After initially saying it was a private letter and would not be shared with the public, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's office released a copy of the letter she wrote to President Barack Obama. The release late Thursday afternoon fulfilled widespread requests to read the letter, which many argued was a matter of public record. Brewer handed Obama the letter during a heated exchange Wednesday, shortly after the President landed in Mesa. Here's a full transcript:

Dear Mr. President,

Welcome to Arizona!

You've arrived in a state at the forefront of America's recovery--and her future. We were at the brink. We were at the bottom of the list in job creation. Today, we have a balanced budget and we're in the top 10 for job creation.

I'm proud of that hard-won recovery--the result of many tough decisions, courage and perseverance.

My hope is while you are here you will have a chance to see our tremendous results first hand.

We both love this great country, but we fundamentally disagree on how to best make America grow and prosper once again. I'd love an opportunity to share with you how we've been able to turn Arizona around with hard choices that turned out to be the right ones.

And, of course, my offer to visit the border--and buy lunch--still stands!

With respect,

Jan

(updated 1-26-2012 6:10p.m.)