Witch's Brew

By now many of us are familiar with the picture of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on the Phoenix tarmac pointing her finger in the face of Barack Obama. The first thing one might think is that it is somewhat less than proper for even a state governor to act towards the President of the United States. It also suggests that she might have arranged to have a camera at the ready when the opportune moment arrived.

This photo brings to mind that of then Vice President Richard Nixon in 1959 wagging his finger at Nikita Khrushchev in their famous Moscow “kitchen debate.” This may have shown Governor Brewer that there’s gold in them there hills for a politician of lesser rank to be photographed wagging a finger at a head of state. If you’re going to do it go for the top. By staging the event in front of the Pepsi Cola exhibit Nixon earned the lifelong friendship and financial support of that company’s head Donald Kendall.

Media analysts are assuming that the governor and president were disagreeing over Arizona’s immigration law. But I have a sneaking suspicion that she was saying something like “when you remove someone like [former Arizona Governor] Janet Napolitano to be Secretary of Homeland Security you get me. Let that be a lesson to you”