We assume Janet Napolitano has some core convictions, somewhere. With election season well underway, however, she has begun to make an amazingly cynical and calculated move to the right by flip-flopping on some major issues. And she has done so by betraying her closest liberal allies. Last month her toothless executive order on the National Guard devastated her Democratic legislative supporters, who did not see her rhetorical flip-flop coming. She was forced into this by three things – a legislative bill (that she vetoed), public opinion polls and the fact that she is running for re-election. Then last week she stabbed teachers’ unions in the back by allowing corporate tax credits for donations to tuition scholarship organizations to become law without her signature. This was the same bill she vetoed last year after promising to sign it. A Tucson columnist is concerned Napolitano’s numbers are dropping, and that some liberals may simply not vote for Governor.
In both cases Napolitano did not change her mind about the issue. Clearly, the only reason for her flip-flops is concern about her political future. Whatever you believe about the merits of these issues, we should expect our leaders to have the courage of their convictions. These flip-flops may have something to do with Napolitano’s 9-point drop in one month in public opinion polls.
