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Goddards jumps on ruling, gets himself before cameras

WEDNESDAY, 28 JULY 2010 11:20

By Mary K. Reinhart

The Arizona Guardian

Attorney General Terry Goddard was quick to respond to Wednesday morning’s federal court ruling that effectively neuters the state’s immigration law, blasting Gov. Jan Brewer for "playing politics with immigration."

U.S. Judge Susan Bolton has blocked the most controversial provisions of the law from taking effect, pending a full trial on the matter.

“Jan Brewer played politics with immigration, and she lost,” Goddard, the Democratic candidate for governor, said in a statement.

“Rather than providing the leadership Arizona needs to solve the immigration problem, Jan Brewer signed a bill she could not defend in court which has led to boycotts, jeopardized our tourism industry and polarized our state.”

Goddard put himself in an impossible political position when, early on, he criticized the measure and said he would not have signed it, then moved to defend SB 1070 in court after lawsuits began piling up.

In the end, he bowed out following threats by Brewer to have him removed from the case, saying it would have been a political sideshow.

Late morning Wednesday, Goddard was milling about with SB 1070 protestors near the state Capitol and moving from camera to camera for TV interviews. He made live appearances on CNN and NBC before noon.

In his statement, he said the state should move beyond “sound bites, fear mongering and political stunts.”

Brewer, who spoke with reporters by phone from Tucson, issued a statement shortly after noon Wednesday and posted it on her campaign website. She also mentioned fear mongering, but presumably was referring to a different group of people.

She said her attorneys will file an expedited appeal with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"I will battle all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary, for the right to protect the citizens of Arizona," Brewer said. "Meanwhile, I also know we sitll have work to do in confronting the fear-mongers, those dealing in hate and lies and economic boycotts that seek to do Arizona harm."