I just like the word

From Colorado Public Radio (emphasis added by me) -

Sept. 8, 2022: Adam Frisch wants to overcome ‘angertainment’ and focus on issues

"Angertainment" is definitely a word that describes the campaign platforms of Kari Lake, Blake Masters, et. al.

After they lose a primary, partisan hacks don't go away, they just get hackier

Jan Dubauskas challenged State Rep. John Kavanagh in his quest for a seat in the state senate.

She didn't succeed.

From the website of the Arizona Secretary of State -

She challenged him from the right, which is a very difficult place to find - he proposed criminalizing the recording of police officers.

Anyway, she may have lost the primary, but she's still looking to affect elections in AZ.

From the website of the IRS -

From her committee's filing -

.

.

.

While I've found no evidence of her registering her committee with the AZSOS, I expect her to do so be raising or expending funds intended to affect the outcome of elections in AZ; those are the rules, after all.

And wingnuts are all about rules, right? :)

Stating the obvious time: The R demographic skews older

From an article from KTVK/KPHO, re-published from Stacker -

Counties with the most seniors in Arizona

Seniors will comprise more than 20% of U.S. residents in 2030, up from 15% in 2020.

By 2034, older adults will outnumber children, according to Census Bureau projections. Across the U.S., 52 million Americans are 65 years or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and a quarter of them live in just three states: California, Florida, and Texas. By comparison, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, and Alaska each have fewer than 150,000 senior residents.

[snip]

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most seniors in Arizona using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percentage of residents 65 years or older according to 2020 5-year estimates. Keep reading to find out which counties have the most seniors in Arizona.

I noticed that some of the highest-ranked counties tended to be red counties.

(Ranks and senior citizen data from the article; voter registration [as of August 2022] and voting history data from the Arizona Secretary of State's office)

Most counties in AZ voted the way their registration advantage indicated they would (i.e. - D counties voted for Biden; R counties voted for Cheeto).  There were two exceptions to this - D-leaning Yuma County voted for Cheeto while R-leaning Maricopa County voted for Biden.  Both voting margins were close and the registration advantages are also close.

It isn't a coincidence that the six counties in AZ with the highest percentage of senior citizens are also R-leaning.    

Federal Committee update

I didn't expect to have to do one of these posts so late in the cycle, but, thanks to Ms. Garcia, one is necessary.  With early ballots hitting mailboxes in a few weeks, I don't expect to have to do this again.  Of course, I've been wrong before. :)

Garcia is a Republican from Avondale who is mounting a write-in challenge to Congressman Raul Grijalva.

She filled out her FEC paperwork incorrectly, so this doesn't show as a candidate committee.

MAGA = 'Making Attorneys Get Attorneys'

Maybe Cheeto's lawyers should have two things read to them when they take Cheeto on as client:

1. The Miranda Warning.

From Ebay -

2. Something from their Bar Association advising them to collect their retainer/fees up front.  They might negotiate an incredible retainer, but if it to be paid afterward, it probably isn't going to be paid.  Cheeto has a history of not paying his bills.  

Call it the "bird in the hand" rule.

From BusinessInsider -

With more than 40 Trump lawyers singled out for ethics complaints and even more facing charges, legal experts joke MAGA now stands for 'Making Attorneys Get Attorneys'

For lawyers working with former President Donald Trump, legal risk is considered an expected part of the job: More than 40 attorneys who worked to overturn the 2020 election on his behalf have been hit with ethics complaints.

The New York Times reported legal experts joke MAGA now stands for "Making Attorneys Get Attorneys," based on the reputational risk of working with Trump.

 

Dear Chief Justice Roberts: If you want your Supreme Court to be seen as legitimate, maybe the court should look out for the interests of all of America

...and not just the wingnuts and moneyed interests.

Oh, and it would help your personal credibility to not make your comments in Colorado Springs, a known haven for fanatics.

From CNN -

Roberts defends Supreme Court's legitimacy and says last year has been 'difficult in many respects'

Chief Justice John Roberts -- making his first public comments since the US Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last term, triggering demonstrations across the country -- defended the legitimacy of the court Friday night while also acknowledging it had been "gut-wrenching" to drive into a barricaded high court every morning.

Roberts, without directly mentioning protests, said that all of the court's opinions are open to criticism, but he pointedly noted that "simply because people disagree with opinions, is not a basis for questioning the legitimacy of the court."

[snip]

Speaking to an audience of judges attending the 10th Circuit Bench and Bar Conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Roberts noted that the metal barricade that had been installed around the building is now down, and he announced that when the justices return to the bench to start a new term next month, the public will finally be able to attend arguments in person once again.

Well, that didn't take long - Federal judge stays John Kavanagh's law criminalizing filming the police

From The Hill -

Federal judge blocks Arizona law restricting filming of police

A federal judge blocked an Arizona law on Friday that was set to ban the recording of police within 8 feet of a “law enforcement activity.” 

U.S. District Judge John Tuchi granted a preliminary injunction requested by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona and multiple media outlets, which argued that the law violates the First Amendment rights of journalists and the public. 

Kavanagh's original bill is here.

As this is just a temporary stay, this isn't over, but it is a good first step.

Queen Elizabeth passes, and decent people the world over are mourning. When Cheeto passes? Decent people will cheer

First, let me say that a fan of kings, queens, emperors, or, in Cheeto's case, wannabes.

Titles and/or wealth that someone does nothing more to earn than being born to the right parents don't impress me.

Some handle those things well; some don't.

Elizabeth handled them well.

My guess is that her funeral will better attended than Cheeto's; of course, I expect that his wake will be better attended than his funeral...if only so people can get close enough to the body so that they can poke it to see if they get a reaction.

My other guess is that the only reaction they'll get is Junior, Vanky, and Fredo hitting them up for money.  

The grift will never end for them.

The funeral attendance stuff has already started.  Guessing that Cheeto won't be going, or even be invited.  It looks like his liege won't be there, either.  

From Sky News -

Joe Biden planning to attend Queen's funeral - but Vladimir Putin not expected after sending note to King Charles

The death of Queen Elizabeth II has sparked an outpouring of tributes from around the globe, and while details of her funeral are yet to be announced, some world leaders have already announced whether they plan to attend.

While no formal plans for Her Majesty's funeral have been announced yet, the ceremony is expected to take place within 10 days after her death.

The 96-year-old monarch died on Thursday at her home in Balmoral, Scotland, surrounded by members of the Royal Family.

The ADL has a list of members of the far-right fringe group the Oath Keepers. Surprisingly, it doesn't include the entire R caucus of the legislature.

It should, though.

From the ADL -

The Oath Keepers Data Leak: Unmasking Extremism in Public Life

In the wake of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, significant public and legal scrutiny was focused on the Oath Keepers, a large anti-government extremist group associated with the militia movement. Despite the group’s national profile, few specifics were known about its membership.

That changed in September 2021, when the non-profit journalist collective Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets) published – among other data – more than 38,000 names on the Oath Keepers’ membership list. The membership data provides unique insight into the people who signed up and paid dues to the organization over the years and helps illuminate the extent to which the group’s anti-government ideology has permeated mainstream society.

[snip]

There are some notable exceptions. While COE did not find anyone currently holding office at the federal level, there were several individuals on the membership list who hold state positions, including:

• Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers, a self-proclaimed member of the Oath Keepers, who has remained a supporter despite the group’s alleged participation in the January 6 attack. In March 2021 – just two months after the insurrection – Rogers met with the Cottonwood Oath Keepers and praised the group for their “dedication to our Constitution and to our country.” According to the database, she signed up for an annual membership.

[snip]

• Major Eben Bratcher, who works for the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, wrote, “I am currently the Patrol Bureau Commander for the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona. We have 85 sworn officers and Border Mexico on the South and California on the West. I’ve already introduced your web site to dozens of my Deputies.” Bratcher claims he left the organization several years ago because of the number of emails it sent.

[snip]

While the open-source resources used by COE to identify individuals typically provide accurate information, there are some limitations to this methodology, particularly in verifying names within the database that matched the names of law enforcement and military personnel.

First, multiple people in an area may have the same name. To the best of its abilities, COE worked to verify the individuals in question, and common names in high-density population areas were excluded from the final count. In addition, where applicable, COE has informed law enforcement agencies (with appropriate caveats) across the country that a person with a name matching one of their employees was found in the Oath Keepers database. Some agencies have been responsive, but others have not responded, or have responded without confirmation. Every elected official or 2022 candidate included in the final total has been confirmed based on public reporting, public statements made by the individual in question, or by comparing the information provided to the Oath Keepers with the official’s public filings, public records, or online posts containing phone numbers, email addresses, or physical addresses.

Second, it is possible that these numbers do not fully account for individuals who may have moved a significant distance, those who do not have an online presence, and those who do not self-identify their profession on their social media pages. As such, it is possible that the true number could be higher than what is documented in this report.

Third, this report does not include people who only joined local Oath Keepers chapters, or who are Oath Keepers but never officially signed up for the group. Rhodes allowed members currently serving in law enforcement and the military to participate in the organization without formally signing up, knowing that formal association with the organization could endanger their employment.

Finally, it is important to note once more that an individual’s inclusion in the Oath Keeper database is not proof that they were or are still an Oath Keeper, that they hold or held all or some of Oath Keeper ideology or viewpoints, or that they ever actively participated in Oath Keeper activities. When reviewing this information, you should bear in mind the possibility that the individual misunderstood the nature of the Oath Keepers. Before taking any action based on this information, an individualized assessment of the individual must take place.

Let me sum up the caveats in a briefer fashion:

1. Inclusion in the DB is NOT definitive evidence that someone is extremist.

2. Not being in the DB is NOT definitive evidence that someone is NOT an extremist.

The AZ tally from the ADL report -

While the ADL report doesn't contain all of the specific names of the elected officials who are members of the Oath Keepers look to be Rogers, State Sen. Kelly Townsend, State Rep. Mark Finchem, and State Rep. Quang Nguyen.  How did I come up with that list?  This article from The Copper Courier, dated June 13, 2022 -

These 4 Arizona Lawmakers Have Ties to the Oath Keepers, a Far-Right, Anti-Government Group

The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers—two far-right, anti-government extremist groups—were at the center of Thursday’s first public congressional committee hearing regarding the attack on the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

[snip]

Several Arizona lawmakers have expressed support or admiration for the Oath Keepers during or before their time in office. Stewart Rhodes, the group’s leader and founder, is set to face trial for seditious conspiracy in September.

Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Tucson/Casa Grande, assumed office in 2015. Less than one year earlier, he posted about an Oath Keepers meetup in Tucson. 

[snip]

Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, known to cozy up to white nationalists who praise Vladimir Putin and Adolf Hitler like Nicholas Fuentes, is a self-proclaimed member of the Oath Keepers. She met with the Cottonwood chapter two months after the Jan. 6 insurrection. 

[snip]

Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, had “Oathkeeper” in her Twitter bio for months after the Jan. 6 insurrection. 

[snip]

Rep. Quang Nguyen, R-Prescott Valley, flatly said on Twitter, “I’m an Oath Keeper. Do not ever forget it. Now what?”

More on Finchem from Time Magazine, dated August 3, 2022 -

An Oath Keeper Could End Up in Charge of Arizona's Elections

Two Donald Trump loyalists who spun baseless conspiracy theories about the last presidential election moved one step closer Tuesday night to overseeing the next one in a key battleground state.

Mark Finchem, who has identified himself as a member of the Oath Keepers, marched to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, pushed for a fruitless partisan review of the presidential ballots in Arizona’s Maricopa County, and has vowed to radically reshape voting rights in the state, won Arizona’s Republican primary for Secretary of State, a position which serves as the state’s chief election officer.

Guessing that Mark Finchem is hoping that this idea doesn't catch on

From CNN -

New Mexico county commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder removed from elected office for role in US Capitol riot

A New Mexico judge on Tuesday removed January 6 rioter and Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin from his elected position as a county commissioner for his role in the US Capitol attack.

The ruling was the result of a lawsuit seeking Griffin's removal, which alleged that he violated a clause in 14th Amendment of the Constitution by participating in an "insurrection" against the US government. He had been convicted of trespassing earlier this year.

Does Lindsey Graham even unfasten his lips from Cheeto's posterior when he speaks?

Or is he an accomplished multitasker?

Pointed at this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

From CNBC -

Trump 2024 could be one of the ‘greatest political comebacks in 

American history,’ says Sen. Lindsey Graham

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham believes that former President Donald Trump stands a “pretty good chance” of winning the 2024 U.S. presidential election, in what he said could be one of the “greatest political comebacks in American history.”

Speaking to CNBC Saturday, Graham — a South Carolina Republican and close ally of Trump — said he had advised the former president that he had “no chance” of winning the election in 2020, but added that 2024 was within his reach.

Shockingly, Arizona makes the news, and it's not for a bad thing

From AP (emphasis added by me)-

Russia sanctions 25 more Americans, including Penn, Stiller

Russia imposed personal sanctions Monday on 25 Americans, including 

actors Sean Penn and Ben Stiller, in response to U.S. sanctions against 

Russians stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was on the new sanctions list, 

as were several American senators: 

Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, 

Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Rick Scott of Florida, and 

Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

That may the nicest thing ever said about Sinema.

Whatthehell is CAWCD2?

While I started blogging again a little over a year ago (after a few years away), one of my most popular posts is from almost 16 years ago and went into a low-profile but important elected body, the Central Arizona Water Conservation District.(CAWCD).

*Very* important in light of the ongoing massive drought in the western U.S. and the reduced allocations from the Colorado River.

The original post is here.

From the original post -

One of those races is the one for "CAWCD." Not knowing what that stands for, I did a quick search, and found out that CAWCD is the acronym for "Central Arizona Water Conservation District."

Those elected to it serve as the board of directors for the Central Arizona Project (CAP).

For those of you who live under a rock, or in another state, CAP is a canal built to bring water from the Colorado River to central and southern Arizona. The CAWCD was formed to administer and operate the infrastructure needed to do that.

There are 14 candidates on the ballot for five seats.  From the Maricopa County Recorder's Office -

Ylenia Aguilar is a member of the governing board of the Osborn School District.

Alexandra Arboleda is a current member of CAWCD.  Attorney.

Lisa Bullington.  Attorney for Levine Investments.  Has as a treasurer someone whose name has popped up before.  And will postdate his involvement with a committee.

Alan Dulaney.  Has run for CAWCD before.  Retired water administrator for the City of Peoris.

Shelby Duplessis.  A developer and former realtor.

Benjamin Graff is current member of CAWCD.  Attorney.

Jason Lundgren is a chiropractor from Chandler.

Cory Mishkin is a real estate guy with the same treasurer as Bullington.

Amanda Monize is a teacher.  Has the same treasurer as Lundgren and both committees had their paperwork submitted to the county on the same date (July 29).

Donovan Neese is Superintendent of the Roosevelt Irrigation District.  Has an MBA.

Jim Pederson is a developer and was a candidate for US Senate in 2006

Karen Peters is a Deputy City Manager for the City of Phoenix.

Barbara Seago is a programmer/analyst for Boeing.

Daniel Cirigani Wood is someone I can't find out much about.  He hasn't formed a committee for this run.  If he's who I think he is, he has a predilection for running for office in districts he live in.  Something that's legal when running for Congress.  Other offices?  Not so much.

There are three board members whose terms are expiring but are NOT running for reelection - Jennifer Brown, Jim Holway, and Mark Lewis.

Yes, this year's monsoon season in the Phoenix area was an active one - just ask the SRP-MIC

For the uninitiated, "SRP-MIC" means "Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community".

From O'odham Action News, dated August 4,2022 -

Severe Storm Ravages the Community, Causes Widespread Damage

A severe monsoon storm struck the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in the late evening between 8 and 9 p.m. on Sunday, July 17. Several homes, power lines and pieces of infrastructure were damaged or completely destroyed by high winds, prompting the Community to make a formal disaster declaration. 

In the wake of the storm, the Salt River Fire Department, Public Works Department  Salt River Police Department, Salt River Health & Human Services (HHS) sprang into action to assess the damage. For Community members left without power and unable to find comfort at home due to the warm temperatures, cooling stations were set up at SRFD Fire Station 294 and the Lehi Community Building. Individuals whom were significantly impacted by the storms were provided short-term housing solutions through Salt River HHS. 

Certain people in Washington, D.C. were paying attention.

From the White House -

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Disaster Declaration for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Disaster Declaration for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and ordered federal aid to supplement the Tribe’s efforts in the areas affected by severe storms from July 17-18, 2022.

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms.

Finally, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Andrew F. Grant as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the Tribe and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.  The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

Cheeto would have sent paper towels.  If that.

In 2016, the Community did NOT vote for Cheeto (note: while the SRP-MIC has its own precincts for its own elections, in terms of Maricopa County elections, they have one precinct - Honda.)

In 2016, Puerto Rico didn't vote for Cheeto, in fact, they *couldn't*.  They couldn't vote for any presidential candidate.  Yet, after their disaster, Cheeto embraced his inner petty bigot, and they got rolls of paper towels.

The people of the SRP-MIC *could* have voted for Cheeto, but didn't.

He didn't impress the voters there in 2020. 

A tale of two speeches, GOP view: Trump's speech helps Democrats; Biden's speech helps GQPers become snowflakes

From The Hill -

Former GOP rep: Trump gave Democrats ‘major gift’ with speech in Pennsylvania

Former Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Charlie Dent on Saturday said former President Trump’s speech at a rally on Saturday night in the Keystone State was a “major gift” for Democrats. 

“Most Republican candidates don’t want anything to do with Donald Trump in this general election. They want this to be about Joe Biden and the Democrats, but to the extent Trump inserts himself into this conversation, he’s giving the Democrats a major gift right now,” Dent said on CNN. 

That's the "helping Democrats" part.  The going "snowflake" part?

Also from The Hill -

McCaul: A lot of Republicans were ‘very offended’ by Biden speech

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said many Republicans were “very offended” by President Biden’s primetime speech last week that called out former President Trump and MAGA Republicans as extremists and a threat to democracy.

McCaul told ABC’s “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz that Biden’s Philadelphia address from Independence Hall on Thursday night had the “opposite effect” of unifying the nation because calling Republicans “a threat to democracy is really a slap in the face.”

Actually, Biden made it clear that he wasn't talking about *all* Republicans, notwithstanding McCaul's pouting.

From the White House -

[snip]

Now, I want to be very clear — (applause) — very clear up front: Not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans.  Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology.