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Can Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) for re-election? It's a straightforward question with a seemingly obvious answer, but a controversy is unfolding nevertheless.
The 68-year-old Republican is weighing a bid for four more years in office even though a voter-approved 1992 constitutional amendment limits the state's top officials to two consecutive terms, including "any part" of one served. Brewer was elected in 2010 after completing the remaining two years of Democrat Janet Napolitano's term.
"I haven't ruled anything out," Brewer said yesterday after a ceremonial bill-signing in Peoria, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix.
At least in theory, the decision isn't entirely hers to make -- the law limits governors to two terms, including "any part" of one term. Brewer became governor in early 2009, succeeding Janet Napolitano, and serving the final two years of Napolitano's term. Then Brewer won a full term of her own. One and one is two, and the law doesn't seem to leave a lot of wiggle room.
"The constitution is quite clear," Paul Bender, Arizona State University law professor told Bloomberg Businessweek. "She cannot run again, and I don't think there is any real significant doubt about it."
And yet, Brewer hasn't "ruled anything out," and her lawyer, Joe Kanefield, insists there are subtle ambiguities in the law that offers her the opportunity to run for a third term.
"It comes down to, what does a term mean?" Kanefield said.
If Brewer decides to test the law, the matter will almost certainly end up before the Arizona Supreme Court. The governor will not enjoy the support of Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett, the state's second-highest ranking Republican, who wants Brewer's job, and insists the governor is no longer eligible to run for re-election.
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"It comes down to, what does a term mean?" Kanefield said.
what all of a sudden the GOP discovers nuance and subtlety. i call BULL@!$%#.
I think I get it now, there's a republican dictionary that provides alternate definitions of words not known to non-members. It enables them to make statements that others find completely bizarre or outrageous while they think they make perfect sense. It's because they do make sense using their definitions. They've created their own secret language in plain sight; elephant-english, as opposed to pig-latin. We must crack the code.
Makes sense, BP, an alternate dictionary in their alternate history classes, listening to alternate reality media, living in their separatist communities, abiding by rules alternate from everyone else.
For crying out loud. Civilization can't endure if it allows semantic battles of this amount of mind-numbing stupidity.
Its almost as good as an argument over what the definition of the word "is" is...
just saying...
The Queen of Denial stated "I haven't ruled anything out, except for the Mexicans..."!
Actually what Clinton said was very clear. Only duh masses didn't understand it.
"I haven't ruled anything out," Brewer said yesterday...
Does that mean there's a chance that she'll finally get a face-lift?
So, she steps down the day before the election, her lieutenant governor finishes the term, and she is elected to a new, non-consecutive term.
Nope. The devious people who drafted that clause also specified that the officeholder had to be out of office for a full term before becoming eligible again.
thanks 'd.c."....it's always in the details...kudos for providing them!
Brewer hasn't "ruled anything out..." Her lawyer, Joe Kanefield insists there are “subtle ambiguities in the law”
To a Republican, that simply means she can swindle, defraud, cheat, trick, hoodwink, hoax, dupe, take in, mislead, delude, fool, outwit, lead on, inveigle, beguile, double-cross, gull, con, bamboozle, do, gyp, diddle, rip off, shaft, pull a fast one on, take for a ride, pull the wool over someone's eyes, sucker, snooker, or stiff.
Wait a second... this lady was my waitress at Canters Deli last night... she is a Gov???
I find it highly ironic, laughable really, that a member of the GOP is trying to find loopholes ("ambiguities") to serve another term beyond what the current constitution allows. There is an ad running on conservative talk radio proclaiming (actually, warning) that Obama is secretly plotting to exploit similar loopholes ("ambiguities"?) in the federal constitution to secure a third term for himself. I guess it's only worth investigating if you can further your own agenda. Good grief! What IS in the GOP Kool-Aid these days???
Dunno -- but it came in a bottle labeled "Drink Me."
Remember, if we can count on Republicans in the public eye to do one thing, it's to project project project their own most devious ideas on to their opponents. It's basically become a hallmark of their approach to everything, and I suspect one could gain a very comprehensive understanding of what Republicans are really hoping for by looking what they accuse Democrats of doing.
I didn't really expect to see Arizona Republicans making subtle references to Lewis Carroll.
Her definition of term is nine months- you know, the amount of time her LadyParts need to produce a voter-in-waiting.
lolz, you and the Lady Parts!
(: - )
We joked about how Republicans are so anti-science, they would even deny that 1+1=2! Ha, ha!! Exaggerating for effect, of course.
Once again, Republicans have outpaced our ability to mock them.
Wicked Witch of the West....sans broom.
Maybe, she has no where else to go.
I will say that I'm still mad at Obama for taking Janet Napolitano away from us...
Yeah, Janet was respected by both parties. Brewer is just a nut case who signs anything the Reptilian legislature puts in front of her. I'd love to see Janet take on McCain if he decided to run again.
Why is anyone surprised that Jan is unable to define a simple 4 letter word, it is more surprising that she can spell it.
Can Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) for re-election?
Missing a word. Reminds me of Can I Haz Cheezburger?
Someone in the state GOP needs to sit her down, wag a finger in her face, and scream: Enough already!
Unfortunately that would require someone in the GOP with a grain of common sense. Those have long been ran out of the party here in Arizona. This is the state that put twice beaten and recalled former state senate president Russell Pearce in as second in command of the Republican party.
Brewer, 'affectionately' known here as GED Jan, is only one of a large number of cranks and wingnuts that run the state. She will take this to court, lose, it'll be appealed, and she'll lose again. Then she'll hold a special election to repeal that part of the state constitution that denies her running for a third term. "Damn the expense! Full speed ahead!"
And Arizona takes one more step down the slippery slope toward "Banana Republic" status...and I don't mean the clothing store!
Ding Dong...the Witch is almost dead...or at least forced to step away!!!
Jan Brewer's hair looks like a shih tzu in that picture. Arrooooooo!
You have insulted my Shih Tzu. She wants to send the big dogs over to mark your yard :-).
"I haven't finished dressing down the President and poking my claw in his face."
Well, SOME are speculating that Gov Brewer may be on a list for possible 2016 presidential candidates... She's got Sheldon Adleson as her new BFF (Billionaire Financing Fascist).... http://www.azfamily.com/news/brewers-pac-got-250000-from-casino-owner-wife-183247462.html
She's already in the pocket of ALEC, as are most Republican legislators in Arizona, so having a billionaire out of state puppetmaster isn't that big of a surprise...
Frankly, I don't think she'd survive a third term bid... Arizona went a little (very lttle) purple this last election... Even if she got past all the legal hurdles(lawyers LOVE Arizona... Legislation through lawsuit!)she might have a little more difficult time with the voters...
But then again... This IS Arizona!...
The question is whether she has the backing of the Republican organization in the state. But Dems don't care either way. Their objective is to get more people elected to the legislature if they cannot get a state office. To that end, Dems will be busy registering voters because Arizona is going purple. Hispanic voters are going to have a bigger impact with each passing election and that anti-immigrant law is a good motivation to register. Texas will be next.
Is this not typically Republican. Cheat, loie, do whatever it takes to get their way. this entittlement mentality, running rampant in the Repblican party shows how far these right wingers are willing to go to screw the 98%.
Might be a good idea to round up all thee folks, put them in a cotner of a state that wants to seceed and fence them off from the resto of the country. Wishful thinking....
This is too easy. In Repulican (parallel) reality a term runs from swearing in until stepping down. Ergo,no matter how many years she serves, no matter how many times she is re- elected it is still her first term !!! Consecutive terms are a semantic impossiblity for her. The new, and improved, coolaid reality!!
She needs to look in the mirror...and think....RETIREMENT. Yes, this is a good idea for the person who said they would like to see Obama win the election at the Republican National Convention.
"It comes down to, what does a Jan Brewer mean?"
"There are subtle ambiguities in the definition of what is a Jan Brewer. It is to some extent a collection of cells, molecules, atoms and assorted sub-atomic particles adopting a morphology that, in common parlance, is referred to as a human being. reputedly of the feminine gender. This clearly will need further investigation to establish certainty. Nevertheless, even if this is confirmed beyond all reasonable doubt, the question remains as to whether the so-called "Jan Brewer" of 2009 will in any way resemble the entity who may bear the appellation 'Jan Brewer' in 2014. Science has shown that every cell, organ, tissue and, ipso facto, every relevant component of any human body is entirely replaced after seven years. The putative Brewer of 2014 will, therefore, be a mere five-sevenths of the governor who took office in 2009. By no stretch of the imagination can this entity be considered to have served even an approximation to two terms in office. With this proof that she is entirely eligible to stand re-election ad infinitum, I rest my case." Joe Kanefield.
Two-sevenths, not five-sevenths.
Anyway, what is matter and does it?