Arizona politicans battling over the hot-button - immigration

Gov. Janet Napolitano came closer than ever last week to a full-blown conflict with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio over their differing approaches to illegal immigration. The governor ordered $1.6million in state money to be redirected from Arpaio's operations to a state-led task force charged with arresting many of the state's 60,000 fugitives. Arpaio and other Republican leaders reacted with outrage. Napolitano responded by saying her move wasn't aimed at the sheriff, but at protecting the public from dangerous felons.

In recent weeks, Napolitano, Arpaio, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and other top state and local officials have offered starkly different views on how to deal with immigration in the Valley. Here's what several of them stand to gain or lose from the conflicts.

Top officials hinge careers on immigration @ azcentral.com

Also see Nowpublic article: Napolitano yanks Arpaio's immigration funding