Imagine that – a courageous politician!

Let’s see – the election is Tuesday and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is on the ballot for re-election.

So why is she planning to be in San Francisco Monday?

Brewer plans to attend a court hearing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals concerning portions of Senate Bill 1070, the controversial law Arizona passed, and she signed, dealing with illegal aliens in that state.

Brewer appealed a ruling that put a hold on parts of the law. She wants to be in court to observe the session, but she’ll not be part of the proceedings.

The Arizona legislature passed the bill, and Brewer signed it in April. A majority of Arizonans supported it and cheered the stand for states’ rights but, almost instantaneously, immigrants’ rights groups fanned an eruption of controversy across the country, with angry marches and demands for boycotts.

The law resulted from years of problems dealing with illegals in the state and virtually no support from the federal government. The controversy focuses on where the responsibility lies for enforcement of immigration and border issues: the feds or the state. The Constitution says it’s Washington’s responsibility, and the law mirrors federal law, but clearly, from Arizona’s experience, Washington has fallen down on the job.

Thus, 1070, which, among other things, empowers law enforcement to question the immigration status of people legitimately stopped for other law infractions if there’s a question about their status.

Judging by the reaction, you’d have thought the Gestapo was loose in Arizona. It didn’t help that the president launched into the uproar, alleging people would be arbitrarily stopped and asked for their papers.

Just before the law was to take effect, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton blocked major measures of it and Gov. Brewer appealed.

Her point is that Arizona aims to help the feds enforce border protection and illegal immigration.

The Department of Justice doesn’t agree and sued Arizona. Apparently, the administration has more concern for relations with Mexico than it does with supporting the rights of Americans to protect themselves against what is, in fact, a foreign invasion.

Arizonans know what’s at stake even if Washington is too PC to deal with it. There are daily, brazen intrusions into U.S. territory by people from Mexico and other countries.

Thousands of those illegals have criminal records in their country and ours – after repeated border incursions – and many are involved with increasingly violent Mexican drug cartels transporting drugs.

Illegals cost the state billions annually for social services, medical care, education and law enforcement. In addition, there’s the very real toll on citizens ranging from the trauma of home invasions, carjacking, vandalism, trespass, destruction of property and livestock to robbery, assault and murder.

It’s not pretty; it’s very real, and other states face the same problems. Similar laws are being proposed across the country, challenging the feds to do something about illegals.

As if Arizona didn’t have enough legal problems resulting from the illegal-alien invasion, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments attempting to overturn another Arizona law. This one prohibits employers from knowingly hiring illegals; it’s to be argued Dec. 8.

Then, a decision Tuesday by another three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit went against Arizona. That dealt with a 2004 law saying individuals must show proof of U.S. citizenship before registering to vote.

Gov. Brewer called “the decision an outrage and a slap in the face to all Arizonans who care about the integrity of their elections.”

She continued, “That simply cannot be tolerated. Arizona voters have made their will crystal clear – noncitizens do not have the right to vote. We will continue to pursue any and all legal remedies to prevent fraudulent voter registration in the State of Arizona as well as the right of our state citizens to craft appropriate protections.”

Clearly, she has her work cut out for her, as the avalanche of legal obstructions against Arizona continue.

The big question is, “Who is in charge?”

If you look at what’s been happening in Washington under the Obama regime and, indeed, across the country, there’s a rampant belief among Democrats/progressives/liberals – or whatever they call themselves on any given day – that the government has the right to tell us what to do, how to live, and to shut up if we don’t like it.

This plague of control is on every level of government – local, county, state and federal. It’s about states’ rights.

Like it or not, the real issue in tomorrow’s election is who or what has the right to tell American citizens and American states what they can or cannot do.

Jan Brewer is poster child for the conflict.

If there’s an award for political courage, she should receive it – not only because she defends the right of Arizonans to protect themselves from the damage caused by illegal aliens but because she’s doing it in the midst of her re-election campaign.

On top of all this, a police report was just given to the media concerning Brewer’s involvement in a minor car accident 22 years ago in which it was alleged she’d been drinking. She was not charged.

Interesting, isn’t it, that it’s reported that a policeman involved in that traffic stop is now an employee in the office of the Arizona District Attorney Terry Goddard, who just happens to be opposed to S.B. 1070 and is also Brewer’s Democrat opponent in the governor’s race.

As for the San Francisco hearing, Brewer says she’ll be there on behalf of citizens who support the rule of law.

“I am steadfast in my belief that states have the sovereign right to enforce immigration laws consistent with federal immigration laws.”

She added, there’d be no illegal problem if the federal government “honored its responsibilities.”

Give that woman a medal – and a victory at the polls!