Monday, April 18, 2011

Last Call

Now this is going to be interesting for Arizona Republicans.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Monday vetoed a bill that would have required President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove their U.S. citizenship before their names could appear on the state's ballot.

The bill would have made Arizona the first state to pass such a requirement. Opponents had warned the bill would give another black eye to Arizona after last year's controversy over the state's illegal immigration enforcement law.

Brewer said in her veto letter that she was troubled that the bill empowered Arizona's secretary of state to judge the qualifications of all candidates when they file to run for office.

"I do not support designating one person as the gatekeeper to the ballot for a candidate, which could lead to arbitrary or politically motivated decisions," said Brewer, who was secretary of state until she became governor in 2009.

"In addition, I never imagined being presented with a bill that could require candidates for president of the greatest and most powerful nation on Earth to submit their 'early baptismal circumcision certificates' among other records to the Arizona secretary of state," she said. "This is a bridge too far."

Arizona Republicans have finally put up a bill that even Jan Brewer won't sign into law.  Never thought I'd see that one happen.

How long do you suppose it will take for the recall/primary effort to get under way?  If I recall, Arizona Republican Gov. Evan "I canceled Martin Luther King Day in Arizona" Mecham was almost recalled, but he was impeached and removed before the recall vote could happen.  He tried to run on the recall ballot, but Arizona stopped him.  So yes, a recall of Brewer?  Certainly could happen, although recall petitioners would need 25% of the total votes cast in Brewer's election to do it.

I seriously doubt it would happen.  Of course, I seriously doubted Trump would run as a birther stalking horse, either.

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