Charlotte: People, and rain, everywhere

The second dispatch from Jerry Gettinger, our correspondent at the DNC -

Charlotte, North Carolina is a Jewel! 

 

The city is not large and the result of that is one might call this beautiful town “Democracyville.” Downtown, which the natives call ”uptown”, is literally swarming with Democrats. 

 

Add demonstrators, (both for and against any and everything), police and security that makes the most stringent airport look unmanned, and the media, and the result is a carnival atmosphere. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is very friendly and anxious to have us all feel welcome and comfortable. It appears that the convention attendees have joined into the festivities which can only be described as one big family reunion. It puts me in mind of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. All that is needed is decorated floats and streamers. Just amazing.

I have to spend a few minutes talking about the security. One report on the local news said that 10,000 extra police have been brought in. I believe it. Every street bordering the Time Warner Cable Center has been closed and the various delivery vehicles are subject to intense and complete scrutiny. Every building uptown has several guards and they mean business. I overheard one exchange between a TV announcer and a guard. The guard said “if you want to push it I can push too. But I guarantee I will push a hell of a lot harder than you.” The TV announcer didn’t argue. A wise choice.

Inside the center, the entire scenario that was taking place outside was continuing inside. It was wall to wall people everywhere. I estimate that there were two members of the press for every attendee.

 

The carnival atmosphere was just exciting and overwhelming all at once. A great people-watching place. The surprising and enjoyable part is that the majority of people were smiling. Wow. As you can imagine, the lines to the concessions were huge. They moved fast, but they were still long. I had gotten up from my seat to get a bottle of water for a friend who was handicapped and myself. I stopped a guide to ask if there were any stand s in other parts of the center since the closest one was inundated. A young woman overheard me talking, put her hand on my shoulder and bid me to follow her. She said that she had water in the refrigerator. I wasn’t quite sure what she meant, but it couldn’t be worse than waiting in line. It turned out she worked at a souvenir stand. She grabbed two bottles of water from the cooler and handed them to me. I offered her a fiver. She waived her hand and said it was a gift. Amazing.

It has rained every day. More later.

 

 

 

Michelle Obama: First Lady, and first class orator

It turns out that beside being married to the man who is arguably the greatest orator of his generation, Michelle Obama is pretty good at speechifying herself.

I'd say "who knew?", but anybody who watched her in action in 2008 knew it already. 

There were several "good" speeches tonight at the Democratic Convention.  However, tonight's speech by the First Lady, closing the first night of the Democratic National Convention, brought down the house.  When I can find a video archive of the speech, I will link to it here (courtesy Politico), but for now, here is the text of the speech, as prepared for delivery -

Thank you so much, Elaine...we are so grateful for your family's service and sacrifice...and we will always have your back.

Over the past few years as First Lady, I have had the extraordinary privilege of traveling all across this country.

And everywhere I've gone, in the people I've met, and the stories I've heard, I have seen the very best of the American spirit.

I have seen it in the incredible kindness and warmth that people have shown me and my family, especially our girls.

I've seen it in teachers in a near-bankrupt school district who vowed to keep teaching without pay.

I've seen it in people who become heroes at a moment's notice, diving into harm's way to save others...flying across the country to put out a fire...driving for hours to bail out a flooded town.

And I've seen it in our men and women in uniform and our proud military families...in wounded warriors who tell me they're not just going to walk again, they're going to run, and they're going to run marathons...in the young man blinded by a bomb in Afghanistan who said, simply, "...I'd give my eyes 100 times again to have the chance to do what I have done and what I can still do."

Every day, the people I meet inspire me...every day, they make me proud...every day they remind me how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on earth.

Serving as your First Lady is an honor and a privilege...but back when we first came together four years ago, I still had some concerns about this journey we'd begun.

While I believed deeply in my husband's vision for this country...and I was certain he would make an extraordinary President...like any mother, I was worried about what it would mean for our girls if he got that chance.

How would we keep them grounded under the glare of the national spotlight?

How would they feel being uprooted from their school, their friends, and the only home they'd ever known?

Our life before moving to Washington was filled with simple joys...Saturdays at soccer games, Sundays at grandma's house...and a date night for Barack and me was either dinner or a movie, because as an exhausted mom, I couldn't stay awake for both.

And the truth is, I loved the life we had built for our girls...I deeply loved the man I had built that life with...and I didn't want that to change if he became President.

I loved Barack just the way he was.

You see, even though back then Barack was a Senator and a presidential candidate...to me, he was still the guy who'd picked me up for our dates in a car that was so rusted out, I could actually see the pavement going by through a hole in the passenger side door...he was the guy whose proudest possession was a coffee table he'd found in a dumpster, and whose only pair of decent shoes was half a size too small.

But when Barack started telling me about his family - that's when I knew I had found a kindred spirit, someone whose values and upbringing were so much like mine.

You see, Barack and I were both raised by families who didn't have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable - their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.

My father was a pump operator at the city water plant, and he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when my brother and I were young.

And even as a kid, I knew there were plenty of days when he was in pain...I knew there were plenty of mornings when it was a struggle for him to simply get out of bed.

But every morning, I watched my father wake up with a smile, grab his walker, prop himself up against the bathroom sink, and slowly shave and button his uniform.

And when he returned home after a long day's work, my brother and I would stand at the top of the stairs to our little apartment, patiently waiting to greet him...watching as he reached down to lift one leg, and then the other, to slowly climb his way into our arms.

But despite these challenges, my dad hardly ever missed a day of work...he and my mom were determined to give me and my brother the kind of education they could only dream of.

And when my brother and I finally made it to college, nearly all of our tuition came from student loans and grants.

But my dad still had to pay a tiny portion of that tuition himself.

And every semester, he was determined to pay that bill right on time, even taking out loans when he fell short.

He was so proud to be sending his kids to college...and he made sure we never missed a registration deadline because his check was late.

You see, for my dad, that's what it meant to be a man.

Like so many of us, that was the measure of his success in life - being able to earn a decent living that allowed him to support his family.

And as I got to know Barack, I realized that even though he'd grown up all the way across the country, he'd been brought up just like me.

Barack was raised by a single mother who struggled to pay the bills, and by grandparents who stepped in when she needed help.

Barack's grandmother started out as a secretary at a community bank...and she moved quickly up the ranks...but like so many women, she hit a glass ceiling.

And for years, men no more qualified than she was - men she had actually trained - were promoted up the ladder ahead of her, earning more and more money while Barack's family continued to scrape by.

But day after day, she kept on waking up at dawn to catch the bus...arriving at work before anyone else...giving her best without complaint or regret.

 

And she would often tell Barack, "So long as you kids do well, Bar, that's all that really matters."

Like so many American families, our families weren't asking for much.

They didn't begrudge anyone else's success or care that others had much more than they did...in fact, they admired it.

They simply believed in that fundamental American promise that, even if you don't start out with much, if you work hard and do what you're supposed to do, then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and grandkids.

That's how they raised us...that's what we learned from their example.

We learned about dignity and decency - that how hard you work matters more than how much you make...that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.

We learned about honesty and integrity - that the truth matters...that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules...and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square.

We learned about gratitude and humility - that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean...and we were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect.

Those are the values Barack and I - and so many of you - are trying to pass on to our own children.

That's who we are.

And standing before you four years ago, I knew that I didn't want any of that to change if Barack became President.

Well, today, after so many struggles and triumphs and moments that have tested my husband in ways I never could have imagined, I have seen firsthand that being president doesn't change who you are - it reveals who you are.

You see, I've gotten to see up close and personal what being president really looks like.

And I've seen how the issues that come across a President's desk are always the hard ones - the problems where no amount of data or numbers will get you to the right answer...the judgment calls where the stakes are so high, and there is no margin for error.

And as President, you can get all kinds of advice from all kinds of people.

But at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as President, all you have to guide you are your values, and your vision, and the life experiences that make you who you are.

So when it comes to rebuilding our economy, Barack is thinking about folks like my dad and like his grandmother.

He's thinking about the pride that comes from a hard day's work.

That's why he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for equal work.

That's why he cut taxes for working families and small businesses and fought to get the auto industry back on its feet.

That's how he brought our economy from the brink of collapse to creating jobs again - jobs you can raise a family on, good jobs right here in the United States of America.

When it comes to the health of our families, Barack refused to listen to all those folks who told him to leave health reform for another day, another president.

He didn't care whether it was the easy thing to do politically - that's not how he was raised - he cared that it was the right thing to do.

He did it because he believes that here in America, our grandparents should be able to afford their medicine...our kids should be able to see a doctor when they're sick...and no one in this country should ever go broke because of an accident or illness.

And he believes that women are more than capable of making our own choices about our bodies and our health care...that's what my husband stands for.

When it comes to giving our kids the education they deserve, Barack knows that like me and like so many of you, he never could've attended college without financial aid.

And believe it or not, when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage.

We were so young, so in love, and so in debt.

That's why Barack has fought so hard to increase student aid and keep interest rates down, because he wants every young person to fulfill their promise and be able to attend college without a mountain of debt.

So in the end, for Barack, these issues aren't political - they're personal.

Because Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.

He knows what it means to want something more for your kids and grandkids.

Barack knows the American Dream because he's lived it...and he wants everyone in this country to have that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or where we're from, or what we look like, or who we love.

And he believes that when you've worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity...you do not slam it shut behind you...you reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.

So when people ask me whether being in the White House has changed my husband, I can honestly say that when it comes to his character, and his convictions, and his heart, Barack Obama is still the same man I fell in love with all those years ago.

He's the same man who started his career by turning down high paying jobs and instead working in struggling neighborhoods where a steel plant had shut down, fighting to rebuild those communities and get folks back to work...because for Barack, success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives.

He's the same man who, when our girls were first born, would anxiously check their cribs every few minutes to ensure they were still breathing, proudly showing them off to everyone we knew. 

That's the man who sits down with me and our girls for dinner nearly every night, patiently answering their questions about issues in the news, and strategizing about middle school friendships.

That's the man I see in those quiet moments late at night, hunched over his desk, poring over the letters people have sent him.

The letter from the father struggling to pay his bills...from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won't cover her care...from the young person with so much promise but so few opportunities.

I see the concern in his eyes...and I hear the determination in his voice as he tells me, "You won't believe what these folks are going through, Michelle...it's not right. We've got to keep working to fix this. We've got so much more to do."

I see how those stories - our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams - I see how that's what drives Barack Obama every single day.

And I didn't think it was possible, but today, I love my husband even more than I did four years ago...even more than I did 23 years ago, when we first met.

I love that he's never forgotten how he started.

I love that we can trust Barack to do what he says he's going to do, even when it's hard - especially when it's hard.

I love that for Barack, there is no such thing as "us" and "them" - he doesn't care whether you're a Democrat, a Republican, or none of the above...he knows that we all love our country...and he's always ready to listen to good ideas...he's always looking for the very best in everyone he meets.

And I love that even in the toughest moments, when we're all sweating it - when we're worried that the bill won't pass, and it seems like all is lost - Barack never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise.

Just like his grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward...with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace.

And he reminds me that we are playing a long game here...and that change is hard, and change is slow, and it never happens all at once.

But eventually we get there, we always do.

We get there because of folks like my Dad...folks like Barack's grandmother...men and women who said to themselves, "I may not have a chance to fulfill my dreams, but maybe my children will...maybe my grandchildren will."

So many of us stand here tonight because of their sacrifice, and longing, and steadfast love...because time and again, they swallowed their fears and doubts and did what was hard.

So today, when the challenges we face start to seem overwhelming - or even impossible - let us never forget that doing the impossible is the history of this nation...it's who we are as Americans...it's how this country was built.

And if our parents and grandparents could toil and struggle for us...if they could raise beams of steel to the sky, send a man to the moon, and connect the world with the touch of a button...then surely we can keep on sacrificing and building for our own kids and grandkids.

And if so many brave men and women could wear our country's uniform and sacrifice their lives for our most fundamental rights...then surely we can do our part as citizens of this great democracy to exercise those rights...surely, we can get to the polls and make our voices heard on Election Day.

If farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire...if immigrants could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores...if women could be dragged to jail for seeking the vote...if a generation could defeat a depression, and define greatness for all time...if a young preacher could lift us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream...and if proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love...then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great American Dream.

Because in the end, more than anything else, that is the story of this country - the story of unwavering hope grounded in unyielding struggle.

That is what has made my story, and Barack's story, and so many other American stories possible.

And I say all of this tonight not just as First Lady...and not just as a wife.

You see, at the end of the day, my most important title is still "mom-in-chief."

My daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world.

But today, I have none of those worries from four years ago about whether Barack and I were doing what's best for our girls.

Because today, I know from experience that if I truly want to leave a better world for my daughters, and all our sons and daughters...if we want to give all our children a foundation for their dreams and opportunities worthy of their promise...if we want to give them that sense of limitless possibility - that belief that here in America, there is always something better out there if you're willing to work for it...then we must work like never before...and we must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country forward...my husband, our President, President Barack Obama.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

And it's only the first night... :)))

The Republicans like to chirp about "voter fraud". What's their stance on "candidate fraud"?

Republicans all over the country have been crying wolf voter fraud to rationalize their efforts to suppress the voting rights of minorities.  The fact that the number of cases is actually miniscule is irrelevent.  They aren't trying to address the alleged problem that they are citing.

They're trying to make voting more difficult for eligible voters from groups that tend to support Democratic candidates, namely the poor and minorities.

One thing that they haven't been crying about is candidate fraud.

To whit, from the Arizona Capitol Times, written by Hank Stephenson -

Political newcomer Darin Mitchell defeated an incumbent legislator in the Aug. 28 primary election, but it appears he never should have been on the ballot because he lives in a home outside Legislative District 13.

 

Mitchell claimed in a sworn affidavit that he lives in a 3,600-square-foot home on a golf course in Litchfield Park. In reality, the home is vacant, with mattresses covering the front windows, a construction dumpster in the driveway and construction permits taped to the window. Neighbors say the house has been empty for at least a year, and a contractor working on the home confirmed nobody lives there.

Oopsie.

In 2010, a Republican attempted a similar stunt, trying to run for a legislative seat in District 17 (central and north Tempe and south Scottsdale) while living in District 20 (south Tempe, Ahwatukee, and a bit of Chandler).  One of the then-vice chairs of the AZGOP, Augustus Shaw, lived in south Tempe with his wife and family, but claimed that he actually resided in the home of his in-laws in central Tempe.

When called on it, he claimed that he did it for his autistic son.

Yeah, I know what you are thinking, and the judge didn't buy it either.  Shaw was thrown off of the ballot.

On the bright side, however, at least Shaw actually picked an address where people lived; apparently, Darin Mitchell has couldn't be bothered to put in that much research time, and picked a nearly uninhabitable structure for his address.

One would think that they would have learned the lesson from 2010, but apparently, one would think wrong.

It remains to be seen how this will play out, but whatever else happens, don't expect Mitchell to face criminal charges - the Arizona Attorney General and Arizona Secretary of State, people who might be expected to weigh on criminal proceedings in matters like this, are Republicans who are known for placing a higher value on partisan affiliation than on the law.

Arrival

The first missive from Jerry Gettinger, a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.  Jerry has graciously agreed to send nightly updates on his experience at the convention, and he has done so. 

Unfortunately, he sent the updates to an email address that I don't check more than once every few days, and I was oblivious to the fact that he is most familiar with that address.

I received this message on 9/3/2012, but did not post it until 9/5.  It has been backdated to reflect the time that it should have been posted.

My apologies to readers and to Jerry for the screw-up.

On to the post (it's a brief one) -

Jerry Gettinger.  Pic courtesy Jerry.

Sept 3.

We are here. The day was long, as was the trip. But we made it and, miracles do happen, my bags made it through Chicago. It took 2 hours to travel from the airport to the hotel. Part of that was waiting for the shuttle. But everyone has been extra and that counts for a lot. Oh indecently, it rained or better yet, I would describe it as a downpour. The hotel is very nice with a welcome that indicates we have rented the entire hotel. (I will have photos tomorrow) Tomorrow is breakfast for the Delegation and Governor Brian Schweitzer, Mayor Greg Stanton and Jonathan del Arco speaking. Then on to “uptown” which is what they call downtown. Tomorrow night the business end of the gathering starts. Speakers will be president Jimmy Carter, first lady Michele Obama and keynote speaker, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro. (Everybody who is anybody gets to make a speech. That is, as long as they are Democrats)

By the way, the hotel is in a town called Ardsley. A new suburb built to look like a well-aged towne (notice the “e”). It’s very pretty and very new south.

Until the morrow,

Jerry

Short Attention Span Musing

...Just a few things to think about on this, Labor Day 2012...

...Thank you unions for all the hard work, sweat, and sacrifice needed to get things like bans on child labor, overtime, sick time, vacations, holidays, safe working conditions, and more made a standard part of American culture.

While I've summed up their contributions in a single sentence, that's because there just aren't enough words in the English language to pay proper homage to those that truly deserve the title of "hero".


...During the Republican primary, Mitt Romney famously declared that he "likes firing people". 

Well, my guess is that he is going to particularly enjoy firing the political consultants who stage-managed last week's Republican convention in Tampa, whoever they might be.

Not because his acceptance speech hasn't been well-received, nor has he received the traditional post-convention "bounce" in public opinion polls.

Nope.  The managers of the show called the Republican National Convention (and yes, the Democratic Convention will be just as tightly-plotted and controlled) allowed their boss to be upstaged by an old guy talking to a chair.

On national television.

On the biggest night of his political life.

Probably not the sort of epic failure that any political operative wants on his/her resume.


...One of the big media memes today was the question "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" 

First made famous more than three decades ago by Republican Ronald Reagan while he was campaigning for president against Democrat Jimmy Carter, the Republicans have started trotting it out against President Obama.  Mostly in hopes that the American people have forgotten who actually presided over the cratering of America's economy.  They haven't.

The Republicans reacted with glee, however, when MD Governor Martin O'Malley and a couple of other Obama surrogates fumbled when faced with that question.

Well, let me be unequivocal -

I, and we, are better off today than four years ago.

While the economy is far from perfect, four years ago, the reality was poor and the outlook worse, with no end (recovery) in sight.  An Arizona-focused report on the economy, courtesy the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) is here. 

Today, the recovery is ongoing, even if stunted somewhat by Republican obstructionism in DC and elsewhere. 

The best chart in support of that is this one, courtesy The Maddow Blog -

...Maybe America's unemployed and underemployed should follow the lead of one of the Republican Party's standard-bearers and just "massage" their resumes. 

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer -

Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan has been described as dazzling, but several fact checkers say his words aren’t exactly that.

 

After his convention speech Thursday, a Fox News writer described it as deceiving and distracting. A Mitt Romney pollster, Neil Newhouse, told buzzfeed.com “we’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers.”

 

{snip}

 

In a radio interview last week with conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt, Ryan said his personal best time for 26.2 miles was “Under three [hours], high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something.”

 

{snip]

 

Turns out Ryan didn’t come anywhere close to the 3-hour mark in his only marathon, according to Runner’s World, who looked into his bogus claim.

Based on Ryan's habitual lying and his continued veneration by the R establishment, I should be able to claim that I was there taking pictures when the late Neil Armstong walked on the moon in 1969, and be able to do so without repercussion, right?

I mean, I was all of three years old when Armstrong made his historic walk, but that just means that I was a prodigy, right?*

Armstrong on the moon.  Pic courtesy NASA.

* In case you couldn't tell, I did NOT take pictures on the moon, in 1969 or any other year.  Us writer-types have an arrow in our literary quiver called "hyperbole."  I used it here.

Not registered to vote yet? This will help...

The Obama campaign has release an application that will help people from all over the country register to vote.  It contains code that can be embedded in a web page, and has been added at the bottom of this blog's main page. 

It looks like this -




I can't speak for other states, but here in Arizona, the deadline to register to vote in the November 2012 election is October 9, 2012.

The Immigrant Problem

From Jerry Gettinger, friend and friend of the blog...and correspondent from next week's Democratic National Convention in Charlotte :) .  He wrote the following as a "My Turn" column and submitted it to the Arizona Republic, which published it in one of their print editions.  Since the Republic isn't publishing those columns online right now, he sent it here.

I have thought long and hard, and yet, I cannot understand what the problem some have with immigrants. Sure, I have heard all the standard reasons immigrants (legal and otherwise) are a problem. But when I go into the details of each reason, the reason doesn’t hold. I have been told that the crime rate is higher in areas where there are many immigrants (legal or otherwise), but the statistics say otherwise. Some elected officials cite the danger of immigrants and their propensity to commit illegal acts. However, the crime rate is no greater among immigrants than native born. I suspect that immigrants are used to scare residents gaining reelection. Incidentally, that tactic is as old as the United States. During the mass immigration of the late 1800’s there were leaflets warning citizens about people from Eastern Europe who were likely to “steal or commit other heinous crimes.” In many cases the flyers were referring to our relatives. How soon we forget!
 

There are those who insist that immigrants take jobs away from “law abiding citizens.” I may have looked in the wrong lot, but I haven’t seen many “law abiding” citizens looking for day jobs. Granted, there have been immigrants who have contributed ability and knowledge to a profession. Albert Einstein comes to mind. His knowledge helped populate NASA, which incidentally had several newly immigrants in its employee ranks. They became citizens with the stroke of the president’s pen. True. Look it up. Several of the scientists who developed the V2 rocket became citizens because of their knowledge. The fact that they were responsible for many deaths during WW2 was overlooked. (We sometimes come to conclusions based on the reality of need rather than morality). 
 

At this juncture I still cannot find out what the “immigrant problem” is. I know there are some who have offered conclusions, but to no avail. A man named Plumber Joe wants to build a high fence and shoot anyone who climbs it. That solution really doesn’t appeal to me. I would imagine the law (if implemented) would have to be evenly applied. I just don’t see shooting an older man with bushy white hair as he walked off a boat. Another interesting point I discovered. The immigrant problem changes identities as one changes location. It’s Asian In nature in parts of California, It was Irish and Italian on the East Coast, and there were times in New York City that everyone was against everyone. I suspect that some who profess to be “anti-immigrant” are actually racially motivated. The color of one’s skin seems to be important to many. Much to my surprise I discovered the second greatest number of “illegal immigrants” is the Irish. I don’t hear about Plumber Joe wanting to shoot them as they overstay their visit with their relatives.
 

Our country’s history is one of taking in people and patiently observing their assimilation. The Vietnamese boat people are a good example. Their children are grown and many are contributing. To see the number of “dream” youth who want the chance to be part of our country’s achievements makes me proud. I don’t hear of anyone lining up to be a citizen of Azerbaijan or the like. So Governor, instead of putting roadblocks in the path of the “Dream “people, how about helping them. The impressive contributions immigrants have made in every aspect of our country cry out for a positive resolution. Educate, employ and train is the solution. Sheriff Joe, Gov. and even Plumber Joe would benefit. Jonas Salk’s family immigrated.
 

Jerry Gettinger

Fun with campaign signs, part III

In the race for LD24, the Republican candidates are using these signs -

Ummm..."voteAuggie.com" isn't going to be listed as a candidate on any ballot.  Kind of defeats the purpose of paying for and putting up signs, which are all about pumping up name recognition. 

Now, if instead of pushing a candidate for office, it was about pushing the sale of mattresses or audio equipment out of the back of a truck, maybe the sign would be more effective.

Just sayin'...

The 2012 primaries: one major disappointment, a minor one, but otherwise, no real surprises

Tuesday's primaries are over, and the post-game analysis is in full swing.  As I wasn't able to live blog the results last night due to being otherwise occupied (at David Schapira's election night gathering in Tempe.  Hard to type when it is too dark to see the keyboard... :) ).

There were a couple of disappointments, but the only surprises Tuesday were in margins of victory (or loss, depending on your perspective), not in end results.

First, the disappointments -

- The biggest disappointment of the evening was, of course, David Schapira's second place finish, behind Kyrsten Sinema, in the Democratic primary in CD9.  He ran a positive and energetic campaign, earned the respect of many people who had never heard of him before this campaign (and reinforced the respect of the many people who *had* heard of him), and has a bright future despite this one loss, the first in his electoral career.

- A minor disappointment, but not a surprise, was the ability of LD23 R state reps John Kavanagh and Michelle Ugenti to fend off the challenge of Jennifer Petersen, a member of the Scottsdale school district governing board.  Petersen has a reputation as a pragmatic public servant, ergo, she had almost no chance of getting through a Republican primary.  Her north Scottsdale district used to send a highly-respected moderate R to the lege in the person of Carolyn Allen.  Now, the most "moderate" is State Sen. Michelle Reagan, and she has gone hard to the right, probably in preparation for an expected Congressional or statewide run.  The winner of the CD9 race in November, regardless of partisan affiliation, should probably start oppo research on her, at just about the time that the polls close.


Now, the (mostly pleasant) surprises -

- In the LD25 Senate R primary, disgraced former state senator Russell Pearce lost big to Mesa businessman Bob Worsley in his bid to return to the senate.  He has now lost a recall election by double digit percentage points, where he argued that if only Republicans could've voted in it (like, say, as in a primary), he would have won.  Well, he got the primary that he wanted, and...he lost by double digit percentage points.

- The other Pearce, Lester, lost his primary race for the 2nd District seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to businessman Steve Chucri.  It was by an equally resounding margin (double digits, baby!).

- Pearce ally John Fillmore lost his bid for the LD16 state senate R nomination to Pearce foe Rich Crandall.

- In the one victory for the Pearce machine, Sylvia Allen, currently in the state senate, won her primary race for the Republican nomination for the 3rd District seat on the Navajo County Board of Supervisors.  She won with 80% of the vote, but her opponent ran as a $500 Exemption candidate, while she had the thousands of dollars that she transferred from the legislative campaign committee.

- In the R primary for US Senate, it wasn't surprising to see Jeff Flake defeat Wil Cardon, nor even to do so soundly.  However, Flake didn't just win soundly - he absolutely thumped Cardon, gaining more than three times as many votes as Cardon. 

Damn!

- In Pinal County, embattled Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu held off multiple challengers for the R nomination, which in itself isn't much of a surprise - he was expected to win a plurality of the votes because the other candidates would split the anti-Babeu vote.  What is surprising is that Babeu got 61% of the vote.  The other three candidates combined didn't equal his total.

- In the LD24 D primaries, Katie Hobbs (Senate) and Lela Alston and Chad Campbell (House) easily turned aside the challenges from Ken Cheuvront (Senate) and his mom Jean and Tom Nerini (House), respectively.  While Hobbs was clearly the better candidate in her race, Cheuvront had money and name recognition on his side, so Hobbs' margin of victory was a bit of a surprise (>20 percentage points).

- In the CD6 R primary, freshman Congressman David Schweikert defeated fellow freshman Ben Quayle.  As a Democrat, I viewed that race much like I viewed the 2000 World Series between the Yankees and the Mets as a Red Sox fan - I hoped both would lose.  It didn't work out that way, but at least one lost. :)

- In the City of Scottsdale's mayoral race, incumbent Jim Lane received the most votes, which was no surprise.  What was surprising was his margin of victory - he gained a majority of votes cast, easily avoiding a November runoff against one of his challengers - businessman/community activist John Washington or businessman Drew Bernhardt.


Democratic primary results from Maricopa County are here (state and federal) and here (county)..
Republican primary results from Maricopa County are here (state and federal) and here (county).
Other party and non-partisan results from Maricopa County are here.
Results from the AZ Secretary of State are here.

David Schapira, the clear choice in CD9

In case you haven't heard (LOL), tomorrow is primary election day in Arizona.

There are contests on both sides of the ballot, but few are higher profile than the race for the Democratic nomination in the Ninth Congressional District.  The Ninth District takes in parts of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler and all of Tempe. 

There are three Democrats on the ballot -

Kyrsten Sinema, a former state legislator

Andrei Cherny, formerly chair of the Arizona Democratic Party

David Schapira, currently a state senator and Democratic leader in the Arizona Senate

All three are young, intelligent, and hard working, and regardless of the outcome Tuesday, the two runners-up will be at the head of the list of potential statewide candidates in 2014.

All three have won the support of some dedicated activists and volunteers, many of whom I like and respect, and even call "friend".

However, only one candidate can win this race, and I believe that the candidate who best merits our votes is David Schapira.

On the "big issues" David and the other candidates have very similar positions, but Schapira's honesty, directness and passion for his constituents, his employers, earns him the nod.

He has run a positive campaign, running *for* the privilege of representing the district, not *against* the other candidates.

He has a documented history of working for his constituents, but he also has a history of standing up for principle, even when it may not be politically advantageous.

Such as when he supported and worked for the effort to recall Russell Pearce.  Before he was recalled, Pearce was president of the Arizona State Senate, and if he had survived the recall, would have made Schapira's life at the Capitol a living hell.

Like most people who run for office, Schapira is relaxed and comfortable in front of, or in, a crowd. 

Schapira in front of a crowd



Schapira in a crowd

But he also genuinely likes talking with individual people, even after the crowds have thinned out -

David has been a life-long Arizonan, student, teacher, and small businessman.

David has been a strong advocate for the people of his district in the Arizona legislature, husband, and father (not in order of importance).



From Schapira's website

With your help, David will be Arizona's next great Congressman.

Vote for David Schapira tomorrow.

V for Victory

Jerry Gettinger, fourth from the left

The next in a series of guest posts from Jerry Gettinger, a delegate to the Democratic Convention in Charlotte, and a friend -

I had indicated that I was not going to write until I was in Charlotte and the Democratic convention had begun. However so much has happened and the excitement has soared. In view of that, I want to share with you some details that I have learned. The goings on at and before the convention are quite intricate. As you can imagine, there are thousands of people converging to meet and spend time smoozing, socializing and politicking. In order to keep the proceedings from deteriorating into sheer chaos, every detail has to be coordinated to the smallest item. Credentials are the currency of the event. And, not everyone has the same credential. In order to attend presentations or meals or locations, delegates need certain credentials. For example, one of the days, the vice president may make a presentation concerning civil rights. Not everyone in the Arizona delegation will have the credential to attend the presentation. As you can imagine, security is very tight. So far, the list of items that are not allowed on the floor is 2 pages. It makes an airport checkpoint look easy. By the way, it is reassuring to have such care.
 

We just learned that the voting delegates (of which I am one), will be sitting in the choice area called the bowl. All 46 will have seats in that area. That is new. The last convention the seating was all over the place. I recently discovered that I will be having breakfast with a member of the president’s staff, a good friend. In politics, as in other gatherings, it’s how close to power one can get that measures a person’s importance.
 

The campaign has gotten fierce. The birther issue was raised by Romney who claimed it was supposed to be a joke. It reminded me of the Jackson girl saying that she had a wardrobe malfunction at that Super Bowl event. I didn’t believe her anymore that I believe Romney. Shameful name-calling is rampant and the opposition would seem to fall back on using lies and half-truths to make a point. I’m reminded of a Jewish saying that goes “a half-truth is a whole lie.” There is a mean tone to the Republican words. A hint of racism and xenophobia. And while we Democrats have not been exactly pure at heart, rarely have mean and vicious themes been used to gain voters. The effort to re-impose on women restrictions that were lifted in the mid-1960s is troubling. It is similar to the type of restraints the Taliban imposes when they are in control. The attitude toward women is as if they were chattel to be owned with limited liberty.

 

I just received a revised schedule of the convention. And the city is going all out also. Complicated and exciting. The Arizona delegation will have the entire hotel except for one area where CBS will set up shop. Is there an interview in the future? As I write, a hurricane is coming within shouting distance of the Republican convention in Tampa. Divine intervention? Most likely not, but Michele Bachman blames the Democrats for climate change, then why not a hurricane? One never knows.
 

Next stop…Charlotte and victory!!!!!

The primary election is Tuesday: races to watch when the results come in

As most Arizonans know by now, or at least the ones who have watched TV, opened their mailbox or answered the door over the last month, Arizona's primary election is Tuesday.

In many regards, this election will be more important than the general election in November because many of the races will be decided in the primary (safe districts, uncontested general election races, etc.).

As such, some of the most interesting races will be decided Tuesday.

A sampling, with brief commentary about a few -

Federal races first -

R US Senate - The big names are Jeff Flake (current US Congressman) and Wil Cardon (deep-pocketed businessman).  It looks as if Flake will win this one by a comfortable margin, as the Cardon camp tried to run against Flake from the right...only to find out that there just isn't much room to work with there.

D CD1 - Candidates Ann Kirkpatrick (former member of Congress) and Wenona Benally Baldenegro (attorney and community activist) have been running a classic big money (Kirkpatrick) vs. grassroots (Baldenegro) campaign.  Expectations seem to be that Kirkpatrick will win.  Either way, the winner here will go on to face the winner of...

R CD1 - Where the candidates include Jonathan "Payday" Paton (former AZ legislator), Gaither Martin (a contractor for the Defense Department, rodeo guy, interned with former Congressman JD Hayworth), and Patrick Gatti (retired businessman).  There was a fourth candidate, Douglas Wade, but he ran out of money and withdrew from the race, endorsing Martin on his way out the door.  Paton has the highest name recognition in the race, but he is also the carpetbagger in the race (he actually lives near Tucson).  If he wins the primary race, he's going to have an uphill battle against either Kirkpatrick or Baldenegro.

R CD4 - Candidates Ron Gould (current state senator), Rick Murphy (businessman from Lake Havasu City) and Paul Gosar (current member of Congress, in another district), are on the ballot, but the real race is between Gould and Gosar.  It's been a battle of PACs as well as candidates, as the dentists' PAC has been spending thousands of dollars on behalf of one of its own (Gosar) as the Club for Growth has spent thousands on behalf of Gould.

R CD5 - The race is between former Congressman Matt Salmon and former state representative (and speaker of the Arizona House) Kirk Adams.  Salmon started off very strong in both fundraising and endorsements, and while he hasn't exactly dropped off of the table, he didn't put away Adams early.  Adams has pulled, if not even, into the same ballpark as Salmon in terms of fundraising, and he has racked up same big-name endorsements.  The biggest of those is Jeff Flake, whose current Congressional district 6 covers much the same territory as the new district 5.  In addition, Adams has some kind of event scheduled for Monday afternoon with former VP candidate and current media personality Sarah Palin.  It may turn out to be a desperate, last gasp kind of effort, but it also indicates that the Adams campaign (and Palin) think that they are close enough for such an effort to make a difference.

R CD6 - Freshman Congressmen David Schweikert and Ben Quayle are slicing each other to ribbons for the same district (it's a rather safe one for Rs).  The candidates alone have spent close to $3 million on just the primary, and PACs and IE (Independent Expenditure) expenditures add hundreds of thousand more to that total.  This one has been bloody and it may not let up even after the polls close on Tuesday.

D CD9 - Another rough one.  Not as rough as the Rs in CDs 6 or 4, but still plenty of bruised friendships.  Candidates David Schapira (current Democratic leader in the AZ state senate), Kyrsten Sinema (former legislator) and Andrei Cherny (former chair of the AZ Democratic Party) have been fighting it out for the nomination in this district, probably the most competitive in Arizona.  Things have gotten very negative, with pro-Sinema and pro-Cherny PACs weighing in with a seemingly never-ending stream of attack mail pieces and robocalls.  The attacks are usually misrepresentations or outright lies.  Right now it looks like it is going to come down to Schapira and Sinema, with Cherny a close but definite third.  However, all three campaigns have their GOTV efforts fully up to speed this weekend.  Whoever wins the primary will be nicked up, but will immediately be the favorite in the general election.

R CD9 - Not as rough as the Ds in CD9, but that's as much about money (or the lack thereof) as it is about temperment.  There are seven candidates - Vernon Parker, Travis Grantham, Lisa Borowsky, Wendy Rogers, Leah Campos Schandlbauer, Martin Sepulveda, and Jeff Thompson.  Parker has the highest name ID (currently on the town council in Paradise Valley and a former candidate for Congress in the old CD3), Borowsky has the best signs (four color, full bleed, etc.), Travis Grantham has a lot of outside support (for some reason, an out-of-state PAC that is supporting Schweikert in CD6 is supporting Grantham, who never held or even run for office as far as I can tell), and Sepulveda may have the best story (veteran, seventh-generation Arizonan, former Chandler City Council member, etc.; in most states he'd be a virtual lock.  However, in AZ he is Latino and running in an R primary.  If there is a way for him to come in eighth in a seven-way primary, the Russell Pearce wing of his party will find a way to make it happen).  This race is so low profile and so low money, it's hard to get a read on it.  However, CD9 is truly competitive, so whichever candidate gets through the primary will have a real chance against the bloodied D nominee.


State legislative races -

R LD16 Senate - A fight between two members of the lege.  Current State Sen. Rich Crandall moved into this district to avoid a primary fight with Russell Pearce.  By doing so, however, he set up a primary fight with State Rep. John Fillmore, a Pearce ally who has turned into a bit of a Pearce proxy.  This one has turned into an intramural spitting match between two of the wings of the Republican party, with the business and establishment types favoring Crandall and the tea party/nativist types favoring Fillmore.

R LD25 Senate - The R primary in LD16 is the undercard to this one, the main event.  The aforementioned Pearce, recalled last year, is looking for a return to the Senate this year.  He is facing businessman and political newcomer Bob Worsley.  It's the LD16 race on steroids, and according to the analyses/guesses of the pundits on KAET's Horizon on Friday, it may be the last gasp of the Pearce machine.  We'll see Tuesday, but I hope they're right.

D LD24 Senate - Katie Hobbs (current state rep.) and Ken Cheuvront (former state senator) are facing off in this one.  While this one has gotten personal, the candidates trading barbs are Cheuvront and Chad Campbell, the Democratic leader in the AZ House, who is running for...a return to the House.  ???  Anyway, Cheuvront has a little more money than Hobbs, but his campaign has all but ignored the active Democrats in the district, and given that we are talking about a *Democratic* primary....

D LD30 Senate - Candidates Robert Meza (current state senator) and Raquel Teran (community activist) are facing off here.  This one has also gotten a little rough - Teran may be a newcomer to being a candidate, but Meza is not well-thought-of in the district.  There have been charges and counter-charges flying here.

R LD1 House - The candidates are Andy Tobin (currently Speaker of the AZ House), Karen Fann (current House member), and Lori Klein (current Senate member).  This is a race brought about by redistricting.  The new LD is centered around Prescott in Yavapai County (home turf of Fann and Tobin) but extends down to Anthem in Maricopa County (home of Klein).  With the new district maps, Klein and Senate President Steve Pierce ended up in the same district, and not wanting to face an electoral buzzsaw, Klein chose to take a chance on a move to the House.  Even though two of the three will move on, Klein has decided to go after Tobin hard, even to the point of bringing in failed presidential candidate Herman Cain on her side.  Don't know much about Fann, but Tobin is a nasty piece of work.  For instance, he was a big part of the R effort to hijack/intimidate the redistricting commission last year.

Which still makes him better than Klein, who is just plain bat-shit crazy.  She's packed heat to a state of the state address, on the floor of the House, read a hate- and nativist stereotype-filled letter on the floor of the Senate, pointed a loaded pistol at a reporter (she didn' mean no harm; she just wanted to show off the purrty li'l pink pistol with the purrty li'l laser sight), and for good measure, tried to get a bill passed that would have barred her HOA from telling her that she has to keep her dog leashed.

All in a single term in the Senate.

I'd say the home field advantage favors Tobin and Fann, but enough money could push Klein into contention.

R LD23 House - Another three-way race for two seats, much like LD1.  However, instead of a race between two ultra-conservative candidates and one crazy candidate, this one involves two crazy conservative ones and one that is conservative but not-so crazy.  The two incumbents, John Kavanagh and Michelle Ugenti are favorites of the tea party-types and other nativists.  The third candidate is Jennifer Petersen.  She has been a member of the Scottsdale school board for a long time and is known as "pragmatic", which has been the kiss of death in R primaries over the last few election cycles.

Other races to watch -

R Maricopa County Supervisor District 2 - The candidates are Lester Pearce (former Justice of the Peace, and brother of Russell Pearce) and Steve Chucri (businessman) and, paired with the R LD25 Senate primary, is shaping up as the potential end of the Pearce political machine.  Watch the numbers on this one.  If Pearce wins, it will be close, but a Chucri win could be a blowout.

R Navajo County Supervisor District 3 - The candidates are Tom Poscharsky and Sylvia Allen.  Allen is a current state senator and strong Pearce ally.  Not sure of anything about this race but it is worth keeping an eye on come Tuesday night.

R Pinal County Sheriff - The candidates are Paul Babeu (incumbent sheriff), Tom Bearup, Derek Arnson, and Jack McClaren.  Don't know much about the other candidates, but Babeu stepped in it earlier this year when allegations broke that he threatened to use his influence to have an ex-boyfriend deported.  There were also reports of improper professional conduct in the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.

However, those reports have no bearing on the large number of candidates entered in the primary against a sitting incumbent - politically, Babeu is a younger version of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

However, that "boyfriend" thing is a serious problem in R circles.  It derailed Babeu's bid for Congress and led to a number of other Rs to mull challenging him for the sheriff's spot.  However, the number of candidates may actually help Babeu by splitting the anti-Babeu vote, allowing him to gain a plurality.


On Tuesday night, get your popcorn ready early and often - it's going to be a long night.

Dear Jan Brewer, You need a geography lesson...

...some suggestions on decorum and on giving relevent answers, and a whole lot of reality checks...

This weekend, New York Times Magazine will include an interview with Arizona's own Governor Jan Brewer.

Stifle your laughter, the writer, Andrew Goldman, attempted to do a serious interview.  It's not his fault that the subject of the interview is best known for vapid answers to direct questions.

The whole piece is worth a read, if only as comic relief in preparation for next week's Republican convention in Tampa (look for full coverage on The Weather Channel :) ). 

However, here are a few of the juicy bits, in the form of an open letter to Brewer (with my snarky insightful commentary) (emphasis mine) -

Dear Governor Brewer,

You recently did an interview with the New York Times.  I'm not sure why - perhaps you thought you could school those high-falutin' Easterners with your down-home brilliance, or perhaps you were just bored (being the chief executive in a state that utilizes a weak executive model of government has its downsides.  The title is nice, but that's about it.)  Either way, some of your answers could have been a little better.  To whit -
 

When you signed Arizona’s immigration law in 2010, you cited concerns about growing border violence. But according to the F.B.I., violent crime dropped in Arizona almost 14 percent the previous year.

As the saying goes, there are lies, damned lies and statistics. Fifty thousand people in Mexico have been murdered. Puerto Peñasco, 60 miles south of our border, just had five people and a police officer killed. That is like part of Arizona, and it is spilling over into our state. 

 
No Jan, Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, is NOT a part of Arizona, nor is it "like" a part of Arizona.  Perhaps if AZ had some oceanfront property...
 

The photograph of you confronting the president has become quite famous. If you could do it over again, would you avoid wagging your finger?

He’s the one that chose to make a brief encounter about something petty that showed his thin skin. I agree it was unfortunate, but it happened, and I moved on.

 
Jan, you wrote smack about him in "your" book (it was ghost-written, but you put your name on it, so it is yours), and you created a photo op on the runway to pump sales of that book, and now you're offended that he didn't publicly kiss up to you?  Maybe one of you is being petty and thin-skinned, but it isn't President Obama...
 

Critics have called it the “Breathing While Brown” law.

I don’t think Americans would tolerate profiling. That’s just a red herring.

 
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!  Who knew you were such a kidder?
 

You signed a law that entitles people to carry concealed guns in bars as long as they don’t drink. I wouldn’t trust myself in a bar with access to a gun.

I think a bartender knows who’s drinking and who isn’t. 

 
What's that got to do with anything?  And are you going to personally pay for the funerals of any bartenders/waitstaff who decline to serve an armed customer?

Oh, and remember when you dismissed FBI crime rate statistics because they didn't suit you rhetorical position ("...lies, damned lies, and statistics...")?  You undercut your own credibility with -
       

But a bartender wouldn’t know who’s carrying a concealed weapon.

Ninety-nine point nine percent of the people that are gun owners are very responsible.

"Ninety-nine point nine percent..."?  Either you made up a number or you are citing a study that no one else as seen or reviewed.  That's fine.  Just pick one.  Your critics can work with either, which sounds like a choice you shouldn't make, but if you don't, we'll use both.

Speaking as one of your critics, please don't choose.  I like having options.

Thank you for your time.  If you find any of these observations helpful, let me know, and I'll be happy to critique some of your other statements.  OK, I'm probably going to do that anyway. :)

Enjoy your trip to Tampa next week.  Bring your umbrella.  Maybe a row boat, too.  Trust me.

A "just trying to be helpful" kind of guy,

Me.

God to GOP convention-goers: "Bring your umbrellas and hip waders"

What is it about massive storms and Republican conventions?

Four years ago, right about this time, the Republicans were preparing for their national convention in Minneapolis.  At the same time, Hurricane Gustav was bearing down on the Gulf Coast.

Remembering the utter devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, people all over the southeastern US, and all over the country, feverishly prepared for possible imminent disaster.

Gustav turned out to be a serious storm but nowhere near as damaging or deadly, as Katrina. 

However, it thoroughly disrupted the Republican convention as many R electeds chose to stay home to avoid the heavy criticism that dogged the Rs in the aftermath of Katrina, when the Bush Administration all but ignored the disaster for days.

Fast forward four years, and history is on track to possibly repeat itself.

Tropical Storm Isaac is working its way across the Caribbean toward the Florida coast, and the panic in Tampa is setting in.

The grand ol' poobahs of the Grand Old Party are pledging to stick it out, but if Isaac strengthens into a hurricane (expected to happen on Friday) and makes landfall at or near Tampa (murkier, but on track right now), they may be the only ones left in Tampa when the convention begins - most residents of Florida know enough to "get the hell out of Dodge" (so to speak).

Many GOPers spout some of the most inane, insane, and just plain hateful rhetoric ever heard, and justify their spoutings by claiming that "God spoke to them."

Well, I'm not qualified to say if God spoke to them before one of their number murdered a doctor in a church in Kansas, or another slaughtered six Sikhs at a temple in Wisconsin, or shot at a mosque in Chicago (no deaths yet, but give the shooter time), but with two storms in two conventions, it looks like God (or Mother Nature or Random Chance, or whatever you prefer) is saying something to the Republican Party and its convention delegates now -

If you go to Tampa, dress appropriately.  It's going to get deeeeeeep.

Short Attention Span Musing

...Guess the GOP has decided that it doesn't need the votes of women...

By now, everyone with a TV, access to the internet, or simply has a pulse has heard of GOP Rep. Todd Akin's remarks that women who are the victims of a "legitimate rape" cannot get pregnant as a result of that rape.  He supports a total ban on abortion and he used his assertion to rationalize his opposition to carving out an exception to the ban in the case of a rape that results in a pregnancy.

He's been getting heat from all over, even from Republicans looking to distance themselves from his remarks (even as a GOP committee added Akin's position to their 2012 platform).

Perhaps wanting to show solidarity with Akin's ignorance and misogyny, his colleague, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) chimed in today by announcing that he has never heard of victims of statutory rape or incest "getting pregnant" as a result of the statutory rape or incest.


...Guess the GOP has decided it doesn't need the votes of Latinos, either...

Exhibit 1 - They're bringing Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to their convention in Tampa next week to speak to delegates.  From KPHO (Channel 5), written by Sean McLaughlin -

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio will speak to Republican National Convention delegates in Tampa this month. He won't be speaking at the convention hall but at a special reception at the city's zoo.

According to a news release from the state's Republican Party, the self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff in the country" will address delegates from western states at the Lowrey Park Zoo on Aug. 30.

Exhibit 2 - They've added many of the provisions of the infamous SB1070 to the party platform mentioned above.  From The Hill, written by Cameron Joseph -

The Republican Party has officially endorsed its backing for Arizona-style state immigration laws, adding into its platform language that such laws should be "encouraged, not attacked" and calling for the federal government to drop its lawsuits against the laws.

That language and other provisions were widely approved by the party after being introduced by the co-author of the Arizona law, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R).

...Guess the GOP has decided that they can make up the lost votes by appealing to the "overgrown drunken frat boy" demographic.

From Reuters, via the Chicago Tribune (emphasis mine) -

A group of Republican lawmakers and staff jumped into Israel's Sea of Galilee last year after a night of dining and drinking, and one freshman congressman swam naked, Republican aides confirmed late on Sunday.

The incident, first reported by Politico on Sunday, was investigated by the FBI and led Republican leaders in the House of Representatives to reprimand the 30 lawmakers on the privately funded trip.

{snip}

Representatives Steve Southerland, Tom Reed, Ben Quayle, Jeff Denham and Michael Grimm were among the more than 20 lawmakers and staff that jumped into the Sea of Galilee, Politico said.

To be fair to Arizona's Ben Quayle, while he was there cavorting on some private lobbyist's dime, he kept his clothes on, more or less (at least, not as "less" as Rep. Kevin Yoder, the "au natural" swimmer).

Still, probably not the image that Quayle, whose biggest (non-papa Quayle-purchased) career accomplishment prior to winning a seat in Congress was writing for gossipy/near-porn site "Dirty Scottsdale", wants to project.


BTW - for this post, I think I deserve extra points for not going for a "tried walking on water" joke.  It was too obvious.  It was too lame.  It was...OK - who am I kidding?  I couldn't think of one on short notice that was good enough.