Brewhaha Over Headless Bodies on the Border
09/04/2010
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Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's problems didn't end after the famous debate where she had a few seconds of brain freeze.

During a press interview following the debate is when the really bad stuff happened.

Brewer was ambushed with questions regarding her statement on June 27th when she claimed that near the Arizona border some headless bodies have been found. Reporters assailed Brewer with questions about the headless bodies even when it was obvious that she preferred to discuss more important issues instead. Like a pack of wolves who sense wounded prey the reporters surrounded her and bombarded her with questions and comments. Surprisingly Brewer seemed unprepared to deal with the beheading question, so in response she went silent and walked out of the press room. That was a very bad move on her part.

This is exactly what Brewer said in June and continued to say in the debate:

Our law enforcement agencies have found bodies in the desert either buried or just lying out there that have been beheaded.

Governor Jan Brewer, County coroners can't back Brewer beheadings claim, Arizona Guardian, June 30, 2010

Brewer could have made it a lot easier on herself if she would have just admitted that she was wrong about beheadings in Arizona. She could have headed this issue off (sorry about the pun) way before the debate took place. The problem with her June 27th statement is that there is ample evidence to show that there hasn't been crime reports of decapitated bodies in Arizona. One time in 2008 a headless human body was found in the desert but it appears that the head was severed not by criminals but instead by a coyote or javelina that decided to have a carry-out dinner. There have been decapitations but they were done by the Mexican drug cartel in Juarez, Mexico. The El Paso Times reports that brutal attacks and beheadings in Juarez, Mexico have become commonplace. So, Brewer is just plain wrong about the beheadings have been taking place.

The day after the debate on September 2nd Brewer dug herself deeper into a hole by trying to do spin control:

I never said there were beheadings in Arizona, maybe I did if I did I did not mean it. In my mind, it is the border region and it has been reported.

Post-Debate, Brewer Does Damage Control, September 2 2010, Fox Phoenix

Contrary to her spin she did say there were beheadings in Arizona so her line of defense will not hold up under any kind of scrutiny.

It's too late for Brewer to stop the parodies on youtube. There are two of them posted already that are quite hilarious: Fun With Jan Brewer and Headless Hotties in Arizona.

Democratic opponent Terry Goddard wasted no time to make a TV attack ad over the Brewer gaffe, which shows just how well funded the Democrats are. We can all count on the liberal local media and Goddard to continue to pick away at this trivial issue until she stops being so defensive. It would have been so much easier for Brewer if a couple of months ago she just admitted that she got her facts wrong. What is it about politics nowadays that makes politicians deny obvious mistakes because they don’t want to show even a tiny bit of weakness?

Fortunately for Brewer’s campaign, time is on her side because Terry Goddard is famous for saying stupid things. Given enough time he will surely even the score by making a fool of himself. It’s a long time until November and push come to shove Arizonans will choose Brewer over a amnesty boosting liberal like Goddard.

Brewer announced that she will do no more debates before the election.

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