Privileged Elites

by digby

The majority leader of the Arizona State Senate scuffled with his girlfriend during an argument on the side of the road late one night recently. He hit her and she hit him, according to the police, but the two suffered dramatically different fates.

The majority leader, Scott Bundgaard, told Phoenix police officers that he was a state senator, and he cited a provision of the Arizona Constitution that gives lawmakers limited immunity from arrest, the police said. Police Department lawyers were consulted, and they ordered that Mr. Bundgaard be uncuffed and released.

Aubry Ballard, Mr. Bundgaard’s girlfriend of about eight months, on the other hand, was arrested for domestic violence and spent the night in jail.

The article goes on to explain that this is part of the US Constitution as well as a number of other states and says that it’s been used quite a few times, although controversially in similar situations.

There is good reason to give lawmakers immunity from certain things while they are in office. (Imagine Scott Walker ordering the arrest of Democrats, for instance — oh wait.) But this is not one of them.

And there is nothing like seeing the hypocritical law and order/liberty loving Republicans use their government rank and privilege to elude accountability and responsibility for their actions. They just have an instinct for that sort of thing.