Short Attention Span Musing

...Public service is so much more enjoyable without, ya know, *the public*.  Just ask TN legislators

From AP -

In session reacting to school shooting, Tennessee GOP lawmaker orders removal of public from hearing

Families close to a Nashville fatal school shooting broke down in tears Tuesday after a Tennessee Republican leader ordered state troopers to remove them and others from a legislative hearing room while they waited to testify in favor of gun control measures.

The emotional scene was just one of several chaotic moments that erupted during the second day of Tennessee’s special legislative session. Republican Gov. Bill Lee initially called lawmakers back to the Capitol to consider his proposal to keep firearms away from dangerous people.

“I was supposed to speak, I was supposed to testify,” said Sarah Shoop Neumann, sobbing and shaking in front of the silent GOP-controlled House subcommittee room, which was cleared out after some clapping from the public gallery, even though she sat quietly and wasn’t holding any signs.

{snip}

Rep. Lowell Russell, the Republican subcommittee chairman, had also warned that he could order everyone out of the room.

My only question is this: Did the NRA have to crook its little finger to get Rep. Russell to stifle dissent or did he come up with this on his own?

...Am I the only one who believes that if Hurricane, then Tropical Storm, then something else, Hilary threatened Florida instead of California that Trumpkins would have another outlandish conspiracy theory to embrace?

...Got a new nickname for Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas -

Spina Mustela.

Per Google Translate, Spina Mustela is Latin for "spineless weasel."

It seems to work for other things, too :) -

Dear HuffPo: Improve your spelling

This won't be an exercise in criticizing Cheeto and his followers (though there will be some of that).

This won't be an exercise in criticizing one of Cheeto's minion for doing her best Ted Cruz/invertebrate impression (though she obviously merits such criticism).

Nope, this will be an exercise in me doing my best imitation of an old man waving his cane while yelling "Get off my lawn!".  :)

Let me be clear - the word is "milquetoast".  Means timid or meek.

From Huffington Post via Yahoo! (emphasis added by me)-

Kayleigh McEnany Responds To Donald Trump Attack With 1 Of His Favorite Routines

Former Trump White House press secretary-turned-Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany deployed a favorite Donald Trump line on the air Thursday, days after the former president bizarrely insulted her as “milktoast.”

McEnany, who Trump accused of understating his poll numbers against GOP 2024 rival Ron DeSantis, resorted to her former boss’ old “tears in their eyes” routine during a fawning analysis of his comments on the campaign trail in Iowa.

Of course, Cheeto and his followers probably think the word should be spelled as "milkkktoast."

The GQP has plenty of invertebrates in their ranks

Could have used "shameless hypocrites" in the title, but since "GQP" is already there, I thought doing so would be kind of redundant. :)

First up: The epitome of spinelessness and one of Cheeto's chief lickspittles, Ted Cruz.

From Reform Austin -

Ted Cruz Wants Credit For Bill He Voted Against

Senator Ted Cruz has recently been taking credit for a popular Texas highway project that he voted against.

“We did the hard work to bring together Democrats and Republicans, and we now have designated I-27, the Ports-to-Plains [highway], to run from Laredo, all the way north through Lubbock, all the way up to Canada,” said Cruz in a recent interview with KAMC-TV in Lubbock. “That is going to bring jobs, $55 billion project, you’re talking hundreds of thousands of jobs. You’re talking tens of billions of dollars of additional GDP to the state of Texas. And it’s a great bipartisan victory for the state of Texas.”

That hard work did not include voting for the omnibus spending bill this year that will actually get the highway built. Instead, Cruz is hinging his integrity on the fact that he authored an amendment that designated the Ports-to-Plains project as a part of the national highway system. That amendment did have bipartisan support.

When it came time to cast a vote, Cruz and every other Texas Republican voted no in an act of universal opposition to the Biden Administration, even as the final bill contained necessary and popular projects that Republican lawmakers want and need for their constituents. This allows them the dual benefit of telling their far-right bases that they “stood up” to big government while also spending federal money on things that only big government can get done.

It's not just Cruz.

From Politico -

House passes government funding, averting shutdown threat

[snip]

The top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Kay Granger, who helped negotiate the bill, joined the swath of GOP members who opposed it. Asked if she could explain why she voted against it, the Texas lawmaker replied Friday: “No, I can’t.”

Like Cruz, Granger is from Texas.

It isn't just federal-level GQP electeds who are a little "flexible" in the spinal area.

From MassLive -

Florida Gov. DeSantis asks for federal aid with Hurricane Ian years after criticizing aid for Hurricane Sandy

When Ron DeSantis assumed office as a newly elected Florida congressman in 2013 he criticized the Obama administration for sending federal bailout money to assist New York and other mid-Atlantic states affected by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 — which killed 125 people in the United States and caused $62 billion in infrastructure and building damage.

Now positioned as governor of Florida, DeSantis is asking the federal government for help as Hurricane Ian wreaks devastation on the Sunshine State causing “substantial loss of life.”

Ted Cruz has a simple problem - he thinks same sex marriage is bad

Well, he has *many* problems, but we're only here to address one.

From CNN -

Ted Cruz says Supreme Court was 'clearly wrong' about 2015 same-sex marriage ruling

Sen. Ted Cruz believes the US Supreme Court was "clearly wrong" in its landmark 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling that legalized same-sex marriage, the Texas Republican said Saturday.

"Obergefell, like Roe v. Wade, ignored two centuries of our nation's history," Cruz said in a clip posted on his YouTube channel for his podcast. "Marriage was always an issue that was left to the states. We saw states before Obergefell, some states were moving to allow gay marriage, other states were moving to allow civil partnerships. There were different standards that the states were adopting."

Simple problems have simple solutions -

Dear Sen. Cruz,

Don't marry another guy.

Me

Uvalde shooting: The GOP gameplan of whataboutism, misdirection, and distraction is in full force. And if those don't work, run away

First, the names of the victims, lest we forget they were real people with real families and friends mourning them, from KABC (Los Angeles) -

Nevaeh Bravo

Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares

Makenna Lee Elrod

Jose Flores

Eliahna Garcia

Irma Garcia, teacher

Uziyah Garcia

Amerie jo Garza

Xavier Lopez

Jayce Carmelo Luevanos

Tess Mata

Maranda Mathis

Eva Mireles, teacher

Alithia Ramirez

Annabell Rodriguez

Maite Rodriguez

Alexandria Aniyah Rubio

Layla Salazar

Jailah Nicole Silguero

Eliahana Cruz Torres

Rojelio Torres

We saw most of the R plan on full display in Arizona.

From Athena Ankrah at KJZZ -

Tensions high at Arizona Senate during Texas school shooting debate

Tensions were high on the Arizona Senate floor Wednesday as lawmakers debated the root causes of this week’s shooting at an elementary school in Texas.

Democratic leader Rebecca Rios told fellow legislators that the lives of 19 children and two teachers could have been saved with stricter gun control laws.

The video of the full Senate floor session is here; when I make a time reference, it's based on that video.

Rios' comments begin at around the 37:00 mark, and they're far more eloquent, and heart-rending, than anything I could have said.  I recommend watching them in their entirety.

After her, R Sens. Rick Gray, Kelly Townsend, and Sonny Borrelli spoke.  More may have done so, but three was all I could take before I wanted to throw something at my computer.  Since I can't afford a new computer, I chose to view something else. :)

Even after just those three though, it was clear that the GOP is going to recite its favored talking points.

"Chicago!" was one of them, as was citing California.

Also a favorite? Lack of religion.  

Of course, they didn't cite the mass shootings in churches (except to defend their "more guns" position), including one where the shooter prayed with his future victims.  The last time I checked, there's a LOT of religion in churches.

Rick Gray posited that the American state religion is "secularism", basically blaming the separation of church and state for the killings in schools.

Kelly Townsend started speaking at around the 58:20 mark, and she hit all of the high talking points, and added one of her own -

She blamed abortion, gender identity, gun free zones, and lack of religion for the shooting.

On the other hand, she did switch it up - at the 59:15 mark, she compared shootings in the U.S. to stabbings in England.

I just *love* it when they Rs do that - that stuff is so easy to look up.

From the U.S. CDC -

 

From the U.K. Office of National Statistics

[begin sarcasm] Yup.  The over 45K gun deaths in the U.S. is very comparable to the fewer than 230 knife homicides in the U.K over the same period. {/end sarcasm]

In the end, Townsend fell back upon the old GOP trope of "we need to arm our schools." (1.00:02 mark)

At the 1.03:47 mark, an outraged Democrat (of course), Sen. Christine Marsh pointed out, "Are you kidding?!?...The members across the aisle do not trust teachers to even teach content and now you're suggesting you do trust them though to carry guns to school?"

And Republican Sonny Borelli wasn't subtle in his quest to blame-shift.  He actually yelled "Where are the parents?!?  Unwedded mothers, deadbeat dads - the shame is on their forehead!"

Still, the most outrageous comment may have been uttered by Rick Gray at 49:47, early in the discussion.

There were 21 bodies in a school, 21 dinner tables with an empty chair there, but he was offended by a tweet from a reporter, Steve Irvin, since retired but then still with ABC15 in Phoenix.

I think this is the tweet that so ruffled Gray's feathers -

If it will help Gray, I'll send some thoughts and prayers his way.

Oh and as for the "run away" part.  Ted Cruz of Texas has that covered.

From NPR -

Ted Cruz walks away from a reporter who asked why the U.S. has so many mass shootings

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, walked off on a British journalist after he was pressed about reforming gun laws, and asked why mass shootings happen so frequently in America.

The exchange happened two days after a gunman killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, making it the second-deadliest mass shooting at an elementary, middle or high school in U.S. history. Cruz was attending a vigil for the victims.

Epic fail: Cruz brings kids' books to the Senate. Again.

From CNN -

What the children's books Ted Cruz referenced at Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearing really say

Ted Cruz thrust several books into the spotlight after his puzzling line of questioning at Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearing.

In a hearing ostensibly meant to assess whether Jackson is qualified to serve on the highest court in the land, the Republican senator brought up critical race theory -- an academic concept taught primarily at the university and graduate levels that has since turned into a political flashpoint -- in K-12 schools.

As part of his questioning, Cruz presented a handful of books that he claimed were taught at Georgetown Day School -- an elite, private school in Washington, DC whose board Jackson serves on. Among the titles he mentioned were "Critical Race Theory: An Introduction" by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic; "The End of Policing" by Alex S. Vitale and "How to be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi.

Cruz focused the bulk of his questions, however, on two children's books -- "Antiracist Baby" and "Stamped (For Kids)." And his characterizations of those titles were largely distorted.

Of course, he *does* have something of a track record.

From The Daily Beast in 2013 -

Ted Cruz Recites 'Green Eggs and Ham'

Around 8 p.m. EST, Ted Cruz’s fauxlibuster took an odd turn when he decided it would be appropriate to read his daughters a bedtime story. The Texas senator began to recite Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham on the Senate floor, with dramatic pause and all. “Green Eggs and Ham has some applicability, as curious as it may sound, to the Obamcare debate,” Cruz said once he had finished. Americans “did not like green eggs and ham, and they did not like Obamacare either.” Watch Cruz’s entire rendition here.

There was one major difference - in 2013, when Cruz read Green Eggs and Ham, he didn't have a beard.

And he did a really good impression of a putz.

pic courtesy The Daily Beast

Now, he has a beard, so when he reads from a children's book, he does a good impression...of a putz with a beard.

pic courtesy CNN

There's no word on if he brought the books to Montana with him, or if he brought one (Green Eggs and Ham?) to Cancun.

Hey, Arizona may not be perfect, but at least it isn't Texas

Of course - we're a LONG way from perfect.  

We elect people like Doug Ducey, Wendy Rogers, Kelly Townsend, Paul Gosar, and many others, but Texas elects people like Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz, Sid Miller, Louie Gohmert (and others).

And then there's this.

From Business Insider -

A Texas parent demanded a Michelle Obama biography be pulled from schools because they said it would make white girls feel 'ashamed'

A parent in Texas called for a children's biography about former first lady Michelle Obama to be pulled from school libraries because they viewed it as unfair to former President Donald Trump.

The Katy, Texas, parent took issue with a book titled "Michelle Obama: Political Icon" by Heather E. Schwartz, saying it "unfairly" depicted Trump "as a bully," according to NBC News, which on Wednesday published a list of 50 books that parents in Texas have asked schools to remove.

The request came as books depicting race, sexuality, and gender have faced heightened scrutiny from conservatives in the US, with many demanding certain titles be pulled from school libraries.

Nope, AZ isn't perfect, and maybe we shouldn't be talking smack about anyone, but TX could give us lessons in nuttiness, and that's saying something.

Ted Cruz is a leader; Leader of the invertebrate caucus, but a leader is a leader, right?

From Politico -

Ted Cruz walks back Jan. 6 'terrorist' remark in heated exchange with Tucker Carlson

Ted Cruz on Thursday walked back his use of the word “terrorist” when describing the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol during an intense back and forth with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who repeatedly questioned the validity of the Republican senator’s explanation.

Cruz was lambasted during Carlson’s Wednesday night show for describing Jan. 6 as “a violent terrorist attack on the Capitol.” During his Thursday night appearance, when Carlson asked him why he used the word "terrorist," Cruz brushed off his previous phrasing as “sloppy” and “frankly dumb.”

Cruz established his "spineless" bonafides years ago; this latest example just reinforced something that everyone knew already.

From the Daily Beast in 2016 -

Trump Attacks Heidi Cruz’s Looks

Donald Trump continued his verbal assault on his top rival’s wife late Wednesday evening with a crude retweet negatively comparing her looks to that of his ex-model wife Melania. On Tuesday, the GOP frontrunner threatened to “spill the beans” on Ted Cruz’s wife, Heidi, in return for an unaffiliated super PAC’s ad shaming Melania for having once posed nude for a magazine. In return, Cruz called the reality-TV star a “coward” and Heidi denied that Trump’s innuendo was grounded in reality. Fulfilling his unassailable classiness, however, Trump then manually retweeted a supporter’s message showing side-by-side images of Heidi and Melania, with the caption, “No need to ‘spill the beans,’ the images are worth a thousand words.” Cruz responded shortly thereafter: “Donald, real men don’t attack women. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life.”

From GQ in 2017 -

Ted Cruz Takes Wife to Dinner with the Man Who Called Her Ugly

Texas senator and noted revisionist historian Ted Cruz has enjoyed what could perhaps charitably called a rocky relationship with Donald Trump. The former rivals for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination were cordial enough at first, but once the field of candidates had been winnowed down to just the two of them, Trump went nuclear on "Lyin' Ted," taking to Twitter to call Cruz's wife ugly and implying in an interview that Cruz's father was involved in the assassination of President Kennedy. As Cruz himself might say, things escalated quickly.

Unwilling to let such repulsive attacks on his family go unaddressed, the senator courageously responded by issuing a blistering rebuke of Trump's comments, and even after Trump eventually secured the GOP nomination and became president, Ted Cruz never forgot the despicable insults and outrageous lies uttered about the man who raised him and the mother of his chil—hahaha, just kidding, he rolled over so fast that he almost threw out his back. Last night, the man reached a previously undiscovered level of spinelessness, bringing his family to dine at the White House with President Trump and the First Lady.

Dear Ted (Cruz): We're not going to miss you, or anyone else who gets into arguments with fictional characters

First, from The Hill -

Ted Cruz wants Texas to secede if 'things become hopeless' in the US

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said that Texas should secede if Democrats "fundamentally" destroy the U.S. but added that "he is not ready to give up on America yet."

"If the Democrats end the filibuster, if they fundamentally destroy the country, if they pack the Supreme Court, if they make D.C. a state, if they federalize elections, if they massively expand voter fraud, there may come a point where it's hopeless," Cruz said while speaking at an event at Texas A&M last month.

I'm pretty sure that if the U.S. ever let Texas go, say, if we returned it to Mexico, Mexico would respond by looking at the inhabitants of Texas...and immediately declaring war on the U.S. :)

That was last month.  Over this past weekend, he fully embraced his inner Gohmert.

From CNN -

Ted Cruz has found the real vaccine enemy: Big Bird

It's hard to imagine how we all missed it.

After all, an 8-foot, 2-inch yellow bird is sort of hard to miss.

But, lucky for all of us, Ted Cruz is on the case!

Big Bird?  Really?

Wouldn't it be ironic if Sesame Street was broadcast in Cancun?

The important question after the Cancun shooting: Is Ted Cruz OK?

*Yes*, I'm going to joke about this, but let me say this first - I hope all innocent people kept their heads down when the bullets started flying and are OK now.

From NBCNews -

2 suspects dead after reported shooting at Cancun Hyatt hotel

Two suspected drug dealers are dead following reports of a shooting at a Hyatt resort in Cancun, Mexico, on Thursday.

Video of the incident verified by NBC News shows guests hiding after being told to take cover at the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun. The resort said its staff "immediately engaged local authorities who are on the scene investigating the situation."

Don't worry about Ted Cruz though - he stayed at a Ritz Carlton resort when he abandoned Texas in its time of need.

Since you already occupy the position of "Cheeto's Butt-Kisser-In-Chief", maybe they should go to Cancun to look for work

From Twitter:

Dear Ted -

Maybe there would be fewer vacancies if those businesses paid their employees more.  Plus, you make a good argument for Congressional salaries being tied to the federal minimum wage.

Campaign superlatives

Inspired by Laurie Roberts of the Arizona Republic, who has a column up with the title "My picks for the most memorable performances of this campaign season."
Mostly her column is a series of criticisms of the effors of some of the campaigns. I can do that, and will, but I've got a few compliments, too.


Toward the end of the high school year, yearbooks come out, with picks (and pics) of the "the most" whatever or "the class" blah.  Now that we are nearing the end of the campaign cycle, it's time for campaign superlatives.


...The "Least Likely To Have A Future On American Idol" Award:  Rodney Glassman, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.  His video performance of "Sweet Home Arizona" was easily the most entertaining video of the season, and it was energetic.  Other than that...?

...The "Truth?  We don't need no stinking truth! " Award:  Many worthy nominees, but this one goes to the Yes on Prop 302 folks.  They've got signs all over the state pimping the proposition with "Stop Wasteful Government Spending."  They've also go signs up saying the Prop 302 is "for the kids" or some such tripe.

Prop 302 would defund and destroy First Things First, a program for early childhood education and health care.  The money set aside for it via a voter-approved dedicated tax would then go into the state's General Fund and be subject to appropriation by the lege.  The expectation is that the lege would use the revenue as an excuse for more corporate tax cuts, and then use the resulting reduction in revenue as an excuse for cutting education and children's health care programs even more than they already have been.

...The "Most Expensive Campaign By A Candidate Who Isn't Even On The Ballot" Award:  Maricopa County's own Joltin' Joe Arpaio.  The nativist sheriff isn't up for reelection until 2012, but he spent over $700K on TV spots targeting Rick Romley, a candidate for Maricopa County Attorney, and incurred a fine of $150K more for his illegal "in-kind" contribution.

...The "Most Likely To Be Cursing Poor Timing" Award:  Joe Hart, the incumbent Arizona Mine Inspector.  Hart looks to be openly in the pocket of the industry he's supposed to regulate (he takes lots of campaign contributions from them, and they help create laws to specifically increase his job security).

He started the campaign season well-funded and bunkered legally, and looked to be cruising to an easy reelection.  Then 33 miners in Chile became trapped in an unsafe mine, and even worse, had the audacity to survive for more than two months underground before being rescued.

The world's, and Arizona's attention became focused on the drama in Chile, and unfortunately for Hart, on all things mining.

Including Hart's dearth of qualifications for the job, and the wealth of experience in the safe operation of mines on the part of his opponent Manny Cruz.

...The "Most Likely To Wish That The Election Was Held The Day After She Signed SB1070" Award:  Who else?  Jan "Brain Freeze" Brewer.  She started out the real election cycle (i.e. - after the other major R candidates dropped out of their primary) with a huge lead over Terry Goddard.  Right now, however, the short calendar between the primary and general elections is her best friend.

Between...

- Nationally ridiculed false claims of headless bodies in the Arizona desert...

- The aforemention "brain freeze" during her one and only debate with Goddard...

- National coverage of the ties between private prisons, SB1070, and her circle of lobbyists/advisers

- and other missteps, she has since allowed Goddard to close the gap with her, turning the contest into one that will be won by the organization with the stronger GOTV effort.  She still leads in recent polling, but Tuesday can't come soon enough for her.


..."Most Likely To Be A Chip Off The Old Block" Award:  Ben Quayle.  Dad can't spell "potato" correctly; son doesn't know history, calling Barack Obama the "worst president in history" in a TV spot, ignoring the fact that his deep-pocketed well-connected daddy used to work for the deep-pocketed well-connected daddy of the one of the "worst presidents in history," the one who was the worst in well over a century.

Later...

Entering the home stretch in Arizona...

and something tells me that Jan, her clan, and the rest of the Rs are happy that the election cycle comes to an end on November 2, not December 2. 

From the East Valley Tribune -

Goddard catching up with Brewer in final weeks of gubernatorial campaign

Gov. Jan Brewer's large lead over Democrat Terry Goddard is eroding in the final weeks of a campaign that once looked like a runaway victory for the Republican incumbent

{snip}

While Brewer led Goddard by 20 points in July, she's supported by 38 percent of likely voters compared with Goddard's 35 percent, according to a Behavior Research poll conducted the first 10 days of October. The gap between the candidates narrowed as support for Goddard rose during the survey.


Libertarian Barry Hess and the Green Party's Larry Gist had 6 percent between the two of them.

It's getting closer, but to put Terry, and Chris, Felecia, Andrei, Penny, and Manny. over the top, sign up here to volunteer with the Arizona Democratic Party or your local county or coordinated campaign office.


Being exhausted from a day of canvassing or phone banking will suck, but a single night's sleep will recharge your batteries.

Years of Republicans holding statewide office will suck worse, and it will take years, even generations, to fix the damage.

Nine days of campaigning left. Nine days for the future of Arizona.


Note on 10/24: something goofy happened with the formatting of this post.  It's been corrected.

Early Ballot Time - 2010 General Election

All over Arizona, early ballots are reaching mail boxes (the ballot for my area is here).  Here are my picks (and there isn't anything here that will surprise any regular readers :) ):

U.S. Senate - Rodney Glassman.  He's got the energy and focus on the needs of Arizonans (and Arizona) that John McCain hasn't had for decades (if ever).

U.S. Representative in Congress (District 5) - Harry Mitchell.  He's got the energy and focus on the needs of his constituents, and has had it for nearly 40 years.  If the Rs in CD5 had any appreciation for public service and public servants, they'd have nominated him, too.  (Not an unheard-of happenstance.  In Massachusetts in 1982, Republican Silvio Conte won both the Democratic and Republican nominations for Congress in MA-CD1.  He went on to win the general. Back in a time when public service was valued instead of vilified. [page 18 of the linked .pdf] :) )

Governor - Terry Goddard.  He's got the intelligence, experience, and wisdom to move Arizona out of the economic abyss that it's in.  And he's got the quiet fire necessary for dealing with the R extremists in the legislature who are less interested in serving Arizona than in adhering to a nihilist ideology.

State Senator (District 17) - David Schapira.  Focused on Tempe and Arizona's education system.  He has an established track record.  Will work "across the aisle" when doing so will help the district or Arizona's students.  Will fight like hell when doing so will help the district or Arizona's students.

State Representative (District 17) - Ed Ableser and P. Ben Arredondo.  Both have been teachers and community activists in Tempe/South Scottsdale, Ed for most of a decade and Ben for *many* decades.  Ed is the more liberal of the two (Ben being a reformed former Republican), but both are totally focused on their constituents (Yes, there is definitely a pattern in my picks, and it isn't just the partisan affiliation.)

Secretary of State - Chris Deschene.  Will fight for the rights of all voters, not just his party's.  That fact alone puts him head and shoulders above his opponent, but he also brings an educational background that includes mechanical engineering and a law degree. 

Attorney General - Felecia Rotellini.  She's got the smarts, the integrity, and the tenacity to protect Arizonans from predators of all stripes, whether they are smuggling cartels or Wall Street fraudsters.

State Treasurer - Andrei Cherny.  A former assistant AG and an economics policy wonk extraordinaire, he is eminently qualified for the job of safeguarding Arizona's public monies.  The fact that, unlike his opponent, he isn't an indictment for financial fraud waiting to happen is just gravy.

Superintendent of Public Instruction - Penny Kotterman.  Career teacher, teacher trainer, school administrator, education policy advocate, for over 30 years.  Her opponent has spent most of the last two decades trying to destroy public education in Arizona.  'Nuff said.

Mine Inspector - Manuel Cruz.  He has the educational and professional background in mine safety that a job that is supposed to ensure the safety of miners *should* have.  Not in the pocket of industry lobbyists, unlike his opponent.

Corporation Commissioner - David Bradley and Jorge Luis Garcia.  Two former legislators with long and distinguished track records of fighting for their constituents.  Their opponents have long and not-so-distinguished track records of fighting for Big Business, no matter what state it is based in.  The Arizona Corporation Commission is meant to protect the interests of Arizonans by regulating and overseeing utilities, railroads, and securities in the state.  Bradley and Garcia are easy choices here.

Maricopa County Attorney - Michael Kielsky. He's a Libertarian, someone I would normally never vote for, but I always vote for the better candidate.  There's no Democrat on the ballot for this brief term (2 years instead of the normal 4) and the Republican on the ballot is openly allied with Joe Arpaio.  I've been told by some people who are more familiar than I am with Bill Montgomery (the Republican in question) that they think he will probably at least try to appear as neutral, but Arpaio spent hundreds of thousands on ads in the primary race, and incurred thousands more in fines for violating campaign finance laws for doing so.  Can you say "quid pro quo"?

I don't think Kielsky will win, but a strong showing could send a message to the Democrats who have all but given Montgomery a free pass.

Maricopa County Clerk of Courts - Sherry Williams.  Smart and energetic, with a BA in Political Science and a Masters in Information Systems.  She will bring the background and integrity that the clerk of *any* court should have, and that Maricopa County so desperately needs (a Maricopa County official elected countywide with some integrity?  Be still my beating heart...)

University Lakes Justice of the Peace - Meg Burton Cahill (no website available).  The retiring state senator has a master's degree in Public Administration and a strong background in the law from her time on the Senate's Judiciary Committee.  She will make a fine addition to the Maricopa County bench, where her wisdom and experience will stand her in good stead against the pressures that can/will be brought to bear on folks in that position.  Ask the current holder of the office - he was Joe Arpaio's "go-to guy" when he needed some sketchy warrants signed for his jihad against the county supes.

University Lakes Constable - No race, so no vote.  Joe Arredondo (R) will win.

Central Arizona Water Conservation District (aka - the Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project) - Arif Kazmi and Jim Holway.  Both have strong academic, professional and personal backgrounds in water resources management.  Both were among the five candidates endorsed by the Arizona Republic, and while the other endorsees of the AZRep are strong, these two are stronger and should be "double-shotted" in order to maximize their chances of election.  There is a slate of "Tea Party" candidates running to try to put the management of a major part of Arizona's water delivery system on an ideological basis, not a professional basis.  They should be completely shunned.  In a desert like central Arizona, water literally is life.

School Governing Board member, Scottsdale Unified #48 - I have absolutely no clue.  Decision by elimination time (and I may be doing the eliminated candidate a disservice, but this is the best I've got in this race):  Denny Brown (newby) and Dieter Schaefer (incumbent).  There is limited info available on the candidates that I could find in a quick search, but while I have some reservations (i.e. - Schaefer was the only candidate who responded to a questionnaire from the extreme RW organization The Center for Arizona Policy), but the third candidate, Pam Kirby. touts a resume that looks good (lots of PTO involvement) but seems to be more purely ideological than the others.  Plus the endorsement of Scottsdale City Council member Bob Littlefield didn't help.

Bond question, Scottsdale Unified #48 - Yes.  Over the short-term, the legislature cannot be counted on the fund the state's education system, whether for classroom needs or infrastructure needs.  Long-term, there could be legal ramifications because while relatively affluent districts like SUSD can use bonding to fund an adequate education system for their students, many poorer districts cannot.

City of Scottsdale Council Member - Ned O'Hearn, Linda Milhaven, and Wayne Ecton.  All three care deeply about Scottsdale and its future, and aren't tied to any particular ideology beyond that.  Dennis Robbins would have received my fourth vote if a fourth seat was up for election this time around, but he wasn't quite strong enough a candidate to make it into the top three.  Bob Littlefield...I like Bob personally, but I'd never vote for him.  He definitely is tied to that certain nihilist ideology that permeates the AZGOP, he just covers it with a "good ol' boy" facade.  Guy Philips is definitely not ready for prime time.  He doesn't hide his obeisance to ideological orthodoxy, but he doesn't even have the redeeming value of knowing that ideology well.  If he were elected to the Council, he'd need a staffer with cue cards set up in the back of the City Hall Kiva to tell him how to vote on issues.

The next set of issues concern City of Scottsdale ballot questions, info here.

City of Scottsdale Bond Questions 1 and 2 - Yes.  They're for infrastructure, and I'm a big fan of infrastructure.

Proposition 411 - NO.  A charter amendment further restricting the City's ability to use condemnation to acquire property.  Looks harmless on the surface (must adhere to state law, which is already required), but includes vague language like "all reasonable options have been exhausted."  A recipe for frivolous lawsuits.

Proposition 412 - NO.  A charter amendment intended to prevent the City from ever paying to participate in organizations like the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce.  Part of Mayor Jim Lane's ongoing tiff with the CofC, possibly related to the fact that they didn't endorse him in 2008.  The charter is a document to define the structure of the City's government, not a tool for petty political retribution.

Proposition 413 - Close, but NO.  Currently, the City's charter allows citizens to petition the Council and requires the Council to consider any matters brought to its attention within 30 days, which can be difficult considering the timing (right before summer break) or complexity of some of the issues.  This charter amendment would remove the thirty day limit entirely.  My problem is with that.  Make it 45 or 60 days, but don't remove the obligation to hear matters in a timely manner.

Proposition 414 - Probable YES.  This charter amendment would clarify the duties of and separate the offices of the various City Charter Officers.  This one stems from the tendency in recent years to combine the offices of the City Manager and City Treasurer.  God help me for agreeing with the Lane/Littlefield clique on *anything*, but they're right on this one - the treasurer of any organization should be an independent officer, one whose oversight is as far up the org chart as is practicable.

It's not perfect, and it's a powerplay by the Lane/Littlefield clique, but when Lane installs a campaign contributor into the office of treasurer (and he will!), there will be a movement to put specific experience requirements into the charter for that particular job.

Proposition 415 - Probable YES.  A charter amendment to clarify that the Mayor and Council shall not have direct control of a City employee's hiring/firing, except for those who work directly for the Mayor and Council.

Proposition 416 - Probable YES.  A charter amendment that looks like a "housekeeping" measure clarifying how the Council may act/enact under specific circumstances.

Proposition 417 - Probable YES.  A charter amendment that looks to be a "housekeeping" measure related to the appointment and terms of judges on the City Court.

Judges for the Arizona Supreme Court, Court of Appeals - Division One, and Maricopa County Superior Court - I haven't heard of any of them, which is a characteristic that I want in judges.  Court judges are like baseball umpires - if you've heard of them, then they probably messed up big-time.  I won't be voting to retain/not retain any of them.

Statewide ballot propositions - Previously covered here.  Summary: NO on all measures proposed by the legislature, and YES on the one (Prop. 203, Medical Marijuana) sent to the ballot by the citizens.

Whew!

Later...