SB 1070 Supporters Present An Arizona Sing-A-Long

It seems that both SB 1070 advocates and foes are banking on the persuasive power of cartoons and puppets to get their message out to a divided population.

Yesterday FI2W reported on “Dora the Illegal Immigrant Explorer.” Today it’s a thinly disguised imitation of Kermit the Frog. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and former Alaska governor and right-wing celebrity Sarah Palin are using the nasal voiced frog puppet to mock U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano for admitting they didn’t read the text of SB 1070 before criticizing it. (Though they were briefed on the bill). The two conservatives posted this video on their joint venture, www.securetheborder.org.

Neither Attorney General Holder’s nor Secretary Napolitano’s office returned calls for comment on the video.

Meanwhile, it seems that GOP pressure on President Obama to “Secure the Border” is working. Yesterday afternoon the New York Times reported that the President will send up to 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and seek increased spending on law enforcement there. This was revealed after the president met with Republican Senators, many of whom are adamant about stopping the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country.

The troops will be stationed in 4 southwestern states, and will join a few hundred National Guard troops already there who are working to stop the flow of drugs across the border. They will monitor crossings, but they will not directly arrest undocumented migrants or smugglers.

Governor Brewer took partial credit for the move, saying that SB 1070 had pushed the president into action.

“I am pleased that President Obama has now, apparently, agreed that our nation must secure the border to address rampant border violence and illegal immigration without other preconditions, such as passage of ‘comprehensive immigration reform,’” Brewer said.

But others, including Arizona Senator John McCain, were quick to criticize the number of troops, saying 1,200 is not nearly enough.

President Obama told lawmakers that improving border security alone would not reduce illegal immigration, and urged Republicans to join him in passing an immigration reform bill.

Republican Representative Jeff Flake of Arizona agreed, saying he was grateful for the additional resources at the border. “But I hope that this is merely the first step in a process that culminates in Congress passing comprehensive immigration reform,” Rep. Flake said.

AboutSarah Kate Kramer
Sarah Kate Kramer first got hooked on collecting stories as a StoryCorps facilitator, then traveled the world with a microphone for a few years before settling down in her hometown of New York City. From 2010-2012 she was the editor of Feet in 2 Worlds and a freelance reporter for WNYC Radio, where she created “Niche Market,” a weekly segment that profiled specialty stores in New York. Sarah is now a producer at Radio Diaries, a non-profit that produces documentaries for NPR and other public radio outlets.