SALON

Tuesday, Jun 26, 2012 8:45 PM UTC

Brewer: Obama wants undocumented votes

The Arizona governor accuses Obama of trying to drive up illegal immigration to boost his election chances

By

Topics: Immigration, Jan Brewer, Arizona, 2012 Elections,

Brewer: Obama wants undocumented votesJan Brewer and Barack Obama (Credit: AP)

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer accused President Obama of wanting undocumented immigrants to illegally vote for him in a radio interview yesterday. Speaking with 550-KFYI, Brewer slammed the Obama administration’s decision to cut the state out of a federal immigration program on the same day the Supreme Court upheld a key provision of Arizona’s landmark immigration law.

“They want chaos. They want a larger voting base as far as I’m concerned and they want the illegal immigration to continue,” Brewer said of the Obama administration. “Now they’ll have all the illegals and they can all do whatever they want and register to vote. Although it’s illegal if you’re not a citizen to register. But they’re not enforcing the law so what is going to happen to them? He’s looking for votes.”

Brewer seemed to be accusing Obama of intentionally driving up undocumented immigration in order to win votes from non-citizens. This would be illegal, obviously.

Brewer spokesman Matt Benson clarified, telling Arizona Republic columnist E.J. Montini that the governor simply meant Obama wants to win over legal Latinos voters. “In this instance, it appears clear that the President’s actions in recent days are an attempt to shore up his base of Latino support in advance of the November election,” he said, apparently referencing Obama’s new deportation policy. “Over the long term, there may be a play to grant ballot access for all or a portion of the illegal aliens in this country,” he added.

Indeed, in another interview, with KTAR-FM yesterday, Brewer said something more along the same lines. “He needs those smaller states with heavy Hispanic populations in them,” she said of his election strategy. But her accusation in the KFYI interview is different and far more severe.

Brewer has a long history of tension with Obama, which erupted publicly when the governor apparently yelled at Obama and waved a finger in his face when he visited the state last year. In her book, she also complained that the president treated her coldly when she visited the Oval Office.

Alex Seitz-Wald

Alex Seitz-Wald is Salon's political reporter. Email him at aseitz-wald@salon.com, and follow him on Twitter @aseitzwald. More Alex Seitz-Wald.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 117 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations