Pointing out the obvious again

The Bush Administration doesn't have much going when it comes to border enforcement. Michelle Malkin discusses the flanking maneuver being pulled off by Dem's on the issue in this post today:

Now, two Democratic governors have pulled off bold political moves that go beyond lip service: declaring border emergencies. First, Bill Richardson in New Mexico. Followed by Janet Napolitano in Arizona. The gestures boost government funding for--and, yes, political credibility on--an issue long festering in the Southwest and spreading to the interior.

I pondered a post on this topic after Janet made her announcement that she was following in Governor Richardson's footsteps. For all my conservative-ness though, I don't have the same fire on this issue. But I digress...

At least one radio report this morning has made clear that some are not so hip on the Governor's decision. Open-border activists are already busy accusing Governor Napolitano of political grandstanding and vote-fishing.

Today's Republic gives us another look at what exactly this means: Gov. Janet Napolitano on Monday declared a state of emergency along Arizona's border with Mexico, freeing up $1.5 million in disaster funds to help border counties combat booming illegal immigration and drug smuggling.

Napolitano criticized the federal government for "moving too slow" on border security, evolving into a hot-button, election-year issue in Arizona and across the country."

This is a federal responsibility, and they're not meeting it," Napolitano said. "I've just come to the conclusion (that) we've got to do what we can at the state level until the federal government picks up the pace."

It seems though that certain political activists and advocates aren't the only ones accusing the Governor of playing politics:

State Rep. Russell Pearce, a Republican, accused Napolitano of bowing to public and political pressure."This governor clearly is very good at reading polls," Pearce said. " It's a start, but much more has to be done.... This nation is under siege."

Damned if you, damned if you don't.


UPDATE: Free publicity courtesy of Outside the Beltway.