January 27, 2012 1:08 PM

Jan Brewer releases private letter she gave Obama

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Obama Administration ,
State Politics
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer points during an intense conversation with President Barack Obama after he arrived at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, in Mesa, Ariz. Asked moments later what the conversation was about, Brewer, a Republican, said: "He was a little disturbed about my book." Brewer recently published a book, "Scorpions for Breakfast," something of a memoir of her years growing up and defends her signing of Arizona's controversial law cracking down on illegal immigrants, which Obama opposes. Obama was objecting to Brewer's description of a meeting he and Brewer had at the White House, where she described Obama as lecturing her. (Credit: AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Thursday evening released a copy of the hand-written letter she handed to President Obama in the confrontational meeting she had with him on an airport tarmac in Phoenix Wednesday.

The meeting raised eyebrows Wednesday when Brewer, who has had a contentious relationship with Mr. Obama for years, was seen pointing her finger at the president. President Obama said reports of the meeting were "blown out of proportion," adding that Brewer simply wanted to give him a letter.

In that letter, Brewer asks Mr. Obama for another meeting and boasts that her policies -- which stand in contrast to the president's policy prescriptions -- have helped turn around Arizona's economy.

"We both love this great country, but we fundamentally disagree on how to best make America grow and prosper once again," Brewer wrote. "I'd love an opportunity to share with you how we've been able to turn Arizona around with hard choices that turned out to be the right ones."

Brewer pointed out that Arizona is now among the top 10 states for job creation, even though it was not long ago at the bottom.

"I'm proud of that hard-won recovery -- the result of many tough decisions, courage and perseverance," she wrote.

In an interview with CBS News Thursday, Brewer defended her behavior. She said that Mr. Obama told her he was unhappy with how she depicted a previous White House meeting in her book, "Scorpions for Breakfast."


Add a Comment See all 197 Comments
by seanoamericano January 30, 2012 7:18 PM EST
Should have been the middle finger
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by mountainstates1 January 30, 2012 12:40 PM EST
Jan Brewer needs to be investigated by the Secret Service.
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by sandy 1027 January 30, 2012 9:51 AM EST
No one knows what was discussed on the tarmac; and I have read or seen a lot worse than what Jan Brewer said, but this appears to be just one more instance of a general showing of disrespect to the president by many on the right.It's never appropriate to put your finger in the face of the president of the United States.
Reply to this comment
by chatmandu7451 January 30, 2012 10:59 AM EST
Yes we do what what was said, Obama was doing a beat down on her for comments about him in her book. Guess what, he is not the king and she let him know what's what. Go Jan.
by skyp2 January 30, 2012 5:38 PM EST
that includes the entire Republican party, it's sickining to see the disrespect shown to our President & the way they want to tear him down at every chance. What happened to this country, It is time to put these politicians in their place, we need to have term limits, retirement age, no health care subsidies & all politicians need to live by the rules they create & that means no insider trading, common folk w/be in jail, it's time some of them are, no more excuses for bad behavior, kick their a--es out!!!
by TeaMobile-51 January 29, 2012 3:02 PM EST
The media and news print focus on Brewer's pointing - Anyone looking at the PR photo of Brewer pointing and that's all they see or chat about believes the World is Flat! Why does not the Media ask Why Obama touched Brewer? Did Obama touch Brewer First then she pointed? We can argue, speak loudly and engage in strong worded debts but when it escalates to physical touch or worse its a WHOLE NEW GAME! This WA DC admin. have not indebted the US or spent a dime to secure the Arizona Boarders - Wake Up Voters and American that portion of US boarder is being INVADED by people that are murdering US citizens and worse. Good work Jan! Thank you
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by skyp2 January 30, 2012 5:44 PM EST
you are sick lady, just like the rest of your republican buddiestrying to make an issue!! By the way Jan Brewer is the one that created this so calles sensationalizim not Oboma
by leftyintexas January 29, 2012 2:42 PM EST
Brewer looks like a Republican witch and when she speaks, I'm convinced of it. Her whole attitude is a total turn off. I don't blame Obama if he got nasty with her, but I doubt that he did. He's on a much higher level than she'll ever be.
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by karenjohns January 29, 2012 12:01 PM EST
Self-possesed B itch
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by RobAla January 29, 2012 9:00 AM EST
Now, we can't do anything that would cause President Obama to be "unhappy", can we. Never mind the fact that his lack of upholding federal immigration law causes hardship on border states (including drug cartels coming over the border and murdering US citizens). President Obama can dish it out, but he can't handle anyone standing up to him.

CBS: The letter was pretty short. Why didn't you just print the published contents of the letter, instead of just stating your opinion of what was in it?
Reply to this comment
by thinkdeeply8 January 29, 2012 2:17 AM EST
Contents of letter:

"Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to do a cheap photo op at your expense. I can now use the photo in one of my future campaign commercials to appeal to Obama haters. I'll also use this rare opportunity to promote my book, which is available on Amazon."

Sincerely,
Jan Brewer, Governor, Tin Foil Hat Party
Reply to this comment
by JoeLoerzel January 28, 2012 11:40 PM EST
She meets him first hand and rather than invite him herself, from one leader to another - she hands him a letter. Then she releases the letter to the public. Kind of an odd way to get air time.
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by shenboe January 28, 2012 11:41 AM EST
Why doesn't CBS publish the letter from Brewer to Obama so readers can judge themselves?
Reply to this comment
by jeanneyess January 28, 2012 5:13 PM EST
Agreed, I, too, would like to know the words behind that disrespectful fingerwagging in the face of my President. While some might blame her lack of education (Associates Degree) I would think that she would know enough to show respect in general for her compatriots, but most certainly for ALL OF OUR President. It could be that she is picking up on Senator McCain's patterns of disrespectful behavior in the Senate and in public in his home city of Phoenix. Nevertheless, I find it extremely offensive, and I would not ever find myself addressing any American or otherwise politician, because I am an American, and Americans are proud and respectful people, and while the French people may not find anything to respect in Americans and may be disrespectful in French toward the "Ugly American" visitors who add much to their economy, we find it greatly offensive that they consider us as such. But when you see an American Governor wagging her finger in the face of the Leader of the Free World, one may indeed begin to wonder, perhaps I just haven't met these "Ugly Americans" who have such money to make a visit to France and spread their lack of courtesy around the streets of Paris.

As for the reporter, Stephanie Condon, where ever she got the notion that she should address our President as Mr., I have such absolute contempt for such an unprofessional display of disrespect, I would think the CBS might want to give her a wee bit of education about the etiquette of professional conduct as a representative of their organization. Such rude behavior I would think, CBS would not want to give such important reporting jobs to, better she should cover local reporting where she is not being held up to the high standards of a national reporter, and be scrutinized by a country of educated people who will notice subtle insults and take CBS to task for letting them splash their disrespect into a news report. If she wants to respond to "Letters to the Editor, and you want to give her that responsibility, well opinionate away, but I don't want to read disrespect subtly placed inside a news article.
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