Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher must think illegal immigrants are pretty stupid.

How else to explain his argument that those who are here illegally should be able to obtain state driver's licenses -- but only if the licenses issued to illegal immigrants are marked as such?

Actually, Maher's entire public discourse on the subject has been a complete disorganized mess on the logic front -- from originally announcing he supported issuing licenses to those who are here illegally to backtracking the next day and "clarifying" that he meant only if the documents were visibly different from regular driver's licenses.

Putting aside for a second the utter incoherence of having a state government issue official documents to people who are violating federal law by having come here without permission, the thought that the folks in question would go for a specially marked "illegal immigrant" driver's license is a bit insulting.

Whatever you think of the practice of illegal immigration (and your loyal correspondent is against it), you can't help but admire the individuals who risk all in search of a better life for themselves and their children.

It also seems to me (although I write this with no firsthand experience at illegally crossing an international border) that the folks who have made it here clearly possess a certain level of savvy that allowed them to successfully navigate the cross-border journey. From evading U.S. Border Patrol agents to avoiding being murdered by the coyotes who prey on illegal border crossers, the illegal immigrants among us are nothing if not resourceful.

And so why on Earth would they apply for a document that identified them as being here in violation of federal law? Why not just ask whether they want to brand their forehead with a large "I" on it?

As we're seeing with efforts by San Diego and San Bernardino counties (among others) to defy state law regarding "medical" marijuana, having a lower level of government trying to reverse a higher level's laws through subversion is not wise policy.

For the state of California to attempt to invalidate federal immigration law is to do nothing but lower respect for the rule of law across the board.

If state officials feel that federal laws requiring citizens of other nations to get permission before crossing our borders is onerous, racist or whatever other pejorative label is being attached to immigration law these days, then they should work to change said federal law. Push Congress to pass legislation granting amnesty or create an open border.

But don't try to use state law to overturn federal law.

It's dishonest, and weakens a system such as ours that is based on respect for the rule of law.

Because if the state of California can choose which federal laws it wants to obey, then its ability to force its own counties to respect state law cannot help but be compromised.

Contact staff writer JIM TRAGESER at jtrageser@nctimes.com or 760-740-5408.