John Shadegg - Protector of Big Oil

As efforts to find renewable sources of energy multiply, both nationally and here in Arizona, Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ3) is hard at work, protecting the interests of Big Oil, his Big Donors.

While claiming to support renewable energy and the extension of a tax credit for homeowners and businesses that utilize solar power, he voted against passage of a bill that will extend that tax credit beyond the end of the year.

His objection? The bill would follow House pay-go rules and pay for the solar energy tax credit by closing some tax credits reserved for the oil industry.

The same oil industry that reports setting a new record for profits seemingly every day.

From AZcentral.com -

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., a champion of solar efforts, said previous legislation would have paid for the renewable-energy tax credits by repealing credits given to the oil and gas industry. She said she hopes this latest bill, which would close tax loopholes for hedge-fund managers, overseas corporations and others, will be more "palatable."

Fellow Arizona Congressman John Shadegg, a Republican, isn't so sure it will be.

Shadegg said he supports solar energy and the tax-credit extension, but he voted against the latest House bill.

"Each time the issue of solar has come up before Congress, it has included tax increases, and none of them has moved in the Senate," Shadegg said. "If we (Republicans) get to vote for these issues, and they're not burdened by tax increases, we will approve it."

Instead, Shadegg has signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 5984, a bill that would extend the solar energy tax credit, but instead of finding a way to pay for that extension, it would just increase the federal budget deficit.

Shadegg likes to tout his 'budget hawk' credentials (like this page from his campaign website that includes a WSJ article about his formation of 'Reagan 21'), but that hawkishness flies away when faced with defending his deep-pockets donors from the petroleum industry ($440K and counting).

Compare Shadegg's stance to that of his opponent, Bob Lord (from a press release) -

"Arizona can become the Middle East of solar energy if Congress makes energy independence a top priority," Lord said. "Solar power means investment, growth, and jobs in Arizona – it is an investment in our future.”

So, after Lord retires Shadegg this November, is anyone interested in starting a pool on which oil company or industry group hires Shadegg as a lobbyist?

For entertainment purposes only, of course. :)

Later!

John Shadegg, Master Of The Empty Gesture

Apparently, John Shadegg realizes that after not supporting Harry Mitchell's modern G.I. Bill (288 cosponsors and counting, but no Shadegg), he has some bridges to repair with the veterans in his district.

Too bad for him (and for his veteran constituents) that his attempt to do that was all sizzle and no steak.


Thanks to PolitickerAZ for the heads-up on this one...

On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 5818, the Neighborhood Stabilization Act. The bill would establish a program to purchase foreclosed properties and sell them to low- and middle-class buyers at a reduced cost. Since the bill would help Americans, President Bush has threatened to veto it.

Before final passage of the bill, the Republicans, in the person of our own John Shadegg (R-AZ3), made one of their standard motions to recommit (aka - 'kill') the bill.

From the Politicker AZ piece -

Rep. John Shadegg (R-3), however, offered a motion to recommit that would have barred drug dealers, sex offenders and those who've committed mortgage fraud. Instead, said Shadegg, priority should be given to disabled veterans.

"...the least we can do is give those who have served our nation the highest priority in receiving housing assistance," said Shadegg on the floor of the House.

Sounds good, right? Where's the 'empty gesture' here?

From CQ.com (note: Politicker AZ used the same quote; I just went to their source) -

But House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., said the motion to recommit could stall the bill. He noted that an amendment from Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich., adopted Wednesday by voice vote, added priority treatment for veterans and members of the armed forces.

My curiousity was piqued - *surely* a long-time Congressman such as Shadegg wouldn't have missed something like that, particularly when the amendment was offered by a fellow Republican, such as Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI11). Surely Rep. Frank was putting a partisan spin on the facts, right??

From the House webpage chronicling its floor activities on Wednesday, May 7 -

10:39 P.M. -

On agreeing to the McCotter amendment Agreed to by voice vote.

10:27 P.M. -

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 1174, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with ten minutes of debate on the McCotter amendment.

Amendment offered by Mr. McCotter.

An amendment numbered 6 printed in House Report 110-621 to direct States using federal loans and grants for housing rehabilitation to give priority to veterans, members of the Armed Forces on active duty, members of the National Guard or Armed Forces reserves, school teachers, and emergency responders when reselling the rehabilitated property.

Note: The entire McCotter amendment, courtesy the House Rules Committee, here.

In any event, Shadegg's motion to recommit failed by a 210 - 216 vote (from AZ - Renzi, Flake, Shadegg, Franks, Giffords, and Mitchell, aye; Pastor and Grijalva, nay) while the underlying bill passed 239 - 188 (Giffords, Mitchell, Pastor, Grijalva - aye; Flake, Franks, Shadegg, Renzi - nay).

Shadegg seems to be conceding the whole supporting veterans issue to his opponent for the CD3 seat, Bob Lord -

- Lord's campaign website has a page dedicated to supporting actual troops and veterans and guiding his supporters to organizations that directly and specifically assist active-duty troops, veterans, and their families.

- Shadegg's campaign website has a page supporting General Petraeus.


Anybody have questions about which of the two actually cares more about the people actually serving our country?

Later!

Harry Mitchell's Veterans Bill Creating Some Strangeness In D.C. And Arizona

Congressman Harry Mitchell's H.R. 5740, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, while garnering widespread support among his colleagues (250 cosponsors and counting), but it's creating an interesting dichotomy among the Republican members of AZ's Congressional delegation.

[Note: Congressman Mitchell's blog entry about the bill, in The Hill, is here.]

On the one hand, we have John Shadegg (R-AZ3). He is refusing to support the bill, not because he thinks it is a bad bill, but because he hasn't been asked to support it.

On the other hand, Jeff Flake (R-AZ6), who, like Mikey of Life Cereal fame, 'hates everything' related to government spending, may sign on in support of the bill (which, by the way, would be this year's "Phoenix freezes over" moment if that comes to pass :) ).

So, let me get this straight - John Shadegg, the hand-shaking, baby-kissing, industry PAC money-taking, savvy politician (his retire/unretire two-step earlier this year notwithstanding) is telling the 56,000 veterans in his district to get stuffed, while Jeff Flake, the putative anti-government crusader, who is almost physically incapable of supporting anything that has even a hint of a whiff of help for the average American, veteran or otherwise, is considering throwing his support behind Mitchell's bill?

Shadegg shouldn't be surprised when his challenger, Bob Lord, says "thank you" to him.

That's because he understands that many (most??) of CD3's veterans will also have a couple of words to say to Shadegg when Election Day rolls around, and while the second word will be "you" also, the first one won't be "thank."

Nope, not even close.

BTW - am I the only one who thinks that "I can't support it because I haven't been asked to" is the epitome of pissy?

BTW2 - During his 2006 campaign against JD Hayworth, more than once I used a 'workhorse vs. showhorse' analogy when comparing Mitchell to Hayworth. Bills like H.R. 5740 show why this is still accurate - the bill isn't showy, it's just solidly professional and effective legislation and governance.

Compare those qualities to most of the Republicans in Congress or running to replace Democrats there.

'Nuff said.


Bob Lord's campaign website here.

Lord press release on the topic, courtesy PolitickerAZ, here; more Lord press releases on this subject here and here.

Richard Grayson's chronicle of Jeff Flake's extremist ideology and ineffective representation of his district here (Grayson is mounting a campaign for the CD6 seat.)

Quarterly FEC Reports Are Pouring In...

They're not all into the FEC yet, so I'll update over the next few days.

The quarterly numbers so far -

CD1 (open seat)

Shanker (D) (challenger) - Total raised $33,688.73; $31,354.75 from individuals; $0 from PACs; $34,320.21 cash on hand. Note: Shanker's committee has $9,367.88 in outstanding debt (credit card statement).

Hay (R) (challenger) - Total raised $98,618.19; $88,118.19 from individuals; $10,500.00 from PACs; $222,334.01 cash on hand. Note: Hay's committee has $70K in outstanding debt (loans by the candidate).

Kirkpatrick (D) (challenger) - Total raised $257,400.17; $194,650.17 from individuals; $62,250.00 from PACs; $465,464.68 cash on hand. Note: Kirkpatrick's committee has $20K in outstanding debt (loan).

Riley (D) (challenger) - Total raised $15,825.00; $15,825.00 from individuals; $0 from PACs; $216,165.31 cash on hand. Note: Riley's committee has $205K in outstanding debt (candidate loan). Note2: According to PolitickerAZ, Riley has dropped out of the race.

Titla (D) (challenger) - Total raised $39,114.05; $39,114.05 from individuals; $0 from PACs; $48,321.07 cash on hand.

Korn (R) (challenger) - Total raised $14,567.00; $12,266.00 from individuals; $0 from PACs; $10,494.16 cash on hand. Note: Korn's committee has $3,185.36 in outstanding debt (candidate loan and credit card).

Renzi (R) (outgoing incumbent) - $0 raised; $3966.46 cash on hand; $456,073.37 in outstanding debt (legal fees, candidate loans).

CD1 note: According to Tedski at Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion, rumored Republican candidate Ken Bennett has chosen (again!) to pass on the CD1 race.


CD2

Franks (R) (incumbent) - $88,386.00 total raised; $53,261.00 from individuals; $35,625.00 from PACs; 129,774.83 cash on hand. Note: Franks' committee owes $304,100 in outstanding debt (candidate loan).

Thrasher (D) (challenger) - Total raised $3,023.50; $3,023.50 from individuals; $0 from PACs; $12,512.49 cash on hand.


CD3

Lord (D) (challenger) - Total raised $220,166.47; $163,116.47 from individuals; $51,550.00 from PACs; $632,485.41 cash on hand.

Shadegg (R) (incumbent) - Total raised $150,716.41; $163,516.41 from individuals; $47,000.00 from PACs; $937,672.59 cash on hand. Note: The reason that the total raised is less than the combined totals of individual and PAC contributions is that Shadegg's committee refunded nearly $60K in contributions.

Annie Loyd (I) (challenger) - Quarterly report not posted yet.

Shadegg's flirtation with retirement may have cost him some contributions - Shadegg outraised the incumbent, even when ignoring the refunds (which included a refund of $10K in illegal contributions from his own PAC.)

From a Lord press release -

“We could not have come this far or raised this much without the support of the over 1,000 Democrats, Independents, and Republicans who have contributed to my campaign,” Lord said. “I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support. We will change Washington – together.”

CD4

Pastor (D) (incumbent) - Total raised $260,827.71; $164,020.98 from individuals; $96,306.73 from PACs; $1,266,599.90 cash on hand.


CD5

Mitchell (D) (incumbent) - Total raised $321,160.18; $209,028.59 from individuals; $112,110.00 from PACs; $1,121,680.84 cash on hand.

Schweikert (R) (challenger) - Total raised $175,210.23; $171,941.95 from individuals; $2,500.00 from PACs; $514,092.21 cash on hand. Note: Schweikert's committee has $250K in outstanding debt (candidate loan).

Ogsbury (R) (challenger) - Total raised 40,421.17; $37,921.17 from individuals; $2,500.00 from PACs; $353,094.41 cash on hand. Note: Ogsbury's committee has $250K in outstanding debt (candidate loan).

Hatch-Miller (R) (committee terminated) - Owes $17K; cash on hand $245.20.

Knaperek (R) (challenger) - $49,618.00 total raised; $49,518.00 from individuals; $100 from PACs; $44,471.84 cash on hand.

Anderson (R) (challenger) - $55,115.00 total raised; $55,115.00 from individuals; $0 from PACs; $69,985.52 cash on hand.

CD5 Notes: Susan Bitter Smith (R) is still 'exploring', but given the facts that the signature deadline is fast approaching (early June) and that her name is dirt with many of Scottsdale's grassroots Republicans (see: Hanover Project, The), my guess is that she isn't going to jump into the race.

Oh yeah - that Schweikert guy has the money race locked up, if not the balloting race. I don't know what the polling numbers among CD5 Republicans looks like, but Schweikert looks like the frontrunner based on contributions from individuals.

Oh yeah2 - Mitchell has more cash on hand that all of his Republican challengers combined. Mitchell still faces a Republican registration advantage in his district, but he is well-positioned to face whichever Rep makes it out of the primary.


CD6

Flake (R) (incumbent) - Total raised $58,342.00; $52,742.00 from individuals; $6,000.00 from PACs; $974,536.74 cash on hand.


CD7

Grijalva (D) (incumbent) - Total raised $91,312.93; $54,296 from individuals; $37,010.00 from PACs; $139,670.64 cash on hand.


CD8

Giffords (D) (incumbent) - Total raised $466,786.20; $333,616.20 from individuals; $138,070.00 from PACs; $1,672,821.88 cash on hand.

Bee (R) (challenger) - Total raised $466,092.60; $406,992.60 from individuals; $40,000 from PACs; $525,439.88 cash on hand.

Short Attention Span Musing - Congressional Edition

...In the "big" news this week, Arizona Corporation Commissioner Kris Mayes announced that she would not run for the Republican nomination in CD1 (PolitickerAZ).

This may actually help not the other Republicans running, but instead it may aid the Democrats' chances of taking Renzi's seat. While Mayes may be too moderate and too conscientious a public servant to suit the power structure of the Arizona Republican Party, it's precisely those qualities that would have made her a formidable candidate in a general election.

As for the other major Rep candidates, Sydney "my soul is owned by the mining industry" Hay (already in the race) and Ken "broomstick" Bennett (rumored to be entering the race)?? Not so much.

Follow the links - each one has major weaknesses as a candidate, weaknesses that the eventual Democratic nominee will be certain to bring to the attention of CD1's voters.


...Over in CD5, while the Republican challengers to Harry Mitchell were making nice with each other, in an "aww shucks, isn't that cute" sort of way (and taking shots at Democrats in general and Mitchell in particular) on Monday, Mitchell was sponsoring a 21st century version of the GI Bill (H.R. 5740).

No AZ Republicans in Congress signed on as cosponsors of the bill to support post-9/11 veterans.
No Republican challenger in CD5 has issued a statement that they support H.R. 5740 either, and a quick perusal of their campaign websites finds far more support for the war in Iraq than for the servicemen and women fighting and dying in the war.


...In CD3, Republican John Shadegg had a mixed week -

First, he found out that the U.S. Chamber of Congress loves him (no word though on what Paradise Valley thinks of him or if he understands that PV is part of his district, and the US CofC isn't) and he loved them right back - attacking Congressional Democrats for delaying a vote on the Colombia Free Trade deal.

Later in the week, however, his constituents found out that alleged "taxpayer watchdog" Shadegg (as well as CD6's Jeff Flake) has no problem with taking international trips at taxpayer expense.

Then there was the whole "Shadegg was recorded by the FBI on a Renzi wiretap" news, too. :)

Oh, and challenger Bob Lord raised more than $220K during the first quarter and has more than $630K on hand.

All in all, *not* a good week for Congressman Shadegg.


...Of course, while Shadegg's week fell into the "not good" category, the week of Tim Bee, Republican challenger to Gabrielle Giffords in CD8 had an "absolutely lousy" week.

Tedski at Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion broke the story of a taxpayer-funded campaign...errr...'thank-you' ad for Bee. In his update on the original post, Tedski found that the source of the funding for the TV spot was a bunch of school districts and that the ad aired not in his legislative district, but in CD8. Hmmm...

Now that the DCCC has filed a complaint over the spot, Bee may learn the hard way that he's trying to step up to the big leagues.

Part of that lesson will be understanding that the FEC is going to hammer him for stuff that AZ's Secretary of State Jan Brewer would turn a blind eye to (at least for fellow Republicans, anyway.)


Later!

Short Attention Span Musing

...In a brief Scottsdale update, on Tuesday night, the Scottsdale City Council will consider and probably approve the appointment of John Little as the interim City Manager during the search for a replacement for outgoing City Manager Jan Dolan. Mr. Little is a long-time City employee and is currently the head of the City's Downtown Group.

In an unexpected fit of municipal sanity, the tentative plan for the search's timeline calls for the final hiring decision to be made by the new Council after it is seated in January.

...In CD3 news, the latest poll of CD3 voters shows high "Anybody But Shadegg" numbers, with 39% of voters surveyed saying that they'd vote for Shadegg and 38% saying that they'd vote for someone else. The PolitickerAZ piece on the poll is here.

For an incumbent congressman untainted by indictment or misbegotten trips to public restrooms, anything less than a 50% approval rating is astoundingly bad news for Shadegg and heartening news for the Bob Lord campaign.

Something tells me that the Lord campaign appreciates this news even more than the previously announced endorsement by Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. This news means that some of their hard work is paying off.


...Now on to our regularly scheduled snarkiness... :))

...On Wednesday, U.S. military leaders spoke to President Bush about the strains faced by servicemembers and their families as a result of the Iraq war. (AP via Yahoo! News) He was so concerned for the welfare of America's soldiers, sailors, marines, and their families that he went right out and gave a speech at a print shop in Virginia to pimp his taxpayer-funded bailout plan for the retail sector.

...The Bush Administration's never ending quest to outsource America's national security continues -

From the Washington Times -

The United States has outsourced the manufacturing of its electronic passports to overseas companies — including one in Thailand that was victimized by Chinese espionage — raising concerns that cost savings are being put ahead of national security, an investigation by The Washington Times has found.

The Government Printing Office's decision to export the work has proved lucrative, allowing the agency to book more than $100 million in recent profits by charging the State Department more money for blank passports than it actually costs to make them...

...In another never-ending quest, the Bush Administration moved to protect industry's ability to pollute America as inexpensively as possible.

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution -

Washington - The Bush administration has appealed a court ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency violated the federal Clean Air Act when it issued less-stringent requirements to reduce mercury releases from power plants. The Justice Department, on behalf of the EPA, asked that the full Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reconsider the ruling in a lawsuit brought by New Jersey and 16 other states. A three-judge appeals court panel in February struck down the EPA regulation, which allowed for a pollution trading system to reduce mercury emissions from power plants, instead of requiring each plant to install the best available mercury controls.

Ahhh...even though they're lame ducks, the Bushies are still dedicated to their work of ruining the country for generations to come. Gotta admire their conscientiousness.

It *is* admirable, right???? :)

...Later!

Shadegg makes it official -

He's a flip-flopper.

From the AZ Republic -

Shadegg changes mind, will run again

U.S. Congressman John Shadegg announced Thursday that he will run for re-election, changing a surprise decision he announced last week that he would retire.

In his original announcement, he cited a desire to spend more time with his family; in his recantation, he cited a discussion with his wife.

Perhaps while he wants to spend more time with his family, they may not want to spend more time with him.*

Democratic challenger Bob Lord's reaction -

"I've been looking forward to running against John Shadegg since day one, and I am still excited," said Bob Lord. "His behavior over the last 10 days calls into question whether he cares more about pleasing Washington insiders or serving the people of Arizona."

This all should make for an interesting summer, because not only does Shadegg have to convince CD3 that he's actually interested in working for them, many of the sitting legislators that expressed an interest in the race (State Sens. Gorman and Waring, among others) have to convince their constituents of the same thing.

* = That's just me being a wiseass. :))

Later!

Short Attention Span Musing

...The forces of ignorance and bigotry are rejoicing tonight...

From the AZ Republic -

A controversial scholarship that benefited Arizona State University students who are in the country illegally has quietly faded away.

As many as 200 students who graduated from Arizona high schools received the private scholarship money through the university this year.

But now, the money is spent, and ASU is advising students who depended on it to "seek private funding sources."

{snip}

State Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, is thrilled ASU will no longer be providing money to these students.

"The university should never have been complicit in bypassing the will of the voters," Kavanagh said. Prop. 300 passed in 2006 with the support of nearly seven out of 10 voters. "They were giving tuition breaks to illegal immigrants."

Wonder how much Kavanagh is going to revere the "will of the voters" when he votes on bills like HCR2066 and HCR2044, both of which would allow to lege to override the "will of the voters" under certain circumstances, as determined by the legislature itself.


...Does this mean that Bob Lord gets to call John Shadegg a 'flip-flopper'???

From the East Valley Tribune -

U.S. Rep. John Shadegg said Thursday he will reconsider his decision to retire at the end of his term.

He began wavering after learning that more than half of the Republicans in the House have signed a letter asking him to stay. Shadegg, 58, unexpectedly announced his retirement Monday.

...Breaking news: One rich, old, white Republican male endorses another rich, old, white Republican male.

From the Houston Chronicle -

GOP presidential front-runner John McCain is continuing to sweep up establishment Republican support as former President George H.W. Bush is expected to endorse the Arizona senator Monday in Houston.

What the hell, it's not like anyone expected him to endorse Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton...

Shadegg caves to blogger criticism, announces retirement*

* = OK, his announcement probably has absolutely nothing to do with some of the recent criticisms that I've directed at him (here, here, and here).

It was still fun to write that headline. :))

On to the story, with a little bit of wild speculation added...

From the Arizona Republic -

Arizona Rep. Shadegg won't seek re-election to Congress

WASHINGTON - Saying he never intended to be a professional politician, Arizona Rep. John Shadegg announced Monday that he will not seek re-election to an eighth term in Congress.

Shadegg, who just weeks ago spoke confidently about his ability to win another term, said his decision was a personal one and was not spurred by concerns over his health or fear that he could lose his seat in November.

“The bottom line is that this is a personal decision between my family and me, about our dreams, goals, and ambitions,” he said in a statement.

Stacy at Arizona Congress Watch has the entire statement.


While speculation as to Shadegg's motivation for this announcement in the AZ blogosphere has run the gamut from "the ethics questions" (funnelling $10K from his leadership PAC to his campaign coffers) to "After 14 years in the Congress he's tired; too tired to keep dealing with being part of the minority caucus."

Others take a more practical view, wondering if Shadegg's move is a coordinated gambit with John McCain, with McCain resigning from his Senate seat and Shadegg running for that in the fall.

[Start wild speculation]

I'm leaning that way, just because it makes too much sense tactically -

1. Resigning from the Senate allows McCain to focus on running for President while the Democratic nominee (either Obama or Clinton) still has to jump off of the campaign trail to return to work. It also silences those (like me!) who have criticized McCain for all of the votes that he has missed.

2. By resigning now, it forces an election for the Senate seat on the fall ballot. If John McCain vacated his seat after winning the Presidency, that would give whoever Governor Napolitano appointed to the position two years to settle into the job, and while she would have to select a Republican, you can bet that one person she wouldn't select would be McCain's personally-annointed successor. This move would stop a Republican who is less partisan or more constituent-oriented than Shadegg from settling into the Senate seat and frustrating Republican Party "movers and shakers" (aka - insider wingnuts) in their efforts to get one of their own in the slot.

3. Shadegg is already perfectly positioned for a short campaign for Senate - he's got high name recognition, and nearly a million dollars in the bank already. No Republican or Democrat is set up for a statewide race this cycle.

Ways that this could hurt the Arizona Republicans:

1. The CD3 seat is now an 'open' one. Given the Rep registration advantage in the district (~50K), even in the face of Bob Lord's strong challenge, Shadegg was likely to retain his seat. Now it's all up in the air. While it's still early in the year, Lord has his campaign up and running smoothly; Republican candidates will be scrambling to put something together.

2. The names of a number of sitting state legislators have been floated as possible successors, including State Rep. Jim Weiers (speaker of the AZ House) and State Sen. Jim Waring.

The Republicans are faced with trying to retain control of the state lege in the face of voters' growing disenchantment with the way that the Reps have been doing things and in the face of a shrinking registration advantage. Their efforts at playing defense will be boosted by the presence of John McCain at the top of the ticket (higher Rep turnout to support their 'favorite son'). However, those same efforts will be undermined if a number of their legislative veterans pass on lege races to focus on a shot at moving up. Their bench strength will be sorely tested by having to defend an unexpectedly high number of open seats.

Note: I hope Weiers goes for it - even the worst case scenario for Democrats is an improvement for the state. If he goes for the CD3 seat, the best that can happen for him is that he wins the seat and goes from being a big fish in a small pond (Speaker of the AZ House) to being a small fish in a big pond (junior member of the minority caucus in the U.S. House.) And win or lose, if he goes for it, he's out of the AZ House and the state budget becomes that much easier to balance without his obstructionism.

Solving a second state budget crisis would give Governor Napolitano a huge boost in her (expected) run for the seat currently held by McCain in 2010.

Other speculation -

Of course, speculation that this is part of a coordinated move with McCain can only be fueled by the amount of time that Shadegg has spent campaigning for McCain, especially in South Carolina. Shadegg is one of the (many!) reasons that the McCain presidential campaign has been resurrected, going from "DOA" last year to "presumptive nominee" this year.

Another sign that this move may have been in the works for a while - at one point (many months ago), Sean Noble, Shadegg's chief of staff and likely candidate to replace Shadegg, was rumored to be interested in running against Democrat Harry Mitchell in CD5. Without much fanfare at the time, he declined to run in CD5. Could this plan have been simmering even then? Let's face facts - Shadegg will support Noble in any primary. In CD5, that wouldn't mean much; in CD3, it could put Noble over the top.

[End wild speculation]


Politicker AZ has all sorts of coverage of this at their site.

Greg at Espresso Pundit has an open thread for speculation on which Reps will run for Shadegg's seat here.

Tony C. at Wactivist has a speculation thread here; this one concerns the likelihood of Shadegg running for John McCain's U.S. Senate seat in the event of his resignation in order to focus on his campaign for President.

Most other AZ blogs (Dem and Rep) have something on this story (hey - it *is* the biggest news of the AZ campaign season thus far.)

John Shadegg: Star Pupil at the Hayworth School of Campaigning?

One can only hope that Shadegg keeps serving up BP fastballs like this to the Lord campaign...

Congressman John Shadegg (R-Launderer) is now attributing his opposition to the recently-passed (by the House anyway) economic stimulus package because some of the proposed tax rebates might go to undocumented aliens who dared to work, pay income taxes, and file a return.

Now, I'm not exactly a fan of the proposal (it helps retail businesses more than it helps real people and its effects are short-term, not long-term), but he absolutely opposes an effort to mitigate the effects of the burgeoning recession in the U.S. because it could give some undocumented aliens some of their own money?

Yup, that's right - the tax rebates are just prepayments of refunds, essentially; they will reduce the following year's refund/increase the amount owed for each recipient.

And the ever-vigilant John Shadegg detected the harm in giving hardworking people the money that is theirs (whether or not they're in the U.S. legally, they earned the money), so he tried to make sure that no one would be helped.

Even if stealing the tax money of a few undocumented immigrants was an ethical activity (it's not), are there so many that qualify (by paying taxs of all things - what scofflaws! ;) ) that the numbers justify blocking the whole thing?

Of course, this is the guy who left his constituents in the lurch, campaigning for John McCain in South Carolina while Paradise Valley residents dealt with poison coming out of their faucets and one of the guys who voted against HOPE.

Why do I have the suspicion that it's people in general who are on his hit list, and immigrants are just a cover story for his votes and [in]actions?

I guess that with JD Hayworth exiled to the nether regions of the right-wing talk radio, AZ's Republicans need a candidate with a with a campaign platform plank that says "blame brown people for everything." Must be in their state party's bylaws or something. :))

Hope that tactic works as well for Shadegg in 2008 as it did Hayworth in 2006.

Stacy at AZ CongressWatch has most (or all?) of Shadegg's press release here; the Phoenix Business Journal has a story constructed from that press release here.

Later!

The Three Amigos Ride Again...

Yesterday, the House of Representatives considered overriding the President's veto of H.R. 3963, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007. The Act would have renewed and expanded SCHIP, the program that provides health insurance coverage for poor children.

The attempt to override the veto failed by a 260 - 152 vote, 2/3 required to override the veto.

Naturally, being loyal Republicans all, Jeff Flake (R-AZ6), John Shadegg (R-AZ3), and Trent Franks (R-AZ2) voted to sustain the President's veto; according to the tenets of their ideology, the profits of private insurers are more important than poor children.

While none of the three could be bothered to speak on the House floor in support of children, or even to defend their support of the President's veto, the ever-consistent Trent Franks did have time to stroll to the floor of the House and insert a statement into the record bemoaning...

...the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. (p. E71 of the Congressional Record).

Nice to see that he still stops worrying about the welfare of children once they're born.


..Update - few days ago, I wrote a post noting John Shadegg's conspicuous absence while his constituents in Paradise Valley dealt with TCE-contaminated tap water.

Later, DownWithTyranny in California found him campaigning for John McCain in South Carolina. (Thanks for the update DWT!)

So, let's see where Shadegg's priorities lie -

1. Defend his conduct in circumventing campaign finance laws.

2. Traipse around South Carolina in winter.

3. Vote to screw over poor children and protect insurance company profits.

4. Join a court motion to stop a lawsuit over the 'under God' reference in the Pledge of Allegiance.

- Work for his constituents.

There's no number for that last because there's no evidence that he *ever* works for his constituents; hence, there's no way to quantify where that falls on his list of priorities.


...x4mr has a post on the SCHIP override vote here; Michael Bryan of Blog for Arizona has one here.

Later!

Ahhh...Congress is back in session...

...and the House Republicans are already in mid-session form...

They're already hard at work safeguarding the interests of big business and blaming workers for everything.

Today, they were "fighting the good fight" for mine owners as House Democrats worked to address mine safety in the aftermath of the recent spate of deadly mine disasters, such as Crandall Canyon in Utah and Sago in West Virginia.

During consideration of H.R. 2768, the S-MINER Act (Supplemental Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response), House Republicans, led by Buck McKeon (R-CA), opposed every safety improvement as too onerous for mine owners and operators. In fact, the only 'safety improvement' that they supported (and supported strongly, at that) was an intensive drug testing requirement for mine workers.

Guess it's more fun to play "blame the victims" than it is to "govern responsibly."

Many of the Republican opponents of increased mine safety cited this Washington Post article from Sunday that chronicles a growing trend in West Virginia's mine country - painkiller addiction.

The Republicans so strongly favored increased drug testing they twice tried to wedge it into the bill, once in this amendment proposed by Joe Wilson (R-SC) (starting on page 2 of the .pdf) and in their standard 'motion to recommit with instructions', proposed by Mark Souder (R-IN).

The Wilson amendment also sought to water-down implementation of safety measures, substituting secrecy, studies and commissions for refuge chambers with emergency air supplies, flame-resistant conveyor belts, and transparency.

Note: The Wilson amendment failed by a vote of 188 - 229; the motion to recommit failed by a vote of 197 - 217, with the AZ delegation splitting along party lines for each vote.

In the end, the House passed the S-Miner bill by a vote of 214 - 199, with the AZ delegation again splitting along party lines.

As could be expected, the White House has threatened to veto the bill.

AP coverage here.

...I know that in this election year, the presidential campaigns are getting most of the attention from voters and the MSM (hey, even I think it's easier to focus on 10 or so candidates for 1 office than it is to focus on more than 900 candidates for the 468 House and Senate seats up for grab this year), we all need to remember that those seats are just as important as the Presidency, and those races are far more easily affected by local activists.

Whether it's for Harry Mitchell, Gabrielle Giffords, Raul Grijalva, Ed Pastor, Bob Lord, John Thrasher, or one of the Democrats looking to replace Rick Renzi (R-Mantech) in CD1, volunteer where you can, contribute where you can.

Can John Thrasher defeat Trent Franks? It's more likely than you might think...

Trent Franks has been getting a lot of visibility recently, but he may learn that a higher profile isn't all that it's kicked up to be...

I know that the CD2 race between incumbent Republican Trent Franks and Democratic challenger John Thrasher doesn't have the visibility that the CD3 race (incumbent Republican John Shadegg vs. the well-funded challenger Bob Lord), but I hope that no one writes it off - there are some significant parallels between the 2008 race in CD2 and the 2006 CD5 victory by Harry Mitchell over JD Hayworth.

1. In CD5 in 2006 the Republicans have a seemingly overwhelming 16-point registration advantage that isn't so overwhelming when you realize that Independent swing voters make up a large and ever-growing portion of the CD2 electorate.

Just like CD5 in 2006.

2. Trent Franks is a one-issue wing-nut. His issue is abortion - just this year, he has voted against SCHIP because it doesn't protect fetuses (or somesuch nuttery; video at the link), argued in favor of torture because Congress hasn't passed any laws protecting fetuses (guess only unborn people have rights; born people can stick their heads between their legs and kiss their butts goodbye - after they've been waterboarded, baked, frozen, beaten, electrocuted, starved, sleep-deprived, etc.), engaged in multiple rants on the House floor on the topic (October 25, July 19, April 18), cosponsored at least nine bills on the subject (HRes705, HR63, HR618, HR1063, HR1295, HR1457, HR3192, HR3442, HR4133), issued press releases on the subject of abortion (October 24), and gives speeches on the topic (November 4).

In short, he's just like JD Hayworth, substituting a hatred for a woman's right to choose with Hayworth's hatred of immigrants.

And by the end of last year's campaign, people were asking Hayworth "ok, enough on the immigration...what else ya got" and finding that he was an empty suit who didn't have anything else to offer the district.

3. John Thrasher has a well-documented track record of community involvement and education. While his 'community involvement' hasn't included a history of elected office that compares to CD5's Harry Mitchell (city council, mayor, state senate), his career as a teacher may be as significant - last year it seemed that at every event, as many people came up to Harry talking about how he taught them, their siblings, or their children, as did those who came up to him with political story.

Bottom line: students grow up into voters in CD2, just like in CD5.

Oh, and did I mention that while *John* Thrasher may not hold public office, his wife *Jackie* knows a thing or two about upsetting an incumbent Republican with a strong registration advantage. She forced Doug Quelland, seatmate of state House Speaker Jim Weiers, out of office last year.

Bet she might have some insights to offer. :)


Ultimately, while John Thrasher may not be the kind of polished corporate candidate favored by the DCCC and Chris Van Hollen (and his predecessor Rahm Emanuel), his candidacy may present a greater challenge for Franks than Bob Lord's does for John Shadegg. Thrasher is the kind of community icon who, even as an underdog, energizes a race, something that's needed for an uphill fight.

Just like CD5 in 2006.

Short Attention Span Musing...

edited to add a link below...

Edit2 on 10/26 to add to the "Trent Franks" part of the post below...

...and reminders of a couple of events...

...Tonight, Thursday October 25, the Arizona Chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council will meet at 6991 E. Camelback in Scottsdale at 7:00 p.m. Congressional candidate Bob Lord (CD3) is scheduled to speak. For more info, contact Jerry at njdc[at]cox.net.

...Saturday, October 27 - Presidential candidate Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) is visiting Tucson and Phoenix.

Phoenix event info: Fajita Fundraiser and Launch of Inaugural Phoenix Chapter of Mi Familia con Bill Richardson, IBEW Building, 5808 North 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ. Time: 2:00 p.m.


Now on to the snarkiness (aka the 'short attention span' part of the post :) )

...The Tancredo campaign seems to be getting desperate, or perhaps he's just getting back to his Catholic roots. In an effort to eliminate one of the frontrunners for the Republican nomination, he's throwing the political equivalent of a "Hail Mary" pass.

From boston.com -

Romney passes on high-stakes baseball bet

{snip}

Republican presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo wants to put something important on the line -- his candidacy. His campaign called ABC News to issue this challenge: The Colorado congressman will drop out of the race if the Rockies lose the World Series -- if rival Mitt Romney agrees to pack it in if the Red Sox lose.

As you can see from the headline to the piece, the Romney campaign declined to accept the bet.

Tom, face facts - the Rockies have a far better chance of winning the World Series than you ever did of winning the Presidency. Hell, my nephew's little league team has a better chance of winning the WS than you do of winning the Presidency, but I digress. :)

...In other Romney news, the latest Rolling Stone has an in-depth article on him. However, he may not like the national publicity.

The title -

Mitt Romney: The Huckster

He May Have Made $250 Million as a Venture Capitalist, but the Republican Candidate Is Trying to Sell a Party that's Gone Bankrupt

...continuing with the whole "Mitt" theme, today, he showed that he has the same attitude toward, and knowledge of, the use of military force as does Bush.

From AP via Yahoo! News -

Republican Mitt Romney said Thursday he would be willing to use a military blockade or "bombardment of some kind" to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon.

"Bombardment of some kind"??

Nice incisive military analysis there, Mitt.


...Bush is showing in southern California that perhaps he (or more likely, his handlers) has learned some lessons from the Katrina debacle.

From AP via Yahoo! News -

Bush visits California wildfire victims

{snip}

In San Diego's hard-hit community of Rancho Bernardo, Bush stepped through rubble on a street of Mediterranean-style homes, where houses that remained unscathed were interspersed with what amounted to mere shells of the American dream. He stood with Jay and Kendra Jeffcoat near where a single spiral staircase rested amid rubble that used to be their home and where their burnt-out car had melted into the scorched earth.

"Those of us who are here in government, our hearts are right here with the Jeffcoats," the president said, his arm draped around Mrs. Jeffcoat. Holding her small brown dog on a leash, she fought back tears and Bush kissed her on the head.

Yup, Bush has learned some lessons.

Either that, or the victims of the wildfires in southern Cal tend to be somewhat paler and wealthier than the victims of Katrina in New Orleans and the Gulf Region were.

Not that I'm a cynic or anything... :))

...Edit to add: Blogger and activist Eli Blake at Deep Thought makes the same observation in this post, and does a far better job of it. He is perhap the best pure writer in the AZ political blogosphere, right or left, and his blog is worthy of bookmarking.

End edit...

Note: LA Times coverage of Bush's California visit here.


...The House passed HR3963, the revised SCHIP bill by a vote of 265 - 142. From the Arizona delegation: Pastor, Giffords, Grijalva, Mitchell, and Renzi voted 'aye'; Franks, Flake, and Shadegg voted 'nay.'

I didn't get to see the entire debate, but in a 'one-minute speech' after regular legislative business, Trent Franks (R-AZ2) surprisingly *didn't* cite a concern for insurance company profits, the Republicans' usual reason for voting against health care for poor children.

Nope, in an exhibition of Bush-like reasoning skills, he concocted a hobo's stew of reasons, stirring in "Hillary-care", abortion, and "attacks on the family" among others as the reasons that he opposed SCHIP.

John Thrasher 2008. 'Nuff said.

Edit to add: Apparently, I wasn't the only person to watch and comment on Congressman Franks' diatribe.

From Melissa McEwan at the blog Shakespearessister, who puts it far more *colorfully* than I did :)) -

Brain-Numbing Dipshittery During the SCHIP Debate

...here is video of Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) on the House floor earlier today, explaining why he must cast a vote against SCHIP, with a giant picture of a fetus behind him. It's like someone bet this douchebag money that he couldn't hit every square on an anti-choice Bingo card, and he said, "Oh yeah? Watch me."

As indicated in the quote, she posted a video of Franks' floor speech. Follow the link - it's worth watching.

End edit.

Later!

Harry Mitchell and John Shadegg - getting their messages out to the people they represent

...sometimes, the Republicans just serve up the political equivalent of a batting practice fastball.

Earlier this week, the House unsurprisingly failed to override the President's veto of the SCHIP renewal bill.

Also unsurprising was the fact that Arizona Representatives John Shadegg (R-AZ3) and Harry Mitchell (D-AZ5) were on opposite sides of the vote.

And in yet another unsurprising development, they each wrote op/ed pieces on SCHIP, detailing their positions and opinions on the subject.

Harry Mitchell's piece was published in both the Arizona Republic and the East Valley Tribune (no link available), the papers of record in his district. Between the two outlets and the email he sent out, his district is thoroughly covered. People who voted for him, who voted for somebody else, or who didn't vote at all, were able to read it.

John Shadegg's piece?

It was in Investor's Business Daily.

At least we've gotta give him credit for touching base with his base, right? That must count for something, doesn't it??

...Not really.

Shadegg was hired to represent Arizona's 3rd Congressional District, not the healthcare and insurance industries (perhaps not coincidently, when it comes to campaign contributions, those are the two industry sectors that gave him the most $$$ in the last election cycle, according to opensecrets.org.)

Shadegg's opponent for 2008, Bob Lord, is scheduled to speak at the next meeting of the Arizona chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council this coming Thursday, October 25 at 7 p.m. The address is 6991 E. Camelback Rd. in Scottsdale. Contact Jerry at njdcphx[at]cox.net for more details.

Stop by and check out Bob's message. If you can't make it Thursday, surf by his website or contact the campaign at info[at]lord2008.com. Volunteers and contributions are always welcome.


Now, for anyone who missed it, Harry Mitchell's article, courtesy the email he sent out -

SCHIP opponents distort issue
By Rep. Harry Mitchell

We have a children's health care crisis in our country. The numbers are staggering: 9 million children, including 250,000 here in Arizona, do not have access to health insurance.

As a father, grandfather and former teacher who has seen first-hand the consequences of children without adequate health care, I believe we have a moral responsibility to solve this crisis. This is an important issue and worthy of honest debate.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program provides funding for states to decide how to best address local health care needs. In Arizona, SCHIP funds KidsCare, which currently ensures that 65,000 of Arizona's poorest children receive health care in the doctor's office instead of the emergency room.

I recently voted for, and Congress passed, bipartisan legislation to make that possible for 4 million more of the nation's 9 million uninsured children. It doesn't solve the crisis, but it is an important step forward. Here in Arizona, it means 81,000 more children would be covered through KidsCare. Unfortunately, the president defied calls from Republicans and Democrats alike, vetoed the bill and put those children at risk.

In recent weeks, children's health care opponents have used misleading information to scare others into falsely believing that Republicans and Democrats are working to shift upper middle-class children from private insurance to SCHIP.

This kind of misinformation has become widespread.

One of my colleagues, speaking on the House floor, inaccurately claimed that every new child covered through SCHIP would drop his or her private insurance. Specifically, my colleague said the bipartisan bill "will produce one person dropping private insurance for every one person who gets SCHIP insurance."

But that's simply not true. Earlier this month, I told a Valley newspaper that the false claim was a "phony argument" and "scare tactic." I stand by my words.

Just a few days ago, former state Sen. Tom Patterson wrote in the Tribune that "the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office calculates that at least half of the new beneficiaries of an expanded SCHIP would be families who are currently insured."

But that's not accurate, either. While his mistake may have been unintentional, Patterson seriously misrepresented the report. According to the CBO, whose report is available for the public at www.cbo.gov, the SCHIP legislation provides the resources to extend coverage to 4 million children who would otherwise go uninsured by 2012. About 3.5 million of these children already meet the states' current SCHIP coverage criteria.

As public servants, I believe we have an obligation to help inform as well as advocate, and the use of inaccurate and misleading information does not contribute to an open and honest debate. I believe, as do the vast majority of my constituents, that ensuring these 4 million children have access to health care is a much-needed and worthwhile investment.

As a teacher, I saw how children without adequate health care miss too many days of school because of illness. Children who miss too many classes are the most likely to drop out, and those who drop out are less likely to contribute to our economy, and more likely to commit crimes. Over time, that makes our neighborhoods less safe, and places an even heavier burden on taxpayers.

Some SCHIP opponents continue to accept government-supported health care for themselves, have voted to give themselves pay raises, and even delivered billions and billions of dollars in corporate welfare to the Big Oil industry. Yet, they actively work to deny health insurance to Arizona's poorest children. I believe that is wrong.

I will continue to work with Republicans and Democrats alike to solve this health care crisis and put Arizona's children first.


Later!

Events Calendar

Upcoming events in the Scottsdale/Tempe area (though I'm a little flexible on that geography :) ) -


Thursday, August 23 (Tonight!) - The LD17 Democrats present the film "In Debt We Trust"

The Big Picture Film Series is showing "In Debt We Trust". This film is a great look at the reality of our wallets and what the trade deficit is doing to our country's economy and more importantly, why.

Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Escalante Center, 2150 East Orange Street, Tempe
Admission: Free


Saturday, August 25 - The Arizona Democratic Party's 2007 Volunteer Awards Dinner

The special guest speaker is Arizona Attorney General, Terry Goddard. Nominees include LD17'ers Genie Zavaleta, Bob Mings, and Angie Crouse. (Congrats to all of the nominees, though :)) )

Time: 6:00 p.m. registration; 7:00 p.m. dinner.
Place: Mountain Preserve Reception Center, 1431 East Dunlap,Phoenix, AZ 85068

Contact Maritza Lopez for tickets and other info at 602-234-6823


Monday, August 27 - Meeting of the Phoenix Chapter of the Progressive Democrats of America

Scheduled guests include Bob Lord, candidate for Congress in CD3, as well as two candidates for Phoenix City Council, Loralei Poll and Jim Mapstead.

Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: Sonora Brewhouse, 322 East Camelback Road, Phoenix


Tuesday, August 28 - Official Meeting with Obama Campaign Staff

An organizational meeting with Raul Alvillar, the Obama for America Western Region Political Director. Space is limited, so please RSVP at my.barackobama.com.

Time: 7 p.m.
Place: IBEW Local 266, 1650 N. 36th St., Phoenix


Thursday, August 30 - Meeting of the Arizona chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC)

Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center in Scottsdale (Scottsdale Rd. and Sweetwater)


Friday, August 31 - The LD8 Democrats present the film "In Debt We Trust", also courtesy The Big Picture Film Series.

Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Fountain Hills Community Center, 13001 N. La Montana Drive, Fountain Hills.
Admission: Still free :)


Saturday, September 8 - Governor Janet Napolitano Guest Conducts The Phoenix Symphony

From the email -

"Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano will be the guest conductor of the Star Spangled Banner for the opening of the Phoenix Symphony's 60th season on Saturday, September 8, 2007 at Phoenix Symphony Hall beginning at 8PM. Join the Governor, blues and jazz icon Dennis Rowland and Music Director Michael Christie for a night of fun-filled music sure to bring down the house! This jazzy 60th Anniversary birthday bash includes The Phoenix Symphony swinging to the golden age of Gershwin as it performs An American in Paris and excerpts from Porgy and Bess. It's a party you won't soon forget!"

Phoenix Symphony website here; purchase tickets here.


Later!

Quarterly numbers, anyone?

The FEC has posted candidates' quarterly financial reports online.

Summary of interesting stuff for Arizona's Congressfolk and would-be Congressfolk -

Ed Pastor of CD4 has the most cash on hand, at $1,185,109.24 but in a bit of a surprise, freshman Gabrielle Giffords of CD8 is second with a whopping $941,489.64.

Whoever the Reps throw against her next year will have a steep uphill fight.

In terms of fundraising, the two freshman Democrats in Congress, Giffords and Harry Mitchell of CD5, led the way raising $580,637.32 and $354,638.52 respectively.

Coming in 3rd, however, playing catch-up to (and surpassing) the surprising fundraising totals of challenger Bob Lord from last quarter's reports, Republican John Shadegg of CD3 raised $311,532. He now has a lead in cash on hand over Lord by approximately $50K.

Leading the state's Congressional delegation in the 'seriously scuffling' category is Republican Rick Renzi of CD1.

He's down to $20,418.16 cash on hand after raising just over $40k during the quarter.

The best part of the numbers? He paid out $25,000 in legal fees, and owes over $100K more.

And speaking of a (former) Congressman with legal issues, here are JD Hayworth's numbers:

Cash on hand: $23,134.64 (that's good news)

Raised: $0 (that's better news)

Spent: $107,879.42, with nearly $100K of that in legal fees. (that's *great* news :) )

Later!

Quarterly FEC reports are in...

...and I'll let others write about the presidential candidate numbers.

Some of the FEC's quarterly financial reports for active Congressional candidate committees in Arizona.

Incumbents bolded, challengers italicized.

Note: "PAC" numbers include all contributions from non-political party committees. Generally speaking, Republicans had a lot of corporate contributions; Democrats had a lot of union contributions.

CD1 -

Democrat Ellen Simon raised $4,295.54, more than $4K from herself.
Republican Rick Renzi raised $117,698.70, $76,950.00 from PACs.

CD2 -

Republican Trent Franks raised $40,031.00, $9,000 from PACs.
Democrat John Thrasher raised $4,340.00, $3,000 from himself.

CD3 -

Democrat Bob Lord raised $137,968.15, $0 from PACs.
Republican John Shadegg raised $19,338.57, $4,500.00 from PACs.

CD4 -

Democrat Ed Pastor raised $11,650.00, $1,000 from PACs.

CD5 -

Democrat Harry Mitchell raised $234,768.46, $107,162.35 from PACs.
Republican JD Hayworth raised $136.00.

CD6 -

Republican Jeff Flake raised $84,065.00, $3100.00 from PACs.

CD7 -

Democrat Raul Grijalva raised $26,843.86, $25,500 from PACs.

CD8 -

Democrat Gabrielle Giffords raised $325,252.61, $104,966.17 from PACs.
Democrat Jeff Latas raised $900.00, all from himself.


Active during the quarter, but no contributions received - Bob Stump (R-CD3), Ron Drake (R-CD7, committee termination report filed), Eva Bacal (D-CD8), Jim Kolbe (R-CD8), Larry King (D-CD5), Herb Paine (D-CD3, termination report filed 03-01-2007),

Brief observation: By far, Mitchell, Giffords, and Renzi were the most active incumbent fundraisers this quarter, but that's no surprise - they are all targeted for defeat in the next election; Mitchell and Giffords because they are in their first terms, and Renzi because of his ethical and residency issues.

Brief prediction: Expect Shadegg to get his fundraising organization into gear after the showing of Bob Lord (top fundraiser among the non-incumbents, #3 overall) this quarter.