Rodney Glassman (R-Craven)

I know he ran as a Democrat for US Senate (where he was thoroughly trounced by the late John McCain, a recent Medal of Freedom recipient) but he hasn't been impressive in the years since.

Now, he's running for the R nomination for Arizona Attorney General and was on AZFamily's Politics Unplugged.

One thing was made clear during his appearance - he'll say anything in order to win an election.

He may be too craven for even R primary voters.

Of course I could be overestimating the character of R primary voters; after all, they *did* vote for Cheeto.

Short Attention Span Musing

Edited on 7/27 to correct an error

...Apparently, the leash from the Center for Arizona Theocracy Policy (CATP) stretches all the way from CATP's HQ to the 9th floor (governor's office)...

Last week, a video emerged purporting to show a senior official from Planned Parenthood offering for sale tissue from fetuses that have been aborted (not going to link to it; it's easy to find if you really want to see it).

It was quickly shown to be heavily selectively edited and egregiously taken out of context (the actual conversation was about using legitimately donated tissue for legitimate medical research), but that hasn't stopped hordes of anti-choicers from citing the video when they demonize Planned Parenthood.

Which is something that they do the same way that normal people breathe.

Anyway, Doug Ducey, Governor of Arizona, has jumped on the anti-PP bandwagon with a statement.  From that statement -

Governor Doug Ducey today directed the Arizona Department of Health Services to conduct a thorough review of current law and immediately promulgate emergency rules designed to prohibit the illegal sale of any tissue from an unborn child.

Since Ducey has officially deemed it OK to change public policy based on open lies, maybe it's time to play with the truth a little and see how much he likes it.

Found this picture on Yahoo.com -

Ducey, left, and Cathi Herrod, President of CATP

Now, someone with Photoshop skills could do a better job with this than me, but this may be good enough to make my point -

The crudely-drawn black line going from Herrod's right hand to Ducey's neck represents a leash attached to a collar.

Now, to be clear, while it seems clear that Herrod and her group exert undue influence at the Capitol (9th Floor and elsewhere), to the best of my knowledge, a physical leash is not involved (meaning that the above pic is meant to be taken as a physical representation of a metaphor, not as documentation of an actual leash).

Having said that, I have to ask -

Would he like it if the above picture (or one done more skillfully) were circulated during his next election campaign?

While it is not accurate in a literal sense (like the anti-PP video), it is accurate in a metaphorical sense (unlike the anti-PP video)...


...Am I the only person who thinks that Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate (and God's gift to comedians and wiseasses everywhere), instead of being the "nightmare" for the GOP that many in the GOP seem to believe, is actually their wettest dream -

- he actually has Democrats defending Sen. John McCain (R-Never Met A War He Didn't Monger) and his military service.

- he is providing cover for the other R candidates, all of whom have gone right on with saying things that should disqualify them from ever holding *any* elected office, much less the presidency.  However, the national media is focused on Trump and his never-ending case of verbal diarrhea.


...News broke this week that Rodney Glassman, the 2010 Democratic nominee for US Senate in AZ, has changed his voter registration from Democrat to Republican.

Most people that I talked to about this A) hadn't heard the news prior to reading about it in the Yellow Sheet Report and B) weren't surprised - he was never much of a Democrat, and unless the AZGOP changes its name to the "Arizona Glassman Party", he's probably not going to be much of a Republican (though he may find some common cause with the Chamber of Commerce wing of the AZGOP).

The story mentioned that he might be exploring a run in LD28 (looking to unseat Democratic State Rep. Eric Meyer).  As of this writing, the website of the AZSOS doesn't show him as establishing a campaign committee (statewide, exploratory, or legislative).

Just to be thorough, I checked the websites of the FEC and Maricopa County; no Glassman activity in either place as yet.

Edit on 7/27:  Rep Meyer is facing term limits in the House and has formed a committee for a Senate run.  He is expected to face the incumbent senator for LD28, Republican Adam Driggs.  As such, if Glassman does indeed go for a House seat, it will be an open seat.  However, unless he is better connected within the LD28GOP and can fend off would-be competitors before nominating signatures are filed, he will face a number of challengers.  

Many of whom may view themselves as having "waited their turn" and will be reluctant to step aside for an upstart.

Having said that, a Glassman primary victory isn't impossible, just difficult to foresee.

Apologies to readers for in my haste to complete this post, I didn't check Meyer's status while searching for any Glassman committees.

End edit...


...Also this past week, the US House of Representatives passed HB3009, punishing "sanctuary cities" (cities that don't notify the feds of the immigration status of people that come into contact with "the system").  The vote fell almost completely along party lines, but six Democrats crossed over to support this nugget of nativist grandstanding.

Including Arizona's own Kyrsten Sinema (CD9).

I don't know if she was always on the nativist train (support: her friendly relationship with the infamous Russell Pearce) or if she is triangulating, trying to gain the support of people who will never vote for her anyway (support: everything she has done since gaining the office), she is looking ever more vulnerable to a primary challenge.

I don't know if one will happen in 2016, but one is coming, and soon.

Congratulations to Andrei Cherny, the new Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party

After some procedural wrangling, the Democrats of Arizona united to chose Andrei Cherny, former White House staffer, Assistant Arizona Attorney General, and 2010 Democratic nominee for Arizona Treasurer, to be their chair for the 2011-2012 election cycle.

The race between Andrei and Rodney Glassman was a close one, but after the votes were counted, they shook hands and pledged to work for the best future for Arizona and the Arizona Democratic Party.

Arizona Democratic Party chair race: time to close ranks and unite

As most observers have probably already noted, I don't often write about the inner workings of the Arizona Democratic Party (or the Arizona Republican Party, for that matter), mostly because most readers find that kind of "inside baseball" stuff really boring.

Either they're insiders and know this stuff already, or they're not insiders and they don't care about it in the first place.

However, the current jockeying for the chairmanship of the Arizona Democratic Party has made it into the MSM, so the whole thing merits a temporary waiving of my personal policy in this regard.


Every two years, political parties in Arizona reorganize, choosing new leaders for the next election cycle, and that's where the Democrats and Republicans are right now, heading into Saturday's meetings of their respective State Committees.

I'll leave it to the various Republican bloggers to "discuss" what's going on in their party; suffice it to say that anyone that they choose to lead them for the next two years is someone that I'm going to disagree with, on pretty much all significant issues.

Two candidates for ADP chair have emerged - Rodney Glassman, the former Tucson City Council member and 2010 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, and Andrei Cherny, the former White House staffer, Assistant Arizona Attorney General, and 2010 Democratic nominee for Arizona Treasurer.

Various pro and con factions have formed, and the "jockeying" has involved more than a few elbows being thrown.  The level of rancor has risen to the point where an email went out yesterday, signed by former Attorney General Terry Goddard and current Congressman Raul Grijalva, urging a one month delay in electing a new slate of officers.

I'm not sure I agree with that idea, but I undertstand it.  Discussion has become rancorous, and a lot of people are still reeling from the shootings in Tucson two weeks ago.  A month's delay may give time for everyone to calm down and to heal a little.

However, putting this off for a month may also give time for the current disagreements to grow into outright rifts.

As a member of the ADP's State Committee, I can state unequivocally that we've been buried in emails trumpeting this or that endorsement, and many of us are getting sick of the noise.

It's time to settle the matter, and regardless of how the votes tally, unite behind the new chair, whoever that might be.


Full disclosure time:  As a State Committee member, I will be voting tomorrow, and for a number of reasons, have decided to support Andrei Cherny.  He isn't a perfect candidate, but he is a *good* candidate, and even more importantly, he is the *better* candidate.

I've met both candidates, but don't know either one well, so I've relied on the impressions of friends of mine who do know one, the other, or both personally.

Everyone that I've spoken to has been impressed by Andrei's intellect and energy.  Everyone that I've spoken to about Rodney, especially the ones who worked on his campaign, are less complimentary of him.

Also impressive was Andrei's performance in a low-profile, downballot race. 

Many folks have focused on the ability to raise money, and to be sure, that is a very important ability in a state chair (and one that favors Cherny).

However, an even bigger part of a state chair's job is the ability to reach people, and Andrei did that almost 686K times, including winning his race in Pima County with over 151K votes.  Rodney also ran statewide, and received 592K votes.  He lost Pima County, receiving only 134K votes there.

Not only was that loss in Pima the first loss in a significant statewide race for a D in years, Pima is Rodney's home county. 

He couldn't even reach the people who know him best in an area that tends to vote for Democrats.

That doesn't bode well for what will happen if he is elected state chair.

I like Rodney, based on the few contacts that I've had with him, and I like a lot of his supporters, a few of whom are friends, but on this matter, I am in disagreement with those friends.

I fervently hope that regardless of how the vote goes tomorrow, all of the state's Democrats, friends and strangers alike, will be able to cast their differences aside and unite behind the new chair.

See you tomorrow at the Wyndham, BYOP*.

* - Bring Your Own Popcorn :))

Statements from candidates running for Chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party

Both the Arizona Democrat Party and the Arizona Republican Party will hold their biennial reorganization meetings on Saturday, January 22.  As I'm not a Republican (not exactly surprising news for most readers :) ), I don't care who runs for or wins their officer positions.

I *do* care about who become the officers of the ADP for the next two years.

The list of announced candidates is here (it's not an "official" list, as candidates can only be nominated from the floor of the State Committee meeting on Saturday).

The main webpage for state committee activity, including for candidates for the various offices, is here.

Many of the announced candidates have submitted letters in support of their candidacies.

First up are the letters from the two announced candidates for Chair, Andrei Cherny and Rodney Glassman.

Here are those letters ( I haven't edited the content of the letters.  However, any listed endorsements have been skipped - we've all received the emails from both candidates, and these posts will be long enough as it is :) ):


Letter from Andrei Cherny, candidate for the office of Chairman



Dear Fellow Arizona Democrat,


On Saturday, all our hearts broke. Our prayers are with our friend Congresswoman Giffords and all the victims of the tragic attack. This is a moment to hold close and reach out to those we cherish. And it’s a moment to reflect on the days we live in and our work to make this corner of the world a more gentle and more just place.


These are serious times for our nation, for our state – and for the Arizona Democratic Party. We need new leadership and we need to be more united than ever.


That’s why, after a great deal of soul-searching and encouragement from elected leaders, grassroots activists, and friends throughout the state, I have decided to run for the position of Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. We’re at a critical point in Arizona’s history – one where so much is on the line with the choices our state and nation make. That’s why I ran for State Treasurer. And that’s why I'm running for Chair.


A couple of years ago, Arizona was seen as a state trending “purple” – a swing state where candidates for office would have to build broad coalitions to win. But in 2010, we were swamped by a tsunami. Despite the incredible efforts of Democratic volunteers and candidates, Republicans won up and down the ticket – and throughout the state – without offering any positive ideas to build Arizona’s future and by playing the dirtiest sort of wedge politics.


Democrats let that happen. As I campaigned in every part in Arizona, I saw firsthand that a lot of people who supported us in years past did not trust us to fight for their interests, defend their


values, or make their lives better. While we attacked the many Republican missteps, we failed to campaign with a unified message that told the people of Arizona who we are, what we stand for, and how we'll lead our state.


Delivering that message has to be job #1 of the next State Chair. That’s especially true because, for the first election in sixteen years, we did not elect a single statewide Democratic official to act as the spokesperson for our ideas and plans. We need the next State Chair to be a unifying figure and a strong messenger for a compelling vision of where Arizona needs to go.


The fact is that Russell Pearce’s Republican Party has deliberately vacated the center of Arizona politics. They disdain independents and their own party's moderates. They’re betting that they can rely on extremist supporters and money from out-of-state corporations to carry the day. They will if we let them.


We cannot let this happen.


Instead, we need to build a big tent Arizona Democratic Party where independents and disaffected Republicans are welcome and have a home. We need to inspire and motivate Democrats to get out and vote. And we need to go on the offense to fight for better schools, safer streets, and an Arizona economy that works for those who work hard and not just those with the connections and the lobbyists. We should not shade our ideas or sand down our message, but instead should show the contrast between Arizona's present and the brighter future Arizona Democrats can help bring.


Working with President Clinton in the White House and President Obama in 2008, that's what we did. And that's what we did in my campaign for Treasurer. I’ve worked for the Democratic Party since I started volunteering on campaigns when I was 12 years old. I've done every job from elected PC and District Chair to negotiating our National Party Platform. I believe in our party and what it stands for at its best -- and I refuse to stand by when so much is on the line.


Here’s what I'll work toward as Chair:


• A Democratic Party that Works from the Bottom-Up, Not the Top-Down. Without a statewide elected official to bring us together, we are entering a new era for Arizona Democrats. This is a chance to build a party that is not run by one elected official at the top who calls the shots, but one where county chairs, LD chairs, state committee members, precinct committee members, and activists are empowered to make more decisions on spending and recruitment, have the tools they need to do their work – and be held accountable as well. I was elected PC and elected LD chair, so I know what it means to work at the grassroots. To rebuild the Arizona Democratic Party, we need a 15 county strategy that works to win votes and convert voters in every part of our state. That's why, in the midst of my own campaign last fall, I personally raised the funds for the party that paid for GOTV efforts in areas that weren't being targeted by the party -- places like the West Valley, Pinal and Yuma counties. We can't leave any part of our state behind. Everyone's votes count!


• A Democratic Party with a Clear Vision. Before Arizonans trust our take on what the Republicans are doing to our state, they need to trust that we’ll do a better job. While we must take Russell Pearce and Jan Brewer to task, we have a responsibility to offer new, common-sense ideas to meet Arizona's toughest challenges. Arizona Democrats must offer more than responses to the Republican agenda, and instead make clear where we will lead the state. But our vision for the state is meaningless if Arizonans don't know what it is. Arizona Democrats' communications efforts have to reach newspapers, television, radio and blogs in every part of the state – from Nogales to Kingman, and Yuma to Window Rock.


• A Democratic Party that Wins Again. Ultimately, if we want to rebuild Arizona, we have to start winning more elections. Redistricting may create the most serious opportunity to make large gains in the state legislature in decades. A new congressional seat and President Obama’s reelection means the chance to make sure we have leadership in Washington that is focused on meeting America’s challenges. In this moment, we can't afford to be divided. I am the only candidate for Chair with broad support from the grassroots to our top elected officials in this campaign for Chair. Our task is to build a stronger Democratic Party, not to squander the work of the past decade. I was proud that my State Treasurer campaign raised more than any previous non-Governor statewide campaign – with the vast majority of contributions amounting to $100 or less. Though our contribution limits were only 16% of those of a candidate for US Senate, we inspired thousands – including so many of you – to join our cause. That's the job of a Chair: to inspire, to lead, to bring out the best in others, and to make sure we're getting results. It’s not enough to just fight the good fight—we need to win. Millions of Arizonans are counting on us to win – and that means we need to have the message, money, and momentum to carry the day.


As my friend from Cochise County, Bob Bland, said to me the other day: “When Republicans win, they splinter. When Democrats lose, they come together.” We lost in 2010 – and Arizonans are paying the price. Now, we need to come together, unite as one, take the fight to those who are driving Arizona into the ground, and win.


I hope to earn your support for Chair and then work with you in the months to come. Please follow my campaign on Facebook or Twitter and contact me anytime at Andrei@AndreiForArizona.com or (602) 688-2336.


I look forward to working with you to build a new Arizona Democratic Party – and rebuild the state we love.


Thank you,


Andrei


Cherny for Chair
________________________________________________________________
 
 
Letter from Rodney Glassman, candidate for the office of Chairman SUBJECT: Vote Glassman for Arizona Democratic Party Chair Dear Fellow Elected State Committee Member,



I would like to begin by expressing my feelings of sorrow for the families that lost loved ones this past weekend. Sasha, Rose, and I are praying for Gabrielle and the other victims of Saturday’s senseless violence. I am shocked to think that this happened in our hometown and in our state. It is with a heavy heart that I send out this letter today. Yet, in just twelve days we will be electing the new chair of our Arizona State Democratic party and I must ask for your feedback, your faith, and your support.


I am running for Arizona Democratic Party state chair because it’s time for us to have a party with direction. For the last four years our party has done a great job fundraising. And what we’ve learned is that we can raise a tremendous amount of money and still lose. In 2008 when states


across the country won… we lost! And in 2010 when states across the country lost… we lost worse!! It is time for us to remake our party and I have a concrete platform based on three ideas to get our party moving forward to win elections: 1. Creating a Bold and Unafraid Democratic brand 2. Working with local elected officials 3. A 30-district strategy to get candidates elected across the state.


I am proud to be the only candidate running for state chair that is an elected precinct committeeperson and an elected state committeeperson, just like you. I would like to listen to your thoughts and ideas and move them forward. Additionally, having served as a member of the Tucson City Council, I am the only candidate running for state chair that has ever won an election and held office. This is important because we need to do things differently. It’s not just about raising money… it’s about winning elections!


Bold and Unafraid Democratic Brand


The first thing we need to do is have a party that it is bold and unafraid to take our politics to the people of Arizona. We need to stand for something. We need a Democratic brand. What does it mean to be an Arizona Democrat? If we cannot all agree upon a brand as Democratic party activists then how are we going to sell our brand to other voters in the state? That is where our chair, our leader, needs to get engaged. Engaged by listening to you and caring about all of our opinions from grassroots activists to major donors. We cannot have a chair who only listens to one segment of the party. We need to identify a focus, that we all agree, make an Arizona Democrat. I believe three good areas would be jobs, education, and renewable energy. You may have other ideas and I would like to hear them. Right now, I bet you're thinking to yourself, this is the same stuff we already stand for as a party… but do we?


For example, we say we are the party of education… but are we? Last Spring the Arizona Democratic Party, the “party of education” did not have the courage to publicly endorse and work hard for the passage Proposition 100, an education initiative that eventually passed with nearly 70% of the vote. I am proud to be endorsed by our 2010 Democratic nominee for Superintendent of Schools, Penny Kotterman. Penny is the former president of AEA, a former teacher, and knows the importance of education as a core value for Democrats. We need to be the education party in Arizona and that means doing more than just taking money, around campaign time, from the Arizona Education Association. With a proper brand, whether we are speaking to Rotary clubs in Payson, Union Halls in Tucson, environmental groups in Flagstaff, or farmers in Yuma, our brand will stand out and on their own people will want to hear more about the Democratic party because we will be standing for something they are interested in… Arizona’s needs.


Working with Local Elected Officials


The second part of my plan is to reach out to local elected officials and invite them into our state party. We currently have dozens and dozens of locally elected officials across the state who are registered as Democrats but don’t promote it regularly. Did you know Bob Jackson the Mayor of


Casa Grande is a Democrat? Councilwoman Marquisha Griffin from Maricopa? Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh from Mesa? We need to enfranchise local elected officials by bringing them into state party activities. We talked about wanting to target the Latino community in 2010… why was it that all our mass party emails came from Caucasian state representatives in Central Phoenix and not perhaps, Representative Ana Tovar, Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, Congressman Raul Grijalva, Councilwoman Regina Romero from Tucson, or Councilman Alex Bejarano from Wellton. If we want to reach out and embrace diversity let’s incorporate that into everything we do as a party. We are tired of lip-service and promoting the same small group of elected officials. It does not work, it has not worked, and it will not work! We are the party of the big tent but that means we need a state chair committed to allowing others inside the tent.


30 District Strategy


Lastly, we need a 30 District strategy, much like Howard Dean’s 50 state strategy which was so successful in 2008. We should have two house candidates and one senate candidate in every legislative district. With 90 candidates, at over $30,000 of clean elections money each, that’s nearly $3,000,000 to help get Democrats elected around the state. But what is even greater is the fact that 90 legislative candidates will help bring out Democratic turnout for our statewide Corporation Commissioner candidates and our 9 Congressional candidates as well. Just remember, as President Kennedy once said, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” That’s why State Corporation Commissioner Sandra Kennedy, who is up for re-election in 2012, is supporting my candidacy for state chair. The state party needs to have a commitment to work with legislative chairs and county chairs to identify candidates, tie their story into our brand, and help them qualify for clean elections. How many of you are willing to join me in Kingman, San Luis, or Cottonwood to help collect $5 contributions for our legislative candidates? If we all roll up our sleeves and contribute some elbow grease, the payoff will be tremendous because we will be creating new opportunities across the state. Growing up I always heard, “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity”. And that means let’s get prepared! The statistical probability of winning an election when you do not have a candidate running is ZERO.


Role of the Chair


As a former City Councilman from Tucson and a Democratic candidate for United States Senate candidate running against a former Republican presidential nominee I was able to raise almost one million dollars in contributions. Having the opportunity to sell the new Arizona Democratic party brand, our local elected officials, and a 30 district strategy that will guarantee that Arizona is in play will be a great way for us to raise money and keep our party moving. I know we can raise the money we need to spread resources across the state. But, we need to remember that fundraising is not the panacea many thought it once was. We need to go grassroots and make sure that the dollars we do raise are spent contacting voters and not on consultants that never quite explain where the money goes or how it’s spent. We need transparency, open books so we know where our dollars are being invested, and we need to know who is being paid. In other words, we need a more open way of investing in our future.


I learned a great deal running for United States Senate in a 4-way Democratic primary. I learned that just because the state party recommends that you hire D.C. consultants it doesn’t mean you


should. I learned that we can collect over 15,000 signatures, we can receive nearly 5,000 contributions, and we can get nearly 600,000 people to vote for a Democrat against John McCain just two years after he ran for President of the United States. We performed better than anyone else that has in a year where we were outspent $31 to $1. I plan to take the learning experiences that I gained as a U.S. Senate nominee and as someone who has served as an elected official and apply those to the position of state chair.


A New Direction


Our 15 county chairs and 30 legislative district leaders should be treated like a true board of directors. How great would it be if every two weeks our party communications staff called and asked, “what is going on in your area that ties in with our Democratic brand”. It’s time we invested more time and energy in honing our best resource of all… YOU! We could then do targeted press, marketing, and keep our Democratic brand active in all parts of the state. It’s about being bold and unafraid and to start winning elections which is something we have not been doing consistently over the past four years.


If you spent four years getting lost in the forest it would be foolish to hand the lantern to someone who you followed in and say, “please help us get out.” So too, with this election, you have a clear choice. Someone who has followed the rules, became an elected Precinct committeeman, state committeeperson, and done things the proper way or someone who did not. I did not need a legal opinion or special appointment from the state chair to run for this position. Rather, I simply needed the urging and support of individuals such as Kit Filby, Jackie Thrasher, and Elaine Bohlmeyer who ran for the state legislature and my friends and co-candidates Arif Kazmi, Manny Cruz, David Bradley, my former boss, Congressman Raul Grijalva, local leaders and LD chairs Connie Finneman, Jeff Rich, Steve Schallenberger, Janice Blackmon, and Carol Comito, just to name a few.


We need a FULL TIME state chair, traveling the state and building relationships to help get Democrats elected. I am willing to commit the time to do this properly. I am running for chair of the Arizona Democratic Party because if we keep doing the same old things we are going to keep getting the same poor results. That means we need a different kind of leader who has served as an elected official, has experienced getting elected, and knows what it is like to win firsthand. We need a state chair whose number one priority is the state party, working with everyone, and who is committed to the entire state. Someone who is willing to get in the car and visit all fifteen counties, communicate in town after town, and actually spend time building relationships and developing a network of supporters that will work towards a common goal. We need a simple plan, on how we, together, can build up our Arizona Democratic party and once again start winning elections.


Progressive and Honest Track Record


For those who are interested in my credibility on Latino issues I urge you to speak to my supporter, Congressman Grijalva. For those who are interested in my track record on LGBT issues, I urge you to speak to my supporter, State Senator Paula Aboud. For those of you who are interested in my track record on education, I urge you to speak to my supporter Penny


Kotterman. For those interested in my commitment to working with the 22 Native American nations please visit with my support, State Senator Jack Jackson, Jr. And, for those of you interested in my track record on labor, I urge you to speak to my supporter Dion Abril from Sheet Metal Workers Local #359.


I ask for your support, your ideas, and your vote. Together we will create a bold and unafraid Democratic brand, begin building relationships with our locally elected Democratic officials, and executing a 30-district strategy to get Democrats elected across the state. Together we will find our way out of the forest and move in a new direction. Together we will turn Arizona Blue!


If you have questions or ideas about how we can all work together please email me at Rodney@rodneyglassman.com.


Your Fellow Elected State Committee Member,


Rodney Glassman

Cherny in the race for AZ Democratic Party Chair

From the Phoenix New Times (including the pic) -

I'm on deadline at the moment, but I want to bring you this much anticipated news: erstwhile state Treasurer candidate Andrei Cherny just called me to tell me he formally putting two feet in the river, and making a bid for Don Bivens' post as Arizona State Democratic Party Chairman.


In a blog post yesterday, I reported that Cherny was still strongly considering the run, though was holding off for an official announcement. But it seems the pro-Cherny chorus is growing in Democratic ranks, and he can wait no longer.

"We need in this era a strong transition and a strong messenger," Cherny explained. "One who'll really be able to make the case to Arizonans why Democrats have the right ideas for the state's economy and all the other challenges that face us."

This bring to a close weeks of speculation/anticipation and sets up a race for the top spot in the ADP between Cherny, the 2010 Democratic nominee for Arizona State Treasurer, and Rodney Glassman, the 2010 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.

At least one Democratic elected official has already endorsed Cherny, with State Sen.-elect Kyrsten Sinema doing so on her Facebook page.

Kyrsten Sinema I'm proud to endorse Andrei Cherny for State Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party!

...I haven't heard of anyone else who is going to throw his/her hat in the ring and will update if any do so...

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...

Rodney Glassman's latest video

More on the Glassman campaign here.

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...

Arizona Republic editorial board to its readers: Arizona may be in lousy shape, but you should vote for the status quo

Liberals like to claim that the Arizona Republic is a "conservative" paper, but it's not. (Though to be fair, many of them remember the not-so-distant days when the Rep was officially named the "Arizona Republican" or less officially served as the press release outlet for the Arizona Republican Party.)

Conservatives like to claim that the Rep is a "liberal" paper, but it isn't.  (It just isn't a mouthpiece for the "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" wing of the AZGOP.)

Instead, the Arizona Republic is a "corporate" paper, dedicated to defending corporate profit margins.  Since most corporations operate in such a way as to derive the maximum profit from the political status quo, the Republic has become a staunch defender of that status quo.

Their latest list of election endorsements clearly illustrate this tendency.

- They passed over Terry Goddard in giving their endorsement in the race for governor to Jan Brewer.  They called Goddard an "articulate, dedicated servant of the people of this state" yet gave the nod to Brewer, citing her ability to "handle the legislature" (apparently, the Rep's editorial board slept through all of 2009) and her disbanding of the state's Department of Commerce in favor of a meaningless (and authority-less) "Commerce Authority."  What they also liked was her support for "enhancing prospects for job creation" - better known as blanket tax cuts directed to corporations.

- They ignored Rodney Glassman (literally!  He wasn't even mentioned in the article!) in giving their endorsement for U.S. Senate to John McCain.  In the opinion piece, they cited "McCain's role in all those great national and world debates," such as the debates over the war in Iraq and campaign finance reform.  What they didn't cite were McCain's accomplishments for Arizona.  They couldn't cite those accomplishments, because there aren't any.  This particular endorsement also isn't a surprise, even aside from its "status quo" characteristics - the Rep's editorial board has been in the McCain family pocket for decades (is Dan Nowicki the Republic's reporter who is embedded with McCain's staff, or is he the McCain staffer embedded with the Republic?  Either way, the effect, and the final product, is the same...)

- The Rep's endorsement of Ann Kirkpatrick in the CD1 race also serves to illustrate the Rep's "status quo" bias - she's an incumbent, and while a Democrat, she's a conservative one who thoroughly supports Big Business.  Note: While I too support and recommend voting for her, it's because she is the better candidate, not a great candidate.

- The logic the Rep's editorial board used when passing over Penny Kotterman when endorsing John Huppenthal for State Superintendent of Public Instruction astounds me, even when allowing for their "status quo" bias.  They cite his 18 years of legislative experience focusing on education issues and then follow it up with this quote -

We believe the sort of reform advocated by John Huppenthal is best for improving Arizona's often dismal comparative standing on the crucial questions of how best to improve schools.

Ummm...do they understand that Huppenthal and the "reforms" pimped by him are some of the major reasons for Arizona's "dismal comparative standing" on most education-related metrics?  And that his experience in the lege has included years of trying to slowly destroy public education in Arizona?

Their endorsement is as sensible as a doctor sitting down with a patient who has been diagnosed with lung cancer after decades of smoking and suggesting that the patient could cure the cancer by smoking more cigarettes.

- In a bit of a surprise, the Rep's editorial board endorsed Felecia Rotellini over Tom Horne for Attorney General.  They complimented her as "smart and unflappable," which is very true, but Tom Horne is a current office holder and an establishment Republican.  This would seem to disprove my "status quo bias" position, until one remembers that, like Rotellini, Terry Goddard, the current Attorney General, is smart, unflappable, and a Democrat. 

- However, the Rep did spring one big surprise on voters, and not in a good way.  They twisted themselves like a pretzel to find a way to ignore Jon Hulburd and give their CD3 endorsement to Ben Quayle.

First, they opened up their piece with -

Ben Quayle, a Republican, may be the best-known congressional candidate in the country who isn't a member of the "tea party." That shouldn't matter to voters in District 3, which stretches from north-central Phoenix to New River. They don't need a celebrity. They need the best representative they can elect.

In the next paragraph, they follow that up with -

If this were a job interview, Democrat Jon Hulburd would have the large advantage. He rose to become a partner at Fennemore Craig, one of Phoenix's top law firms. He left to start an import business. He has career and community accomplishments that Quayle can't match.

So naturally, after pointing out Quayle's celebrity status and saying that CD3 doesn't need a celebrity in Congress, and Hulburd's vastly superior resume and qualifications, they gave their endorsement to Quayle -

But elections aren't just about resumes. They're about ideas. And on that score, Quayle is the better candidate to succeed John Shadegg. Quayle is well-versed in the issues. He speaks with passion and conviction.

So, the Rep soft-pedals Quayle's lack of qualifications for any elected office, much less a seat in Congress, and completely ignores his pre-candidacy career as a writer for the website Dirty Scottsdale, under the porn-riffic nom de plume "Brock Landers."

Could the Quayle family's previous ownership of the Republic have influenced the endorsement?  Nahhhh, couldn't be...

The headline for the Rep's endorsement was "Ben Quayle offers candor, conviction."

Given that Quayle's previous "candor" indicated a deep disrespect for women and could lead to convictions of the criminal variety if he becomes part of the free-for-all social environment in D.C.'s political subculture, instead of being a surprise, perhaps the Rep's endorsement of his [possible] ascension to Congress would be in perfect keeping with their desire to maintain the status quo.

Less than a week ago, the Republic actually brought themselves some credit with their list of endorsements for the Central Arizona Water Conservation District - the candidates they endorsed were intelligent, educated, experienced, and highly-qualified for the job.

Apparently, however, those qualities are desirable only in candidates for lower-profile (though extremely important) offices. 

I may agree with some of the Rep's coming endorsements, but where I will support the candidates who are better for Arizona, they'll be supporting the candidates who they see as most protective of their preferred status quo.

Glassman-McCain debate -

OK, the debate included the Libertarian candidate (David Nolan) and the Green candidate (Jerry Joslyn), but the featured players were Democrat Rodney Glassman and Republican John McCain.

I'll do a full recap when the video archive is posted (either on Glassman's campaign website or on KTVK's), but I can give a summary now -

Glassman did well, but I don't think he landed a knockout blow.

Republicans will still vote for McCain and Democrats will still vote for Glassman.  Glassman may have moved a few independent voters, but he's going to need more than a "few" to pull off the upset of the year in politics.

Best line of the night:

"If we want to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, we need to reduce the number of our senators dependend on fossil fuel contributions." - Rodney Glassman

Most awkward moment of the night:

When asked to describe his legislative legacy when compared to great Arizona senators of yore like Carl Hayden (Central Arizona Project) and Ernest McFarland (original GI Bill).

McCain's response -

His "reputation."


That answer may be one of the most completely honest things that McCain said during the entire debate.

He has no actual accomplishments anymore.  He had a few things that he could point to, but in his quest to move far enough right to win the GOP presidential nomination in 2008 and to turn back the challenge of JD Hayworth this year, he has turned his back on everything good he has ever done in D.C. (McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law, DREAM Act sponsorship, etc.)

He can't point to work on bringing projects to Arizona - that would be out of character for his "anti-earmark" persona.  Hell, Rick Renzi (Rick freakin' Renzi!) did a better job of that (projects on the Navajo reservation were the main reason he could win re-election in a D-leaning district.)

He can't point to his success fighting earmarks and out-of-control federal spending - earmarks are still around (full disclosure: I don't think that all earmarks are bad, but they should be for public works projects and should be completely transparent) and the U.S. has waged two fantastically expensive off-the-books wars with his enthusiastic support.  Hell, Jeff Flake has been more effective on earmarks than the far more senior McCain, and Flake has had almost no success on the issue.

He can't even point to work on veterans' issues - other than occasionally employing a few for campaign ads, he has done nothing for veterans, despite being one himself (a fact that he always points out, while blithely ignoring his lack of effort on behalf of his fellow vets).  Hell, Harry Mitchell has done more for America's (and Arizona's) veterans in four years than McCain has done in nearly three decades in D.C.

Still, Glassman didn't do as well as he could have, or will need to, in order to defeat McCain.

Still2, McCain didn't put away Glassman.  After the primary debate, Hayworth was toast.  However, Glassman held his own Sunday night.  The next five or so weeks should be very interesting.


My friend Eric summed it up best when he wrote on Facebook that Glassman needs to run as McCain2K against McCain2K10.


John McCain circa 2000 was somebody people could respect and even vote for while disagreeing with him on specific issues.

John McCain circa 2010 looks more like a tired reactionary hack than the energetic maverick that he was just 10 years ago.


OK.  That really was more a recap than the short comment that I had started writing.  It took so long that KTVK has already posted its story on the debate, complete with links to the video.

It took so long that Tedski at Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion has already posted twice on the debate, here and here.

Later...

Candidate Debates for the week ending October 3, 2010

Most of the following info is from the Clean Elections website...

No CE-sponsored debates for statewide candidates this week.


Legislative debates -

LD4
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
6:00 PM
Windmill Suites at Sun City West
12545 W Bell Road
Surprise, AZ 85374

LD29
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
6:00 PM
Pima Community College District Office
Community Room
4905 E Broadway
Tucson, AZ



LD24

Wednesday, September 29, 2010
6:00 PM
Hampton Inn & Suites
600 E 16th Street
Yuma, AZ 85365

LD30
September 30, 2010
6:00 PM
Pima Community College
East Campus Community Room
8181 E Irvington
Tucson, AZ



LD12

Thursday, September 30, 2010
6:00 PM
Hampton Inn and Suite
2000 N Litchfield Road
Goodyear, AZ 85395


Scottsdale City Council candidate debate:

Arizona Republic City Council Debates
Monday, September 27, 2010
6:00 p.m.

City Hall Kiva Forum
3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd.

And the big one of the week, even though it will take place on Sunday, September 26 (before the "week" in this post begins):

U.S. Senate debate. featuring Rodney Glassman, Democratic nominee, and John McCain, Republican incumbent

6 p.m.
Broadcast on KTVK (Phoenix channel 3) and KTTU (Tucson channel 18), carried on cable in Yuma, and livestreamed on AZFamily.com

Should be fun, though probably not quite as popcorn-worthy as the debate between McCain and Hayworth in the R primary.

Later...

Crickets chirping

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

"Obamacare!"

"Immigrants!"

"Cut taxes!"

"Immigrants!!"

"Unions!"

"Immigrants!!!"

"Lather, Rinse, Repeat!"


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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Crickets chirping.

Short Attention Span Musing

Just a few quick hits for a Saturday...

...Just how crazy/bad does a Republican have to be for Russell Pearce not to endorse him?  I don't know, but apparently Jack Harper does.

...Ben Quayle, one of the gaggle of R candidates jockeying for a shot at replacing Congresman John Shadegg in CD3, received a lot of press coverage this week.  And contrary to the popular saw, not all publicity is good publicity.

First, he denied, then admitted, to writing for a "racy" website, TheDirty.com (at the time, it was called "TheDirtyScottsdale.com").

Then he gained notoriety for airing what has to be the most content-free TV spot of the election cycle wherein he labelled Barack Obama as the "worst President in history."  At no point did he ever talk about CD3 or its needs...or why he would be the best one to serve those needs.

Of course, considering that he recently sent out a "awww, isn't he a great family man?!?" mailer showing him with his kids...only he doesn't have kids, this weeks screwups should have been expected.  Still, with his family name recognition and the vast amount of money from out-of-state contributors that he has access to, he may still pull of winning the R nomination in CD3.

No matter which of the many Rs running in CD3, Democrat Jon Hulburd stands firmly in their way.

...The Parraz campaign is touting some poll numbers in the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.  Their numbers show them behind Rodney Glassman by 3 percentage points, which is within the margin of error.  Those numbers are consistent with other polls, so that is not news.  What is interesting is the data that Latino voters are going for Parraz by a 6 or 7 to 1 margin.  And that Latino turnout is up.

Now, campaigns only release internal polling numbers when they show (or can be spun to show) their candidates' strength, so take the release with a grain of salt.

However, if it is true, especially the part about Latino turnout increasing, it shows a possible path out of the electoral woods for AZ Democrats. 

The Republicans' whole-hearted embrace of the nativist ideals of Russell Pearce and Jan Brewer to gain support in primary races could come to backfire on them in November.

Here's hoping....

...Finally, while the last of the three escapees from one of Arizona's privately-operated prisons is still on the loose (maybe in Montana, though by now he and his cousin/fiancee/drug mule for a white supremacist gang could be anywhere) and Terry Goddard, Arizona's Attorney General and a candidate for governor, has called for reviewing and revamping prison security in AZ, Governor Jan Brewer has been out picnicking "campaigning", with nary a word about private prisons, her administration's ties to private prison operators, or even hearings to look into the failure of the private prisons to protect the public from murderers.

Just another Saturday roundup in the desert...

Dark Clouds, Silver Linings, and Lessons

The results of Tuesday's elections across the country offer a silver lining of hope in what has long been considered to be a dark year for Democrats. And nowhere is that silver lining brighter than in Arizona.

To whit:

- Dark cloud: Libertarian (dressed in Republican clothing) Rand Paul wins the R nomination for Senate in Kentucky.

- Silver lining: He's already imploding, coming out against the Civil Rights Act...before backing off (sort of). Guess he was against the Act before he was for it.

- Silver lining2 - Paul received 206,960 votes in the R primary; Daniel Mongiardo, the 2nd place Democrat in the D primary, received 225,159. There are almost 600K more Ds than Rs in Kentucky. They are Ds of a conservative bent (hence the two Rs currently representing KY in the U.S. Senate) but they won't put up with the public embarrassment that Paul is threatening to become.

- Lesson: The most "whatever" candidate in a party's primary may not be that party's *best* candidate. Not making a prediction here (yet), but despite the Tea Party's glee over Paul's nomination, winning the nomination isn't the same as winning the office. This race is far from over. The Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in KY, Jack Conway, is in a solid position entering the general election campaign.


- (Not so) Dark cloud: Democrat Mark Critz won the special election in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District. The win keeps the Ds' perfect record in head-to-head special elections held since the 2008 election intact and allows them to retain the seat held by the late Jack Murtha for the better part of four decades.

- Silver lining: Critz may have shown the way to beat the Rs' standard campaign platform of running against D.C., Nancy Pelosi, and those durn "liberal" Democrats, and it's the most basic lesson in politics - all politics is local. The R in the race, Tim Burns, ran as a generic national Republican/Club for Growth candidate, campaigning against Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi. Critz stumped the western PA district and talked about jobs.

Critz won.

- Lesson: No matter if the pundits think that the trends in a given election cycle dramatically favor one party over another (as they think that 2010 favors Rs over Ds), any single race is usually won by the candidate who runs the better, more district-focused, campaign.


- Dark cloud: Republicans all over Arizona are grasping for the chance to go Congress.

- Silver lining: Their primaries have become cattle call, "I'm more conservative than thou" slugfests.

- - In the race for U.S. Senate, former radio gabber JD Hayworth is looking to unseat fellow Republican John McCain, pulling the heretofore not-exactly-liberal McCain into Hayworth's (and the Tea Party's) nativist, anti-government ideological territory.

All the while, Democrat Rodney Glassman is turning in his sigs, opening his Phoenix headquarters, and reaching out to *all* Arizona voters, not just the nativists.

- - In CD5, Republican perennial candidates Susan Bitter Smith and David Schweikert have been joined by electoral newcomers Jim Ward and Chris Salvino in their race to unseat Democratic incumbent and local icon Harry Mitchell. The Rs are running anti-immigrant/anti-Obama campaigns (Salvino's signs even start with "Stop Obama", not his name). Mitchell is working for his district, reining in Congressional pay, and protecting America's veterans.

-- In the CD3 battle royal to replace the soon-to-be retired John Shadegg, there are at least a dozen open committees on the Republican side (Moak, Waring, Winkler, and Quayle have already filed their signatures) and they're all running as the "real" conservative in the race. They've been whipsawing between toeing the nativist line and nuzzling the corporate teat.

All the while, Jon Hulburd, the only Democrat in the race already in general election mode, talking to voters in the district and honing his message, starting with his number one issue, jobs.

-- In CD8, at least three Republicans, including SB1070 and payday loan industry supporter Jonathan Paton, are duking it out for a chance to face incumbent Democrat Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson). Paton, the presumed R nominee, has been spending time in Phoenix, far from his district, holding a $1000 per person fundraiser at an Arizona Diamondbacks game; Giffords countered with an event held much closer to home - Hi Corbett Field in Tucson at a Tucson Toros game.

- Lesson: We'll see in November. I might be mistaken about where this is all leading, but the Ds are doing things right while their erstwhile R challengers are trying to stick political knives in each other's backs and making the rounds of the usual suspects, hoping to schmooze them into opening their wallets.

Later...