As the Obama administration goes ahead with the lawsuit (see the full text of the US vs Arizona complaint here) this bit of news from the Washington Post (emphasis added):Obama faces political challenge on Arizona case
The White House has said the decision to challenge Arizona’s immigration law was out of its hands, left completely up to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and the lawyers at the Justice Department.
Hmmmm…
The buck stops at Eric’s desk?
But the implications of the suit filed Tuesday are potentially huge for President Obama and the Democratic Party as the election season begins in earnest later this summer.
Yup.
Obama will be called upon frequently in the next several months to make the government’s case that the Arizona measure unlawfully preempts federal law. As he campaigns for Democrats at town hall meetings around the country, it will be Obama — not Holder — who will be at the center of the intense discussion.
A senior Democratic strategist said Obama will probably seek to avoid directly defending the government’s suit, or attacking the Arizona law, which remains popular in most polls.
The Arizona law remains a heck of a lot more popular than Obama, too:
You can’t be seen with Obama if you’re a Democrat who wants to win in 2010: “PPP has polled on the impact of a Barack Obama endorsement in 5 key Senate races over the last month, and it’s looking more and more clear that there’s just about nowhere Democratic candidates would benefit from having the President come to campaign with them.”
Back to the Washington post,
Americans largely see the law as an effort to do something about illegal immigration in the wake of federal inaction.
It also has a lot to do with national security, but I digress.
Makes you wonder, will Obama stay at the golf course and avoided going on the campaign trail? If he does, how will he answer this question,
“The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State.”
Where do you suppose Madison would come down on the debate over Arizona’s decision to secure its borders and enforce the law?
Because, you can be sure, that very question will be asked over and over again.
