Thread: Napolitano no stranger to DHS chief she may replace

Napolitano no stranger to Homeland Security chief she may replace
By Paul Davenport
The Associated Press
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 01.08.2009

PHOENIX — President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for U.S. homeland security secretary is no stranger to the man she’ll replace or some of the most prickly problems that land on his desk.

Current Secretary Michael Chertoff and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano have met in person, spoken on the phone and written each other numerous times since Chertoff took office in February 2005, with Napolitano’s early letters showing distrust but later correspondence revealing a relationship that warmed over time.

Correspondence obtained by The Associated Press under a public records request indicates that more often than not, the subject of their written exchanges was Napolitano’s push for the federal government to do more to combat illegal immigration and reduce the burdens it puts on Arizona and other states along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Napolitano at times expressed gratitude for Chertoff’s responsiveness to her concerns. But at other points, she expressed frustration and offered biting comments on the performance of officials at the department she will lead if she’s confirmed by the Senate later this month.

“This bewildering resistance is a further example of ICE’s inattention to Arizona,â€

They spelled her name wrong

NapoLATINO