Jan Brewer Struggles To Explain Why She Removed Colleen Coyle Mathis, Redistricting Commissioner

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer struggled to explain why she pressured state senators to remove Redistricting Chairman Colleen Coyle Mathis in an interview this week on Alan Colmes' show on Fox News Radio.

The Republican governor called a special session of the legislature, and the Republican-controlled Senate voted to remove Mathis, the only independent on the five-member committee. While GOP lawmakers accused Mathis of "gross misconduct" and "substantial neglect of duty," Arizona Democrats say they removed her after she proposed putting two GOP freshmen congressmen in the same district.

ThinkProgress reported a partial transcript of Brewer and Colmes' radio exchange:

COLMES: What did Colleen do that was inappropriate, Colleen Mathis?

BREWER: Well she acted, uh, inappropriately. Well it was very, pretty much obvious that she in communications, and doing things, uh, not in the public, and the people of Arizona deserve that --

COLMES: You mean she was doing things secretly? Like what?

"They just simply need to operate in a lawful and open fashion so that the voters in Arizona -- the people that this is all affecting -- certainly can have faith in what they're doing," Brewer responded.

Brewer appeared similarly lost for words in her 2010 debate when she glanced down at her notes for a long pause.

Rep. Steve Israel, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, called for Brewer's impeachment Friday.

Comments

[RJrocks1]

12:04 AM on 11/18/2011

These "over reaches" are going to continue to back bite their architechs.

[MtnGeek]

02:02 PM on 11/07/2011

It's hard to find a politically correct way of saying "we are trying to steal the election in Arizona and these people were interfering with our criminal activities". It makes for a poor sound bite.

[rel77]

01:45 PM on 11/07/2011

I know Alan Combs was the "resident liberal" at Fox News, but I'm starting to notice a subtle shift in Fox News coverage over the past couple of months. More and more, I'm seeing their hosts become less fawning and uncritical of Republican presidential candidates, and even challenging the more strident voices on the radical right wing fringe like Ann Coulter. I think Murdoch, Ailes and company are trying to tweak at least the perception that they're totally in the tank with whatever Republicans say. It's still incredibly partisan, but they are making a slight effort to be more of a devil's advocate. At this rate, they'll be completely objective in another 150 years.

[MontanaSouth]

12:56 PM on 11/07/2011

When is this woman not "tongue tied"? She can't seem to process a complete though without some one writing the script for her.

[zendem1]

12:54 PM on 11/07/2011

She looks like an ashtray with eyes.

[zendem1]

12:54 PM on 11/07/2011

Obama should have never taken Napolitano out of that seat.it was his first really bad political move.

[Political Avatar]

01:00 PM on 11/07/2011

There was no way to know that Arizona would elect this super partisan wh calls it misconduct when someone does something she does not agree with...

This is definately going to come back to bite her, especially since this was a person who was an independent leading a bipartisan board.There is a very good chance the courts will agree with the plaintiff on this one.

[zendem1]

12:53 PM on 11/07/2011

Shes not tongue-tied per se, She just couldnt think off a good lie off the top of her head,and her staffers now cant agree on the perfect one for F0x to distribute.
Some Republicans are slower than others when it comes to lying., Their little brains just dont move quick enough.

[Montana 123]

12:44 PM on 11/07/2011

I would say to Jan Brewer "Liar, liar pants on fire."

[Jim bob]

12:23 PM on 11/07/2011

Unfortunately, most people in Arizona think she's great.

[Montana 123]

12:44 PM on 11/07/2011

sounds like they are all missing a few brain cells.

[leftyandproudofit]

11:13 AM on 11/07/2011

"Well she acted, uh, inappropriately. Well it was very, pretty much obvious that she in communications, and doing things, uh, not in the public, and the people of Arizona deserve that..."

Like all things that Republicans say, this quote makes absolutely no sense.

[darrtown]

11:03 AM on 11/07/2011

My local state rep. has explained to me that Gov. Brewer has trouble expressing herself even in private conversation. So, her inability to express herself in public should not be surprising. Yet she has quite a bit of support state wide, unfortunately. Myself, I would prefer my governor be able to speak and be able to reason.

[redrigs]

11:46 AM on 11/07/2011

How did she ever get elected???

[canobserv]

11:59 AM on 11/07/2011

money?

[Trogo]

12:17 PM on 11/07/2011

Possibilities: Fear. Fear of change. Fear by many that still believe outdated racial and class based ideologies. Those that fear technology, and/or may not know how to properly use technology to seek out more information and investigate further making a sound decision. Most likely, it's just money, like canobserv said.

[HaeJee]

10:51 AM on 11/07/2011

Sounds like misconduct in abuse of power........ regarding Brewer anyway.

[trekie70]

09:58 AM on 11/07/2011

Does anyone know of any specific evidence of wrongdoing against Mathis that has been presented? I'd like to know the facts before rendering an opinion.

[darrtown]

11:00 AM on 11/07/2011

The "wrong doing" as explained by Republicans here locally in AZ is she that set up districts that were "competitive" as in not Republican safe. The board set up 4 safe republican districts 2 safe democrat districts and a bunch that were competitive and that enraged the republicans. At the state level republicans in AZ have held a majority in the state House and state Senate for over 42years continuously and they do not want it to change. This was explained in last tuesday's or wednesday's Arizona Daily Star newspaper (yes I still read the paper).

[leftyandproudofit]

11:14 AM on 11/07/2011

So, in other words, Ms. Mathis did nothing wrong.

[aznurse]

09:55 AM on 11/07/2011

There's a letter in today's paper saying that this was President Johnsons fault for turning this country into a "welfare" state.

Amazing isn't it??

[Jim bob]

12:26 PM on 11/07/2011

It is ALWAYS somebody else's fault, if you're a republican. That's what defines them, is the finger pointing and whining about everybody else.

[Montana 123]

12:46 PM on 11/07/2011

Bet the person that wrote the letter gladly accepts social security and medicare.

[dax49]

09:45 AM on 11/07/2011

So now marilyn qualye is calling the shots in Arizona- I guess when dan flopped on her, she had to take the bull by the horns herself! Arpaio, brewer, McCain, and now quale- a sorry bunch if I ever saw one !