GOV. JANET NAPOLITANO ANSWERS MEDIA QUESTIONS MONDAY IN PHOENIX ABOUT HER PENDING NOMINATION TO BE SECRETARY OF U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY (Photo by Capitol Media Services)
The Tribune Editorial Board spent a long time today discussing the implications of today’s formal announcement that Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano will be nominated to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after President-elect Barack Obama takes office Jan. 20. I learned from those chats that I’m holding on to an antiquated idea: that elected officials make a contract with the voters when they run for office to serve a specific period of time for a specific purpose. Apparently, it has become a given among many people that smart, ambitious politicians will, and should, jump into higher office when the opportunity arises.
But I heard from one friend today who said she definitely would have voted differently in 2006 for secretary of state, or at least considered the candidates more closely, if she had known that Napolitano would leave in the middle of her second term and voluntarily turn the governor’s office over to Jan Brewer. I’m not one of the people who subscribe to the notion of Arizona is somehow doomed with Brewer as governor. When it comes to the state budget crisis, this change might be exactly what Arizona needs right now.
But I understand the widespread angst among Democrats and even independents that the governor’s office likely will see a sharp change in focus and philosophy with Brewer in charge. Many voters elected Brewer solely on her qualifications to manage the state’s elections and to administer business filings, and not as a potential chief of state.
I’m not comfortable with the notion of the governor’s office as a political stepping stone. The job’s just too important, and too difficult to perform if the office-holder isn’t committed heart and soul. I don’t know anyone who thinks this year was among Napolitano’s best as she devoted a significant portion of her time and attention to help Obama win. At the very least, I think the failure of the initiatives on a transportation sales tax and state trust lands to even qualify for the election ballot can be attributed to Napolitano’s focus on other issues.
By the way, I’ve been fairly consistent on this point of view. In 1998, I was working for the daily newspaper in Wichita Falls, Texas, when then-Texas Gov. George Bush was running for re-election. He already was positioning himself to run for president but wasn’t saying so publicly. On at least two occasions, I directly asked Bush to explain if he would run for president or not, so Texas voters had that information when they voted for governor. Bush blew off the question, as I’m sure he did for other reporters, and the only people who seemed to care assumed he would be campaigning for president in 2000.
But my concerns might have more resonance here than in Texas, where the governor and lieutenant governor run for office as a team. My guess is proposals to create a similar system in Arizona will get more serious attention here in the next couple of years.
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Not to mention Senator John McCain’s absence from duly elected public service for two-plus years, while he ran for president. Same happened in Obama’s case.
Arizona has been shorted a Senator for longer than the Governor’s exit will turn out, while we paid his salary. At least Napolitano’s exit and replacement will be relatively seamless.
I think any elected official that runs for a “step up” should vacate their seat, let the state hold a replacement election, and collect their salary from their campaign fund.
The taxpayers can then get their money’s worth.
The governor office has been replaced several times by the secretary of state, so know it’s different since the office going to be held by a Republican and not a Democrat. Know they want to change it, if it was a Democrat holding that office nothing would be said about change.
McCain was not the only senator that wasn’t in D.C. H. Clinton started her campaigning about four years ago for Presdent.
Pimping ain’t easy!
That must have been an interesting editorial board meeting. I don’t think you’re holding an antiquated view on public service Mr. Templar. Well, it may be a little antiquated, but serving out the term one was elected to serve is the right thing to do and what the public expects. We are all citizens first however, so when the head of state and government calls and asks you to serve the country, who is going to say no. Unfortunately, some people believe that smart, ambitious politicians, should jump at an opportunity for higher office, regardless of their commitment to serve in an elected office. Elected officials that jump from office to office too readily are mere opportunist, not public servants. It is unfortunate that such parasites are allowed to feed at the public trough. The public should use the power of their votes to crush such politicians at the polls, like the bugs they are.
BOB HARAN,
Phoenix
Everyone seems to have a short memory. This appointment is payback for the attempt to destroy Clarence Thomas when he was nominated to the Supreme Court. You see Janet Napolitano was the lawyer for Anita Hill and Susan Hoerchner. Susan Hoerchner is a vey dear Friend of Hillary Clintons. Hillary volunteered Hoerchner to be the collaborating witness for Anita Hills trumped up sexual harassment charge. Napolitano’s job was to keep the story straight between Hill and Hoerchner. Napolitano failed and had to call a recess during the Congressional hearings to get Hill and Hoerchner’s story back together. Fortunately no one believed the story and Clarence Thomas Is a Supreme Court Justice. This is what happens when a Black conservative resists and leaves the Liberal plantation and becomes a roll model for all. Anita Hills payoff was to become a Professer of Social Policy, Law, and Womens Studies at Branbeis University. Susan Hoerchner well what happens to dear friends of the Clintons. We owe Obama some gratitude for honoring Hillarys debt and appointing Napolitano to Secretary of Homeland Security. We certainly can’t afford her anymore. Hopefully this Nation can.
This is what happens when a Black conservative resists and leaves the Liberal plantation and becomes a roll model for all. Anita Hills payoff was to become a Professer of Social Policy, Law, and Womens Studies at Branbeis University.
stella
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