Many of the faux-Green candidates dropping

From the Arizona Capitol Times -

Less than a day after a federal judge said they had the right to stay on the ballot, three alleged “sham” Green Party candidates withdrew from their races.

 

Christopher Campbell, a Senate candidate in Legislative District 10, Clint Clement, a House candidate in Legislative District 17, and Ryan Blackman, a candidate in the 5th Congressional District, officially withdrew from their races the morning of Sept. 10, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

Three other faux-Greens had previously withdrawn (name and office [allegedly] sought):

• Matthew Shusta, LD23 State Senate
• Drew Blischak, LD20 State Representative
• Michelle Lochmann, Arizona Secretary of State

As near as I can tell, that leaves four suspect Green candidates still running - one each for Arizona State Treasurer and LD17 State Senator, and two for Arizona Corporation Commission.  Each has strong ties to one of the primary people behind the scheme, Steve May, a Republican candidate and operative.  In addition, they all share one PO box as a campaign committee address.

Even though the three mentioned in the Cap Times article have withdrawn from the race, the damage could be already done.  From later in the above-linked article -

Ironically, all three could still end up on the ballot. Maricopa County began printing ballots at 7 a.m., before the candidates withdrew. Depending on which district’s ballots were printed first, one or all of them could still be on the ballot, though votes for them in the November general election would not count, said Assistant Secretary of State Jim Drake.

 

“I can’t guarantee that they won’t be on the ballot,” Drake said.

Pardon my cynicism, but given the track record of Ken Bennett, I won't be surprised if the ballots of the affected districts were earmarked to be printed first, just in case one or some of the faux-Greens got cold feet.

Since I live in an area affected by the deception (LD17/CD5), I'll find out definitively in a few weeks when early ballots go out.

Either way it goes, I'll update at that time...

Rotellini skewers Horne during Attorney General debate

First, her opening statement -



The complete debate can be found here, courtesy KAET and Horizon.

My favorite line, and there were many good ones, came during Felecia Rotellini's opening statement:

"...look at our track record - I've prosecuted securities fraud, he's committed it..."

Personally, I think that sums up the choice for Arizona in the race - both are lawyers (Horne - private practice, Rotellini - assistant Attorney General in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions),  and both have headed state departments (Horne - Department of Education, Rotellini - Department of Financial Institutions). 

However, one has the tenacity, fairness, and integrity to do a job right, and one doesn't.

The whole debate is worth watching, and at a running time of a little more than 25 minutes, most folks can fit it into their schedules.

Later...

Crickets chirping

There's been a lot of bluster and name-calling from Republican candidates during this year's election season -

"Obamacare!"

"Immigrants!"

"Cut taxes!"

"Immigrants!!"

"Unions!"

"Immigrants!!!"

"Lather, Rinse, Repeat!"


Well, it turns out there is a quick and efficient way to get Republicans to shut up - challenge them to stand up and actually explain their positions civilly.


- Candidate for governor Terry Goddard has challenged Jan Brewer to a series of debates all over the state, but she has refused to participate in any more than the one that she was required to participate in as a condition of accepting Clean Elections funding.

She has refused to do so, but given her thorough faceplant of a performance in the CE debate, her reluctance in understandable.  Though not acceptable.

- Treasurer candidate Andrei Cherny has challenged Doug Ducey to a series of debates, but thus far, he has also declined to participate, perhaps out of fear that his financial misdeeds (here and here) would become a topic of discussion.

- Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick has challenged Republican nominee Paul Gosar to some debates, but the career dentist and tea party favorite is avoiding a direct confrontation with the incumbent in CD1.

- Jon Hulburd, the Democratic nominee in CD3, has challenged Ben "Dirty Scottsdale" Quayle to some debates, but apparently, the Republican nominee is hoping Daddy's name recognition and money connections will keep him from having to mount an actual campaign.

- CD2 Congressional candidate John Thrasher reports that Republican incumbent Trent Franks has agreed to a debate.  Just not to "minor" details like a place and a time...


In fact, the only R candidate who has accepted a debate challenge outside of one required by Clean Elections rules is John McCain, who will be debating Democratic challenger Rodney Glassman on September 26.

Other than that one example, however, the only sound one hears when the R candidates are challenged to put up or shut up is the sound of

Crickets chirping.

Fun with campaign signs - lessons not learned edition

A mere few weeks after the end of the primary season, one that saw a one of the far right's fair-haired sons (J.D. Hayworth) fall far short in his challenge to one of the far right's pet targets, John McCain.

The biggest reasons for Hayworth's failure were his glaring character defects and unsavory associations (such as with the Abramoff corruption scandal, "free government money" hucksterism, etc.).

...OK, and the fact that McCain could spend $20 million telling people about Hayworth's failings.  But I digress... :)

You'd think that other candidates, especially Republicans, would have learned the lesson.

For instance, David Schweikert, the R nominee in CD5, probably shouldn't be calling attention to his unsavory, even predatory, financial dealings by associating with other predatory financial players.

But he is...

Pic taken at a car title loan operation on the east side of Scottsdale Road, between Curry/Washington and Loop 202. (note: while the link above is to an article on the predatory nature of auto title loans, it isn't meant to state or even imply that this particular business at this particular location is a bad actor.  It may, in fact, be such, but I don't know that.  What I do know is that the industry *is* predatory, and this is part of a chain that has been involved in some shady activities.)

Just in case someone claims that the above photo is an optical illusion or something - the sign is clearly on the business' property.

I truly don't know if the sign was put up by a business owner/manager who wanted to enthusiastically express his support for Schweikert, or if one of the Schweikert campaign's hired hands thought this would be a good place for a sign.

Either way, though, it illustrates the tin ear shown by Schweikert toward the economically stricken district and state.  As bad as the economy has become, as slow as it has been to recover, as much as families are hurting, Schweikert would rather support and be supported by the same sort of people who helped to crash the economy. 

And who profit from the agony that they've caused.

Obnoxious speech is also free speech

Regarding the Florida pastor (of a "flock" of 50 or so) who has grabbed nationwide and even worldwide over his plans to burn copies of the Quran this weekend:

There are worries that the planned book-burning could incite more violence against Americans abroad (both military and civilian), but let's be honest here - the sort of people who will judge all Americans by the worst example of one are the sort of people who don't really need an excuse to hate.
In other words, people who are non-American versions of this pastor.


Bottom line regarding what the pastor is threatening to do:


It's reprehensible, hateful, ignorant, spiteful and worse.

It's also free speech.

Attorney General Debate Tonight

From the Arizona Capitol Times -

A debate scheduled Wednesday evening between candidates for state attorney general is still on though it no longer is sponsored by the state’s public campaign finance system.

Since both candidates, Democrat Felecia Rotellini and Republican Tom Horne, are utilizing "traditional" campaign financing, the debate isn't sponsored by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission.  Hence the reason that I missed this one when in the post earlier this week listing debates and events (it wasn't on CE's list of debates.)

The debate will air at 7 tonight on KAET (PBS 8).

Candidate appearances this week: Mine Inspector edition

Earlier this week, I sent an email to the various Democratic campaigns for statewide offices, offering to post their candidates' appearances for the upcoming week. 

The first to respond was the campaign for Manny Cruz, Democratic nominee for State Mine Inspector.  Here's the list of public events:


Wednesday 9/8 - Yuma Democratic HQ Grand Opening - 6 to 9pm - 2450 S. 4th Ave. #15, ground level, Crescent Center, Yuma, AZ



Saturday 9/11 - Navajo Nation Parade - Window Rock, AZ - 9am to 1pm


Other stops in Manny's quest to become Arizona State Mine Inspector can be found here, on his campaign website's calendar page (caveat: some of the events listed there may not be open to the public, such as the Mine Safety Professionals' meeting).

Later...

Oopsie - Maricopa County Board of Supervisors meeting to correct "official" primary results

Given recent developments, it isn't a surprise that this involves a Green write-in candidate, but thus far this appears to be less "targeted fraud" and more "general screwup."  I'll update if that changes.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors have called an "emergency" meeting for Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m.  They've posted a one-item agenda.

That item:

Amend the official canvass of the August 24, 2010 Primary Election regarding Green Party candidate, Deborah Odowd -- candidate for State Representative, Legislative District 6. The write in vote for Deborah Odowd should be recorded in Legislative District 6, not in Legislative District 17 as initially reported. The official canvass will be amended to include the following correction: "2010 Primary Election Official Write In Results for the Green Party in Legislative District 6, State Representative: ODOWD, DEBORAH, 1 vote."

Note: I've left the incorrect spelling of O'Dowd's name intact (it's capital "O", apostrophe, capital "D", not the way that they have spelled it).

The most recent list of write-in results is here (courtesy the Maricopa County Recorder's Office).  The list reflect's O'Dowd's single write-in vote in LD6, but it was last updated on September 3.

The incorrect original canvass was approved unanimously by the Board on September 1, hence the need for Tuesday's emergency meeting.

Note2: There is a special meeting of the MCBOS scheduled for Wednesday, but no agenda has been posted as yet.

New Brewer video parody from the Arizona Democratic Party

It's based on the movie 28 Days Later, a movie characterized as "a terrifying zombie movie and a sharp political allegory."

The movie was frightening, and so is this video. 

The movie was frightening for its harrowing depiction of "what could be."

The video is frightening because it is so close "what is" the harrowing reality in Arizona.

AZGOP/Green candidate scandal coverage goes national

...It's made it all the way to the east coast now, and not in just a weekly or suburban daily that no one outside of its base market reads.

From the New York Times -

Benjamin Pearcy, a candidate for statewide office in Arizona, lists his campaign office as a Starbucks. The small business he refers to in his campaign statement is him strumming his guitar on the street. The internal debate he is having in advance of his coming televised debate is whether he ought to gel his hair into his trademark faux Mohawk.

{snip}

Mr. Pearcy and other drifters and homeless people were recruited onto the Green Party ballot by a Republican political operative who freely admits that their candidacies may siphon some support from the Democrats.

{snip}

...Steve May, the Republican operative who signed up some of the candidates along Mill Avenue, a bohemian commercial strip next to Arizona State University, insists that a real political movement has been stirred up that has nothing to do with subterfuge.


“Did I recruit candidates? Yes,” said Mr. May, who is himself a candidate for the State Legislature, on the Republican ticket. “Are they fake candidates? No way.”

Mr. May can insist from now until November that the "candidates" that he recruited are real, but they didn't even vote for themselves.

The article contains a number of pictures of May and the faux-Green candidates together along Mill Ave. in Tempe.  Here's a pic of May and one of the candidates, Anthony "Grandpa" Goshorn, from last week's LD17 Clean Elections debate.  Goshorn was scheduled to appear during the Senate half of the debate, but he declined to do so, because according to the NYT article, he felt a "bad vibe."

Pic below of Goshorn (left) and May, from the night of the debate.

Later...

When is age a factor in a candidate's viability? If you ask Republicans, only when the candidate is a Democrat

Has Greg Patterson of Espresso Pundit started working directly for the Schweikert campaign (if he has, it's not obvious from the campaign's most recent filings with the FEC)?  Or has he chosen to turn his blog into a Schweikert campaign press release outlet? 

I, and most Democratic bloggers, for that matter, happily republish campaign press releases, but when I do so, I always clearly identify them as such.

Patterson never publishes such a disclaimer.

Earlier this week, he published a post declaring the race over in CD5 based on the results of what was essentially a third party-funded internal poll.  This suspect poll declared Schweikert ahead in the race by 5 percentage points.  Patterson focused only on the percentages, not the questionable methodology of the company that conducted the poll.

He also rather blithely ignored the fact that in late October 2006, a SurveyUSA poll showed then-Congressman JD Hayworth ahead of Mitchell by three percentage points.

Mitchell ended up winning the race by slighly more than 8000 votes.

He backed that one up with a post published on Sunday.  Perhaps he was simply regurgitating Schweikert campaign's wishful thinking, or perhaps he is doing his part to add a little reality to some of the lies that the Rs spewed about health care reform last year, but he took the initiative to become a self-designated "death panel."

He placed a "Do Not Resuscitate" directive on Harry Mitchell and his political career.

His primary concern was Harry's age, 70.

Perhaps Patterson *is* correct in his insinuation, and Mitchell is too old for public service, but then that would then bring up another point -

Harry Mitchell, date of birth: July 18, 1940

John McCain, date of birth: August 29, 1936

Guess which one is running for a six-year term, and which one is running for a two-year term?

For the week of September 6, 2010: Upcoming debates

From the website of the Citizens Clean Elections Commission (note: there aren't any CCEC debates for statewide candidates scheuled for this week) -

District 06

September 07, 2010
Candidate Debate
6:00 PM
Hilton Garden Inn
1940 E Pinnacle Peak Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85027


District 16

September 08, 2010
Candidate Debate
6:30 PM
ASU Mercado
Room C145
502 E Monroe Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004



District 15

September 09, 2010
Candidate Debate
6:00 PM
Radisson City Central
3600 N 2nd Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85013


District 27

September 09, 2010
Candidate Debate
6:00 PM
Pima Community College
West Campus Student Lounge
2202 W Anklam Rd
Tucson, AZ


And for a non-Clean Elections legislative debate

District 8

September 7. 2010
Scottsdale Republic candidate debate
6:00 p.m.
City Hall Kiva
3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ


And for a non-legislative debate

Scottsdale City Council candidate forum
McDowell Sonoran Conservancy
September 8, 2010
7:00 p.m.
Granite Reef Senior Center
1700 N. Granite Reef Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ

Later...

About the recent CD5 poll numbers (and CD1 and CD8)

Serving to fill in the deafening silence from the RW blogs (zero posts and counting so far) regarding Jan Brewer's performance has been the recently released poll numbers purporting to show that the R candidates in CDs 1, 5, and 8 are head of or tied with the Democratic incumbents in those districts.

What the R blogs haven't mentioned in their crowing about the poll are the partisan biases of the groups behind the poll.

The poll was commissioned by a 501c(4) group called the American Action Network (AAN).  It's part of an organization of different groups created to serve as a Republican advocacy effort "independent" of the Republican Party in its quest to regain control of the federal government.

Among those involved with AAN -

Rob Collins, president of AAN, and former chief of staff to Eric Cantor, Minority Whip in the U.S. House of Representatives

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of American Action Forum (one of the related groups mentioned above) was a senior adviser to John McCain during his unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign

Norm Coleman, CEO of AAN, a Republican former U.S. Senator (lost to Al Franken.  YES!)

Fred Malek, an AAN board member, was a Nixon administration operative who has become a big fundraiser for the Republican party (and John McCain)

Haley Barbour, an AAN board member, is the Republican Governor of Mississippi and head of the Republican Governors Association

The polling was conducted  by the firm Ayers McHenry, a company that openly, even proudly, proclaims that it is partisan and supportive of Republican candidates and causes.  Not that reading their website's list of clients isn't a dead giveaway.

The polling data has been released through AAN's affiliate group, American Action Forum (AAF).

I'm not qualified to discuss the technical aspects of the way that the poll was conducted, but there seem to be issues with the methodology of the poll - a small sample size, a universe that seems to be skewed toward self-identified conservatives out of proportion to their presence in the population as a whole, and questions, that if not quite of "push poll" quality, definitely look to be designed to elicit certain desired responses.

All of which serve to undermine the credibility of the results, making it seem likely that the "poll" is less "scientific research" and more "messaging research" or even "wishful thinking."

At best, this should be considered to be a third party-funded "internal poll."  As the Parraz campaign (and I) learned in the just-completed primary cycle, internal polls have a tendency to match the spin that is placed on them and not to reflect real sentiment.

To be sure, the Democrats in question - Ann Kirkpatrick (CD1), Gabrielle Giffords (CD8), and Harry Mitchell (CD5) - have tough races ahead of them.

Giffords and Mitchell both face significant Republican registration advantages in their districts (~18K in CD8, ~ 40K in CD5).  Kirkpatrick has a Democratic advantage (~ 20K) to work with in CD1, but her district is heavily rural and as recently as 2006 elected a [corrupt] Republican (Rick Renzi).  It's a district that has been able to elect conservative Democrat Jack Brown and (relatively) moderate Republican Bill Konopnicki to the Arizona House of Representatives (LD5, each).

In short, all three knew early on, even before their first races for the seats in Congress that they now occupy, that they would *never* have easy paths to reelection, and have been running intelligent, energetic campaigns ever since.

Caveat:  I have volunteered for the Mitchell campaign in the recent past, and will again in the near future.

When more reputable and independent polling organizations, such as Gallup or Behavior Research Center (aka - Rocky Mountain Polls), weigh in on AZ's congressional races, those results will have much more credibility than a glorified internal poll.

"Gee, ya think?" headline of the day

After spending the last two days running from journalists and serving as the target of national ridicule for her performance during the Clean Elections debate on Wednesday, Jan Brewer has finally come clean about her oft-repeated claim that there were headless bodies in the Arizona desert.

From the Arizona Republic -

Brewer says she was wrong about beheadings

Now, lest a reader think that she issued a full "mea culpa" over her repeated attempts at fearmongering, here's the money quote -

"That was an error, if I said that," Brewer said about beheadings occurring in Arizona.

"If"?!?

Here's the vid -



The relevent spouting starts at around the 37 second mark.

In her statement, she claimed to be pointing out that there was violence across the border with Mexico that could spill over and didn't mean that there was any in Arizona.

Read the article, and watch the interview she gave to Fox News.  She was completely unequivocal when she claimed that there were headless bodies found in Arizona.

Vote for Terry Goddard for Governor.

In case anyone has did forget

New pic of the day...hell...new pic for the next two months -