Pence goes to Arizona -- and loses his way
Apparently, the Hoosier doesn't know much about borders unless perhaps we're talking about the boundary between Indiana and Kentucky. The U.S.-Mexico border is fortified, militarized and patrolled by more than 17,000 Border Patrol agents. That is not "open."
Pence also praised former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- who is now running to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate -- as a "tireless champion of strong borders and the rule of law."
In truth, Arpaio's contribution to "strong borders" was limited to clownish stunts like having deputies raid a fast-food restaurant in Phoenix because Spanish was spoken in the kitchen. Arpaio wiped his feet on the "rule of law" when he defied a federal judge's order to stop enforcing immigration law and profiling Latinos. The lawman-turned-outlaw was found to be in contempt of court. Trump gave him amnesty, i.e., a pardon.
Nonetheless, Pence welcomed Arpaio and told him: "I'm honored to have you here." So, I guess, the vice president is also a little fuzzy on the meaning of the word "honor."
You see why I'm sick. And as long as I continue to cover politics, I don't expect to feel better anytime soon.
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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.
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