Hot on Facebook

Man Tries to Order Priciest Starbucks Drink Ever Total cost: $23.60 »

Napolitano Pick Suggests Focus on Immigration

Rumored Homeland Security nominee has hawk cred on border

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 21, 2008 12:45 PM CST

(Newser) – If Janet Napolitano is indeed Barack Obama’s pick for Homeland Security chief, it likely signals a shift in the department away from terrorism and toward immigration issues, CQPolitics reports. The Arizona governor has been on the front lines of the immigration battle. “She would do a pretty serious systematic review of the border strategy,” a Clinton administration immigration official said.

Napolitano, who gets rave reviews from current DHS boss Michael Chertoff and Arizona Sen. John McCain, isn’t a pure immigration hawk. She’s set up systems to verify the status of new hires, but opposes border fencing. Other fans point to Napolitano’s executive experience—necessary to run the big, young department—and legal background—a perspective some say the Bush administration ignored at Homeland Security.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (3)]

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on health-care coverage issues, Nov. 13, 2008. (AP Photo)

In this Nov. 13, 2008, file photo, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano testifies on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo)

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano celebrates the evening's victories at the Arizona Democratic Party's election night celebration in Phoenix, Ariz. Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Aaron J. Latham)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

She’s in a Republican-leaning state where voters want tight immigration control, so she’s postured in a hawkish manner. - Mark Krikorian, executive director,
Center for Immigration Studies,
on Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano

Gov. Napolitano’s experience as the former U.S. attorney for Arizona, Arizona’s attorney general, and as governor warrants her rapid confirmation by the Senate and I hope she is quickly confirmed. - John McCain

I was a US attorney with her and I worked extensively with her as governor of Arizona. I think she’s an outstanding governor, she was a great US attorney and a terrific friend. I have nothing but good things to say about her. - Michael Chertoff

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

US Deports Record 393K

... thanks in part to increase in driving offenses

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration deported a record 393,000 people last fiscal year, with half of those deported considered criminals. That jibes with the Obama administration's pledge to go after the "worst of the worst," but the AP reports that some critics are scoffing: The figure includes big increases in the number of people deported after drunken driving arrests (27,635, up from 10,851 in 2008) and traffic offenses (13,028, up from from 4,527). More»

Obama Team Afraid to Mention 'Radical Islam'

They keep downplaying terrorists' jihadist connections

(NEWSER) - The Weekly Standard rips into the Obama administration's anti-terror record in a scathing new essay. Stephen F. Hayes and Thomas Joscelyn accuse the administration of failing to detect three plots beforehand (Times Square, the Christmas Day attempt, and Fort Hood), taking credit for dumb luck when two of the attempts failed, and trying hard to minimize the significance of each attack and the suspects' "connections to the global jihadist network." More»

Napolitano Backtracks, Says System Failed

Homeland Security chief changes stance; visa oversight probed

(NEWSER) - Facing a storm of criticism for saying "the system worked" in the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253, Janet Napolitano reversed course today. "Our system did not work in this instance," the Homeland Security secretary said. She added, "No one is happy or satisfied with that," and said the department was reviewing the oversights that allowed Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to board the Detroit-bound flight out of Amsterdam. More»

McCain Morphs Into Chief Obama Foe

Graham calls Arizona senator 'de facto leader of the Republican Party'

(NEWSER) - John McCain has made the transformation from possible Obama ally to a full-blooded Republican partisan, though insiders aren’t quite sure why. Some see his vocal opposition to the Obama administration’s policies as a concession to the realities of next year’s election, where he may face a challenge from the right. Friend Lindsey Graham paints McCain’s outrage as common sense. “What would have been a change was if he wasn’t pissed off,” he tells Politico . More»

Help Wanted: Fed Govt. Needs 600K New Workers

270K new hires deemed critical to make up for retirement

(NEWSER) - The federal government must hire 600,000 people over the next 4 years to balance a wave of retirement and keep pace with President Obama’s ambitions, the Washington Post reports. Nearly half of those positions are considered absolutely essential for agencies to provide their services, a new report states, chiefly in the medical, security, law enforcement, legal, and administrative areas. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Napolitano Pick Suggests Focus on Immigration