...Saw Governor Napolitano speak on Monday evening at the Scottsdale Policy Forum. She was *very* good. She came across as intelligent, funny, competent,visionary, and professional.That's not just my opinion. I met a couple of people at the LD8 meeting who also attended the forum. Like me, it was their first time seeing her live. We were all very impressed....Republican gubernortorial challenger Len Munsil presented his plan for the first 100 days of his term in office. He calls it his "conservative reform agenda."I call it "100 Days To Theocracy."And "conservative reform"?? Can you say "mutually exclusive terms" everyone?It what's sure to be the continuing theme of his campaign, his message (emphasis mine): "We're worse off than we were four years ago."
The one exception, he said, is the economy. And he credited its success to Republican policies nationally and in the Legislature.
...In border security news, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff announced the awarding of a $67 million contract to Boeing for construction of a "virtual fence" along the Arizona/Mexico border.The interesting parts:T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents border agents, said he was skeptical of any plan that relies on technology.
{snip}
...many of the contract's details still need to be finalized...
Hmmm...an open-ended contract for stuff that the Border Patrol officers on the ground aren't sure is going to do any good.Think that Boeing Co.'s $5 million+ in campaign contributions since 1998 had anything to do with the awarding of this contract, as well as the rest of the $81 BILLION in defense contracts that they have received over the same period? (Source: Center for Public Integrity.)In preparation for JD Hayworth's inevitable press release touting this contract, let me just say this - he has received $22,000 from Boeing's PAC since 1998, $3000 since the last election alone.To be fair, pretty near every Congress-type person has received something from them over the years, including all of AZ's delegation. However, the leading AZ recipients of Boeing's largesse are John McCain, Jon Kyl, and good ol' JD, with Rick Renzi is quickly catching up to the leaders....And to anyone in Maricopa County who was running for a PC position, the County Recorder's office has the results posted here. Democratic Party results start on page 60 of the .pdf file.Later!
at the LD8 Dems meeting tonight in Scottsdale. Eric Ehst of The Arizona Advocacy Network was the presenter.The presentation was a mostly non-partisan informational session regarding the various questions on the ballot in November. I say "mostly" non-partisan because while the presenter tried to be even-handed, the crowd most certainly did not. :)I'd go over the questions, but Blog for Arizona has already done a tremendous job of it; in fact, they did it months ago. Also, you can find the texts of the actual propositions at the Secretary of State's website.Note: The SOS's staff is conducting a series of Ballot Measure Town Meetings across the state.There's one in Mesa next Wednesday, September 27 at MCC's main campus at Southern and Dobson. It starts at 6 p.m.The complete schedule of Ballot Measure Town Hall Meetings can be found here.The Arizona Advocacy Network is holding another forum on September 28 at Grace Lutheran Church, 1124 N. 3rd St., Phoenix. The session starts at 6 p.m.The forum was the entire meeting, except for two things:The chair of LD8, Margaret Hogan, did introduce 2 of the LD8 candidates - Stephanie Rimmer (House) and Dan Oseran (Senate.)Also, they announced two Mitchell for Congress events for Saturday (September 23) - Ollie the Trolley Ride with Harry Mitchell and Neighborhood Walk around Scottsdale at McCormick Park at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and a House Party at the home of Ross & Denise Cooper, with Special Guest of Honor Attorney General, Terry Goddard.Contact the campaign for info about either event at 480-755-3343.The forum was very informative and was presented efficiently but not in a way that skimped on information. They (Mr. Ehst and the LD8 Democrats leadership) did a good job with it.The next LD8 Democrats meeting is October 19th and will be held at the Civic Center Library in Scottsdale, not the normal meeting place in the Mustang branch of the library. The pre-meeting refreshments start at 6:15 p.m., the program starts at 6:45. The reason for the special meeting place? A special guest.Israel Torres, Democratic candidate for Secretary of State, will be there to "discuss the duties of the Secretary of State in Arizona." His presentation is titled "Your Voice & Vote Count Now."Come on out to meet with, listen to, and ask questions of Israel. [I heard him speak at the AFL-CIO's Labor Day Picnic in Tempe. He's a great speaker.]I wasn't going to do this, but since I spent so much time there and on this post, here are my choices for the ballot questions:Prop 100 - No bail for illegal immigrants. NOProp 101 - Property tax levy limit. NOProp 102 - No punitive damages for illegal immigrants. NOProp 103 - English as official language. NOProp 104 - Raise municipal debt capacity for public safety and other uses. YESProp 105 - State Trust Lands amendment, for ranchers and farmers. NOProp 106 - State Trust Lands amendment, for everyone else. YESProp 107 - Ban same-sex marriage and mess with unmarried couples of any combination. NOProp 200 - Million dollar voter reward. Not SureProp 201, 206 - Competing anti-smoking measures. This is where I part company with most of the people who read this blog. I have always felt that people in our society are always too quick to tell others how to live their lives. Since I pounce on theo-cons when they do it, it would be hypocritical to let 'the good guys' slide on the same thing. My only hesitation is that Prop 206 is funded by Big Tobacco in the form of RJ Reynolds. Not SureProp 202 - Raise minimum wage. YES. Actually, HELL YES.Prop 203 - First Things First early childhood health and education initiative. YESProp 204 - Humane treatment of farm animals. YESProp 205 - Automatic vote-by-mail. YESProp 207 - Anti-eminent domain act that would make gov't compensate for land value losses due to things like zoning changes. NOProp 300 - Ban illegal aliens from receiving things like adult ed, childcare assistance, etc. NOProp 301 - No probation for 1st time Meth offenders; go to jail, do not pass go. Or rehab. NOProp 302 - Raise legislative salaries to $36k/year. Much as I hate to say it, YES. Later!
...of course, it's not always a *good* impression. :))Yesterday, he was named as one of the "25 Most Corrupt" members of Congress, and today he's named as part of Congress' "Dirty Dozen."From the League of Conservation Voters:LCVAF Names Rep. J.D. Hayworth to 2006 “Dirty Dozen” List“Representative J.D. Hayworth apparently believes that oil companies already making record profits are in need of a tax break, instead of investing those resources in putting America on the right path towards a clean energy future.
{snip}
He is clearly a friend of Big Oil, and they have rewarded him in return: Rep. Hayworth has taken over $160,000 from the oil and gas industry.
The LCV's scorecard for the rest of the Arizona delegation, for the first session of the 109th Congress (2005):Vote Scorecard: 109th, 1st session Search Results
Scores for Arizona Sorted by Last NameSenate:
Jon Kyl (REP) 5%
John McCain (REP) 45%
House of Representatives
Jeff Flake (REP) AZ-6 17%
Trent Franks (REP) AZ-2 6%
Raul Grijalva (DEM) AZ-7 94%
J.D. Hayworth (REP) AZ-5 6%
Jim Kolbe (REP) AZ-8 6%
Ed Pastor (DEM) AZ-4 94%
Rick Renzi (REP) AZ-1 0%
John Shadegg (REP) AZ-3 6%Wonder when the Republicans are going to purge those slackers, John McCain and Jeff Flake?Just out of curiousity, I looked up Harry Mitchell's 2005 legislative scorecard from the AZLCV.100%.
Is it any surprise that the LCV has endorsed Harry Mitchell?
From GovExec.com:Senate Democrats said Wednesday they plan to hold hearings around the country on Iraq before and after the November elections.
{snip}
...they have extended invitations to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Republican Policy Committee Chairman Jon Kyl of Arizona as well as other GOP senators.
Count me as a voice calling for one of the hearings to be held in Arizona. Maybe the Democrats have learned something from the arrogance and contempt toward the citizenry that the Republicans displayed during the Summer Roadshow of faux immigration hearings held in July and August.Maybe the hearings will be structured to allow us to do something Jon Kyl has never done - Ask hard but necessary questions of the Bush administration's plans for getting out of Iraq. And ask why Congress hasn't been asking these questions already.From their websites:Jon Kyl rationalizes silence - "I believe it is a strategic miscalculation to telegraph to America’s enemies any limitation on how long we’re willing to stay in Iraq."
Jim Pederson pledges questions - "I would push the administration for a plan that establishes measurable goals for stabilizing the country and concrete conditions to bring our troops home."
If one of the hearings is held in Arizona, maybe Jim Pederson could take Kyl's place.Jon wouldn't be doing anything more than keeping a chair polished anyway.
In a press release today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) issued its 2nd annual list of the most corrupt members of Congress. It named the 20 most corrupt, and 5 Dishonorable Mentions.Rah-Rah Rick (you should have seen his comments on the House floor today about a flag football game between members of Congress and the Capitol Police) made the top 20.Renzi's foibles? Things like paying staffer Patty Roe $90,000+ to run his office, while she is also paid as a fund raiser for the Congressman's campaign, as well as for other members of Congress. Also, and this one is even bigger, he has sponsored legislation that directly benefitted a company that is a large campaign contributor, the company his father is executive VP of, Mantech International.CD5's own JD makes the "Dishonorable Mention" list for the many contributions he has received from Jack Abramoff and others related to him, and for the fact that his wife is listed as the sole paid employee of JD's own PAC, T.E.A.M. PAC.I think it's great for the members of AZ's Congressional delegation to receive the recognition they so richly deserve. Don't you?Let's recognize them again on November 7. Vote for Harry Mitchell and Ellen Simon.
Sources: various candidate websites, the Maricopa Dem website and the AZ Dem Party website. For the most part. :)...Tomorrow, September 21 - there will be a forum to showcase the November ballot questions."Propositioning Arizona: A Review of the 19 Ballot Measures for 2006" will be held in the auditorium of the Mustang Library in Scottsdale at 6:15. The host is Margaret Hogan. The library is located on the east side of 90th St., just south of Shea Blvd....Friday, September 22 - The Governor will be visiting Sun City with a number of other Democratic candidates, including Jim Pederson (Senate), AZ Attorney General Terry Goddard, Rano Singh (AZ Treasurer), Israel Torres (AZ Secretary of State), Ric Boyer and Mark Manoil (AZ Corporation Commission), and a number of LD4 and LD9 candidates. The event will be hosted by Debra Boehlke and held at Palm Ridge Recreation Center, 13800 W Deer Valley Dr., Sun City West.For additional information contact Tony Anderson, President of the SC Grand Democrats at 623-544-8672.[It's not a CD5/LD17 event, but it looks like it will be a lot of fun for those who can attend. Unfortunately, I have to work. I hope that someone can attend and write it up for the blogosphere.]...October 3 - "Join the MCDP on October 3, 2006 as it welcomes and celebrates Governor Janet Napolitano with an entertaining evening of dinner and roast of our state's chief executive. The event begins at 5:30PM and will be held at the Carpenter's Union Hall, 4547 West McDowell Rd, Phoenix, AZ. Special Event: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. With that in mind, we invite you to participate in a Janet Look-Alike contest. Call 602.298.0503 to sign up."[In an attempt to bring an air of bipartisanship to the proceedings, I hereby offer to pay for his ticket ($30) to attend if Len Munsil will wear a dress and enter the contest. Call it my response to his 'blog-off challenge.' Since I cannot attend due to the D17 Dems meeting that night, all I ask for are pictures.Lots of pictures. :)) ]I wouldn't normally post info about a Republican Party event, but since I'm in such a bipartisan mood, an exception is in order.Showing that the Parties have something in common, the GOP has its own roast event scheduled for Thursday, October 5th....From the AZGOP website:They guest of honor: outgoing Senate President Ken Bennett.It will be held at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort and tickets start at $250 per person.[Wonder if they will have any victims' rights advocates, particularly for the victims of sexual assault, on the guest list? Probably not, if Sen. Bennett's son is going to be there.]...Lastly (for now), don't forget the D17 Dems meeting on October 3rd at the Pyle Center in Tempe. Information exchange at 6:30, meeting starts at 7.More later!
at Temple Emanuel in Tempe.
Note: The ASU State Press has a less partisan report here.Ten candidates attended or sent representatives.
U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mack (L) was there; Jim Pederson was represented by his policy director Steve Rabin, and Jon Kyl was represented by Andy Chasin.US Congressional candidates Harry Mitchell (D), JD Hayworth (R), Warren Severin (L) from the CD5 race were there, as was Don Karg (R) from CD4.Gubernortorial candidates Len Munsil (R), Barry Hess (L) were there; Janet Napolitano (D) was represented by Mayor Phil Gordon of Phoenix.Messrs. Chasin and Rabin, and Mayor Gordon each did a fine job of going over their candidates' records and positions, but since they are not the candidates, I'm not going to really cover them. Most of what they said can be found at the websites of the respective campaigns.Richard Mack, the Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate went over his background and basic beliefs. As with most Libertarians, that means less government. Much less.He spoke and presented his message very well. While I won't vote for him, I have to respect how seriously he takes his candidacy. He almost certainly won't win, or even be a significant factor in November, but in October, his voice in the campaign could help focus the rhetoric on issues that really matter.For example, he (and the other Libertarians) received their loudest applause when they commented on the Bush administration's attempts to subvert the Constitution, as well as the out-of-control federal budget.Barry Hess, the Libertarian candidate for Governor, came across as much angrier.He hates Clean Elections as unethical. [Personal comment: What? Like the institutionalized bribery that is our current campaign finance system *is* ethical??? Get real.]He also hates the idea of publicly-funded education, but he will follow Arizona's constitutional requirement to adequately fund it. He stated that "government education is a welfare system."He did deliver some good punch lines that had the audience laughing, as did the other Libertarians.Len Munsil went over his background then launched into a series of criticisms of the Governor. He connected border security and illegal immigration to Arizona's high crime rate. He also blamed her for Arizona's poor ratings in the area of education.Later, while answering a question about state education funding, he spent most of his time attacking the Governor over illegal immigration. He criticized her initial opposition to sending the National Guard to the border, only to later deploy them.[Funny, but he didn't criticize George Bush for opposing a commission to investigate 9/11, only to support one when it became obvious that the investigation was inevitable.]Don Karg, the Republican running against Rep. Ed Pastor in CD4, was ummm....."unique."The high point of his presentation was when at the beginning of his opening statement when he delayed his speech to walk around handing out some copies of articles and letters he had written (I didn't get one, so I don't know for sure what it was.)It was the high point because he wasn't speaking.He said that it was his fourth time running for Congress, but it was hard to tell. He speaking style was mumbling combined with rambling. The only position that espoused that I clearly heard is that he wants to build a wall at the border and to arm the border.The rest of his presentation would have fit better in an argument in an alcoholic-filled dive bar on a slow afternoon than in this room.He had the audience laughing, but it was a laugh "at" situation, not a laugh "with."Warren Severin, the Libertarian nominee for the CD5 Congressional seat, took some time to explain Libertarian policies. He went on to criticize Iraq as a disaster, called the immigration issue overblown (got some cheers here) and advocated for a "real" guest worker program.During a question about illegal immigration, responding to JD's claim that illegal immigrants want Social Security benefits, called that a "non-issue." He went on to state that he thought that neither of his opponents were "dealing with reality."His speaking style, while a little less-polished than Richard Mack's, was personable and effective.JD....where do I start?First, the compliment. He *is* a skilled public speaker and performer. With the exception of Don Karg, the other speakers each did well, but JD was easily the most comfortable on stage. He delivered his message very professionally.However, that message was garbage.Most of what he said he has said many times before. He wants English to be our official language; on immigration he wants "enforcement first."Regarding the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism, he got a little creative. I already posted about his M*A*S*H moment, which concerned the war in Iraq. On terrorism, he said that the name "War on Terrorism" should be changed to "War on Islamofascism" and that Iraq was a "central front" in that war.He was definitely reading from the "Campaign on fear and demonization" playbook.Harry was easily the most popular, receiving a rousing ovation when he was introduced. [Yeah, there was a lot of home field advantage there, but it was genuine affection. Everyone else was treated courteously, even warmly, but this was much more than that.]He spoke about his background and then talked about wanting to restore "the honor of public service."[You listening JD??]After that, he moved into discussing his positions. As with JD, there wasn't anything new here.On immigration, he calls the current crisis a failure of the federal government to do its job. He supports the bipartisan approach proposed by John McCain, among others. Regarding the economy, he also criticized out-of-control government spending.Harry received his strongest response from the crowd when he talked about supporting scientific research, specifically stem cell research.[Personal note: that the audience supported him on this was not a surprise; the strength of the support was. I'm only guessing here, but it's a safe bet that the Mitchell campaign noticed this too.]On Iraq, he said the big problems were incompetence and mismanagement. He said that we need an exit plan, one based on benchmarks (aka - achievements), not time.His presentation, while not as theatrical as JD's, was effective. Facts and reason are the best counter to overblown rhetoric, especially in front of an intelligent, involved audience.The organizers of the event did a great job of keeping things going (though Don Karg dragged on and on) but I do have one minor complaint.It was a little too much of a good thing. Perhaps focusing on one or two races would have served the audience better. Ten candidates and their speeches in a little over two hours is a lot to digest.Let me close with something JD said about the war on terrorism, but that applies elsewhere."All the wishing and hoping in the world won't make the problem go away."We know that, JD. That's why so many people are actively advocating and working for a change.
Taegan Goddard's Political Wire has a report that the latest SurveyUSA poll shows JD leading 52% - 40%.
From the post:
Key findings: "Hayworth gets 83% of Republican votes. Mitchell gets 84% of Democrat votes. Mitchell carries Independents 5:3, but this is not enough to overcome Hayworth's advantage in this heavily Republican district."
Link to SurveyUSA's chart here.
Given that the Reps have a 17-point registration advantage in CD5 (~44% to ~27%) this is encouraging news for Mitchell.That part about "Hayworth gets 83% of Republican votes" does mean that it's time to start poaching moderate Republican voters. It helps that JD embarasses moderate Reps as much as the rest of us.Gotta go for now...
Separated at birth???
At yesterday's candidate forum at Temple Emanuel in Tempe, JD gave this utterly profound evaluation of the realities of war, slightly paraphrased because I was laughing so hard at the fact that he stole these lines that I couldn't take notes:
"I've learned two rules about war.
One, sometimes we have to send our young men off to fight, and sometimes die.
Two, we can't do anything to change that."
As soon has he started on the "two rules" bit, I flashed on McLean Stevenson delivering some *very* similar lines to Alan Alda.
The original quote (scroll to the bottom of the page. It's second from the bottom.)
"Look, all I know is what they taught me at command school. There are certain rules about a war and rule number one is young men die. And rule number two is doctors can't change rule number one." - Lt. Col. Henry Blake to Capt. Hawkeye Pierce, Season 1, Episode 'Sometimes You Hear the Bullet,' Original Airdate January 28, 1973, Written by Carl Kleinschmitt.
[This episode is most notable for two things - a pre-Happy Days and post-Andy Griffith Show Ron Howard, and it contains the above-noted scene, considered by fans to be McLean Stevenson's finest dramatic moment during the series.]
The cynical part of me believes that JD (and his writers!) knows where he stole the line from, but they are congratulating themselves on taking scene from a TV show that opposed an unpopular war and turning it around to use it to support another unpopular war.
Of course, I could just give him the benefit of the doubt and consider it simple laziness.
I had a much longer post written last night, one that detailed the rest of the forum as well. However my Blogger window crashed before I could save it, and I was too tired to rewrite it last night. I'll post the report of the forum later.
There wasn't anything Earth-shattering, but it was interesting nonetheless.
Time to go see the Governor in Scottsdale.
Later!
This is what I've found so far. Updates as more info becomes available.All information subject to change. Call ahead to confirm time, place, attendees, etc.Edit on September 18: I just called CCEC. They said that the schedule is accurate, though it is subject to change if candidates cancel or something else comes up. Also, non-Clean Elections candidates *do* participate in the debates if there is a Clean Elections candidate in the race.In other words, if you are interested in a particular debate, check the schedule a few days ahead of time to verify that particular forum is still scheduled, and call ahead to confirm which candidates are participating.End edit.Sunday, September 17: 2 p.m. at Temple Emanuel of Tempe, 5801 S. Rural Road in Tempe.Scheduled to appear (according to AZCentral.com) - Harry Mitchell, JD Hayworth, Warren Severin (all candidates for Congress), Len Munsil, Barry Hess, and Phil Gordon representing Janet Napolitano (gubernortorial candidates), and representatives for Jon Kyl and Jim Pederson (US Senate candidates.)Tuesday, October 3: East Valley Tribune General Election District 17 Candidate Forum. 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Tempe City Council Chambers.From the Citizens Clean Elections Commission:Thursday, September 28: LD8 Candidate Debate. 7 p.m to 9 p.m. at the Kerr Cultural Center, 6110 N Scottsdale Rd,Scottsdale, AZ 85253.Friday, September 29: LD18 Candidate Debate. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hampton Inn, 1563 S Gilbert Rd, Mesa, AZ.Monday, October 2: Superintendent of Public Instruction Debate. 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Televised on Horizon, KAET Channel 8.Tuesday, October 3: Secretary of State Debate. 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Televised on Horizon, KAET Channel 8.Wednesday, October 4: Corporation Commission Debate. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Arizona Broadcast Center (AVNET), 2617 S 46th, Suite 300, Phoenix, AZ.Wednesday, October 4: State Treasurer Debate. 6:00:00 p.m. - 8:00:00 p.m. Bullhead City Chamber of Commerce, 1251 Highway 95, Bullhead City, AZ. [Bullhead City? OUCH.]Wednesday, October 4: State Attorney General Debate. 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Televised - Horizon KAET TV Channel 8.Thursday, October 5: LD17 Candidate Debate. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tempe High School Auditorium, 1730 S Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ. Thursday, October 5: Governor Debate. 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Televised on Horizon, KAET Channel 8.A couple of other notes: I'm not sure if CCEC debates include non-Clean Elections candidates. I will look into that and update if necessary.It would be really nice if some of the debates for statewide offices were held someplace besides metro Phoenix (other than the state Treasurer's race). I'm sure some of the individual races will have their own and those might occur in other parts of the state, but since CCEC is taxpayer-funded, they should be setting a good example. It would be even nicer if more of the debates for statewide offices were open to the public. I'm pretty sure that those televised on Horizon are taped earlier in a closed studio. That's a bad example from CCEC, too.IMO, anyway.If you are interested in CCEC debates for other legislative districts, click on the link above to go to their complete schedule.Good night!
...In his column, Robert Novak reports that JD is one of seven Republican House members getting extra help in their reelection bids.Republicans in Washington were urged to take time off work from 4 to 6 p.m. last Wednesday and go to the Lucky Strike Bowling Alley in an unusual fund-raiser for seven GOP House members in need of late campaign money.
The National Republican Congressional Committee called the event BOMP (Bowling for Our Majority Program). The beneficiaries were Reps. Steve Chabot of Ohio, Thelma Drake of Virginia, Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska, J.D. Hayworth of Arizona, Marilyn Musgrave of Colorado, John Sweeney of New York and Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania.
The solicitation for BOMP asserted that the seven incumbents “all have a real need for additional resources in the last couple of months before the election,” either because of a “well-funded” Democratic opponent or especially high local television costs.
Hmmm...according to his FEC quarterly filing of 31 August 2006, JD had $1,474,403.38 cash on hand, compared to the Mitchell campaign's $672,126.72. I guess that a better than 2-to-1 advantage in cash scares JD after the 20:1 advantage in spending that he had over Elizabeth Rogers 2 years ago resulted in a slightly more than 1.5-1 advantage in votes....As reported elsewhere in the AZ blogosphere, and in an email press release from the Mitchell campaign, Harry Mitchell for Congress has launched the TruthWatch.org webpage, chronicling the stream of distortions, half-truths and outright lies from Hayworth.The site promises updates whenever JD lies. Apparently the Mitchell campaign has volunteers detailed to maintain that page on an around-the-clock basis. :))...In a burst of sublime creativity, JD has taken his press release of 14 September that labeled Democrats of the last 30 years or so "appeasers" and edited it into an entry in The Hill's Congress Blog on 15 September.OK, maybe it was just sublime laziness.On second thought, maybe his arm was too tired from bowling (see above) to write something original.Weelllllll...on third thought, it was probably just laziness. Never mind....Governor Napolitano is already preparing for the return of the legislature in January.From Fox11AZ in Tucson: "Governor Janet Napolitano read the book, The Seed and the Giant Saguaro to first graders..."Have a great weekend everyone!
It's been posted elsewhere...*many* elsewheres as a matter of fact, but it's too good to let people forget. I've stolen this from Lofty Donkey (thanks LD!), and anyone who wants to keep it going is welcome to steal it from me.This Hole in the Ground
By Keith Olbermann
MSNBC Countdown
Monday 11 September 2006Half a lifetime ago, I worked in this now-empty space. And for 40 days after the attacks, I worked here again, trying to make sense of what happened, and was yet to happen, as a reporter. All the time, I knew that the very air I breathed contained the remains of thousands of people, including four of my friends, two in the planes and – as I discovered from those “missing posters” seared still into my soul – two more in the Towers. And I knew too, that this was the pyre for hundreds of New York policemen and firemen, of whom my family can claim half a dozen or more, as our ancestors. I belabor this to emphasize that, for me this was, and is, and always shall be, personal. And anyone who claims that I and others like me are “soft,”or have “forgotten” the lessons of what happened here is at best a grasping, opportunistic, dilettante and at worst, an idiot whether he is a commentator, or a Vice President, or a President. However, of all the things those of us who were here five years ago could have forecast – of all the nightmares that unfolded before our eyes, and the others that unfolded only in our minds – none of us could have predicted this. Five years later this space is still empty. Five years later there is no memorial to the dead. Five years later there is no building rising to show with proud defiance that we would not have our America wrung from us, by cowards and criminals. Five years later this country’s wound is still open. Five years later this country’s mass grave is still unmarked. Five years later this is still just a background for a photo-op. It is beyond shameful. At the dedication of the Gettysburg Memorial – barely four months after the last soldier staggered from another Pennsylvania field – Mr. Lincoln said, “we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.” Lincoln used those words to immortalize their sacrifice. Today our leaders could use those same words to rationalize their reprehensible inaction. “We cannot dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground.” So we won’t. Instead they bicker and buck pass. They thwart private efforts, and jostle to claim credit for initiatives that go nowhere. They spend the money on irrelevant wars, and elaborate self-congratulations, and buying off columnists to write how good a job they’re doing instead of doing any job at all. Five years later, Mr. Bush, we are still fighting the terrorists on these streets. And look carefully, sir, on these 16 empty acres. The terrorists are clearly, still winning. And, in a crime against every victim here and every patriotic sentiment you mouthed but did not enact, you have done nothing about it. And there is something worse still than this vast gaping hole in this city, and in the fabric of our nation. There is its symbolism of the promise unfulfilled, the urgent oath, reduced to lazy execution. The only positive on 9/11 and the days and weeks that so slowly and painfully followed it was the unanimous humanity, here, and throughout the country. The government, the President in particular, was given every possible measure of support. Those who did not belong to his party – tabled that. Those who doubted the mechanics of his election – ignored that. Those who wondered of his qualifications – forgot that. History teaches us that nearly unanimous support of a government cannot be taken away from that government by its critics. It can only be squandered by those who use it not to heal a nation’s wounds, but to take political advantage. Terrorists did not come and steal our newly-regained sense of being American first, and political, fiftieth. Nor did the Democrats. Nor did the media. Nor did the people. The President – and those around him – did that. They promised bi-partisanship, and then showed that to them, “bi-partisanship” meant that their party would rule and the rest would have to follow, or be branded, with ever-escalating hysteria, as morally or intellectually confused, as appeasers, as those who, in the Vice President’s words yesterday, “validate the strategy of the terrorists.” They promised protection, and then showed that to them “protection” meant going to war against a despot whose hand they had once shaken, a despot who we now learn from our own Senate Intelligence Committee, hated al-Qaida as much as we did. The polite phrase for how so many of us were duped into supporting a war, on the false premise that it had ‘something to do’ with 9/11 is “lying by implication.” The impolite phrase is “impeachable offense.” Not once in now five years has this President ever offered to assume responsibility for the failures that led to this empty space, and to this, the current, curdled, version of our beloved country. Still, there is a last snapping flame from a final candle of respect and fairness: even his most virulent critics have never suggested he alone bears the full brunt of the blame for 9/11. Half the time, in fact, this President has been so gently treated, that he has seemed not even to be the man most responsible for anything in his own administration. Yet what is happening this very night? A mini-series, created, influenced – possibly financed by – the most radical and cold of domestic political Machiavellis, continues to be televised into our homes. The documented truths of the last fifteen years are replaced by bald-faced lies; the talking points of the current regime parroted; the whole sorry story blurred, by spin, to make the party out of office seem vacillating and impotent, and the party in office, seem like the only option. How dare you, Mr. President, after taking cynical advantage of the unanimity and love, and transmuting it into fraudulent war and needless death, after monstrously transforming it into fear and suspicion and turning that fear into the campaign slogan of three elections? How dare you – or those around you – ever “spin” 9/11? Just as the terrorists have succeeded – are still succeeding – as long as there is no memorial and no construction here at Ground Zero. So, too, have they succeeded, and are still succeeding as long as this government uses 9/11 as a wedge to pit Americans against Americans. This is an odd point to cite a television program, especially one from March of 1960. But as Disney’s continuing sell-out of the truth (and this country) suggests, even television programs can be powerful things. And long ago, a series called “The Twilight Zone” broadcast a riveting episode entitled “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street.” In brief: a meteor sparks rumors of an invasion by extra-terrestrials disguised as humans. The electricity goes out. A neighbor pleads for calm. Suddenly his car – and only his car – starts. Someone suggests he must be the alien. Then another man’s lights go on. As charges and suspicion and panic overtake the street, guns are inevitably produced. An “alien” is shot – but he turns out to be just another neighbor, returning from going for help. The camera pulls back to a near-by hill, where two extra-terrestrials are seen manipulating a small device that can jam electricity. The veteran tells his novice that there’s no need to actually attack, that you just turn off a few of the human machines and then, “they pick the most dangerous enemy they can find, and it’s themselves.” And then, in perhaps his finest piece of writing, Rod Serling sums it up with words of remarkable prescience, given where we find ourselves tonight: “The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men. “For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy, and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all its own – for the children, and the children yet unborn.” When those who dissent are told time and time again – as we will be, if not tonight by the President, then tomorrow by his portable public chorus – that he is preserving our freedom, but that if we use any of it, we are somehow un-American … When we are scolded, that if we merely question, we have “forgotten the lessons of 9/11” ... look into this empty space behind me and the bi-partisanship upon which this administration also did not build, and tell me: Who has left this hole in the ground? We have not forgotten, Mr. President. You have. May this country forgive you.Personal observation: There are a lot of great denizens of Arizona's blogosphere, and most of us do a pretty good job, with occasional forays into 'great', of informing and commenting on the happenings in AZ and the country, but every so often one of the MSM pros shows why he (or she) *is* a pro.Keith Olberman may not be as good as Molly Ivins, but he's getting into her class.Added: Molly's remembrance of Ann Richards is here.
...back to working at churning out meaningless, overblown, contemptuous, baseless, partisan rhetoric.This week alone, he has:...Spouted off about "Islamofascists" while commemorating the fifth anniversary of the September 11th attacks."Today we honor the memories of our fellow citizens who unwittingly became the first casualties in the War on Terror."
Guess the people who died during the first WTC bombing and the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City (and in other incidents) aren't really dead....Took the comments of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) out of context for the purpose of attacking her. And he got to throw in a jab at Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) in the same press release.Referring to Osama bin Laden, she said "...And even to capture him now I don't think makes us any safer."JD calls her statement a contradiction with her criticism of the Bush administration, leveled on the third anniversary of the September 11th attacks, for its failure to capture bin Laden.Bottom line: There's no contradiction. While capturing Osama bin Laden is and should be a priority (hey - it's the justification for the war in Afghanistan), the ham-handed arrogance of Bush and the Republicans in the area of international relations has created a new generation of bin Ladens. Whether or not he's in custody, the Bush Admin has destabilized the world, and it will take decades to fix it.Note: Howard Fineman has a piece on MSNBC.com on how a big part of the Republicans' plans to keep control of Congress hinge on Karl Rove-directed attacks on Nancy Pelosi. Looks like JD is on the hit team.Note2: The Business Journal of Phoenix has an article about JD's attempts to link Harry Mitchell to Rep. Pelosi....Touted his support of H.R. 6061, a bill that mandates that a 700-mile long fence be built along our border with Mexico.This is priceless, really.No, I mean it. Literally.This wonderful idea has no money authorized to pay for it.This wonderful idea is an unfunded mandate passed solely so the supporters can campaign on their support for an idea that won't become reality.Gotta love election year pandering and posturing.Note3: of the AZ delegation, Flake, Franks, Hayworth, Shadegg and Renzi voted for it; Grijalva, Kolbe, and Pastor voted against....And his piece de resistance? Today's press release that calls current Democrats, as well as the Carter and Clinton administrations, "appeasers".After all that's happened the Democrats still don't get it. The pattern of unspoken appeasement clearly does not, and never will, work. It didn't work in the 70's, didn't work in the 90's and especially won't work now."
Like how he just totally skips over the Reagan and Bush I 80s? The arms sales to Iraq and Iran during the Reagan Administration? Iran-Contra?Convenient memory lapse, that.Something tells me that when history looks back upon this period, the only person judged to be an "appeaser" will be Tony Blair.At least JD wasn't lying about Harry Mitchell this week (though we still have one day to go). That will be sure to change in the coming days and weeks.Other stuff:On October 3rd, the East Valley Tribune General Election District 17 Candidate Forum will be held from 8 - 9 p.m.It will be held in the chambers of the Tempe City Council and the public is invited.Come out to support Meg Burton-Cahill, Ed Ableser and David Schapira as the campaigns for the legislature heat up.My source for this info: the webpage of the LD17 Republicans. Who have noticed the same primary election turnout deficit that I noted earlier this week. They can do the math as well as I can, and are worried....From the Mitchell campaign - "Harry will join several candidates including J.D. Hayworth this Sunday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Temple Emanuel for a candidate forum. Temple Emanuel is located at 5801 S. Rural Road in Tempe."I won't be able to make it there due to work, but urge everyone who can to show up and show their support for Harry.There will be other events and opportunities to volunteer. Call the campaign at 480-755-3343 for more info.
...Sen. Jon Kyl, R-AZ is upset that the Senate Judiciary committee passed a domestic surveillance bill sponsored by Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, that seems to contradict another, White House-approved, bill that the committee had already passed.From TBO.com:A central premise of the Feinstein legislation was "totally contradictory to legislation we just passed," said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. "What kind of message does that send to our colleagues?"The White House-approved plan would give the President all of the authority that he wants; the Feinstein bill would not.This should be interesting when it gets to the floor. I almost think that we are better off if the bills make it to the floor before the general election, rather than after. At least if the bills hit the floor before the elections, they might worry about a voter backlash against them for shredding the Constitution. Again. There's no telling what some lame-duck senators might do. For that matter, there's no telling what lame-duck House members might do. And there will be a bunch of each.Expect the Pederson campaign to add this to the litany of examples of Jon Kyl walking in lockstep with the Bush White House....In CD1, Democratic challenger Ellen Simon, along with Libertarian David Schlosser, has challenged incumbent Republican Congressman Rick Renzi.No word from Mantech's Public Affairs Office...errrr...the Renzi campaign... was available at the time of this writing....Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, issued a press release touting the strong candidates among Arizona's Democratic primary winners."In Arizona, Democrats chose strong candidates in Gabrielle Giffords for the 8th Congressional District -- who despite the strong interest of national Republicans still drew more voters than the Republican primary winner. She and Ellen Simon in the 1st CD will join other great Democrats like Harry Mitchell in the 5th, and Jim Pederson in the U.S. Senate to give the Grand Canyon State and Gov. Janet Napolitano a delegation in Washington that will make them proud."
Yeah it's a press release, but he's right. Though I am still amazed at Ellen Simon's margin of victory. Still tired after spending most of yesterday at the polling location. It wasn't as hot as it was a few weeks ago, but I'm still a little burnt. Later!!
Ann Richards passed away today after a fight with cancer.The former Governor of Texas was 73. She was best known for a sharp wit and for fighting for the rights of women and minorities.Some of her more famous quotes:"Poor George. He can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth." (1988 Democratic Convention, about George H.W. Bush) [Note: this was when she first came to my attention. Of course, that's mostly because I was still in Massachusetts and Gov. Mike Dukakis had just won the Democratic nomination for President.]"Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels."“..some jerk...” (a prescient reference to George W. Bush)"Ann Richards on How to Be a Good Republican:
1. You have to believe that the nation's current 8-year prosperity was due to the work of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but yesterday's gasoline prices are all Clinton's fault. 2. You have to believe that those privileged from birth achieve success all on their own.
3. You have to be against all government programs, but expect Social Security checks on time.4. You have to believe that AIDS victims deserve their disease, but smokers with lung cancer and overweight individuals with heart disease don't deserve theirs.
5. You have to appreciate the power rush that comes with sporting a gun.
6. You have to believe...everything Rush Limbaugh says.
7. You have to believe that the agricultural, restaurant, housing and hotel industries can survive without immigrant labor.
8. You have to believe God hates homosexuality, but loves the death penalty.
9. You have to believe society is color-blind and growing up black in America doesn't diminish your opportunities, but you still won't vote for Alan Keyes. 10. You have to believe that pollution is OK as long as it makes a profit. 11. You have to believe in prayer in schools, as long as you don't pray to Allah or Buddha.
12. You have to believe Newt Gingrich and Henry Hyde were really faithful husbands. 13. You have to believe speaking a few Spanish phrases makes you instantly popular in the barrio. 14. You have to believe that only your own teenagers are still virgins. 15. You have to be against government interference in business, until your oil company, corporation or Savings and Loan is about to go broke and you beg for a government bail out. 16. You love Jesus and Jesus loves you and, by the way, Jesus shares your hatred for AIDS victims, homosexuals, and President Clinton. 17. You have to believe government has nothing to do with providing police protection, national defense, and building roads.
18. You have to believe a poor, minority student with a disciplinary history and failing grades will be admitted into an elite private school with a $1,000 voucher."Some of the stories about her passing - CNNReutersNY Times
