Throwing stones at Glassman while living in a glass house

Greg Patterson, the former state legislator who writes the Republican blog Espresso Pundit, is widely considered the dean of R bloggers in Arizona, and also one of the best. While he almost always is wrong (he *is* a Republican, ya know), he usually makes his points intelligently and civilly.

Well, apparently he has abandoned intelligence so that he can jump on the IOKIYAR bandwagon.

From his post criticizing one of the supporters of the Glassman for Senate campaign -

I thought the small print in his announcement was interesting...

Co-Chairs: Flagstaff Mayor Sara Presler, Phoenix Councilman Michael Nowakowski, Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez

Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez? She's in charge of elections in Pima County. What is the elections director doing endorsing a candidate? Is she going to recuse herself from this election cycle?

I can understand Patterson's wariness when an official who oversees elections seems to endorse a candidate in an election he/she oversees. Even the appearance of impropriety can undermine Arizonans' faith in their political system.

As happened in 2004, when then-Secretary of State Jan Brewer, the state's senior election official, was one of the AZ co-chairs of Bush/Cheney 2004.

Yet there was nary a mention of Brewer doing the same thing that he has criticized Rodriguez for in his post.

Normally, I don't directly call out another blogger on his postings. However, Patterson moves in higher circles than most bloggers, including me, because of the respect he has earned through his years in the blogosphere. That higher level of respect comes hand-in-hand with higher expectations.

If the anonymous writers at Seeing Red AZ or even the mostly anonymous ones at Sonoran Alliance want to engage in a little "do as we say, not as we do" hypocrisy, nobody much says anything because they really aren't expected to be better than that.

There are only a couple of bloggers in AZ who *are* expected to be better than that**, and Patterson is one of them.


** = Tedski at R-Cubed, before he suspended his blogging to concentrate on his campaign for the lege, is the other.

Later...

Glassman makes it official - the race for the Senate is on

On Tuesday, Rodney Glassman ended months of speculation (OK, it wasn't really "speculation" when he has an exploratory committee open and has been raising gobs of money :) ) when he resigned from the Tucson City Council to focus on his race for the U.S. Senate.

From the AZ Daily Star -

Tucson City Councilman Rodney Glassman has resigned to run for the U.S. Senate. Glassman hopes to win the Democratic nomination to take on incumbent Republican Sen. John McCain in the November general election.

Arizona Capitol Times coverage here.

Glassman has been receiving support from all over the state as community leaders and average Arizonans alike have come to realize that John McCain no longer represents Arizona in D.C., just himself and lobbyists:

“Having served in the House of Representatives for four terms, it would be nice to finally have an Arizona Senator that is willing to work with our entire Congressional delegation regardless of party affiliation,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.). “Rodney has a unique desire and ability to work with everyone and provide everyone with equal set at the table.”

“Arizona needs someone representing us who has the interests of our state, not Washington, D.C. bureaucrats, in mind. We need someone approachable and involved in Arizona,” said Arizona Sen. Paula Aboud (D-Tucson). “We need someone who doesn't need a GPS to find his way around Arizona. Rodney Glassman knows his way around our state and he's working for us.”

"It is refreshing to see an elected official who is enthusiastic about trying new approaches to solve old problems. And, Rodney really means it when he says he wants to take a bipartisan approach to policy-making. His track record proves it. Isn't it about time we saw that from Arizona senators?" said Mesa City Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh.

From Rodney himself, via email -

Today, I am pleased to announce my decision to run against the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. It is official.

I spent several months traveling throughout Arizona listening to you. Across Arizona, I heard a single message: Arizona needs a U.S. Senator who works for Arizona’s future.
We need someone who lives and works in Arizona. Someone who loves Arizona. Someone who is more concerned with creating jobs in Arizona than clinging to his own job in Washington, D.C.

My campaign team and my supporters understand that beating a lifelong U.S. Senator will not be easy. We are running because we believe in you. Across Arizona, you have made bold declarations that you want Arizona to have a better future. I am answering that call.

My Promise to You:

As Vice Mayor, my door was always open. I have been accessible. I even printed my mobile telephone number in the paper on several occasions. I make this promise to you today: When you elect me to the U.S. Senate, I will continue to be open and accessible to every Arizonan who needs my help.

I believe in this campaign because I believe in you.

Your Friend,

Rodney Glassman

P.S. Please join our campaign today for Arizona's future, and share our website with your friends at www.rodneyglassman.com.


As pleased as I am to see Glassman's official entry into the race, as a writer I'm going to find the spitting match between John McCain and JD Hayworth a lot more fun to cover.

To whit: Recently, Grant Woods, a McCain advisor and former AZ Attorney General was quoted in a Newsweek Magazine article as saying "[t]o have just a caricature of the opportunistic, bombastic politician throwing grenades at him at this stage of his career is really a sad commentary. Someone needs to drive a wooden stake through this guy's heart."

Hayworth says that last bit about the wooden stake is a threat to his life and has demanded an apology from Woods.

Most people understand that the "stake" comment was a metaphor (political careers, like vampires, aren't dead until you've driven a stake through their hearts), but it's an election year, so a little self-righteous posturing is par for the course.

Woods responds in this AZ/DC blog entry from AZCentral.com with one of the best lines of the election cycle so far -

Woods laughed about Hayworth's overwrought reaction.

"I am a Dracula fan. I do think J.D. sucks, but he's no Dracula," Woods quipped to AZ/DC.

"J.D. sucks, but he's no Dracula."

Classic. :)


Later...