With every statement uttered from her perch as Homeland Security czar, in every action she takes each day her fanny remains in its cozy D.C. seat, ex-Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano reaffirms that she's Barack Obama's token nativist. Best to think of her as a chunky, skunk-haired version of the Child Catcher from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But Nappy's not just after kids, she's after undocumented Hispanics of all ages, and she remains focused on rounding them up and sending them back with absolutely zero compassion or concern for their humanity.
Of course, everyone knows she's taken it upon herself to ramp up the 287(g) program, allowing local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law. But take these comments to NPR's Madeleine Brand, in an interview posted today on NPR's Web site:
"We have an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in this country," asks Brand. "What do you do about them?"
"Ultimately, that's for the Congress to decide," Nappy replies coldly, "and at some point in time, I think the president and the Congress will work out when it is appropriate to take that topic up again. But right now we're focusing on human traffickers -- those who are really exploiting this illegal market to great financial gain. We're going after those in our country illegally who have also committed other crimes. We're going after those who are in our jails and prisons who are also in our country illegally to make sure that once they complete their sentence, they're immediately subject to deportation."
And if they're busted for some lame-ass traffic violation? Hey, that seems to count too, in the Napster's estimation. Sheesh, why didn't Obama just make Sand Land Republican chair and ardent anti-Mexican Randy Pullen the head of DHS? Or even neo-Nazi-hugger and state Senator Russell Pearce?
Brand asks about "changing immigration policy to allow more or fewer immigrants in," but Nappy's having none of it.
"Again, that's for the Congress to decide," she tells Brand.
Brand inquires about "often quite wrenching scenes of mothers and children being separated and sent across the border," and she wonders if Janet's "going to change the policy of these workplace raids."
But Janet, ever the equivocator, dodges the question.
"What we are going to do is really focus on the employers and make sure that they are subject to criminal penalties for violating the law," replies Nappy. "I met with the attorney general for the United States, Eric Holder, to talk about how we unite the forces of the U.S. Attorney's offices across the country with our offices to make sure that those who are actually benefiting financially in large scale from this pay a criminal sanction."
In other words, expect the raids and those "quite wrenching scenes of mothers and children being separated" to continue. In the interview, Napolitano brags about signing Russell Pearce's employer sanctions bill in AZ, just as she did during her confirmation hearings. See, she's proud to be an anti-immigrant Know Nothing, or the closest thing to it in the Obama camp.
The transcript of the conversation does not reveal what Nappy thinks about being ordered by the House Judiciary Committee to investigate her ol' buddy Sheriff Joe Arpaio's 287(g) agreement with the feds. And since the podcast was playing the wrong segment when I checked, it's unclear if she was asked about it by Brand. Maybe the press has once again let Napolitano slide on a tough issue. Fortunately, the Napster will have to answer to Congress, and I hope members grill her ass raw the next time she has to go before 'em.
