A few pictures from the 2012 election cycle

Most of these pics have been shared here or on FB already, but are worth another look...

State Sen. David Schapira addressing a crowd of voters in Tempe in January while he was exploring a run for Congress.  He finished the primary in 2nd place.

From March:  The CD5 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, (L-R) Janie Hydrick, Chase Williams, Laura Copple, Jerry Gettinger, Lauren Kuby, and Randy Keating

Paul Penzone, candidate for Maricopa County Sheriff, speaking at an event in Tempe

At the same April event, the future LD26 legislative team - (L-R, standing) Reps-elect Juan Mendez and Andrew Sherwood and Sen.-elect Ed Ableser

Mark Mitchell in April, the future Mayor of Tempe.  He emerged victorious in Tempe's election in May.

Andrei Cherny, candidate for Congress, addressing a meeting of the LD24 Democrats; he finished third in the primary.

In July, putting up signs

In July, an overflow crowd at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe for a Congressional primary forum

Congressional candidate Kyrsten Sinema at the July forum.  She emerged from the primary as the nominee.

Not political or anything to do with the election cycle; I just like the sign.

In August, Harry Mitchell addressing a crowd at an event in Tempe

September: Future state rep. Juan Mendez speaking at the LD26 campaign office in Tempe

US Senate candidate Rich Carmona speaking to a supporter at the same Tempe event in September

The "crowd" at the Clean Elections debate for LD24 legislative candidates in September

In September, future State Rep. Andrew Sherwood (standing) greeting friends in Tempe in September

Kyrsten Sinema addressing the crowd at the same Tempe event in September
 

Election Day: watching early national returns at the Arizona Democratic Party headquarters in Phoenix

Election Day: The crowd gathering at the Renaissance watching election night coverage on CNN

Election night: Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton speaking to the hundreds gathered at the Renaissance

The jublilant crowd as the election is called for President Obama

All of the above pics were taken by me and represent just the tiniest portion of the effort and energy and dedication of the 2012 election cycle.  Similar scenes and more took place across the state all year, and while a guy with a camera may not have been at each place, they were all a part of the successes of the cycle.

Locally, a mixed bag for Democrats and Independents

Note: all Maricopa County results below should be considered in the light of the fact that somewhere near 400K ballots remain to be counted, with approximately half being mail-in ballots that were dropped off at polling places and provisional ballots that were filled out on Tuesday.

And based on reports of voter suppression/general incompetence on the part of Maricopa County Elections (it's one of the two; I'll wait for an honest investigation to determine which it was) in Democratic and/or Latino-heavy precincts, those provisional ballots could affect a few races.

Maricopa County results page here.
AZ SOS results page here.

- Republican Joe Arpaio is 88K votes ahead of Democratic challenger Paul Penzone in his quest for another term in charge of the Maricopa County Slot Machine Sheriff's Office.  It looks over, but the late count could make this one interesting.  Arpaio spent roughly 10X more than Penzone on this race.

- Bill Montgomery won election to a "full term" as Maricopa County Attorney, defeating Libertarian challenger Michael Kielsky 74% to 26%.  Kielsky may have been completely swamped, but he still outperformed my expectation that he would garner ~25% of the vote.

"Full term" is in quotes because Montgomery looks to be setting up a run at AZ Attorney General in 2014.  If he does go for it, he'll have to resign from office due to AZ's "resign to run" law.  The incumbent AG, Republican Tom Horne, has issues with campaign finance violations, hiring his girlfriend to a taxpayer-funded job, and leaving the scene of an accident.  If he runs for a second term, he'll be vulnerable in both the primary and the general elections.

- Republican Jerry Weiers won a term as mayor of Glendale over Democrat Manny Cruz, leading by 4K votes.  While Weiers was and is expected to win, the 4K difference is close enough to make the late count interesting.

- Democrat Terry Goddard, former AZ AG and nominee for Governor, won a seat on the governing board of the Central Arizona Project.  Democrat Heather Macre is in sixth in the race to fill five seats, approximately 3700 votes out of 5th place.  Besides Goddard, the other apparent winners are Lisa Atkins, Pam Pickard, Guy Carpenter, and Jean McGrath.  Atkins, Pickard, and Carpenter are Republicans, but they made various pre-election lists of "less bad" or "Republican but qualified" candidates; McGrath is so tea party that she doesn't *drink* the tea, she mainlines it.

- One piece of good news on the school board front: Mesa wingnut Jerry Walker lost his bid for a seat on the Mesa Unified board.  I got to see him in action when he was running wild on the governing board of the Maricopa County Community College District.  His loss is a gain for Mesa and its schools, teachers, and students.

- In the US Senate race, Democrat Rich Carmona is behind Republican Jeff Flake by approximately 83K votes.  As with the Maricopa County sheriff race above, this one looks over, but the late count could cause some heart palpitations in R land.

- In CD1, Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick is leading Republican Jonathan Paton by 6500 votes.  Given that in the days leading up to Election Day, it looked as if Paton was pulling ahead, this will be a bit of an upset if it holds up.

- In CD2, Republican Martha McSally looks to have a major upset in the making over Democratic incumbent Ron Barber, leading by ~1300 votes.  Stay tuned on this one.

- In CD9, Democrat Kyrsten Sinema is holding a slim 2100 vote lead over Vernon Parker.  This one should hold up, but this is another one to keep an eye on as the late count comes in.

- As for the Arizona Corporation Commission, the Republicans will likely completely control it.  The Democrats, Marcia Busching, Sandra Kennedy, and Paul Newman, are well behind the Republicans, Susan Bitter Smith, Bob Burns, and Bob Stump, in the race.

- The AZ Senate looks as if it will turn out to have 13 Ds and 17 Rs. 

Biggest (and most pleasant) surprise:  In LD26 (Central and North Tempe, West Mesa), it looks as if Democrat Ed Ableser will defeat Republican Jerry Lewis.  While I supported Ableser, I thought that Lewis would have enough lingering goodwill from his defeat of Russell Pearce in Pearce's 2011 recall election to win in the D-leaning district.  This is one time I happy with being wrong.

Best news:  Republican bully Frank Antenori is GONE, and it wasn't even that close.  Democrat Dave Bradley is leading the LD10 race by more than 5K votes.

Worst news:  Democratic state representative Tom Chabin lost his bid for the LD6 state senate seat to Republican state representative Chester Crandell.  LD6 is a Republican-heavy district, but it was hoped that Chabin's experience and name recognition would propel him past the finish line first.  It didn't.

- The AZ House will probably have 23 or 24 Ds and 37 or 36 Rs. 

Right now, the race for one of the LD28 seats is too close to call.  Incumbent R Kate Brophy McGee will win one of the seats, while incumbents Eric Meyer (D) and Amanda Reeve (R) are fighting it out for the second seat, with Meyer current leading by 175 votes.  This one will take a while to sort out.

A race that could switch is in the Tucson-area LD9, where Democrat Mohur Sarah Sidwa is trailing Republican Ethan Orr by ~2600 votes for the second House seat in the district.  Democrat Victoria Steele looks to have won the other seat.  Still, in a district race, a 2600-vote margin will be tough to overcome in the late count.

- On the ballot propositions:

 In great, but not terribly surprising news, Proposition 120 went down to defeat by more than 2-1 margin.  If passed, it would have declared Arizona has supreme jurisdiction over all air, water, and land in the state.  Basically, it was a measure to exempt the state from all federal laws and regulations. 

While I voted against it, and remain opposed to it, toward the end of the cycle I was kind of hoping it would pass.

Because federal judges, like everyone else, need comic relief occasionally. :)

In good, but with bad overtones, news, Proposition 121 (the "jungle", or "top two" primary question) failed by a similar margin of more than 2-1.  This is good, because it was a short-sighted and poorly-written measure, but there was a lot of "dark" money spent by the Republicans who opposed the measure.  If this is seen more as a victory for big money than for a defeat for bad policy, it will be back.

In just plain bad news, Proposition 204 was soundly defeated, not by the margin of the above questions, but still by a lot.  204 would have extended the 1% increase in the state sales taxes that was passed a couple of years ago and dedicated the money to funding education in Arizona.

- In Pinal County, embattled Republican Sheriff Paul Babeu easily won re-election.  Earlier this year, a scandal where Babeu was alleged to have threatened to use his influence to have an ex-boyfriend deported broke and forced him from a race for Congress.  He chose to run for re-election for sheriff instead.  He emerged from a crowded Republican primary field and won the general election by 16K votes, or 20 percentage points.

- In Navajo County, Sylvia "6000 Years" Allen, a soon-to-be former state senator, looks to be cruising to victory in the race for the District 3 seat on the Navajo County Board of Supervisors.

Nationally, a good night for Democrats

It wasn't a clean sweep nationally, but the Democrats did about as well as could be hoped for during Election 2012.  Along with Barack Obama's re-election, the Democrats actually *gained* seats in the US Senate (something that no one expected).  Some non-AZ results that may be of general interest (all vote totals are unofficial and subject to change as provisional and absentee ballots are counted; generally, the sources for those numbers are the secretaries of state in the respective states):

Senate		Candidate		Candidate
Indiana-A		Donnelly D - 819450		Mourdock R- 797811
Wisconsin		Baldwin D - 1299246		Thompson R -1197062
Ohio		Brown D - B		Mandel R
Pennsylvania		Casey D - 2900728		Smith R - 2417779
Virginia		Kaine D - 1874745		Allen R - 1705164
Connecticut		Murphy D - C		McMahon R
Mass.		Warren D - E		Brown R
Missouri		McCaskill D	- 1484683	Akin R - 1063698
Texas - F		Sadler D - 2017224		Cruz R - 2949053
Congress
WI 7 - H		Kreitlow D - 155068		Duffy R - 200033
WI 1 - G		Derban D - 157721		Ryan R - 199715
FL 18 - J		Murphy D - 160328		West R - 157872
MN 6 - K		Graves D - 175924		Bachmann R - 180131

A - The Libertarian in the Indiana Senate race received 98K votes, while Donnelly looks like he will win by ~20K.  Cue up video of Republican heads exploding.

B - I can't find the numbers right now, but every source that I *can* find has Brown as the victor.

C - Again, I can't find specific numbers right now, but all sources indicate a solid win for Murphy.

E - No numbers yet, but a victory for Warren, ousting Brown after he spent two years filling the Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy.

F - This one is included here because Cruz is a wingnut.  However, his victory is not a surprise.

G - Paul Ryan's Congressional re-election race.  Not a surprise (he outspent his challenger by a margin of 9 or 10 to 1), but I was hopeful.

H - Progressive icon Dave Obey used to hold this seat, and I (and many others) hoped that the Ds would retake this seat.  They didn't.

J - Wingnut Republican Allen West is behind in his re-election race, but it's *Florida*.  Final results may not be in for a while.  After the lawyers get involved.

K - Wingnut Republican Michelle Bachmann is ahead in her re-election race.  :((

Live blogging Election Night

Tonight, I'll be live blogging from the Arizona Democratic Party HQ and the gathering in downtown Phoenix as election returns come in from across the country.  Here are a few of the races that I'll be watching until Arizona results start coming in; if there are any races that people think should be added to the list, leave a note in a comment -

Senate		Candidate		Candidate
Indiana		Donnelly D		Mourdock R
Wisconsin		Baldwin D		Thompson R
Ohio		Brown D		Mandel R
Pennsylvania		Casey D		Smith R
Virginia		Kaine D		Allen R
Connecticut		Murphy D		McMahon R
Mass.		Warren D		Brown R
Missouri		McCaskill D		Akin R
Texas		Sadler D		Cruz R
Congress
WI 7		Kreitlow D		Duffy R
WI 2		Derban D		Ryan R
FL 18		Murphy D		West R
MN 6		Graves D		Bachmann R

Voting "against" a candidate: a guide

OK, the last post was all about the reasons to vote "for" particular candidates.  Anybody who has read this blog before this knows that I'm better at snark than anything else (and with Tedski suspending/retiring his blog, I may be the snarkiest writer in the AZ blogosphere), and I couldn't let this, the last full day of the election season, pass without a little snark.


Here's a little -

- Mitt Romney for President - Where to start?  The entirely wrong attitude toward being president (rule vs. server)?  The open contempt for a huge chunk of the country?  The never-ending changes in the positions that he espouses?

To be fair to Romney, I don't this that he has changed his positions so much as changed what he tells his audience of the day, hour, or minute.

Unfortunately for Romney, most voters want candidates and electeds with spines.  Changes to positions are acceptable when the changes are to honestly-held positions and are based on facts.  Such changes are a sign of an intellectually mature person.

There is no evidence that Romney is such a person.


- Jeff Flake for U.S. Senate - He has turned not doing his job of representing Arizona into a proudly-held "principled position".  He opposes pretty much every policy that is supportive of society and favors every policy that enhances corporate profits, even if that policy harms Arizonans.

Plus, a political campaign is nothing more than an extended job interview, with us as the prospective employer.

Should we hire someone who is brazen enough to lie and cheat during the interview process, and expect him to turn around and turn into an honorable man after getting the job, one with an almost ironclad six year contract?


- Vernon Parker for Congress (CD9) - Tea Party. 'Nuff said...


- Augustine Bartning (Senate) and Brian Kaufman (House) from LD24 - Not much snark here.  I met them at the LD24 Clean Elections debate in September, and they seemed to be decent enough sorts for Republicans, if more than a little naive.  Kaufman stated that one of the reasons that people should vote for him is so that the people of LD24 will have a voice in the crafting of the state's budget (presuming that the Rs retain control of the AZ House, which seems to be a safe presumption).

Problem:  If he were to somehow win a seat, he'd be a *freshman* representative.  Simply put, the R leadership in the lege wouldn't let him in the same room as the budget, much less give him a seat at the table.  Being an R means that he would get to see the budget a few hours before the Democrats in the legislature, but that's it.

- Joltin' Joe Arpaio for yet another term as Maricopa County Sheriff - Even if you can ignore the two decades of scandals and abuse of the authority of his office, and the rampant bigotry, and the misuse of public funds, and the raging media whore-ism, and the sacrifice of sex crimes victims on the altar of his jihad against the county's judiciary and against anybody with skin that's darker than a golfer's tan, nobody can ignore the body count.

The deaths of dozens of people in his jails, people who were in custody, unarmed, and in some cases, ill, is completely unacceptable in a civil society.

We will find out tomorrow if Maricopa County is part of "civil society".


- Bob Stump, Susan Bitter Smith and Bob Burns for the Arizona Corporation Commission - They are ALEC/corporate shills one and all who consider public service (and the public itself?) contemptible but are quite comfortable with shamelessly doing the bidding of their corporate and industry masters.  They claim to have a "plan" for producing sustainable energy in Arizona, which seems to most consist of superimposing pics of themselves over some solar panels, and for pushing for a trash-burning power plant (one that happens to be fronted by the brother of one of their former legislative colleagues, Bob Blendu). 

As for solar, their plan seems to primarily consist of them blowing sunshine up the asses of the voters.  Until the polls close on Tuesday night.

Voting *for* a candidate: a guide

During an election cycle, particularly a long one like a presidential cycle, it's easy to lose sight of why we support this candidate or that candidate, losing ourselves in being against the "other".

The reasons why we support candidate "A" become subsumed by the fact that candidate "B" is an arrogant, avaricious plutocrat or the reasons that we support candidate "X" are drowned in the glare of candidate "Y's" bigotry, corruption, etc.

As easy as voting"against" can be, voting "for" is far more satisfying.  I've been voting for a while now.  Not gonna say how long, but the first presidential ticket that received my vote was Mondale/Ferraro.  You do the math. :)

While most of my votes have been "for" a candidate, too many have been for the "less bad" candidate.  The most satisfying votes that I've ever cast were for Harry Mitchell.  While he is nowhere near liberal enough to suit me politically, he based his positions, and his votes in office, on what he thought was in the best interests of his constituents.

Voting for him in 2010 when David Schweikert took advantage of the Republican wave that year to oust an icon was no less satisfying than voting for him in 2006 when Mitchell first won a seat in Congress.

Having said all of that, here's my "positive" take on my votes this year, why I voted "for" particular candidate.  There were lots of  "for" candidates this year -


- Barack Obama for President - I enthusiastically voted for him in 2008, and proudly did so again this year. 

In the face of intractable opposition (to the point that Republicans in Congress voted against bills that they had sponsored themselves if Obama supported them), he led the start of real healthcare reform, started winding down the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, fought for tax cuts for the working and middle classes, saved the American auto industry, and oversaw the end for Osama Bin Laden. 

To be sure, there were a few missteps, but even most of those just showed that the man is simply human (stay off the pitcher's mound, Mr. President :) ).

My biggest complaint with him is that he hasn't be liberal enough in his governance.

However, that dovetails with the biggest reason to vote to give him a second term - he has governed.  Not ruled, not dictated, not anything but do his job.

He has worked *for* his constituents, all of them, not just those who agree with him or give him campaign contributions.

You may not agree with everything he's done in office; I like and support him, and even *I* don't agree with everything that the Obama administration has done. 

However, he has done what he has done out of concern for the best interests of his constituents, which should be the motivation behind the positions and actions of *all* elected officials.

As such, he has more than earned a second term in the oval office.

Picture courtesy CNN

I promise that the rest of these will be much shorter.  :)

- Dr. Rich Carmona for U.S. Senate - This may be his first foray into electoral politics, but it's not his first foray into public service.  Not hardly.

In his storied career, he has been an Army medic (in Vietnam), a SWAT team leader, and Surgeon General of the United States.  His life story is the archetypal American success story - born to immigrant parents, worked to obtain an education, lifted himself out of poverty, and has spent his adult life in public service of one sort or another.

In short, he's the sort of person who *should* be in office because he has been where most of us have been.

Carmona talking to a supporter in Tempe, September 15

- Kyrsten Sinema for U.S. Congress (CD9) - *Not* her first foray into electoral politics, but it's hardly her first foray into public service.  Like Carmona above, she bootstrapped her way out of poverty with education and hard work, and like Carmona, she has dedicated her life to serving the public.  In her case, she has been a social worker, attorney, and educator.

And like Carmona, she is the kind of person who should be in office representing us because she has been and is us.

Sinema at a candidate forum in July in Tempe

- Katie Hobbs (Senate) and Lela Alston and Chad Campbell (House) for the Arizona legislature from LD24 - They are each experienced, dedicated, intelligent, hard-working, and caring public servants and have earned another term in office.

(L-R) Hobbs, Alston, and Campbell at the LD24 Clean Elections forum in Phoenix, September 25th

Bonus legislative race:  Ed Ableser (Senate) and Juan Mendez and Andrew Sherwood (House) for the Arizona legislature from LD26 -  While they were not on my ballot (I live in LD24), all three are friends of mine and people who I respect.  They are active members of the community and have and will work for the betterment of the community.

 

 

(Standing L-R) Mendez, Sherwood, and Ableser at the LD26 Chili Cook-Off, April 28

 

- Paul Penzone for Maricopa County Sheriff - Penzone is a career cop who has based his career on *involving* the entire community, not demonizing* part of it for personal and political gain.  When he is elected, he'll bring a level of professionalism and integrity to the MCSO that hasn't been seen there in decades.

Penzone in Tempe, April 28 (same event as in the above pic, only a couple of hours earlier)

- Marcia Busching, Sandra Kennedy, and Paul Newman for the Arizona Corporation Commission - While the members of this trio bring a variety of experiences and backgrounds to the table, but they share a focus on ensuring Arizona's energy future.

Are all of the above candidates Democrats?  Yup.

But before the above is dismissed as "partisan hackery", one should ask if all of the above candidates are the "best" candidates. 

The answer to that question is a resounding "Yes".

Their primary concern has been (in the case of previous or current officeholders) or will be (in the case of future officeholders) the best interests of the people that they represent.

I don't expect to agree with them on every single issue, but I do expect that every person who "represents" me to hold positions, craft policies, and cast votes based on the best interests of their constituents.

And before anyone begins thinking that I've gone soft, an "against" post will follow this one.  :)

The number to call in the event of voter suppression tactics at polling places: 800-253-3931

Recently (say, the last month or so), there has been a pic circulating around Facebook urging anybody who is the victim of or witnesses to illegal voter suppression efforts to call the FBI at a special number.  The number that has been going around is 202-514-1888.

Great idea, except....

...that particular number is the TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) number for the FBI's press office in DC -

Probably not the most effective number for filing reports, unless you are deaf and have access to TDD equipment. 

As I don't know the genesis of the Facebook campaign, I cannot state unequivocally that there is ill intent behind the apparent error; in fact, I'm leaning toward thinking this is an honest mistake - the FBI *did* issue a press release on just this topic, and like the rest of its press releases, the header contains the TDD number.

The press release  (emphasis mine) -

Protecting the Right to Vote and Prosecuting Ballot Fraud

U.S. Department of Justice October 16, 2012

Office of Public Affairs (202) 514-2007/TDD (202)514-1888

WASHINGTON—In anticipation of the upcoming election, the Justice Department today provided information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights and Criminal Divisions, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or fraud in the election process.

 

Civil Rights Division

 

The Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal laws that protect the right to vote,and with federal criminal laws prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right.

 

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces civil provisions of federal laws that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; the National Voter Registration Act; the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; and the Help America Vote Act. Among other things, these laws prohibit discrimination based on race or membership in a minority language group; prohibit intimidation of voters; provide that voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or illiteracy can obtain assistance from a person of their choice; require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions; provide for accessible election machines for voters with disabilities; require provisional ballots for voters who assert they are eligible but whose names do not appear on poll books; provide for absentee ballots for service members, their family members, and U.S. citizens living abroad; require states to ensure that citizens can register at drivers’ license offices, public assistance offices, other state agencies, and through the mail; and include requirements regarding maintaining voter registration lists.

 

The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and suppression based on race, color, national origin, or religion.

As it has in the past, on Election Day, November 6, 2012, the Civil Rights Division will implement a comprehensive program to help ensure ballot access that will include the following:

• Shortly before the election, the Civil Rights Division will announce which jurisdictions will have federal personnel as election monitors and observers at polling places.
• Civil Rights Division attorneys in both the Voting and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive election-related complaints of potential violations relating to any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. Attorneys in the division will take appropriate action and will consult and coordinate with local U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and with other entities within the Department of Justice concerning these complaints before, during, and after Election Day, as appropriate.

Civil Rights Division staff will be available by phone to receive complaints related to ballot access (1-800-253-3931 toll-free or 202-307-2767) or by TTY (1-877-267-8971). In addition, individuals may also report complaints, problems, or concerns related to voting by fax to 202-307-3961, by e-mail to voting.section@usdoj.gov, and, closer to Election Day, by complaint forms that may be submitted through a link on the department’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/.

 

Complaints related to violence or threats of violence at a polling place should, in the first instance, always be reported to local police authorities by calling 911.

 

Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices

 

The Department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.

 

The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election fraud, such as vote buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, destruction of ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by election officials. The Criminal Division is also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting voter intimidation that does not involve a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division).

 

The department encourages each U.S. Attorney’s Office to communicate with state election officials before the federal general elections regarding the handling of election-related matters in their respective districts. In addition, the department provides annual training for the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as district election officers (DEOs) in their respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.

 

On November 6, 2012, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices will work with specially trained Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible voter fraud are handled appropriately. Specifically:

• Federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section, the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.
• Election fraud or intimidation complaints should first be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office or the local FBI office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/offices/index.html, and a list of FBI offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at the “Contact Us” button at http://www.fbi.gov. Again, however, complaints related to violence or threats of violence at a polling place should, in the first instance, be reported to local police authorities by calling 911.
• Election fraud or intimidation complaints may also be directed to the Public Integrity Section (202-514-1412). Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.

Both protecting the right to vote and combating election fraud are essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. We encourage anyone who has information suggesting voting discrimination or ballot fraud to contact the appropriate authorities.

 From the above-specified website, the contact numbers for the US Attorney/DOJ offices here in AZ:

Phoenix - (602) 514-7500
Tucson - (520) 620-7300
Flagstaff - (928) 556-0833
Yuma - (928) 314-6410

From the FBI's website, the number for the Phoenix office is 623-466-1999.

Arizona Republicans counting their chickens before their eggs are hatched

...actually, they're counting them even before they know who will be controlling part of the roost.

Normally, when Arizona's Republicans engage in one of their many intramural ideological knife fights, I smirk a little and then move on to another topic.  Simply put, they have too many of these to bother writing about more than the lamest or most extreme.

The most recent example meets both criteria:  it's both ideologically extreme and just plain lame.

Recently, the executive committees of the Republican parties in both Pinal and Maricopa counties approved resolutions urging the Republican members of the incoming legislature to depose their current leadership in the lege, House Speaker Andy Tobin and Senate President Steve Pierce.

Their alleged "crime"?

Not being supportive enough of the bat-shit crazy clique of the GOP caucus. 

The wingers are demanding the ouster of Tobin and Pierce in favor of Steve Smith and Andy Biggs, respectively.

Tobin and Pierce are very conservative and are not above partisan gamesmanship, using their positions to undermine or block proposals from Democratic members. 

However, neither is stupid nor is either one nuts.  While a significant number of tea party/ALEC-driven measures did pass through the lege during the most recent session, Tobin and Pierce blocked a few of the worst measures.

However, the biggest complaint is about money.  Pierce and Tobin have a committee that has been spending money in support of Republican legislative candidates, and the wingers are whining that they haven't seen enough of that largesse.  One of the biggest complainers is Sen. Frank Antenori (R-Bully), who has found that the voters of his newly-drawn district are less tolerant of his bluster than his old district - reports of recent polling in the district have him down more than five percentage points to Democrat David Bradley.

Antenori has become frantic, leaving messages with Steve Pierce, demanding that the committee spend money on his race.  The answer from Pierce (actually, from the attorney representing the PAC) was an unequivocal "No".

There were two reasons for this answer.

One, the PAC is an independent expenditure fund and is barred by law from coordinating activity with candidate campaigns (OK, you can stop laughing now); in the event that any expenditures took place, the phone calls would become evidence of coordination.  That's the official reason.

The unofficial reason is two, Frank Antenori is an unmitigated ass and more to the point of this post, an adversary of Pierce.  If Antenori is reelected, he is going to support someone else for the Senate presidency, no matter how much outside money is thrown into his race.

It should come as no surprise that the wingers involved in this attempted putsch are all allies and/or acolytes of former (and now twice-defeated) Senate president and nativist icon Russell Pearce.  He may be gone, but his presence is still felt at the Capitol.

I don't know how this is going to work out (if I had to speculate, I'd guess that Pierce and Tobin are secure in their positions, though both will be wielding simple, not super, majorities in the next session of the legislature), but expect this rift to percolate through at least the state Republican reorganization in January - Pearce and his cronies will attempt to solidify their control of the state GOP while Pearce plots his return to office.

Oh, and the "lame" part of all this:  all of this posturing is taking place scant days before the election, one in which there is a real chance that the Democrats will make at least part of this irrelevant - there is a possiblity that the AZ Senate will end up tied 15 -15 or even with a Democratic majority.  Expectations are that that won't happen, but 13 D seats seems likely and 14 is well within the realm of possibility.  15 or 16 seats is possible, but it would take too many things going unexpectedly well for either to be practically feasible (though it would be nice, like "early Christmas present" nice :) ).

Stay tuned...

Q & A with Marcia Busching, candidate for the Arizona Corporation Commission

Marcia Busching, a candidate for the Arizona Corporation Commission took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.  Here they are -



Busching at an event in Tempe in September

From her campaign website: Busching with solar panels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tell us a little about yourself:

I have dedicated myself to improving the lives of others through community activities, legal representation, education, and mentoring. I grew up in the Midwest, the eldest of three siblings, and now have my own law firm that specializes in mediations and arbitrations. Previously I have had experience in the banking, construction, and real estate industries. I also have had public service experience as a Citizens Clean Election Commissioner and member of the Arizona Liquor Control Board. I am also a proud wife and mother of three, Pete, Toffler, and Carrie.

When did you first become interested in politics, and why?

Having served on the Clean Elections Commission there were times that I felt Arizonans didn’t have enough of a choice when completing their ballots. Sometimes there just weren’t enough people interested in a particular position. As I watched and worked on various campaigns, I realized that it was important to set up and take a turn at public service.

Why run for the Corporation Commission, and what in your background will you bring to the table that the other commissioners (whoever they might be) don't have?

As a former bank examiner, attorney, business owner, and mediator I believe I will be a vital asset to the commission. I feel that I have a harmonious mixture of business and public service experience that some of my opponents lack, and that will be handy during long hours of careful deliberation.

What do you hope to accomplish there?

I want to serve and consider the best interests of everyone. It is important to hear all aspects of a matter before coming to a conclusion, and to have decisions be transparent. I want to be a watchdog for Arizonans, not a utility lapdog.

Are there any "nuts and bolts" issues (transparency, etc.) with the ACC that you would seek to address as a commissioner?

I believe that it is altogether too difficult for ordinary citizens to see how the Commissioners have voted on a certain topic. It is absurd that, while we live in an age of information, ordinary citizens must work so hard to uncover the basic facts about where the Commissioners stand on key subjects such as utilities regulation and plant proposals. If the Corporation Commission is to be accountable for its actions, then Arizonans must be able to easily find out what those actions are.

The utilities side of the ACC's activities receives most of the attention from the public and the media.  Most people aren't aware of the ACC's securities regulation activities.  What's your take on that aspect of the ACC's work?

The Corporation Commission helps Arizona residents recover for fraudulent activity against them. We need to make sure the vulnerable have an avenue of relief.

If the proposed trash-burning power generating plant becomes reality, what will you tell people who live in the area of the plant?

I think it would be a tragedy if the trash-burning facility becomes a reality. Not only is it expensive to build, but the pollution it would generate would not be healthy for our West Valley residents.

The ACC is charged with crafting energy policy for AZ.  Are there any policies that you support that are "people-friendly", "business-friendly" and "forward thinking"?

I support rooftop solar for residences and the implementation of solar power by small businesses, community facilities, and schools. My opponents on the other hand, may impose a surcharge to small businesses who wish to utilize solar technology. I also wish to see the business formation process become streamlined, easier to use, and helpful.

Part of a commissioner's duties may involve lobbying the Arizona Legislature, both supporting and opposing proposals.  What in your experience will you draw upon to help you when dealing with the often intransigent and usually hostile legislative branch?

I am hopeful that the legislative branch will be more moderate after the election. We all need to work together to make Arizona an attractive place to live and work. I will use my mediation skills to work with the legislators to implement wise policies for the benefit of all of us.

Why should Arizona's voters choose you for the Corporation Commission?

I truly am passionate about the role that the ACC plays in Arizona’s future. I have experience in both the business and political worlds that will be invaluable to the Corporation Commission. For over thirty years I have considered Arizona my home, and I feel that I can serve the best interests of all of us, our businesses and the environment as a Commissioner on the ACC.

 

 

Thanks go out to Marcia and her busy staff for working with me on this.  I know how busy candidates and their campaign staffs are this close to the election and am appreciative of the effort of their part to make this happen.

Races to watch (non-AZ edition) -

Come election day, there will be some races to watch aside from the presidential contest and the races here in Arizona; here are some of the races that I'll be keeping an eye on come Election Day -

- MA-Sen: Few individual Senate races have been higher profile this year than the one where Elizabeth Warren is attempting to oust Scott Brown from the seat previously held by Ted Kennedy.  This one has been neck-and-neck (and more than occasionally ugly) throughout most of the cycle, but recent polls show Warren opening up a small lead.  Warren is a staunch consumer advocate and a Democrat; Brown is a darling of Wall Street and a Republican.  Massachusetts is a heavily Democratic state.  I predict that Warren will win, if only because she isn't mailing it in the way Martha Coakley (and the Massachusetts Democratic Party) did during the special election to fill the seat that was vacated when Kennedy passed away.

- WI-Sen: The race Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D) and former governor Tommy Thompson (R) has seen its share of ups and downs; current polls show Thompson leading by a single percentage point.

- MO-Sen: Claire McCaskill, the Democratic incumbent vs. Rep. Todd Akin (R) here.  Akin started out with a lead, coughed it up (big-time!) when he spouted off about "legitimate" rape and how women cannot become pregnant as a result of "legitimate" rape.  His support fell off of the table after his ignorant comments, but he has clawed his way back into contention with a variety attacks on McCaskill (apparently, he thinks she should be "ladylike"; he means that she shouldn't speak the truth about him).  If I had to guess, I'd say McCaskill will win, but the race is far closer than it should be.

- OH-Sen:  Incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown is facing the bizarre but well-funded Josh Mandel (R).  Karl Rove has dumped millions into this race.  While Mandel probably won't win (it's still close enough for anything to happen), this race has become a proxy for the presidential race in swing-state Ohio, so expect this one to remain active, and colorful, until the very end.  If Mandel does pull this one off, look for the backers of the "Citizens United" decision by the US Supreme Court to raise a glass filled with (very expensive) champagne in a toast to Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and the other corporate stooges on the Supreme Court.

- The races for control of the legislatures in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan:  In 2010, those states elected legislatures with Republican majorities and put Republicans in the governor's offices, and the havoc ensued.  Each state enacted anti-women, anti-union, anti-society, etc. measures.  They may not return Democratic majorities to their respective legislatures, but putting in enough Ds to slow down or even block the most extreme parts of the Rs' ALEC-written and Koch Brothers-funded agenda is likely.

- IN-Sen: Joe Donnelly (D) and Richard Mourdock (R) are facing off here, after the tea party-type Mourdock defeated long-time incumbent Richard Lugar in the Republican primary.  If Lugar was the R nominee, this race would be considered a lock for the Republicans.  As it is, Mourdock began the general election race leading polls.  But he wouldn't just shut up, and the race is now close and going down to the wire.  His latest example of "diarrhea of the mouth":  Pontificating on how pregnancies resulting from rape are "God's will" and so women should be forced to carry and give birth to rape babies, even against their will.

Others to watch: CT-Sen (Linda McMahon (R), a former pro wrestling executive facing off against Rep. Joe Murphy (D) in a battle to replace the retiring Joe Lieberman (I) ); VA-Sen (Tim Kaine (D) and George "macaca" Allen (R) contesting here); Wisconsin CD1 (R VP nominee Paul Ryan fighting to keep his seat in Congress against Democratic nominee Rob Zerban.  This seat should be won by Ryan, but Zerban isn't going away); Florida CD18 (R tea party/batshit crazy type Allen West vs. D newcomer Patrick Murphy) and Massachusetts CD5 (scandal-plagued D incumbent John Tierney vs. R businessman Richard Tisei - the scandal isn't directly about Tierney, it's more about "what did he know and when did he know it" and some of his wife's activities, but that may be enough to cost him his seat).

Got a suggestion for a race to watch on Election Day while we are waiting for AZ and presidential returns to come in?  Leave it in a comment here.

Watchword for GOTV: Energy

When it comes to successful political movements, one thing is more important than money, or a partisan voter registration advantage, or a hundred other things that are cited by "experts".

Energy.

Energy in the candidates who are the mind of successful campaigns.

Energy in the staffers and organizers, who are the backbone of successful campaigns.

Energy in volunteers and activists who are the grassroots heart and soul of successful campaigns.

We've reached the point of the election cycle where mailboxes are stuffed every day with lit in favor or opposed to each candidate and where all TV ad time has been booked, to the point where some stations are cutting the "news" time in their news shows to add ad time (and, of course, revenue).

Now all that's left is getting out the vote (and making sure you cast your own vote).

It's been a long election cycle (hell, the Republicans have been running against Obama since before he was even inaugurated into his first term nearly four years ago) and we are all looking forward to the day *after* the election (especially the candidates, campaign staffers, and super-volunteers for whom an 18-hour day is "slacking off"), but there's less than two weeks to go.

It's time to dig deep into that reserve of energy that we all keep (or maybe just reach for a little extra caffeine :) ). 

In Maricopa County, you can volunteer for GOTV efforts at the following places -

MCDP Headquarters

2914 N. Central Ave

Phoenix, AZ 85012

602-298-0503

 

Ahwatukee

4645 Chandler Blvd. Suite 104

Phoenix, AZ 85045

480-961-0022

 

Avondale

319 N. Litchfield Rd. Suite 101

Goodyear, AZ 85338

623-882-3721
 

Gem Dems

7153 E. Main St.

Mesa, AZ 85207

480-924-3367

 

Glendale

8751 N. 51st Ave Suite 105

Glendale, AZ 85302

602-435-9117

 

North Phoenix

10658 N 32nd St.

Phoenix, AZ 85028

602-996-2021
 

Scottsdale

7051 E. 5th Ave. Suite E

Scottsdale, AZ 85215

480-421-2012

 

South Phoenix

6645 S. Central Ave

Phoenix, AZ 85042

 

Outside of Maricopa County, contact your county's Democratic Party for volunteering info.

Cochise County -
1010 E. Fry Blvd.
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
(520) 458-9467

Coconino County -
201 E. Birch Ave. Suite A
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
(928) 214-0393

Gila County -
1101 S. Beeline Hwy. (SR 87)
Payson, AZ 85541
(928) 468-2305

Graham County -
728 S. 9th Ave.
Safford, AZ 85546
(928) 428-2820

Greenlee County -
104 Wards Canyon Rd.
Clifton, AZ 85533

La Paz and Mohave Counties -
701 Stockton Hill Rd. Suite S
Kingman, AZ 86401
(928) 753-0006

Navajo County -
111 E. Hopi Dr.
Holbrook, AZ 86025

Pima County -
4639 E. 1st St.
Tucson, AZ 85717
(520) 326-3716

Pinal County -
350 N. Main St.
Florence, AZ 85132

Yavapai County -
1555 Iron Springs Rd.
Prescott, Arizona 86305
(928) 541-0413

Yuma County -
1600 S. 4th Ave. Suite D
Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 783-4673

Aside from the above party-based operations, every candidate has one, too (many individual LDs have them too, but I haven't found a complete listing, as of this writing) -

List of statewide candidates here; legislative candidates here.  For county- and local-level candidate contact info, reach out to your county party.  Or just use Google like the rest of us.  :)

Note:  If a particular county isn't listed above, it is because the ADP doesn't list a headquarters address for it here.