Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security

The Dallas Observer, in its most recent edition, published this overly long, almost unreadable story on why Arizona governor Janet Napolitano is a "terrible choice" by President-elect Obama as Secretary for Homeland Security. I disagree.

The Observer's objection to Gov. Napolitano largely comes because a sheriff in her state, Joe Arpaio, has terrorized immigrants in Phoenix. The problem here, however, is that, as governor, she is handcuffed when it comes to restraining Sheriff Arpaio. It's the Bush administration, under its 287(g) program, which delegates immigration enforcement to local police, that's responsible for Arpaio's rampages, not Gov. Napolitano. In fact, as Homeland Security Secretary she could probably do more to end Arpaio's reign of terror than she can as governor.

As governor of a border state, Gov. Napolitano has a solid understanding of the complexities of immigration, its policies and possbilities for reform. She seems to understand the problems must be attacked at its causes instead of employing harsh tactics that only give an illusion of reform.

But the real reason I am a supporter of Gov. Napolitano is because she has been an opponent of President Bush's idiotic pursuit of a 700-mile long speed bump known as the border fence, a financial and environmental disaster in the making. She knows that a better policy is reforming visa policies and giving the Border Patrol the resources it needs to put the hammer on drug smugglers.