AZ Governor Jan Brewer: SB1070 Does Not Secure Border

EJ Montini of the Arizona Republic has written a piece on Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's interview with Larry King Live. In the story, Montini examines Gov. Brewer's changing view on what SB1070 is meant to accomplish.

Many of SB1070's most ardent supporters have contended that SB1070 is important because it helps secure the border.

However Governor Brewer in her interview with Larry King admits that SB1070 does nothing to secure the border. The full story can be read HERE.

Excerpts from the story can be read below.

KING: “One of the things they would say, and show me something in SB-1070 that actually improves border security. It may have -- your intention may have been, and if you had been allowed to implement it fully, you may have dealt more aggressively with immigration
enforcement interior, but what in that bill would have improved border security?”

BREWER: “Well, you know, Senate Bill 1070 is just another tool in our tool box in regards to trying to address the issues that we're facing here.”

KING: “But you concede it wouldn't do much along the border?”

BREWER: “Well, you know, I'm not quite sure about that. I think -- well, not along the border. I think it would help in telling people that it is illegal to come into the state of Arizona, which it already is, but it's just not being enforced. And so if they use it, the states themselves were going to enforce it, that certainly would maybe give people pause before they came running and crossed the border.”

After establishing that Gov. Brewer knew full well that SB1070 did nothing to secure the border, Montini notes that the law was crafted not as a piece of well thought out immigration policy but as a means to bolster Gov. Brewer's election chances:

I added that for Brewer SB 1070 was never about securing the border but about securing her election.

To which a reader calling himself “Neeters” responded, “Montini apparently drinks before writing. His lost of brain cells grows more apparent with every drama piece he tries to create out of nothing. Never was it said that SB1070 would do anything to secure the border.”

Except that on Brewer's Facebook page she defended SB 1070 by saying, “Rest assured we will not back down until our borders are secure.”

A blog response from “Beenaround” added, “I don't recall in Brewer's spiel after signing SB 1070 that she ever mentioned anything about ‘the need to secure our border.'”

Except on the website the governor uses to solicit funds to fight lawsuits against SB 1070 a printed slogan reads "maintaining a safe border.”

And a note from Brewer to potential donors reads, “Thank you for your interest in my efforts to lead the Great State of Arizona. I am humbled by the prayers and support you and many others have offered to me.

“If you would like to contribute to Arizona in defending border security and immigration matters, please click the appropriate donation button on this page.”

Now she admits that SB 1070 is not about “defending border security.” Still, pointing this out was called “one of the dumbest articles you have written” by “AZpokerdood,” who added, “Governor Brewer has requested help with the actual border from President Obama. She has also requested additional border patrol agents.”

Sounds about right to me...

The full interview is below. <

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