Early speculation time: 2014 Governor's race - Part Two

A few days ago, I posted a snark-filled piece full of speculation on possible Republican candidates for governor in 2014.

Out of a sense of fairness, I'm now doing one on potential Democratic candidates.

Out of a sense of partisanship, it will be less snarky...at least, less snarky toward the Democratic candidates. :)

As with the prior post, no actual discussions with the potential candidates took place in the production of this post.  In no way does a mention in this post indicate that someone is planning or interested in running for governor of Arizona, nor does lack of a mention in this post indicate that someone is *not* planning or interested in running for governor of Arizona.

As with the previous post on this topic, the names mentioned are those who have held office previously or who have otherwise made an impact on the metaphorical public square.

On to the speculation:

Terry Goddard, former attorney general and candidate for governor:
- Con: has run for governor and lost, twice.
- Pro: both of the ultimate victors of the races for governor (Fife Symington, Jan Brewer) that he was in have brought great national ridicule down upon Arizona.  The voters may finally be ready to choose competence over ideological blathering.
- Con2:  This is Arizona.  Don't hold your breath.

Janet Napolitano, former governor:
- Con: she resigned as governor in 2009 to take a position in President Barack Obama's cabinet, leaving Arizona fading in her rear-view mirror.
- Pro: regardless of the outcome of the 2012 presidential election, she may be interested in moving on - - if the Rs win, a whole new cabinet will be brought in to DC; if Obama wins, pretty much the same will happen.  Second term presidential cabinets are usually very different than the cabinets for the first term of the same president.  And three-plus years of "Governor Jan Brewer" have only served to increase the amount of respect people have for Napolitano.
- Con2: as Secretary of Homeland Security, Napolitano has only had to deal with terrorists, spies, and grave threats to America.  As governor, she might not be willing to again deal with scourges upon society like the Arizona legislature, the Goldwater Institute, and the Center for Arizona Policy.

Gabrielle Giffords, former member of Congress:
- Con: still recovering from a horrific assassination attempt that took the lives of six people, including a small child, and injured more than a dozen other people.
- Pro: if her recovery, already nothing short of miraculous, progresses well enough for her to handle the rigors of the job, and she actually wants the job, the election will be less a contest than a walk-over.

Harry Mitchell, former member of Congress:
- Con: after nearly five decades of public service, he may have reached the point of his life where he is ready to leave the "top of the ballot" stuff - walking precincts and making appearances on the rubber chicken circuit to those with younger legs and digestive tracts.
- Pro: one of the most respected people in Arizona politics, and one of the few left where the respect genuinely crosses partisan lines.

Phil Gordon, former mayor of Phoenix -
- Pro: still has an effective organization and base of support in what is the largest city and county in the state.
- Con: the Rs despise him, and he is far from popular with grassroots Ds, even in Maricopa County, outside of Phoenix.

Greg Stanton, current mayor of Phoenix -
- Pro: also has an effective organization and base of support in what is the largest city and county in the state.  In addition, he is so new that he hasn't had time to tick off grassroots Ds.
- Con: the Rs despise him, despite knowing next to nothing about him (other than that he isn't one of them), and he is young by political standards.
- Pro2: he may be too young/new for an effective run in 2014, but 2018 and 2022 are well within the realm of realistic possibility.

Felecia Rotellini, 2010 candidate for attorney general -
- Pro: while she didn't win in 2010, she had the best performance of any D candidate during that cycle and garnered a lot of respect across the political spectrum.  She's smart, energetic, and universally well-liked among Democrats.  It helps that the guy who won the 2010 election, Tom Horne, is widely considered to be a sleazeball and is under federal investigation for campaign finance violations.
Con - while she's been a public servant before, she has never actually held elected office.  Like Napolitano before her, a term as AG might be necessary to elevate her name recognition among the general public before running for the top spot.

Sandra Kennedy, current member of the Arizona Corporation Commission -
- Pro: intelligent, experienced and one of only two Democrats to hold statewide elected office.
- Con: as with Brenda Burns in the previous post, the ACC isn't the highest-profile perch from which to launch a run at a high-profile job.  Unlike Burns however, Kennedy actually does some good work for the people of AZ, and as such, she doesn't have access to scads of corporate money.

Other names that may come up in conversation:

Rep. Chad Campbell, House minority leader: smart but young enough that like Stanton above, 2014 may be too soon; Kyrsten Sinema, former state legislator and current candidate for Congress: also young, and has her sights set much higher than the 9th floor of the Executive Tower; Steve Gallardo, state legislator: could go for it in 2014, but young enough to wait until 2018/2022 and use the time to both consolidate and expand his base of support; Ruben Gallego, state legislator:  if the others are young by political standards, he's a bambino.  A bambino with ambition, however.  2014 is too soon, and 2018/2022 may also be too soon, but after that...?; Neil Giuliano, former Republican and former mayor of Tempe:  made noises about a run in 2010, but was pretty much unknown outside of Tempe.  Would need to elevate his name rec among the general public.

A couple of wildcards:

Sue Gerard and Kris Mayes, the former head of the state Department of Health Services and chair of the Arizona Corporation Commission, respectively.  They're Republicans who have actually done good work for the people of Arizona.  As such, they'd never get through a Republican primary in the current political environment.  Not likely to even consider becoming Democrats, but given the amount of respect that people have for them, they could make things interesting.

Later...

Breaking: Giffords retiring

A year after she was was shot through the brain in an attack that claimed the lives of six people and wounded 13 other people, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has announced that she is stepping down from Congress this week.

Message from Giffords -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAetv47b-Eg


This will necessitate a special election to fill her seat for the remainder of her term.  The winner of that special election will then have to run again in November for a full term.

More details on the candidates for the race(s) as they make themselves known.  Expect a slew of former and current state legislators to look at the seat.


Let me say this:

We will miss her deeply, and I hope her stepping back from public life isn't for long.

The Tucson shooting, one year later: memorials, dedications, and celebrations

It's been almost a year since the mass shooting in Tucson, when Jared Loughner shattered the peace of a quiet Saturday by taking a pistol with an extended ammo clip and shooting as many people as he was able to before he was tackled by bystanders while he reloaded.

When the smoke cleared, six of his victims lay dead or dying while 13 others, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, were wounded.

As the anniversary approaches, different folks and organization are commemorating the anniversary in different ways.

...Tonight (Wednesday, January 4) at 7, Channel 12 (Phoenix) will be airing a program that includes retired Supreme Court Sandra Day O'Connor and a group of students discussing ways that the next generation can bring civility to public discourse.  Inspired by and in honor of Christina Taylor Green, the youngest victim of the Tucson shooting.

...Earlier today, a trailhead east of Tucson was dedicated in honor of Gabe Zimmerman, one of the fatalities in Tucson and a staffer for Congresswoman Giffords.  On a related note, on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. there will be hikes up South Mountain in Phoenix in honor of Zimmerman, a noted hiker.  The event in Phoenix will also be a food drive for St. Mary's Food Bank.

...Saturday, there will be a candlelight vigil at the state capitol on West Washington in Phoenix, starting at 7 p.m.

...Sunday at 1 p.m., there will be an interfaith memorial service at St. Augustine Cathedral, 192 S. Stone Ave., Tucson.  The service will include Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Baha'i and Sikh prayers and rituals.

...Sunday at 3 p.m. at University of Arizona's Centennial Hall, The Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding will sponsor REFLECTIONS: Honoring the Lives of the January 8 Shooting Victims.  A series of speakers, mostly colleagues or friends of the victims, will speak about the lives of the victims and survivors.

...Sunday at 6:30 p.m., there will be a vigil on the University of Arizona Mall.  Hosted by the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona and The University of Arizona Medical Center, the vigil will feature a number of speakers, including Ron Barber, a survivor of the shooting, Jonathan Rothschild, mayor of Tucson, and Mark Kelly, husband of Gabrielle Giffords.

...and last, and certainly least appropriate, the gun-toters crowd is celebrating ignoring (Really!  The date is just a coincidence!  Just ask the organizers!) the deaths and shattered lives by holding a gun show on the anniversary.

From KVOA -

With the anniversary of the January 8th tragedy less than a week away, we've learned a gun show is coming to Tucson that very day.

"I don't understand why they would do it that day. Not the day that Gabrielle Giffords was shot," said Casandra Ridlinghafer.

Wonder if they will have a special on Glocks with extended clips at the show?

The website Remembering January 8th has a more complete list of events here.  Reports are that Congresswoman Giffords will attend some events, but her schedule has not been announced.

Update: Campaign Committees

There have been a few developments on the 2012 campaign committee front since the last update.


...In the race for US Senate, Don Bivens, attorney and former chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, has formed a committee.  According to Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post's The Fix, the committee is an exploratory one, and Bivens has said that he will make a final decision on running around Labor Day.

...In legislative developments -

- Former state legislator David Bradley has formed an exploratory committee for a run for the Democratic nomination for LD28 state senate.

- Martin Quezada has formed an exploratory committee for a run for the Democratic nomination for LD13 state representative.

- Lorenzo Sierra Jr. has formed an exploratory committee for a run for the Democratic nomination for LD13 state representative.

- Michael Snitz has formed a committee for a run for the Democratic nomination for LD14 state representative.

Note:  all of the districts listed will change once the Independent Redistricting Commission puts together the new maps.

Active Congressional committee fundraising totals (April thru June) (incumbents italicized):

Raul Grijalva (D) - $88233 raised, $70724 on hand
Chuck Gray (R) - $3359 raised, $16443 on hand
Trent Franks (R) - $59507 raised, $41068 on hand, $372477 in debt
David Schweikert (R) - $2230 raised, $17881 on hand, $501800 in debt
David Schweikert (R) (2nd committee) - $250777 raised, $336262 on hand
Gabrielle Giffords (D) - $281177 raised, $787949 on hand
Travis Grantham (R) - $13300 raised, $13240 on hand
Kirk Adams (R) - $230525 raised, $209225 on hand
Ann Kirkpatrick (D) - $221289 raised, $215723 on hand
Paul Gosar (R) - $166544 raised, $138392 on hand
Ed Pastor (D) - $93158 raised, $1391488 on hand
Ben Quayle (R) - $282964 raised, $370277 on hand, $7487 in debt
Matt Salmon (R) - $162289 raised, $155744 on hand, $16889 in debt
Gabriela Saucedo Mercer (R) - $22397 raised, $21351 on hand, $485 in debt
Wenona Benally Baldenegro (D) - $8446 raised, $4603 on hand

Note: because incumbent US Representative Jeff Flake is now running for US Senate, his fundraising reports are not available online.

Note2: All numbers rounded to the nearest dollar.

Note3: I didn't list the district of the Congressional committees because those are going to change in a few months.

Observation:  Aren't the Republicans the ones who campaign on their opposition to debt?  Just sayin'...

- No changes in municipal campaign committees in Tempe and Scottsdale, though that should change soon - sources report that there is a poll in the field regarding the Tempe mayor's race. Some say it's a push poll, others say it's legit. I'm not a Tempe resident, so I didn't get the calls and cannot evaluate it directly.

Later...

Pictures of a smiling Gabrielle Giffords released

Gotta love the smile...

From her Facebook page, pics taken by P.K. Weis of SouthwestPhotoBank.com.


Gabby Giffords with her mom, Gloria

Giffords

Arizona Republic coverage here; BBC coverage here (yes, it's an international story).

Giffords update: She's talking!

From AP, via Yahoo! News -

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords can walk while holding onto a cart, mouth the lyrics to easy songs and have simple conversations, according to family, staff and her doctors.
Mark Kelly said in an interview broadcast Monday on NBC that he can ask his wife questions and she can respond.

"The communication is coming back very quickly," he said.

She has progressed from speaking single words to short conversations in just a few days.  This is GREAT news for her and for anybody who cares about her.

Stay tuned...

AZ-Sen starting line: Some candidates have a head start

While any candidate who jumps into for the US Senate will be sure to start raising money, some potential candidates already have a head start.  They already have federal campaign committees formed, and even if the committees are for some other office, the cash can be transferred to a Senate run.

The most recent "cash on hand" reported for the federal campaign committees of selected possible candidates -

Republicans -

JD Hayworth - $148,224.47

Jeff Flake - $627,851.61

John Shadegg - $154.99

David Schweikert - $16,308.33

Ruth McClung - $107,649.87 (included because she has so much cash on hand)

Jonathan Paton - $12,389.26

Ben Quayle - $7607.04


Democrats -

Ed Pastor - $1,391,936.29

Gabrielle Giffords - $285,501.24

Raul Grijalva - $30,621.77

Ann Kirkpatrick - $13,896.86


Just for giggles -

Joe Arpaio - $2,829,160.00

That number is worthy of giggles because while it dwarfs every other potential candidate's cash on hand, it doesn't matter - it's for his county sheriff candidacy and cannot be transferred to a federal committee.


While there has been a little internet chatter over a possible Pastor candidacy and his well-stocked campaign warchest and some of the other potential candidates have little or no cash for a federal campaign, once a legit candidate enters the race he or she will be able to raise money quickly.

Of course, they'll have to.  :)

In case you missed it...

...Rep. Bob Robson (R-Chandler) has announced the end of his political career.  Not in so many words of course, but it's over.

From Brahm Resnik of 12News, on AZCentral.com -

A Republican legislator is warning that the governor's proposed budget cuts would drive the state's jobless rate up to 11 percent, and says his party needs to consider tax increases to fix the budget.

State Rep. Bob Robson of Chandler tells me on "Sunday Square Off" this weekend that Gov. Jan Brewer and lawmakers need to consider the broader impact of their cuts. Robson says communities like Flagstaff would be hit especially hard by cuts to the Medicaid system. He is the only Republican on record questioning the extent of Brewer's proposed cuts.

That kind of apostasy guarantees any Republican a primary challenge in his next election, if not outright threats of violence.  Robson is from LD20, the same area that recently saw a mass resignation of officers of the local Republican Party because of threats from other Rs who thought the officers weren't *conservative* enough. 

The former chair, Anthony Miller, had the audacity to support fellow Republican John McCain for U.S. Senate last year.


...Still continuing in Tucson is the trial of Shawna Forde, a famous and violent member of the Minutemen.  She is facing murder charges is the killing of 9-year-old Brisenia Flores and her father Raul.  Forde and her accomplices allegedly broke into the Flores' home and proceeded to execute them and shoot Brisenia's mother, Gina Gonzalez.  After she was shot, Gonzalez pretended to be dead to avoid another bullet.

Forde and her accomplices were seeking money and drugs to steal to fund their anti-immigrant activities.  They didn't find any in the Flores/Gonzalez home.

If convicted, Forde could face the death penalty.  Her accomplices will be tried in March and June.

This story has been all but ignored by the mainstream media in Arizona, with a little coverage in Tucson, the home of the trial.  However, even there, the main daily there, the Arizona Daily Star, has done only minimal coverage and has mostly buried what little they have done.

One of the joys of the internet is that people are no longer entirely dependent on the MSM for information about stories that the corporate masters running MSM organizations would prefer didn't exist.


...ABC News recently aired a "Candid Camera"-style segment filmed in Tucson where producers staged a situation where an actor playing a security guard harassed Hispanic-looking patrons (who were also actors).  The object of the piece was to study the responses of bystanders to situations of ethnic profiling.  Video here on Youtube.

Not so predictably, but heartening, was the reaction of many of the unknowing bystanders who stood up to the fake "security guard."

However, the unfortunately predictable has been the Republican response, who have uniformly denounced the piece as "false," "a hoax," and more, even though the entire story was openly presented as staged.

The best (in an ironic sort of way) of the denunciations was in a press release from Kirk Adams, the Republican Speaker of the Arizona House.

Over the course of the press release, he demands an apology and a retraction and he hits all the right wing rhetorical high points (i.e. - "East Coast media elite media") but the best part is when he referred people to a video of the piece, not at ABC News or even Youtube (where ABC News has uploaded the video), but instead to *Breibart.tv.*

The same "Breitbart" who was caught in 2009 manufacturing an actual hoax.

Denouncing as a hoaz something that was never presented as fact by referring people to someone who has been proven to present lies as fact? 

Not exactly helping the credibility there, Mr. Speaker.


...Astronaut Mark Kelly, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' husband, today announced that he is resuming training to command the next flight of the space shuttle, its last.  It is scheduled to launch in two months (April 19), and Kelly and the rest of us are hopeful that the recuperating Congresswoman will be able to attend the launch.


...The State Bar of Arizona has filed an 82-page complaint against former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and former assistant county attorneys Lisa Aubuchon and Rachel Alexander.

There's nothing really new in it for anyone who has been following the mess that longtime observers (not so) affectionately refer to as "business as usual" in Maricopa County, but it's nice to see Thomas et. al. move one step closer to disbarment.

Later...

Gabby Giffords' condition upgraded to "Good"

Some great news today...

From ABC News -

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' doctors upgraded her condition from serious to good late Tuesday night and said she is ready to be transferred to a brain rehabilitation hospital as early as this morning pending a medical review.

Because of her improving condition, she was able to be moved from a Houston hospital to a Houston long-term rehabilitation facility today to begin what is expected to be a long recovery process.


Pic of Mark Kelly, Congresswoman Giffords' husband, holding her hand while both watched Tuesday's State of the Union address.  Pic courtesy MSNBC, who credited Giffords' office for the pic.

Bad news, better news, GREAT news...

First the bad news - the Patriots lost today.  :(( 

Good news - pitchers and catchers report in less than a month.

GREAT news - Congresswoman Gabrielle  Giffords' condition has been upgraded to "serious," from "critical."

YES!!!

Interesting news:  This blog had a hit earlier today from an ISP located in Washington, D.C.  Not an unusual occurence in itself. 

The name of that ISP? 

Executive Office Of The President Usa

*That's* unusual.

The search that brought that user here was a Google search of the terms "Arizona bill federal agencies registration with sheriff".

Note to any other folks interested in that particular bill - it's HB2077.  The fact sheet/summary prepared by legislative staff is here.  It is scheduled for a committee hearing on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in House Hearing Room 4.

I'll be at the AZ Supreme Court for arguments in the redistricting lawsuit brought by Sen. Russell Pearce and Rep. Kirk Adams.

Giffords, redistricting, funeral protests: Updates

Just a few quick updates...

...Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is now breathing on her own according to the latest update from the medical team providing her care.

....The Arizona House and Senate have each passed a bill that would disallow protest pickets within 300 feet of a funeral service or a burial site.  Reports are that the bill passed by far more than the 2/3 majority needed to enact an "emergency clause."  That clause would make the law effective immediately, not 90 days after the end of the legislative session.  The Governor is expected to sign the bill.

...The Supreme Court of Arizona has released an order relating to next week's proceeding relating to Russell Pearce's and Kirk Adams' lawsuit over the pool of applicants for the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC).  Three groups have requested permission to file "Amicus Curiae" briefs ("Friend of the Court") briefs, and that permission has been granted.

Groups that will file briefs related to the case:

• Lattie Coor, Paul Johnson, the Valley Citizens League, and Arizona Latino Research Enterprise
• U.S. Reps. Jeff Flake, Ben Quayle, Trent Franks, Paul Gosar, and David Schweikert, Republicans all
• Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk

The briefs have to be filed with the court by Friday.  In addition, a request by the Republican members of Congress to address the Court, will be considered and approved/disapproved in the near future.  It seems more likely that the Rep Reps' lawyers will appear, but anything could happen.

Later...

Enough

Remember the names, because while Gabrielle Giffords was the highest-profile victim of yesterday's shooting, she wasn't the only one.

John Roll, 63

Dorothy Morris, 76

Dorwin Stoddard, 76

Christina Greene, 9

Phyllis Scheck, 79

Gabe Zimmerman, 30

Yesterday in Tucson, six people were murdered, 14 more were injured, and hundreds, no thousands, of people went to sleep with a deep void in their lives that wasn't there when they woke up in the morning.

People all over Tucson, Arizona, and the country, in their pain, grief, anger, and stunned bewilderment, searched for understanding, for answers to the question "why?".

One of the first places that most folks focused on was the rhetoric of hate and violence that has permeated political discourse on the Right.

Whether it was the threats to members of Congress during town halls during 2009, Sharon Angle's "2nd Amendment remedies," Sarah Palin's crosshairs on 20 Congressional districts, including Giffords', or the campaign rhetoric of Jesse Kelly, Giffords' 2010 challenger - "Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office.  Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly" (pics below, courtesy Blog for Arizona as the original web pages have been taken down or scrubbed), demonization and threats of violence have become the standard campaign talking points for the Right.

Now, Right-wing politicians and talking heads are seeking out cameras and reporters to decry the "politicizing" of a "senseless" act of violence.

Whether it is David Schweikert, the recently elected U.S. Rep for AZ5, saying that it isn't time to "play politics," Congressman Trent Franks (R - AZ3) going on MSNBC to protest any implication that politics could be behind the shooting (no link, but it was stated during an interview on Saturday), State Rep. Carl Seel (R - LD6), a former/current? Minuteman going on camera to say that while the violent actions were deplorable, it's no reason for 'leaders' like him to "dial down their passion," or any of dozens of other talking heads on Fox News and elsewhere, they're all declaring that violence shouldn't be politicized* and that this act was perpetrated by a single crazed individual.

Of course, none of them are noting that most suicide bombers in the Middle East could be considered "crazed individuals."

That's different after all - violence committed by people who have brown skin, a funny accent, and a live in a different country, well, that's terrorism. 

Violence committed by people who have white skin, an American accent, and live in a reasonably affluent section of Tucson, well, that's just insanity.

Enough.

It's time for the gloves to come off.

No more giving a free pass to the likes of Seel, Russell Pearce, Jack Harper, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, or the rest.

No more listening to their rantings and just chuckling and saying "that's our _____" before going off to something else.

No more ignoring their ravings in favor of  working up detailed, rational, well though-out policy positions.  Civility and rationality only work if both sides in a political discussion are civil and rational.

It's time to call them on *every* hate-filled or violence-laden piece of rhetorical bile spewed by them, electeds, candidates, and talking heads alike.

It's time to shine the harsh light of public scrutiny of their ties to hate groups (yes, that's you Russell Pearce) and their acts to further the agenda of hatred and fear.

* = Fox News really pisses away any of its remaining journalistic credibility when it has the likes of former Congressman/current radio talk show host/perpetual hatemonger JD Hayworth on to whine about the "politicization" of yesterday's murders, and then equate those killings with the unsolved murder of Arizona rancher Robert Krentz, whose death has been co-opted by the Right to buttress their anti-immigrant efforts.

Note:  While I still can't stand her politically, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer may have come off as the best of AZ's Republicans in the aftermath of yesterday's tragedy.  She seemed genuinely upset during her press conference at the Capitol yesterday.  That's far different than the likes of Franks, Schweikert, et. al., who seemed more concerned about the politics than the victims.

Some may believe she was just performing for the cameras, but anyone who saw the debate this past fall knows that Brewer just isn't that skilled a performer.

Note2:  According to reports from the Arizona Guardian and elsewhere that confirm something that I heard at last night's candlelight vigil at the AZ Capitol, Monday's scheduled State of the State address by Brewer before a joint session of the legislature will be postponed, though she will offer a brief, somber, address on Monday.  Attendees should expect heightened security and should plan for delays (in other words, don't show up at 1:40 p.m for the scheduled 1:45 p.m. address).

Note3:  Stunned is the still the best word to describe how I am feeling right now, more than a day after the massacre.  Based on what I've heard from others, that's a pretty common state right now. 

I expect it will be for a while.

Later...



Statement from Sens. David Schapira and Russell Pearce

Schapira and Pearce are the Arizona Senate's Democratic Leader-elect and President-elect, respectively.

From the Arizona State Senate Democratic Caucus -

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Congresswoman Giffords and those attending her event in Tucson who were attacked this morning. This is such a senseless tragedy and tough to comprehend. Elected leaders should have the ability to speak their minds and stand up for their constituents without threat of physical violence. Please join us in prayer for Congresswoman Giffords and the others who have lost or are fighting for their lives.”

Candlelight vigil for today's shooting victims

From the Arizona State Capitol tonight...

Harry Mitchell, one of Giffords colleagues in both the US House and the AZ Senate, speaking briefly at the vigil.

Impromptu memorial for Judge John Roll, one of the victims fatally shot today

Flags at the AZ Capitol at half staff as the sun goes down

The crowd at the vigil, more than 250 strong, sharing their grief and prayers

Don Bivens' statement on today's shootings

From Don Bivens, chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, via email -

"Words cannot express the shock and devastation we feel about today's senseless attack. Our deepest condolences go out to the families of those who were slain, and our prayers continue for Congresswoman Giffords and the others who are struggling for their lives. We remain hopeful that their conditions will stabilize and this tragedy will not claim any further victims. Gabrielle Giffords is more than a member of Congress -- she is a wife and daughter, a native of Tucson, and a dear friend. She is also one of the brightest and most dedicated public servants in our state and nation. Our thoughts remain with her and family."

Harry Mitchell's statement on today's shootings

From his Facebook page -

"This is a sad and dark day for our country, and an absolute tragedy that I don’t want to believe could happen here. My heart is shattered for the family of Gabrielle Giffords and for all the innocent people who were killed or hurt today. Gabrielle is a model Congresswoman – young, brilliant with a tremendous future – who absolutely loves her community and her constituents. She has also been a true and unwavering friend since our days serving together in the Arizona State Senate, and she is the hardest working and most dedicated public servant I have ever known. I just can’t believe this has happened."

Chief Justice Berch's statement on today's shootings in Tucson

Statement from Arizona Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch (via email) -

"This is a sad and tragic day for the judiciary, our state, and our country. The shocking events that took place this morning deeply grieve those of us in the Arizona Judiciary. Initial reports indicate that, along with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and many members of her staff, Chief Judge John M. Roll of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona is a victim of this tragedy and we are deeply saddened that a member of our sister judicial system, a kind man, a wise and fair jurist, and a friend to many within the legal community, has been harmed by this senseless act of violence. Our thoughts and prayers go to all of those affected by today’s shooting."

More statements later...

Congresswoman Giffords is alive, but in critical condition and in surgery

Multiple sources are reporting this now, some MSM (CNN just had a spokeswoman from University Hospital in Tucson), and some back channel (email and Facebook).

A call to the Pima County Sheriff's Office PIO (or whoever is acting as one on the weekend) for info on the suspected shooter (apparently in custody) found a full voicemail box.  Will try again later...

Keep praying for those who are still alive, and for the loved ones of those who have died...

More later....

NPR is reporting that Congresswoman Giffords has died

From NPR -

Congresswoman, 6 Others, Killed By Gunman

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and six others died after a gunman opened fire at a public event on Saturday, the Pima County, Ariz., sheriff's office confirms.


The 40-year-old Democrat, who was re-elected to her third term in November, was hosting a "Congress on Your Corner" event at a Safeway in northwest Tucson when a gunman ran up and started shooting, according to Peter Michaels, news director of Arizona Public Media.

A tragic day...

My thoughts go out to the families and friends of Congresswoman Giffords and all of the victims of today's violence...

Breaking: Gabrielle Giffords and staff members shot in Tucson

Details are sketchy right now, but from NPR -

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot outside a grocery store in Tucson while holding a public event, Arizona Public Media reported Saturday.


The Democrat, who was re-elected to her third term in November, was hosting a "Congress on Your Corner" event at the Safeway in northwest Tucson when a gunman ran up and started shooting, according to Peter Michaels, news director of Arizona Public Media.

At least five other people, including members of her staff, were hurt. Giffords was transported to University Medical Center in Tucson. Her condition was not immediately known.

Giffords was talking to a couple when the suspect ran up firing indiscriminately and then ran off, Michaels said. According to other witnesses, he was tackled by a bystander and taken into custody.

Giffords was first elected to represent Arizona's 8th District in 2006. The "Congress on Your Corner" events allow constituents to present their concerns directly to her.

More details to come.

Right now, only Fox News seems to be covering this.  Not even the AZ Star or Republic has anything up as yet...

My thoughts and prayers are will Giffords and all of the victims of the shooting today...