Randy Pullen takes on Judah Nativio and Tammie Pursley

Randy Pullen, current chair of the AZ Republican Party, may not have any significant skill at raising (the primary duty of any state chair of any party), but he sure can issue a mean press release.

Especially when it's in support of some of his fellow travellers on the nativist trail.

Courtesy an email from the Nativio campaign -

Democratic Party Candidates Judah Nativio and Tammie Pursley favor legislation that relies on the Federal Government to solve the problems we face in Arizona.

Their solutions are the same sort of rhetoric that have stalled immigration reform and maintained the status quo. We simply cannot wait for Washington to figure out a way to secure our borders and fix our immigration laws.

{snip}

Nativio and Pursely's 'do nothing' approach to illegal immigration is simply a delay tactic while people are allowed to continue with business as usual.

District 18 has three Republicans who are more qualified to deal with this problem head on. Their opponents favor a hands-off approach, which will only further this crisis we are facing.

Ignoring, for the moment anyway, the fact that the AZ GOP has to be seriously scared of Pursley and Nativio if they are putting out effort to buttress candidates in a supposedly "safe" GOP district, but is Pullen so stressed over the impending loss of his job (and possibly control of one or both chambers of the state lege) that he has forgotten that immigration control *is* a federal concern? I can understand (not necessarily agree with, but can at least understand) when frustration over the lack of federal control of America's borders leads to nativists' attempts to impose controls at the state level.

However, border control was and is a federal responsibility.

Reading Mr. Pullen's press release leaves the impression that he and the candidates he supports advocate the outright usurpation of federal authority. As near as I can figure from my (very!) limited knowledge of the law, this isn't treason.

Though given Russell Pearce's well-known affinity for neo-Nazis and white supremacists (groups that have been known to advocate the violent overthrow of the government), it's probably far closer to treason than any normal person would want to go.

For his part, Nativio called the presser with Pullen's comments part of a "smear" campaign.

Also from the email -

This is such a lie. I have stated multiple times that the employee sanctions bill passed with bipartisan support, I would like to see a funding source and I do not agree that the Sheriff can run raids on government buildings under this law without cooperating with local municipalities.

I have also called for our congressional delegation to move more money to Arizona to help pay the bills that are run up under the law so taxpayers are not the only ones paying for it. I also supported SB1022 last session, a bipartisan bill to assist business that cannot find legal labor.

Lastly, we need to demand that the federal government move more visa applications and approve permits to bring more people here for people who believe in the American dream and want to be part of these United States.

Lastly, besides the whole "ignore federal authority" aspect of Pullen's press release, I find it telling that Pullen couldn't bring himself to say that Pearce, Court, and Ash were the best candidates for all of LD18; instead, he appeals only to the nativists in the district.

Later!