Sen. Craig Johnson today leaped to the defense of a business in his Nassau County district, The Arizona Beverage Co., which is the target of a misdirected boycott in opposition to the state of Arizona’s new law targeting illegal immigrants.

“The Arizona Beverage Co. is based in Woodbury, Nassau County, where it employs more than 200 Long Islanders,” Johnson said.

“The company was founded in New York and is an authentic Empire State success story.”

“I personally believe the Arizona law is wrongheaded, politically motivated and will likely not survive a court challenge. It also does nothing to advance us toward a national solution to the problem of illegal immigration.”

“However, it is misguided and simply wrong to hurt a local businesses in protest of a law that was enacted on the other side of the country. I am urging everyone to not only refrain from this boycott, but also to buy an Arizona product in order to support a local business during this very difficult economic time.”

No word on whether that beverage in the senator’s hand is diet.

UPDATE: A Johnson aide assures me that iced tea is, in fact, sugar-free.

Arizona ice tea1

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