Steve Israel: Impeach Jan Brewer For Tampering With Arizona Redistricting

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer should be impeached for removing the independent leader of her state's redistricting commission, the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee charged Friday.

The Republican governor called a special session of the legislature earlier this week, and the Republican-controlled Senate voted to remove Redistricting Chairman Colleen Coyle Mathis, the only independent on the five-member committee.

The lawmakers accused Mathis of "substantial neglect of duty" and "gross misconduct." Mathis is pursuing legal remedies, and Democrats allege that Republicans' real problem with Mathis is that they wanted to spare two freshmen GOP representatives, Ben Quayle and David Schweikert, from having to run in the same district.

"I think the people of Arizona should consider impeaching Jan Brewer for what she did," DCCC head Steve Israel said in a briefing with reporters Friday on the upcoming electoral landscape.

Under the new districts that Mathis and her commission drew up, Arizona, which picked up one seat after the 2010 Census, would have four Republican seats, two Democratic seats and three that would be toss-ups.

Israel vowed the DCCC would do all it could to undo the move by Brewer and her Arizona Senate allies.

"We will push every button, we will use every strategy, we will appeal to any fair court to redress this trampling of a fair and independent process," Israel pledged.

"Instead of impeaching the highly regarded, truly independent leader of that body, that Republicans and Democrats agreed upon, Gov. Brewer ought to think about impeaching herself," Israel said, before getting in a dig at the governor for taking time out to promote her new book while the state Senate voted Tuesday. "She can't do it because she was in New York when she did this power play in Arizona, by the way, trying to sell her book."

A spokesman for Brewer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The issue in Arizona is important for Israel because his committee is trying to win back some 25 seats in next year's House races, and he believes that redistricting in several states has been better for Democrats than many expected.

Update at 5:20 p.m.:

Brewer was asked later Friday on Alan Colmes' radio show exactly what Mathis did that warranted removal. Brewer was unable to provide a specific answer, according to a report by ThinkProgress.

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?

BREWER: They just simply need to operate in a lawful and open fashion…

COLMES: I'm trying to understand what she did. What are you accusing her of having done?

BREWER: Well she wasn't operating in the proper manner.

Comments

[JustAmerican58]

07:59 PM on 11/19/2011

Suffolk University has polled voters opinion. I like to see some public polls on where voters stand on impeachment of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. According to Suffolk voter polls behaviors being demonstrated by the GOP these days are not favored by 59% of critical moderate voters. Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce appeared to crossed the line of public resentment he was recalled. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has cross that line and should be impeached for removing the independent leader of her state's redistricting commission, the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee charged Friday. I know of a dozen people right now that would support impeachment process of Jan Brewer. What do you think do you think Jan Brewer's behavior warrants the impeachment process?

[atalex]

05:05 PM on 11/09/2011

The Brewer woman is mentally deficient. That much is clear every time she opens her mouth. She makes Palin look literate and Bachmann look sane (well, maybe not that second one).

[Trogo]

12:12 PM on 11/07/2011

The sad thing is is that any effort to change this will just squashed by the AZ legislature. They have already squashed enough ballot measures by the people; what would make them stop now?

[Phxflyer]

03:56 PM on 11/05/2011

This should put to rest any doubts anyone has about the corruption of Arizona's republican party.

[Phxflyer]

03:47 PM on 11/05/2011

Brewer can't tell us why Mathis was dismissed because there IS no reason.

[wonderfullone]

01:08 PM on 11/05/2011

Impeach this Tea Bag.------------Already.

[ClubStyle DJ]

01:05 PM on 11/05/2011

All the crap she's done in the past ... You think this will bring her down? HA...
(whispers very loudly)
IT WON'T HAPPEN.

[Sinister Minister]

12:50 PM on 11/05/2011

Under the new districts that Mathis and her commission drew up, Arizona, which picked up one seat after the 2010 Census, would have four Republican seats, two Democratic seats and three that would be toss-ups.

This smacks of the same kind of thing Ann Coulter said about "Our Blacks".

How does it feel to know that the politicians know how you will vote? Or does it say something about the voting machines, that they can so confidently predict the outcome of our elections?

[dans5843]

12:49 PM on 11/05/2011

Jan, is an example of our failiure in education and mental health programs.

[Bumblebee83]

12:16 PM on 11/05/2011

If this job doesn't work out, she's always a good frontrunner for the new Keeper on "Tales from the Crypt."

[Littlewords]

11:47 AM on 11/05/2011

If impeached, she plans to depart the Gov's mansion by broomstick.

[yoursotruly]

11:43 AM on 11/05/2011

wdw1414 has 1 fan, the profile for this account has been removed and the only subject this trol...er poster addresses is Jan Brewer, hmmmm. I think we should welcome her...errrrr this unknown visitor.

Welcome to HuffPo, Jan or wdw1414, we really need your insight on this Arizona issue. I'm surprised you have taken time away from your busy book signing schedule to set us straight on why you had to fire this horrible member of the redistricting committee. We don't need more information to know you were right but wouldn't it be fun to really expose this clown of a committee member on this site, TODAY? So, dish, Scorpion Mama, fill us in on the juicy details of how Colleen did you (us) wrong. Sure, "substantial neglect of duty" and "gross misconduct" are sweet words coming from YOUR mouth but let's lay it out in juicy detail by telling us exactly which duties were neglected. Some pictures of Comatose Colleen laying on a beach drinking Mexican beer while the committee struggled on without a leader would convince the skeptics. We know what gross means and if that's the size of Colleen's misconduct then it should be terrifying to look at when we finally lift the curtain and expose it to the light it fears. Combine the two charges and we have the biggest scandal of all, Colleen Mathis' "gross negligees" which are probably full of duties that she hasn't performed.

[DevonTexas]

11:29 AM on 11/05/2011

"She can't do it because she was in New York when she did this power play in Arizona, by the way, trying to sell her book."

Reminds me of how Al Capone used to be in Florida when Chicago gangland murders took place.

[bngood40]

11:08 AM on 11/05/2011

Jan Brewer's governorship is not in jeopardy. Republicans in Arizona will not allow her to be impeached regardless of the justification. The law may have been broken but it doesn't mean that there isn't a way around it.

[catlijk2]

11:05 AM on 11/05/2011

Jan Brewer for President!! Aahahaha