Janet Napolitano: First Hired, First Fired?
She is fast becoming the albatross around the neck of the Obama administration.
Former Arizona governor, Janet Napolitano, has proven as unpopular an appointee as former US Attorney General Janet Reno and she has not even ordered a lethal attack on a commune occupied by members of a religious cult or authorized the use of an armed assault team to deport a child to Cuba yet.
How does she do it?
While Reno earned her spurs by acting as former President Clinton’s second greatest enabler (the First Lady narrowly managed to hold on to the lead in that particular horse race) Napolitano has become a lightening rod by opening her mouth and inserting her foot repeatedly.
Janet Napolitano first gained notoriety as one of the attorneys supporting the efforts of a former bureaucrat turned law professor by the name of Anita Hill to derail the confirmation of Clarence Thomas as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Afterwards, Napolitano returned to Arizona and was twice elected governor. During the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Napolitano handled her assignment of bashing her fellow Arizonan, the Republican presidential nominee, US Senator John McCain, as the latest of a series of failed politicians to hail from the state of Arizona. Napolitano predicted that history would repeat itself and that McCain would lose the election just as Barry Goldwater had been defeated in 1964.
Her analogy was not especially apt. While McCain did go on to lose the presidential race, his margin of defeat did not approach that of Goldwater’s loss to Lyndon B. Johnson. Many observers wished that McCain had endorsed a platform that resembled Goldwater conservatism. “The Reagan Revolution” that revitalized the modern Republican party can trace its origins to the ashes of the Goldwater campaign. Reagan had delivered an important address to the convention which nominated Goldwater and two years later he was elected the governor of California.
McCain’s “straight talk“ and “centrist” positions endeared him to the media during the primaries of 2000 (when he lost the nomination to George W. Bush) and 2008. In the run up to the general election of 2008, the press abandoned McCain in a manner which suggested that they were less interested in his candidacy than in finding a useful patsy that a Democrat could beat in November. McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor, as his vice presidential running mate suggested that the nominee recognized that he needed to solidify the conservative base of his own party. The newspaper and television commentators, the independents and Democratic crossover voters who had praised McCain during the caucuses and primaries were not going to be along for the ride in November.
As a reward for her performance in Denver, Napolitano was ticketed for a position in the Obama administration. The Senate hurriedly approved her nomination to head the Department of Homeland Security within hours of the inauguration of Barack H. Obama as president. The Obama team touted Napolitano as a border state governor who was tough on border security and curbing illegal immigration.
That was, of course, a colossal lie. As governor, Napolitano had routinely stymied the efforts of the Arizona legislature to promote greater border security and to promote immigration enforcement at the state and local level. On a handful of occasions, when the Republican controlled legislature ratcheted up the pressure to a breaking point and threatened to override Napolitano’s vetoes, she grudgingly approved a few items of legislation designed to improve interior enforcement of immigration laws.
In her new position, Napolitano has shown herself to be a loudmouthed, nonstop gaffe machine. She stupidly stated that it was not really a crime to cross the American border illegally, she blamed the Canadian government for helping to facilitate the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on account of lax border security that permitted terrorists to enter the United States from Canada. In a truly bizarre development, her department compiled an internal memo suggesting that conservatives, gun owners, third party political activists and returning military veterans should be monitored as possible domestic terrorists and determined opponents, if not hostile enemies, of the Obama administration. Returning Afghanistan and Iraq veterans were viewed as potential successors to Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, according to the memo.
Once the document was made public, Napolitano compounded her error by defending the report and not apologizing. One of the strongest critics of the report seeking an apology was the leader of the American Legion, a nationally chartered veterans group which has existed since 1919. Napolitano managed to offend more people than any presidential appointee since the former Secretary of the Interior, James G. Watt, resigned from office in 1983.
Since assuming office, Napolitano has frustrated the law enforcement activities of agents and investigators employed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to such a degree that several planned workplace raids targeting employers utilizing undocumented, illegal immigrant workers have been canceled or postponed solely due to Napolitano’s interference. Agents have been obliged to endure internal office audits and inspection visits. Instead of apprehending fugitive aliens, Napolitano has agents inventorying paper clips and accounting for the use of ordinary office supplies. Employee morale within the agency is bad and, apart from her political appointees, Napolitano appears to be widely disliked within the agency.
It has been suggested in some quarters that an unintended consequence of Napolitano’s unpopular refusal to support the apprehension and deportation of illegal aliens in conformity with US law may be the delay or defeat of the Obama administration’s plan to promote a large scale amnesty program that would permit undocumented aliens an opportunity to seek citizenship. Another positive result of Napolitano’s appointment is that the Arizona gubernatorial position is now held by a Republican.
Rather than faithfully discharging the legal duties associated with her department, Napolitano has been content to act as the president’s bulldog. Many of the most unpopular decisions and policies that Napolitano has come under intense criticism for advocating truly represent the thinking of the chief executive. Nevertheless, given Barack Obama’s often demonstrated willingness to disown former allies who prove to be controversial and unpopular, do not be surprised if Napolitano is called upon to resign her position if she fails to ride this storm out. She may be thrown under the bus soon.
Had Napolitano been completely honest during her convention speech, she would not have omitted another Arizonan from her list of losers and political failures from the Grand Canyon State: she neglected to name herself.
**
Daniel J. Kelley is a regular contributor to “The Chicago Daily Observer.”
If American defeat the next Amnesty that is ready to pounce on the unsuspecting legal population, we must make an example in using the 1986 (IRCA) law. We as a people must build-on the E-Verify application, upgrade, modify to extract illegal job applicants from the workplace? It’s seems suicidal for anybody in Washington bring to the table Immigration, when millions of Americans are jobless. Any May first demonstrations of illegal immigrants demanding rights, will cause a unified American labor backlash not seen since the black million man march on the Capitol in 1995.
Illegal immigrants who have overstayed visas, illegal crossed the border and children must be exempt from any pardon? All children of illegal parents that have committed crimes, been expelled or just deserted school should leave with parents in the usage of self-deportation. This is a compliance way to remove foreign nationals and any criminal businesses that employ them, who themselves must receive mandatory, fines, asset confiscation and prison terms. The use of a in-perpetuity E-Verify will be a ultimate deterrent and we will see movement of illegal labor and families packing and leaving under the term of “ATTRITION” We must force our reluctant politicians to be governed by–THE PEOPLE’S–WILL or face the dire consequences in the election process. This will surely happen when Sen. Reid, Speaker Pelosi and 48 other Senate lawmakers come up for re-election. They underfunded E-Verify, that obviously is working efficiently for America for them to kill it?
Today I have heard Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano is approaching State governors to appeal the Real ID Act, that would add national standards for state-issued driver licenses and non-driver identification cards, Revising and tightening the laws on application for asylum and deportation of aliens for terrorist activity. Waiver laws that interfere with building of physical barriers at the borders, to name a few statutes. So that means since the new Presidency, the Democratic run Congress are trying to revoke E-Verify and the Real ID act. My guess, is under this regime they will be rescinding the Federal program for State and local police called 247(g) that trains officers to arrest and detain illegal alien criminals.
The open border, free traders, special interest groups will use any contradictions, epithets, racial slurs to annul any new law–which they have done successfully up to now. But American should realize strongly, that this has nothing to do with a persons color, religion or ethnic background–and EVERYTHING–to do with being ILLEGAL. That its CARTE BLANCHE–for parasite employers, who pay nothing to illegal immigrant upkeep? It’s left to Taxpayers? Its everything to do with billions of dollars spent, to pacify the big Catholic church, US Chamber of Commerce, ACLU, ethnocentrists, a portion of Liberal voters and others who see nothing wrong in loading citizens, residents down with sky high taxes. Supposedly the last White House promised no Path to Citizenship until the border was orderly and closed to undesirables. With another drafted and secret Amnesty on the House and Senate table, like always–this is not the case. Drug smuggling and incessant illegal immigration is still very prevalent. The rumors from the new White House are clearly signaling another push for AMNESTY?
So go to these sites: VDARE, FAIRUS, JUDICIALWATCH, NUMBERSUSA, AMERICANPATROL, CAPSWEB & ALIPAC. The stakes are sky high because Amnesty means, thousands more will swamp the border looking for yet a 3rd—AMNESTY
In my opinion it did not matter what McCain said or did during th elction to appease the fence sitting voters as there were very few fence sitting voters this election. People were willing, wisely or unwisely, to roll the dice in order to realize change from the Bush administration. We spent too much blood and money over there. For what? A Bush vendetta? Cheaper oil? To aid in the bottom line of Halleburton? I do not know which but think and intuitively feel all of the above. EXCEPT: Cheaper oil was never achieved btw.
Bush’s biggest failier was not going into Iraq to topple Sadam, under any controversial pretense, on the contrary, it was sticking around afterwards after we declared victory. The place should have been divided up 3 ways and a no fly zone strictly enforced. We should have gotten the f… out.
Bush left the republican Party trashed.
Having said that, I truly beleive in 3 years Obama will manage to do the same to the Democrats. He is no Bill Clinton.
NAPLITANO NEEDS TO BE FIRED! thats all there is to it. obama’s presidencie will go down in flames faster than the Hindenberg if he aproves or pushes for any kind of amnesty…he needs to change course on this he has time…he has waffled on everything else thus far waffling on the imigration refrom a.k.a. amnesty might save his presidency and make him look like a true blue american if he was to crack down and start deporting…even the blind grazing cows are saying enough is enough we want our country back and all your b.s. spinning can not ever convince me illegals are good for america…oh yea, janet it is illegal to cross the border you moron!! and that is pre se.
Homeland Security was already a troubled agency. She’s not helping and Obama best to show her the door. It’s strange people with such a tin ear for policy and issues can get this far.
I was glad she got appointed simply because she would no longer be able to screw up Arizona as governor. She has no skills with the nation however and is simply a \"lap dog\" for whoever is is power and can protect her. Send Nappy packing, just don\’t sending her back here to Arizona!
Hopefully, being governor of a state will no longer be as important a pre-qualification to higher or federal office as it seems to have been in the past. In fact, maybe past political office should actually be considered a partial liability.
I like that skunk-thing she’s got going on her mat of hair, like Paulie Walnuts on The Sopranos.
It sure lends a genuine dignity to demeanor reflecting powerfully on her inner-self and speaks volumes about her intrinsic worth to Government.
Napolitano is power-drunk, although there’s no reason for her to feel that way. She’s really Obama’s puppet and she doesn’t have the intelligence to do the job she’s been appointed. It’s difficult to see what’s really going on in the country with illegals and unprotected borders when you have your head so far up your boss’s a$$, saying “Yes sir, no sir, three bags full, sir.” The only way the United States will rid itself of illegals is if we have a head of the DHS who has the supreme guts to stand up and say “NO” to the illegals and their pro-illegal minions.
By the way, stop blaming Bush for everything that has ever happened in the United States. Geez. If Bill “BJ” Clinton had been doing his job instead of receiving “favors” from his beloved intern, he could have taken Bin Laden out when he had the chance and we wouldn’t have had to even entertain the thought of having to do anything in the Middle East. (And, it was the Democrats (Barney Frank et al) who got us into this housing mess that has carried over to present day.)
I just want her out of office and out of politics in general.
Jimi is out to cause trouble…to smear us.
Brooks is correct. She has always been power drunk. In high school she was arrogant, conceited, and pompous. She was, and still is, a loner, a loser, and a woman without a life. She had no life in high school and things haven’t changed. She has always had a preposterous ego and once told reporter from Albuquerque that in high school she was “your basic over-achiever”. ‘What a crock.’ This girl screwed up everything she ever got involved in. She was voted most likely to succeed by a few of her fellow students that didn’t have a life either. I can guarantee you that 95% of the student body was never even cognizant that she existed. However; She did manage to always screw things up with the school newspaper and she is still screwing things up today. She has always possessed the uncanny ability to make the worst decisions insuring the most disastrous consequences possible. She WAS NOT an over achiever in high school, she only ‘attempted’ to achieve because she didn’t have a life and a few people felt sorry for her. She is an ass-kisser and a brown-noser. Good grief, just look at her, you’ll figure it out.
KEEP IT UP JANET We the true Americans will REMOVE YOU FROM OFFICE &
It is A SAD SAD TIME FOR AMERICA
Ja-No’s (Janet Napolitano).fantasy world
It has been, in the words of Queen Elizabeth II, an “annus horribilis” for DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. Beginning with her embrace of the impotent euphemism “man-caused disasters” to the hit job on conservatives and veterans that she was forced to apologize for, to her assertion that crossing the border illegally “isn’t a crime per se”, to her boneheaded claim that 9/11 terrorists came in through the Canadian border, Ja-No has confirmed time and again that she’s not ready for prime time. Today, she caps off her horrible year by playing Big Pollyanna in the wake of the Flight 253. The botched bombing — foiled by a faulty detonator and brave passengers, not by homeland security bureaucrats or any preemptive measures by intel officials — shows that the in Ja-No’s fantasy world. If it weren’t for the “Flying Dutchman,” who I don’t believe works for TSA or Homeland Security, we’d have had a disaster. And Janet would be
warming a spot under the bus. Let’s face it, she’s as effective as HS Sect as she was as Gov at stopping the invasion in her home state. Perhaps another 6 month study by a blue ribbon panel is what’s needed here (just joking). If these dopes were in charge in 1941 we’d all be speaking german and japanese. To be fair, does the White House know we are at war yet? Come to think about it, maybe they don’t? Why would I say that? Because the first thing the Administration did was get this psyco a lawyer! Then there was the news that the terrorist may need plastic surgury! I’ll tell you what! Send this guy to any small town in America and we will give him some plastic surgery.
Arizona’s gain was the U.S.A.’s loss! What a clueless clown. So let me see if I got this right. You don’t know what happened, or how it happened but you are sure that we are all safe until we point out you don’t know but you say the system worked but the system had nothing to do with a failed explosion (other than security measures make it tough to get a working bomb on board). When we point out the system did not work, then you agree to that. So we are left with a failed system run by you but you tell us we are safe but you don’t really know anything?
I guess her next comment will be “It depends on your definition of “the”.
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