This time, it's the state's Congressional delegation that has let children down.
The Children's Defense Fund Action Council has released its 2007 Congressional scorecard. The scoring was based on 10 key votes each in the House and Senate (the list of votes was slightly different for each chamber.)
Arizona's delegation ended up tied for 44th with Louisiana's.
Hey - at least we beat Nebraska, South Carolina, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.
On the other hand, Georgia, Texas and Mississippi beat us, and that's not exactly something to brag about.
By comparison, my old home state of Massachusetts ranked 3rd, with an average score of 97%; the only negative marks were due to absences, not bad votes.
As could be expected, the Arizona delegation split along party lines -
In the House, Democrats Ed Pastor and Raul Grijalva each scored 100%, Gabrielle Giffords 80%, and Harry Mitchell 60%.
On the Republican side, Rick Renzi scored 60%, Trent Franks and John Shadegg scored 10%, and the ever-reliable Jeff Flake earned a big ol' goose egg (he's like Mikey from the Life cereal commercial - he hates *everything.*)
It seems that John Shadegg's 'expertise' on health care doesn't extend to healthy children, only healthy corporate bottom lines. As for Trent Franks, apparently his concern for children stops once they are born.
As for Renzi's 60%, well, you knew that there had to be a real reason that a Republican U.S. Attorney pursued an indictment of a Republican Congressman - I mean, there was no way a Bush appointee would go after a Republican for simple extortion and fraud, right?
:))
And as for Harry Mitchell's 60%, I supposed he can take heart in the high-wattage company he's keeping - Nancy Pelosi was also at 60%, Joe Biden was at 50%, Barack Obama 60%, Hillary Clinton 70%.
Over in the Senate, Jon Kyl scored at 30% and John McCain earned a 10%.
Of course, given that McCain missed 8 of the 10 key votes, maybe his grade should be 'Incomplete.' However, according to the 2006 Scorecard, he made all of the 10 key votes that year, and scored a resounding
10%.
Come November, that's something that parents all over the state might want to think about before they cast a 'favorite son' vote in the general election.
Later!
Showing posts with label Renzi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Renzi. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Priorities Of House Republicans -
1. Retroactive telecom immunity.
2. Failing that, heavily armed communities.
Not a priority -
1. Public housing.
Today, the House debated H.R. 3521, the Public Housing Asset Management Improvement Act of 2007. According to a summary from the Congressional Research Service, the bill concerns a number of rules regulating public housing authority (PHA) management and PHA asset management.
The fun part was when Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) moved to recommit the bill to the Financial Services Committee with instructions to amend the bill by substituting to become S. 2248, the FISA amendments bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecom companies that participated in George Bush's warrantless wiretapping of Americans program.
That motion was determined to be out of order because the proposed amendment wasn't relevant to the underlying bill. Rep. Smith moved to appeal the chair's ruling to the whole House; the whole House voted to table the appeal by a vote of 218 - 195, with the Reps voting mostly along party lines. (AZ delegation: Pastor, Mitchell, Grijalva - Yea; Renzi, Shadegg, Franks, Flake, and Giffords - Nay)
After that, under the rules of the House, the Republicans could still make a motion to recommit, and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) did so.
Her motion included instructions "inserting provisions that state that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall not accept as reasonable any fees for enforcing any provision of a dwelling lease agreement or other similar agreement that requires the registration of or prohibits the possession of any firearm that is possessed by an individual for his or her personal protection or for sport the possession of which is not prohibited, or the registration of which is not required, by existing law."
Further proceedings on that motion, as well as the underlying bill, were postponed (not sure why yet.)
Nice to see that even with a week off to think about the error of their ways, the House Republicans still place corporate interests and ideological purity above human interest.
Wonder who they're going to blame when they have their butts handed to them in November? Undocumented immigrants?
...Oh wait - undocumented immigrants don't vote.
It should be noted that after regular legislative business was completed that Trent Franks (R-AZ2) took to the floor of the House to talk about the significant issue of the day.
Which, given that it was Trent Franks speaking, of course that issue was abortion.
Later!
2. Failing that, heavily armed communities.
Not a priority -
1. Public housing.
Today, the House debated H.R. 3521, the Public Housing Asset Management Improvement Act of 2007. According to a summary from the Congressional Research Service, the bill concerns a number of rules regulating public housing authority (PHA) management and PHA asset management.
The fun part was when Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) moved to recommit the bill to the Financial Services Committee with instructions to amend the bill by substituting to become S. 2248, the FISA amendments bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecom companies that participated in George Bush's warrantless wiretapping of Americans program.
That motion was determined to be out of order because the proposed amendment wasn't relevant to the underlying bill. Rep. Smith moved to appeal the chair's ruling to the whole House; the whole House voted to table the appeal by a vote of 218 - 195, with the Reps voting mostly along party lines. (AZ delegation: Pastor, Mitchell, Grijalva - Yea; Renzi, Shadegg, Franks, Flake, and Giffords - Nay)
After that, under the rules of the House, the Republicans could still make a motion to recommit, and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) did so.
Her motion included instructions "inserting provisions that state that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall not accept as reasonable any fees for enforcing any provision of a dwelling lease agreement or other similar agreement that requires the registration of or prohibits the possession of any firearm that is possessed by an individual for his or her personal protection or for sport the possession of which is not prohibited, or the registration of which is not required, by existing law."
Further proceedings on that motion, as well as the underlying bill, were postponed (not sure why yet.)
Nice to see that even with a week off to think about the error of their ways, the House Republicans still place corporate interests and ideological purity above human interest.
Wonder who they're going to blame when they have their butts handed to them in November? Undocumented immigrants?
...Oh wait - undocumented immigrants don't vote.
It should be noted that after regular legislative business was completed that Trent Franks (R-AZ2) took to the floor of the House to talk about the significant issue of the day.
Which, given that it was Trent Franks speaking, of course that issue was abortion.
Later!
Friday, February 22, 2008
To the family, friends, and constituents of Rick Renzi:
File this away...
FCI Safford contact info -
Inmate Mail/Parcels
INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FCI SAFFORD
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 9000
SAFFORD, AZ 85548
Physical Address (Do not use for mail unless it is the same as the mailing address listed.)
Use this address for in-person visits
FCI SAFFORD
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
1529 WEST HIGHWAY 366
SAFFORD, AZ 85546
Phone: 928-428-6600
Fax: 928-348-1331
MapQuest® Map and Directions
I know that it's early, and that there are many possible eventual outcomes to this situation that don't include prison time for Renzi - the DOJ could drop the charges, he could beat the rap, or be convicted but not receive a prison sentence - but I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts. :))
Oh, and for those of you who ask "Why FCI-Safford?" Simply put, it's the only federal corrections facility in AZ-CD1.
Later!
FCI Safford contact info -
Inmate Mail/Parcels
INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FCI SAFFORD
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 9000
SAFFORD, AZ 85548
Physical Address (Do not use for mail unless it is the same as the mailing address listed.)
Use this address for in-person visits
FCI SAFFORD
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
1529 WEST HIGHWAY 366
SAFFORD, AZ 85546
Phone: 928-428-6600
Fax: 928-348-1331
MapQuest® Map and Directions
I know that it's early, and that there are many possible eventual outcomes to this situation that don't include prison time for Renzi - the DOJ could drop the charges, he could beat the rap, or be convicted but not receive a prison sentence - but I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts. :))
Oh, and for those of you who ask "Why FCI-Safford?" Simply put, it's the only federal corrections facility in AZ-CD1.
Later!
Renzi Indicted
From AP -
...Not yet sure what this means in the CD1 race - if Renzi resigns, there will be a special election to fill his seat for the remainder of his term; however, there's no guarantee that he will resign before he's convicted.
Later!
Republican Rep. Rick Renzi was indicted Friday on charges of extortion, wire fraud, money laundering and other matters in an Arizona land swap scam that allegedly helped him collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in payoffs.About damn time.
{snip}
The indictment accuses Renzi of using his position as a member of the House Natural Resources Committee to push the land swaps for [business partner James W.] Sandlin, who was also charged. It comes after a lengthy federal investigation into the land development and insurance businesses owned by Renzi's family.
The lengthy legal document says Renzi refused in 2005 and 2006 to secure congressional approval for land swaps by two unnamed businesses if they did not agree to buy Sandlin's property as a part of the deal.
...Not yet sure what this means in the CD1 race - if Renzi resigns, there will be a special election to fill his seat for the remainder of his term; however, there's no guarantee that he will resign before he's convicted.
Later!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Ahhh...Congress is back in session...
...and the House Republicans are already in mid-session form...
They're already hard at work safeguarding the interests of big business and blaming workers for everything.
Today, they were "fighting the good fight" for mine owners as House Democrats worked to address mine safety in the aftermath of the recent spate of deadly mine disasters, such as Crandall Canyon in Utah and Sago in West Virginia.
During consideration of H.R. 2768, the S-MINER Act (Supplemental Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response), House Republicans, led by Buck McKeon (R-CA), opposed every safety improvement as too onerous for mine owners and operators. In fact, the only 'safety improvement' that they supported (and supported strongly, at that) was an intensive drug testing requirement for mine workers.
Guess it's more fun to play "blame the victims" than it is to "govern responsibly."
Many of the Republican opponents of increased mine safety cited this Washington Post article from Sunday that chronicles a growing trend in West Virginia's mine country - painkiller addiction.
The Republicans so strongly favored increased drug testing they twice tried to wedge it into the bill, once in this amendment proposed by Joe Wilson (R-SC) (starting on page 2 of the .pdf) and in their standard 'motion to recommit with instructions', proposed by Mark Souder (R-IN).
The Wilson amendment also sought to water-down implementation of safety measures, substituting secrecy, studies and commissions for refuge chambers with emergency air supplies, flame-resistant conveyor belts, and transparency.
Note: The Wilson amendment failed by a vote of 188 - 229; the motion to recommit failed by a vote of 197 - 217, with the AZ delegation splitting along party lines for each vote.
In the end, the House passed the S-Miner bill by a vote of 214 - 199, with the AZ delegation again splitting along party lines.
As could be expected, the White House has threatened to veto the bill.
AP coverage here.
...I know that in this election year, the presidential campaigns are getting most of the attention from voters and the MSM (hey, even I think it's easier to focus on 10 or so candidates for 1 office than it is to focus on more than 900 candidates for the 468 House and Senate seats up for grab this year), we all need to remember that those seats are just as important as the Presidency, and those races are far more easily affected by local activists.
Whether it's for Harry Mitchell, Gabrielle Giffords, Raul Grijalva, Ed Pastor, Bob Lord, John Thrasher, or one of the Democrats looking to replace Rick Renzi (R-Mantech) in CD1, volunteer where you can, contribute where you can.
They're already hard at work safeguarding the interests of big business and blaming workers for everything.
Today, they were "fighting the good fight" for mine owners as House Democrats worked to address mine safety in the aftermath of the recent spate of deadly mine disasters, such as Crandall Canyon in Utah and Sago in West Virginia.
During consideration of H.R. 2768, the S-MINER Act (Supplemental Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response), House Republicans, led by Buck McKeon (R-CA), opposed every safety improvement as too onerous for mine owners and operators. In fact, the only 'safety improvement' that they supported (and supported strongly, at that) was an intensive drug testing requirement for mine workers.
Guess it's more fun to play "blame the victims" than it is to "govern responsibly."
Many of the Republican opponents of increased mine safety cited this Washington Post article from Sunday that chronicles a growing trend in West Virginia's mine country - painkiller addiction.
The Republicans so strongly favored increased drug testing they twice tried to wedge it into the bill, once in this amendment proposed by Joe Wilson (R-SC) (starting on page 2 of the .pdf) and in their standard 'motion to recommit with instructions', proposed by Mark Souder (R-IN).
The Wilson amendment also sought to water-down implementation of safety measures, substituting secrecy, studies and commissions for refuge chambers with emergency air supplies, flame-resistant conveyor belts, and transparency.
Note: The Wilson amendment failed by a vote of 188 - 229; the motion to recommit failed by a vote of 197 - 217, with the AZ delegation splitting along party lines for each vote.
In the end, the House passed the S-Miner bill by a vote of 214 - 199, with the AZ delegation again splitting along party lines.
As could be expected, the White House has threatened to veto the bill.
AP coverage here.
...I know that in this election year, the presidential campaigns are getting most of the attention from voters and the MSM (hey, even I think it's easier to focus on 10 or so candidates for 1 office than it is to focus on more than 900 candidates for the 468 House and Senate seats up for grab this year), we all need to remember that those seats are just as important as the Presidency, and those races are far more easily affected by local activists.
Whether it's for Harry Mitchell, Gabrielle Giffords, Raul Grijalva, Ed Pastor, Bob Lord, John Thrasher, or one of the Democrats looking to replace Rick Renzi (R-Mantech) in CD1, volunteer where you can, contribute where you can.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Top stories of the year
It's something of a tradition for various media outlets to publish year-end lists recounting the most significant stories of the year. This will be just one of many such lists...
Anyway, here's my list of the top Arizona-related stories of the year (and not-too surprisingly, this list has a political bent to it) -
...In April, Arizona prisoners who were sent to a private prison in Indiana rioted, injuring at least two staff members and causing serious damage to the facility.
My original post on the topic is here.
I've got a phone call out to the Arizona Department of Corrections asking for an update, but called too late in the day for their PR folks to obtain an answer; I'll update tomorrow.
Edit to update: According to Bill at the DOC's media relations office, the contract with the Indiana prison is still active and prisoners are still being rotated through it.
End edit...
...In March, State Rep. Trish Groe was busted for a DUI in La Paz County. After various twists and turns to the case (including a stint in rehab shortly after the arrest, an abortive plea deal in May, and a felony indictment in September), Dennis Wilenchik, personal fixer for Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, arranged for Groe to pay a fine and to serve 10 days in the Maricopa County lockup.
...Also involving Wilenchik was the story of the County Attorney and the Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, leading a jihad against the New Times, resulting in a grand jury inquisition of the New Times, led by Wilenchik, and the arrests of two of the New Times' journalists/publishers, ordered by Wilenchik.
The charges against to New Times' employees were dropped after the ensuing public outcry and criticism from all directions.
Don't fret about Wilenchik, though - his firm has received over $220K from the County Attorney's office since the whole New Times debacle.
...The economic slowdown has caused the state to have a revenue shortfall with the resulting budget deficit growing to more than $1 billion. This has led to plans for a 'pre-session' session of the Legislature in order to deal with the budget crisis.
The idea that the Republicans in the state senate have proposed to address the revenue shortfall? Among other things, reduce revenue...
Anyway, we're coming into an election year; expect any legislative proposals to deal with the deficit in a responsible way to be beaten back by the "any government is too much" clique in the Republican caucus. (Don't believe it? Read the already-submitted SB1002, a bill to repeal the state equalization property tax, a source of revenue for public education. It already has 17 primary sponsors, Republicans one and all.)
BTW - I wonder if Tim Bee is reconsidering his decision to only 'explore' a run against Gabrielle Giffords in CD8? Something tells me that stumping around Tucson and southern AZ is going to be more fun than running the state senate in Phoenix this coming year.
...John McCain's campaign for the Republican nomination for President was moribund and all but DOA this summer, but with the decline of Mitt Romney in the face of Mike Huckabee's rise has unexpectedly given McCain's campaign new life. His candidacy may fall eventually fall by the wayside, but at least for the next six weeks, he's back to being a contender.
...Of course, perhaps the biggest local political story was the passage and implementation of Arizona's employment sanctions law. The law would suspend then revoke the business licenses of businesses that hire undocumented immigrants. While overly draconian, the law was written skillfully enough to withstand lawsuits.
As expected, the nativist wing of the Republican Party is rejoicing in the broken lives and shattered families.
Note: Immigration in general was a hot topic all year; Man Eegee does a great job covering immigration issues in Arizona and beyond.
Stuff to watch in 2008 -
Anyway, here's my list of the top Arizona-related stories of the year (and not-too surprisingly, this list has a political bent to it) -
...In April, Arizona prisoners who were sent to a private prison in Indiana rioted, injuring at least two staff members and causing serious damage to the facility.
My original post on the topic is here.
I've got a phone call out to the Arizona Department of Corrections asking for an update, but called too late in the day for their PR folks to obtain an answer; I'll update tomorrow.
Edit to update: According to Bill at the DOC's media relations office, the contract with the Indiana prison is still active and prisoners are still being rotated through it.
End edit...
...In March, State Rep. Trish Groe was busted for a DUI in La Paz County. After various twists and turns to the case (including a stint in rehab shortly after the arrest, an abortive plea deal in May, and a felony indictment in September), Dennis Wilenchik, personal fixer for Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, arranged for Groe to pay a fine and to serve 10 days in the Maricopa County lockup.
...Also involving Wilenchik was the story of the County Attorney and the Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, leading a jihad against the New Times, resulting in a grand jury inquisition of the New Times, led by Wilenchik, and the arrests of two of the New Times' journalists/publishers, ordered by Wilenchik.
The charges against to New Times' employees were dropped after the ensuing public outcry and criticism from all directions.
Don't fret about Wilenchik, though - his firm has received over $220K from the County Attorney's office since the whole New Times debacle.
...The economic slowdown has caused the state to have a revenue shortfall with the resulting budget deficit growing to more than $1 billion. This has led to plans for a 'pre-session' session of the Legislature in order to deal with the budget crisis.
The idea that the Republicans in the state senate have proposed to address the revenue shortfall? Among other things, reduce revenue...
Anyway, we're coming into an election year; expect any legislative proposals to deal with the deficit in a responsible way to be beaten back by the "any government is too much" clique in the Republican caucus. (Don't believe it? Read the already-submitted SB1002, a bill to repeal the state equalization property tax, a source of revenue for public education. It already has 17 primary sponsors, Republicans one and all.)
BTW - I wonder if Tim Bee is reconsidering his decision to only 'explore' a run against Gabrielle Giffords in CD8? Something tells me that stumping around Tucson and southern AZ is going to be more fun than running the state senate in Phoenix this coming year.
...John McCain's campaign for the Republican nomination for President was moribund and all but DOA this summer, but with the decline of Mitt Romney in the face of Mike Huckabee's rise has unexpectedly given McCain's campaign new life. His candidacy may fall eventually fall by the wayside, but at least for the next six weeks, he's back to being a contender.
...Of course, perhaps the biggest local political story was the passage and implementation of Arizona's employment sanctions law. The law would suspend then revoke the business licenses of businesses that hire undocumented immigrants. While overly draconian, the law was written skillfully enough to withstand lawsuits.
As expected, the nativist wing of the Republican Party is rejoicing in the broken lives and shattered families.
Note: Immigration in general was a hot topic all year; Man Eegee does a great job covering immigration issues in Arizona and beyond.
Stuff to watch in 2008 -
...Of course, one of the biggest stories of next year will be the elections...
- Who will win the presidential nominations for each party, and who will win the general election? When a Democrat wins the White House, will they offer Governor Napolitano a cabinet slot? And if one is offered, will she take it?
- Who will come out of the crowded Republican field in CD5 to challenge Harry Mitchell in November?
- Who will succeed the soon- (but not soon enough!) to-be-departed Rick Renzi in CD1? Things have been relatively low-key so far, but are certain to start heating up early in the new year.
- Will Dan Saban defeat Joe Arpaio for the Sheriff's job? Has Maricopa County finally had its fill of Arpaio after 16 years?
...Next year's state budget cycle looms as a far more contentious one than this year's, with the inevitable Republican demands to balance the state budget by cutting corporate taxes deep and public services even deeper. Who among the Reps will step up and place the fiscal future of the state above partisan bickering? And which among those Reps will pay for their apostasy by facing a primary challenger?
...What kind of legislative torture will Russell Pearce and his ilk try to inflict upon immigrants in 2008?
...Lastly, my deepest condolences go out to the friends, families, and loved ones of Benazir Bhutto (former Prime Minister of Pakistan) and those murdered in the suicide bombing in the aftermath of her assassination.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Quarterly FEC reports - updated
Updated on 10/16 with every incumbent now reporting; many of those who are just 'exploring' haven't filed yet. Many of those, because of the timing of their organization, won't *have* to report until after the first of the year.
Key: Candidate name, affiliation ( * signifies incumbents) - total contributions, PAC and other committee $, individual contributions, cash on hand
CD1
Rick Renzi, Republican* - $1,200; $1,000; $200; $2,085.59
Note: Renzi still owes over $100K in legal fees from earlier in the year.
Ann Kirkpatrick, Democrat - $217,050.00; $1,000; $216,050.00; $173,227.81
Sydney Hay, Republican - $57,933.81; $0; $57,933.81; $106,267.60
Note: $50,000 of Ms. Hay's fundraising came in the form of a loan to the campaign by the candidate.
Howard Shanker, Democrat - $18,160.24; $0; $18,160.24; $9,367.88
Note: $2,586.34 of his total came from the candidate and the campaign owes $9,300 on a credit card.
Ellen Simon, Democrat - $1,550.00; $0; $1,550.00; $4.41
Note: All $1,550 of Ms. Simon's funds came from the candidate herself.
CD1 note: To borrow a phrase from the film "Bull Durham" - Ms. Kirkpatrick has "announced [her] presence with authority." Her strong quarter sends a loud message both to potential Democratic primary opponents and potential Republican opposition in the general. Her candidacy is for real, and anyone thinking of jumping into the race (either side of the aisle) better be prepared for the long haul.
CD2
Trent Franks, Republican* - $49563.00, $23,500, $26,063.00, $72,153.87
John Thrasher, Democrat - $2,218.51; $0; $2,215.00; $3,619.87
CD3
Bob Lord, Democrat - $142,133.52; $5,000.00; $137,133.52; $332,189.52
John Shadegg, Republican* - $192,653.00; $36,400.00; $156,253.00; $450,930.26
Annie Loyd, Independent - $12,139.24; 0; $12,139.24; $5,001.16
Bob Stump, Republican - $0; $0; $0; $13,484.68
CD3 notes: You know that Independent Loyd has an uphill fight when the numbers show that her active campaign has less cash on hand than the inactive (for many years) campaign of Republican Stump. Also, the Lord campaign seems to have legs; while the incumbent Shadegg has outraised him and leads in COH, the differences are fairly insignificant, especially when the majority of the fundraising difference is rooted in Shadegg's advantage in PAC money.
This one is going to be a real race and one to keep an eye on.
Note on the note - Mr. Lord will be speaking at the next meeting of the Arizona chapter of the National Jewish Democratic on next Thursday. More on that in my "events calendar" post later this week.
CD4
Ed Pastor, Democrat* - $53,935.94; $39,190.94; $14,745.00; $1,229,812.71
CD5
Harry Mitchell, Democrat* - $354,638.52; $140,470.52; $214,168.00
Laura Knaperek, Republican - $30,700.00; $0; $30,700.00; $28,846.25
JD Hayworth, Republican - $0; $0; $0, $20,279.70
Larry King, Democrat - $0; $0; $0; $0
CD5 Note: Laura Knaperek's max contributors ($4600) include Ken Kendrick, owner of the Diamondbacks, and Randy Kendrick, lawyer. Other contributors include Nathan Sproul (Arizona's version of Karl Rove) and his wife Tiffani, who gave $2300 each.
CD6
Jeff Flake, Republican - $225,765.78; $22,500.00; $203,265.78; $749,738.38
CD7
Raul Grijalva, Democrat* - $63,122.02; $0; $63,122.02; $94,425.00
CD8
Eva Bacal, Democrat - $0; $0; $0; $2,957.80
Tim Bee, Republican - $134,620.00; $0; $134,620.00; $119,316.25
Gabrielle Giffords, Democrat* - $257,800.05; $96,548.41; $161,251.64; $1,126,838.82
Note: Giffords' info has been corrected by an update; a previous "October" report that was filed in September is NOT the October quarterly report. Oops - I should've caught that in my original post. :(
CD8 note: With a cash on hand total that is slightly more than 10% of Gabrielle Giffords', the fundraising effort of sitting State Senate President Bee can only be termed as "disappointing" for the Republicans.
Of course, I'm a Democrat. :)))))
Yet another note: Some other blogs have reported numbers for other candidates (Sonoran Alliance post on the Ogsbury campaign in CD5 here) but until the FEC posts them, I won't list them. I'm not saying that SA has it wrong (their source is an email from the campaign, which is good enough for me) but I want to be consistent. The numbers that candidates tout to their supporters can be different than the ones they report to the FEC.
The FEC numbers count more. :))
A Sonoran Alliance post on the significance of the numbers in CD5 and CD8 here.
A Sustainablity, Equity, Development post on CD8 is here.
Later!
Key: Candidate name, affiliation ( * signifies incumbents) - total contributions, PAC and other committee $, individual contributions, cash on hand
CD1
Rick Renzi, Republican* - $1,200; $1,000; $200; $2,085.59
Note: Renzi still owes over $100K in legal fees from earlier in the year.
Ann Kirkpatrick, Democrat - $217,050.00; $1,000; $216,050.00; $173,227.81
Sydney Hay, Republican - $57,933.81; $0; $57,933.81; $106,267.60
Note: $50,000 of Ms. Hay's fundraising came in the form of a loan to the campaign by the candidate.
Howard Shanker, Democrat - $18,160.24; $0; $18,160.24; $9,367.88
Note: $2,586.34 of his total came from the candidate and the campaign owes $9,300 on a credit card.
Ellen Simon, Democrat - $1,550.00; $0; $1,550.00; $4.41
Note: All $1,550 of Ms. Simon's funds came from the candidate herself.
CD1 note: To borrow a phrase from the film "Bull Durham" - Ms. Kirkpatrick has "announced [her] presence with authority." Her strong quarter sends a loud message both to potential Democratic primary opponents and potential Republican opposition in the general. Her candidacy is for real, and anyone thinking of jumping into the race (either side of the aisle) better be prepared for the long haul.
CD2
Trent Franks, Republican* - $49563.00, $23,500, $26,063.00, $72,153.87
John Thrasher, Democrat - $2,218.51; $0; $2,215.00; $3,619.87
CD3
Bob Lord, Democrat - $142,133.52; $5,000.00; $137,133.52; $332,189.52
John Shadegg, Republican* - $192,653.00; $36,400.00; $156,253.00; $450,930.26
Annie Loyd, Independent - $12,139.24; 0; $12,139.24; $5,001.16
Bob Stump, Republican - $0; $0; $0; $13,484.68
CD3 notes: You know that Independent Loyd has an uphill fight when the numbers show that her active campaign has less cash on hand than the inactive (for many years) campaign of Republican Stump. Also, the Lord campaign seems to have legs; while the incumbent Shadegg has outraised him and leads in COH, the differences are fairly insignificant, especially when the majority of the fundraising difference is rooted in Shadegg's advantage in PAC money.
This one is going to be a real race and one to keep an eye on.
Note on the note - Mr. Lord will be speaking at the next meeting of the Arizona chapter of the National Jewish Democratic on next Thursday. More on that in my "events calendar" post later this week.
CD4
Ed Pastor, Democrat* - $53,935.94; $39,190.94; $14,745.00; $1,229,812.71
CD5
Harry Mitchell, Democrat* - $354,638.52; $140,470.52; $214,168.00
Laura Knaperek, Republican - $30,700.00; $0; $30,700.00; $28,846.25
JD Hayworth, Republican - $0; $0; $0, $20,279.70
Larry King, Democrat - $0; $0; $0; $0
CD5 Note: Laura Knaperek's max contributors ($4600) include Ken Kendrick, owner of the Diamondbacks, and Randy Kendrick, lawyer. Other contributors include Nathan Sproul (Arizona's version of Karl Rove) and his wife Tiffani, who gave $2300 each.
CD6
Jeff Flake, Republican - $225,765.78; $22,500.00; $203,265.78; $749,738.38
CD7
Raul Grijalva, Democrat* - $63,122.02; $0; $63,122.02; $94,425.00
CD8
Eva Bacal, Democrat - $0; $0; $0; $2,957.80
Tim Bee, Republican - $134,620.00; $0; $134,620.00; $119,316.25
Gabrielle Giffords, Democrat* - $257,800.05; $96,548.41; $161,251.64; $1,126,838.82
Note: Giffords' info has been corrected by an update; a previous "October" report that was filed in September is NOT the October quarterly report. Oops - I should've caught that in my original post. :(
CD8 note: With a cash on hand total that is slightly more than 10% of Gabrielle Giffords', the fundraising effort of sitting State Senate President Bee can only be termed as "disappointing" for the Republicans.
Of course, I'm a Democrat. :)))))
Yet another note: Some other blogs have reported numbers for other candidates (Sonoran Alliance post on the Ogsbury campaign in CD5 here) but until the FEC posts them, I won't list them. I'm not saying that SA has it wrong (their source is an email from the campaign, which is good enough for me) but I want to be consistent. The numbers that candidates tout to their supporters can be different than the ones they report to the FEC.
The FEC numbers count more. :))
A Sonoran Alliance post on the significance of the numbers in CD5 and CD8 here.
A Sustainablity, Equity, Development post on CD8 is here.
Later!
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Comings and goings....
Wednesday was a day of transition for many Republicans...
...Former Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn of Washington passed away at her home in Virginia.
...Ohio Congressman Paul Gillmor was found dead in his D.C. apartment, apparently from natural causes.
My deepest condolences to the friends and families of both.
...Two aides to Abramhoff-associated Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) moved from 'staffer' status to 'witness' status as they testified before a grand jury investigating their boss.
From AP via SeattlePI.com -
...TV actor and former Senator Fred Thompson officially announced his candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination for President.
...In Arizona, Ken Bennett, former president of the state senate, announced that he is *not* running for the CD1 Congressional seat, but he did leave open the possibility of seeking the Governor's office in 2010.
Tedski at R-Cubed has an interesting take on the effect of his son's legal troubles on a potential Bennett candidacy, and I have to agree with his point - the troubles themselves ("hazing" 18 kids with a broom handle) would have less of an impact on a candidacy than the suspicions that the elder Bennett's political prominence had something to do with the lenient sentence his son received (30 days).
Those suspicions will still be around in 2010.
...Also in Arizona, State Rep. Russell Pearce (R-National Alliance) has formed an exploratory committee for a potential primary challenge against super conservative Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ6).
Republican blog Espresso Pundit's take on the possible race is here.
...It was also a day of transition for a Democrat - Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota made his welcome return to the Senate after his long recovery from a brain hemorrhage.
AP coverage here.
Later!
...Former Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn of Washington passed away at her home in Virginia.
...Ohio Congressman Paul Gillmor was found dead in his D.C. apartment, apparently from natural causes.
My deepest condolences to the friends and families of both.
...Two aides to Abramhoff-associated Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) moved from 'staffer' status to 'witness' status as they testified before a grand jury investigating their boss.
From AP via SeattlePI.com -
WASHINGTON -- Rep. John Doolittle's scheduler and deputy chief of staff appeared Wednesday before a federal grand jury investigating the California Republican's ties to jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Doolittle's spokesman said.
The scheduler, Alisha Perkins, and Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Blankenburg were among three Doolittle aides subpoenaed in recent days. Chief of Staff Ron Rogers is scheduled to testify Friday before the grand jury at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
...TV actor and former Senator Fred Thompson officially announced his candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination for President.
...In Arizona, Ken Bennett, former president of the state senate, announced that he is *not* running for the CD1 Congressional seat, but he did leave open the possibility of seeking the Governor's office in 2010.
Tedski at R-Cubed has an interesting take on the effect of his son's legal troubles on a potential Bennett candidacy, and I have to agree with his point - the troubles themselves ("hazing" 18 kids with a broom handle) would have less of an impact on a candidacy than the suspicions that the elder Bennett's political prominence had something to do with the lenient sentence his son received (30 days).
Those suspicions will still be around in 2010.
...Also in Arizona, State Rep. Russell Pearce (R-National Alliance) has formed an exploratory committee for a potential primary challenge against super conservative Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ6).
Republican blog Espresso Pundit's take on the possible race is here.
...It was also a day of transition for a Democrat - Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota made his welcome return to the Senate after his long recovery from a brain hemorrhage.
AP coverage here.
Later!
Monday, September 03, 2007
A special election in CD1 is still possible...
From a Chicago Tribune article about the Sen. Craig (R-ID) scandal (thanks to blog Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot, Over for the heads-up on this article) -
While this would be a great turn of events if true, take the article with a grain of salt.
Perhaps the *only* thing that Renzi (R-Mantech) has yet to get in serious trouble for are his limited ties to Abramoff.
Funnelling defense appropriations to his father's company (the aforementioned Mantech)? Yep.
Campaign finance violations? Yep again.
Shady land deals and business dealings? Oh yeaaahhhhh.
His ties to Abramoff are almost an afterthought compared to his other issues, but whatthehell -
The feds took mob kingpin and stone killer Al Capone off the streets with an income tax violation; if the ties to Abramoff are what get the job done with Renzi, so be it.
My only question is does Renzi have to resign upon indictment, or like fellow corrupt Republican Fife Symington before him, can he wait until he is convicted before leaving office? Or does he have to be forced from office by a vote of the House? Comments with that info will be gratefully accepted. :)
Later!
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) recently said he would not run for re-election, privately telling his staff that he expects to be indicted for his ties to Abramoff.
While this would be a great turn of events if true, take the article with a grain of salt.
Perhaps the *only* thing that Renzi (R-Mantech) has yet to get in serious trouble for are his limited ties to Abramoff.
Funnelling defense appropriations to his father's company (the aforementioned Mantech)? Yep.
Campaign finance violations? Yep again.
Shady land deals and business dealings? Oh yeaaahhhhh.
His ties to Abramoff are almost an afterthought compared to his other issues, but whatthehell -
The feds took mob kingpin and stone killer Al Capone off the streets with an income tax violation; if the ties to Abramoff are what get the job done with Renzi, so be it.
My only question is does Renzi have to resign upon indictment, or like fellow corrupt Republican Fife Symington before him, can he wait until he is convicted before leaving office? Or does he have to be forced from office by a vote of the House? Comments with that info will be gratefully accepted. :)
Later!
Friday, August 31, 2007
500th post - Short Attention Span Musing
I had planned to do a significant post in commemoration of my 500th post here, full of wry observations and profound witticisms.
However, it's been a long week, so a normal post will have to do. :))
...Now that Rick Renzi has made his departure official, the race for the Republican nomination can officially start.
Sydney Hay, president of the Arizona Mining Association, threw her hat in the ring this week.
According to her AZGOP press release, she will be campaigning on a platform of lower taxes, privatized education and other public services, Republican ethics, and, of course, 'change.'
I have a suggestion for a campaign plank - "CD1 needs a representative who isn't a wholly-owned subsidiary of an out-of-state corporation! In-state corporations need sweetheart no-bid contracts too!"
Among the recipients of her personal campaign contributions, according to the FEC - Sen. Lindsay Graham, Rep. Mike Pence, Rep. Jeff Flake, and herself (she ran in CD1 in 2002.)
...In a development that only reinforced the point made in the first Random Musings post - perhaps the ethnicity of the targeted groups has changed, as well as general language usage, but otherwise, nothing substantial has changed regarding anti-immigrant fervor in the United States.
In Texas, a native-born citizen of Hispanic ancestry was arrested, jailed, and nearly deported because she has the same name as someone who has been deported in the past.
From the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram -
Thanks to jobsanger in Texas for the heads-up on this. He summed it up pretty well in his post when he wrote -
...Not that I was ever a fan, but Vince Gill's career fade is painful to watch for anybody who likes any kind of music.
Now he's reduced to doing ads where his backing band is the Fruit of the Loom guys! YouTube video here.
What's next? An off-the-Strip gig in a Vegas dive bar? Hell, working as a judge on a reality show has more dignity than jamming with the Fruit of the Loom guys.
...On the other hand, at least *he's* the one destroying his own legacy; Elvis Presley is probably auditioning for the next "Night of the Living Dead" remake, just for the chance to get his hands on whoever from his estate licensed "Viva Las Vegas" to the makers of Viagra.
The spot, with a bunch of guys in an old barn (or something similar) singing "Viva Viagra" is possibly the creepiest use of a catchy tune. Ever.
That's not the worst of it, either - I can't think about the lyrics to Viva Las Vegas without changing "Las Vegas" to "Viagra."
That may make some marketing exec jump for joy, but the song is just ruined.
YouTube video of the spot here.
...While the story of Sen. Larry Craig's (R-ID) attempt to pick up an undercover police officer in a public restroom is tabloid tawdry, and watching the strident gay-basher try to spin his hypocrisy is seriously entertaining (in a 'watching an impending train wreck' sort of way), the real fun has been watching the Republicans turn on one of their own.
However, does anybody think that if he was caught with trying to pick up a woman, that this story would have lasted more than 5 minutes in the media, or generated more than a wink and a nudge from his Republican colleagues?
Anybody?
One bright spot in all this? Soon-to-be-ex-Senator Craig's press conference to deny that he is gay (YouTube video here) has totally trounced the infamous meltdown by Miss Teen USA-South Carolina as the "worst recorded public appearance of the week." (YouTube vid of that here.)
...And in the "I suppose I should be flattered at the attention" Department -
Somebody at the ultra-conservative Goldwater Institute spent two hours at this blog on Friday.
Host Name mx.goldwaterinstitute.org
IP Address 68.110.172.111 [Label IP Address]
Country United States
Region Arizona
City Phoenix
ISP Cox Communications
Returning Visits 0
Visit Length 2 hours 8 mins 48 secs
There's no guarantee that whoever it was spent two entire hours reading this blog, but the visit was definitely more than a drive-by.
...It's time for me to burn my "Yankees Suck" t-shirt.
I wore it at the beginning of a 5 game series between the Sox and Yanks in NYC last August, and the Red Sox were swept.
Then I wore it at the beginning of this week's three game set, also in NYC. The Sox were swept again.
IT'S THE SHIRT'S FAULT!! IT MUST MAKE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE!!
:))
...Time for bed...later!
However, it's been a long week, so a normal post will have to do. :))
...Now that Rick Renzi has made his departure official, the race for the Republican nomination can officially start.
Sydney Hay, president of the Arizona Mining Association, threw her hat in the ring this week.
According to her AZGOP press release, she will be campaigning on a platform of lower taxes, privatized education and other public services, Republican ethics, and, of course, 'change.'
I have a suggestion for a campaign plank - "CD1 needs a representative who isn't a wholly-owned subsidiary of an out-of-state corporation! In-state corporations need sweetheart no-bid contracts too!"
Among the recipients of her personal campaign contributions, according to the FEC - Sen. Lindsay Graham, Rep. Mike Pence, Rep. Jeff Flake, and herself (she ran in CD1 in 2002.)
...In a development that only reinforced the point made in the first Random Musings post - perhaps the ethnicity of the targeted groups has changed, as well as general language usage, but otherwise, nothing substantial has changed regarding anti-immigrant fervor in the United States.
In Texas, a native-born citizen of Hispanic ancestry was arrested, jailed, and nearly deported because she has the same name as someone who has been deported in the past.
From the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram -
Texan is jailed as illegal immigrant
A native Texan spent the night in the Arlington Jail, missed her children's first day of school and feared being deported after authorities mistook her for an illegal immigrant.
Alicia Rodriguez, an accountant and mother of three, has the same name and date of birth as a woman deported to Mexico three times.
{snip}
Gilfour said police overlooked fingerprints that would have shown Rodriguez was not the illegal immigrant.
Rodriguez said she does not plan to sue, but apologies do not make up for what she was put through.
"I think it's ridiculous. I think it was obvious that I wasn't an illegal immigrant," she said.
Thanks to jobsanger in Texas for the heads-up on this. He summed it up pretty well in his post when he wrote -
This could have easily been avoided if they had just checked her fingerprints against the known prints of the woman they had her confused with. But they didn't -- they already had their minds made up and didn't want to be confused with facts. After all, she was Hispanic.
...Not that I was ever a fan, but Vince Gill's career fade is painful to watch for anybody who likes any kind of music.
Now he's reduced to doing ads where his backing band is the Fruit of the Loom guys! YouTube video here.
What's next? An off-the-Strip gig in a Vegas dive bar? Hell, working as a judge on a reality show has more dignity than jamming with the Fruit of the Loom guys.
...On the other hand, at least *he's* the one destroying his own legacy; Elvis Presley is probably auditioning for the next "Night of the Living Dead" remake, just for the chance to get his hands on whoever from his estate licensed "Viva Las Vegas" to the makers of Viagra.
The spot, with a bunch of guys in an old barn (or something similar) singing "Viva Viagra" is possibly the creepiest use of a catchy tune. Ever.
That's not the worst of it, either - I can't think about the lyrics to Viva Las Vegas without changing "Las Vegas" to "Viagra."
That may make some marketing exec jump for joy, but the song is just ruined.
YouTube video of the spot here.
...While the story of Sen. Larry Craig's (R-ID) attempt to pick up an undercover police officer in a public restroom is tabloid tawdry, and watching the strident gay-basher try to spin his hypocrisy is seriously entertaining (in a 'watching an impending train wreck' sort of way), the real fun has been watching the Republicans turn on one of their own.
However, does anybody think that if he was caught with trying to pick up a woman, that this story would have lasted more than 5 minutes in the media, or generated more than a wink and a nudge from his Republican colleagues?
Anybody?
One bright spot in all this? Soon-to-be-ex-Senator Craig's press conference to deny that he is gay (YouTube video here) has totally trounced the infamous meltdown by Miss Teen USA-South Carolina as the "worst recorded public appearance of the week." (YouTube vid of that here.)
...And in the "I suppose I should be flattered at the attention" Department -
Somebody at the ultra-conservative Goldwater Institute spent two hours at this blog on Friday.
Host Name mx.goldwaterinstitute.org
IP Address 68.110.172.111 [Label IP Address]
Country United States
Region Arizona
City Phoenix
ISP Cox Communications
Returning Visits 0
Visit Length 2 hours 8 mins 48 secs
There's no guarantee that whoever it was spent two entire hours reading this blog, but the visit was definitely more than a drive-by.
...It's time for me to burn my "Yankees Suck" t-shirt.
I wore it at the beginning of a 5 game series between the Sox and Yanks in NYC last August, and the Red Sox were swept.
Then I wore it at the beginning of this week's three game set, also in NYC. The Sox were swept again.
IT'S THE SHIRT'S FAULT!! IT MUST MAKE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE!!
:))
...Time for bed...later!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Let's start a pool!!
Other than the FISA vote, there's been some great news for America this month coming out of DC..
First, there was Karl Rove's resignation...
Then, Rick Renzi announced his "retirement"...
Now today, Alberto Gonzales announced his resignation. (Whooo hoooo!)
OK, I admit that Gonzales' departure seems to be less of a "resignation" and more a case of "falling on his sword for his liege at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," but it's still a good thing.
None of these three, or any of the other Republicans caught up in the corruption/abuse of power scandals that *are* the Republican Party theses day, will ever see the inside of a prison cell as long as the Great Obstructor/Pardoner is in office, a few indictments would be nice.
Really nice.
All this begs the question:
Who's next? Who's the next high-profile Republican to announce his/her exit from public service?
While I would love to say Dick Cheney or George Bush (or better yet, both!), my guess is Lurita Doan, the head of the General Services Administration who used her administrative position to help Republican candidates in 2006, a violation of the Hatch Act.
Later!
First, there was Karl Rove's resignation...
Then, Rick Renzi announced his "retirement"...
Now today, Alberto Gonzales announced his resignation. (Whooo hoooo!)
OK, I admit that Gonzales' departure seems to be less of a "resignation" and more a case of "falling on his sword for his liege at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," but it's still a good thing.
None of these three, or any of the other Republicans caught up in the corruption/abuse of power scandals that *are* the Republican Party theses day, will ever see the inside of a prison cell as long as the Great Obstructor/Pardoner is in office, a few indictments would be nice.
Really nice.
All this begs the question:
Who's next? Who's the next high-profile Republican to announce his/her exit from public service?
While I would love to say Dick Cheney or George Bush (or better yet, both!), my guess is Lurita Doan, the head of the General Services Administration who used her administrative position to help Republican candidates in 2006, a violation of the Hatch Act.
Later!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Renzi Keeping His Options Open
While he and his falling Congressional career look like burnt toast and smell like burnt toast, apparently he believes he has a chance of landing butter-side up, so he's keeping his campaign paperwork in order.
Earlier this month (2 Aug 2007), he filed with the FEC Forms F1A (Statement of Organization) and F2A (Statement of Candidacy) for the 2008 campaign.
This is hardly evidence that he has decided to run again, but it definitely leaves open the possibility.
And, depending on how things play out, he's so untouchably radioactive that may actually be the best thing for the eventual Democratic nominee.
Later!
Earlier this month (2 Aug 2007), he filed with the FEC Forms F1A (Statement of Organization) and F2A (Statement of Candidacy) for the 2008 campaign.
This is hardly evidence that he has decided to run again, but it definitely leaves open the possibility.
And, depending on how things play out, he's so untouchably radioactive that may actually be the best thing for the eventual Democratic nominee.
Later!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Short attention span musing...
...The feds finally indicted Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), the Congressman who gave new meaning to the phrase 'cold hard cash,' on a number of corruption-related charges.
Have no doubt - if he's dirty, he deserves a cell right next to "Duke" Cunningham.
My only question is this -
With all of the congressfolk who have been raided, investigated, indicted, and convicted, why is it that the only one whose Congressional office was raided by the FBI was a black Democrat?
Are we really supposed to believe that the likes of Renzi, Delay, and Ney et. al. kept their sleaze outside of their House offices, but Jefferson didn't?
...Larry Flynt is at it again; he's offering $1,000,000 to someone who provides "documented evidence of illicit sexual or intimate relations with a Congressperson, Senator or other prominent officeholder."
Yo, Larry, read the newspapers. All of the evidence you need is there - BushCo has been screwing America for over 6 years now, and it's going to cost a lot more than a million dollars to make it right.
...Fred Thompson has entered the presidential race on the Republican side.
He'll be marketed as a former actor and a plain-spoken, folksy politician ('aww shucks'), much as Ronald Reagan was. Unlike Reagan, however, he's just another K-Street lobbyist whose campaign is being run by other K Streeters.
The 'social conservative' wing of the Republican Party may be embracing his candidacy, but if they check under his hood, they'll find that the engine that drives him is pure corporate avarice.
...In a "Friends of Farley" email message from Rep. Steve Farley (D-LD28) (aka - a "Farleygram"), he reports that there may be some movement on the budget down at the lege this week, and that there is a chance (no guarantees, mind you, just a 'chance'), that the session may end next week.
From the email -
...My condolences to the friends and family of Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY) on his passing...
Later!
Have no doubt - if he's dirty, he deserves a cell right next to "Duke" Cunningham.
My only question is this -
With all of the congressfolk who have been raided, investigated, indicted, and convicted, why is it that the only one whose Congressional office was raided by the FBI was a black Democrat?
Are we really supposed to believe that the likes of Renzi, Delay, and Ney et. al. kept their sleaze outside of their House offices, but Jefferson didn't?
...Larry Flynt is at it again; he's offering $1,000,000 to someone who provides "documented evidence of illicit sexual or intimate relations with a Congressperson, Senator or other prominent officeholder."
Yo, Larry, read the newspapers. All of the evidence you need is there - BushCo has been screwing America for over 6 years now, and it's going to cost a lot more than a million dollars to make it right.
...Fred Thompson has entered the presidential race on the Republican side.
He'll be marketed as a former actor and a plain-spoken, folksy politician ('aww shucks'), much as Ronald Reagan was. Unlike Reagan, however, he's just another K-Street lobbyist whose campaign is being run by other K Streeters.
The 'social conservative' wing of the Republican Party may be embracing his candidacy, but if they check under his hood, they'll find that the engine that drives him is pure corporate avarice.
...In a "Friends of Farley" email message from Rep. Steve Farley (D-LD28) (aka - a "Farleygram"), he reports that there may be some movement on the budget down at the lege this week, and that there is a chance (no guarantees, mind you, just a 'chance'), that the session may end next week.
From the email -
"Just a quick, early Farley Report today, as the Speaker unexpectedly adjourned the House until Thursday while assuring us that budget talks will be continuing. The Majority Leader, Tom Boone, told us that he expects we will have some floor action on the budget on Thursday and that we may be ending the session late next week. We shall see what they come up with. I may send another brief Farley Report on Thursday night to tell you what happens."
...My condolences to the friends and family of Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY) on his passing...
Later!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Things that make you "hmmmm...."
Embattled Congressman Rick Renzi (R-Mantech) has changed lawyers in his dustup with the feds...
From the Phoenix Business Journal -
Renzi hired Woods last year when the investigation first came to light. (R-Cubed)
This change doesn't mean that Renzi believes that he doesn't need representation; powerhouse Arizona lawyer Woods has been replaced with the nearly 700 lawyers(nationwide) of powerhouse DC law firm Nixon Peabody LLP.
Interesting tidbit from the webpage of their DC office (emphasis mine)-
Well, he'll save money on his lawyers' travel expenses, anyway.
From the Phoenix Business Journal -
Former Arizona attorney general Grant Woods no longer is representing Republican Congressman Rick Renzi in a federal investigation that is looking into the latter's involvement in a real estate deal involving swapping federal lands with parcel owned by a former business partner.
Renzi hired Woods last year when the investigation first came to light. (R-Cubed)
This change doesn't mean that Renzi believes that he doesn't need representation; powerhouse Arizona lawyer Woods has been replaced with the nearly 700 lawyers(nationwide) of powerhouse DC law firm Nixon Peabody LLP.
Interesting tidbit from the webpage of their DC office (emphasis mine)-
The firm’s Washington D.C. office is staffed by approximately 100 attorneys. It is conveniently located just off Pennsylvania Avenue, midway between the Capitol and the White House, and directly across from the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Well, he'll save money on his lawyers' travel expenses, anyway.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tedski at R-Cubed with breaking Renzi news...
4/26 - Edit to update info, at the bottom of the post...
In a great scoop if it comes to fruition, Tedski at Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion, is reporting that Rick Renzi (R-Mantech) will resign by Friday.
Awwww.......boo hoo, boo hoo [crocodile tears there]
Disclaimer: There's no published sources supporting this yet, and before we all get too gleeful, we should remember that most of us thought he was toast before the elections, when the first word of the federal investigation surfaced.
He may not quite be the reincarnation of the 'Teflon Don', but with the way he has sidestepped trouble over the years, he has more than a little 'Morris the Cat' in him.
Let's wait until the resignation is official before dancing in the streets.
[God, I hate being the voice of reason. It's sucks. :)) ]
Later!
4/26 - Update/more info: I can't believe that I missed this when the piece in question first came out, but on Tuesday, The Hill reported that Renzi "was 'looking at' the prospect of resigning."
It doesn't directly confirm Tedski's scoop, but it adds credibility to it.
More updates as they become available.
End edit.
Edit2:
Later on 4/26 - The Business Journal of Phoenix has an article, based on The Hill's report, detailing some possible candidates for Renzi's seat if/when he resigns. The only name that hasn't already been floated in the AZ blogosphere is that of Bob Mitchell, former mayor of Casa Grande and Congressman Harry Mitchell's brother.
End edit2.
In a great scoop if it comes to fruition, Tedski at Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion, is reporting that Rick Renzi (R-Mantech) will resign by Friday.
The zeitgeist both in Phoenix and Washington is that Rick Renzi will be submitting his resignation from the House of Representatives by Friday.
Cool…I got that one out there before Josh Marshall.
A further bit of mitote has it that Ann Kirkpatrick will resign her seat in the legislature early next week and announce her campaign to replace Renzi.
Awwww.......boo hoo, boo hoo [crocodile tears there]
Disclaimer: There's no published sources supporting this yet, and before we all get too gleeful, we should remember that most of us thought he was toast before the elections, when the first word of the federal investigation surfaced.
He may not quite be the reincarnation of the 'Teflon Don', but with the way he has sidestepped trouble over the years, he has more than a little 'Morris the Cat' in him.
Let's wait until the resignation is official before dancing in the streets.
[God, I hate being the voice of reason. It's sucks. :)) ]
Later!
4/26 - Update/more info: I can't believe that I missed this when the piece in question first came out, but on Tuesday, The Hill reported that Renzi "was 'looking at' the prospect of resigning."
It doesn't directly confirm Tedski's scoop, but it adds credibility to it.
More updates as they become available.
End edit.
Edit2:
Later on 4/26 - The Business Journal of Phoenix has an article, based on The Hill's report, detailing some possible candidates for Renzi's seat if/when he resigns. The only name that hasn't already been floated in the AZ blogosphere is that of Bob Mitchell, former mayor of Casa Grande and Congressman Harry Mitchell's brother.
End edit2.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Renzi (R-Mantech) Family Business Raided by FBI
From Roll Call, via the NY Times (Roll Call is subscription-only):
Renzi quote in the article -
By the way, this looks to be part of the same investigation that Renzi called an "election-year smear tactic" just this past fall.
Other AZ Rep articles on the original investigation revelations are here and here.
Verde Valley Independent coverage of some of Renzi's response last fall is here.
Phoenix New Times' article detailing the land deal in question is here.
View Renzi's financial disclosure form from 2005 here.
Oh yeah - check out the website of the insurance agency - all it needs is a FoxNews logo to be an official RNC site.
Later!
In a second blow to House Republicans this week, the FBI raided a business tied to the family of Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) Thursday afternoon as part of an ongoing investigation into the three-term lawmaker.
Details of the raid on Patriot Insurance Agency in Sonoita, Ariz., were not immediately available. Renzi’s most recent financial disclosure form lists the business as an asset belonging to his wife, Roberta, and valued at $1 million to $5 million.
Renzi quote in the article -
"Today, the FBI came to my family's business to obtain documents related to their investigation," Renzi said. "I view these actions as the first step in bringing out the truth. Until this matter is resolved, I will take a leave of absence from the House Intelligence Committee. I intend to fully cooperate with this investigation."
By the way, this looks to be part of the same investigation that Renzi called an "election-year smear tactic" just this past fall.
Other AZ Rep articles on the original investigation revelations are here and here.
Verde Valley Independent coverage of some of Renzi's response last fall is here.
Phoenix New Times' article detailing the land deal in question is here.
View Renzi's financial disclosure form from 2005 here.
Oh yeah - check out the website of the insurance agency - all it needs is a FoxNews logo to be an official RNC site.
Later!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Quarterly FEC reports are in...
...and I'll let others write about the presidential candidate numbers.
Some of the FEC's quarterly financial reports for active Congressional candidate committees in Arizona.
Incumbents bolded, challengers italicized.
Note: "PAC" numbers include all contributions from non-political party committees. Generally speaking, Republicans had a lot of corporate contributions; Democrats had a lot of union contributions.
CD1 -
Democrat Ellen Simon raised $4,295.54, more than $4K from herself.
Republican Rick Renzi raised $117,698.70, $76,950.00 from PACs.
CD2 -
Republican Trent Franks raised $40,031.00, $9,000 from PACs.
Democrat John Thrasher raised $4,340.00, $3,000 from himself.
CD3 -
Democrat Bob Lord raised $137,968.15, $0 from PACs.
Republican John Shadegg raised $19,338.57, $4,500.00 from PACs.
CD4 -
Democrat Ed Pastor raised $11,650.00, $1,000 from PACs.
CD5 -
Democrat Harry Mitchell raised $234,768.46, $107,162.35 from PACs.
Republican JD Hayworth raised $136.00.
CD6 -
Republican Jeff Flake raised $84,065.00, $3100.00 from PACs.
CD7 -
Democrat Raul Grijalva raised $26,843.86, $25,500 from PACs.
CD8 -
Democrat Gabrielle Giffords raised $325,252.61, $104,966.17 from PACs.
Democrat Jeff Latas raised $900.00, all from himself.
Active during the quarter, but no contributions received - Bob Stump (R-CD3), Ron Drake (R-CD7, committee termination report filed), Eva Bacal (D-CD8), Jim Kolbe (R-CD8), Larry King (D-CD5), Herb Paine (D-CD3, termination report filed 03-01-2007),
Brief observation: By far, Mitchell, Giffords, and Renzi were the most active incumbent fundraisers this quarter, but that's no surprise - they are all targeted for defeat in the next election; Mitchell and Giffords because they are in their first terms, and Renzi because of his ethical and residency issues.
Brief prediction: Expect Shadegg to get his fundraising organization into gear after the showing of Bob Lord (top fundraiser among the non-incumbents, #3 overall) this quarter.
Some of the FEC's quarterly financial reports for active Congressional candidate committees in Arizona.
Incumbents bolded, challengers italicized.
Note: "PAC" numbers include all contributions from non-political party committees. Generally speaking, Republicans had a lot of corporate contributions; Democrats had a lot of union contributions.
CD1 -
Democrat Ellen Simon raised $4,295.54, more than $4K from herself.
Republican Rick Renzi raised $117,698.70, $76,950.00 from PACs.
CD2 -
Republican Trent Franks raised $40,031.00, $9,000 from PACs.
Democrat John Thrasher raised $4,340.00, $3,000 from himself.
CD3 -
Democrat Bob Lord raised $137,968.15, $0 from PACs.
Republican John Shadegg raised $19,338.57, $4,500.00 from PACs.
CD4 -
Democrat Ed Pastor raised $11,650.00, $1,000 from PACs.
CD5 -
Democrat Harry Mitchell raised $234,768.46, $107,162.35 from PACs.
Republican JD Hayworth raised $136.00.
CD6 -
Republican Jeff Flake raised $84,065.00, $3100.00 from PACs.
CD7 -
Democrat Raul Grijalva raised $26,843.86, $25,500 from PACs.
CD8 -
Democrat Gabrielle Giffords raised $325,252.61, $104,966.17 from PACs.
Democrat Jeff Latas raised $900.00, all from himself.
Active during the quarter, but no contributions received - Bob Stump (R-CD3), Ron Drake (R-CD7, committee termination report filed), Eva Bacal (D-CD8), Jim Kolbe (R-CD8), Larry King (D-CD5), Herb Paine (D-CD3, termination report filed 03-01-2007),
Brief observation: By far, Mitchell, Giffords, and Renzi were the most active incumbent fundraisers this quarter, but that's no surprise - they are all targeted for defeat in the next election; Mitchell and Giffords because they are in their first terms, and Renzi because of his ethical and residency issues.
Brief prediction: Expect Shadegg to get his fundraising organization into gear after the showing of Bob Lord (top fundraiser among the non-incumbents, #3 overall) this quarter.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
And the rankings are in...
Thanks to Taegan Goddard's Political Wire for the heads-up on this...
...courtesy of the National Journal.
[Note: I wasn't going to do this post as it's the type of post that Stacy at AZ Congress Watch usually does, and does very well. However, she skipped this one and covered the Humane Society's Congressional report card.
...Guess she thinks that puppies and kittens are more fun than ideology.
...Guess she's right. :)) ]
The National Journal has published in 2006 Congressional vote ratings and has ranked Congressfolk on a most conservative/liberal scale.
AZ Summary: Trent Franks (with the now-departed JD Hayworth close behind) was among the most conservative of all of members of the House; Jon Kyl was nearly the most conservative in the Senate. Raul Grijalva was among the most liberal members of the House.
The AZ delegation's numbers at a glance:
In the Senate (ranked as 'most conservative) -
Jon Kyl is the more conservative of our two U.S. Senators. He ranked 3rd overall, coming in as tied for the most conservative on economic policy, 19th on social policy, and tied for first on foreign policy;
John McCain is the 46th most conservative. He was 36th most conservative on economic policy, 53rd on social policy, and 42nd in foreign policy.
In the House -
Note: As new members, Gabrielle Giffords and Harry Mitchell are not part of these rankings.
[Key: overall ranking, economic policy votes, social policy votes, foreign policy votes]
Republicans, ranked as 'most conservative':
Rick Renzi (CD1) - 177th, 160th, 159th, 186th
Trent Franks (CD2) - 37th, 67th, 13th, 80th
John Shadegg (CD3) - 144th, 114th, 138th, 144th
JD Hayworth (CD5) - 46th, 88th, 15th, 82nd
Jeff Flake (CD6) - 216th, 182nd, 230th, 230th
Jim Kolbe (CD8) - 166th, 15th, 248th, 188th
Democrats, ranked as 'most liberal':
[Key: overall ranking, economic policy votes, social policy votes, foreign policy votes]
Ed Pastor (CD4) - 75th, 117th, 19th, 102nd.
Raul Grijalva (CD7) - 3rd, 25th, 3rd, 2nd
The only real surprise in all this?
I didn't realize that Jeff Flake is the face of the "reasonable conservative" in D.C. This isn't a dig at him or at his 'conservative' cred; have no fear, I think he is verrry conservative and disagree with him on most social and political issues.
I just didn't realize how much he votes the issue, his constituents, or even his conscience over the party line.
[Hey, it's either that or the Republican Party has moved so far to the loony end of the political spectrum that a staunch social and fiscal conservative like Flake looks like a moderate by comparison.]
Of course, the nutjob wing (aka - 'Coulter Wing') of the Repubs may look at the National Journal's numbers (and this post!) and run someone at Flake during the next primary as punishment for his backsliding.
Good God, I think I just complimented a Republican; even though the compliment is of a 'back-handed' nature, I must be tired.
Good night!
...courtesy of the National Journal.
[Note: I wasn't going to do this post as it's the type of post that Stacy at AZ Congress Watch usually does, and does very well. However, she skipped this one and covered the Humane Society's Congressional report card.
...Guess she thinks that puppies and kittens are more fun than ideology.
...Guess she's right. :)) ]
The National Journal has published in 2006 Congressional vote ratings and has ranked Congressfolk on a most conservative/liberal scale.
AZ Summary: Trent Franks (with the now-departed JD Hayworth close behind) was among the most conservative of all of members of the House; Jon Kyl was nearly the most conservative in the Senate. Raul Grijalva was among the most liberal members of the House.
The AZ delegation's numbers at a glance:
In the Senate (ranked as 'most conservative) -
Jon Kyl is the more conservative of our two U.S. Senators. He ranked 3rd overall, coming in as tied for the most conservative on economic policy, 19th on social policy, and tied for first on foreign policy;
John McCain is the 46th most conservative. He was 36th most conservative on economic policy, 53rd on social policy, and 42nd in foreign policy.
In the House -
Note: As new members, Gabrielle Giffords and Harry Mitchell are not part of these rankings.
[Key: overall ranking, economic policy votes, social policy votes, foreign policy votes]
Republicans, ranked as 'most conservative':
Rick Renzi (CD1) - 177th, 160th, 159th, 186th
Trent Franks (CD2) - 37th, 67th, 13th, 80th
John Shadegg (CD3) - 144th, 114th, 138th, 144th
JD Hayworth (CD5) - 46th, 88th, 15th, 82nd
Jeff Flake (CD6) - 216th, 182nd, 230th, 230th
Jim Kolbe (CD8) - 166th, 15th, 248th, 188th
Democrats, ranked as 'most liberal':
[Key: overall ranking, economic policy votes, social policy votes, foreign policy votes]
Ed Pastor (CD4) - 75th, 117th, 19th, 102nd.
Raul Grijalva (CD7) - 3rd, 25th, 3rd, 2nd
The only real surprise in all this?
I didn't realize that Jeff Flake is the face of the "reasonable conservative" in D.C. This isn't a dig at him or at his 'conservative' cred; have no fear, I think he is verrry conservative and disagree with him on most social and political issues.
I just didn't realize how much he votes the issue, his constituents, or even his conscience over the party line.
[Hey, it's either that or the Republican Party has moved so far to the loony end of the political spectrum that a staunch social and fiscal conservative like Flake looks like a moderate by comparison.]
Of course, the nutjob wing (aka - 'Coulter Wing') of the Repubs may look at the National Journal's numbers (and this post!) and run someone at Flake during the next primary as punishment for his backsliding.
Good God, I think I just complimented a Republican; even though the compliment is of a 'back-handed' nature, I must be tired.
Good night!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
News Roundup for Wednesday, November 15
...with some opinions thrown in for good measure. :)
- - - Jack Abramoff went to federal prison today in PA. In an email to friends sent prior to entering the prison, he bemoaned the "nightmare political scandal" that he's involved in. (Yahoo! News)
Awwww.
- - - Robert Novak, like many, keeps associating JD Hayworth's (and others') loss last week with his stance on immigration. (Human Events)
He lost because he was a loud, mean-spirited, arrogant, deceptive blowhard whose favorite topic was immigration.
He lost because he campaigned on fear, distortions, and outright lies.
He lost because Harry Mitchell was a better candidate, and the voters of CD5 recognized that.
- - - The 2008 Presidential Prognostication Pundits are warming up their crystal balls already.
Novak did it, calling John McCain, Governor Tim Pawlenty of MN (both from the Republican side), Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Governor Brian Schweitzer of MT (from the Democratic side) the "winners" of the 2006 election cycle, and John Kerry and Mitt Romney, as well as the aforementioned immigration hawks, the "losers" of the cycle.
Of course, one week before the election, Darth Novak predicted that JD would win reelection.
- - - Of course, the 2010 Governor Guessing Game has begun in earnest, too.
Writing in the Phoenix Business Journal, Mike Sunnucks discusses potential candidates. He specifically mentioned Congressfolk JD, Rick Renzi, Jeff Flake, as well as Mary Peters and Rick Romley as possible Rep contenders, and Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon and AZ AG Terry Goddard as possible Dem aspirants.
Interestingly enough, a couple of us spoke about this very topic just last week. Our conversation was mostly about the Dem contenders, and we came to the same conclusions as Mr. Sunnucks about Phil Gordon's plans.
We saw the same "Phil Gordon is everywhere at once" phenomenon this cycle and thought that his efforts were for one of two reasons:
1. He's trying to increase his name recognition both with the Democratic Party faithful and with the voters in general; or
2. He's an attention whore.
In the end, we agreed that it was likely that both statements are accurate. :)
BTW - Rick Renzi as Governor???? I'm not even sure he'd consider it, unless the State of Arizona begins awarding defense contracts.
Mantech just wouldn't get enough of a return on their investment otherwise.
- - - In what was perhaps the least surprising news of the week, Arizona Senator Jon Kyl was elected as Republican Conference Chairman in the Senate.
- - - Writing in the Arizona Republic, Bob Schuster observes that by elevating uber-conservative Thayer Verschoor to the position of Senate Majority Leader, the AZGOP is sending a message to Governor Napolitano.
That message?? Get ready "for another long, needlessly contentious legislative session."
Anyway, more later!!
- - - Jack Abramoff went to federal prison today in PA. In an email to friends sent prior to entering the prison, he bemoaned the "nightmare political scandal" that he's involved in. (Yahoo! News)
Awwww.
- - - Robert Novak, like many, keeps associating JD Hayworth's (and others') loss last week with his stance on immigration. (Human Events)
He lost because he was a loud, mean-spirited, arrogant, deceptive blowhard whose favorite topic was immigration.
He lost because he campaigned on fear, distortions, and outright lies.
He lost because Harry Mitchell was a better candidate, and the voters of CD5 recognized that.
- - - The 2008 Presidential Prognostication Pundits are warming up their crystal balls already.
Novak did it, calling John McCain, Governor Tim Pawlenty of MN (both from the Republican side), Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Governor Brian Schweitzer of MT (from the Democratic side) the "winners" of the 2006 election cycle, and John Kerry and Mitt Romney, as well as the aforementioned immigration hawks, the "losers" of the cycle.
Of course, one week before the election, Darth Novak predicted that JD would win reelection.
- - - Of course, the 2010 Governor Guessing Game has begun in earnest, too.
Writing in the Phoenix Business Journal, Mike Sunnucks discusses potential candidates. He specifically mentioned Congressfolk JD, Rick Renzi, Jeff Flake, as well as Mary Peters and Rick Romley as possible Rep contenders, and Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon and AZ AG Terry Goddard as possible Dem aspirants.
Interestingly enough, a couple of us spoke about this very topic just last week. Our conversation was mostly about the Dem contenders, and we came to the same conclusions as Mr. Sunnucks about Phil Gordon's plans.
We saw the same "Phil Gordon is everywhere at once" phenomenon this cycle and thought that his efforts were for one of two reasons:
1. He's trying to increase his name recognition both with the Democratic Party faithful and with the voters in general; or
2. He's an attention whore.
In the end, we agreed that it was likely that both statements are accurate. :)
BTW - Rick Renzi as Governor???? I'm not even sure he'd consider it, unless the State of Arizona begins awarding defense contracts.
Mantech just wouldn't get enough of a return on their investment otherwise.
- - - In what was perhaps the least surprising news of the week, Arizona Senator Jon Kyl was elected as Republican Conference Chairman in the Senate.
- - - Writing in the Arizona Republic, Bob Schuster observes that by elevating uber-conservative Thayer Verschoor to the position of Senate Majority Leader, the AZGOP is sending a message to Governor Napolitano.
That message?? Get ready "for another long, needlessly contentious legislative session."
Anyway, more later!!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Numbers, numbers, everywhere
Time for some geeky stuff ("geeky" in that I had to do some work compiling and calculating the numbers)...
The Pre-General Election FEC filings are posted, and here are the results for the period of 10/1/2006 to 10/18/2006:
Harry Mitchell:
Individuals - $151,521.24
PACs/Committees - $38,400.00
Total - $189,921.24
That's an 80%/20% individual contributors vs. PACs split for the period.
Cash on hand at the end of the reporting period - $299,493.12
Money raised since the end of the reporting period, based on "48-Hour Notices" filed with the FEC (large donations only, actual numbers will be higher. That applies to all of these candidates) - $74,650.00
JD Hayworth:
Individuals - $109,512.84
PACs/Committees - $75,350.00
Total - $184,862.84
That's a 59%/41% individual vs. PACs split, and yes, it means that Harry is outraising JD both at the grassroots level and overall.
Not only that, he is doing it during crunch time.
YES!!
Cash on hand - $950,889.71
Money raised since the end of the reporting period - $61,700 (outraising him here too!!)
Ellen Simon:
Individuals - $120,205.20
PACs/Committees - $35,200.00
Total - $155,405.20
That's a 77%/23% split.
Cash on hand - $67,274.16
Raised since end of the period - $53,350.00
Rick Renzi:
Individuals - $155,050.00
PACs/Committees - $81,031.00
Total - $236,081.00
That's a 66%/34% split.
Cash on hand - $673,977.45
Raised since end of the period - $27,800.00, and that includes $4,200 from Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Sproul.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
And confirming what the individual contributor/PAC splits listed above already told you, corporate money is propping up the Republican electoral machine. (Phoenix Business Journal)
The Pre-General Election FEC filings are posted, and here are the results for the period of 10/1/2006 to 10/18/2006:
Harry Mitchell:
Individuals - $151,521.24
PACs/Committees - $38,400.00
Total - $189,921.24
That's an 80%/20% individual contributors vs. PACs split for the period.
Cash on hand at the end of the reporting period - $299,493.12
Money raised since the end of the reporting period, based on "48-Hour Notices" filed with the FEC (large donations only, actual numbers will be higher. That applies to all of these candidates) - $74,650.00
JD Hayworth:
Individuals - $109,512.84
PACs/Committees - $75,350.00
Total - $184,862.84
That's a 59%/41% individual vs. PACs split, and yes, it means that Harry is outraising JD both at the grassroots level and overall.
Not only that, he is doing it during crunch time.
YES!!
Cash on hand - $950,889.71
Money raised since the end of the reporting period - $61,700 (outraising him here too!!)
Ellen Simon:
Individuals - $120,205.20
PACs/Committees - $35,200.00
Total - $155,405.20
That's a 77%/23% split.
Cash on hand - $67,274.16
Raised since end of the period - $53,350.00
Rick Renzi:
Individuals - $155,050.00
PACs/Committees - $81,031.00
Total - $236,081.00
That's a 66%/34% split.
Cash on hand - $673,977.45
Raised since end of the period - $27,800.00, and that includes $4,200 from Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Sproul.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
And confirming what the individual contributor/PAC splits listed above already told you, corporate money is propping up the Republican electoral machine. (Phoenix Business Journal)
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