On news that Gov. Janet Napolitano is expected to be nominated by President-elect Obama to head the Department of Homeland Security, many Arizona Republicans have reacted favorably, figuring her departure will elevate Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer, a Republican, to the governor's seat and eliminate the threat that Napolitano would run against U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix) in 2010 - an almost certainly costly, and possibly losing, battle for the GOP.
However, those at the Arizona Republican Party aren't exactly celebrating. At least not according to party executive director Sean McCaffrey. While McCaffrey said Brewer's elevation would be a good thing, he also indicated that there could be potential pitfalls as well.
"On the plus side you get a Republican governor, and a good one," McCaffrey told PolitickerAZ.com. "The downside of being elevated to that job is that you have to do it."
"Jan Brewer has said she wouldn't be a tax-and-spend governor, and that's exactly what you need right now," McCaffrey said. "She's someone who when she tells you something you know it's the truth."
Yet McCaffrey said the state has a lot of difficulties, most of which he blamed on Napolitano, likening her to someone who "borrows your car, runs over the prize-winning dog of a cranky neighbor, hands back the keys, says the dog's dead, your neighbor's pissed and thanks." Whoever is governor is going to have the task addressing them.
"The $1.5 billion deficit would be the Republicans' responsibility," said McCaffrey. "CPS needs to get fixed, the veterans' homes need to get fixed, we have a shortage of nurses and teachers, infrastructure problems" - the list goes on, he said. "Whoever is the next governor, whether it's Jan Brewer, or whoever is elected in 2010, has a tremendous amount of things to go out and fix."
As for who Brewer will appoint in her place if Napolitano does decide to go to Washington, McCaffrey said he honestly has no idea.
"There's no shortage of talent," he said. "I suspect there will be a large pool to choose from."
He added: "I am confident it's not going to be me."
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