Short attention span musing - democracy isn't for dilettantes edition

- If, in 2019, someone told me that our election center should nicknamed "Fortress Democracy." I would have laughed.

Then 2020 happened.

From AP -

Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its top officials are going on offense

The room sits behind a chain-link fence, then black iron gates. Guards block the entrance, which requires a security badge to access. The glass surrounding it is shatterproof.

What merits all these layers of protection is somewhat surprising: tabulating machines that count the votes during elections in Arizona’s Maricopa County. The security measures are a necessary expense, said the county recorder, Stephen Richer, as Arizona and its largest county have become hotbeds of election misinformation and conspiracy theories that have led to near continuous threats and harassment against election workers.

[snip]

The false claims, promoted by prominent Republicans such as presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump and Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake, have driven protesters to rally outside vote-counting centers and to patrol drop boxes. The claims have fueled death threats against election workers and their families and prompted top election officials to quit across Arizona.

The battleground state also has become a target for attacks from election meddlers and other bad actors who repeatedly attempt to hack or disable the state’s electronic systems, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said.

- It seems that throwing ideological bombs is preferable to actually, you know, governing.  At least it is for certain people..

From The Independent (UK) -

Marjorie Taylor Greene insists she doesn’t want ‘chaos’ after second threat to oust House Speaker

Marjorie Taylor Greene has defended her bid to oust Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson - after threatening to do so in January - and insisted that she was not seeking to throw the government into “chaos”.

The Georgia representative and other far right members of the House opposed the $1.2trn federal spending package that passed Congress this past week, and claimed that it was full of wasteful spending.

She denounced Mr Johnson as “willing to do the bidding of [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer”.

[snip]

Ms Greene denied that the House’s paralysis is due to far-right conservatives, or the second effort to oust a speaker in six months.

“Those people stepping down early and leaving, are the ones leaving us at risk of the Democrats controlling the majority, not me,” the congresswoman said.

She's not the only GOPer in the House who is ticked at Johnson over the budget deal.

- It seems redundant to make a deep fake video about a dilettante, but it sure can be entertaining.

From Arizona Agenda, written by Hank Stephenson -

Hey Agenda readers!

We have a very special announcement today. 

To our great surprise, Kari Lake, the former newscaster turned political candidate and frequent subject of our derision, offered to film a testimonial about how much she likes the Arizona Agenda. 

[snip]

At least, did you spot it before she told you?

Or — like most people that we’ve shown this to — did it take a second for your brain to catch up even after our “Deep Fake Kari Lake” told you she was fake?

 

Many commentators/outlets have bemoaned the effect of deep fake videos on politics.

My concern is the effect of AI-generated videos on credibility; nobody will be able to believe what they see.

And while I believe that the destruction of credibility, especially institutional credibility, is an end goal of MAGA types, it will go far beyond politics.

Can you say "reasonable doubt"?

Short Attention Span Musing - Popcorn Edition

...Kari Lake is looking to make nice with the same people that she trashed in 2022

From Politico -

Kari Lake ‘drove a stake’ through the heart of McCain Republicans. Now she wants a meeting.

Kari Lake is finally ready to move on from the 2022 election — or at least she wants her rivals to.

The Arizona Republican has given up — for now — the fire-and-brimstone approach she took in her failed gubernatorial bid last year, adopting a different tack in her current Senate campaign: diplomacy.

One thing in the article caught my attention (emphasis added by me) -

She has not made contact with former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, according to a person familiar with their interactions. And Sharon Harper, a consigliere for Cindy McCain, the widow of the late senator, said Lake has not reached out to her. Harper is fundraising for Sinema.

My guess is that many of the "traditional" Rs want to vote for Kyrsten Sinema, if she runs for re-election.  If she doesn't, those folks will be faced with two options that they won't like - voting for Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, or voting for Kari Lake, someone who openly despises them.

If Gallego can siphon off enough supporters, it may help him.

...If Lake wins election to the US Senate, she may be moving to a schoolyard...at a middle school. 

From The Oklahoman -

OK Sen. Markwayne Mullin defends Senate fight, tells Sean Hannity it's 'Oklahoma values'

U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, said he believed Oklahomans "would be pretty upset" at him if he hadn't threatened a union leader to a fight during a senate hearing,

Mullin, 45, and Teamsters leader Sean O'Brien had a heated exchange during a senate hearing on labor unions, at the end of which Mullin asked O'Brien if he wanted to fight. Mullin even stood from his chair, but was stopped by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, who was chairing the hearing.

...In what may be the news of the week, a convicted felon is joining the clown car of the race to replace the outgoing Debbie Lesko in CD8.

From NBC -

'QAnon Shaman' who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 files paperwork to run for Congress

Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man who gained notoriety as the “QAnon Shaman” who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, filed paperwork to run for Congress as a Libertarian candidate in the battleground state’s 8th Congressional District.

Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., announced last month that she won’t seek re-election.

Chansley cannot vote for a candidate for elected office as a convicted felon, but he *can* run for office.

One question: will he be in costume while on the campaign trail?  I'm guessing "Yes."

From the NBC story -

.

While he has yet to form an FEC committee for the run, at least not one that I can find, he has filed a statement of interest with the Arizona Secretary of State

That statement, emphasis added by me -

 

Short Attention Span Musing

 ...Around a week ago, I came across an article that set me to thinking (always a dangerous thing :) ).

From BusinessInsider, dated February 3, 2023 -

The housing shortage is the root of all of America's problems

The US housing shortage isn't just fueling an affordability crisis. It could be contributing to several of the major problems the country is facing. 

Imagine you're a city-dweller living paycheck-to-paycheck. You're trying to save so you can afford a down payment on a home someday, but there's not much left to stash away after paying rent.

Is it significant?  Yes.

Does it need to be addressed?  Yes.

Is it the "root" of ALL of our problems?  No.

Much like the fact that we have more than one problem, the fact is that there is more than one cause behind those problems.

Abject poverty in the U.S. is also a significant cause, but I think that there is one overarching cause -

Inveterate greed.

...In 2024, is she running for Senate from AZ or Vice President of the U.S.?  Or is she just acting as one of Cheeto's surrogates?

From the Des Moines Register -

'I just want to save America': In Iowa, Kari Lake won't slam door shut on being Trump's VP

Arizona Republican Kari Lake said Saturday she isn’t in Iowa running for president or trying to raise her profile to become vice president — but she didn’t completely shut the door on being Donald Trump’s running mate if he asks.

“I really believe his policies are the ones that can help save this country, truly,” she told the Des Moines Register in an interview. “And so I'm going to do whatever I can. If he wants me to help him in any way, shape or form, I will do that. I will campaign for him. I'll do whatever I need to. But I'm not running for VP. I'm not running for president. I am just running to save America, if there's such a thing. I just want to save America.”

Personally, I believe  that while she hopes to be on a ticket with Cheeto, she'll keep her options open by running in the R primary for Kyrsten Sinema's seat.

...I expect/hope that Thursday will be a VERY bad day for Cheeto.

From CBS -

Judge orders release of parts of Georgia grand jury report on Trump's post-election conduct

A Georgia judge on Monday ordered the release of parts of a special grand jury's report on efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election, but said that most of the report will remain under wraps for now.

Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney largely ruled against media organizations who sought to make the report public, writing that all but three sections should remain undisclosed until Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' investigation is complete. He said the introduction, conclusion and a section in which the grand jury "discusses its concern that some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony" should be released.

Short Attention Span Musing

- Let me be clear - I don't wish death on *anyone*...but there are certain folks who I think shouldn't be mourned.

Elected officials who use their positions to turn their private hatreds into public policy fall into that group.

The Arizona House and Senate have unanimously passed HCR2027, a death resolution commemorating the life of the infamous Russell Pearce.

While it talks about the many public agencies he was part of, it glosses over the bigotry and corruption that suffused any agency he was part of.

I'm not going to mourn a stone bigot, and if some folks believe that makes me a bad person, so be it.

- Booze and guns?  This isn't going to end well.

Pointed at this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

From Jezebel via Yahoo! News -

Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Is Trying to Open a Gun Range That Serves Alcohol

There’s a pivotal election in April that you may not have heard about: A conservative judge on the Wisconsin Supreme Court is retiring, and four people are running in a race that could tip the body from its 4-3 conservative majority. It’s not hyperbole to say that whoever wins the race will determine whether the state’s abortion ban gets overturned and could rule on the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. (The two candidates in the race who support abortion rights are Judges Janet Protasiewicz and Everett Mitchell.)

According to local news reports, Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow, a conservative candidate, and her husband Brian, are developing an indoor gun range that would not only host weddings and other events, but would also serve alcohol. The couple requested a Class B liquor license to sell beer and wine to members and guests in the “clubhouse.” The range would also sell firearms and accessories on-site. The Dorows said in city documents that they devised an “alcohol safety policy” consisting of hand stamps to prevent members from entering the shooting range after drinking and a breathalyzer to be used on “suspicious individuals.” 

And I thought that AZ had the craziest people...

- AZ GOP legislators vote to protect corruption.  Color me so not shocked.

From NBC via Yahoo! News -

Arizona’s GOP legislators vote to shield themselves from public records laws

Arizona’s Republican-controlled Legislature approved a measure this week exempting itself from the state’s public records law and authorizing the destruction of all emails sent or received by legislators and their staffs after 90 days.

The new rules adopted by both GOP-led chambers effectively shield members and their staff from public records requests, making investigations into any potential wrongdoing far more difficult.

Methinks that it's time to change the AZ Constitution, in ways that both compel publicly elected officials to maintain and transmit all records of their activities and so that the legislature is subject to all of the laws that they craft.

Short Attention Span Musing

...Am I the only one who thinks that Congress-elect George Santos is the incoming Congress' version of Madison Cawthorn?  Just as creepy, but with even more baggage?  And not just US-based baggage?

...It's been popcorn-riffic to see Republican Kevin McCarthy's desperation to be Speaker of the US House of Representatives.  He's made a lot of concessions to the MAGA types in his caucus in order to gain the support, but at this point, he could offer to step into the well of the house chamber and publicly kiss the ass of each member of the GQP's "Freedom" Caucus, and many of them still wouldn't vote for him.

...USSC Chief Justice John Roberts is desperate, too.  Unlike McCarthy though, he's worried about the legacy of his court.

It's too late - his time as chief justice will be remembered with neither fondness nor respect.

Short Attention Span Musing

...Could someone please explain to why military and military-style weapons in non-military hands is a good thing?

From ABC News -

2 Connecticut officers killed in AR-15 ambush after apparent phony 911 call: Sources

Two police officers were shot and killed and a third was injured after a gunman allegedly ambushed them at a Bristol, Connecticut, home, according to sources.

The Bristol police officers were shot while responding to a 911 call reporting a possible domestic violence incident between two siblings Wednesday night, according to Connecticut State Police.

...Was Tulsi Gabbard, one of Putin's useful idiots, *ever* a Democrat?

From CNN -

Tulsi Gabbard, who sought 2020 Democratic nomination, says she’s leaving party

Former congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard announced on Tuesday that she is leaving the Democratic Party.

For Gabbard, the announcement is the culmination of years in which she has been increasingly at odds with the Democratic Party and its policies.

...As if four years of Trump weren't telling enough, the West Coast brings us more evidence that there may be a negative correlation between great wealth and great intelligence.

From NBC -

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso declares he's not white because he's Italian

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso insisted he's not white but really Italian — and thus "Latin" — in an awkward debate moment Tuesday in the country's second-largest city.

Caruso, a billionaire real estate developer, faces U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, a Democrat seeking to become the city's first Black female mayor.

Short Attention Span Musing

Time to bring this concept back...

...Am I the only one who believes that if Barry Goldwater, the man who was too crazy conservative to win the presidential election in 1964. would be proclaimed to be "too liberal" by his own party and would be primaried for even a PC slot?

...If...OK,*when*...Cheeto announces his intent to run for POTUS in 2024, he'll get at least one less vote than he did in 2020.

From ABC -

'I'll never vote again' for former President Trump: Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers

Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers may lose his Republican primary for an open state senate seat this week, after he testified to the Jan. 6 committee about the pressure campaign from former President Donald Trump and his associates to undo the presidential election results in the state.

Bowers has drawn the ire of the Arizona GOP, who censured him earlier this month, and of former President Trump. But he's unapologetic about his congressional testimony and his decision not to overturn the Arizona's results.

"If we want to base a party and an authority and move people to solve problems, you can't base it on a lie. Ultimately, that falls apart," he told "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl in an exclusive interview at his home in Mesa, Arizona.

...Chuck Todd, the moderator of NBC's Meet the Press, is a moron.  Not exactly a new or original opinion,  I know, but today brought it home.  He was on Channel 12's Sunday Square Off with Brahm Resnik and he pronounced that Senator Kysten Sinema wouldn't kill the climate/deficit reduction deal agreed to my Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin.

I think that not only will she do so, she'll have a twinkle in her eye and a song in her heart when she does so.

And the song will be playing so loud that others will be able to hear it.

I hope to be wrong about this, but her track record on things isn't positive.

Short attention span musing

...The race isn't over yet, not by a long shot, but Hillary Clinton went a long way toward securing the 2016 Democratic nomination for the presidency, and toward securing a general election victory, when she faced down the bullies masquerading as Republican members of Congress this past week.

And I am hardly the only person who thinks that.

For what it's worth, I am a supporter Bernie Sanders and believe that Clinton is *far* too close to Wall Street and other 1%'ers (and their lackeys).

I think Sanders is far more concerned with working to enhance the lives of average Americans than any other candidate, D or R.

Supporting him is an easy choice.

Having said that, she did incredibly well, staying cool, calm, and collected in the face of a marathon session thinly-veiled partisan bloviating dressed up as questioning.

Her biggest gain from the session won't be in attracting hardcore supporters of Sanders and the other Democratic candidates, it will be in attracting the support of voters who are late arrivals to the primary season.  The image of Clinton facing Trey Gowdy and his merry bunch of cutthroats and not even batting an eyelash will be the main image in their minds when those voters figure out who they think is the best candidate.


...The Republican field of candidates in CD1 is growing, as Paul Babeu, Pinal County Sheriff, and David Gowan, speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, have announced their candidacies (Ken Bennett, former AZSOS, and Gary Kiehne, a businessman, are already in the R field).

Babeu seems to be appealing to the pro-LGBT nativist portion of the GOP electorate.  Lending new meaning to the term "microtargeting"...

On the other hand, Gowan has become renowned for his "tin ear", politically speaking.

In other words, my prediction is that these two will be fighting it out for third and fourth place.  Unless someone else gets into the race (which may yet happen - perennial R candidate Wendy Rogers has been establishing ties to CD1).

Then they'll be duking it out over fourth and fifth place...


...News broke Saturday that a deal has been reached in the ongoing lawsuit over the state's consistent, and unconstitutional, underfunding of the state's education system.  Details are sketchy at this point (OK, they're nonexistent at this point), but it looks likely that there will be a special session of the legislature during the first two weeks of November (after that, the calendar will turn to the holiday season, a period during which no non-Maricopa legislator wants to be in Phoenix)..

That issue will be worthy of a separate post (or posts) in coming days; today, however, it highlights the failure of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to do its job.

In LD26 (Tempe and west Mesa), there is a senate seat that was vacated at the end of September when Ed Ableser resigned to accept a job in Nevada.

Shortly after that, the Democratic PCs of LD26 sent the names of three nominees to fill the seat to the MCBOS.

Word then was that the supes were going to make the appointment at their meeting on October 21st.

They didn't.

This isn't the first time that they've played partisan games with the district - in 2012, there was a vacancy in the old LD17 House contingent (most of the old LD17 became most of the new LD26 after redistricting).  At first, the supes refused to make an appointment, and then they tried to give it to someone who had just won election to the House to start his term limits clock early.  Observers quickly figured out what the supes were intending to do, and that nominee withdrew his name for consideration for the appointment.  Ultimately, nothing happened.

At the time, while there was some grumbling over the supes' high-handed tactics, in general people didn't sweat it that much - the appointment would have mostly been pro-forma as the lege was not in session and there was not any expectation of a special session.

Now, however, things are different.

Now, a special session of the lege is imminent, one regarding what is perhaps the issue that is most significant to average Arizonans - their children's education.

Now, as this looms, one of the areas of Maricopa County is significantly underrepresented.

Well, one thing is the same - the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is shirking its duty.

The three nominees (L--R) State Rep. Andrew Sherwood, LD26 Chair Sam Pstross, State Rep. Juan Mendez

At this point, the supes don't have any regular meetings scheduled to take place before the likely dates of a special legislative session

Short Attention Span Musing

...How long will the 2016 session of the legislature be active before they start doing the hypocrisy two-step?

First, from the Arizona Republic, written by Alia Beard Rau (emphasis added) -

The Arizona Legislature and Gov. Doug Ducey will have about $250 million in additional ongoing revenue to work with as they begin develop the fiscal 2017 budget over the next few months, according to the latest projections from state financial experts.

But looking further to the future, experts painted a grim picture that could complicate the ongoing debate over increasing funding for K-12 schools.

Economists who serve on the state Financial Advisory Committee said they've given up on the arrival of any post-recession boom and warned that the next recession could come within the next couple of years.

They recommended state leaders neither institute any new major tax cuts nor any significant spending increases.

Presenting the main R talking point when they rationalize continuing to underfund Arizona's education system: "We can't afford it."

However, don't expect them to let that argument stop them from blowing up the state's budget.

From the "Tax Justice" blog from the Citizens for Tax Justice, written by Sebastien Johnson -

Plans to eliminate the state income tax in Arizona continue, with State Rep. Darin Mitchell telling officials that the push will come during the next legislative session. Mitchell, who chairs the Arizona House Ways and Means Committee, says the current strategy is to fight for a flat income tax that can be slowly eliminated over time: “We want to go to a flat tax next year, and then, maybe over the next five or six years we’ll ratchet down the collection until it no longer exists. We’ll just increase sales tax, on certain items.” Mitchell expects that Gov. Doug Ducey, who ran for election on a platform of eliminating the income tax, will support his plan. Were Mitchell’s plan to actually go forward, tax fairness in Arizona would become much worse. According to ITEP’s Who Pays? report, Arizona has the 8^th most unfair tax system in the country, and the bottom 20 percent pay almost three times as much in taxes as a share of their income as do the top one percent.

AZBlueMeanie and Bob Lord at Blog for Arizona offer their takes on this topic (far more eloquent and informative than mine, too); the budget update presentation from the lege's Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) is available here.


...As much as I'm enjoying the spectacle of DC Republicans eating their own, also known as the fight over the speakership in the US House of Representative, there is a significant downside to it -

It is giving some of the wingnuts far more media exposure than they merit.

One example of this is Arizona's own Congressman Trent Franks.

Never known as one of the brightest bulbs in Congress, Franks seems to be focused on reducing intellectual expectations faced by Congressional Republicans.

From TalkingPointsMemo, written by Katherine Kreuger (emphasis added) -

A member of the conservative caucus that effectively forced House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) out of the speaker's race said Friday one of the GOP's true "Valley Forge Americans" should succeed John Boehner.

In an interview with MSNBC, Freedom Caucus member Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), offered a roll call of acceptable candidates for speaker. He named Reps. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Jeff Miller (R-FL), Tom Price (R-GA), and Jim Jordan (R-OH). He even mentioned Newt Gingrich, who was speaker from 1995 to 1999.

"I hear a lot of names. All of those men are Valley Forge Americans that would serve this country very well," Franks said, referencing the winter military camp where more than 2,500 of George Washington's troops died of starvation and exposure during the Revolutionary War.

Yes, he wants the leader of his chamber of Congress to be someone who would lead the House membership to horrible deaths.

Now, skilled mediator that I am (OK, not really :) ), I propose that House Republicans, since they are unable to find a candidate for Speaker that the all like, they should compromise by choosing one that they all dislike -

Nancy Pelosi.


:)

Short Attention Span Musing

Edited on 7/27 to correct an error

...Apparently, the leash from the Center for Arizona Theocracy Policy (CATP) stretches all the way from CATP's HQ to the 9th floor (governor's office)...

Last week, a video emerged purporting to show a senior official from Planned Parenthood offering for sale tissue from fetuses that have been aborted (not going to link to it; it's easy to find if you really want to see it).

It was quickly shown to be heavily selectively edited and egregiously taken out of context (the actual conversation was about using legitimately donated tissue for legitimate medical research), but that hasn't stopped hordes of anti-choicers from citing the video when they demonize Planned Parenthood.

Which is something that they do the same way that normal people breathe.

Anyway, Doug Ducey, Governor of Arizona, has jumped on the anti-PP bandwagon with a statement.  From that statement -

Governor Doug Ducey today directed the Arizona Department of Health Services to conduct a thorough review of current law and immediately promulgate emergency rules designed to prohibit the illegal sale of any tissue from an unborn child.

Since Ducey has officially deemed it OK to change public policy based on open lies, maybe it's time to play with the truth a little and see how much he likes it.

Found this picture on Yahoo.com -

Ducey, left, and Cathi Herrod, President of CATP

Now, someone with Photoshop skills could do a better job with this than me, but this may be good enough to make my point -

The crudely-drawn black line going from Herrod's right hand to Ducey's neck represents a leash attached to a collar.

Now, to be clear, while it seems clear that Herrod and her group exert undue influence at the Capitol (9th Floor and elsewhere), to the best of my knowledge, a physical leash is not involved (meaning that the above pic is meant to be taken as a physical representation of a metaphor, not as documentation of an actual leash).

Having said that, I have to ask -

Would he like it if the above picture (or one done more skillfully) were circulated during his next election campaign?

While it is not accurate in a literal sense (like the anti-PP video), it is accurate in a metaphorical sense (unlike the anti-PP video)...


...Am I the only person who thinks that Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate (and God's gift to comedians and wiseasses everywhere), instead of being the "nightmare" for the GOP that many in the GOP seem to believe, is actually their wettest dream -

- he actually has Democrats defending Sen. John McCain (R-Never Met A War He Didn't Monger) and his military service.

- he is providing cover for the other R candidates, all of whom have gone right on with saying things that should disqualify them from ever holding *any* elected office, much less the presidency.  However, the national media is focused on Trump and his never-ending case of verbal diarrhea.


...News broke this week that Rodney Glassman, the 2010 Democratic nominee for US Senate in AZ, has changed his voter registration from Democrat to Republican.

Most people that I talked to about this A) hadn't heard the news prior to reading about it in the Yellow Sheet Report and B) weren't surprised - he was never much of a Democrat, and unless the AZGOP changes its name to the "Arizona Glassman Party", he's probably not going to be much of a Republican (though he may find some common cause with the Chamber of Commerce wing of the AZGOP).

The story mentioned that he might be exploring a run in LD28 (looking to unseat Democratic State Rep. Eric Meyer).  As of this writing, the website of the AZSOS doesn't show him as establishing a campaign committee (statewide, exploratory, or legislative).

Just to be thorough, I checked the websites of the FEC and Maricopa County; no Glassman activity in either place as yet.

Edit on 7/27:  Rep Meyer is facing term limits in the House and has formed a committee for a Senate run.  He is expected to face the incumbent senator for LD28, Republican Adam Driggs.  As such, if Glassman does indeed go for a House seat, it will be an open seat.  However, unless he is better connected within the LD28GOP and can fend off would-be competitors before nominating signatures are filed, he will face a number of challengers.  

Many of whom may view themselves as having "waited their turn" and will be reluctant to step aside for an upstart.

Having said that, a Glassman primary victory isn't impossible, just difficult to foresee.

Apologies to readers for in my haste to complete this post, I didn't check Meyer's status while searching for any Glassman committees.

End edit...


...Also this past week, the US House of Representatives passed HB3009, punishing "sanctuary cities" (cities that don't notify the feds of the immigration status of people that come into contact with "the system").  The vote fell almost completely along party lines, but six Democrats crossed over to support this nugget of nativist grandstanding.

Including Arizona's own Kyrsten Sinema (CD9).

I don't know if she was always on the nativist train (support: her friendly relationship with the infamous Russell Pearce) or if she is triangulating, trying to gain the support of people who will never vote for her anyway (support: everything she has done since gaining the office), she is looking ever more vulnerable to a primary challenge.

I don't know if one will happen in 2016, but one is coming, and soon.

Short Attention Span Musing: Fun With Social Media

I've been trying to write something about last week's mass murder in Charleston, but my thoughts are so jumbled, nothing I've written is all that coherent (outrage tends to do that to me), so, for now anyway, I'm going to go with a weekly dose of snark, in the form of "Fun with social media".

...First up:  The "Really should get a clue...or at least just go away" division.  This appeared on my Facebook feed on Friday -

...Now for the "Yes, there is a divide in the country, and sometimes it is obvious enough to show up in my Twitter feed" department -

I've got no problem with Twitter generating revenue with "promoted" posts and the like, but they should really pay attention to context...

...From the "Should not be an elected official" department, this nugget from professional turd blossom Franklin Graham, shared on Facebook by Arizona's own Rep. David Livingston  -

Dear Rep. Livingston: The guy with the gun was the one in the church murdering people because of the color of their skin, not Hollywood.

Short Attention Span Musing - Cleaning out the inbox

It's been a busy couple of weeks (traveling for a nephew's high school graduation) and a few items have piled up in my email inbox...

...The US Environmental Protection Agency issued a draft assessment report on the potential effects on drinking water of the use fracking (aka - hydraulic fracturing) as a method of extracting oil and gas from the ground.

It's wordy and, as the risk of sounding that I'm making a pun (I'm not), dry reading, but is well worth the time and effort needed to get through it.

Note: it was written as if one of the contributors was on the payroll of someone who profits from fracking activities, so plan to "read between the lines".


...Infamous warmonger John Bolton announced his endorsement of, and financial support for, Congresswoman Martha McSally (R-AZ7).

This endorsement may hurt her more than it helps - she's been trying to project an air of moderation as she tries to keep her job of representing a competitive district, but Bolton isn't know for picking sane people to support.


...From Thursday, July 16 thru Sunday, July 19, Netroots Nation will be taking place in Phoenix.  There will be dozens of discussion panels and training sessions as we gear up for 2016, but one of the highlights is certain to be an appearance by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on Friday morning (7/17), a longtime favorite of activists.  Get your tickets here.


...Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced his proposal to give additional funding for Arizona's schools by taking a greater amount of money from the state's land trust fund (which is funded by sales of state trust land and was created to provide support for the state's schools, something that it has done for over 102 years).

Of course, the trust fund was created in an era when it was inconceivable that the state's legislature and governor would work so enthusiastically *against* the long term interests of the people of Arizona.

Does anyone else see the parallel between this and Aesop's fable about the goose that laid the golden eggs?

This will take the approval of Arizona's voters.  If a majority fall for this scheme (not a sure thing), expect the governor and legislature to propose further schemes to undermine the long term fiscal stability and viability of Arizona in the quest to enhance corporate profits (aka - provide cover for more massive tax breaks for corporations).


...Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC), who, along with John McCain, is one of the country's most enthusiastic supporters of a US foreign policy of "Forever War", has become yet another passenger in the clown car known as "The Burgeoning Republican 2016 Primary Field Of Candidates".

In one of the first interviews he gave after his announcement, he advised that anyone who is "worn out by war" to not vote for him.

Wasn't going to vote for him anyway, but I thank him for the advice.

I'm going to guess that he secured the support of the Cheney wing of the GOP with that statement, though...

Short Attention Span Musing

...Being offensive isn't a capital crime.

From CNN, via Phoenix Channel 3 (KTVK), written by Saeed Ahmed, Ed Lavandera and Joe Sutton -

A cartoon contest featuring controversial images of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed turned deadly Sunday night when two men pulled up in a car and opened fire. Police returned fire, killing both men after one wounded a security guard.

None of the approximately 200 people attending the event were hurt.

The two shooters have Phoenix ties, sharing an apartment in north Phoenix.

Let's keep it short and simple: 

"Freedom of speech", as an American value, is almost universally treasured, even revered, here. It covers many activities, from "speaking truth to power" to "being obnoxiously offensive".

The organizers of the "cartoon contest" are rabid Islamophobes and were deliberately trying to offend and upset as many people, mostly Islamic, as possible.

They exhibit no redeeming qualities as human beings and offer no benefit to civil society.

They were completely wrong in their behavior.


And as wrong as they were (and still are), they were less wrong than the people they so offended and outraged that those people expressed their outrage by grabbing guns and attempting to kill those that offended them.

And2, this is not even a close call.


...The GOP 2016 presidential field may have to trade in their clown car for a tour bus if this keeps up.

From the Huffington Post, written by Chris Weigant -

Last week, the field of officially-announced Democratic presidential candidates doubled in size, from one person to two. This week, the Republican presidential field is likewise going to double, from three candidates to six. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio have all previously officially announced their candidacies, and this week they will be joined by Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson (who announced today), and Mike Huckabee (scheduled to announce tomorrow).

There are at least a half-dozen more Republicans who are looking to jump into the race, ranging from serious (i.e. - Jeb Bush) to "serious" (wink, wink) (i.e. - the Rick twins, Perry and Santorum).

There are others who are also making noises about getting in the race like Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-bat shit crazy) and Governor John Kasich (R-OH).

Assuming that all of the people who are "rumored" to be running (in quotes because some, like Jeb Bush, are widely known to be running, but haven't officially announced their candidacies) and that at least a few of the dark horses get into the race, the R field will need a larger vehicle to go from state to state.

I'm sure the Koch Brothers can afford it though.


...Doug Ducey may not be courageous, but no one can say that he is stupid.

From the Arizona Republic, written by Laurie Roberts -

The Arizona Board of Regents are voting today on a plan to raise tuition and fees at the state's three universities.

MIA from today's meeting: the person responsible for the Board of Regents having to raise tuition and fees at the state's three universities.

Gov. Doug Ducey, that would be.

...The Grand Canyon chapter of the Sierra Club released its report card on the 2015 legislative session, and to no one's surprise, every Republican at the Capitol except for two, Rep. Noel Campbell and Gov. Doug Ducey, earned "Fs".

Those two earned "Ds".

Next year being an election year, expect all of them to earn "Fs"...unless the Sierra Club adds "G" to their list of possible grades.