Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona wants federal assistance to place National Guard troops along the border to help alleviate some of the strain on Border Patrol officers.  The National Guard volunteers would work at border checkpoints and operate “roving patrols” in order to free up Border Patrol officers for more appropriate jobs.  Despite having spoken with both Donald Rumsfeld and members of the Department of Homeland Security, Napolitano has made little progress in acquiring her requested assistance.  According to the Arizona Star, Napolitano has simply been given the run-around on the issue by federal officials.  The article suggests a possible reason for the run-around could be the proposed cuts in National Guard strengths across the board.  Napolitano has made it clear that, despite initial setbacks, she intends to continue to investigate the issue until she receives a definitive response.