Can we blame Janet Napolitano?

[realFedUp]

Seems like if she had stayed in place as Gov. of Arizona, a lot of
the awful stuff happening in Arizona might not have happened.

I'm not lovin' what she's doing.

I'm Just sayin'

[spanone]

1. she should have consulted a psychic

[realFedUp]

2. I coulda told them before he hired her.

:-)

[tularetom]

3. I'm not going to state the obvious, oh well, yes I will

Appointing her to the Fatherland Security position was the second biggest bonehead move the Obama administration has made (the worst was the appointment of Rahm Emanuel as WH Chief of Staff). She hasn't been very effective or credible in the job and it left the governor's chair open for a republican, and a particularly nasty and incompetent one at that.

Whatever genius in the administration came up with this brilliant idea should immediately be shitcanned. On second thought it probably was Emanuel.

[realFedUp]

4. I second that emotion.

I know Janet endorsed the big O early on and earned a place
in his admin, but IMO a big mistake and I agree with you
re:Rahm too.

[onenote]

5. could you be a bit more specific about what "stuff" in AZ might not have happened?

[realFedUp]

6. Let's see.....

Well, Jan Brewer wouldn't have been Gov. and all the shit she's
put in place. That certainly could be enumerated.
Maybe people wouldn't have been shot in Tucson and
maybe the past election wouldn't have been so hostile
to Democrats in Arizona.

I'm sure you can come up with some more "maybes".

[onenote]

7. sort of what I expected

the idea that Napolitano being governor would have somehow made a difference in whether Loughner went on a shooting rampage is bizarre to say the least as is the contention that politics in Arizona would have been kinder and gentler in 2010 if only Napolitano had stayed on as governor for two more years (she was term limited from running again in 2010). And lets say Napolitano had stayed on -- it wouldn't have stopped the legislature from passing the immigration bill. Napolitano probably would have vetoed it -- she vetoed a lot of bills during her tenure as governor, but that would have only inflamed the repubs more, not calmed the waters. As it is, the repubs picked up enough seats in the 2010 election to have a veto proof majority so even if a Democrat had managed to defeat Brewer for the governorship in 2010 (unlikely as hell), the immigration law would be in the process of becoming law right now with all the attendant sturm and drang.

In other words, the answer to your original question is no, we can't blame Janet Napolitano for any of the "stuff" that's occurred in Arizona.

[realFedUp]

8. Good argument

But neither of us will really know that.

[blogslut]

11. Then what was the point of your original question?

I will never understand why people insist on imagining a past that never happened in an attempt to alter a future that will never be.

[EFerrari]

14. Brewer has been riling people up ever since she took office. n/t

[Hello_Kitty]

10. SB1070, a bunch of odious anti-choice laws, guns in bars, organ transplants not funded

Etc. etc. etc. Napolitano whipped out the veto stamp regularly to check the excesses of the crazies in the legislature. Now they run the asylum.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. When Sebelius left Kansas, we were screwed also

[hfojvt]

12. thanks, I was gonna mention that as well

I was looking at that Senate seat like it was a bowl of chicken soup. Senator Sebelius seemed like a sure thing. And, although I like Schollenberger and Johnson, having a more viable Senate candidate probably would have helped all our other races too.

[dionysus]

13. i'm continually amazed by the daft things i read on the internetz

[EFerrari]

15. It wasn't the best choice. Arizona was already fragile.

You'd think a competent person could have been found somewhere else.