A week before the November election, the Arizona Republic was given by Terry Goddard's campaign has stumbled upon Department of Public Safety records detailing a 1988 car wreck, where Governor Jan Brewer rear-ended a mini-van after throwin' back at least two scotches.

The case was never pursued, and Brewer gave three different accounts of what happened to police.

According to the Republic, which admits it obtained the records through a source other than the Department of Public Safety. on May 4, 1988, Brewer, then a state senator, was driving on Interstate 17 when she crashed into the back of a mini-van.

Brewer failed a series of sobriety tests, and the DPS officer on the scene said she appeared drunk and that her breath smelled like booze.

Brewer was cuffed and taken to the station, where she was supposed to have her blood-alcohol level tested.

The test never happened. Rather, Brewer had a chat with a lieutenant before two officers drove her home. She was never charged.

At the scene, Brewer told officers she had one scotch before getting in the car. Later, at the station, Brewer conceded that she had two, which was the third story Brewer told the officers.

Initially, Brewer said someone rear-ended her, pushing her car into the mini-van, before driving off. But there was no damage to her vehicle and there was a thick layer of dust on her back bumper that was undisturbed.

Brewer was released because, at the time, she was a sitting state senator, which makes her immune from getting charged with a serious crime while the Legislature's in session.

From the Republic:

According to his widow, Holland (the victim) called the DPS in the days after the crash to ask whether Brewer would face any consequences. The person he spoke with said that Brewer had immunity from arrest.

Brewer was released because, according to the arresting officers, she was protected from arrest by her status as a lawmaker in session. Brewer did not ask for immunity, nor did she mention that she was a senator, according to reports.

"It wasn't my decision," Brewer said. "I never asked for legislative immunity."

The fact that Brewer had a few scotches before getting into a car wreck is one thing. The fact that she has a lengthy record of wanting to throw the book at those convicted of DUI is another.

Aside from championing several pieces of legislation that increase penalties for drunk drivers while in the Legislature (check it out here), Brewer's administration often boasts about its "Drive Hammered, Get Nailed" DUI-enforcement program. 

We'll never know how many scotches the governor actually had because no BAC test was ever conducted. But the real question remains: how many scotches did Jan have before debating Terry Goddard last month? (Consider the alternative... we would think more highly of her if this were the explanation for her pathetic performance -- instead of obvious stupidity.)

• DUI
• Elections