Tom Horne getting his nativist freak on in the R primary...again.

Hey, it worked in 2010, right?

Arizona's attorney general, Tom Horne, has some ethical issues, as we all know.  In fact, calling them "issues" may be understating things.  A lot.

The Horne situation is so dire that the poobahs of the Arizona GOP found someone to challenge Horne in the R primary, Mark Brnovich.

The feeling seems to be that the best chance for the AZGOP to hang on to the AG's office is to nominate someone other than the incumbent.

Now, Horne is not the type to go away quietly - if he were that type, he probably wouldn't be facing the issues that he's facing.

To that end, he has re-formed the bigot band for a fundraiser.

In 2010, Arizona enacted the infamous anti-immigrant measure, SB1070.  While it was signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer, all-but guaranteeing her election that year, the bill was crafted by then-state senator Russell Pearce and his ally, Kris Kobach, now the secretary of state in Kansas (and then, as now, a major figure in the nation's nativist movement).

Then the state's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Horne fully embraced the measure and its spirit of hate.

That embrace helped to propel Horne to a general election victory over Democrat Felecia Rotellini.  She was the lone bright spot for Democrats in a down year - by a wide margin, she was the strongest contender of any of the Democratic candidates for statewide office in Arizona.

"Strongest" to the point that many observers felt that in almost any other election cycle, she would have defeated Horne.

Fast forward to 2014, and Horne is up for election again, and Rotellini is looming in the general election, and she has four years of Tom Horne as AG to run on (in addition to her own strong record).

So, facing strong opposition in both the primary and general elections, Horne is turning to old allies for help.

Courtesy KPNX's Brahm Resnik -

The most frightening this about this event isn't that it will be an assemblage of some of the biggest bigots to hold elected office in recent memory (plus one of the least-talented successful actors ever), or that there are people who will actually *pay* to rub shoulders with the same.

Nope.  The most frightening thing about this event is this one line -

"Tom will also be playing "Rhapsody in Blue" on the University Club Piano"

There's no indication if ear plugs will be available for the guests.  Or if music critics will be allowed to attend.


PS - what's with this? -

That star looks kinda familiar.

OK.  Very familiar.

Possibly not the best choice for a candidate for elected office in Arizona.