they have, however, is "lawful presence.''

"They've got permission to be here,'' she said.

In fact, Jefferies said the whole concept of deferred action, while vastly expanded under the president's announcement, is not new. She said federal immigration officials have similarly classified others in the past, such as victims of domestic violence, and made their presence legal.

Jefferies said that classification will not entitle those in the new program to things like food stamps. But she said anyone who is granted deferred action can sue — she believes successfully — if the state denies any of these people a driver's license.

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Brewer's [idiot] press aide Matthew Benson sidestepped questions of what Brewer thinks should happen, long term, to those who were brought here as children and currently have no legal status.

"That's not what this is about,'' he said.

No, it's not. It's about a cynical short-term political strategy to turn out the nativist and racist base of the Tea-Publican Party this November.

This has the potential to backfire by awakening the slumbering giant of the Latino vote in Arizona who may finally turn out to vote this November. Jan Brewer could become the next Pete Wilson, the California governor who awakened the slumbering giant of the Latino vote in California with his Prop. 187 (similar to Prop. 200 in 2004), and turned California into a solid blue state.