Short Attention Span Musing

This one's a mish-mash of stuff that has been building up over the weekend...

Note - this post was edited to correct spelling, punctuation, poor grammar, and a couple of forgotten sentences. I really should know better than to post late at night after working all weekend. :))

...Bush makes it official - he cares more about killing Iraqis than he does about protecting Americans.

From Bloomberg.com -

Bush Says Funding Iraq, Afghan Wars Is Congress's Top Priority

Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush said that funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan should be Congress's top priority when it returns to Washington next week, and he lashed out at Democrats for not acting on his spending request.

From MSNBC.com -

Bush Proposes Dramatic Cuts In Homeland Security Funding

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration intends to slash counter terrorism funding for police, firefighters and rescue departments nation-wide by more than half next year, according to budget documents obtained by The Associated Press. New York would be hard hit by deep cuts, according to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

The plan would eliminate programs for port security, transit security and local emergency management operations in the next budget year.

Even the right-wing blogosphere takes issue with cuts to HS funding.

Wonder how soon-to-be Senate minority whip Jon Kyl will spin his blind support of Bush's plans?


...In the candidates and rumored candidates department -

Caveat: all rumors are just that and nothing more. In addition, any Republican-related rumors should be read with the understanding that I am *not* a Republican insider, nor do I know any. It's all just stuff that I've heard.

- - - Long-heard talk has that LD8 State Senator Carolyn Allen won't be running for reelection and that current LD8 State Rep. Michelle Reagan will be running for the seat. What is new to me is the rumor that John Kavanagh, also a current rep in LD8, will challenge Reagan in the Republican primary, setting up the equivalent of Allen-Rosati II, with the pro-business Reagan taking on the role of Carolyn Allen and wing-nut Kavanagh stepping in for Colette Rosati.

If true, this would create a dilemma for Democrats in the overwhelmingly Republican LD8 - lend support (if not votes) for the relatively moderate (and more importantly, sane) Reagan in the primary, even though she would be all but invincible in the general election, or risk the possible elevation to the Senate of Kavanagh, who, while nothing but Russell Pearce with a New York accent, is marginally more vulnerable in a general election.

Note: According to a search of the AZ Secretary of State's website, Reagan's active 2008 committee is for state rep, and Allen still has an active state senate campaign committee.

- - - It's not official yet, but apparently Democrat Stephanie Rimmer may be running for LD8 State Rep next year. She ran in 2006 and mounted a credible campaign against Reagan and Kavanagh; if both incumbents are running for state senate in 2008, she'll have a fighting chance against two Republican rookies in the state rep race.

That 2-to-1 Republican registration advantage will be tough to overcome, though. Maybe the Republicans will help her by nominating Rosati for a run at a state rep seat.

Rosati's burned enough bridges in her own party that some LD8 Republicans would vote for Hillary Clinton before they'd vote for Rosati; that dynamic will help Rimmer.

Rimmer is a long-time community activist and small business owner and lives with her family in Scottsdale.

No word yet on any other possible Democratic contenders in LD8.

...In LD18, Republican PC (Mesa 32) Ron Middlebrook is running for state rep; the current reps are erstwhile congressional candidates Russell Pearce ('exploring' in CD6) and Mark Anderson ('exploring' in CD5). No rumor this - his Clean Elections paperwork is already filed.

Don't know anything else about him.

Note - if the 'explorations' don't become full-fledged candidacies and they start looking at other offices, Pearce is termed out in the state House, while Anderson can run for another term there.


...and finally, in the "Let's help Jan Brewer puff up her resume before she runs for governor in 2010" department, Republican State Senator Chuck Gray has introduced an amendment to the state constitution, that if it passed the lege next spring and the voters next fall, would change the Secretary of State's job title to "Lieutenant Governor."

It wouldn't change the job description, just the title.

My question - why bother?

Later!

Breaking: Hostages taken at Clinton campaign office in New Hampshire

Edit to add:

It's over, and thankfully, it appears that no one was hurt.

End edit.

From WMUR-TV -

Man Takes Hostages At Clinton Campaign Office

Witnesses Say Man Has Bomb-Like Device Strapped To Chest

ROCHESTER, N.H. -- An armed man has taken two campaign workers hostage at the Hillary Clinton campaign office in Rochester, police said.

Officials with the campaign confirmed that there were two workers taken hostage in the office on 28 North Main St., and NBC News reported that the man demanded to speak to Clinton.

Clinton, who is not in New Hampshire, canceled a National Democratic Committee meeting in Virginia.

As of right now, no injuries have been reported and the NH campaign offices of Barack Obama and John Edwards have been evacuated.

Today's a work day, so I won't be able to update this, but it should be all over the news shortly.

Later!

Anonymity

Hi. My name is Craig McDermott.

Just thought I'd get that out of the way.

Most of the regular readers of this blog know me already, but not everyone who reads this blog is a 'regular' reader.

This fact was brought home to me earlier today in a phone conversation with JoJene Wills, an activist (volunteer, I think) with the Hillary Clinton campaign here in AZ. She had written a reply to something that I had posted earlier this week, leaving her name and number as a contact for the Clinton campaign in AZ.

Today, for a reason unrelated to this blog, I needed to contact her to get a more local name to contact (Ms. Wills is based in Tucson.)

During our conversation, she expressed concern that while I don't allow anonymous comments on my blog, she couldn't find my name on it anywhere. In other words, she seemed to think it was a little hypocritical that commenters on the blog couldn't be anonymous while I, the author of the blog, could be anonymous.

I explained that I wasn't trying for anonymity and that most of the folks who read this blog regularly know me by now, and that the reason that I don't allow anonymous comments is to reduce spam comments (you know, the "click on this link to buy..." comments.)

We then finished our conversation pleasantly and went on with our days.


All of this leads up to the actual reason for this post.

On Saturday, the MCDP is holding its winter meeting. At this meeting a revision of the County Party's by-laws will be considered.

Yesterday I, and presumably every other PC in the county, received an email from email addy 'concerned-dems@wwcom.ws'. This email expressed concerns and objections to some of the by-law changes and the process by which they are being brought up for consideration.

I don't have enough knowledge of the issue to comment on it or the concerns expressed in the email, but I do have a question about the anonymous nature of the email.

The 'sent from' address is a blind one, and the message closed with the line

This is a joint message from many precinct committeepersons, previous County Chairs and current District Chairs.

That's it. No names anywhere indicating who wrote and sent the email.

That deliberate anonymity definitely undermines the credibility of the message (the writing style and layout of the message do that also, but not to the extent that the anonymity does.)

I have some advice for the authors of the email, and it's related to the fact that I opened this post with my name -

Anonymity on the internet is fine for most situations, but if you want to influence folks, be willing to stand up and stand behind your message.

Thank you.

Short Attention Span Musing

...From the "great minds think alike, even if they're 120 miles apart" department...
Spent last evening enjoying good conversation over good food with good people, aka a "Democratic happy hour," this one in Mesa.
One of the first things that I read after getting home was this post from Tedski at R-Cubed about the latest antics of State Senator Jack Harper (R-Surprise!). It seems that the good senator decided to chide a Democrat, Chad Campbell, for taking part in a taxpayer-funded trip to Ireland to study Ireland's economic development efforts.

There was only one "minor" problem with Harper's criticism - the bipartisan trip was privately funded.

Oops.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has read previous posts in this blog concerning Harper - he did win the coveted "Legislative Loon" Award for 2007 (awarded by yours truly :) ).

The current odds have him favored to repeat in 2008. :)

And the "great minds" part?

At the Dem happy hour in Mesa, part of the conversation revolved around how happy we were that Robert Boehlke will be challenging Harper for the LD4 Senate seat next year.
He's running as a Clean Elections candidate, so he won't need much in financial help (just 5s and seed money), but if you live in LD4, when he comes around asking for volunteers, signatures, and votes, help him out.

...Speaking of candidates in next year's elections, Judah Nativio has turned in paperwork for a run at the LD18 Senate seat. While it's still unclear whether he'll be facing incumbent Karen Johnson (R-UFO) or termed-out-as-State-Representative (and erstwhile challenger to fellow Republican Jeff Flake in CD6) Russell Pearce (R-National Alliance), what is clear is that he understands that he is running to represent the *district,* not just a radical portion of one party.

Unlike both of his potential opponents.

I spoke with him for a few minutes tonight - he's a former police officer and was, until recently, a member of Mesa's Human Relations Advisory Board ("recent" as in until AZ's resign-to-run law kicked in); his wife Amy teaches at Taylor Junior High.

Note - arriving after she finished teaching a class was Tammie Pursley, a once (2006) and future (2008) candidate for LD18 House.

Maybe the way to get the lege to tackle the issue of AZ's failing education system is to elect teachers or those who hold teachers near and dear.

Just something to think about when Ms. Pursley and Mr. Nativio come knocking...

More as the campaign season unfolds...


...With the latest Middle East peace conference, George Bush has officially reached "lame-duck" status...

I truly wish success in the endeavor to him and everyone involved, but it seems like that for decades, when U.S. presidents start looking for a way to preserve their 'legacy' (whatever that may mean) their eyes turn toward that seemingly intractable mess in the Middle East.

And some, such as Bush himself, ignore their own contributions to the never-ending strife...but I digress :)) .

Overall, the most of these conferences define success as an agreement by the individuals in the conference rooms that they won't kill each other. Unfortunately, people that aren't in the conference rooms don't take that idea to heart.

Perhaps the problem is that while peace between nations with armies on fields of battle can be negotiated in well-appointed rooms and great halls of power, the strife in the Middle East, particularly that in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, can only be truly addressed at the level of the conflict - street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood.

This might be the only time that I'll ever wish Bush and his associates well (let's face it - 99% of the time, they're nothing but crooks), but on this one, they have my high hopes for success.

Just not my high expectations.


...And lastly, while the weather forecast for the Phoenix area this weekend includes rain, we really should be on the lookout for an ice storm. My meteorological evidence?

I agreed with AZ Rep columnist Laurie Roberts.

Earlier this week, she wrote that "Jesus Manuel Cordova is nobody special."

Mr. Cordova is the migrant from Mexico who stopped and aided a 9-year old boy whose mother had died in a car accident near the border, even though helping the child would result in his detention and deportation by ICE.

Robert wrote -

In fact, Jesus Manuel Cordova is probably nobody special. Just a guy like millions of others, fleeing a country that has failed him, one who stopped and helped a stranger despite the consequences to his own family.

She went on to express hope that this incident causes us to "reclaim the debate about illegal immigration that has been taken over by the extremes in this country, those who would have you believe that every person here illegally is out to rob us and cheat us and steal our country."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Later!

Events Calendar

Edit on 11/28 to add AZ Secretary of State and Citizens Clean Elections campaign finance training schedules and links, at the bottom of the post...

Edit2 on 11/28 to add Mitchell/Packages from Home info...

Edit3 on 11/29 to add cancellation of the Town Hall on December 1...

Thursday, November 29 - Congressman Harry Mitchell will join Packages from Home in preparing holiday care packages at 11:30 a.m., November 29 at 1201 South 7th Avenue, Phoenix. For more information about Packages From Home, the public can call 602-253-0248 or visit http://www.packagesfromhome.org/.

Thursday, November 29 - The Arizona chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council (AzNJDC) meets at 7:30 p.m. at the Chaparral Suites, corner of Scottsdale and Chaparral Roads in Scottsdale. Jeff Farias of KPHX, 1480 AM, will be the guest speaker.

Friday, November 30 - From 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., join the Young Democrats of Arizona in welcoming Congressman Harry Mitchell to a "Happy Hour with Harry at 'Harry's Place' " at the Mission Palms Hotel in Tempe. More info, including tickets, here.

Saturday, December 1 -The Winter meeting of the Maricopa County Democratic Party (MCDP) will take place on Saturday, December 1, 2007 at the UA Plumbers and Pipefitters 469 Union Hall, 3109 N. 24th St., in Phoenix. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., training and workshops begin at 9.

Note - according to an email from LD17 chair Doug Mings, the Town Hall has been cancelled and should be rescheduled for early in the year.

Saturday, December 1 - An LD17 Town Hall with Senator Meg Burton-Cahill, Representative David Schapira, and Representative Ed Ableser will take place at the North Tempe Community Center, 1555 N. Bridalwreath in Tempe (just south of McKellips and east of Scottsdale Rd.)

Come hear what the upcoming session holds down at the State Capitol from our three legislators. The event starts at 10 a.m.

Saturday, December 1 - Join Harry Mitchell and his campaign team for a "Tailgate Party with Harry" before the ASU Sun Devils trounce the UA Wildcats on their way to a Rose Bowl berth. :))

Festivities start at 3:00 p.m. at 502 S. College Ave, Tempe. For more info call 480-755-3343 or email Herschel[at]Harry2006.com.

And for some comic relief on Saturday, December 1 - Out in LD4, Sheriff Joe Arpaio will be 'roasted' by an assortment of Republicans at the Maricopa County Events Center, 19403 RH Johnson Blvd , Sun City West.

It's a fundraiser, not sure for what, and I don't care enough to find out.

One of the scheduled roasters is professional bigot Terry Anderson; I doubt he had a problem with Arpaio saying that it was an "honor" when his critics compared him to the KKK.

Thursday, December 6 - Tempe City Council candidate Rhett Wilson is holding a campaign reception/fundraiser at Pier 54, 5394 S. Lakeshore Dr., Tempe. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. and features such luminaries at former U.S. Senator Dennis Deconcini on former Tempe Mayor Rudy Campbell.

Event contact: Amanda Thorson: (602) 565-6571 amanda[at]themediaguys.com


...And finally, something that isn't an event but is certainly a timely reminder -

From Corey Woods, candidate for Tempe City Council -

"...[P]etition signatures have to be turned in to the Tempe City Clerk’s office on Wednesday, December 12th. If you have a sheet that you would like to turn in, please contact me at your earliest convenience..."

And that's good advice for anyone involved in gathering signatures in Tempe. They're due; get them into the respective campaigns.

...Continuing edit...

Clean Elections' entire schedule here; imminent local sessions -

Wednesdays, December 5 and 12 -
Candidate and Treasurer Workshop
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location /Information: CCEC Conference Room, 1616 W. Adams, Suite 110, Phoenix, AZ

AZ Secretary of State's entire schedule here; imminent local session -

Tuesday, December 11 -
Arizona State Capitol – Executive Tower
AZ Board of Pharmacy – 3rd Floor Rm 312
1700 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Times: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Note- the above links courtesy the Pima County Democratic Party.

End edit...

Have a good week!

AZ's journalistic standards keep plummeting

Well over a year ago, I wrote a post bemoaning the state of investigative reporting in the metro Phoenix area. At that time I wrote that while investigative reporting is almost a lost art in the valley, some local media outlets, KPHO-TV (channel 5) among them, were better than average because of their consumer affairs reporting.

Tonight, channel 5 joined Fox10, the AZ Rep, and the rest of the 'winners' in the "not even pretending to be real journalists" category.

Tonight, they ran a piece on "Teachers Exposing Private Life On MySpace."

Seems they were bored, so they obtained a list of names of new teachers and searched for those names on Facebook and MySpace. The piece, breathlessly pimped in endless promo spots through the evening, recounted the "shocking" results of their research.

From the way the piece was promoted, and the way in began with a somber warning that no parent should miss the report, I expected to stories of child molesters in the classroom or something equally horrifying.

So what did channel 5 uncover?

A teacher with a bad attitude toward an ex-girlfriend (rude song), pictures of obscene gestures, and pictures of wild partying in college.

Oh my God!! These...these...these....*teachers*...actually had a good time in college! Stop the presses!! Yank their licenses!!!

Ummm...OK, maybe not. :))

In the end, the best part was when KPHO interviewed Tom Horne, AZ Superintendent of Public Instruction, for the story. They got him to pontificate on the topic, saying that these teachers shouldn't do anything in their personal lives that they wouldn't do in front of the children that they teach.

Could somebody tell Mr. Horne something for me?

The list of things that they "wouldn't do in front of the children" includes things like making love to their wives/husbands, using the bathroom, and doing their taxes.

Is he suggesting that they stop doing those things completely (ending up horny, constipated, and stuck in federal prison), or that they should do those things in the classroom (which may take "horny" and "constipated" out of the mix, but definitely increases the likelihood of prison)??

Just curious...

Note: KPHO didn't have the clip available on their website tonight but they do indicate that it will be available tomorrow.

Wonder if Jon Kyl sings in the shower?

If he does, is a certain 70's TV theme song in his repertoire?

Earlier today, the Washington Post broke the story of Sen. Trent Lott's (R-MS) impending retirement. The story included a brief recap of his career, it's effect on the GOP, the likelihood of the seat staying in Republican hands (count on it - MS's governor is a Republican himself), and speculation of the reason for the timing of Lott's announcement (beginning next year, there's a two-year "cooling off" period for outgoing lawmakers before they can become paid lobbyists.)
Most of Lott's story is unimportant to Arizona, except for one significant line -

That set off a round of maneuvering inside the Republican conference to succeed Lott. Aides confirmed that Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.), the No. 3 member of the leadership team, is seeking to replace Lott...

Could someone cue up Ja'net Du Bois, a gospel choir, and Isabel Sanford and Sherman Helmsley?

Daniel at Daniel's News and Views already has his take on this news. In his opinion, the biggest effect on AZ will be that between shilling for Big Pharma and Big Insurance, acting as the President's water-carrier on the Hill, and the increase in his Republican Party-related duties, Jon Kyl won't have time available to actually represent his constituents.

In other words (my words this time), we won't notice any difference. :))

...In other news DC Republican news, Vice-President Dick Cheney was defibrillated on Monday.

Relax - I'm not saying anything nasty there. It just means that he had an irregular heartbeat and received an electric shock to correct it.

Of course, the really shocking news is that Dick Cheney *has* a heart. :))

Later!

A quick post about the presidential campaigns

I realized this weekend that while many of my posts have concerned presidential campaign events, few, if any, have concerned the presidential campaigns themselves.

Time to correct that oversight. :)

Think of this as "Short Attention Span Musing - Campaigns Edition."

Some of these topics are few weeks old, but they're still worth covering.

Note - while I haven't firmly decided who I'm voting for in February's primary, I am strongly leaning toward Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico (and former Congressman, ambassador, Cabinet secretary, and multiple-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize). A more in-depth post on that topic will be forthcoming shortly.


...Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have been sniping at each other over who is the most qualified in the area of foreign affairs.

See the above summary of Bill Richardson's resume to understand why that discussion is so laughable.


...The Clinton campaign has been playing the "oh...the big, bad, boys are ganging up on poor, little ol' me" card as the primaries draw near and the trailing candidates sharpen their criticisms of the leader of the pack.

A leader of the pack named "Hillary Clinton."

To anyone who buys into the "ganging up" card - criticizing the leader in a campaign race is the job of those chasing that leader. Casting that as a the "boy's club" picking on a woman who's encroaching on territory that heretofore was strictly the domain of the "boy's club" is a shamelessly cynical ploy.

And the fact that the tactic probably helped doesn't mitigate that shamelessness..


...A couple of weeks ago, syndicated columnist Robert Novak wrote a column stating that the Clinton campaign has some damaging information about Barack Obama. The rancor between the two campaigns immediately escalated.

How can the presumably experienced professional operatives of both campaigns place any stock in the scribblings of a Bush/Cheney shill like Darth Novak? This is a guy who publicly outed CIA agent Valerie Plame as retaliation against her husband for criticizing the President.

A little partisan mudslinging is nothing for someone who's soulless enough to do that.


...My information is a couple of weeks old, so things may have changed for the better, but Clinton's Arizona campaign seems to be disorganized at best and practically nonexistent at worst. Reports from both highly involved activists and casual, first-time volunteers are consistent - phone calls and emails aren't returned, information requests go unanswered (I can speak to that one directly :) ), and other signs of a campaign in disarray.

I hope that the Clinton campaign hasn't written off AZ - she doesn't have AZ's primary locked up yet, and if she wins the nomination, she'll need every electoral vote she can get in the general.

And if John McCain isn't at the top of the Republican ticket (something that is looking more likely every day), AZ's 10 electoral votes will be in play.

The Obama, Richardson, and Kucinich campaigns have active organizations in AZ that are not only trying to help their candidates win the nomination but are laying the groundwork for the general election.

The other campaigns, including Sen. Clinton's, should take note of that.

Later!

Hope this doesn't give Russell Pearce any more ideas...

I mean, it's been a couple of years since his "flags in classrooms" unfunded mandate bill. He is probably feeling the "faux patriotism showboat" itch once again...especially with his need to posture in his campaign against Jeff Flake in CD6.

From Reuters via Yahoo! News -

Patriotism law seeks to halt cars for anthem

A proposed new law to boost patriotism in Thailand would be "chaotic" because it would require motorists to stop when the national anthem is played twice a day, lawmakers said Friday.

{snip}

The bill's supporters say road traffic should stop nationwide when the anthem is played during the raising and lowering of the flag "to preserve tradition and instill patriotism in Thais."

Later!

Things to keep in mind on Black Friday...

and during the rest of the Christmas shopping season...

I figured it's the right time for a "PSA" post. Of course, the fact that ASU is down 27 in the 2nd half and fading fast has nothing to do with the timing. :)


With the onset of the holiday shopping season, it's also time to pay attention to recalls of toys and other items.

Some items to be aware of (courtesy press releases and other sources) -

Boppy Slipcovers, manufactured in China, imported by The Boppy Company, Golden, CO. Lead contamination and choking hazard.

Children's metal necklaces and bracelets, manufactured in China, imported by Colossal Jewelry & Accessories Inc., of Maywood, NJ. Lead contamination.

Flashing Pacifiers or 2-in-1 Flashing Pacifiers withWhistle Necklaces, manufactured in China, imported by Sailing (U.S.) International Corp., Hackensack,NJ. Choking hazard.

Decorative Stretchable Aqua Bracelets, manufactured in China, imported by Cherrydale Fundraising, Allentown, PA. Lead contamination.

Sparkle City Charm Bracelets and Tack Pin Sets, manufactured in China, imported by Buy-Rite Designs Inc., Freehold, NJ. Lead contamination.

Shaving Paint Brushes, manufactured in China, imported by Discount School Supply, Monterey, CA. Lead contamination.

Crystal Innovations jewelry, manufactured in China, imported by Pure Allure, Oceanside, CA. Lead contamination. Note: full list of affected products at the link.

La Femme NY Children's Necklace and Earring Sets, manufactured in China, imported by La Femme NY 2 Inc., Brooklyn, NY. Lead contamination.

Rachel Rose and Distinctly Basics Assorted Children's Jewelry, manufactured in China, imported and sold by Family Dollar Stores. Lead contamination.

Children's Pencil Pouches, manufactured in China, imported by Raymond Geddes & Co., Baltimore, MD. Lead contamination. Sold in schools nationwide for over 10 years.

Baja ATVs, manufactured and sold by Baja Motorsports, Phoenix, AZ. Injury hazard to riders.

Snow and Sand Castle Kits, manufactured by Paricon Inc., South Paris, ME. Injury hazard to children.

The above press releases were from the Consumer Products Safety Commission; however, before anyone starts thinking that the Nancy Nord-led CPSC has started doing its job, it should be noted that most of the press releases contain the following line -

Note: The New York Attorney General provided information about oneof these products to the Commission.

Some news coverage of other recent recalls -

KPIX-TV

Haaretz.com (yes, they have recalls in Israel)

Consumer Reports' list of unsafe products

WATCH's 2007 list of worst toys

The CPSC's toy recall list; non-toy Infant and Children's products recall list

Or, instead of worrying about which toys are more likely to kill the recipient than make him/her happy, try this:

AdBusters' Buy Nothing Day website here, courtesy Daniel's News and Views

Democratic Convention Hotel Assignments announced

The Democratic Party has announced the hotel assignments for the various state delegations to nexts year's National Convention in Denver.

The 76 delegates from Arizona will be joining the Oregon delegation in the Hyatt Regency Tech Center Denver. It's located approximately 12 - 15 miles from the convention site at the Pepsi Center (downtown Denver). While that's not a prime location, because the trip downtown is mostly a straight shot on I-25, it's only a 15 - 20 minute drive.

Of course, I'll be applying for press credentials as a blogger. If those come through, I'll be staying 2 miles from the Pepsi Center at my sister's house, and will be able to walk to the convention in 20 minutes or so. :))

The most interesting part of the hotel assignments? Florida's delegation didn't get one.

As of right now, Florida has been stripped of its delegates because it moved the date of its primary to one earlier than allowed by the Democratic National Committee.

Expect some drama and angst over this, leading up to the request by the eventual nominee that the Florida delegation be seated at the convention.

Where they'll stay until then is anybody's guess.


Denver Post coverage here.

The complete list of hotel assignments is here.

Thanks to the Burnt Orange Report in Texas for the heads-up on this story. (Texas isn't entirely happy with their hotel assignment, approximately 10 miles from the convention site - apparently they don't like Aurora. :) )

Later!

Short Attention Span Musing

...Bush pardons two turkeys not named Cheney or Rove...

From AP -

Bush granted his yearly pardon to the national Thanksgiving turkey, named "May," and a backup turkey who went unseen, who goes by "Flower."

The names were chosen in an online poll that drew more than 28,000 votes. It was close; people also liked "Wish and Bone," and "Wing and Prayer."

Hmmm...wonder if the names "Cheney and Rove" were among the available options in the online poll? Maybe next year, the DNC can sponsor its own online poll of possible names for the soon-to-be pardoned turkeys. :))

The article goes on the describe how the pardoned turkeys will be further feted with honorary law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and will spend the rest of their lives living in comfort on a well-known ranch in south Texas.

(OK, I made that part up; the turkeys are supposed to go to DisneyWorld to participate in the Thanksgiving parade there.)


...However, while two pardons were issued yesterday, one that had been scheduled to be issued next year may have been ripped up.

From Reuters -

Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan says in an upcoming book that he was misled by President George W. Bush and other high officials into misinforming the press about a CIA leak case that fueled debate about the Iraq war.

McClellan says he publicly exonerated former top White House aides Karl Rove and Lewis "Scooter" Libby because Bush had called on him to help restore his credibility after the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

On the other hand, Bush may include McClellan in his expected general pardon of the officials of his Administration if McClellan joins Dick Cheney in hunting the pardoned Thanksgiving turkeys on the Armstrong Ranch.

:)

...Bush threatens to retaliate against civilians if Congress doesn't give him unconditional and unfettered war funding...

From USA Today -

The Bush administration pressed Democrats in Congress on Tuesday to provide billions in new funding for the war in Iraq or risk the jobs and well-being of military families.

The threats ranged from furloughing tens of thousands of civilian workers to closing child care centers and counseling services at Army bases.

No wiseass-ery here; the brazeness of the President's priorities (oil and death over families and children) is too shameful.

...And in case you thought that Bush is honorable and just wants the money to "support the troops," check out Tedski's post at R-Cubed on the Bush-led Pentagon's policy of withholding enlistment bonuses from servicemembers who are unable to complete their term of enlistment due to injuries sustained in combat.


...Earlier this week, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced the sites of the four general election debates (1 vice-presidential, 3 presidential) next year.

Of the four main and two backup sites, none are farther west than St. Louis, Missouri. I was all fired up and ready to criticize the CPD for their contempt for the western half of the country, until a little research showed that of the 16 sites that applied to host a debate, only two of the locations were any farther west than the Missouri site. Both of those were located in the state of Washington.

Where's the love, both *for* the West, and *from* the West? In spite of population trends (shifting from northeast to southwest), our concerns will continue to be ignored in DC until we show that we are involved and active.

Well, at least the conventions will be held in the West - Denver for the Democrats, Minneapolis for the Republicans. Otherwise, during the campaign next year, the West won't get much love from the presidential campaigns. The big prizes, Texas and California, are already assumed to be locks for the Republicans and Democrats respectively.

Any campaigning here will be of the 'drive-by and wave' variety.


Locally, Arizona's most unpardonable turkey will be on display at the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Fountain Hills.

From AZCentral.com (emphasis mine) -

Major plans are brewing in Fountain Hills for the only known Thanksgiving Day Parade in Arizona.

Thursday's annual spectacle "is one of the bigger parades" planned in Fountain Hills, said Sharon Morgan, events producer for the town's Chamber of Commerce.

{snip}

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who lives in Fountain Hills, will make his usual appearance, along with Fort McDowell Tribal Council President Raphael Bear, Morgan said.

C'mon - any time one can cleanly mix an Arpaio reference with a turkey reference, one must. It's a Law of Nature or something. :))

Note: Congressman Harry Mitchell will serve as the Grand Marshal of the parade. It starts at 9:00 a.m. at Saguaro and El Lago boulevards in Fountain Hills.


Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving to all, even Republicans*!

*Unless those Republicans are also Yankees fans. :))

Quick update - upcoming elections and legislation

There's nearly a year to go until next November's elections and nearly a month and a half before the start of the next session of the Arizona Legislature, but campaign announcements, endorsements, and proposed legislation are already hitting the news and the email inbox every day...

...Republican State Senator Jim Waring is mad as hell at his cell phone provider and isn't taking it anymore. :)

From the Arizona Daily Star -

PHOENIX — When Jim Waring got what he considered a runaround from his cell phone company, he got mad.

But when he continued to hear similar stories from others, he did something else: He used his power as a state senator to introduce legislation that, if approved, would create a cell phone users' "bill of rights" for Arizona customers.

He has already submitted SB1010 for the 2nd session of the 48th Arizona legislature.

For the article, Susan Bitter Smith, lobbyist for the cell phone providers and possible 2008 challenger to Congressman Harry Mitchell, said that her industry hasn't taken an official position on the bill as yet; however, she and her organization, the Arizona Competitive Telecommunications Association, have historically opposed any efforts to strengthen consumer protections.

My prediction: since the AZ lege is still controlled by a Republican leadership that believes that 'caveat emptor' is responsible government policy, this bill is either DOA or will be watered down to the point of uselessness.

Note to Sen. Waring - Is something only a problem when a sitting Republican legislator faces that problem? People have been complaining about the cell phone industry for years. Where was the respect for consumers then?

Still, Republican proposal or not, DOA or not, SB1010 is a good start.


...Democratic Reps. David Schapira (LD17) and Jackie Thrasher (LD10) have already submitted HB2001, a bill to ban smoking in cars with minors present.

From the AZ Daily Star -

"There isn't a single person in this country who doesn't know that smoking causes cancer," said sponsoring Rep. David Schapira, a Tempe Democrat. What that means, he said, is that adults who smoke in front of children, particularly in enclosed places, are knowingly causing them harm.

"That's the definition of child abuse," he said.

I'm pretty sure this one won't pass, either, since tobacco giant RJ Reynolds has already expressed opposition.


...While the bill hasn't been submitted yet, LD17 State Representative Schapira and State Senator Meg Burton-Cahill are working on legislation to regulate the tattoo industry.

From an Arizona Republic article -

Valley tattoo-parlor owners, eager to protect and burnish the reputation of their industry, are calling for state regulation of the tattoo trade.

Shop owners have teamed up to form the Arizona Tattoo and Piercing Association, and one of the organization's first steps was to meet this week with state legislators who say they now intend to introduce legislation to regulate the tattoo industry.

{snip}

State Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe, said that on Wednesday, he and Sen. Meg Burton-Cahill, D-Tempe, met with Dowdell and Sage O'Connell, owner of Urban Art Tattoo & Piercing in Mesa.

"What we heard from the tattoo industry is that they want to be more respected, and unless there is some sort of regulation, shops can exist which will give a bad name to the whole industry," Schapira said.

He said he intends to introduce legislation to bring regulation to the tattoo industry at the upcoming session of the Legislature.

Burton-Cahill said she considers the matter "an issue of public health."

"When you get your hair cut, you know that person has met a basic standard, and when we have tattoo artists putting holes in people, you want to know you are going to a shop that has met basic health standards," she said.

Stay tuned on this one.


...Democratic State Reps. Kyrsten Sinema, Chad Campbell, and Tom Prezelski have submitted HB2002, a bill that bars employment discrimination based on "gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation."

Nope, this one won't pass, either. I can't see the likes of Russell Pearce or Jack Harper or any of their ideological cronies letting this one get even a committee hearing.

Note: On December 4, 2007, the Scottsdale City Council is tentatively scheduled to consider adding similar language to its employment policy; sometime in the weeks thereafter it will consider adding that language to the non-discrimination ordinances and policies that contractors with City and businesses operating in Scottsdale must adhere to.


...In Scottsdale election news, as expected, Mayor Mary Manross announced her candidacy for reelection.

From her press release -

“We are truly a community where the Old West meets the New West; working to preserve our historic past while building Scottsdale’s sustainable future. A clear vision and an unwavering commitment to building a bridge to the future are paying huge dividends for Scottsdale. The clouds of uncertainty that hung over our city just eight short years ago have been lifted and Scottsdale’s future has never been brighter. Today is a time of tremendous confidence, enthusiasm, and momentum."

More substantively, she touted her efforts to "to reduce Scottsdale’s property tax rate. . Over the past decade the rate has dropped from $1.57 to $. 79. Our tax rate, today, is less than half of neighboring Phoenix’s tax rate. That’s being fiscally conservative."

That's an argument that will play well in Scottsdale.

East Valley Tribune coverage here.

As of right now her rumored opponents are current Council member Jim Lane, who can't officially announce his candidacy until January due to AZ's pesky 'resign to run' law, and lawyer Jim Derouin, who has said that he won't run if Lane does (see the Trib article at the link).

I'm not a huge fan of Manross (as anyone who has read this blog already knows), but I'm not convinced that either of the rumored candidates is a better alternative, especially since the major plank of their campaign platforms seems to be "I'm not Mary Manross."

More as the campaign season unfolds.


...The Club For Growth, an anti-government, pro-privatization, right-wing group, has endorsed David Schweikert in the CD5 Republican primary.

From The Politico, via CBS News -

“It is clear that David Schweikert is a tireless defender of taxpayers who will continue to fight for taxpayers in the U.S. Congress,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey in a statement.

It's interesting that CFG is endorsing a candidate before all likely candidates have had the opportunity to enter the race; maybe they're trying to change their recent spate of bad luck.

Also from the article -

The Club for Growth has been off to a slow start this election cycle, with two if its endorsed candidates losing in competitive GOP nomination battles.

In Ohio’s 5th District, Club-backed candidate state Sen. Steve Buehrer lost to state Rep. Bob Latta in this month’s GOP special election primary. And activist Paul Jost, who headed the Virginia chapter of the Club for Growth, narrowly lost the GOP nomination to succeed the late Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.) to state Del. Rob Wittman.

Umm, regarding the endorsement - *yawwwwn.*

Later!

Harry Mitchell's response to last night's drinking water contamination announcement

Quick update on last night's post concerning the announcement that one of the groundwater treatment stations in Scottsdale failed to do its job for eight days last month -

As expected, Ari Cohn of the EV Tribune did write a story about the meeting; the link is here.

A follow-up story, detailing the City of Scottsdale's assurances that the contaminated water was limited to a private water supply and never entered the city's water supply, is here.

Congressman Harry Mitchell and his office responded quickly, sending a letter to the administrator of the EPA expressing the Congressman's concerns and requesting a meeting to discuss the incident, its handling by the EPA, and what it says about the EPA's priorities.

The letter to the EPA administrator -

November 16, 2007

The Honorable Stephen L. Johnson
Administrator
Environment Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460

Dear Administrator Johnson:

I am deeply concerned about last night's disclosure by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that water from a Scottsdale Superfund site with nearly double the maximum legal limit of trichloroethylene (TCE), a suspected-cancer causing chemical, may have entered the city's drinking water supply for a period of eight days last month.

The disclosure raises serious questions, not only about the emission, but about why the public was not informed about it until weeks after the event. Notice after exposure is inadequate and unacceptable. When the safety of drinking water is put at risk, the public has a right to know.

At last evening's Community Involvement Group of the North Indian Bend Wash Superfund Site meeting, where the contamination levels were revealed, the information was delivered as a postscript, after several decidedly less important matters had been discussed. I hope this does not reflect the priority EPA assigns to potential exposure to TCE.

I would appreciate an opportunity to meet with you or a member of your regional staff at the earliest possible convenience.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Harry E. Mitchell
Member of Congress

OK, I'm going to sound like a partisan hack here (perhaps only because I am one :)) ), but does anyone think that if a corporatist like John Shadegg or Jeff Flake was the Congressman for south Scottsdale, that there would have been a response anywhere near this quick or constituent-centered?

With a couple of minor changes during the last redistricting cycle, Scottsdale would be inundated with press releases bemoaning how EPA regulations suppress profit, not expressing concern for the health hazards faced by the residents of the district.

Side note to the coverage of the meeting -

Read the Trib's coverage of the meeting at the links above, then read the AZ Republic's here.

The AZ Rep article at the link, credited to Diana Balazs, is actually a slight improvement over its original coverage, credited to "staff and wire reports."

"Staff and wire reports" was a euphemism for "we re-edited the Trib's story."

They've pulled that one off of their website, but the article left up is written in a "damn, were we caught with our pants down or what?" style - the Rep didn't have anyone at the meeting and their article consists of a quote from a press release from Arizona American Water and a rehash of the history of the North Indian Bend Wash Superfund site.

The once-mighty Arizona Republic scooped by the lowly Tribune? LOL.

Later!

If you visit Scottsdale, don't drink the water.

Edit on 1/17/2008 to add: For those readers looking for info on the January 2008 incident affecting drinking water in parts of Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, my post on that is here. That post includes links to news reports, the City of Scottsdale's press release on the subject (with a link to a map of the affected area, and a link to Arizona American Water's press release.

End edit...

Be warned, the following is a totally Scottsdale-centric post...

The post was almost titled "Want a sure way to tick people off? Mess with their drinking water..."


You know, tonight there were four events/meetings that I could have attended - three were a D17 Dems movie, a D8 Dems healthcare and legislation program, and a meeting of the Community Council of South Scottsdale. I chose the fourth, and am very glad that I did so.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about a then-upcoming EPA community involvement meeting concerning, among other things, a request by Motorola to remove carbon filters from a Superfund cleanup site in south Scottsdale.

That meeting was tonight.

First, the good news - in a decision that was just made this week, the EPA has decided not to allow Motorola to remove the carbon filters.

Now, the bad news - halfway through the meeting, it was announced that on October 15th and for a period of approximately 8 days total, there was an incident of "incomplete mediation" at the Miller Road Treatment Facility (located at approximately Miller Road and McDonald in Scottsdale).

"Incomplete mediation" is a euphemism for "the TCE in the water wasn't cleaned to federal clean water standards of 5 parts per billion (ppb)."

That announcement turned what had been an informative but peaceful meeting until that point into one filled with angry outbursts and recriminations. One common theme in the comments from the public was the lack of communication with the public about the problem. Most of the folks there were under the understanding that the general public would be notified of such issues within 24 - 72 hours.

The basic story, as explained in the meeting was this -

Last month, the operators of the treatment facility were inspecting the primary treatment tower at the facility in preparation for some preventative maintenance work next year, so the water flow was switched to another tower at the facility. The facility takes a sample each week and sends it out to a lab to be tested; on Monday, October 15, that weekly sample was taken from the output of the alternate tower.

A week later, the water flow was switched back to the main tower, before the sample results were returned.

Under normal conditions, that sample is tested on Monday of a given week with the results getting returned to the operator by Friday. Any abnormal/unacceptable results are then forwarded to the EPA and the public is notified.

However, that week, the lab that normally does the testing had an equipment problem and had to forward the sample to another lab. Those lab results were returned last Wednesday, the results were verified and with the holiday weekend and an EPA conference in the way, the pertinent EPA people weren't notified until yesterday.

The public received its notice at the meeting.

At one point, the local general manager for the operator, Arizona American Water, rose to state that while the water left the TCE treatment facility with higher than acceptable levels (9 ppb actual versus 5 ppb acceptable), the water was combined with other, already clean, water at an arsenic treatement facility and was hence diluted to acceptable levels before it entered the drinking water supply.


Needless to say, but no one at the meeting bought any of it - neither the excuses for the delay in public notification, nor the assurances that the water was safe anyway.


For the next 20 - 30 minutes, the presenters were faced with sharp questions and sharper comments (and at least one F-bomb) from the audience; most of the loudest complaints were with the lack of communication with the public, in regards to both this current incident and historically.

Finally, though, the organizers of the meeting, including Vicki Rosen of the EPA, were able to move the discussion onward to the rest of the agenda.

People were still a little ticked though. :))

When asked afterward, Dennis Shirley of Errol Montgomery and Associates, cleanup consultants to the parties responsible for the TCE contamination in the area - Motorola, Siemens, and GlaxoSmithKline) stated that he didn't know what the problem was with the alternate treatment tower and that the investigation was ongoing.

When he was asked how long before the results of that investigation would be known, he declined to be specific; when pressed, he said "probably before the end of the year."

These community involvement meeting are normally on an annual schedule, but many attendees, including me, asked/advised Ms. Rosen that perhaps one should be held sooner, perhaps when the facts about the "incomplete remediation" incident are gathered. She agreed, though one won't be held before the end of the year.

I'll update when the investigation results are available and/or a new meeting date is set.


The uproar over treatment facility failure overshadowed what was a very informative meeting. Besides the EPA, a number of government agencies were represented at the meeting, including the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), City of Scottsdale, and Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD).

BTW - for those of you familiar with Scottsdale, the North Indian Bend Wash Superfund site is roughly the area bordered by Pima Road on the east, Scottsdale Road on the west, Chaparral Road on the north and the Salt River on the south.

BTW2 - I live in the NIBW site. :(

I won't try to recap all of the information presented tonight (I couldn't even if I wanted to - I don't take notes fast enough to cover all of that material), but here are some informative links -

EPA's North Indian Bend Wash Superfund (NIBW) site info page

City of Scottsdale's NIBW page

A 2005 EPA-produced fact sheet here

A 1992 Phoenix New Times story on the whole issue here

A National Academies of Science report on the human health risks of TCE here (there are a *lot* of reports on this; just type "TCE" into any search engine)

Other notes from the meeting:

...Congressman Harry Mitchell's office was represented (not presenting, just observing) by Reed Adamson; don't be surprised if the Congressman weighs in on some of the issues aired tonight, such as the lack of public communication.

...Ari Cohn and a photographer from the East Valley Tribune (apologies to her for not getting her name) were also at the meeting; expect a more complete meeting recap, with pics, from the Trib on Friday or Saturday (depending on deadlines).

...Perhaps preparing for ongoing/impending litigation, Motorola had a camerman recording the meeting; perhaps not-so-coincidentally, Motorola's rep at the meeting, Terry Lockwood, was mostly silent.

Have a good weekend!