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Sheriff Joe Arpaio took to Fox News this morning to discuss his first so-called crime-suppression sweep since a change in his agreement with the feds regarding his authority to question and arrest illegal immigrants.
After a fairly standard Arpaio rant about his unconditional authority, the sheriff told John Skinner he thinks the Obama Administration ought to give him an award.
He wasn’t kidding.
“I’m very proud of our accomplishments,” Arpaio says. “I should get an award from the White House for what I’ve accomplished, but I’m getting the heat.”
A call to the White House to find out whether Arpaio was being considered for any top honors was (guess what?) not returned this morning, but we’re fairly certain we already know the answer.
Arpaio smugly went on to say he planned to go on with business as usual despite the change in the agreement.
“Yeah, why should I change,” he says. “We have state laws to enforce.”
Well, for starters, as much of a shock as it may come to the sheriff, there is a higher authority on the matter that has asked him to change.
When asked if his sweeps target Latinos, Arpaio dismissed the question as “garbage.”
“We stop everybody,” he growls. “That’s garbage [so] they can throw the racist card out there.”