Sheriff has McCain in immigration jam

Politico ^ | 10/21/09 | GLENN THRUSH

[kingattax]

Earlier this year, a TV reporter in Arizona coaxed Sen. John McCain into a quick on-air game of word association. The reporter would say a word or two, McCain would offer a short response and it all went along well until the reporter said the following words: “Joe Arpaio.”

The 2008 Republican presidential nominee, seldom at a loss for words, momentarily went blank.

Arpaio — the bombastic Maricopa County sheriff who’s immensely popular with the right but widely reviled by Hispanics for his anti-immigration sweeps — has a long and turbulent history with Arizona’s most famous politician.

And now McCain finds himself right in the middle of another Arpaio controversy just as he’s trying to reconcile his long-standing support of comprehensive immigration reform with a growing anti-immigration sentiment among Republicans back home.

“Arpaio’s a minefield for McCain,” said Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a longtime Arpaio critic who describes the sheriff as “a racist.”

McCain and Arpaio aren’t exactly enemies, but they aren’t pals, either: The senator’s support of a guest worker program, as part of a package that includes stringent border protections, has long put him at odds with Arpaio, who is fond of rounding up illegal immigrants in front of TV crews.

In February, McCain told CNN, “I’ve disagreed with the sheriff fundamentally about the fact that we need to have a comprehensive approach to illegal immigration.”

[kingattax]

this 'racist' crap is getting beyond ridiculous. arresting mexicans and others who flagrantly ignore our borders and immigration laws doesn't make sheriff arpaio a racist.

[ABQHispConservative]

Labeling someone ‘racist’ is the typical fallback position of liberals. Just look at Sharpton.

[Jeff Chandler]

who describes the sheriff as “a racist.”

That word has become devoid of content.

[markomalley]

Go Sheriff Joe!!!

[Harley]

This is the libs favorite thing to do. It comes from Alinsky's Rules for radicals.

RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)

And you are right, this yelling racist every time someone arrests a minority for a valid violation. It's getting real old.

[teg_76]

Run JD Hayworth

[Frantzie]

Sheriff Joe should run against Juan McCain in the primary.

[DJ Frisat]

"And now McCain finds himself right in the middle of another Arpaio controversy just as he’s trying to reconcile his long-standing support of comprehensive immigration reform with a growing anti-immigration sentiment among Republicans back home."

It's ILLEGAL immigration that we're against, moron! People who want to come here and become AMERICANS are welcome.

[kingattax]

juan and his little lapdog pal lindsey have both got to go.

[gidget7]

It's typical of the politically correct crowd. They never ever want to address the problems of illegal _______ (fill in the blank). ANYTIME a minority is displaying illegal behavior of any kind, the cry is racism instead of correcting the illegal problem.

[mazda77]

I spoke with some people from SC this past weekend and they are now ready to send him packing and sorry it wasn’t done this last time.

If Juan loses to JD then Graham is isolated anyway unless he pals up with Snowe and Collins.

[VRWC For Truth]

Message to McLOSER: RETIRE!

[KDD]

Whatever his relationship with McCain, Arpaio’s main battle will be with the Obama Justice Department, which has dispatched investigators to Arizona to look into charges that his force broke laws against racial profiling.

OK Joe...let the Feds bring it...time to deputize a couple of hundred thousand citizens. Might as well get it on now...it,s gonna happen...sooner or later.

[RJL]

McCain spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan says her boss isn’t equivocating — just that he favors a “balanced” immigration policy that begins with a secure border, the use of local law-enforcement agencies, where appropriate, to enforce existing law and, ultimately, the use of worker programs.

What a bald faced lie!

McCain demanded "comprehensive" immigration reform, just like the 1986 version of amnesty now and secure borders... Never!

[peeps36]

Arpaio doesn't do anti immigration raids he does illegal immigration raids. This country is so screwed up it attacks people for enforcing the law and doing their job. Actually it's a certain segment of the country that's screwing it up. Hopefully we could rid ourselves of these scumbags in the next election.

[Salmonslayer]

Here is another one. When are they going to be able to tell the difference between illegal and legal?

“...immensely popular with the right but widely reviled by Hispanics for his anti-immigration sweeps”

[DemforBush]

“Arpaio’s a minefield for McCain,” said Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a longtime Arpaio critic who describes the sheriff as “a racist.”

Grijalva is a moonbat. Wayyyy to the left of just about anyone who isn’t Pelosi or Babs Boxer. He’s convinced that the 2004 election wasn’t honest, and has called for the UN to be brought in to monitor U.S. elections. He also tried to get Ohio’s electoral votes tossed out (that whole “Republicans stole Ohio in 2004” nutburger conspiracy).

[DJ Frisat]

"When are they going to be able to tell the difference between illegal and legal?"

Oh, they know the difference. But they also have an agenda that must be served. He who controls the language controls the debate.

[Ditto]

The senator’s support of a guest worker program, as part of a package that includes stringent border protections, has long put him at odds with Arpaio, who is fond of rounding up illegal immigrants in front of TV crews.

From what I understand, Arpaio would not be against a 'Guest Worker Program" as long as those guest workers were documented, insured, bonded, covered under standard employment laws and it is understood that they are 'guests' not permanent residents. I would not have a problem with that either.

Arpario's only problem with them is that they are illegal. The guy is after all a law enforcement official.

And I guess unlike McCain, Arapaio he is not beholding to the big corporate farmers, meat packers and construction outfits who abuse the illegals to save a few dollars an hour for labor.

Out of curioisity, I'd sure like to see Juan McCains bill for a "Guest Worker" program.

[Will88]

“[DHS] decided to terminate the Task Force Model in Maricopa County because the agency believes Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office sweeps do not align with ICE priorities to arrest, detain and remove serious criminal aliens,” he wrote in an e-mail to POLITICO.

One of the weakest rationales I've ever heard. Who ever said that a local sheriff's priorities must align with ICE priorities, which are political priorities that can and do change with different presidents. A local sheriff deals with many of same problems and types of crimes year-after-year, and that doesn't change as administrations in DC change.

This is one of the most transparent and dishonest positions ever taken by an executive branch department. All it is is one more pander for Latino votes by the Dims.

[c-b 1]

No he should not, he does much more good where he is. Maybe some other sheriffs will learn something from him.

[c-b 1]

Grijalva is a moonbat. Wayyyy to the left of just about anyone who isn’t Pelosi or Babs Boxer. He’s convinced that the 2004 election wasn’t honest, and has called for the UN to be brought in to monitor U.S. elections. He also tried to get Ohio’s electoral votes tossed out (that whole “Republicans stole Ohio in 2004” nutburger conspiracy).

Raul makes Maxine Waters look conservative. The way the district is drawn up, I'm stuck with him for a congressman, until the districts get redrawn.

The good news is, he hates me.

[MindBender26]

Arpaio — the bombastic Maricopa County sheriff who’s immensely popular with the right but widely reviled by Hispanics for his anti-immigration sweeps — has a long and turbulent history with Arizona’s most famous politician.

I love to rewrite bad copy.

Arpaio — the bombastic law enforcement-focussed Maricopa County sheriff who’s immensely popular with the right but widely reviled by illegal Hispanics for his anti-immigration sweeps — has a long and turbulent history with as Arizona’s most famous honest politician.

[Isabel C.]

“Arpaio’s a minefield for McCain,” said Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a longtime Arpaio critic who describes the sheriff as “a racist.”

This is rich. A member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has the nerve to call somebody else a racist.

[McGavin999]

Arpaio — the bombastic Maricopa County sheriff who’s immensely popular with the right but widely reviled by Hispanics for his anti-immigration sweeps — has a long and turbulent history with Arizona’s most famous politician.

Here's something these intellectual dwarfs don't seem to be able to understand. Joe Arpio is popular with the right, the left, and everything in between.