State pours cold water on Tea Party

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. File photo / AP

The state of Arizona's stint on the front line of right-wing Republicanism appears to be over, after its Governor vetoed new laws dealing with two of the great obsessions of the Tea Party movement: the right to bear arms and the question of whether Barack Obama was actually born in the United States.

Jan Brewer, who until now had been a darling of the conservative media, first threw out new legislation that would have allowed citizens to carry firearms through university campuses. Then she scrapped a "birther bill" which would have required future presidential candidates to present their birth certificates to electoral authorities.

Her move is significant because it provides evidence that leading Republicans are starting to become concerned that the party's dramatic shift rightwards during President Obama's reign might end up damaging its chances of winning support among mainstream voters at the election next year.

Recent weeks have seen Donald Trump, the eccentric reality TV host and property developer, propel himself to second in the polls to win the party's presidential nomination by touting the conspiracy theory that Obama was actually born in Kenya and speculating that the US' first black leader "may be a Muslim".

The spiel was meat and drink to many Republican voters: according to polls, more than half of respondents believe the President was born outside the US and just under half think Obama is a Muslim. But dwelling on such issues will inevitably alienate centrists.

Arizona found this out to its cost last year, when Governor Brewer signed a hardline anti-immigration bill which would have allowed police to stop, search and ask for proof of citizenship from anyone who resembled an illegal alien. It sparked allegations of racism, nationwide protests and a consumer boycott.

After several months, the law was thrown out by the courts for being unconstitutional.

Brewer's decision to veto the "birther" and firearm laws is doubtless designed to avoid a repeat of that saga. Explaining the move, she raised the spectre of the "birther" bill turning Arizona into a target for liberal satirists and expensive lawyers.

"This is a bridge too far," she said. In any case, Brewer argued, the proposed legislation would also have designated a single official as "gatekeeper to the ballot", which "could lead to arbitrary or politically motivated decisions".

The law to further liberalise gun ownership rules, meanwhile, was poorly timed since the Arizona Senator Gabrielle Giffords is still being treated after being shot by an allegedly mentally ill resident of Tucson, who was legally able to purchase a handgun with an extended ammunition clip.

Brewer said the law was "poorly written" and would throw Arizona into conflict with federal law, leading to further pricey court cases.

US governors tend to use the right to veto new laws sparingly, since it can be politically difficult to override the wishes of local politicians.

But Brewer's move prompted admiring comments from local Democrats, who are perhaps tired of Arizona being a byword for "crazy" in political circles.

"She knows that these bills are not going to help with Arizona's image," said Senator Steve Gallardo. "All they do is put us in the national spotlight and make us look silly."

- INDEPENDENT