Her Confirmation Will Be the Hot Fight Ticket in the Beltway
Her confirmation will be the hot fight ticket in the beltway. No I am not talking about Senator Clinton I am talking about Governor Napolitano.
While pundits and bloggers continue their Clinton obsession (now both right and left are Hillary addicted) right wing strategists are targeting Governor Janet Napolitano for confirmation fun and games. Unlike the media types like Dick Morris and Hugh Hewitt who need to fill their philosophical void with good old fashioned Clinton bashing the real GOP strategists know that the Senate will confirm Clinton and that she will be the next Secretary of State. While there is sure to be a couple of embarrassing names on the Clinton Foundation donor list, the Clinton Foundation projects funded are laudable and President Clinton will be seen as no more guilty than a preacher who takes tithes from his sinner parishioners.
The Governor of the great state of Arizona lives a different circumstance. Napolitano will be portrayed as a sinner pretending to be the preacher. The country has tired of duplicity and the GOP knows this better than anyone.
Governor Napolitano has tried to be a centrist on the hot button issue of immigration but has allowed the local Lou Dobbs types to define the center. While the border state Governor defied the implementation of the national ID card she did so on the moral neutral grounds of cost. Only immigrant advocate insiders who understood what the impact of her decision was were appeased. In another instance Napolitano famously sent the National Guard to secure the Arizona border but only allowed them to work on the fence which by the way she opposed. Once again pleasing no one and most importantly having no policy or real life impact on the issue itself.
Perhaps there is no way for a border governor to have survived the last few years without a few cynical maneuvers. The fact that Napolitano has survived should be an indication of her dexterity and ability to manage under pressure which current Homeland Security Chief Chertoff seemed to be learning on the job. But the GOP strategists have found a weak link in the proposed Obama team and need to deliver some red meat to the right wing anti-immigrant talk radio base. In addition while Napolitano's strategy seems to have worked in practice in favor of immigration advocates her moral ambiguity on the issue leaves her with few passionate supporters. So Napolitano, not Clinton, is the GOP confirmation hearing target.
The GOP will attempt to have it both ways saying to general market audiences that Napolitano is weak on immigration issues while telling Latinos that she cannot be trusted to implement fair and compassionate policy.
Obama to his great credit has so far placed competence over politics when choosing his cabinet. The President -elect's great faith in the American people overrides any concern he might have about how angry GOP strategists are that their holidays are not what they used to be. While most of us joyfully welcome the nominations and get ready for our holiday feasts the right is plotting like the Grinch in its cave, In short Governor Napolitano, the knives you hear sharpening are not for the Christmas Turkey.
Mario Solis-Marich is a syndicated talk show host. You can hear Mario at www.GoToMario.com or read his blog at www.NuestraVoice.com
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I thought there might be some kind of serious problem here, instead there's nothing. Jukesgrrl and edgeways have it exactly right. This is a non-story.
As an Arizonan, I have some mixed feelings about Janet Napolitano's appointment. Having her leave for Washington would be a HUGE loss for Arizona. She's been a popular and effective governor. On the other hand, I'd hate to see the GOP attempt to eviscerate her. One good thing, though: focus on Napolitano would verify that Arizona is more than just the home of John McCain. We've produced some honest, progressive Demo leaders, too. It would be good to have AZ viewed as more than a home for conservative Repubs and rattlesnakes. But I wouldn't be happy about seeing Janet Napolitano crucified by the GOP to accomplish that.
The GOP had better be careful in going after Napolitano. Getting too tough on a female in a conformation proceeding could backfire on them. The same could be said as to Eric Holder as he is a Black male. While no one expects ignoring any legitment possible conterversies, there may be a point where it is beating up someone just for political points rather than a proper part of the confirmation process.
Look, 58 Senate seats is an *effective* super majority ... the biggest either party has had in decades. George Bush got virtually all his pet legislation and some 90% of his cabinet and Court nominees through with smaller majorities than that, and for his last two years with an actual Senate minority. Ronald Reagan got it done with less and so did Bill Clinton. 58 Senate seats should be enough to kick some serious as*.
If Obama and the Dems can't get it done with 58 Senate seats they probably deserve to be sent into political oblivion even more than the Republicans do.
That said, I think it will soon become apparent to everyone just why Rahm Emanuel is Chief of Staff. Like him or not, if the Obama administration is going to have an MVP, the pre-season smart money has gotta be on this guy.
Rick Sanchez on CNN devoted his hour to picking apart Napolitano today.
None other than John McCain will be working overtime behind the scenes to engineer her confirmation. He does NOT want Janet running for the Senate seat he thinks he's entitled to by virtue of his war hero status and Cindy's money. Janet's bound and determined to go to Washington and if she doesn't get there compliments of the new president, she'll get herself there in two years.
the good people of AZ would actually be happy to have her back.
they are none too pleased with the ReThug SoS who will be taking the Gov seat.
I think Napolitano is not going to have that hard of a time with the Senate GOP-ers. Main reason? Her leaving AZ means they pick up a Gov slot. Her staying in AZ likely pits her against McCain for the 2010 Senate race, and Napolitano is very popular in her State, while McCain has waned in popularity. Indeed she may well run for the Senate seat in 2010 anyways, but from the Dept of HS slot instead of Gov, but I think that is less likely.
the Republicans are going to be glad to see a Gov pickup and won't mount a serious challenge to her.
Bingo!
The one I think will have a tough confirmation process is Eric Holder over the Rich pardon, and that will be ironic because I think Hillary Clinton will have smooth sailing, and the Clintons are the ones who profited from Rich's pardon.
Who's the GOP? I've never heard of them.
A bunch of anti-American subversives who spread rumors and innuendo in an attempt to defame and smear our elected leaders, like modern-day Tokyo Roses...
I prefer to think of them as a bunch of modern day Lord Haw-Haw's - faux nobility combined with fascism motivated by greed and arrogance.
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