Governor Napolitano: It’s a 'holiday tree'

What do you call the large green thing in the lobby of the state Capitol tower decorated with lights, balls and doves?

Well, if you’re the governor, you don’t call it a Christmas tree. Instead, Janet Napolitano has dubbed it the “holiday tree.”

The governor formally lit the decoration this week in a ceremony. She also used the opportunity to promote “Hope for the Holidays,” a special program to provide gifts to the children of parents who are incarcerated.

So what “holiday” does Napolitano believe the tree symbolizes?

“I think we’re celebrating a number of holidays,” the governor responded Wednesday when queried about the display.

Pressed further, Napolitano acknowledged that only one religion — Christianity — erects a tree as a holiday symbol.

“You can call it whatever you want,” she said.

The “holiday tree” name met with bemusement from Secretary of State Jan Brewer, who, like Napolitano, has her office in the Capitol tower.

“It’s a Christmas tree,” she said while passing by the display on her way into the building. “Who are you trying to kid?”

And Brewer said if she eventually becomes governor — and has the annual ceremonial duty of lighting the tree — that’s exactly what she will call it.

This isn’t the first time Napolitano has gotten into an issue of what might be called political correctness about Christmas.

In 2001, the Attorney General’s Office, which she headed, put out a memo listing “acceptable seasonal decorations” in common areas. These included snowflakes, icicles, garland, poinsettia plants and wrapped presents.

But the policy prohibited a tree to put the presents under. In fact, Santa himself was declared persona non grata.

Napolitano said at the time the memo was crafted by a staffer, without her input, and appeared to be “overkill.”

But she defended the list and said there was a legitimate reason for the decision: Anyone who wants to file a discrimination complaint has to come to that office. She said it sends the wrong message for these people to have to face a state office where a religion’s symbols are displayed.

And Napolitano, already running for governor at the time, promised that the lobby of the Capitol tower would not be stripped of any seasonal decorations should she be elected.

“It’s going to be a Christmas cactus,” she quipped, something “appropriate” for the Southwest.