Welcome to Arizona, where Republican hypocrisy is a way of life

From Arizona Daily Star, written by Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services (emphasis added by me) -

DES chief: Fraud not fully behind huge SNAP drop in Arizona

At least some people who have lost their food stamps in Arizona probably are eligible, the head of the state Department of Economic Security says.

But Michael Wisehart said Friday that he can't quantify how many of the estimated 400,000 Arizonans who were dropped from the rolls since Congress approved its budget law last summer — including 180,000 children — actually legally qualify for benefits but have, for one reason or another, been turned away.

[snip]

"I think our massive decrease is caused by the fact that we had massive fraud in the system,'' said the Fountain Hills Republican.

[snip]

"But he seems to be staying willfully blind to large amounts of fraud, too,'' the senator said. And Kavanagh said most telling is that Wisehart, in explaining all the reasons for the sharp drop in food stamp recipients, doesn't even discuss fraud.

"Maybe we need a new director if that's the case,'' Kavanagh said.

I will give Kavanagh one thing - he's an expert on "...staying willfully blind to large amounts of fraud..."

Of course, his expertise is on ESAs/school vouchers, which is a program designed to help the wealthy, not on SNAP, which is a program designed help poor people.C

From KPNX, written by Craig Harris, dated 12/29/2025 (emphasis added by me) -

Influential Arizona Republican lawmaker wants to expand ESA vouchers as questions grow over taxpayer spending

For nearly two decades, John Kavanagh has been a constant presence at the Arizona Legislature, helping shape how billions of taxpayer dollars are spent. 

Now, as Senate Majority Leader, the influential Republican lawmaker is pushing to expand one of the state’s most controversial education programs—despite a 12News investigation of mounting questionable spending and growing calls for reform.

[snip]

In thousands of cases, 12News found parents used ESA funds to purchase items with little or no clear educational value—including diamond rings, flat-screen televisions, luxury clothing, appliances, vacations, and even lingerie.

Despite those findings, Kavanagh insists the program is working as intended.

“People who oppose the ESAs are misconstruing what’s happening to make it look like there’s all this fraud,” he said. 

It seems that Kavanagh is fact deficient with him being "..willfully blind to large amounts of fraud" in the ESA program but decrying "fraud" in the SNAP program, while not bothering to present facts to support his position.

He does seem to know the steps to the "hypocritical two step", a dance that may make him one of the leaders of the R caucus going forward.

While I expect that "going forward" will happen for him (until he actually loses an election, I won't predict that he will),  it's not outside the realm of possibility that he won't the state senator from his district.  He's facing challengers in both the primary and general elections.

From the Arizona Secretary of State -

One might think that someone like Kavanagh would garner more negative media coverage, but he's nice to reporters, to the point where they actually *like* him personally.

The aforementioned Harris was on KPNX's Sunday Square Off last week (couldn't locate it online, so I can't link to it).

He used words like "affable" to describe Kavanagh.

Plus, he used another word on his Twitter/X feed -

Given his liking for Kavanagh (and the fact that Kavanagh has an easily used title), it seems likely his use of the word "honorable" is less an honorific more an adjective.

I've got a word for Harris (and all other reporters) -

NEUTRAL.

Biggs claims that he will vote to release the Epstein files

I recommend filing that one under "believe it when you see it."

From KJZZ, written by Wayne Schutsky,

Biggs says he will vote to release the Epstein files

Congressman Andy Biggs says he will vote to release the Epstein files despite efforts by President Donald Trump to keep lawmakers from forcing the Justice Department to disclose the records.

Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced a petition in July to force a vote on their bill, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and bypass House Speaker Mike Johnson, who would not bring the legislation to a vote.

Biggs is a Cheeto-endorsed 2026 candidate for AZ governor and he wouldn't do this without specific permission from Cheeto himself.

Which Cheeto probably wouldn't give unless he thought that the Epstein files couldn't hurt him - if the files are released, all references to him will certainly be edited out by his pets in the DOJ.

Of course, if his DOJ can't release falsified files (I'm guessing that someone, perhaps Vlad, had evidence tying Cheeto to Epstein, and will counter any false story), he'll simply veto any legislation that Congress passes re: releasing the Epstein files.

To memorialize Charlie Kirk, Rs wish to use public resources for partisan purposes

From KJZZ, written by Wayne Schutsky, dated 10/27 -

3 Arizona municipalities to consider moving forward with Charlie Kirk memorials

Several cities and towns across the Valley will consider requests to officially memorialize conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed by a gunman last month.

Fountain Hills Vice Mayor Allen Skillicorn asked the council to consider building a statue to Kirk at a meeting last week. A similar effort backed by Skillicorn and Town Councilwoman Hannah Larrabee to rename the town’s community center after Kirk failed to gain traction last month, but this time the council agreed to consider Skillicorn’s request.

Mayor Gerry Friedel says the item likely won’t make it onto an agenda until next year due to a backlog of items the council needs to address at upcoming meetings.

The Scottsdale City Council will also discuss whether it wants to look into constructing a Kirk memorial at a meeting next week.

According to the agenda for the Nov. 3 meeting, the Scottsdale council can vote to add the item to an agenda for a future meeting or ask city staff to investigate the proposal further and deliver a report to the council.

The Phoenix City Council will consider a citizen petition at its meeting on Wednesday that asks it to rename a Seventh Street bridge near Chase Field after Kirk. The petition was filed by controversial activist the Rev. Jarrett Maupin.

This article was written before the Phoenix City Council considered, and rejected, Maupin's scheme.

The video of the 10/29 meeting is here.  The consideration of the Kirk petition begins at approximately the 45:51 mark of the video recording.

Two takeaways:

1.  The proposer of the petition, Republican gadfly Jarrett Maupin, didn't bother to show up and support his petition.  Not a good look for the erstwhile candidate for Congress.

2. The council denied the petition on a 7-1 vote.  The one supporter?  Republican former legislator Jim Waring.

The Scottsdale City Council will consider a memorial to Kirk on Monday, 11/3.

That one may pass without much comment - the proposal itself is limited (emphasis added by me), with them taking no public comments -

The scheme was proposed by Republican former legislator Adam Kwasman (notice a pattern?)

The Fountain Hills Town Council has not put the matter on a posted agenda as yet, but when it is, I expect the measure to pass.  The town is a R stronghold.

From Maricopa County Elections -

Let me be clear - I don't wish death on anyone, even someone like Kirk, who trafficked in and profited from hate.

The act of murder diminishes a society.

However, creating publicly-funded memorials and naming public infrastructure after murder victims is something that should be reserved for those who made a positive contribution to society, people whose loss diminishes society.

His spouse and offspring may find their lives are worse off without him; society is not.

Short Attention Span Musing

...Yes, AZ teachers underpaid and yes, the fetid minds of the Republicans at the state legislature think the best way to address that problem is to take money away from public schools via ESAs.

Not only that, AZ teachers are woefully underpaid in comparison to their similarly well-educated peers.

From Economic Policy Institute -

The teacher pay penalty reached a record high in 2024

Summary: Over the past three decades, stagnant weekly wages of public school teachers have fallen further and further behind those of college graduates who chose other careers, resulting in an ever increasing teacher pay gap that hit a record high in 2024.

[snip]

[snip]

...Tom Horne has regained the title of the "Worst Human Being to Head a State's Public Schools".

From The Guardian (UK) -

Oklahoma superintendent who put Trump Bibles in classrooms resigns

Oklahoma’s superintendent, who has attracted national attention as he sought to install religion and rightwing viewpoints in Oklahoma schools, will resign to run a conservative education non-profit.

Ryan Walters, who has led public schools in Oklahoma since 2022, has put Donald Trump-endorsed Bibles into classrooms and required teaching 2020 election conspiracy theories.

...Mike Johnson (R-LA) may be the Speaker of the U.S. House but he's showing that he believes his primary job is to protect wealthy pedophiles.

From The New Republic, via Yahoo! -

The GOP Effort to Hide the Epstein Files Just Hit a Disgusting New Low

Recently-elected Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva could deliver the tie-breaking vote to release the government’s files on alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. That is, if House Speaker Mike Johnson doesn’t delay her swearing in—and it looks like he’s planning to.

Grijalva, who won 68 percent of the vote in a special election for Arizona’s 7th congressional district earlier this week, is set to tip the scales for Democrats and their few Republican allies hoping to force the government’s hand on the long-awaited release of documents on Epstein. But when exactly she’ll be sworn-in isn’t set, and it’s cause for concern.

...Republicans like to tell everyone that they're "pro-life."

No, they aren't.

From AZMirror, written by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy, dated 9/25 -

GOP lawmaker calls for Dem congresswoman to be executed for urging Trump protests

An Arizona Republican lawmaker on Wednesday called for the execution of a Democratic congresswoman because she urged people upset with President Donald Trump to protest in the streets.

Kingman Republican Rep. John Gillette wrote on the social media site X that U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, was calling for the the government to be overthrown and should be hanged.

 

Arizona Legislature 101: The Double Standard

Newbies at the Arizona State Legislature (or perhaps people who are newly-minted lege-watchers) may have an idealized view of it, thinking that it's a legislative body looking out for the best interests of the people of AZ.

The reality of the AZ lege is somewhat different.

If there were a course on it, the syllabus for that course would include a section on "The Double Standard."

To whit (because this stuff would be certain to be covered in such a course) -

From KXNV (Phoenix channel 15), written by Rachel Louise Just, dated 9/5 -

Sen. Analise Ortiz faces ethics investigation over ICE warning repost

State Senator Analise Ortiz is facing an ethics investigation and calls for expulsion from the Arizona Senate after she reshared a post that included the location of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation.

This week, State Senator Jake Hoffman, R-LD12, formally asked for an ethics investigation into Ortiz, hoping it would lead to her expulsion.

"I think it's a clear violation of that oath of office," Hoffman told ABC15.

Yet, 

From AZMirror, written Jerod MacDonald-Evoy -

Ethics Committee won’t investigate Islamophobic comments from Republican representative

The House Ethics Committee will not investigate an ethics complaint by Democratic leaders against Kingman Republican John Gillette, after he called Muslims “f***ing savages” and posted a series of Islamophobic comments on social media calling members of the faith “terrorists” from “sh*t hole countries” intent on destroying America.

House Ethics Committee Chairman Lupe Diaz, R-Benson, said he would not be taking the matter further and claimed that Democratic leaders were “weaponizing” the House Ethics complaint process. Diaz has not responded to multiple requests for comment about Gillette’s comments or the ethics complaint from the Arizona Mirror.

 

Whatever could be the difference between the two members? (that's sarcasm folks - I know what the difference is)

Arizona politics is like a small town - another Biggs is a candidate for office

Mylie Biggs (R-Chip Off The Old Block) is a candidate for the state senate seat in LD14, currently held by Senate President Warren Petersen, termed out and running for Arizona Attorney General.

She's the daughter of Andy Biggs, a MAGA Congressman and 2026 candidate for AZ Governor.

From the website of the Arizona Secretary of State:

Her Statement of Interest (SOI) -

.Her committee information -

As of this writing, no other R has filed an SOI or formed a committee in order to challenge her in the primary (I expect that to change as the cycle goes on).

Given the overwhelming R registration advantage in the district, the victor in the R primary should win the general election.

However, she's made things interesting.

From KJZZ, written by Camryn Sanchez -

Biggs’ daughter said women shouldn’t hold public office. But she’s running for AZ state Senate

Congressman Andy Biggs’ daughter Mylie said women shouldn’t hold public office. But she’s running for a seat in the Arizona Senate.

Mylie Biggs, 25, is running for the Legislature in Arizona’s 14th legislative district, which encompasses most of Gilbert.

Last August, she appeared on a podcast called The Matt MacCurdy Program and said she thinks women should not hold office in general, but instead should run the home.

Assuming that she goes on to be victorious in the primary, she seems to be ready for membership in the R caucus -

She's already got "open hypocrite" part down pat.

Normally, this sort of hypocrisy would be disqualifying in a Democratic primary.

In an R primary?  This may help her coast to victory.

5 Cs, 4 Cs, what's a C between friends?

Of course, U.S. House Speaker isn't a friend.

On Tuesday, he ejected Representative Al Green (D-TX) from the House chamber for having the utter audacity to disagree with Cheeto.

Today, the Republicans in the House censured (reprimanded) Green.

House Democrats didn't react well.

From ABC News -

Screaming match breaks out in House after vote to censure Democrat Al Green

The House voted on Thursday to censure Democrat Al Green over his outburst at President Donald Trump's speech to Congress on Tuesday night.

The Republican-led effort passed 224-198 with two members voting present, one of them being Green. Ten Democrats voted to censure Green

[snip]

"Mr. Speaker and still I rise," Green said, "and still I rise a proud, liberated Democrat, unbought, unbossed and unafraid."

Green continued to criticize Trump's agenda and animatedly explained why he and other Democrats sang in the well, calling it an "act of incivility."

"We have to not allow [Trump's] incivility, his requirement of fealty, to prevent us from taking the necessary actions to protect liberty and justice for all, to protect government of the people, by the people, for the people ... We have to do what is necessary. I believe we have to engage in a level of positive, righteous incivility.

[snip]

Moments before the vote, Johnson had told ABC News he took "no pleasure in making history like this" and hoped Green would "acknowledge his mistake."

From Bluesky, Green's response -

Not sure if Green's response will appease Johnson.

One thing I'm sure of - while Arizona has five Cs, Johnson has just four.

Arizona Cs, from the website of the Arizona State Library -

Arizona's Five C's are: Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus and Climate.

Johnson's Cs, from me -

He was installed as Speaker of the House, not as Cheeto's Chief Collaborator in Congress.

Even though he behaves like one, not a leader of a co-equal branch of government.

The Gaetz report: A little light Christmas reading for ya

My gift to you :) .

This CBS News article has the full report.

From the summary -

It's not really a surprise that Cheeto wanted this guy to be the nation's Attorney General.

Threats of violence directed at Trumpkins? "Unhinged". Threats directed at Democrats? Crickets.

Gotta love shameless hypocrisy.

From The Hill, via Yahoo! -

Johnson on threats against Trump nominees: ‘This is dangerous and unhinged’

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Wednesday the threats against President-elect Trump’s nominees and appointees are “dangerous and unhinged” and called on President Biden and other Democratic Party leaders to condemn the incidents.

“This year, there was not just one but TWO assassination attempts on President Trump,” Johnson said in a Wednesday post on social platform X, referring to a shooting during a Pennsylvania rally over the summer when Trump’s ear was grazed with a bullet and another incident at his Florida golf club where agents thwarted an apparent attempt on his life before shots were fired.

“Now some of his Cabinet nominees and their families are facing bomb threats,” he continued. “This is dangerous and unhinged. It is not who we are in America,”

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the U.S. House, voiced a slightly different attitude.

From Politico -

Jeffries office: Bomb threats made against Dem lawmakers ‘unacceptable’

The office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries denounced Thanksgiving Day threats made against Democratic members of Congress that ranged from “detailed threats of a pipe bomb placed in mailboxes to swatting.”

Each of the threats was “signed with ‘MAGA’ at the conclusion of the message,” the minority leader’s office said in a statement on Friday.

That makes it sound as if he was as bad a human being as Johnson.  Except he went on.

From the same article -

"Threats of violence against elected officials are unacceptable, unconscionable and have no place in a civilized society,” the statement from Jeffries’ office said. “All perpetrators of political violence directed at any party must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Leader Jeffries' full statement is here,  Johnson?  Nada.  He seems to find political violence and threats of the same acceptable...if the recipients are Democrats.

Cheeto's lies about the federal response to Hurricane Helene: does he believe the response was too little or too much?

From CNN -

Fact check: Six days of Trump lies about the Hurricane Helene response

Former President Donald Trump has delivered a barrage of lies and distortions about the federal response to Hurricane Helene.

While various misinformation about the response has spread widely without Trump’s involvement, the Republican presidential nominee has been one of the country’s leading deceivers on the subject. Over a span of six days, in public comments and social media posts, Trump has used his powerful megaphone to endorse or invent false or unsubstantiated claims.

[snip]

Monday: Trump falsely claims Biden hasn’t answered calls from Georgia’s governor

[snip]

Monday: Trump cites baseless ‘reports’ about anti-Republican bias in the North Carolina response

[snip]

Thursday: Trump falsely claims the Biden-Harris response had received ‘universally’ negative reviews

[snip]

Thursday: Trump falsely claims Harris spent ‘all her FEMA money’ on housing illegal migrants

[snip]

Friday: Trump falsely claims $1 billion was ‘stolen’ from FEMA for migrants and has gone ‘missing’

[snip]

Saturday: Trump falsely claims the federal government is only giving $750 to people who lost their homes

[snip]

Saturday: Trump falsely claims there are ‘no helicopters, no rescue’ in North Carolina 

To be fair to Cheeto,, he's got a history of believing that a minimal response to natural disasters is a good response.

From NBCNews, dated 10/8/2017 -

Trump Defends Throwing Paper Towels to Hurricane Survivors in Puerto Rico

President Donald Trump defended throwing paper towels into a crowd of Puerto Ricans at a relief center in the hurricane-ravaged territory earlier this week and lauded federal relief efforts.

“They had these beautiful, soft towels. Very good towels,” Trump told Mike Huckabee during an interview Saturday with Christian network Trinity Broadcasting.

[start sarcasm]

Cheeto would *never* criticize people who are less soulless than him, right?

[/end sarcasm}

Q: What do you call a lawmaker who's actually a scofflaw? A: Justine Wadsack

Hat tip to AZ PBS' Horizon for the head's up on this.

I don't normally cover stuff in Pima County here, mostly leaving that to the writers at Blog for Arizona.  They know the area and its players far better than I do.

However, this involves a sitting state legislator, which is kind of in my wheelhouse. :)

From the Tucson Sentinel, written by Dylan Smith -

Sen. Justine Wadsack claims 'political persecution' over Tucson 

criminal speeding ticket

Clocked driving twice the legal limit; Southern Az Republican's citation 

delayed by legislative immunity during session

Arizona Sen. Justine Wadsack, a Tucson-area Republican, is claiming "political persecution" over a criminal speeding ticket dating from a March incident 

that police allege saw her driving her Tesla down Speedway at more than 70 mph.

Wadsack was pulled over on Friday, March 15, just after 10 p.m., after being 

observed "traveling at a high rate of speed" heading east on Speedway near North Euclid Avenue by a Tucson police officer on DUI patrol, according to a TPD report.

According to Tucson police, Wadsack was clocked going more than twice 

the legal limit: 71 mph in a 35 mph zone.

[snip]

Wadsack was not cited at the time, as her immediate introduction of 

herself as "Senator Justine Wadsack" resulted in the officer contacting 

his superiors. 

I've got three pieces of advice for Sen. Wadsack:

1. Don't speed.

2. Pay the fine and take the points.  You earned 'em.

3. Quit whining.

The indicted Sen. Anthony Kern (R-Christian Taliban) isn't shy

Generally speaking, people who are under indictment don't publicly associate with convicted felons, but State Sen, Anthony Kern is "special."

From the AZ Republic via MSN, written by Laurie Roberts -

Arizona senator puts ignorance on display with stunning call to put Jesus in government

Surprising to see Sen. Anthony Kern coming out today for Donald Trump’s Town Hall in Phoenix.

Kern, as you may recall, is Arizona’s speaking-in-tongues state senator, the indicted fake elector who wants the Ten Commandments posted on classroom walls.

His Ten Commandments bill, SB1151, was vetoed by the governor.

He may like the Ten Commandments, but they include a rule against lying.  Which is interesting, since that was what he was indicted for.

Even though he considers lying to be wrong...under specific circumstances.  His SB1144, which added to those circumstances, passed the Senate but was never heard in the House. 

Of course, the reason he was on stage because of his very public fealty to Cheeto.  

His SB1475, proposed by him but never even considered in the Senate.  It specified that someone convicted under criminal law or found liable under civil law could still be a candidate for POTUS.

It seems prescient, almost as if he *knew* that Cheeto would become a convicted felon and someone who was found to be liable for sexual assault.