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Clinton's UN Report Aids Governor Brewer's Re-Election Effort
Arizona's Republican Governor Jan Brewer got a huge re-election boost from, of all people, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Neither woman will agree, but that is the effect of the State Department's inclusion of a reference to Arizona's SB 1070 anti-immigration law in a UN document. Ms. Brewer now gets to run not only against the Feds but also against the UN, which can only help her. Ironically, the reference is about as benign as a new-born puppy and about as relevant to global politics as medieval Bavarian poetry.
The State Department has written a report to the United Nations' human rights commissioner. It is the first-ever Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). The ACLU notes:
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process was introduced with the formation of the UN Human Rights Council in 2006. Each UN member state's human rights record will be reviewed by three of its peers who will review all human rights obligations and commitments to which the member state is a party, as well as any voluntary pledges and commitments made by that country. Last year, the US formally joined the Human Rights Council and pledged to respect and promote human rights at home and abroad.
What has Governor Brewer in a snit is this section of the report, "A recent Arizona law, SB 1070, has generated significant attention and debate at home and around the world. The issue is being addressed in a court action that argues that the federal government has the authority to set and enforce immigration law. That action is ongoing; parts of the law are currently enjoined."
The striped pants set from Foggy Bottom will be at pains to point out two important things. First, the statements are 100% accurate. Second, there is no mention of racial profiling or other human rights abuse. Indeed, the content of the section is as controversial as the color of orange juice.
Yet with a politician's sense of indignation over a non-existent insult, Governor Brewer has written a letter to Ms. Clinton stating that including the sentences was "downright insulting," and "The idea of our own American government submitting the duly enacted laws of a state of the United States to 'review' by the United Nations is internationalism run amok and unconstitutional." The facts are quite different. The state law itself is under challenge for being unconstitutional and an infringement on federal jurisdiction. Moreover, the UN review is about as important as a film review -- no teeth, just opinion.
Nevertheless, this is a gold mine of good propaganda for the governor. The Feds have done a lousy job on immigration since Mr. Reagan's amnesty for illegals back in the 1980s, so they are an easy target here. Ms. Brewer's support for SB 1070 has given her a boost in the polls. Now, the State Department (which is part of the immigration problem) has added to the political capital of the governor. It doesn't solve the problems of border control nor of racial profiling, but it will put votes in Governor Brewer's column in November.
© Copyright 2010 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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