Does Meg Whitman support Arizona's new immigration law or not? Today we found out your guess is as good as hers.
Her campaign has spent millions of dollars in the last month on Spanish-language ads that say she doesn't, but this morning she said she does.
Here's one of her billboards:
("No on Proposition 187. No on the Arizona Law." - Meg Whitman)
Here she is a couple of hours ago, on Talk Radio's America's Morning News:
The states have got to be able to decide what is right for their state. So I would let the Arizona law stand for Arizona.
(The full interview.)
Confused? ¡Estás en vuestra casa!
Here's the simplest explanation: Today is an even-numbered Wednesday, and Meg Whitman is for SB 1070 on even-numbered Wednesdays. Tomorrow she'll be against it again.
Here's the complicated explanation: Meg Whitman doesn't care about illegal immigration one way or the other, but she's running as a Republican in a state that's 36% Latino, and making all those people happy -- or at least befuddled -- is a very tricky thing to do.
That's why, in her ads chasing the nomination, she was:
Tough as nails on illegal immigration.
And since the primary, she's been:
Una candidata diferente... Ella respeta a nuestra comunidad. Es la Republicana que se opone a la ley de Arizona y se opuso a la Proposición 187.
All this zigzagging -- and apparent compassion -- has helped her with Hispanics, but confused her with her Republican base. So she went on the Washington Times' awful morning radio show today to get right with the angry pink people.
The first question was about Arizona. SB 1070, the law that redefined "probable cause" as "looking Mexican" was being reviewed by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton. What should the judge decide?
Whitman was ready:
MEG WHITMAN: Well, I understand why the people of Arizona have risen up in sheer frustration because the federal government has not done the job of securing the border and you know there are lots of challenges in Arizona. You know, I'm running for the governor of California so I had to make a decision: Does the Arizona law make sense for California and I have said no, I don't think the Arizona law makes sense for California because we have a much bigger state with much bigger geography.
I know what you're thinking:
"Much bigger geography?" The problem with rounding up the illegals are all the mountains and lakes? So, when you tell Latinos that you're against putting them on trains, it's not because you like them, it's because there are too many places for them to hide?
And then Meg tried to pivot, and listed a lot of ways, beside something like SB 1070, for making life miserable for Spanish-speaking children. No dice. America's Morning Show wasn't buying it either.
AMERICA'S MORNING SHOW: But Mrs. Whitman. Just to follow up. The judge has to make a ruling, has to make a decision. And given that his (sic) decision could have real national ramifications, not just for Arizona, but for immigration law in general, what decision do you want to see him make?
Meg Whitman's worst nightmare. A yes or no question about an issue on which she's maintaining two sides. And she'd already used up all her talking points.
MEG WHITMAN: I would... you know... I think... in something... I na... I understand that immigration is a federal issue but I-I-I would say, you know, the states have got to be able to decide what is right for their state. So I would let the Arizona law stand for Arizona.
Good-bye, Meg Whitman. Please take the billboards down on your way out.