Jan Brewer: I Made "Error" in Beheadings Claim

(AP)  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said Friday she was wrong when she claimed that headless bodies were turning up in the Arizona desert as part of border-related violence.

"That was an error, if I said that," Brewer said about beheadings occurring in Arizona.

The Republican incumbent's June comments about beheadings were raised during a Wednesday debate by Democratic challenger Terry Goddard, who said the comments were false and damaging to Arizona's image.

Brewer didn't respond to Goddard's challenge about the beheadings claim - she instead changed the subject. Afterward, when reporters asked about the claim, she cut short the question-and-answer session.

But she since is acknowledging in interviews with The Associated Press and other media organizations that she was wrong.

She said she was referring to beheadings and other cartel-related violence in Mexico that she said could spill over into the United States and that she is sorry if people were misled.

"I misspoke, but you know, let me be clear, I am concerned about the border region because it continues to be reported in Mexico that there's a lot of violence going on and we don't want that going into Arizona."

Brewer apparently first referred to beheadings during a June 16 interview with FOX News' Greta Van Susteren, talking about "the kidnappings and the extortion and the beheadings and the fact that people can't feel safe in their community" in discussing controversy surrounding the immigration law.

She went further in a June 27 interview on Phoenix television station KPNX when asked about the beheadings claim.

"Oh, our law enforcement agencies have found bodies in the desert, either buried or just lying out there, that have been beheaded," Brewer said.

[formrusmcsgt]

She's only been making that same "error" for months now.

AZ deserves her.

[stn_sage]

The problem with her comment is NOT that beheadings have not happened in the Arizona desert or in relationship to alien smuggling(s)...but that it's very hard to PROVE!!

If it's happening, the govt doesn't want the public to know about it, and it's hard to get the name from a headless corpse...so, what do you do?

Yet, there's persistent rumor of it...and those rumors are usually based on facts!

I don't hold her comment against her, I think she should just drop it
and move on! There are FAR worse governors than her! She's got problems on her hands in Arizona...until she does something really terrible or really irresponsible, the public should 'cut her some slack'!

[BringMoney]

"I'm sorry if..." is not an apology.

[cbsblogger]

Is Gov. Brewer throwing the fight? Was she blackmailed and forced to pull off this gaffe?

The biggest institutions and players in our USA society want amnesty for illegals. They big players want an unending tide of cheap labor and more glazed eyeballs to watch their media entertainment channels. They want more immigration. And they want bigger tax cuts so that they pay less of the burden.

That's all folks. Your country has been hijacked.

[mbryanm]

"misspoke" is new political prose for flat-out lied.
This lady is evidently as incompetent a governor as a public speaker,
another non-elected disaster.

[euge005]

Madam Brewerr is wrong about a lot of things. But the effort to drive out the criminal immigrants is not one of them. The corrupt deal with her private prison business owning cronies is however, discraceful. And that gives peeps without the level of concern over those 12 million criminals a chance to confuse the issue with the smoke from that corruption. Brewer has to go, but leave that law alone.

[hopetrumps]

Jan Brewer along with 80% of the Republican candidates this year are really weird and frightening!!---our nation remains beseiged with difficulties, and this is no time to out of fear and desperation turn ourselves over to such an inhumane and horrendous band of ogres. We've all felt desperate one time or another, and it's understandable insecure people are more apt to make stupid decisions, but if with trembling or angry hand we stoop to vote Republican we will only ensure that matters will get even worse----much worse. Haven't 8 years of George W. harmed our beloved nation enough? Let's not harm it beyond repair--vote Democratic

[laxboy10]

This woman is a IDIOT

[JCraig_Church]

"That was an error, if I said that,"

"IF" she said that? Not only is she a liar and a fool, but she is a TERRIBLE public speaker (just take a look at her opening statement in her debate with Terry Goddard) I live in Arizona (NOT proud of it) this COW needs to go.

[TwoFatLadies]

The bizarre adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.