Arizonan will head Homeland Security

[Heisenberg]

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

Arizonan will head Homeland Security
By: Mike Allen
November 19, 2008 11:35 PM EST

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.

Transition insiders have long expected that she would be offered a Cabinet slot, although she had also been mentioned for other posts, including attorney general.

Napolitano, 50, endorsed Obama in early January, just as the primaries were kicking off, and the female up-and-comer's decision to back the Illinois Senator got widespread coverage.

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 [and] 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.

Her official bio says: “Janet Napolitano was sworn in as Arizona’s 21st Governor on January 6, 2003. She is the first woman in the nation’s history to serve as U.S. Attorney, State Attorney General and Governor in immediate succession. Prior her election as Governor of Arizona, Napolitano served one term as Arizona Attorney General and four years as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. Born in New York City and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she is a distinguished alumna of Santa Clara University and the University of Virginia Law School. She has lived in Arizona since 1983, when she moved to Phoenix to practice law.”

[Hostile]

Okay, now I am pissed. I am losing a great Governor. Not good, great. She was our Attorney General for a long time, now our Governor. In every capacity she has reached across party lines and made decisions for the good of the people in Arizona.

It is a very good choice.

[poke]

thanks for sharing her with the rest of us....glad to hear your thoughts
on her.

[Achozen]

I like Janet. When I was in Jr High she came and spoke at our school.

[arglebargle]

Good to hear that resounding support. May she continue to do well. What's the likely situation in AZ for her replacement? Lt Gov any good there?

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Okay, now I am pissed. I am losing a great Governor. Not good, great. She was our Attorney General for a long time, now our Governor. In every capacity she has reached across party lines and made decisions for the good of the people in Arizona.

It is a very good choice.

I'm sure cajun will be along shortly to explain to you why this selection sucks...

Look at it this way, Hos-- losing Napolitano probably means that McCain keeps his Senate seat when he stands for reelection... Janet was probably the only politician in Arizona who could have beaten him...

So, knowing you to be a McCain fan (and I too consider him to be a good Senator), there is a silver lining for you in this cloud...

[masomenos]

Fantastic selection. Obama really seems to be building a strong cabinet.

[Beast_from_East]

Good pick, she is a very respected Governor.

[Hypnotoad]

CHANGE!!!!

oh wait...am i doing that right?

assume i have trollish intentions.

CHANGE!!!! you CAN beLIEve in.

ahh much better.

[masomenos]

Originally Posted by Hypnotoad

CHANGE!!!!

oh wait...am i doing that right?

assume i have trollish intentions.

CHANGE!!!! you CAN beLIEve in.

ahh much better.

Oh, well done...

Maybe a little too well done...

[NinePointOh]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Okay, now I am pissed. I am losing a great Governor. Not good, great. She was our Attorney General for a long time, now our Governor. In every capacity she has reached across party lines and made decisions for the good of the people in Arizona.

It is a very good choice.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but she would have been term limited out in 2010 anyway. She'd have less than a year left as governor no matter what.

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by NinePointOh

Correct me if I'm wrong, but she would have been term limited out in 2010 anyway. She'd have less than a year left as governor no matter what.

Yes, she is barred for a 3rd term, but that doesn't help much.

Silverbear is right, she could have run against McCain for his Senate seat. I don't know if she could have beat him, but I wouldn't be shocked. She might not run against him though. They are quite close and have a tremendous respect for each other. If he were to retire, I am sure she would run.

She is very respected in this state by both sides of the political fence.

She is a good choice for Homeland Security because she is quite familiar with the immigration problems along the border. She has been involved with improving conditions along our border with Mexico.

[Sasquatch]

Shows that Obama is taking immigration seriously since Janet N.'s presumed to be inexperienced on terrorism but very knowledgeable about border and immigration issues.

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by Sasquatch

Shows that Obama is taking immigration seriously since Janet N.'s presumed to be inexperienced on terrorism but very knowledgeable about border and immigration issues.

IMO Sas, she did a real good job here with those issues.

Another thing that I thought was small but impressive. You remember that huge bridge collapse in Minnesota a couple of years ago? She ordered every bridge in Arizona, no matter how small, be inspected in 1 week's time.

I'll miss her if she takes the job. I'd vote for her for just about any position truth be told.

[WoodysGirl]

Napolitano is no stranger to Washington scandals

By Writer Sharon Theimer, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 18 mins ago

WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama's likely pick for Homeland Security secretary, Janet Napolitano, is no stranger to headline-making Washington scandals and controversies.

Napolitano was a U.S. attorney in Phoenix, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, when the Justice Department decided against prosecuting Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain's wife, Cindy, for the theft of prescription drugs from her medical charity.

Mrs. McCain went public in 1994 about her prescription drug addiction, admitting she stole medicine from the charity several times between 1990 and 1992. A doctor wrote prescriptions at her direction for medical missions around the world, and she sometimes increased the amounts, keeping some for herself. The Justice Department decided against prosecuting Mrs. McCain after she agreed to undergo drug treatment. She said in 1994 that she had kicked her addiction.

Napolitano spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said Thursday that Napolitano was acting U.S. attorney at the time and recused herself from the Cindy McCain matter because Napolitano was awaiting Senate confirmation.

"The governor was interim U.S. attorney. She did have responsibilities of the office but was waiting confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Because McCain would ultimately vote on her nomination and this involved a senator's wife, she was in her words, 'walled off' from this case," L'Ecuyer said.

While at a Phoenix law firm in 1991, Napolitano was part of the legal team representing Anita Hill, a former Equal Employment Opportunity Commission colleague of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas who accused Thomas of sexual harassment. Hill's accusations jeopardized but ultimately failed to derail the Senate's confirmation of Thomas.

Napolitano's representation of Hill became an issue in 1993 when the Senate considered Clinton's nomination of Napolitano for the U.S. attorney's job. Napolitano refused to answer questions about a private conversation with one of Hill's witnesses, Susan Hoerchner. At issue was whether Napolitano persuaded Hoerchner, Hill's corroborating witness, to change her testimony.

Hoerchner initially told the Senate Judiciary Committee during its Thomas hearings that Hill had told her in the early 1980s that she had been sexually harassed by Thomas. After Napolitano requested and had a private conversation with her, Hoerchner told the committee she wasn't certain of the date Hill told her about the alleged harassment. Napolitano said she couldn't answer questions about the talk because Hoerchner wouldn't waive her right to confidentiality.

Some Republicans accused Napolitano of stonewalling the committee and contended it could cause a dangerous precedent if the panel confirmed a nominee without having all the information it needed. Democrats defended her, saying Napolitano wanted to be forthcoming but couldn't due to attorney-client privilege.

Some senators said at the time that Hoerchner had admitted before talking with Napolitano that she was just guessing about the date Hill first said she'd been harassed by Thomas. A book published after the Thomas hearings said the date Hoerchner guessed, September 1981, was before Hill went to work for Thomas.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081120/...iwtP f7eMwfIE