Brewer beats back the Birthers

GIVEN the dim-witted shenanigans that occur here routinely, I could hardly believe the words coming from Arizona Gov. Brewer's pen. On the "birther" scheme bill that would have required presidential candidates (i.e., Obama) to prove their U.S. citizenship before their names could appear on the state's ballot, Brewer wrote: "I do not support designating one person as the gatekeeper to the ballot for a candidate, which could lead to arbitrary or politically motivated decisions. In addition, I never imagined being presented with a bill that could require candidates for president of the greatest and most powerful nation on Earth to submit their 'early baptismal circumcision certificates' among other records to the Arizona secretary of state. This is a bridge too far." As British soldier Daniel Dravot (The Man Who Would Be King) might put it, "God's holy trousers!" I'm in total, unequivocal agreement with Brewer. That's a first. The governor also vetoed an equally nutty bill that would have allowed students to pack heat on college campuses. Happily, the legislature is unlikely to override either veto. Credit where credit is due: Brewer deserves kudos for preventing Arizona from falling into the abyss of complete absurdity.

(Cartoon credit: Mike Peters / Dayton Daily News)