Personal armies are usually the domain of Middle Eastern despots and the Emperor from Return of the Jedi. That is, of course, until America's Fun State gets into the act... naturally, we're talking (yet again) about Arizona!

Republicans in the Arizona State Senate have recently introduced bill SB 1495 which would establish a "state guard" that can be called upon by the Governor, in this case the beloved Jan Brewer, to provide state security in the event of the federal government calling up the Arizona National Guard or (and this is the fun part) "for any other reason the governor considers to be necessary."

The bill goes on to specify that the Governor would have the power to establish an "armed force for the safety and protection of the lives and property of the citizens of the state."

Arizona, as we all know, is no stranger to controversy. From the King Holiday controversy, to the inexplicable popularity of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, to the recent fight over the rights of undocumented workers, this state has undeniably had some issues. And yet it seems that some elected officials, instead of trying to rehabilitate a damaged national reputation, have decided to double down on the crazy and start drawing up plans for their own army. That is, of course, if the state is broken up due to secession first.

Seriously Arizona, we all understand you are upset over losing that Super Bowl a few years back, but isn't all of this just a bit of an overreaction?

As for Governor Jan Brewer, this story seems to be another in a seemingly endless series of episodes that have led some to label her everything from a fearmonger to a borderline extortionist. Of course certain bloggers whose job is to find the more offbeat and unbelievable stories in government and politics are in no way complaining about Gov. Brewer's propensity to hitch her wagon to some rather unorthodox political positions.

For a state that has never shied away from being a national political punch line over a wide range of controversial issues, SB 1495 signifies a new high (or low) in Arizona's ability to make national observers scratch their heads and wonder if all that dry heat is finally starting to get to the lawmakers in Phoenix.