Signs that hell has frozen over and the cold snap is heading further south to the Phoenix area -
...The New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals are each 2 - 0 after the first two weeks of the NFL season. That the Patriots are undefeated is no surprise, even with the loss of QB Tom Brady for the season - with or without Brady, the team is incredibly talented on both sides of the football. But the Cardinals???? If they took a poll every year of the "team most likely to suck", the Cards would win it more years than not.
...Instead of complaining about people "whining" about a "mental recession," McCain's economic advisers (in the person of Carly Fiorina) have blamed the financial market's crisis on a lack of regulatory oversight by the Bush Administration. (AFP)
...The Arizona Cardinals are *2 - 0*.
...Karl Rove (*Karl Rove*!!) criticized the McCain campaign for running ads that were less than truthful. (AP via KVOA)
...The freakin' Cardinals are 2 - 0 !!
Monday, September 15, 2008
"The fundamentals of our economy are strong"
John McCain spent the morning channelling the spirit of Herbert Hoover (circa 1929) and the afternoon trying to spin away from his comment.
I'll leave it to others to discuss the Hoover analogy in depth. Let's just quickly talk about the economy.
...Unemployment is up to the highest levels in five years and is up almost 30% in a year (4.7% in August 2007; 6.1% in August 2008.) Historical info here.
...Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index is the 2nd highest it's been in more than a decade.
...Retail gasoline prices are almost 2.5 times what they were when George W. Bush took office in January 2001. (data available here)
...The housing market remains completely in the tank. It is worse in McCain's home state of Arizona than it is in most places, but since McCain has more homes than he can keep count of, he hasn't noticed how badly his constituents are hurting.
...The U.S. dollar has lost much of its buying power internationally. When George W. Bush took office, one dollar would purchase approximately 1.06 Euros; today that same dollar nets less than .71 Euros. That's a 33% drop. (Historical data here)
...The stock market, as measured by the New York Stock Exchange's Dow Jones Industrial Average, fell more than 500 points today (the largest drop since the attacks of 9/11/2001) on news that Lehman Brothers, an investment back that was a fixture on Wall Street for more than a century and a half, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
...Consumer Confidence, as measured by the Conference Board, is hovering just above historical lows...
In light of all this evidence that apparently (apparent to people who live in the real world, anyway) contradicts McCain's pronouncement, what kind of "fundamentals" could McCain be talking about?
Well, corporate CEOs are receiving compensation packages that are ever larger and oil company profits have remained at record levels...
I'll leave it to others to discuss the Hoover analogy in depth. Let's just quickly talk about the economy.
...Unemployment is up to the highest levels in five years and is up almost 30% in a year (4.7% in August 2007; 6.1% in August 2008.) Historical info here.
...Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index is the 2nd highest it's been in more than a decade.
...Retail gasoline prices are almost 2.5 times what they were when George W. Bush took office in January 2001. (data available here)
...The housing market remains completely in the tank. It is worse in McCain's home state of Arizona than it is in most places, but since McCain has more homes than he can keep count of, he hasn't noticed how badly his constituents are hurting.
...The U.S. dollar has lost much of its buying power internationally. When George W. Bush took office, one dollar would purchase approximately 1.06 Euros; today that same dollar nets less than .71 Euros. That's a 33% drop. (Historical data here)
...The stock market, as measured by the New York Stock Exchange's Dow Jones Industrial Average, fell more than 500 points today (the largest drop since the attacks of 9/11/2001) on news that Lehman Brothers, an investment back that was a fixture on Wall Street for more than a century and a half, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
...Consumer Confidence, as measured by the Conference Board, is hovering just above historical lows...
In light of all this evidence that apparently (apparent to people who live in the real world, anyway) contradicts McCain's pronouncement, what kind of "fundamentals" could McCain be talking about?
Well, corporate CEOs are receiving compensation packages that are ever larger and oil company profits have remained at record levels...
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Republican candidates - running full speed away...
...from public service...
Let me be clear here - John McCain's presence at the top of the ballot *will* make it more difficult for the Democrats to win control of one or both chambers of the state legislature this year.
Having said that, however, don't be surprised if the Dems pull it off this year anyway, and be very surprised if they don't pull it off by the end of the 2010 elections.
Simply put, Republican candidates, in AZ and nationally, have for the most part given up any pretense of running to represent the people of their districts.
Instead, they are running to represent the Republican Party in the lege, promising to support "Republican values" and positions. Many do not even mention the word "constituents" in their campaign platforms and stump speeches.
This tendency was in full view at last week's candidate forum at MCC, sponsored by MCC's chapter of the honor society Phi Theta Kappa. At the forum, there were candidates from LDs 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22, and one candidate for Maricopa County Supervisor.
Republican LD18 Senate candidate Russell Pearce didn't mention his home district of West Mesa in his presentation. He talked about reducing the state's budget deficit by "lowering taxes" and "reducing regulations". (In a sign that perhaps he learned some things from the primary challenge he faced from Kevin Gibbons, this was the first optional forum that anyone present could remember Pearce attending, and it was also the first time in an equally long time that he didn't mention immigrants in his stump speech.)
Democrat Judah Nativio, by contrast, spoke of "working for all LD18 constituents." Pearce probably thought he was a wild-eyed radical for that. :)
The disconnect between serving people and serving only ideology was evident among the House races, too.
Where LD18 Democrat Tammie Pursley spoke of the joy of watching students learn and grow, and the need to fully funding public education to ensure the future of the district and the state, Republican Cecil Ash spoke of protecting people and their liberties from government intrusion in their lives, a position he held until asked about Prop 102, the lege's anti-same sex marriage amendment that's on the ballot in November.
For that one, he offered up the line of the night, in support of Prop 102 -
Ahhh...there's nothing like bigotry dressed up as shameless hypocrisy to rile up a crowd, especially a college crowd - the organizers of the forum had to cut short discussion of the topic in order to keep the forum on schedule.
The divergence between the motivations of the candidates was also obvious - the Democrats all spoke of wanting to serve or give back to their communities; Ash and his LD18 ballot-mate Steve Court each spoke of how they "were looking for something to do" now that they were retired.
Yes, they *both* admitted that they want to be elected to the lege because they have nothing better to do.
The "running to represent the party, not the district" phenomenon isn't restricted to the East Valley either.
In LD26, Republican Al Melvin is still running against Pete Hershberger, according to his campaign's website. His campaign platform for the primary was a "more Republican than thou" one.
Maybe someone should tell him that he's now facing Democrat Cheryl Cage. He might want to consider running as the best *candidate* for the general election.
Not the best *Republican.*
As an aside, Melvin supports a "free market" approach to solving environmental problems.
Speaking as someone who lives in the North Indian Bend Wash Superfund site, I have to say that letting industry profit margins determine environmental-safety measures may not be the brightest idea.
Jus' sayin'...
The phenomenon is even visible at higher levels and where the Republican candidate is challenging a Democratic incumbent.
In CD3, Democratic challenger Bob Lord is hitting once (and future?!) Congressional retiree John Shadegg on issues like his record of voting for pay raises for himself while opposing pay and/or benefit increases for American troops and veterans. Shadegg's response has been to criticize Lord for telling the truth about his (Shadegg's) record and to leave his constituents and jet off to Las Vegas to collect an award for being a conservative.
In CD5, Republican David Schweikert and his pals at the NRCC are running ads touting Schweikert's positions and criticizing Mitchell's positions (essentially saying "Hey! I'm a Republican who's deep in the pockets of Big Oil and he's not, and that's why you should vote for me!").
The responses from Mitchell and the DCCC? Spots from the Mitchell campaign that touts his record of work on behalf of veterans (available on this page), and a spot from the DCCC that criticizes Schweikert for his job performance failures as Maricopa County Treasurer.
Anyway, the Republican obsession with ideology over competence and professionalism will undoubtedly lead to a more contentious legislature, regardless of which party controls a majority of the seats. While some of the extremists will be defeated by the Democratic opponents in their races, still others will emerge from the election victorious. The losses of hard-working and well-respected Republican moderates like Pete Hershberger and Tom O'Halleran (LD1) in favor of pure ideologues like the aforementioned Al Melvin and rancher Steve Pierce only serves to move the Republican caucus of the lege further to the right and farther from the mainstream Arizonan.
As an Arizonan, I regret that.
As a Democrat, I'm thankful for that.
And since this post originally started as a recap of that forum at MCC last week, here are a few more of the highlights -
...Republican State Senator John Huppenthal (LD20), in a move that induced much head-scratching among audience members, touted "smooth roads" as something that he is proud of and then he criticized the mainstream media for not reporting on the topic.
...Long-time community activist and Democratic candidate for the House Kathy Romano (LD19) brought her energy and insights to the forum; unfortunately, she couldn't bring her Republican opponents in the LD19 race - Kirk Adams and Rich Crandall.
They blew off the forum.
...Phil Hettmansperger, Democratic candidate for LD21 State Representative may actually be too smart for the legislature. The organizers of the forum asked that the candidates speak on this topic - "The Paradox of Affluence: Choices, Challenges, Consequences." His answer, while too long and involved to go into here, was thoughtful, insightful, and well-formed.
In other words, the sort of stuff that never comes out of the Republican-controlled Arizona lege. :)
...Based on a t-shirt count, Democrat Glenn Ray, House candidate in LD22, had the largest number of volunteers at the forum with dozens* of supporters present.
* = OK, so it probably wasn't more than three or four, but Ray and his supporters were *everywhere*, so it seemed like there were dozens of them. And seriously, he did have the largest contingent there. :)
...Particularly impressive was the turnout of Democratic organizations - the GEMDEMS, Obama campaign, AZ Dems, and the MCC chapter of the Young Democrats all had tables. In addition, CD5 candidates Harry Mitchell and David Schweikert had representatives there, and there were informational tables from the folks supporting Props 100 (no sales tax on real estate sales) and Prop 102 (no same-sex marriage).
Both of those tables were sparsely attended.
The Clean Elections debate for LD18 is on Wednesday at EVIT in Mesa; the complete schedule of CCEC debates can be found here.
Later!
Let me be clear here - John McCain's presence at the top of the ballot *will* make it more difficult for the Democrats to win control of one or both chambers of the state legislature this year.
Having said that, however, don't be surprised if the Dems pull it off this year anyway, and be very surprised if they don't pull it off by the end of the 2010 elections.
Simply put, Republican candidates, in AZ and nationally, have for the most part given up any pretense of running to represent the people of their districts.
Instead, they are running to represent the Republican Party in the lege, promising to support "Republican values" and positions. Many do not even mention the word "constituents" in their campaign platforms and stump speeches.
This tendency was in full view at last week's candidate forum at MCC, sponsored by MCC's chapter of the honor society Phi Theta Kappa. At the forum, there were candidates from LDs 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22, and one candidate for Maricopa County Supervisor.
Republican LD18 Senate candidate Russell Pearce didn't mention his home district of West Mesa in his presentation. He talked about reducing the state's budget deficit by "lowering taxes" and "reducing regulations". (In a sign that perhaps he learned some things from the primary challenge he faced from Kevin Gibbons, this was the first optional forum that anyone present could remember Pearce attending, and it was also the first time in an equally long time that he didn't mention immigrants in his stump speech.)
Democrat Judah Nativio, by contrast, spoke of "working for all LD18 constituents." Pearce probably thought he was a wild-eyed radical for that. :)
The disconnect between serving people and serving only ideology was evident among the House races, too.
Where LD18 Democrat Tammie Pursley spoke of the joy of watching students learn and grow, and the need to fully funding public education to ensure the future of the district and the state, Republican Cecil Ash spoke of protecting people and their liberties from government intrusion in their lives, a position he held until asked about Prop 102, the lege's anti-same sex marriage amendment that's on the ballot in November.
For that one, he offered up the line of the night, in support of Prop 102 -
"The State has the right to emphasize relationships that benefit society."
Ahhh...there's nothing like bigotry dressed up as shameless hypocrisy to rile up a crowd, especially a college crowd - the organizers of the forum had to cut short discussion of the topic in order to keep the forum on schedule.
The divergence between the motivations of the candidates was also obvious - the Democrats all spoke of wanting to serve or give back to their communities; Ash and his LD18 ballot-mate Steve Court each spoke of how they "were looking for something to do" now that they were retired.
Yes, they *both* admitted that they want to be elected to the lege because they have nothing better to do.
The "running to represent the party, not the district" phenomenon isn't restricted to the East Valley either.
In LD26, Republican Al Melvin is still running against Pete Hershberger, according to his campaign's website. His campaign platform for the primary was a "more Republican than thou" one.
Maybe someone should tell him that he's now facing Democrat Cheryl Cage. He might want to consider running as the best *candidate* for the general election.
Not the best *Republican.*
As an aside, Melvin supports a "free market" approach to solving environmental problems.
Speaking as someone who lives in the North Indian Bend Wash Superfund site, I have to say that letting industry profit margins determine environmental-safety measures may not be the brightest idea.
Jus' sayin'...
The phenomenon is even visible at higher levels and where the Republican candidate is challenging a Democratic incumbent.
In CD3, Democratic challenger Bob Lord is hitting once (and future?!) Congressional retiree John Shadegg on issues like his record of voting for pay raises for himself while opposing pay and/or benefit increases for American troops and veterans. Shadegg's response has been to criticize Lord for telling the truth about his (Shadegg's) record and to leave his constituents and jet off to Las Vegas to collect an award for being a conservative.
In CD5, Republican David Schweikert and his pals at the NRCC are running ads touting Schweikert's positions and criticizing Mitchell's positions (essentially saying "Hey! I'm a Republican who's deep in the pockets of Big Oil and he's not, and that's why you should vote for me!").
The responses from Mitchell and the DCCC? Spots from the Mitchell campaign that touts his record of work on behalf of veterans (available on this page), and a spot from the DCCC that criticizes Schweikert for his job performance failures as Maricopa County Treasurer.
Anyway, the Republican obsession with ideology over competence and professionalism will undoubtedly lead to a more contentious legislature, regardless of which party controls a majority of the seats. While some of the extremists will be defeated by the Democratic opponents in their races, still others will emerge from the election victorious. The losses of hard-working and well-respected Republican moderates like Pete Hershberger and Tom O'Halleran (LD1) in favor of pure ideologues like the aforementioned Al Melvin and rancher Steve Pierce only serves to move the Republican caucus of the lege further to the right and farther from the mainstream Arizonan.
As an Arizonan, I regret that.
As a Democrat, I'm thankful for that.
And since this post originally started as a recap of that forum at MCC last week, here are a few more of the highlights -
...Republican State Senator John Huppenthal (LD20), in a move that induced much head-scratching among audience members, touted "smooth roads" as something that he is proud of and then he criticized the mainstream media for not reporting on the topic.
...Long-time community activist and Democratic candidate for the House Kathy Romano (LD19) brought her energy and insights to the forum; unfortunately, she couldn't bring her Republican opponents in the LD19 race - Kirk Adams and Rich Crandall.
They blew off the forum.
...Phil Hettmansperger, Democratic candidate for LD21 State Representative may actually be too smart for the legislature. The organizers of the forum asked that the candidates speak on this topic - "The Paradox of Affluence: Choices, Challenges, Consequences." His answer, while too long and involved to go into here, was thoughtful, insightful, and well-formed.
In other words, the sort of stuff that never comes out of the Republican-controlled Arizona lege. :)
...Based on a t-shirt count, Democrat Glenn Ray, House candidate in LD22, had the largest number of volunteers at the forum with dozens* of supporters present.
* = OK, so it probably wasn't more than three or four, but Ray and his supporters were *everywhere*, so it seemed like there were dozens of them. And seriously, he did have the largest contingent there. :)
...Particularly impressive was the turnout of Democratic organizations - the GEMDEMS, Obama campaign, AZ Dems, and the MCC chapter of the Young Democrats all had tables. In addition, CD5 candidates Harry Mitchell and David Schweikert had representatives there, and there were informational tables from the folks supporting Props 100 (no sales tax on real estate sales) and Prop 102 (no same-sex marriage).
Both of those tables were sparsely attended.
The Clean Elections debate for LD18 is on Wednesday at EVIT in Mesa; the complete schedule of CCEC debates can be found here.
Later!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Gotta love those campaign websites and their creative 'facts'
Yesterday, the Republican blog IC Arizona posted a notice about a campaign fundraiser for a candidate for the Governing Board of the Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS). The board oversees the operations of the county hospital and other facilities, and their $1.3 billion budget.
The candidate involved is the infamous former LD8 State Representative Colette Rosati (R-Scottsdale).
A little background -
Mrs. Rosati is famous for her scorched-earth campaign tactics, highlighted by her emails in 2004 insinuating that two of her opponents (one mail, one female) were closeted homosexuals because one was single and the other was married with no children.
The targets of her wrath? Fellow Republicans Michelle Reagan and Royce Flora.
Rep. Reagan responded to the attack by laughing it off, saying that her being gay would be news to her boyfriend. As for Mr. Flora, the future chair of the LD8 Republicans, it turns out that his wife, Ann, is a cancer survivor and because of medical issues, was unable to have children.
In other words, Mrs. Rosati stepped in it.
*Deep* in it.
With that as background, let's get on to the "creative facts" part of the post.
In the 'Biography' section of her campaign website, she has this line -
As far as it goes, that statement is an accurate one.
However, it *is* a little less than complete.
That "short break from politics" wasn't exactly a voluntary one.
After her 2004 exercise in "winning friends and influencing people", she was so confident in her electoral prowess, she decided to take on Republican State Senator Carolyn Allen, a fixture in LD8 politics, for Allen's seat in the State Senate.
Rosati got spanked in the primary by more than 10 percentage points.
In another example of creative use of the facts, her campaign website touts her "R.N" credentials, a label that might convince the casual voter that she would bring experience as a health care professional to the Board. That glosses over the fact that her career experience is less that of a 'health care' professional and more as a *sales* professional.
From her ZoomInfo profile (emphasis mine) -
I have to admit, my first instinct when I read about Rosati's candidacy was to sarcastically wonder why a career pharmaceutical sales rep would want to sit on the board of an organization that spends millions of dollars per year on pharmaceuticals. However, knowing what I do of Mrs. Rosati, that aspect may just be icing on the cake.
She and another candidate, Harlan Stratton (running in district 2), are campaigning together as pro-life candidates, and MIHS has been subjected to a long-running campaign to force it to end training on abortions as part of its medical education program.
Training that it is required to provide in order to mainain its ACGME accreditation as a teaching hospital.
Note1: I've got a call out to the Maricopa Integrated Health System for a specific number on the amount it spends on pharmaceuticals; no call back as yet.
Note2: Rosatti's opponent for the district 3 seat on the MIHS board is Sue Gerard, formerly director of the Arizona Department of Health Services (and former Republican state representative from Phoenix).
Note3: The candidates in the other districts are -
District 1 - Bil Bruno, currently a member of the Board; Rex Altree, chair of the Arizona Auto Glass Association.
District 2 - Robert B. Carey (a lousy name for a Google search), Greg Patterson (someone many readers may be familiar with :) ), and Harlan Stratton (Rosatti's ideological saddle partner).
District 4 - LD4 Republican Elbert Bicknell (a gun owner and former NH state legislator) and Gerald Cuendet, chairman of the current board.
District 5 - Todd Hansen (another lousy name for a Google search; his organizational paperwork states that he is a Republican and an investment representative), Alice Lara (a Republican lobbyist), Joan Kelchner (an ER doctor in Yuma), James Marovich (lawyer), Jonathan Weisbuch (former Maricopa County Health Officer).
AZ Rep coverage of the race here.
The candidacies of Rosati and some of the others are the reason why voters need to pay attention to even the most obscure offices - even one like this has a great impact on many people. And in one like this, that impact falls disproportionately on poor and working families.
I'm not endorsing any of the candidates as yet (need to do more research), but some of these candidates seem less interested in doing the work of the board than in foisting off their ideology on unsuspecting patients, many of whom have no other health care resource.
Later!
The candidate involved is the infamous former LD8 State Representative Colette Rosati (R-Scottsdale).
A little background -
Mrs. Rosati is famous for her scorched-earth campaign tactics, highlighted by her emails in 2004 insinuating that two of her opponents (one mail, one female) were closeted homosexuals because one was single and the other was married with no children.
The targets of her wrath? Fellow Republicans Michelle Reagan and Royce Flora.
Rep. Reagan responded to the attack by laughing it off, saying that her being gay would be news to her boyfriend. As for Mr. Flora, the future chair of the LD8 Republicans, it turns out that his wife, Ann, is a cancer survivor and because of medical issues, was unable to have children.
In other words, Mrs. Rosati stepped in it.
*Deep* in it.
With that as background, let's get on to the "creative facts" part of the post.
In the 'Biography' section of her campaign website, she has this line -
"After a short break from politics Rep. Rosati is now running for the Board of Directors of the Maricopa County Special Health Care District in district 3."
As far as it goes, that statement is an accurate one.
However, it *is* a little less than complete.
That "short break from politics" wasn't exactly a voluntary one.
After her 2004 exercise in "winning friends and influencing people", she was so confident in her electoral prowess, she decided to take on Republican State Senator Carolyn Allen, a fixture in LD8 politics, for Allen's seat in the State Senate.
Rosati got spanked in the primary by more than 10 percentage points.
In another example of creative use of the facts, her campaign website touts her "R.N" credentials, a label that might convince the casual voter that she would bring experience as a health care professional to the Board. That glosses over the fact that her career experience is less that of a 'health care' professional and more as a *sales* professional.
From her ZoomInfo profile (emphasis mine) -
"An R.N. since 1979, Rosati has a B.A. degree in health services administration and also have a master's in business administration. Between 1980 and 1995, she was a pharmaceutical/medical sales representative, first for Abbott Laboratories; then for a division of C.R. Bard, Inc.; then for Ciba,Geigy. She obtained a realtor's license 15 years ago..."
I have to admit, my first instinct when I read about Rosati's candidacy was to sarcastically wonder why a career pharmaceutical sales rep would want to sit on the board of an organization that spends millions of dollars per year on pharmaceuticals. However, knowing what I do of Mrs. Rosati, that aspect may just be icing on the cake.
She and another candidate, Harlan Stratton (running in district 2), are campaigning together as pro-life candidates, and MIHS has been subjected to a long-running campaign to force it to end training on abortions as part of its medical education program.
Training that it is required to provide in order to mainain its ACGME accreditation as a teaching hospital.
Note1: I've got a call out to the Maricopa Integrated Health System for a specific number on the amount it spends on pharmaceuticals; no call back as yet.
Note2: Rosatti's opponent for the district 3 seat on the MIHS board is Sue Gerard, formerly director of the Arizona Department of Health Services (and former Republican state representative from Phoenix).
Note3: The candidates in the other districts are -
District 1 - Bil Bruno, currently a member of the Board; Rex Altree, chair of the Arizona Auto Glass Association.
District 2 - Robert B. Carey (a lousy name for a Google search), Greg Patterson (someone many readers may be familiar with :) ), and Harlan Stratton (Rosatti's ideological saddle partner).
District 4 - LD4 Republican Elbert Bicknell (a gun owner and former NH state legislator) and Gerald Cuendet, chairman of the current board.
District 5 - Todd Hansen (another lousy name for a Google search; his organizational paperwork states that he is a Republican and an investment representative), Alice Lara (a Republican lobbyist), Joan Kelchner (an ER doctor in Yuma), James Marovich (lawyer), Jonathan Weisbuch (former Maricopa County Health Officer).
AZ Rep coverage of the race here.
The candidacies of Rosati and some of the others are the reason why voters need to pay attention to even the most obscure offices - even one like this has a great impact on many people. And in one like this, that impact falls disproportionately on poor and working families.
I'm not endorsing any of the candidates as yet (need to do more research), but some of these candidates seem less interested in doing the work of the board than in foisting off their ideology on unsuspecting patients, many of whom have no other health care resource.
Later!
Monday, September 08, 2008
Events Calendar
Wednesday, September 10 - The Grand Opening of the Arizona office of the Obama/Biden campaign.
Join Kelly Paisley, the Arizona State Director for the Obama campaign, at the newly-opened office at 922 N. 6th St. (corner of Roosevelt and 6th Street) in Phoenix. The event starts at 4:00 p.m. RSVP here.
Saturday, September 13 - Turning the County Blue!, a candidate meet-and-greet/fundraiser for candidates Dan Saban (for Sheriff), Tim Nelson (for County Attorney) and Ed Hermes (for County Supervisor).
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: The home of Alison Shannon in Tempe.
For info and directions, contact Alison Shannon at 682-554-0726 or allison.shannon[at]@gmail.com.
Suggested contribution: $25/candidate ($75 total) or whatever you can afford; for Young Dems, $10/candidate ($30 total.)
Monday and Tuesday, September 15 and 16 - The Arizona chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council will be presenting the documentary "Farewell Israel," a highly-regarded study of the relationship between Israel, the West, and Islam. For directions and more info, contact Jerry Gettinger at 480-563-3206 or email at njdcphx[at]cox.net.
Monday, September 15 - The GEMDEMS Victory '08 Dinner, with special guest Governor Janet Napolitano. The dinner will be at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater, 5247 E. Brown Rd., in Mesa. Doors open at 5 p.m., VIP reception at 6 p.m., and dinner at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $110 for the VIP reception and $50 for the dinner only. Tickets can be purchased online here or in-person at the GEMDEMS office in Mesa (7141 E. Main St.)
In addition to Governor Napolitano, a number of the candidates from LDs 18 - 22 will be there.
Thursday, September 18 - The District 8 Democrats will be holding a forum on the propositions on November's ballot. The featured speaker will be Eric Ehst of the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission. The forum will take place at the Via Linda Senior Center, 10440 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale. For more info, contact LD8 Chair Margaret Hogan at mhoganaz[at]msn.com, Vice-Chair Laura Copple at lcopple[at]cox.net, or Vice-Chair Jerry Gettinger at jget[at]cox.net.
Note - the LD17 Democrats will be featuring a brief feature on the props at their monthly meeting, Tuesday, September 9 at the Pyle Center in Tempe. Each member of the D17 Issues Committee has selected one or two of the ballot propositions on which to present a short synopsis. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.
Both forums are free of charge and open to the public.
Later!
Join Kelly Paisley, the Arizona State Director for the Obama campaign, at the newly-opened office at 922 N. 6th St. (corner of Roosevelt and 6th Street) in Phoenix. The event starts at 4:00 p.m. RSVP here.
Saturday, September 13 - Turning the County Blue!, a candidate meet-and-greet/fundraiser for candidates Dan Saban (for Sheriff), Tim Nelson (for County Attorney) and Ed Hermes (for County Supervisor).
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: The home of Alison Shannon in Tempe.
For info and directions, contact Alison Shannon at 682-554-0726 or allison.shannon[at]@gmail.com.
Suggested contribution: $25/candidate ($75 total) or whatever you can afford; for Young Dems, $10/candidate ($30 total.)
Monday and Tuesday, September 15 and 16 - The Arizona chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council will be presenting the documentary "Farewell Israel," a highly-regarded study of the relationship between Israel, the West, and Islam. For directions and more info, contact Jerry Gettinger at 480-563-3206 or email at njdcphx[at]cox.net.
Monday, September 15 - The GEMDEMS Victory '08 Dinner, with special guest Governor Janet Napolitano. The dinner will be at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater, 5247 E. Brown Rd., in Mesa. Doors open at 5 p.m., VIP reception at 6 p.m., and dinner at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $110 for the VIP reception and $50 for the dinner only. Tickets can be purchased online here or in-person at the GEMDEMS office in Mesa (7141 E. Main St.)
In addition to Governor Napolitano, a number of the candidates from LDs 18 - 22 will be there.
Thursday, September 18 - The District 8 Democrats will be holding a forum on the propositions on November's ballot. The featured speaker will be Eric Ehst of the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission. The forum will take place at the Via Linda Senior Center, 10440 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale. For more info, contact LD8 Chair Margaret Hogan at mhoganaz[at]msn.com, Vice-Chair Laura Copple at lcopple[at]cox.net, or Vice-Chair Jerry Gettinger at jget[at]cox.net.
Note - the LD17 Democrats will be featuring a brief feature on the props at their monthly meeting, Tuesday, September 9 at the Pyle Center in Tempe. Each member of the D17 Issues Committee has selected one or two of the ballot propositions on which to present a short synopsis. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.
Both forums are free of charge and open to the public.
Later!
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Meet the LD18 candidates at MCC
The Mesa Community College chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society will be holding a "Civic Engagement Forum" on Wednesday, September 10 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. The event will be held in the Navajo Room of the Kirk Student Center at MCC's Southern and Dobson campus.
The first part of the event will be a 'meet and greet' mixer with the candidates from 4 - 6, followed by the official forum at 6. At the official forum, the candidates will address the topic "The Paradox of Affluence: Choices, Challenges, Consequences."
It's unofficial at this point, but sources say that Judah Nativio and Russell Pearce, the Senate candidates in LD18, have confirmed their attendance.
The House candidates are Democrat Tammie Pursley and Republicans Steve Court and Cecil Ash.
For more info, contact Duane Oakes at oakes[at]mail.maricopa.edu.
The first part of the event will be a 'meet and greet' mixer with the candidates from 4 - 6, followed by the official forum at 6. At the official forum, the candidates will address the topic "The Paradox of Affluence: Choices, Challenges, Consequences."
It's unofficial at this point, but sources say that Judah Nativio and Russell Pearce, the Senate candidates in LD18, have confirmed their attendance.
The House candidates are Democrat Tammie Pursley and Republicans Steve Court and Cecil Ash.
For more info, contact Duane Oakes at oakes[at]mail.maricopa.edu.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Preliminary General Election Debate Schedule
With the results of the primary elections in the books, now the general election season begins, and with it, the general election candidate debates/forums have been scheduled.
Courtesy the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission -
Note: only the forums in the Tempe/Scottsdale/West Mesa area are listed here; the complete list of Clean Elections debates is at the link.
Monday, September 15 -
1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Corporation Commission Debate
Location: Rio Salado College Conference Center, 2323 W 14th St., Tempe, AZ
Wednesday, September 17 -
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. LD18 Candidate Debate
Location: East Valley Institute of Technology Lecture Hall, 1601 W. Main St., Mesa, AZ
Monday, September 22 -
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. LD8 Candidate Debate
Location: Kerr Cultural Center Studio, 6110 N Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ
Wednesday, September 24 -
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. LD17 Candidate Debate
Location: Sky Song Convergence Rm 1475, N Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ (SE corner of Scottsdale and McDowell Roads)
As info about more debates becomes available, particularly those in LDs 8, 17, and18, for Corporation Commission, or for Scottsdale, I'll post it here.
Courtesy the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission -
Note: only the forums in the Tempe/Scottsdale/West Mesa area are listed here; the complete list of Clean Elections debates is at the link.
Monday, September 15 -
1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Corporation Commission Debate
Location: Rio Salado College Conference Center, 2323 W 14th St., Tempe, AZ
Wednesday, September 17 -
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. LD18 Candidate Debate
Location: East Valley Institute of Technology Lecture Hall, 1601 W. Main St., Mesa, AZ
Monday, September 22 -
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. LD8 Candidate Debate
Location: Kerr Cultural Center Studio, 6110 N Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ
Wednesday, September 24 -
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. LD17 Candidate Debate
Location: Sky Song Convergence Rm 1475, N Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ (SE corner of Scottsdale and McDowell Roads)
As info about more debates becomes available, particularly those in LDs 8, 17, and18, for Corporation Commission, or for Scottsdale, I'll post it here.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Short Attention Span Musing - Primary Edition
...It's looking more and more like absolutely nothing was settled in Scottsdale on Tuesday. According to the City's results page, challenger Jim Lane leads incumbent Mayor Mary Manross by 217 votes. However, there are 849 ballots where the City races were left blank (undervotes), so it appears that he didn't receive the "50% + 1) vote total necessary to win the election outright. In addition, none of the City Council candidates reached that threshold either.
Hence, it appears that we get to do this all over again in November, with two fewer candidates for Council. Oren Davis and Joel Bramoweth, as the two candidates with the fewest votes, will be dropped off of the general election ballot. The other six candidates - Lisa Borowsky, Betty Drake, Nan Nesvig, Suzanne Klapp, Tom Giller, and Ron McCullagh - will fight it out for the three open seats.
Predictions: none for the Council race, there are too many variables, but as for the mayoral contest, Manross should win reelection. She was hurt by the large Republican turnout for the CD5 primary; in November, she will benefit from the increased Democratic turnout.
BTW - if the mayoral results stand without a run-off, Lane owes John Washington. Washington was a write-in candidate for mayor until he dropped out just before early ballots were sent out. If he had stayed in the race, he would have garnered enough votes to force the race to a run off, or even have given the race outright to Manross.
AZ Republic coverage here.
...Republican bloggers all over the state may be gleeful right now because of the large number of moderate Reps who were defeated in primary races, but that glee may be short-lived. It will be much easier for moderate Democrats like Cheryl Cage and Judah Nativio to defeat their extremist Republican opponents (Al Melvin and Russell Pearce, respectively) than the more moderate Reps who were defeated in the primaries (Pete Hershberger and Kevin Gibbons, respectively.)
No smack talk here (I'm not making any predictions. Yet), just an observation.
...Saving the worst for last, but have the Reps chosen David Duke as their national chair? I mean, whatever veneer of civility they might have had has been rubbed off during the pressure of a tough election cycle.
First, there was the abuse levelled at one of their own in LD6, Tony Bouie.
Then, there was Sarah Palin's VP-nominee acceptance speech where she denigrated community organizers in urban communities, but later praised folks in rural, and presumably paler, communities.
But the topper has to be Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-CSA), as quoted in The Hill -
And when asked to clarify, Westmoreland confirmed that he indeed meant to use the word 'uppity.'
Yes folks, whether it's Maricopa County Republicans (Arpaio and Thomas) campaigning against Mexicans, or national Republicans campaigning against black people, this is going to be an ugly two months.
Thanks to Tedski for the heads-up on the Westmoreland quote.
Hence, it appears that we get to do this all over again in November, with two fewer candidates for Council. Oren Davis and Joel Bramoweth, as the two candidates with the fewest votes, will be dropped off of the general election ballot. The other six candidates - Lisa Borowsky, Betty Drake, Nan Nesvig, Suzanne Klapp, Tom Giller, and Ron McCullagh - will fight it out for the three open seats.
Predictions: none for the Council race, there are too many variables, but as for the mayoral contest, Manross should win reelection. She was hurt by the large Republican turnout for the CD5 primary; in November, she will benefit from the increased Democratic turnout.
BTW - if the mayoral results stand without a run-off, Lane owes John Washington. Washington was a write-in candidate for mayor until he dropped out just before early ballots were sent out. If he had stayed in the race, he would have garnered enough votes to force the race to a run off, or even have given the race outright to Manross.
AZ Republic coverage here.
...Republican bloggers all over the state may be gleeful right now because of the large number of moderate Reps who were defeated in primary races, but that glee may be short-lived. It will be much easier for moderate Democrats like Cheryl Cage and Judah Nativio to defeat their extremist Republican opponents (Al Melvin and Russell Pearce, respectively) than the more moderate Reps who were defeated in the primaries (Pete Hershberger and Kevin Gibbons, respectively.)
No smack talk here (I'm not making any predictions. Yet), just an observation.
...Saving the worst for last, but have the Reps chosen David Duke as their national chair? I mean, whatever veneer of civility they might have had has been rubbed off during the pressure of a tough election cycle.
First, there was the abuse levelled at one of their own in LD6, Tony Bouie.
Then, there was Sarah Palin's VP-nominee acceptance speech where she denigrated community organizers in urban communities, but later praised folks in rural, and presumably paler, communities.
But the topper has to be Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-CSA), as quoted in The Hill -
"Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mr. Obama, Sen. Obama, they're a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks that they're uppity," Westmoreland said.
And when asked to clarify, Westmoreland confirmed that he indeed meant to use the word 'uppity.'
Yes folks, whether it's Maricopa County Republicans (Arpaio and Thomas) campaigning against Mexicans, or national Republicans campaigning against black people, this is going to be an ugly two months.
Thanks to Tedski for the heads-up on the Westmoreland quote.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Early results are trickling in...
And they are *very* early results; in many cases, the numbers represent early voting results (EV) or EV results and just a few precincts.
The guaranteed winner for "Best Sense Of Humor" is Republican CD5 candidate Jim Ogsbury (and I'm not being sarcastic when I say that), According to PolitickerAZ, earlier this evening, the Ogsbury campaign sent out a press release proclaiming his victory.
Oh no, not in the CD5 primary, but in the race for Republican PC in Paiute precinct in LD17.
Something about being unopposed and having enough signatures. :))
...On to early results...
In Scottsdale, with 39 of 87 precincts reporting (and I think these numbers include EV totals) -
For mayor, challenger Jim Lane is leading incumbent Mary Manross 12,671 to 12,488. If the race stays that close and write-in candidate Bill Crawford receives enough votes, that one could go to a November run-off.
In the contest for the three available seats on the City Council -
Lisa Borowsky - 8980
Joel BramOweth - 4607
Oren Davis - 4186
Betty Drake - 10638
Tom Giller - 6643
Suzanne Klapp - 10003
Ron McCullagh - 11278
Nan Nesvig - 6626
Based on these early results, expect at least two, if not all three seats, to go to a November run-off.
For further updates, click on the appropriate link on the City of Scottsdale election results page.
...On to early Maricopa County results, courtesy the Maricopa County Recorder's election results page...
In the Democratic race for County Attorney, Tim Nelson holds a commanding lead over Gerald Richard, 58636 to 29458, 766 of 1142 precincts reporting. The winner goes on to challenge incumbent Republican Andrew Thomas in November.
In the Republican race for County Assessor, Keith Russell holds a strong lead over Kevin Ross, 77212 to 62813, 766 of 1142 precincts reporting. The winner will take the office, as there is no Democratic candidate.
In Congressional and state legislative races...
In the Republican primary in CD5, 191 of 248 precincts reporting, David Schweikert is holding a slim lead over Susan Bitter Smith, 11560 to 10690. The other candidates are trailing significantly, with Mark Anderson at 5064, Jim Ogsbury at 4342, Laura Knaperek at 5946, and Lee Gentry at 582.
In the LD4 Rep primary for state senate, incumbent Jack Harper is breezing to victory over challenger John Zerby 13448 to 5783, 59 of 80 precincts reporting.
In the hotly-contested Republican primary for the LD18 seat in the state senate, nativist Russell Pearce appears to be winning easily over Kevin Gibbons, 4978 to 2296, 38 of 51 precincts reporting.
Over in the LD18 Republican primary for state representative, Cecil Ash is leading with 4651 votes, followed by Steve Court at 3069, Ron Middlebrook at 2944 and Kanani Henderson at 1512.
In the CD6 Democratic primary, in something of a surprise, Rebecca Schneider is trouncing Chris Gramazio (who was endorsed by the AZ Republic) 13817 to 4719, 219 out of 259 precincts reporting.
In the Democratic primary for Corporation Commission, Sandra Kennedy and Paul Newman look like they will be moving on to the general election, receiving 117764 and 99205 votes respectively. Sam George holds a slim lead over Kara Kelty for the third slot, 85262 to 79280. However, almost no votes from Pima County have been tallied as yet, and Pima has the second most polling places in the state, behind Maricopa County.
In the Republican primary for Corporation Commission, Marian McClure and Bob Stump look like they will be moving on, with Barry Wong and John Allen jockeying for the third slot. Same caveat about Pima County numbers as above.
The AZ Secretary of State's results page can be found here.
I'll try to update tomorrow, particularly on the too-close-to-call mayoral race in Scottsdale.
Later!
The guaranteed winner for "Best Sense Of Humor" is Republican CD5 candidate Jim Ogsbury (and I'm not being sarcastic when I say that), According to PolitickerAZ, earlier this evening, the Ogsbury campaign sent out a press release proclaiming his victory.
Oh no, not in the CD5 primary, but in the race for Republican PC in Paiute precinct in LD17.
Something about being unopposed and having enough signatures. :))
...On to early results...
In Scottsdale, with 39 of 87 precincts reporting (and I think these numbers include EV totals) -
For mayor, challenger Jim Lane is leading incumbent Mary Manross 12,671 to 12,488. If the race stays that close and write-in candidate Bill Crawford receives enough votes, that one could go to a November run-off.
In the contest for the three available seats on the City Council -
Lisa Borowsky - 8980
Joel BramOweth - 4607
Oren Davis - 4186
Betty Drake - 10638
Tom Giller - 6643
Suzanne Klapp - 10003
Ron McCullagh - 11278
Nan Nesvig - 6626
Based on these early results, expect at least two, if not all three seats, to go to a November run-off.
For further updates, click on the appropriate link on the City of Scottsdale election results page.
...On to early Maricopa County results, courtesy the Maricopa County Recorder's election results page...
In the Democratic race for County Attorney, Tim Nelson holds a commanding lead over Gerald Richard, 58636 to 29458, 766 of 1142 precincts reporting. The winner goes on to challenge incumbent Republican Andrew Thomas in November.
In the Republican race for County Assessor, Keith Russell holds a strong lead over Kevin Ross, 77212 to 62813, 766 of 1142 precincts reporting. The winner will take the office, as there is no Democratic candidate.
In Congressional and state legislative races...
In the Republican primary in CD5, 191 of 248 precincts reporting, David Schweikert is holding a slim lead over Susan Bitter Smith, 11560 to 10690. The other candidates are trailing significantly, with Mark Anderson at 5064, Jim Ogsbury at 4342, Laura Knaperek at 5946, and Lee Gentry at 582.
In the LD4 Rep primary for state senate, incumbent Jack Harper is breezing to victory over challenger John Zerby 13448 to 5783, 59 of 80 precincts reporting.
In the hotly-contested Republican primary for the LD18 seat in the state senate, nativist Russell Pearce appears to be winning easily over Kevin Gibbons, 4978 to 2296, 38 of 51 precincts reporting.
Over in the LD18 Republican primary for state representative, Cecil Ash is leading with 4651 votes, followed by Steve Court at 3069, Ron Middlebrook at 2944 and Kanani Henderson at 1512.
In the CD6 Democratic primary, in something of a surprise, Rebecca Schneider is trouncing Chris Gramazio (who was endorsed by the AZ Republic) 13817 to 4719, 219 out of 259 precincts reporting.
In the Democratic primary for Corporation Commission, Sandra Kennedy and Paul Newman look like they will be moving on to the general election, receiving 117764 and 99205 votes respectively. Sam George holds a slim lead over Kara Kelty for the third slot, 85262 to 79280. However, almost no votes from Pima County have been tallied as yet, and Pima has the second most polling places in the state, behind Maricopa County.
In the Republican primary for Corporation Commission, Marian McClure and Bob Stump look like they will be moving on, with Barry Wong and John Allen jockeying for the third slot. Same caveat about Pima County numbers as above.
The AZ Secretary of State's results page can be found here.
I'll try to update tomorrow, particularly on the too-close-to-call mayoral race in Scottsdale.
Later!
Get Out And Vote...
It's primary election day across the Valley and the state, and while there aren't *too* many contested primaries, there are a few and they are important ones.
- There are contested primaries on both sides of the ballot for Corporation Commission.
On the Democratic side, Kara Kelty, Sandra Kennedy, Sam George, and Paul Newman are running for the three spots on the general election ballot; on the Republican side, Marian McClure, Barry Wong, Keith Swapp, Bob Robson, John Allen, Rick Fowlkes, Bob Stump, and Joe Hobbs are running. (Want proof that I spend too much time thinking and writing about AZ politics? I recited all 11 of those names from memory. :) )
- In Maricopa County, Democrats Gerald Richard and Tim Nelson are squaring off for the chance to knock off incumbent County Attorney Andrew Thomas.
- In CD5, six Republicans are contesting for the privilege of facing Democrat Harry Mitchell in November. The candidates include Laura Knaperek, Susan Bitter Smith, David Schweikert, Mark Anderson, Jim Ogsbury, and Lee Gentry.
- In CD6, Democrats Rebecca Schneider and Chris Gramazio are facing off for the chance to unseat Republican Jeff Flake in November.
- In CD1, it's a free-for-all as a number of candidates on both sides of the ballot vie to replace the indicted and departing Republican Rick Renzi.
On the Democratic side, Jeffrey Brown, Mary Kim Titla, Ann Kirkpatrick, and Howard Shanker are on the ballot; on the Republican side, Sandra Livingstone, Sydney Hay, Tom Hansen, and Barry Hall are in the running.
- In the Republican race for the LD4 Senate seat, incumbent Jack Harper is facing the challenge mounted by John Zerby.
- In the Republican race for the LD18 Senate seat, in perhaps the nastiest race of the season, Russell Pearce and Kevin Gibbons are competing to face Democrat Judah Nativio in November for the chance to replace the retiring Republican incumbent Karen Johnson.
- In the LD18 Republican race for State Rep, Cecil Ash, Steve Court, Kanani Henderson, and Ron Middlebrook are contesting to face Democrat Tammie Pursley in November.
- In LD22, the Senate race will be decided in the Republican primary, as no Democrat is running. Incumbent Thayer Verschoor is facing challengers Eddie Farnsworth and Joe Bedgood.
In the LD22 Republican State Rep primary, Andy Biggs, Laurin Hendrix, Adam Armer, and Bob Brown are vying for the chance to face Democrat Glenn Ray on November's ballot.
- In LD26 Senate, Republican incumbent Pete Hershberger is facing challenger Al Melvin; the winner goes on to face Democrat Cheryl Cage in November.
- Up north in the LD1 Democratic State Representative race, Tom Chabin, Christopher Clark Deschene, Mark Haughwout and write-in candidate Jolene Tom are facing off for the privilege of joining the lege - there aren't any Republican candidates.
- In LD3, Doris Goodale, Trish Groe and Nancy McClain are vying for the two Republican spots on the November ballot. They winners will face Democrat Pamela Durbin once there.
- In LD6, the Republican race for State Rep has been *interesting* between Sam Crump, Tony Bouie, and Carl Seel. The winners of that primary will face Democrats Teri Conrad and Jack Doody in November.
- In the LD12 Republican primary for State Representative, Robert Blendu, Steve Montenegro and Jerry Weiers are fighting for the chance to face Democrats Eve Nunez and David Scanlon in November.
- In LD14, Democrats Robert Meza, Chad Campbell, and John Valdez are facing off for the chance to represent the district in the state House of Representatives. There are no Republican candidates.
- In the Democratic primary for LD16 State Representative, Cloves Campbell, Jr., Betty Doss Ware, Ben Miranda, and Jimmie Munoz Jr. are fighting it out for the two Democratic spots on November's ballot.
- In LD20, Republicans John McComish, Jeff Dial, Frank Schmuck, and Andy Swann are opposing each other for the right to face Democrats Rae Waters and write-in Michael Williams in November.
- In the LD23 Democratic State Representative primary, Barbara McGuire, Krista Pacion, Dorian Bond, Ernest Bustamante, and write-in candidate Emily Verdugo-Aldrich are facing off to oppose Republicans John Fillmore and Frank Pratt in the general election.
- In LD27, Phil Lopes, Olivia Cajero Bedford and John Kromko are facing off.
- LD29 has perhaps the largest Democratic primary, as Tom Prezelski, Daniel Patterson, Eric Carbajal Bustamante, Ephraim Cruz, Gil Guerra, Matt Heinz, and Patricia Puig are contesting for the two November spots on the ballot.
Finally, in the LD30 Republican primary for State Representative, Frank Antenori, Sharon Collins, Doug Sposito, and David Gowan are vying for the two Republican slots against Democrat Andrea Dalessandro in November.
In addition to the above primary races, there are a number of municipal elections on Tuesday's ballot, including Scottsdale, Avondale, El Mirage, Chandler, Glendale, Guadalupe, Peoria, Queen Creek and Wickenburg in Maricopa County.
The Maricopa County Recorder's polling place locator is here. If you live in another county, contact your county's Recorder for that information.
Note: I was going to try to provide links to campaign websites for all of the Democratic candidates mentioned in this post, but if I did that, I wouldn't finish this post until after the polls closed. :)
Note2 - Zelph at AZNetroots has an informative post on some of the write-in candidates in Maricopa County here.
- There are contested primaries on both sides of the ballot for Corporation Commission.
On the Democratic side, Kara Kelty, Sandra Kennedy, Sam George, and Paul Newman are running for the three spots on the general election ballot; on the Republican side, Marian McClure, Barry Wong, Keith Swapp, Bob Robson, John Allen, Rick Fowlkes, Bob Stump, and Joe Hobbs are running. (Want proof that I spend too much time thinking and writing about AZ politics? I recited all 11 of those names from memory. :) )
- In Maricopa County, Democrats Gerald Richard and Tim Nelson are squaring off for the chance to knock off incumbent County Attorney Andrew Thomas.
- In CD5, six Republicans are contesting for the privilege of facing Democrat Harry Mitchell in November. The candidates include Laura Knaperek, Susan Bitter Smith, David Schweikert, Mark Anderson, Jim Ogsbury, and Lee Gentry.
- In CD6, Democrats Rebecca Schneider and Chris Gramazio are facing off for the chance to unseat Republican Jeff Flake in November.
- In CD1, it's a free-for-all as a number of candidates on both sides of the ballot vie to replace the indicted and departing Republican Rick Renzi.
On the Democratic side, Jeffrey Brown, Mary Kim Titla, Ann Kirkpatrick, and Howard Shanker are on the ballot; on the Republican side, Sandra Livingstone, Sydney Hay, Tom Hansen, and Barry Hall are in the running.
- In the Republican race for the LD4 Senate seat, incumbent Jack Harper is facing the challenge mounted by John Zerby.
- In the Republican race for the LD18 Senate seat, in perhaps the nastiest race of the season, Russell Pearce and Kevin Gibbons are competing to face Democrat Judah Nativio in November for the chance to replace the retiring Republican incumbent Karen Johnson.
- In the LD18 Republican race for State Rep, Cecil Ash, Steve Court, Kanani Henderson, and Ron Middlebrook are contesting to face Democrat Tammie Pursley in November.
- In LD22, the Senate race will be decided in the Republican primary, as no Democrat is running. Incumbent Thayer Verschoor is facing challengers Eddie Farnsworth and Joe Bedgood.
In the LD22 Republican State Rep primary, Andy Biggs, Laurin Hendrix, Adam Armer, and Bob Brown are vying for the chance to face Democrat Glenn Ray on November's ballot.
- In LD26 Senate, Republican incumbent Pete Hershberger is facing challenger Al Melvin; the winner goes on to face Democrat Cheryl Cage in November.
- Up north in the LD1 Democratic State Representative race, Tom Chabin, Christopher Clark Deschene, Mark Haughwout and write-in candidate Jolene Tom are facing off for the privilege of joining the lege - there aren't any Republican candidates.
- In LD3, Doris Goodale, Trish Groe and Nancy McClain are vying for the two Republican spots on the November ballot. They winners will face Democrat Pamela Durbin once there.
- In LD6, the Republican race for State Rep has been *interesting* between Sam Crump, Tony Bouie, and Carl Seel. The winners of that primary will face Democrats Teri Conrad and Jack Doody in November.
- In the LD12 Republican primary for State Representative, Robert Blendu, Steve Montenegro and Jerry Weiers are fighting for the chance to face Democrats Eve Nunez and David Scanlon in November.
- In LD14, Democrats Robert Meza, Chad Campbell, and John Valdez are facing off for the chance to represent the district in the state House of Representatives. There are no Republican candidates.
- In the Democratic primary for LD16 State Representative, Cloves Campbell, Jr., Betty Doss Ware, Ben Miranda, and Jimmie Munoz Jr. are fighting it out for the two Democratic spots on November's ballot.
- In LD20, Republicans John McComish, Jeff Dial, Frank Schmuck, and Andy Swann are opposing each other for the right to face Democrats Rae Waters and write-in Michael Williams in November.
- In the LD23 Democratic State Representative primary, Barbara McGuire, Krista Pacion, Dorian Bond, Ernest Bustamante, and write-in candidate Emily Verdugo-Aldrich are facing off to oppose Republicans John Fillmore and Frank Pratt in the general election.
- In LD27, Phil Lopes, Olivia Cajero Bedford and John Kromko are facing off.
- LD29 has perhaps the largest Democratic primary, as Tom Prezelski, Daniel Patterson, Eric Carbajal Bustamante, Ephraim Cruz, Gil Guerra, Matt Heinz, and Patricia Puig are contesting for the two November spots on the ballot.
Finally, in the LD30 Republican primary for State Representative, Frank Antenori, Sharon Collins, Doug Sposito, and David Gowan are vying for the two Republican slots against Democrat Andrea Dalessandro in November.
In addition to the above primary races, there are a number of municipal elections on Tuesday's ballot, including Scottsdale, Avondale, El Mirage, Chandler, Glendale, Guadalupe, Peoria, Queen Creek and Wickenburg in Maricopa County.
The Maricopa County Recorder's polling place locator is here. If you live in another county, contact your county's Recorder for that information.
Note: I was going to try to provide links to campaign websites for all of the Democratic candidates mentioned in this post, but if I did that, I wouldn't finish this post until after the polls closed. :)
Note2 - Zelph at AZNetroots has an informative post on some of the write-in candidates in Maricopa County here.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Labor Day and candidates for office: A quick comparison
On one hand, we have Bob Lord, the rising Democratic challenger in CD3, who spent his day walking neighborhoods of the district and talking to voters, and attending the AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic in Phoenix.
On the other hand, we have John Shadegg, the embattled, retiree-wannabe incumbent, who spent the morning dining in a luxury hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota calling the Democratic Presidential ticket of Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden 'a product of the "radical left." '
So now he's calling two sitting U.S. Senators "radicals? Two members of what is perhaps the most exclusive and privileged club in America? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!
They're radicals only by the standards of extremist ideologues, not responsible public servants.
In any event, today, Bob Lord issued a statement of appreciation and commemoration of American workers -
Have a happy and safe Labor Day!
On the other hand, we have John Shadegg, the embattled, retiree-wannabe incumbent, who spent the morning dining in a luxury hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota calling the Democratic Presidential ticket of Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden 'a product of the "radical left." '
So now he's calling two sitting U.S. Senators "radicals? Two members of what is perhaps the most exclusive and privileged club in America? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!
They're radicals only by the standards of extremist ideologues, not responsible public servants.
In any event, today, Bob Lord issued a statement of appreciation and commemoration of American workers -
On Labor Day, Arizonans and Americans observe their hard work, the quest for the American Dream and the importance of preserving the American Dream for our children and grandchildren.
We take time off to appreciate the hard work our parents and grandparents did so that they could make life better for us. We take time to appreciate those of us who have to work today, even though most of us have the day off. And most importantly, we take the time to recognize those of us who can't get by because we lost our jobs to the failed economic policies of the current leadership.
Fortunately, my wife Tammy and I both were lucky enough to live the American Dream. We both were born to modest circumstances, but we were both fortunate enough to attend fantastic public schools. We worked hard, we learned and we built a very good life for ourselves and our seven children.
On this Labor Day we celebrate the contributions workers have made to better our country. We have worked so hard and we have come so far and things will get better, because Arizona deserves better.
We just need leaders who are willing to make that change.
President Bush and John Shadegg's economic policies have resulted in hundreds of thousands of jobs lost, a huge housing and financial crisis, and a middle class that is holding on by a thread.
This is about investing in America's future, and Arizona can lead the way. We have the workers, we have that American drive that says, yes, we can do it and we will succeed.
Thank you for all your hard work.
Have a happy and safe Labor Day!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Hate to say I told you so...
...OK, who am I trying to kid...I *love* being able to say 'I told you so'...
Nearly two and a half months ago, I predicted that the bloodiest race in the September primary wouldn't be a legislative or Congressional race, but would in fact be the race for the Republican PC slots in LD11.
That predictions wasn't quite right, as the race between Russell Pearce (R-National Alliance) and Kevin Gibbons (R-Jeff Flake's brother-in-law) for the Senate seat in LD18 has gotten far nastier than anyone could have expected.
However, this post from Seeing Red AZ proves that the prediction wasn't far off, either.
Apparently, *someone* is spending some big money to finance some robocalls from former RNC Chair Haley Barbour that support the pro-McCain candidates for PC, and the Rep leadership in the district is most assuredly not happy about it as one of the people targeted for defeat is the chair of the Maricopa County Republicans.
One prediction that I made that turned out to be accurate -
:)
Other interesting races (aka - "Republicans eating their own") -
In the Rep race in the LD6 State Representative primary, the various (and competing) supporters of Tony Bouie and Carl Seel have been trading jabs - "Bouie's a RINO!", "Not so!", "So!", and so one. An example of some of the anti-Bouie rhetoric here; an example of the anti-Seel stuff here.
Over in CD5, former Maricopa County Treasurer David Schweikert and former Scottsdale City Councilwoman (and current lobbyist) Susan Bitter Smith have dropped the gloves (that's a hockey reference for you AZ lifers :) ) and are airing attack ads targeting each other. (PolitickerAZ coverage here)
And in a very mild example, three of the Democratic candidates for AZ Corporation Commission, Sandra Kennedy, Paul Newman, and Sam George, are running as a slate and are airing a TV spot that implies that only they support an increased use of solar energy in Arizona. One minor detail - non-slate Democratic candidate Kara Kelty also supports solar and renewable energy (see her AZ Republic candidate questionnaire)
Let's be clear - it's the Republicans who oppose any efforts to change the status quo regarding energy production and consumption in Arizona.
With these races, as well as a couple of others (like the 8-way Rep primary for the 3 open seats on the Corporation Commission and the Scottsdale races for Mayor and City Council), Tuesday's primary election day will be an interesting one.
Later!
Nearly two and a half months ago, I predicted that the bloodiest race in the September primary wouldn't be a legislative or Congressional race, but would in fact be the race for the Republican PC slots in LD11.
That predictions wasn't quite right, as the race between Russell Pearce (R-National Alliance) and Kevin Gibbons (R-Jeff Flake's brother-in-law) for the Senate seat in LD18 has gotten far nastier than anyone could have expected.
However, this post from Seeing Red AZ proves that the prediction wasn't far off, either.
Apparently, *someone* is spending some big money to finance some robocalls from former RNC Chair Haley Barbour that support the pro-McCain candidates for PC, and the Rep leadership in the district is most assuredly not happy about it as one of the people targeted for defeat is the chair of the Maricopa County Republicans.
One prediction that I made that turned out to be accurate -
"Anyway, should be fun to watch...if you're a Democrat."
:)
Other interesting races (aka - "Republicans eating their own") -
In the Rep race in the LD6 State Representative primary, the various (and competing) supporters of Tony Bouie and Carl Seel have been trading jabs - "Bouie's a RINO!", "Not so!", "So!", and so one. An example of some of the anti-Bouie rhetoric here; an example of the anti-Seel stuff here.
Over in CD5, former Maricopa County Treasurer David Schweikert and former Scottsdale City Councilwoman (and current lobbyist) Susan Bitter Smith have dropped the gloves (that's a hockey reference for you AZ lifers :) ) and are airing attack ads targeting each other. (PolitickerAZ coverage here)
And in a very mild example, three of the Democratic candidates for AZ Corporation Commission, Sandra Kennedy, Paul Newman, and Sam George, are running as a slate and are airing a TV spot that implies that only they support an increased use of solar energy in Arizona. One minor detail - non-slate Democratic candidate Kara Kelty also supports solar and renewable energy (see her AZ Republic candidate questionnaire)
Let's be clear - it's the Republicans who oppose any efforts to change the status quo regarding energy production and consumption in Arizona.
With these races, as well as a couple of others (like the 8-way Rep primary for the 3 open seats on the Corporation Commission and the Scottsdale races for Mayor and City Council), Tuesday's primary election day will be an interesting one.
Later!
What a difference an even number makes...
Before giving free rein to my inherent cynicism, let me say that my thoughts and prayers go out to the residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast area as Hurricane Gustav approaches. May they all come through this with nothing worse than a wet car and some interesting travel stories to tell their grandchildren.
Now on to your normally scheduled snarkiness...
In the wake of the spectacular success of last week's Democratic Convention in Denver, Hurricane Gustav may be the best gift that Bush, McCain, and the Republicans could have asked for.
To whit -
- When observers inevitably note that the Rep convention didn't match the Democratic convention for energy or eyeballs, they can now point to Gustav, not their own lackluster candidate or tired platform, as the culprit. They've already altered the schedule for the first day of the convention, turning it into a functional meeting only.
- McCain gets to show he has a heart by visiting evacuees in Mississippi with his running mate Sarah Palin rather than being wined and dined by the Republican Party elite and its financial backers in Minnesota.
- McCain also gets out from under the cloud that accompanies Bush and Cheney wherever they go, because they have cancelled their scheduled appearances at the convention. The McCain campaign couldn't exactly *ask* a sitting President and VP to skip the gathering; now Mother Nature has done it for them.
- Following in the theme of the above note, Bush gets an opportunity to somewhat rehabilitate his image after the debacle of Katrina. Instead of his post-Katrina "flyover" debacle, Bush will inspect preparations and meet with evacuees and emergency preparations in Texas (in Texas instead of Louisiana so that his presence doesn't interfere with emergency preparations).
- Federal agencies now have an opportunity to demonstrate that they aren't soullessly mismanaged the way they were during the run-up to and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The biggest difference between the two storms, Katrina and Gustav, is one of simple timing -
- Katrina hit one of the poorest areas of the country, and hit during 2005, which was not an election year.
- Gustav is hitting the same area two months before a presidential election.
Any other questions?
The Obama campaign's message on Gustav is here; the McCain campaign's response is here (note: they don't have anything on the campaign website as yet.)
Now on to your normally scheduled snarkiness...
In the wake of the spectacular success of last week's Democratic Convention in Denver, Hurricane Gustav may be the best gift that Bush, McCain, and the Republicans could have asked for.
To whit -
- When observers inevitably note that the Rep convention didn't match the Democratic convention for energy or eyeballs, they can now point to Gustav, not their own lackluster candidate or tired platform, as the culprit. They've already altered the schedule for the first day of the convention, turning it into a functional meeting only.
- McCain gets to show he has a heart by visiting evacuees in Mississippi with his running mate Sarah Palin rather than being wined and dined by the Republican Party elite and its financial backers in Minnesota.
- McCain also gets out from under the cloud that accompanies Bush and Cheney wherever they go, because they have cancelled their scheduled appearances at the convention. The McCain campaign couldn't exactly *ask* a sitting President and VP to skip the gathering; now Mother Nature has done it for them.
- Following in the theme of the above note, Bush gets an opportunity to somewhat rehabilitate his image after the debacle of Katrina. Instead of his post-Katrina "flyover" debacle, Bush will inspect preparations and meet with evacuees and emergency preparations in Texas (in Texas instead of Louisiana so that his presence doesn't interfere with emergency preparations).
- Federal agencies now have an opportunity to demonstrate that they aren't soullessly mismanaged the way they were during the run-up to and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The biggest difference between the two storms, Katrina and Gustav, is one of simple timing -
- Katrina hit one of the poorest areas of the country, and hit during 2005, which was not an election year.
- Gustav is hitting the same area two months before a presidential election.
Any other questions?
The Obama campaign's message on Gustav is here; the McCain campaign's response is here (note: they don't have anything on the campaign website as yet.)
Quotes from the Democratic Convention
Most of these are from the "as prepared for delivery" press releases (my note-taking ability couldn't keep up; hence, for most of the speakers, I didn't even try...); some are from different meetings and forums...
"With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States." - Senator Barack Obama during his acceptance speech...
"All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do — that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be. " - Michelle Obama...
"We need a president who puts the Barney Smiths before the Smith Barneys." - Barney Smith, former Republican and former RCA worker whose job was sent overseas...
"This is our time. This is our moment to change the course of history." - Mark Udall, Colorado Congressman and candidate for U.S. Senate...
"For every American who is trying to do the right thing, for all those people in government who are honoring their pledge to uphold the law and honor the Constitution, no longer will you hear the eight most dreaded words in the English language: "The Vice President's office is on the phone." " - Senator and Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee Joe Biden...
"If every criminal has the right to see a lawyer, every family should have the right to see a doctor." - John Melcher, former U.S. Senator from Montana, at a meeting of the Senior Caucus (This was a major talking point among the health care reform crowd; I heard it from other speakers at various meetings, but Melcher was the first I heard, so he gets credit. )
"Barack Obama had the good judgment to know that we should not risk the lives of our brave soldiers in the wrong war." - Illinois Senator Richard Durbin...
"That's a thousand dollar hat on a 10-cent head." - Populist and Texan Jim Hightower to the Rural Caucus, discussing pictures of George W. Bush wearing a cowboy hat while clearing brush on his Texas ranch, the one that has not cattle.
"Card laid, card played - keep your word." - Representative Mike Honda (D-CA), speaking at the Veterans' Caucus about the plight of Filipino WW2 veterans who were screwed out of their benefits by Congress immediately after the war (but it's a valid sentiment in other areas, too)...
"Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time?" - Senator Barack Obama...
"These are extraordinary times. This is an extraordinary election. The American people are ready. I'm ready. Barack is ready. This is his time. This is our time. This is America's time." - Senator Joe Biden...
"It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it." - Senator Barack Obama...
"We honor McCain's service; we ask him to honor ours." - Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers, speaking at the Veterans' Caucus...
"McCain has been AWOL on Veterans' issues." - Colonel Richard Klass, USAF (Ret.)
"...we don't need four more years . . . of the last eight years." - Senator Hillary Clinton...
"In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own." - Senator Barack Obama, referring to the Republicans' 'trickle-down' theory of economics [which I call 'tinkle-down' economics]...
"Obama will be a great president, but he can't do this alone. He needs your help." - Congressman John Dingell...
"All the governors need a partner in the White House, and Barack Obama will be that partner." - Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio...
"I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow. - Senator Barack Obama...
"No way. No how. No McCain." - Senator Hillary Clinton...
"It was the classiest thing that I've heard in 32 years of coming to these conventions." - DNC Chairman Howard Dean, referring to Sen. Hillary Clinton's speech on convention Tuesday.
"McCain may pay hundreds of dollars for his shoes, but we will pay for his flip flops." - New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson...
"I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families." - Senator Barack Obama...
"Barack Obama will lead us away from division and fear of the last eight years back to unity and hope. If, like me, you still believe America must always be a place called Hope, then join Hillary, Chelsea and me in making Senator Barack Obama the next President of the United States." - former President Bill Clinton...
"The forces of the status quo are desperately afraid of the change that Barack Obama represents." - Al Gore, former Vice President, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and Oscar winner...
"Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our President." - Senator Hillary Clinton...
"Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America." - Senator Barack Obama...
"With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States." - Senator Barack Obama during his acceptance speech...
"All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do — that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be. " - Michelle Obama...
"We need a president who puts the Barney Smiths before the Smith Barneys." - Barney Smith, former Republican and former RCA worker whose job was sent overseas...
"This is our time. This is our moment to change the course of history." - Mark Udall, Colorado Congressman and candidate for U.S. Senate...
"For every American who is trying to do the right thing, for all those people in government who are honoring their pledge to uphold the law and honor the Constitution, no longer will you hear the eight most dreaded words in the English language: "The Vice President's office is on the phone." " - Senator and Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee Joe Biden...
"If every criminal has the right to see a lawyer, every family should have the right to see a doctor." - John Melcher, former U.S. Senator from Montana, at a meeting of the Senior Caucus (This was a major talking point among the health care reform crowd; I heard it from other speakers at various meetings, but Melcher was the first I heard, so he gets credit. )
"Barack Obama had the good judgment to know that we should not risk the lives of our brave soldiers in the wrong war." - Illinois Senator Richard Durbin...
"That's a thousand dollar hat on a 10-cent head." - Populist and Texan Jim Hightower to the Rural Caucus, discussing pictures of George W. Bush wearing a cowboy hat while clearing brush on his Texas ranch, the one that has not cattle.
"Card laid, card played - keep your word." - Representative Mike Honda (D-CA), speaking at the Veterans' Caucus about the plight of Filipino WW2 veterans who were screwed out of their benefits by Congress immediately after the war (but it's a valid sentiment in other areas, too)...
"Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time?" - Senator Barack Obama...
"These are extraordinary times. This is an extraordinary election. The American people are ready. I'm ready. Barack is ready. This is his time. This is our time. This is America's time." - Senator Joe Biden...
"It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it." - Senator Barack Obama...
"We honor McCain's service; we ask him to honor ours." - Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers, speaking at the Veterans' Caucus...
"McCain has been AWOL on Veterans' issues." - Colonel Richard Klass, USAF (Ret.)
"...we don't need four more years . . . of the last eight years." - Senator Hillary Clinton...
"In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own." - Senator Barack Obama, referring to the Republicans' 'trickle-down' theory of economics [which I call 'tinkle-down' economics]...
"Obama will be a great president, but he can't do this alone. He needs your help." - Congressman John Dingell...
"All the governors need a partner in the White House, and Barack Obama will be that partner." - Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio...
"I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow. - Senator Barack Obama...
"No way. No how. No McCain." - Senator Hillary Clinton...
"It was the classiest thing that I've heard in 32 years of coming to these conventions." - DNC Chairman Howard Dean, referring to Sen. Hillary Clinton's speech on convention Tuesday.
"McCain may pay hundreds of dollars for his shoes, but we will pay for his flip flops." - New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson...
"I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families." - Senator Barack Obama...
"Barack Obama will lead us away from division and fear of the last eight years back to unity and hope. If, like me, you still believe America must always be a place called Hope, then join Hillary, Chelsea and me in making Senator Barack Obama the next President of the United States." - former President Bill Clinton...
"The forces of the status quo are desperately afraid of the change that Barack Obama represents." - Al Gore, former Vice President, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and Oscar winner...
"Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our President." - Senator Hillary Clinton...
"Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America." - Senator Barack Obama...
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Short Attention Span Musing
Finally back from Denver, and as much as I had a blast, I'm happy to be home. :)
It's hard to be snarky when you're surrounded by so much positive energy, and there is so much to be snarky about. :))
...Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I think John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as the Rep VP candidate is a good move because it balances things. I mean, McCain needs the 3 electoral votes from Palin's Alaska to even up things because Joe Biden brings 3 electoral votes from Delaware, right?
...Seriously, it's not a bad move (the Palin selection) because it shores up McCain's support among the hard-line social conservatives - she supports teaching creationism in public schools, ardently opposes a woman's right to control her reproductive decisions, is ethically flexible, and is good-looking to boot.
In short, she's a conservative's wet dream.
...On the other hand, it's not such a great move either, because it only shores up McCain's support among the base, and it's not likely they were going to vote for a black Democrat no matter who McCain selected as a running mate.
In short, with this choice, McCain has written off moderate and independent voters.
...Actually, the biggest beneficiary of Palin's selection as the VP candidate may be Sen. Ted Stevens - he won his primary, but with an indictment and trial looming over him, he's going to need all the help he can get in November's general election, where he faces Democratic nominee Mark Begich. An elevated turnout of low-efficacy Reps (aka - "the ones who don't pay much attention to minor things like corruption on the part of their elected officials") is about the only thing that can help Stevens keep his job.
...In "Republicans behaving badly" news, Stephen Lemons of the Phoenix New Times has the scoop on how LD18 Republican House candidates Cecil Ash and Ron Middlebrook took Clean Elections $5s from Russell Pearce's favorite neo-Nazi, JT Ready.
Given that Middlebrook is just Pearce without a rug, is this any surprise?
Anyway, while there are no guarantees, the Reps' ongoing self-immolation in LD18 can only help Democratic House candidate Tammie Pursley and Senate candidate Judah Nativio.
...The cynic in me wonders if there if there will be some snickering at the Republican convention (starting Monday) over the fact that thousands of workers needed behind the scenes to make it all happen will have to work on Labor Day, the one holiday on the calendar to honor working Americans?
OK, I have no doubt that there will be some snickering over it. Maybe even some outright glee.
Later!
It's hard to be snarky when you're surrounded by so much positive energy, and there is so much to be snarky about. :))
...Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I think John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as the Rep VP candidate is a good move because it balances things. I mean, McCain needs the 3 electoral votes from Palin's Alaska to even up things because Joe Biden brings 3 electoral votes from Delaware, right?
...Seriously, it's not a bad move (the Palin selection) because it shores up McCain's support among the hard-line social conservatives - she supports teaching creationism in public schools, ardently opposes a woman's right to control her reproductive decisions, is ethically flexible, and is good-looking to boot.
In short, she's a conservative's wet dream.
...On the other hand, it's not such a great move either, because it only shores up McCain's support among the base, and it's not likely they were going to vote for a black Democrat no matter who McCain selected as a running mate.
In short, with this choice, McCain has written off moderate and independent voters.
...Actually, the biggest beneficiary of Palin's selection as the VP candidate may be Sen. Ted Stevens - he won his primary, but with an indictment and trial looming over him, he's going to need all the help he can get in November's general election, where he faces Democratic nominee Mark Begich. An elevated turnout of low-efficacy Reps (aka - "the ones who don't pay much attention to minor things like corruption on the part of their elected officials") is about the only thing that can help Stevens keep his job.
...In "Republicans behaving badly" news, Stephen Lemons of the Phoenix New Times has the scoop on how LD18 Republican House candidates Cecil Ash and Ron Middlebrook took Clean Elections $5s from Russell Pearce's favorite neo-Nazi, JT Ready.
Given that Middlebrook is just Pearce without a rug, is this any surprise?
Anyway, while there are no guarantees, the Reps' ongoing self-immolation in LD18 can only help Democratic House candidate Tammie Pursley and Senate candidate Judah Nativio.
...The cynic in me wonders if there if there will be some snickering at the Republican convention (starting Monday) over the fact that thousands of workers needed behind the scenes to make it all happen will have to work on Labor Day, the one holiday on the calendar to honor working Americans?
OK, I have no doubt that there will be some snickering over it. Maybe even some outright glee.
Later!
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