Governor

The Arizona Republican Party is fuming over what it sees as Governor Janet Napolitano's latest blow to anti-illegal immigration efforts.

In an executive order signed Monday, Napolitano redirected over $1 million slated to go to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office for immigration enforcement. The funds will be used instead for a task force she's appointed to serve tens of thousands of outstanding warrants statewide.

Coupled with her veto of a bill that would have enabled county and municipal law enforcement agencies to have greater cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Arizona Republican Party is making its displeasure known, and accusing the governor of refusing to enforce laws and obstructing Sheriff Arpaio's efforts.

The question, though, is how far are frustrated Republicans willing to go to stop Gov. Napolitano?    

Gov. Janet Napolitano: Getty Images PhotoSince the story broke last week of Gov. Janet Napolitano's deal with the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona, there's been a massive outcry from Napolitano's critics.

Opponents charge that the agreement -- where the homebuilders would pledge support and $100,000 for a ballot initiative that would raise the sales tax by one cent, while they would get let off the hook for paying part of a proposed $42 billion transportation plan -- is tantamount to "extortion" and represents a "scandal."

Today, on KJZZ, Napolitano refuted such claims, and said the sales tax represents the "simplest and best" option for the state. She dismissed the notion that the deal was unethical and chose instead to address the upside of moving the initiative forward.

Anyone expecting a repeat of Nevada's Republican Party Convention today was sorely mistaken. Despite an effort to secure the election of supporters of Rep. Ron Paul as delegates to the Republican National Convention in September, the "Unity Slate," crafted by the party to ensure that only delegates who fully support the state's favorite son would be represent Arizona in Minneapolis this September, was elected with almost no changes.

Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain: Photo by Getty ImagesThe new Cronkite/Eight poll released last night indicates that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is creeping up on Sen. John McCain in a head-to-head presidential matchup in Arizona, and now is within single digits of the favorite son. 15 percent of respondents remained undecided. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) also improved against McCain, but still trails him in Arizona by a substantial margin.

On the local front, incumbents have cause for celebration, especially in Maricopa County. While the poll shows Gov. Janet Napolitano remains extremely well-liked midway through her lame duck term, it also indicates strong support for Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, County Attorney Andrew Thomas among those in the county who had an opinion of them.

However, in the article accompanying the poll said, its conductor, Dr. Bruce Merill, said, "Sen. McCain will win in his home state this November regardless of who the Democrats nominate."

Gov. Janet Napolitano today vetoed HB 2807, the bill that would have prohibited any restrictions being placed on cooperation between federal immigration authorities and local Arizona law enforcement agencies. The Governor called it "unnecessary" and pointed to what she said would be a $100 million price tag as being among the reasons for the veto. In response, Republicans said the governor had "buckled under pressure from the pro-illegal lobby."

At Saturday's Arizona Democratic Party Convention, in addition to filliing in the final slots on the list of who'll go to Denver in August as Arizona's delegates at the Democratic National Convention, Arizona Democrats also presented a cross-section of where the party stands as of now.

While Gov. Janet Napolitano, the highest-ranking Democrat in the state, laid out the party's political goals to thundrous applause, Democratic activists pressed her to veto a bill that could put immigration enforcement in the hands of local authorities.