Blog For Arizona

A (J.C.) Penney for your thoughtlessness?

by David Safier

Let's see, how many bad messages can we give to young girls? That being "pretty" is enough? That school doesn't matter? That homework is for boys? There they are, all on one J.C Penney's t-shirt, for girls aged 7 to 16.

"I'm too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me," it says.

Here's the sales pitch that goes with the shirt. Really, I'm not kidding.

"Who has time for homework when there's a new Justin Bieber album out? She'll love this tee that's just as cute and sassy as she is."

J.C. Penney saw the error of its ways when it received enough complaints.

J.C. Penney is committed to being America's destination for great style and great value for the whole family. We agree that the "Too pretty" t-shirt does not deliver an appropriate message, and we have immediately discontinued its sale. Our merchandise is intended to appeal to a broad customer base, not to offend them. We would like to apologize to our customers and are taking action to ensure that we continue to uphold the integrity of our merchandise that they have come to expect.

To the company's credit, that's a pretty sincere, excuse-free apology. I don't think it's enough, though. I want the team that came up with the idea to write the entire apology 500 times, long hand, with a dull pencil. Not 500 times total, 500 times from each of them. And if the handwriting's sloppy, I want them to write it another 500 times until they get it right. But that's just me.

The GOP War on Voting

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I have explained several times over the years that the Republican Party has for decades engaged in unlawful voter suppression for which it remains under the supervision of the federal courts under a series of consent decrees. For example, A primer on GOP voter suppression: voter caging:

The Republican Party has for many years engaged in unlawful voter suppression. The case of DNC v. RNC resulted in a 1982 consent decree in which the RNC agreed not to engage in voter caging and intimidation activities or to target minority voters. Consent Decree (1982).

Despite the consent decree, the RNC began using similar tactics in Louisiana in 1986. Under the guise of fraud prevention, the RNC facilitated voter caging programs and other tactics. The DNC filed a contempt motion to reopen the case and enjoin the RNC from conducting the Louisiana programs. Once again, the RNC voluntarily agreed to a consent decree rather than fight the claims in court. The result was a 1986 decree [PDF] in which the RNC agreed not to do any ballot security programs anywhere in the country without prior court approval. See Consent Decree (1987).

* * *

After the 2008 election, the Republican National Committee asked the federal court to vacate or substantially modify the consent decree. The court agreed  only to modify the consent decree. Debevoise Opinion (2009); Debevoise Order (2009). The consent decree remains in effect.

If you want to review additional pleadings, see DNC v. RNC Consent Decree | Brennan Center for Justice.

This week I told you about the efforts of the Republican Party to disenfranchise millions of Americans of their right to vote through voter I.D. laws. GOP Voter Suppression: Photo I.D. requirements:

Forty-seven states have enacted 285 election-related laws this year, and 60 percent were in states with Republican governors, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

As you might expect, the usual suspects are behind this undemocratic and un-American effort to disenfranchise American citizens of their right to vote: the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the billionaire bastard Koch brothers, among others.

Rolling Stone magazine takes an in-depth look at The GOP War on Voting this month in a must-read report:

As the nation gears up for the 2012 presidential election, Republican officials have launched an unprecedented, centrally coordinated campaign to suppress the elements of the Democratic vote that elected Barack Obama in 2008. Just as Dixiecrats once used poll taxes and literacy tests to bar black Southerners from voting, a new crop of GOP governors and state legislators has passed a series of seemingly disconnected measures that could prevent millions of students, minorities, immigrants, ex-convicts and the elderly from casting ballots. "What has happened this year is the most significant setback to voting rights in this country in a century," says Judith Browne-Dianis, who monitors barriers to voting as co-director of the Advancement Project, a civil rights organization based in Washington, D.C.

Republicans have long tried to drive Democratic voters away from the polls. "I don't want everybody to vote," the influential conservative activist Paul Weyrich told a gathering of evangelical leaders in 1980. "As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down." But since the 2010 election, thanks to a conservative advocacy group founded by Weyrich, the GOP's effort to disrupt voting rights has been more widespread and effective than ever. In a systematic campaign orchestrated by the American Legislative Exchange Council – and funded in part by David and Charles Koch, the billionaire brothers who bankrolled the Tea Party – 38 states introduced legislation this year designed to impede voters at every step of the electoral process.

All told, a dozen states have approved new obstacles to voting. Kansas and Alabama now require would-be voters to provide proof of citizenship before registering. Florida and Texas made it harder for groups like the League of Women Voters to register new voters. Maine repealed Election Day voter registration, which had been on the books since 1973. Five states – Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia – cut short their early voting periods. Florida and Iowa barred all ex-felons from the polls, disenfranchising thousands of previously eligible voters. And six states controlled by Republican governors and legislatures – Alabama, Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin – will require voters to produce a government-issued ID before casting ballots. More than 10 percent of U.S. citizens lack such identification, and the numbers are even higher among constituencies that traditionally lean Democratic – including 18 percent of young voters and 25 percent of African-Americans.

Taken together, such measures could significantly dampen the Democratic turnout next year – perhaps enough to shift the outcome in favor of the GOP. "One of the most pervasive political movements going on outside Washington today is the disciplined, passionate, determined effort of Republican governors and legislators to keep most of you from voting next time," Bill Clinton told a group of student activists in July. "Why is all of this going on? This is not rocket science. They are trying to make the 2012 electorate look more like the 2010 electorate than the 2008 electorate" – a reference to the dominance of the Tea Party last year, compared to the millions of students and minorities who turned out for Obama. "There has never been in my lifetime, since we got rid of the poll tax and all the Jim Crow burdens on voting, the determined effort to limit the franchise that we see today."

Continue reading The GOP War on Voting | Rolling Stone.

Keep this report in mind when you hear Attorney General Tom Horne say that Arizona no longer should be subject to preclearance under the Voting Rights Act -- and that he would like to do away with the most significant piece of legislation of the 20th Century, extending the right to vote to all Americans. And beware of tools who write on behalf of right-wing think tanks like the Goldwater Institute (In 2007, the Goldwater Institute urged then secretary of state Jan Brewer to challenge preclearance in court as well), i.e.,  Robert Robb of the Arizona Republic in this opinion today. Arizona may win historic rule challenge.

City of Tucson Mayor & Council Candidates Set: Let the Games Begin!

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I have lived in Tucson since 1963, and this has been the craziest Tucson City Council election I can remember since the water recall election back in the 1970s. After the Primary Election on Tuesday the candidates are finally set for November. Let the games begin!

Mayor

Jonathan Rothschild (D) 

Rick Grinnell (R)

Mary DeCamp (GRN)

Ward 1 Council

Regina Romero (D) incumbent    

Beryl Baker (GRN)

Ward 2 Council

Paul Cunningham (D) incumbent

Jennifer Rawson (R) 

Ward 4 Council

Shirley Scott (D) incumbent        

Tyler Vogt (R)

Greg Stanton top vote getter in Phoenix mayor race - faces November run-off election

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Press releases from the Greg Stanton for Mayor of Phoenix campaigns:

STANTON MOVES FORWARD TO RUN-OFF IN FIRST PLACE

RELEASES CAMPAIGN’S FIRST AD: ‘HE’S OUR GUY’

PHOENIX – The race for the future of our city has officially begun.

Greg Stanton emerged strongly in first place as one of two candidates moving on to the November 8 mayoral election. He faces a head-to-head contest against one of the state’s most powerful private lobbyists, who has already received big-money help from anonymous special interest groups.

“Our opponent may have his lobbying clients writing checks, but the women and men of law enforcement have our back,” Stanton told hundreds of supporters gathered at Tuesday’s election-night rally. “They may have hundreds of thousands of dollars in anonymous special interest money to put out negative ads, but we have an unstoppable army of neighborhood volunteers going door to door and winning this race the right way. They may outspend us, but they won’t outwork us – because while they’re looking for a pay-out, we’re fighting for our future.”

Stanton thanked the hundreds of volunteers and supporters who have made phone calls, walked door-to-door, hosted neighborhood events, and spread the word amongst friends and family.

“Our campaign has been the biggest grassroots effort our city has ever seen, and it is something to be proud of,” Stanton said. “But we can’t rest now.  To win on November 8th, and to realize our shared vision for Phoenix, we must re-double our efforts and work even harder.”

Also on Tuesday, Stanton released his first ad of the election.

“This ad reflects the optimism I have for our future, because I know the opportunities for Phoenix are limitless and the talent in our city is unrivalled,” Stanton said of the ad.

You can see the ad by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slSt3R-KqQw

REPUBLICANS LINE UP FOR GREG STANTON

MORE THAN 100 GOP ENDORSERS SHOWS BROAD BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT

PHOENIX – Republican supporters from across the community are rapidly and publicly lining up behind mayoral Candidate Greg Stanton, who emerged Tuesday with a solid first-place lead heading into the Nov. 8 run-off election. Stanton announced today that more than 115 GOP supporters, with more signing on every day, have publicly endorsed his plan to create high-paying jobs, improve education for our kids and reduce lobbyist influence in local government.

“I know Greg and I support him for the same reasons that so many Democrats, independents and my fellow Republicans support him: He’s the right person for the job,” said Jack LaSota, a Republican and former Arizona Attorney General. “This is not about partisanship for me. Greg has the best experience and the most proven ability to bring the right kind of jobs to Phoenix and to diversify and strengthen our economy. He will be a great mayor for the City of Phoenix.”

Stanton agreed with LaSota, saying that the strong bi-partisan support he’s received throughout the campaign indicates that Phoenix voters are focused on the important challenges facing their city. During his time on the City Council, Stanton, a Democrat, represented District 6 (Arcadia, Biltmore, North Central and Ahwatukee-Foothills), one of the most Republican regions of the City.

“The fact that I have strong support from Republicans, Independents, and Democrats, and from all areas of the city, shows that partisanship does not matter in this race,” said Stanton. “Bringing more jobs to Phoenix and strengthening our schools are not partisan issues.”

###

In "No Nativism to see here, folks" news

by David Safier

No Child Left Behind requires that ELL teachers be fluent in English. Sounds reasonable.

Arizona Dept of Ed took that a giant step further, until the Feds stopped it from trying to make decisions for the districts.

The problem, according to the federal attorneys, is how all that was monitored by state officials who visited the schools. They said the evaluations of teachers were often "subjective."

For example, the federal agencies said, state officials documented instances where one teacher pronounced the word "the" as "da." In a separate incident, a teacher pronounced "another" as "anuder" and "lives here" came out as "leeves here."

Based on that, schools were required to create plans to correct the problems, with complaints that otherwise qualified teachers were removed from classes.

The AZ DOE agreed to leave the teacher fluency issue up to local districts.

Horne, then Huppenthal clearly wanted to be part of the mix to bolster their conservative "If you don't speak A-mur-i-can like an A-mur-i-can, get the hell out" cred. Hupp is a big fan of studies, so he may know, studies have indicated ELL students often learn English better with teachers who speak with an accent similar to theirs, and even make a few foreign language-related grammatical slips. I'm sure those are studies Hupp studiously ignores.

The English fluency thing is part of the whole conservative, anti-immigrant push. Since I've been referring to ALEC lately, here's the beginning of a similar piece of ALEC model legislation relating to college teachers:

English Fluency Among Lectures in State Institutions of Higher Education Act

Summary

This Act requires state institutions of higher education to evaluate their instructional faculties for oral, aural, and written fluency in the English language; provides for certifications as to that fluency; imposing penalties; and conferring powers and duties upon the State Board of Education.

The concept is defensible. After all, who wants a college prof you can't understand? But that should be an in-house, in-college issue, just as it should be an in-district issue. Ballooning it to state prominence is part of the whole English Only push. It has far more to do with promoting fear of the Other than with education.

(h/t to Azazello for the ALEC model legislation link.)

One simple rule: 'Just say no to lobbyists'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Arizona has had a colorful history of lobbyist scandals. There was the Keating Five scandal in the 1980s which cut short the career of Sen. Dennis DeConcini and should have ended the career of Sen. John McCain.

There was the AZscam Scandal in the 1990s that resulted in seven Arizona legislators being indicted. Six reached plea deals; a seventh was convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery and filing false campaign statements. Several other legislators resigned or chose not to seek reelection.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, national media raised questions about John McCain's favors to lobbyists from the telecommunications industry, the defense industry, and to his campaign contributors in real estate speculation and development. (Oddly enough, this national reporting received little attention in the Arizona media, which is John McCain's base).

Recently we have had the Fiesta Bowl scandal in which politicians received tickets and accommodations from lobbyists for the Fiesta Bowl that were improper in some cases and that they failed to report on their financial disclosure forms. "King" Russell Pearce was the worst offender.

One of these lobbyists for the Fiesta Bowl, Chuck Coughlin from Highground, Inc., is also Arizona's "shadow governor." He and his firm run the Governor's office for Jan Brewer. I am not aware of anywhere else in the United States that a governor's office is run by a lobbyist firm, a scandal in its own right. There are serious questions about pay-to-play lobbying of the governor and members of the Arizona legislature that HighGround also represents involving its private prison clients and Curis Resources, a Canadian firm that wants to mine copper in Florence. The Arizona political media has barely scratched the surface of this lobbying story.

Anyone who has spent time at the Arizona Legislature knows that it is captive to the lobbyists. The lobbyists own this state. If you want to know why Arizona is in such a godawful mess, it is because it is run by lobbyists.

Now the lobbyists want to take control of the mayorships of Arizona's two largest cities, Phoenix and Tucson. And they are cutting out the middle man.

In Phoenix, John McCain's long-time friend Wes Gullett is a lobbyist with his firm FirstStrategic Communications and Public Affairs. Gullett received the endorsement in the primary election from The Arizona Republic, John McCain"s media arm. Too bad Gullett finished second behind former Phoenix city councilman and Democrat Greg Stanton. Phoenix mayor race: Stanton, Gullett to face off. Unfortunately, Stanton did not receive enough votes in this crowded primary race to win outright. For the first time in at least 60 years there will be a runoff election in November (at the same time as the Pearce Recall Election in Mesa).

In Tucson, Republican write-in candidate Rick Grinnell is a lobbyist with his lobbying firm, Smart United Business Strategies. His most lucrative client is the Canadian firm Rosemont Copper, which has been embroiled in a controversial plan to open a copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson if they can get permission to dump their tailings on U.S. Forest Service land.

Grinnell is also an appointed member of the controversial Rio Nuevo Multipurpose Facilities District, an entity created by Republicans in the Arizona legislature to remove local control of the Rio Nuevo redevelopment project from the City of Tucson. According to the Rio Nuevo Multipurpose Facilities District's web page, Grinnell was appointed by the "President of the Senate" who is "King" Russell Pearce (I understand that this information is inaccurate). Río Nuevo / Downtown | The Official Website for the City of Tucson, Arizona.

Like Wes Gullett, Rick Grinnell also received support from the local newspaper, the Arizona Daily Star. The Star does not endorse in primary elections. But Grinnell got the front page above-the-fold treatment today with this headline: Tucson has a mayor's race: Grinnell wins spot against Rothschild.

Grinnell had to be cajoled into running as a write-in candidate after two Republicans and an independent candidate failed to gather enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Grinnell supported the independent candidate Pat Darcy -- even though the Republicans had two candidates in the race -- which should raise eyebrows among partisan Republicans. Grinnell is the embattled Pima County Republican Party's desperation pass. He was a reluctant candidate -- "OK, I'll do it if no one else will." His enthusiasm should inspire confidence among Tucson voters - not.

Given Arizona's colorful history with lobbyists, there is one simple rule: "Just say no to lobbyists."

Where is Rob O'Dell when we need him?

by David Safier

There's a teeny tiny little piece in the Star's Business Briefs about "a big bump in pay" for Arizona Commerce Authority CEO Don Cardon. How big a bump? From $183,000 to $300,000 a year. This would be a screaming front page Rob O'Dell story if it were a city job, not just a short piece meant only for the eyes of business people.

[To be fair, O'Dell covers the city, not the state. The point I'm making is, every "excess" in city government, real or imagined, is a major scandal in the Star. This, not so much.]

The original Capitol Times story (subscription only) has the details.

The CEO of the fledgling Arizona Commerce Authority will collect a base salary that will nearly double his pay compared to when he was the director of the now-defunct Arizona Department of Commerce.

Don Cardon’s total compensation package will include a $300,000 base salary, plus a $1,000 per month vehicle allowance and a $50,000 signing bonus his first year. He is also eligible for private-sector bonuses and other perks.

My favorite line in the story is the statement released by the ACA VP Jerry Colangelo:

“This move sends a signal that this position, and the organization as a whole, is of utmost importance and requires a visionary leader to bring Arizona to the forefront of a global marketplace,” he said in the statement.

Translation: Paying the same guy twice as much money is a smart move, because it means people will take him seriously.

Colangelo is a Principal Partner at JDM Partners. Here are the other Board of Directors members of this privatized government agency. Note their stratospheric positions in the private sector. They probably felt sorry for this poor Don Cardon guy, making a mere $183,000, so they gave him a raise while they scream bloody murder about bloated government departments and budgets.

ACA Board of Directors
Chair, Governor Jan Brewer
Co-Chairman, Jerry Colangelo – Principal Partner, JDM Partners
Donald Cardon – President and CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority
Gary Abrams – CEO and President, Abrams Airborne Manufacturing
Richard Adkerson – President and CEO, Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold
Dr. Craig Barrett – Chairman of the Board and CEO (Retired), Intel
Michael Bidwill – President, Arizona Cardinals
Paul Bonavia - Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tucson Electric Power
Drew Brown – Founder and Chairman of the Board, DMB Associates
Phillip L. Francis – Executive Chairman, PetSmart, Inc.
Mike Ingram – CEO and President, El Dorado Holdings
Tim Jeffries – Founder, P7 Enterprises
Stephen Macias – President and CEO of Pivot Manufacturing
Michael Manson – Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Motor Excellence
Mary Peters – President, Mary E. Peters Consulting Group
Doug Pruitt – Chairman and CEO, Sundt Construction
Victor Smith – President and Owner, JV Farms
Roy Vallee – Executive Chairman, Avnet
Candace D. Wiest – President and CEO, West Valley National Bank

RELUCTANT POINTS GIVEN FOR CONSISTENCY: Russell Pearce and Andy Tobin, non-voting, ex-officio members of the Board, objected to the pay raise. But it doesn't sound like they've made much of a stink about this, like they usually do about government budgets and salaries run amok. I'm guessing this is a wink-and-a-nudge, where Pearce and Tobin voice a feeble public objection while they give their private assent.

ALEC and the Arizona legislature: Eminent Domain

by David Safier

This is the second in a series of piece about Arizona bills and resolutions which are taken, in whole or in part, from ALEC models. Thanks to Lisa Hoffman for doing the research.

The first post is here, which includes more explanation about ALEC and its corporate ties.

This is a 2011 bill, HR2472 HB2472, taken from ALEC's Eminent Domain Authority for Federal Lands Act model legislation.

I have to admit my relative ignorance about this wrinkle of the eminent domain issue, except that it gives states authority over federal lands, so it's one of the anti-Fed power grabs so popular with right wing ideologues and their corporate funders. Here's the gist of the ALEC model, which is nearly word for word in the Arizona bill:

. . . property which may be taken under this part includes property possessed by the federal government unless the property was acquired by the federal government with the consent of the Legislature and in accordance with the United States Constitution Article I, Section 8, Clause 17

(2) The state shall be the plaintiff described in the eminent domain complaint in an action to condemn property described in Subsection (1).

If you're more knowledgeable than I, please feel free to chime in with your comments.

I've created a document  with the Arizona resolution, HR2472, and the ALEC model side by side so you can see how the two versions line up. To make it easier, I've color coded the passages where the versions differ.

ANYONE CAN PLAY! There are lots of ALEC inspired bills and resolutions working their way through the AZ legislature at any given time. According to the Capitol Times, 36 made their way through in 2010, and 19 passed. If you're the kind of person who likes to track this kind of thing down, ALEC Exposed has a huge repository of ALEC models you can download, and the AZ State Legislature website has all the bills.

If you happen to know of specific bills and resolutions which originated with ALEC, you can let me know -- safier@schooltales.net.

The home schooled, the unschooled and AZ's "empowerment scholarships"

by David Safier

You may have seen this morning's article in the Star about Unschooling, a variation of home schooling. The only real difference is in emphasis. The idea of home schooling is that the kids go through a reasonably standard curriculum at home, not at school. Unschooling is a free form home schooling where the children take more of the lead in their own educations.

On another front, this is the first year of Arizona's "Empowerment scholarships" (SB1553), the latest and potentially the most dangerous incarnation of the school voucher. According to a PR release from American Federation for Children (a charters/vouchers advocacy group), 167 families signed up. Right now, only students with diagnosed learning disabilities are eligible, though conservatives hope to open it up to everyone in the future.

The idea is, money is put into an "educational savings account" administered by the state. It can be used for private school tuition, storebought or online curriculum, tutoring, test taking -- in other words, a whole host of education-related services. If you don't use it all in a given year, it piles up in your account. If you don't use it by the time the child has "graduated," you can use what's left to pay for college.

Some savvy, educated parents can probably figure out how to massage this program to give their children a good K-12 education and put some money toward college. Less educated, less savvy parents will be taken for a ride by smooth, sleazy operators, and their children will be the victims. This scheme, dreamed up by the Goldwater Institute, is the latest, and one of the dangerous, steps toward taking the "public" out of public schools, degrading one of the most important and precious parts of the American life. (No, public education and public schools are not a failure, contrary to the conservative mantra. The educational attainment of children at the bottom of the economic/social ladder is disgraceful and needs drastic improvement, but the middle and high end of our public education compares favorably with education in Europe and Asia.)

What do "Empowerment Scholarships" have to do with home schooling and unschooling? Clever home/unschooling parents can get state money for their children's home educations, something which was never possible in the past and can't happen with most voucher programs. Just enroll your child in a public school for 100 days (a little over half a school year), find someone who will diagnose your child with a learning disability (not a hard thing to do for lots of children, since the term is so loosely defined), and voila! You get 90% of what the state would spend on that child in a public school, for years and years and years.

So far as I know, no one is challenging the constitutionality of the law, even though the "savings account" workaround may not be strong enough to withstand the prohibition against state money being used for religious purposes. Most people -- even, I imagine, legislators -- are either unaware of the law or of how dangerous it is. This is one that needs to be watched very closely.

Russell Pearce's friend has something to say

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In a comment to Just how messed up is the City of Mesa?, Russell Pearce's friend J.T. Ready (photo right), a Neo-Nazi from Mesa, had this to say:

JT Ready said...

With the archeological discoveries of the Kennewick Man, Buhl Woman, Spirit Cave Mummy, Clovis People, Windover Bog People, Penon Woman III, Solutreans, and many, many other true Native Americans who are in fact White, and dated to before the Asian barbarian cave men who could not evolve were kicked out of China invaded the Whites- it is rather clear that the whole of the Americas belong rightfully to the Europeans. So time to take your savage ways and mongrel blood back to Asia. Our ancestors not only discovered this continent before the hordes of violent Skraelings showed up raping and pillaging like they still do, we actually turned it into a technological marvel and a bastion of liberty for all peoples of the world to emulate. Once again, the invading mongrel hordes tear down civilization and breed like savage beasts of the field with no regard to the Rule of Law or anything clean and orderly.

That is seriously f**ked up.

If you have any doubt that Pearce and Ready are friends, you should read the archived articles at the Phoenix New Times which has the most extensive coverage on the subject. Stephen Lemons will appreciate this.

It's up to you, voters of Mesa. Is this the kind of reputation you want your city to have? Have you finally had enough of this crap? Then it's time for you to go to work to elect Jerry Lewis in the Pearce Recall election. Send ol' Russell and his friend packing.

GOP Voter Suppression: Photo I.D. requirements

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In 2004, the Russell Pearce backed Prop. 200 (crafted by ALEC and FAIR) was sold to voters on the urban legend that "illegals" -- Mexicans are being bused across the border! -- were voting in Arizona elections.

Prop. 200 required proof of citizenship to register to vote, a provision which is still being litigated in court because it is preempted by federal law for some voter registration; and a provision that required a government-issued photo I.D. to vote in person at the polls. (Casting a mail-in ballot requires no photo I.D., a giant loophole in Arizona where most votes are cast by mail-in ballots).

A report in the Arizona Capitol Times today dismisses the "voter fraud" urban legend. Illegal immigrants voting? Not according to election officials (subscription required):

The 2012 election cycle is underway and familiar allegations that illegal immigrants are registering to vote or casting ballots are already cropping up again, but election officials from across Arizona say the oft-made claims are little more than urban legend.

Election officials from all 15 Arizona counties and the Secretary of State’s Office told the Arizona Capitol Times they can’t recall any instances of illegal immigrants trying to commit election fraud. What fraud they have seen is mostly from legal immigrants, many of whom were told by organizers of campaigns that they’re allowed to register to vote.

Maricopa County Elections Director Karen Osborne said she could recall a couple instances of legal immigrants registering to vote, but never an illegal immigrant.

“In my 40-some-odd years … I have never known of an illegal alien trying to vote,” Osborne said. “They’re too afraid to be in the system.”

Arizona's photo I.D. provision was picked up by the states of Georgia and Indiana (through ALEC and FAIR model legislation). In 2008, in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, an appeal from Indiana, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that photo I.D. requirements were constitutional "because its overall burden is minimal and justified” by the valid state interest in deterring voter fraud, despite the fact that prosecutions for impersonating a registered voter are exceedingly rare, or non-existent. (Indiana could not point to a single prosecution).

With Republicans taking control of most U.S. capitols this year and a presidential race looming, states have passed the most election-related laws since 2003 in a push to tighten voting rules. U.S. States Tighten Voting Regulation With Republicans in Charge - Bloomberg:

Forty-seven states have enacted 285 election-related laws this year, and 60 percent were in states with Republican governors, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

* * *

The hottest legislation has been voter identification, according to the NCSL. At the year’s start, only Georgia and Indiana required a photo ID and offered no alternative way to have votes counted in its absence. Opponents say such laws discourage voting by the poor and black people, who traditionally back Democrats. Kansas, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas enacted or amended laws requiring photo ID this year, and 34 states in all considered such bills, the Denver-based organization said.

* * *

In Ohio, Lou Blessing, a state representative from Cincinnati, is co- sponsor of a pending bill that would require photo ID.

* * *

A 2006 Brennan Center study found that 11 percent of U.S. citizens didn’t have a government-issued photo ID, and neither did 18 percent of citizens age 65 and older and 25 percent of black voters.

This is millions of voters who are disenfranchised of their right to vote ostensibly for the purpose to deter voter fraud, which is exceedingly rare or non-existent. Let's get real, we all know the real reason for photo I.D. is not voter fraud, but voter suppression of classes of voters who tend to vote Democratic.

Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), an icon of the Civil Rights Movement, in an opinion in the New York Times last week A Poll Tax by Another Name - NYTimes.com wrote:

Since January, a majority of state legislatures have passed or considered election-law changes that, taken together, constitute the most concerted effort to restrict the right to vote since before the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

* * *

We have come a long way since the 1960s. When the Voting Rights Act was passed, there were only 300 elected African-American officials in the United States; today there are more than 9,000, including 43 members of Congress. The 1993 National Voter Registration Act — also known as the Motor Voter Act — made it easier to register to vote, while the 2002 Help America Vote Act responded to the irregularities of the 2000 presidential race with improved election standards.

Despite decades of progress, this year’s Republican-backed wave of voting restrictions has demonstrated that the fundamental right to vote is still subject to partisan manipulation. The most common new requirement, that citizens obtain and display unexpired government-issued photo identification before entering the voting booth, was advanced in 35 states and passed by Republican legislatures in Alabama, Minnesota, Missouri and nine other states — despite the fact that as many as 25 percent of African-Americans lack acceptable identification.

* * *

Conservative proponents have argued for photo ID mandates by claiming that widespread voter impersonation exists in America, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. While defending its photo ID law before the Supreme Court, Indiana was unable to cite a single instance of actual voter impersonation at any point in its history. Likewise, in Kansas, there were far more reports of U.F.O. sightings than allegations of voter fraud in the past decade. These theories of systematic fraud are really unfounded fears being exploited to threaten the franchise.

* * *

These restrictions purportedly apply to all citizens equally. In reality, we know that they will disproportionately burden African Americans and other racial minorities, yet again. They are poll taxes by another name.

* * *

We’ve come some distance and have made great progress, but Dr. King’s dream has not been realized in full. New restraints on the right to vote do not merely slow us down. They turn us backward, setting us in the wrong direction on a course where we have already traveled too far and sacrificed too much.

For the record, the poll tax argument was raised in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, and was rejected by the majority of the U.S. Supreme Court.

This urban legend of "voter fraud" is a GOP voter suppression tactic that is trotted out in every election and will not die when it is repeated ad nauseam in the right-wing noise machine and is shamelessly promoted by Republican politicians who ought to know better. From the Arizona Capitol Times article Illegal immigrants voting? Not according to election officials:

• [Right-wing] Bloggers, the Arizona Republican Party and some elected officials accused activist groups that were encouraging and assisting voters with early ballot requests of trying to register and obtain ballots for illegal immigrants. Those charges were rejected by Secretary of State Ken Bennett after his office and the Yuma County Recorder’s Office conducted a joint investigation.
• GOP congressional candidate Jesse Kelly alleged that there was a video proving that southern Arizona Democrats were busing in people from Mexico to vote, but state Elections Director Amy Bjelland said an investigation determined that the charges were unfounded and that no such video existed.
• Sen. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa, said he believes voting by illegal immigrants is a major problem and may have swayed the results of the 2010 election in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District between Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva and Republican challenger Ruth McClung.
• Attorney General Tom Horne said he believes hundreds of illegal immigrants may have cast ballots in the 2010 election, and accused President Barack Obama of trying to make it easier for them to do so by joining the legal challenge against Prop. 200.
• Horne said testimony and evidence from the Prop. 200 lawsuit proved his point, and noted that the evidence resulted in 10 prosecutions. But while that evidence showed noncitizens who had registered and even some who had voted in numerous elections, none were specifically identified as illegal immigrants. (emphasis added)

Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said “If one person fraudulently votes opposite of what I voted, then that person has canceled out my vote and it’s a real big problem,” he said. “You have to protect the integrity of your electoral system because that’s the foundation that government legitimacy rests upon.”

So when photo I.D. laws disenfranchise 11 percent of U.S. citizens who have no government-issued photo ID, and 18 percent of citizens age 65 and older and 25 percent of black voters who have no government-issued photo ID, as the Brennan Center study found, and "voter fraud" is actually an exceedingly rare or non-existent event, where does this rate on your "real big problem" scale Rep. Kavanaugh? Or is this a design feature and not a bug of Prop. 200?

Voter I.D. laws "cancel out" millions of votes by disenfranchsing American citizens of their right to vote for want of a government-issued photo ID. How does this protect the integrity of our electoral system? A government that wilfully disenfranchises millions of its citizens to suppress their votes on the basis of age, race and national origin has ceded any legitimacy.

Resource: Voting Rights & Elections | Brennan Center for Justice

Governor Goodhair is An Uninformed Liar: Social Security is Not a Ponzi Scheme

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Neo-Confederate secessionist Governor "Goodhair" Rick Perry of Texas doubled-down on his uninformed assertion in his book "Fed Up!" that social security is a "Ponzi scheme" and a "monstrous lie" to young workers paying into the system. Governor Goodhair, like every corporate-owned conservative since 1935, wants to do away with social security. This "Tenther" states' rights secessionist adds his own twist, saying the social security program could be turned over to the states. You mean states like Texas which provide little or no social services safety net at all?

Nick Baumann at Mother Jones explains to the uninformed and intellectually incurious Governor Goodhair that social security is not a Ponzi scheme. A Venn Diagram for Rick Perry: Social Security Is Not a Ponzi Scheme:

On Saturday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry told a group of voters that Social Security is a "Ponzi scheme" and a "monstrous lie" to younger Americans. It's not the first time the GOP presidential candidate has made such claims. The Texas governor also described Social Security as a Ponzi scheme in his 2010 book, "Fed Up!," and has argued the program is unconstitutional and could be handed over to the states.

When politicians make clearly false claims, reporters have an obligation to explain to readers why those claims are false—or at least quote someone who can. I would suggest political scientist Jonathan Bernstein:

Very simple: anyone who says that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme either misunderstands Social Security, misunderstands Ponzi schemes, is deliberately lying, or some combination of those... After all, a Ponzi scheme is a deliberate fraud. Saying that Social Security is financed like a Ponzi scheme is factually wrong, but saying that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme or is like a Ponzi scheme is basically a false accusation of fraud against the US government and the politicians who have supported Social Security over the years.

Andrew Sullivan's readers also have a number of good reasons why Social Security is not a Ponzi scheme.

The Social Security Administration also has a good webpage explaining why Social Security is not a Ponzi scheme. But I find that charts often make understanding things easier, so here's a Venn diagram I made that explains some of the differences and similarities between Social Security and a Ponzi scheme:

 

AIRC meeting on Wednesday in Phoenix

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission will hold its next public hearing on Wednesday in Phoenix:

August 31, 2011
1:30pm

Executive Tower – Pharmacy Board Meeting Room – 312

1700 W. Washington St Phoenix, AZ 85007

Agenda Info

Steve Muratore indicates there may be additional meetings later in the week, not yet posted to the AIRC web site.

Primary Election Day! Turn in Your Ballots!

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

It's Tuesday, and you know what that means -- it's Primary Election Day in the Tucson City Council election. It is TOO LATE to mail in your ballot. DO NOT MAIL your ballot. All voted mail-in ballots must be in the possession of the City Clerk by 7:00 p.m. on August 30.

Run, don't walk to the nearest "ballot replacement center" to turn in your ballot. If you can't find your ballot or have spoiled it, you can vote a replacement ballot at the ballot replacement centers.

Voting locations where voters can vote in person between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday:

• Randolph Golf Complex, 600 S. Alvernon Way.

• Quincie Douglas Library, 1585 E. 36th St.

• Clements Center, 8155 E. Poinciana Drive.

• St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 1145 E. Fort Lowell Road.

• Udall Park Recreation Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road.

• Valencia Branch Library, 202 W. Valencia Road.

• Tucson City Clerk Elections Center, 800 E. 12th St.

For More Information Contact:
Tucson City Clerk, Elections Center
http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/gov/elections
520-791-3221

---

Join The Pima County Democratic Party
Regina Romero
Shirley Scott
Paul Cunningham
and
Jonathan Rothschild

for a
PRIMARY NIGHT CELEBRATION

Tuesday August 30th
7:00pm

River Park Inn
350 S. Freeway
(West side of I-10 between Congress and 22nd) 

ALEC and the Arizona legislature: State Sovereignty

by David Safier

With this post, I'm beginning what I plan as a series of pieces about Arizona bills and resolutions which were taken almost verbatim from ALEC models.

It's no secret conservative state legislators across the country introduce legislation from the hundreds of model bills compiled by ALEC. That's a primary reason ALEC exists, and why it's funded by the Koch Brothers and other corporate titans -- to get favorable bills passed by state legislators.

A recent Capitol Times article stated,

According to ALEC, Arizona passed 19 of the 36 model bills that were introduced in the Legislature in 2010.

Digging out the specific bills and resolutions can be a laborious task. I've been working with Lisa Hoffman, who is compiling ALEC model bills and resolutions she has found on ALEC Exposed and elsewhere and matching them with similar bills and resolutions which have worked their way through the Arizona legislature in recent years. She's a trained researcher and has been doing the heavy lifting on this project. My task is to take what she digs up and present it a clear, usable format.

The first piece I'm presenting is a "tenther" -- state sovereignty -- resolution which appeared in both the 2009 and 2010 sessions. This is its main thrust:

"[T]he State of Arizona hereby claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States."

The versions -- HCR2024 (2009), SCR1038 (2009), HCR2001(2010), SCR1028 (2010) and SCR1058 (2010) -- are basically identical.

ALEC has been on a state sovereignty crusade at least since 1994, according to an extensive research paper on the topic, but the idea has flown under the national radar until recently when the Tea Party brought the "Tenthers" to wider attention. According to ALEC Exposed, ALEC's state sovereignty model resolution dates from around 1995. The Arizona people who brought the resolution forward did little more than copy/paste ALEC's handiwork. The Arizona version is virtually identical to ALEC's, except for a few omissions and additions.

ALEC was even kind enough to include fill-in-the-blanks for dates and state names.

WHEREAS, Today, in (insert year), the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government; and

[snip]

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the State of (insert State) hereby claims sovereignty under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the United States Constitution. [boldface added]

I've created a document  with the Arizona resolution, SCR1038, and the ALEC model side by side so you can see for yourself how this works. I've color coded the passages where the versions differ.

A political novice wants to run with the big dogs

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Some of you have been asking about the political novice who has filed to run as a Democrat against Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in the Democratic Party primary for Congress. I posted in the comments the other day that the Rose Law Group blog had this brief post. Rose Law Group Blog » EarlyBird News for Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011:

Tucson teacher claims he will challenge Giffords

Says he want to make sure there’s a Dem on the ticket

Anthony Gene Prowell, a 48-year-old special education teacher at Liberty Gifted and Talented Magnet Elementary School in Tucson, says he doesn’t want to see the CD-8 race next year handed over to Repblicans Ruth McClung or Jesse Kelly if Rep. Gabrielle Giffords doesn’t run for reelection, The Yellow Sheet [Arizona Capitol Times] reports.

Prowell, a newcomer to politics, said that while Giffords has gone through a horrible experience, she too often is “a slave to the party.”

The Arizona Democratic Party says Prowell is registered independent.

Let's take his explanation first: He "says he doesn’t want to see the CD-8 race next year handed over to Republicans Ruth McClung or Jesse Kelly if Rep. Gabrielle Giffords doesn’t run for reelection." You think pretty highly of yourself, don't you Mr. Prowell?

I can rattle off a list of experienced Democrats who will run for that seat if Gabby decides not to run (I will not disclose their names out of confidentiality). The Democratic Party does not need a political novice independent-cum-Democrat with a "savior" complex riding to its rescue. We're good.

The CNN Political Ticker has picked up the story today. Democrat gets ‘cold shoulder’ in challenging Giffords for seat – CNN Political Ticker:

Elementary special education teacher Anthony Prowell is running for the seat as a Democrat in Arizona’s 8th congressional district, a surprising move against a popular incumbent who’s recovering from a gunshot wound to the head in January.

Prowell, who filed with the Federal Election Commission in late July, decided to run against what he calls the government’s ignorance of the needs of “regular” people. He said he’s tired of simply writing letters and making calls to his elected officials to get his voice heard.

“I always tell my students when we complain about something, we can’t just keep complaining,” Prowell said. “We’ve got to take steps to fix it.”

But he hasn’t gotten off to an easy start. With Giffords becoming a widely-beloved public figure after surviving a mass shooting in Tucson earlier this year, Prowell said he’s already experienced pushback.

Prowell said he got the cold shoulder when contacting leaders of the local and state Democratic parties about a potential run.

“I was totally ignored,” he said. “The only people that would ever talk to me were the people that answered the phones.”

Prowell voted for Giffords in the past and insisted he’s not running to build up a political reputation. Rather, he wants to get his message across of standing up for the “regular people” who lost work in the recession.

The 48-year-old said he’s even thinking about switching to the Green Party, so as not to be “the bad villain guy.”

“I would have run anyway,” Prowell said, when talking about Giffords’ injury. “I don’t have any political ambitions to ruin.”

With little expectations that he’ll raise large amounts of money, his volunteer campaign staff so far consists of his wife, daughter and nephew, a college freshman majoring in political science.

But some local Democrats doubt his campaign will sway many - if any - voters away from Giffords.

Calling Prowell an “unknown,” Pima County Democratic Party Chairman Jeff Rogers said his candidacy is “basically a joke.”

“There really isn’t any serious candidate that is making any sort of intentions known that they‘re going to run,” he said, adding that among local Democrats, he’s heard only one common comment about Prowell: “Who is he?”

According to Arizona’s election laws, Prowell needs about 700 signatures from registered Democrats to get his name on the ballot, another reason why Prowell may switch to the Green Party.

So we have a political novice independent who filed to run as a Democrat but may run as a Green Party candidate. It only takes a few signatures to run as a Green candidate. And you will recall from the Republican voter fraud "Green Scheme" in 2010 that "Under state election law, it only takes one write-in vote for a person to qualify as a Green candidate on the November general-election ballot." Don't strain yourself, Dude.

As the saying goes, "if you can't run with the big dogs, better stay on the porch."

Today's Gatewood goes to Eric Cantor . . . again

by David Safier

[NOTE: I created The Gatewood in honor of Henry Gatewood, the banker in John Ford's 1939 "Stagecoach" who ran off with $50,000 in payroll money and said, while clutching the satchel full of stolen money,

"'America for Americans! The government must not interfere with business! Reduce taxes! Our national debt is something shocking!"

Video at the end of the post.]

We have our first two time Gatewood winner: Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, for his "jobs plan" to cut taxes and regulations.

In 1939, the old embezzler said, "The government must not interfere with business!" Here's Cantor's take:

"Washington now has gotten in the way, and we’ve got to make it easier, finally, for small business people to grow.”

And while Gatewood makes the blanket statement, "Reduce taxes," Cantor targets his cuts to . . . you guessed it.

The more far-reaching tax proposal outlined in Cantor’s memo would allow small business owners to deduct 20 percent of their income from their taxes.

Fewer safety and environmental regulations. More money in the pockets of business people. What a wonderfully Gatewood-like way to create new jobs. Remember, when Gatewood delivered his memorable lines, he had the stolen payroll money which was supposed to go to hardworking people in a satchel on his lap. How appropriate.

Here's Henry Gatewood, in his own words.

 

League of Arizona Cities and Towns 2011 Annual Conference in Tucson

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The League of Arizona Cities and Towns is holding its 2011 Annual Conference in Tucson at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort, from August 30 to September 2.

Registration

Online registration is now closed. Any registrations received will be processed on site.

On-site registration will open at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 30. Registration will be in the Arizona Ballroom Foyer of the Marriott Starr Pass Resort.

Final Program Information

Click here to view the complete final program with full names and descriptions

Click here to view the one page conference at a glance

For more information please contact (602) 258-5786 or  league@azleague.org

Bachmann taking God's name in vain?

by David Safier

Michelle Bachmann on God, earthquakes and hurricanes:

"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?'

If Bachmann believes that, she's a loon. But at least, if she believes it, she's being honest and righteous within her religious framework, and she should stick to it.  But now she's backing off the statement.

"Obviously she was saying it in jest," campaign spokesperson Alice Stewart told TPM.

Using God's name in jest, pretending to assign motives to God which you don't believe are true? I'm not a religious scholar, but doesn't that border on blasphemy? Isn't that taking the Lord's name in vain?

Oh, and isn't wanting to have it both ways just a little bit hypocritical? I'm not sure hypocrisy fits well with Christain principles either.

UPDATE: Jonathan Capehart at the Washington Post agrees.

[Even if she was saying it in jest] Bachmann is still in violation of Exodus 20:7 And the best way to not be in danger of being smited for using the Lord’s name in vain is to stop using the Lord’s name in vain. While I can’t and won’t speak for Him, I’m sure He’d appreciate it. So would a sizeable portion of the American people.

Widening the scope of vouchers

by David Safier

When conservatives saw vouchers were unpopular, they stuck the elephant's trunk in the tent by creating "widows and orphans" laws -- vouchers for children with learning disabilities, children in foster homes and children attending failing schools. Who could object to that?

Since the 2010 elections, voucher advocates are getting bolder. They're beginning to slide more of the elephant's bulk inside the education tent. In Douglas County, Colorado, the most affluent county in the state, the conservative school board voted to allow vouchers for all students, regardless of income. It was shot down by the courts because so much of the money would flow to religious schools. Nationwide, between 70% and 80% of private schools are religious.

Now Indiana has started a voucher program broadening the base to include more students than the "widows and orphans" model.

Until Indiana started its program, most voucher systems were limited to poor students, those in failing schools or those with special needs. But Indiana's is significantly larger, offering money to students from middle-class homes and solid school districts.

Here's the stat that jumped out at me. Of the 240 private schools paricipating in the Indiana program, only 6 are secular. That's 2.5% secular schools, 97.5% religious.

Here's what I'm waiting for. I'm waiting for an Islamic private school to request vouchers. Will the right wing scream about government funds used to promote "Shariah law"? What if the school has a view which is sympathetic with the concept of jihad linked to violence? Will people say that goes beyond the bounds of religious freedom?

How about a Christian school with Aryan Nation overtones? Will it be OK'd to accept government funds for students in the name of religious freedom?

A number of problems inherent in private school vouchers haven't been tested yet. The problem of the government funding religious education in a country with strict rules about religious freedom is just one of the many problems on the horizon.

Tick, tock Tommy, time to put up or shut up

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In this Political insider from the Arizona Republic dated July 31, 2011, political opportunist Tom Horne "was quick to announce an investigation into the Independent Redistricting Commission for possible violations of the Open Meeting Law, even as he said he didn't know whether there had been any wrongdoing. . . Horne [said] he's trying to work quickly since the commission's work is ongoing. Look for work to wrap up next month [August]." Tick, tock Tommy, time to put up or shut up.

And maybe the political reporters in this state should FOIA request Horne's investigation file, in particular, the "evidence" from Sen. "Don't make me angry" Frank Antenori, since Howard Fischer hasn't followed up on his earlier reporting. Horne investigates redistricting commission over alleged procurement, open meeting violations - East Valley Tribune:

Sen. Frank Antenori, R-Tucson, said he has proof that laws were broken.

"We have evidence of destruction of government documents subject to public record request, shredding, as a matter of fact," he said. He also said there is evidence of "bid-rigging."

Antenori said he is making what he has available to Horne. He said he was unable to immediately get copies to Capitol Media Services.

Enough of this B.S. It's time to end this political witch hunt. As the old Wendy's ad asked, "Where's the beef?"

Tom Horne and the Felonious Five threaten the Voting Rights Act

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne seeks legitimacy in every presentation by invoking the Rev. Martin Luther King’s 1963 “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Tom C. Horne-Only in Arizona by Rodolfo F. Acuña.

In fact, if you go to the Arizona Attorney General Employment Discrimination Fact Sheet http://www.azag.gov/civil_rights/EmploymentDiscrimination.pdf there it is in the very first paragraph:

In 1963, I marched with thousands of people on Washington, D.C. to hear Martin Luther King give his transformational “I have a dream” speech in which he said all people should be judged by the “content of their character.”

Mr. Acuña questions the veracity of this story. "Given Horne’s propensity for exaggeration it is a wonder that no one has questioned his claim. A high school student at the time, it would have seemed that his parents would have taken him there, he lived in New York. He has never produced any photographs or other documentation."

Even if true, Tom Horne certainly failed to learn the lessons of Dr. King's sermon that day. If Horne truly wants to be judged by the content of his character, he comes up woefully short. Horne was banned for life by the Securities and Exchange Commission for securities fraud. As Superintendent of Public Instruction, he engaged in a crusade against the La Raza program at TUSD, a crusade to demonize Mexican-American ethnic studies that he continues to this day as Attorney General. Horne has been an avid supporter of Arizona's racial profiling law, SB 1070, which makes Hispanic citizens suspects simply for "breathing while brown." Horne should ask himself, WWMLKD -- "what would Martin Luther King do?" Certainly not what Tom Horne has done.

Now Horne seeks to remove the crown jewel from the crowning achievement of the Civil Rights Movement that many, including Dr. King, fought and died for -- the Voting Rights Act of 1965 -- and he did so just days before the scheduled dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. This was a metaphorical spitting in the face of Dr. King and spitting upon the memory of all those who fought and died to achieve voting rights for all Americans.

Don't claim Dr. King as a transformational figure in your life when you debase his memory and reject his teachings. I find it highly offensive that a man who epitomizes the very notion of white privilege in Arizona seeks to appropriate Dr. King and to distort his teachings beyond all recognition in support of white privilege. As Joseph Welch asked of Sen. Joe McCarthy, "Have you no decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

Stephen Lemons at the Phoenix New Times has this excellent post on this politically motivated lawsuit. Tom Horne Sues to Overthrow Voting Rights Act: What's Next, the De-Abolition of Slavery?:

Arizona has earned itself the moniker of "the most racist state in the nation" for a reason. Not a day goes by that its public officials fail to concoct some new, bigoted outrage as manna for Sand Land's wingnut masses.

The outrage du jour? Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne is suing the federal government, seeking to overturn the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the law that essentially enfranchised America's minorities and prevents states from coming up with ways to keep them from the ballot box.

Civil rights workers in the South and elsewhere died at the hands of white racists while working for the kind of change the VRA made real. Before the VRA, many states had poll taxes, literacy tests and a whole array of schemes and gimmicks to make sure that whites of a certain status were the only ones allowed to vote.

Arizona was one of these. Its legacy of disenfranchising minorities put it on a list of states that must seek preclearance from the feds regarding anything to do with voting, including redistricting.

States can "bail out" of their preclearance status by meeting certain requirements. But, significantly, Horne is not attempting to do that. He in fact wants to overturn the portions of the law having to do with preclearance and have them declared unconstitutional.

Horne argues that the standards Arizona must meet are archaic and no longer apply. Golly gee, he seems to be saying, Arizona in 2011 is a veritable model of inclusiveness.

That is, if you ignore Senate Bill 1070, the constant barrage of anti-immigrant laws, the general anti-Latino sentiment, the attack on ethnic studies (authored by Horne, natch), the rise in hate crimes, the race-based murders by minutewomen and assorted hate-filled Anglos, and on and on and on.

Sure, minorities have nothing to worry about in a state run by right-wing Anglo politicians who bank on the exploitation of rampant xenophobia and the fomenting of racial and ethnic discord.

Riiiiight.

Ironically, Arizona's Attorney General gives evidence of why the preclearance is still needed in his press release, and in the suit itself.

* * *

Why is AG Horne doing this? Is he in fact a racist? No, he's not a racist, but his actions are meant to assuage the fears of many Anglos in this state that they are losing their political hegemony due to an increased Latino presence.

WWMLKD?

There is reason to be concerned about this miscreant's politically motivated lawsuit: the "Felonious Five" of the U.S. Supreme Court, the conservative activist Justices who seek to transform this country from a democratic Republic into a plutocratic corporatocracy through the destruction of campaign finance laws and voting rights. The Felonious Five invited just such a challenge to the Voting Rights Act in 2009 in NAMUDNO v. Holder. Arizona Lawsuit Takes Aim At Voting Rights Act | ThinkProgress:

Two years ago, the Supreme Court surprised most Court watchers by not striking down Section Five of the Voting Rights Act, which requires voting districts who have historically engaged in discrimination to “preclear” any new voting rules with a federal court or the Department of Justice before those rules can go into effect. Yet, while the justices allowed the law to survive, they dealt it a severe blow — permitting voting districts to “bail out” of the law if they can show that they have not recently engaged in race discrimination and are not likely to do so in the future.

Yesterday, Arizona decided that being able to bail out isn’t good enough. They want one of the backbones of American civil rights law tossed out entirely:

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, a Republican, said that the portion of the law requiring the state to get prior approval from the Justice Department for any changes to the state’s election laws exceeds Congressional authority and is unconstitutional.

“The portions of the … Act requiring preclearance of all voting changes are either archaic, not based in fact, or subject to completely subjective enforcement based on the whim of federal authorities,” Horne said in a statement.

The Arizona lawsuit mostly apes the claims from the 2009 decision that weakened the law. It argues that Section Five unfairly singles out certain states without requiring every voting district in the country to seek preclearance. Yet Arizona also raises a new and deeply radical objection to the law, claiming that the VRA “exceeds Congress’s authority under the 14th and 15th Amendments because it suspends all changes to state election law – however innocuous – until preclearance is given by the federal government.” If this theory were actually adopted by the Supreme Court, it would mean that the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional the day it was first signed in 1965.

There is legitimate reason to fear that Arizona will win its claim, however, at least on the somewhat narrower grounds that Congress was wrong to apply the law to some states and not others. In the 2009 oral argument, the Court’s conservatives were very skeptical of Congress’ decision to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act without updating the list of states subject to preclearance to reflect which states are currently most guilty of voting rights violations. Supreme Court uberlawyer Tom Goldstein predicted back then that the Court was simply giving Congress a brief window to update Section Five before they take a hatchet to it; “[i]f the statute remains the same by the time the next case arrives,” Goldstein warns, “the Court will invalidate the statute.”

The conservative activist Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court have shown no restraint in their desire to transform America by judicial fiat. The Felonious Five have already disenfranchised millions of voters through approval of unduly burdensome Voter I.D. requirements, and gutted campaign finance laws by approval of millionaires and corporations spending unlimited amounts of money in campaigns without any public disclosure.

It would not surprise me if the Felonious Five engaged in historical revisionism, and denied the reality that is Arizona today, by striking down one of the most important achievements in American political history -- the right of the franchise to vote extended to all Americans.

Couldn't happen to a better "Worst Person in the World"

by David Safier

Our own Frank Antenori was Keith Olbermann's Worst Person in the World Friday. Watch.

 

(h/t to Lisa Hoffman)

Sha Na Na's Bowser was actually a pedigreed canine

by David Safier

Amazingly (to me, anyway), this is the second time I've posted about the faux-50s rock group, Sha Na Na, who I never really liked. But I find the group's actual pedigree amusing, given the street corner doowop vibe the singers gave off.

These "street guys" were, in actuality, an a capella group from Columbia University. How did they get to Woodstock? Jimi Hendrix (I'm not making this up) saw them perform and got them booked. I learned this from the New York Times.

And now I learn more about Bowser, the black t-shirted wild man in the back row, fists clenched, shouting in proletarian rage. True story? This from the New Yorker.

In his pre-Bowser days, Jon Bauman was one of 36 Queens middle school students with a science aptitude who were placed in an accelerated program. He was also a gifted musician. When he went to his weekend classes at Juilliard (again, I am not making this up), he says, thugs taunted him. "I'd walk past them with my earflaps strapped under my chin -- because, you know, you didn't want to catch a cold -- and they would try to kick my books down the sewer." He modeled Bowser after those guys.

I don't know where Bowser ended up, but some of his fellow Na's became the director of the linguistics program at Hofstra University, a provost at Jewish Theological Seminary, a professor at San Francisco State and a lit prof at Texas Tech. Not bad for a bunch or seeming ne'er do wells, eh?

Here they are doing Pretty Little Angel Eyes, with wild-eyed Bowser singing bass.

 

Dear AP (All Propaganda): Stenography Is Not Journalism

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Oy! Both of Arizona's major newspapers, The Arizona Republic and the Arizona Daily Star, ran the same stories today from the Associated Press (AP) aka All Propaganda for 2012 election coverage. These same reports probably ran in numerous newspapers across the country today. This is how the "echo chamber" operates to set the narrative that the media villagers have decided upon for the 2012 election.

The stories at issue are these:

Arizona Republic: Rick Perry blasts Obama, notes his own record of creating jobs, by Mike Gover (AP); Arizona Daily Star, Perry touts his record as he rips Obama.

Arizona Republic: Bachmann: U.S. sitting on energy 'mother lode', by Brendan Farrington (AP); Arizona Daily Star Bachmann: Environmentalists blocking US energy.

Arizona Republic: Poll: Obama faces test with key voters, by Ken Thomas and Jennifer Agiesta (AP); Arizona Daily Star, Polls: Obama losing ground among key Dem voting groups.

[Note: The Arizona Daily Star rarely attributes bylines, and tends to engage in creative headline writing]

You may recall that awhile back Jimmy Olsen at the Daily Planet, er, the Arizona Daily Star, reminded us that true journalists report both sides of a story, the "he said, she said" or "fair and balanced" reporting of opposing viewpoints. True journalists would also include some fact checking of what the person they are reporting on has said when what that person has said bears little or no resemblance to the facts, or truth.

In reading the first two reports from the AP (All Propaganda) I defy you to find the "fair and balanced" opposing viewpoints reporting by true journalists. In fact, the reporting is merely stenography for what Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann had to say, or put out in a press release and the reporter merely rearranged a few words from the press release. There is no fact checking for two politicians who cry out to be fact checked every time they open their mouth. This is not journalism.

The third report is an analysis of Associated Press-GfK polls. Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com (NY Times) has done an extensive analysis to rate the pollsters. FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Pollster Ratings v4.0: Methodology. While the Associated Press-Gfk poll is in the top tier of polls -- there is so much bad polling out there this is not much of a claim to fame -- it is not particularly accurate and I personally do not find it particularly useful in campaigns. FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Pollster Ratings v4.0: Results:

-- PIE is expressed as a positive number and reflects the amount of error that a pollster introduces above and beyond that which is unavoidable due to things like sampling variance. The lower a firm's PIE the better.

The list below provides ratings for all firms with a minimum of 10 polls. A complete list of ratings (including for firms with fewer than 10 polls) follows it below the fold.

Ratings for firms with at least 10 polls

This kind of "horse race" polling a year in advance of the political party conventions and the start of the fall campaign is nothing but "filler" -- it is merely entertainment for the media villagers and Beltway bloviators to engage in speculation to fill air time or column space, instead of doing their jobs: actual reporting about the candidates and, God forbid, the issues.

The Arizona Daily Star did The Arizona Republic one better and included this story Tea-party group sets multistate bus tour, by Don Thompson (AP), because at least one editor at the Star is still enamored with the Tea Party.

It reads like the reporter merely rearranged a few words from the Tea Party Express press release -- but he did make a weak attempt to appear "fair and balanced" by including an obligatory quote towards the end from Joanne Gifford, president of Democrats of Napa Valley, almost as an afterthought.

Apparently this Tea Party enamored editor at the Arizona Daily Star is not aware of recent polling and a study by David E. Campbell, an associate professor of political science at Notre Dame, and Robert D. Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard, which show that the Tea Party is the least popular group among Americans. Study: Tea Party Is Least Popular Group:

[In] data we have recently collected, the Tea Party ranks lower than any of the 23 other groups we asked about — lower than both Republicans and Democrats. It is even less popular than much maligned groups like “atheists” and “Muslims.” Interestingly, one group that approaches it in unpopularity is the Christian Right.

The Rachel Maddow Show created a handy-dandy graphic from the data of the study.

If the Tea Party is the least popular group in America, why is it that the media villagers and Beltway bloviators in the corporate mainstream media keep talking about them and carrying water for this corporate-funded Astroturf conservative movement? The question almost answers itself.

Is it too much to ask that we can have some true journalism and reporting instead of this steady stream of propaganda from the AP all the time?

Political Calendar: Week of August 28, 2011

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Political Calendar is posted on Sundays. Please send us notice of your political events prior to the Sunday before your event (7 days would be most helpful). See the calendar icon in the right-hand column of the blog page for easy access to the calendar.

Tucson City Council Primary Election: Vote-by-mail ballots were mailed beginning August 10. Early Voting location: Tucson City Clerk Election Center, 800 E. 12th Street, open August 11-August 29, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Mon.-Fri.) All voted mail-in ballots must be in the possession of the City Clerk by 7:00 p.m. on August 30. Primary Election Day is Tuesday, August 30. For a list of voting locations on Election Day see http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/sites/default/files/clerks/Ballot%20Replacement%20Sites.pdf .

Political Calendar For The Week of August 28, 2011

Sundays, 6:00 p.m.: Drinking Liberally, at The Shanty, 401 E. 9th Street (at 4th Avenue). Our featured speaker is Mohur Sidhwa on the topic of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. Mohur has attended almost all of the AIRC public hearings and has testified against prison-based gerrymandering. An informal, inclusive progressive social group, and lively discussion. Contact: www.livingliberallytucson.org.

Sunday, August 28, 11:00 a.m.: Saguaro Eastside Democrats retreat & planning session, at the Village Green Club House on Laurel Ridge Drive (from 22nd Street & Old Spanish Trail, turn right onto Desert Vista Drive, first right South of the intersection. Take Desert Vista Drive to Laurel Ridge Drive, turn right. You'll see the clubhouse and parking lot immediately to your left). Between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., we will have pizza and soda for everyone. Please send Sharon an RSVP email (sharonamcc@msn.com) if you plan on joining us so we can order enough. For more information please contact Sharon McCormick at sharonamcc@msn.com or (520) 296-9395 or (520) 237-8994.

Monday, August 29, Noon: Democrats of Greater Tucson luncheon, Dragon's View Restaurant (400 N. Bonita, South of St. Mary's Road between the Freeway and Grande Avenue, turn South at Furr's Cafeteria), buffet lunch costs $8.50. Featured speaker is Ron Barber, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' District Director. Visit DGT's web site at www.tucsondemocrats.org. Next Week: No DGT in observance of Labor Day.

Tuesday, August 30, 3:00 p.m.: Sen. John McCain town hall, at Fountain of Life Lutheran Church, 710 S. Kolb Road. Give the senator a piece of your mind and ask him the tough questions -- not the softball questions that he gets from his base, the media.

Tuesday, August 30: Primary Election Day in Tucson City Council election.

Tuesday, August 30, 7:00 p.m.: The Pima County Democratic Party and the Vote Regina Romero campaign will be celebrating Primary Election Night, at the RiverPark Inn, 350 S. Freeway (West side of I-10 between 22nd and Broadway). Doors will open to the general public at 7:00 p.m. Cash bar, free food, friends and fun!

Note: for additional Democratic Party events around the state see http://azdem.org/events/Calendar/.

Special Announcements:

Maricopa Area Labor Federation Labor Day Celebration

Monday, September 5, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.: Maricopa Area Labor Federation (MALF) Labor Day Celebration, at the Enchanted Island in Encanto Park, 1202 W. Encanto Blvd. (Phoenix). This event is free to union members affiliated with the AZ AFL-CIO and their families.

Pima Area Labor Federation 15th Annual Labor Day Picnic

Monday, September 5, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.: Pima Area Labor Federation (PALF) 15th Annual Labor Day Picnic, at the Reid Park Bandshell, 1100 S. Randolph Way (Tucson). PALF, a subsidiary of the Arizona AFL-CIO, will host their 15th Annual Labor Day Picnic to honor Tucson’s working families and union members. With the phrase “WE ARE ONE” as our theme for Labor Day we are reminding the entire Tucson community that all of us standing together are a stronger force than any one of us alone. This event will allow all of us to celebrate with family, co-workers, and friends, the impact that solidarity has in our lives. It also serves as a voice and reminder to all of us the sacrifices and efforts of past and present union workers. The event is free and open to the public. Guests will enjoy hot dogs, musical acts, dancers, labor history exhibits, children’s activities, “Union Olympics” games, and more. For more information please contact Laura Hogan at (520) 388-4139 or visit http://az.aflcio.org/pimaalf/.

Monday, September 5, 7:00 p.m.: Douglas Area Democrats meeting, at Los Obreros Hall, 406 8th Street (Douglas). For more information please contact Corny Munoz at douglasrfl@hotmail.com or (520) 227-7125.

65th Annual Navajo Nation Fair

September 5-11: 65th Annual Navajo Nation Fair - “The Largest American Indian Fair & Rodeo,” at the Navajo Nation Fairground, located 0.9 mile west of BIA Junction N12 & Highway 264 in Window Rock. The Navajo Nation Fair has become a world-renowned event that showcases Navajo Agriculture, Fine Arts and Crafts, with the promotion and preservation of the Navajo heritage by providing cultural entertainment. Rodeo, parade, carnival midway, arts & crafts, entertainment and concerts, and great food. For more information visit http://www.navajonationfair.com/.

Tuesday, September 6, 5:30 p.m.: Greater Huachuca Area Democratic Club meeting, at at the Cochise County Democratic Party HQ, 1010 E. Fry Blvd. (Sierra Vista). For additional information please contact Maggs at maggzilla2u@yahoo.com or (520) 417-1533.

Tuesday, September 6, 6:30 p.m.: Pima County Democratic Party Executive Committee meeting.

Wednesday, September 7, 5:00 p.m.: Redistricitng Information Session, at Pima County Democratic Party HQ, 4639 E. 1st Street (one block South of Speedway and West of Swan). Please click here to RSVP. For more information please call (520) 269-2155.

Wednesday, September 7, 7:00 p.m.: Legislative District 28 meeting, at Pima County Democratic Party HQ, 4639 E. 1st Street (one block South of Speedway and West of Swan). For more information please contact Ted Preselski at prezelski@aol.com or (520) 326-3716 (leave message).

Thursday, September 8, 5:30 p.m.: Pima County Democratic Party Nucleus Club meeting, at the Viscount Suite Hotel, 4855 E. Broadway (Tucson). Featured speaker is Democratic mayoral candidate Jonathan Rothschild. For more information and to RSVP please contact Martin Bacal at (520) 326-3716.
Visit our web site at http://pimadems.org/nucleus.html.

Saturday, September 10, 9:00 a.m.: Tanque Verde Valley Democrats meeting, at the Java Edge coffee house (Southeast Corner of Tanque Verde Road and Bear Canyon Road). For more information please contact Vera Berkman at (520) 615-5144.

Saturday, September 10, 10:00 a.m.: Mule Mountain Democratic Club meeting, at at the Bisbee Senior Center on Collins Road (behind the Safeway) and off Naco Road. For more information please contact John Viverto at Vivertos@aol.com or (520) 432-2366.

Democrats of Greater Tucson Volunteer Awards Luncheon

Saturday, September 10, 11:30 a.m.: Democrats of Greater Tucson Volunteer Awards Luncheon, at the Tucson Marriott University Park Hotel, 880 E. Second Street (Tucson). Emcee of event is Sen. Paula Aboud, Keynote Speaker is Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva, Special Guest Speaker is Ron Barber from Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' office. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door. Table sponsorships available. Tickets may be purchased securely online at https://secure.actblue.com/page/dgt_awards/ by August 31. For more information and to RSVP please contact (520) 326-3716.

Monday, September 12, 6:00 p.m.: Legislative District 29 meeting, at the Sam Lena Library, 1607 S. 6th Avenue. For more information please contact Matt Kopec at LD29Chair@gmail.com or (520) 400-3020.

Monday, September 12, 6:30 p.m.: Sen. Paula Aboud (D-LD 28) and the Arizona Ecumenical Council are hosting a flat-tax forum, at Temple Emanu-El, 225 N. Country Club Road (Tucson). The forum will include various segments of the community - from a UA economist to a small-business owner, a clergy member and a nonprofit representative.

Monday, September 12, 7:00 p.m.: Democrats of Oro Valley meeting, at the Oro Valley Library, 1305 W. Naranja Drive (Oro Valley). Democrats of Oro Valley present “Is the Rosemont Mine worth it?” The featured speaker will be Gayle Hartmann, archaeologist and archaeological editor at the Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona. The meeting is free and open to the public. Contact: Jo Holt at (520) 395-0204. For more information please visit www.demsov.org.

Friday, September 16: Constitution Day (Observed). Constitution Day is observed on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787. The law establishing the holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd. Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as "Citizenship Day." In addition to renaming the holiday "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day. When Constitution Day falls on a weekend or on another holiday, schools and other institutions observe the holiday on an adjacent weekday (hence the reason it is observed on Friday). Make it a weekend!

Friday, September 16, 2:00 p.m.: Democratic Women in Action and the Democratic Club of the Santa Rita Area joint meeting, at the Joyner Green Valley Library, 601 N. La Canada Drive (Green Valley). Feature presentation by Connect the Dots USA: Deficits and Debts, Oh My! We’ll break down the budget, deficit and debt for you in a fun, visual presentation and debunk a few myths along the way. For more information please contact Laurie Cirrincione at crinkster54@q.com or (520) 625-3133.

Saturday, September 17: Passport Day in the USA.  U.S. citizens and nationals across Tucson, the State of Arizona, and the country will be allowed to come directly to our Western Passport Center in Tucson or participating postal and non-postal acceptance facilities for passport services at a time that is convenient for families, working individuals, and/or others that, for one reason or another, are not able to apply during regular operating days of Monday through Friday. Visit http://travel.state.gov  or http://travel.state.gov/passport/pptday/locations/usstates/usstates_4673.html for updated information on what facilities nearest you are participating and the hours during which they will be offering this service. The Western Passport Center's public service counter will be waiving expedited fees, a normal requirement to apply directly with the Department, unless expedited services are truly needed. Applicants are encouraged to bring one passport photo, their citizenship evidence, at least one form of government-issued identification, appropriate fees (made payable to the Department of State), and a completed passport application form with them. It will be unnecessary to schedule an appointment that day only.

Saturday, September 17, 10:00 a.m.: Special Date: Legislative District 30 meeting, at Green Valley Democratic Party HQ, Continental Shopping Plaza, 240 W. Continental Road (exit 63), Upstairs Meeting Room (elevator is available). For more information please contact Andre Mixon at Andre.Mixon@gmail.com.

DCSRA Discussion Group

Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m.: Democratic Club of the Santa Rita Area hosts a Current Events Discussion Group at Green Valley Democratic Party HQ, Continental Shopping Plaza, 240 W. Continental Road (exit 63), Upstairs Meeting Room (elevator is available). Join us at the weekly meeting of the Democratic Headquarters Current Events Discussion Group. We'll talk about some of the major events of the previous week, including but not limited to political topics, and try and go behind the news for a deeper understanding. For more information, please contact Amy Johnson at acalkins10@aol.com.

Equality Arizona 20th Anniversary Annual Awards Dinner

Saturday, September 24: Equality Arizona 20th Anniversary Annual Awards Dinner, at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, 2400 E. Missouri Avenue (Phoenix). Every year Equality Arizona hosts an awards dinner which recognizes corporate and community leaders who have stood for LGBT equality. This year, the organization celebrates its 20th Anniversary. Local and national leaders are expected to attend. Further details TBA. Information will be available at Equality Arizona's website at www.equalityarizona.org.

County Fairs - Save the Date!

Coconino County Fair: September 2-5, Flagstaff, AZ.

Apache County Fair: September 8-11, St. Johns, AZ.

Northern Gila County Fair: September 9-11, Payson, AZ.

Gila County Fair: September 15-18, Globe, AZ.

Navajo County Fair: September 14-18, Holbrook, AZ.

Greenlee County Fair: September 15-18, Duncan, AZ.

Mohave County Fair: September 15-18, Kingman, AZ.

Santa Cruz County Fair, September 16-18, Sonoita, AZ.

Cochise County Fair: September 22-25, Douglas, AZ.

Yavapai County Fair: Sept. 29-Oct. 2, Prescott Valley, AZ.

Graham County Fair, October 6-9, Safford, AZ.

Arizona State Fair, Oct. 14-Nov. 6, Phoenix, AZ.

Annual Dems of RedRock /Dems of Verde Valley Picnic

Sunday, October 2, 11:30 a.m.: Democrats of the Verde Valley and Democrats of the Red Rocks present their annual fund-raising picnic, at Living Springs Camp in Oak Creek Canyon, 3500 N. State Route 89A. Free food, beverages, ice cream. raffle prizes, silent auction, bake sale, and music. Political speakers and other entertainment. You can mingle with like-minded people and hear our guest speakers. Carpool. Parking is $5 per car. For more information please contact Democrats of the Red Rocks (DORR) at (928) 203-5858 or visit our website www.democratsoftheredrocks.org.

Arizona Democratic Party 2011 Volunteer Awards Night

Sunday, October 9, 6:00 p.m.: 2011 Volunteer Awards Night, at the Arizona Science Center, 600 E. Washington Street (Phoenix). Tucson guests will have the opportunity to take a chartered bus for $15 with a RSVP to Nick Holder at nholder@azdem.org or (602) 234-6820. Special Guest is astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Individual tickets are $50, sponsorships are available. For more information and to purchase tickets please see Arizona Democratic Party: 2011 Volunteer Awards Night. Deadline for nominations is September 1, 2011. Please take a moment and nominate a volunteer who deserves to be recognized, so we can all show our thanks and recognition to those who are helping build a stronger Arizona Democratic Party. The application is now easy to fill-out electronically and submit to Nick Holder at nholder@azdem.org. Please call (602) 234-6820 for further questions.

Truman-Clinton Dinner - Sedona

Friday, October 21, 6:00 p.m.: Democrats of the Red Rocks, Democrats of the Verde Valley, and Yavapai County Democratic Party host the Truman-Clinton Dinner and Fundraiser, at the Sedona Hilton Resort and Spa, 90 Ridge Trail Drive (Sedona). Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva will be our featured speaker. For more information please contact Democrats of the Red Rocks (DORR) at (928) 203-5858 or visit our website www.democratsoftheredrocks.org.

Democratic Women in Action "Women Make a Difference" Fashion Show Luncheon

Saturday, November 12, 11:00 a.m.: Democratic Women in Action host the annual "Women Make a Difference" Fashion Show Luncheon, at the Diamond Center, Desert Diamond Casino, 7350 South Nogales Highway (Tucson). Apparel will be provided by Encore Classics of Green Valley and Twice As Nice & Desert Vintage of Tucson. The event will host a Silent Auction, Centerpieces by Lisa Aiken of All Natural Soap & Bodycare Products, and VIP models. Tickets are now on sale for $49 each. For more information please contact Denise Morse at drcampo@q.com or (520) 762-1957, or visit our web site at http://azdemocraticwomen.org/.

Cartoon of The Week

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Christopher Hayes: Gadhafi, McCain and a WikiLeak cable

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Politico reported on Friday that a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable shows that Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain promised to help Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi obtain U.S. military hardware in 2009. Leaked cable: John McCain pushed to arm Qadhafi - POLITICO.com:

The cable, released by the open information group WikiLeaks, reveals the pledge came at meeting that was attended by other prominent members of Congress, including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.).

The cable indicates that McCain was the dominant voice among the congressional delegation in a push for military hardware for Qadhafi.

“Sen. McCain assured Muatassim that the United States wanted to provide Libya with the equipment it needs for its … security,” according to the cable.

* * *

Other details in the leaked diplomatic cable may embarrass McCain given the fall of the Qadhafi regime.

* * *

McCain struck a distinctly different tone this week, telling Fox’s Greta van Susteren that “he [Muammar Qadhafi] has the blood of Americans on his hands as a result of Pan Am 103. He is a person who over time would — if he were able to succeed — would clearly train terrorists and export terrorism.”

No one has done more harm to the reputation of the United States than the Neocon Three Stooges: John McCain and his BFF's Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman. They should suffer the ignomy of living the rest of their lives in disgrace.

Christopher Hayes of The Nation magazine, sitting in for Lawrence O'Donnell on The Last Word on Friday night, delivered a stinging commentary on the hypocrisy of Neocon warmonger John McCain.

"John McCain understands in his private contact that the cartoon of heroes and villains clashing in this picture of foreign policy that is all about the moral blackmail of your opponents is false. Because like Donald Rumsfeld before him, shaking hands with Saddam Hussein, here McCain is, across the table, politely listening to the pleas for more money and military supplies from the same regime that he's calling bloodthirsty. But it's politically expedient for John McCain to go out in the world and pretend he doesn't know that. John McCain is a bully against anyone who refuses to buy into his cartoonish moral crusading. But low and behold, behind closed doors, he's operating just like everyone else."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Seven foundations fund Islamophobia hatred in America

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Following a six-month long investigative research project, the Center for American Progress released a 130-page report today which reveals that more than $42 million from seven foundations over the past decade have helped fan the flames of anti-Muslim hate in America. REPORT: $42 Million From Seven Foundations Helped Fuel The Rise Of Islamophobia In America | ThinkProgress:

The report, titled “Fear Inc.: The Roots Of the Islamophobia Network In America,” lifts the veil behind the hate, follows the money, and identifies the names of foundations who have given money, how much they have given, and who they have given to:

 

THE FUNDERS	THE AMOUNT	THE RECIPIENTS
Donors Capital Fund	$20,768,600	Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), Middle East Forum (MEF), Clarion Fund (Clarion), David Horowitz Freedom Center (Horowitz)
Richard Scaife foundations	$7,875,000	Counterterrorism & Security Education and Research Foundation (CTSERF), Center for Security Policy (CSP), Horowitz
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation	$5,370,000	MEF, CSP, Horowitz
Russell Berrie Foundation	$3,109,016	IPT, CTSERF, MEF
Anchorage Charitable Fund and William Rosenwald Family Fund	$2,818,229	IPT,CTSERF, MEF, CSP, Clarion, Horowitz
Fairbook Foundation	$1,498,450	IPT, MEF, CSP, Jihad Watch, Horowitz, American Congress for Truth
Newton and Rochelle Becker foundations	$1,136,000	IPT, CTSERF, MEF, CSP, Clarion, Horowitz, American Congress for Truth
Total	$42,575,295

The money has flowed into the hands of five key “experts” and “scholars” who comprise the central nervous system of anti-Muslim propaganda:

FRANK GAFFNEY, Center for Security Policy – “A mosque that is used to promote a seditious program, which is what Sharia is…that is not a protected religious practice, that is in fact sedition.” [Source]

DAVID YERUSHALMI, Society of Americans for National Existence: “Muslim civilization is at war with Judeo-Christian civilization…the Muslim peoples, those committed to Islam as we know it today, are our enemies.” [Source]

DANIEL PIPES, Middle East Forum: “All immigrants bring exotic customs and attitudes, but Muslim customs are more troublesome than most.” [Source]

ROBERT SPENCER, Jihad Watch: “Of course, as I have pointed out many times, traditional Islam itself is not moderate or peaceful. It is the only major world religion with a developed doctrine and tradition of warfare against unbelievers.” [Source]

STEVEN EMERSON, Investigative Project on Terrorism: “One of the world’s great religions — which has more than 1.4 billion adherents — somehow sanctions genocide, planned genocide, as part of its religious doctrine.” [Source]

These five “scholars” are assisted in their outreach efforts by Brigitte Gabriel (founder, ACT! for America), Pamela Geller (co-founder, Stop Islamization of America), and David Horowitz (supporter of Robert Spencer’s Jihad Watch). As the report details, information is then disseminated through conservative organizations like the Eagle Forum, the religious right, Fox News, and politicians such as Allen West and Newt Gingrich.

* * *

To explain how the Islamophobia network operates, we’ve produced this video to show just one example of how they have mainstreamed the baseless and unfounded fear that Sharia may soon replace American laws:

Click here to read the full report.

Proud's "book" on sale on her website

by David Safier

Looks like it's Terri Proud Saturday here at BfA.

I just got a tip that I should go to the store on Terri Proud's website. Here's what I found.

You can buy the 20 page booklet on the lulu.com website -- $20 for three copies.

On Terri's website, you can take a peek inside the pamphlet, but really, you need go no further than the blurb next to the book on lulu. It's a . . . well, it's a lulu. Read it slowly and carefully so you can savor the insight as well as the syntax.

What made this Country great was the character behind the great documents of our Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Without such character those documents wouldn't have been so great, as only a good tree produces good fruit - our Founding Fathers produced our Constitution.

UPDATE FROM DEPARTMENT OF OOPS: Shouldn't that be "What every Statesman Should Know"?

Terri Proud shilling for scam work-at-home company?

by David Safier

Either Terri Proud's Twitter account has been hacked, or she's doing promotions for Home Wealth Solution, one of those make-money-working-from-home sites which usually result in lots of money flowing out from the sucker employee and very little flowing back in.

Here are the tweets.

If you follow the links on the tweets that work -- not all of them do -- they take you to what looks like a page from a news site about how wonderful Home Wealth Solution is. No matter where you click on the menu bar, it takes you to the business' home page. If you try to leave the screen, you get a last minute pitch.

I don't usually do this but . . . Say it ain't so, Terri! Tell me you're not using your position of power and influence to get people to buy into one of these money making schemes.

(h/t to tucson dave for the heads up)

Nuclear plants in Hurricane Irene's path

by David Safier

Here's hoping Hurricane Irene does minimal damage. And let's also hope the nuclear power plants in its path are more than prepared for a level 1, 2, 3 or 4 hurricane. Because if they can't withstand a "We had no idea this area would ever have a [fill in the catastrophe] of this magnitude" situation, lots of people will, one day or another, be in some very serious trouble.

A total of 12 nuclear power stations consisting of 20 distinct nuclear reactors in 9 states are in the direct path of the hurricane.

Here they are, mapped out.

Here is the list from Reuters.

STATE         OWNER         PLANT                 UNIT TYPE                 MWE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connecticut   Dominion      Millstone Unit 2      Combustion Engineering    884
Connecticut   Dominion      Millstone Unit 3      WH Four-Loop            1,227
Maryland      Constellation Calvert Cliffs Unit 1 Combustion Engineering    873
Maryland      Constellation Calvert Cliffs Unit 2 Combustion Engineering    862
Massachusetts Entergy       Pilgrim               GE-Type 3                 685
New Hampshire Entergy       Seabrook              WH Four-Loop            1,295
New Jersey    PSEG Nuclear  Salem Unit 1          WH Four-Loop            1,174
New Jersey    PSEG Nuclear  Salem Unit 2          WH Four-Loop            1,130
New Jersey    Exelon        Oyster Creek          GE Type 2                 619
New York      Entergy       Indian Point 2        WH Four-Loop            1,020
New York      Entergy       Indian Point 3        WH Four-Loop            1,025
N. Carolina   Progress      Brunswick Unit 1      GE Type 4                 938
N. Carolina   Progress      Brunswick Unit 1      GE Type 4                 937
N. Carolina   Progress      Shearon Harris Unit 1 WH Two-Loop               900
Pennsylvania  Exelon        Limerick 1            GE Type 4               1,134
Pennsylvania  Exelon        Limerick 2            GE Type 4               1,134
Virginia      Dominion      Surry Unit 1          WH Three-Loop             799
Virginia      Dominion      Surry Unit 2          WH Three-Loop             799
Virginia      Dominion      North Anna Unit 1     WH Three-Loop             980.5
Virginia      Dominion      North Anna Unit 2     WH Three-Loop             972.9

More parents reading to their children

by David Safier

If this is accurate, it's a positive sign. An Education Week article (subscription only) says parents are reading more with their young children, having more "just for fun" conversations, playing and eating dinner with them more. This trend appears to be most pronounced with low income parents, compared to similar activities in 1998.

If true, this kind of parent-child interaction will undoubtedly have a small but significant effect on children's attitudes toward school and their overall achievement. I would hope even the conservative it's-all-about-the-schools crowd agrees that educational encouragement and stimulation at home is a prime factor in children's educations.

Even if the data isn't entirely accurate -- even if parents are just saying what they think others want to hear -- a boost in the understanding of the importance of these activities by the parents is important. If it's getting though that parents need to talk to their children more (the number and variety of words low income children hear directed toward them is far lower than in middle and high income homes), read to children more and just generally give them more positive attention, that understanding will lead to some improvements in the way the parents interact with their children.

Arizona Democratic Party 2011 Volunteer Awards Night

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Arizona Democratic Party 2011 Volunteer Awards Night, at the Arizona Science Center, 600 E. Washington Street (Phoenix). Tucson guests will have the opportunity to take a chartered bus for $15 with a RSVP to Nick Holder at nholder@azdem.org or (602) 234-6820.

Special Guest is astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Individual tickets are $50, sponsorships are available. For more information and to purchase tickets please see Arizona Democratic Party: 2011 Volunteer Awards Night.

Deadline for nominations is September 1, 2011. Please take a moment and nominate a volunteer who deserves to be recognized, so we can all show our thanks and recognition to those who are helping build a stronger Arizona Democratic Party. The application is now easy to fill-out electronically and submit to Nick Holder at nholder@azdem.org. Please call (602) 234-6820 for further questions.

'The Koz' is wrong: Independent voter turnout is up in the Tucson City Council Primary Election

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

One of the persistent World Net Daily Tea Party conspiracy theories is that vote-by-mail balloting in the Tucson City Council primary election will reduce independent voter turnout because many of them will have missed the deadline to request a ballot of the party in whose primary they wish to vote.

Tea-Publicans enlisted their City Council Member Steve Kozachik, "the Koz," to advance this conspiracy theory to the easily fooled media villagers who are all too eager to publish every utterance of "the Koz" (we're looking at you, Arizona Daily Star).

This conspiracy theory ignores years worth of election history which clearly establishes that independents do not vote in party primaries -- they are disengaged voters until the general election in November, at which time they will complain loudly that "we dont have any choices" -- because they didn't bother to vote in the party primary election. Doh!

It turns out that the World Net Daily Tea Party conspiracy theory of "the Koz" is wrong -- for the first time in years independent voter turnout has actually ticked up in the Tucson City Council primary election with vote-by-mail balloting. Maybe the Arizona Daily Star will get around to reporting the facts instead of wild-eyed conspiracy theories from "the Koz."

The Pima County Democratic Party has the early voting numbers in this press release:

Vote-By-Mail Improving Turnout, Despite Kozachik's Tea-Party-style Fabrications.

Republican Tucson City Council member Steve Kozachik's political gamesmanship notwithstanding, independents are having no trouble voting by mail -- in fact, they’re on track to post their best turn out in years.

Already, 14 percent of independent voters have requested a ballot during the primary election -- twice the rate of turnout in the conventional 2009 election and they are already outpacing their turnout for that year. Independents are on pace to beat the 2007 numbers.

Despite these facts, Kozachick made bizarre accusations this week seeing in the shadows conspiracy theories about efforts to disenfranchise independent voters. Instead the convenience of vote-by-mail is empowering independent voters across the city.

“Taking a cue from the Tea Party that helped elect him, Kozachik is calling ‘down’ ‘up,’ and fabricating controversy out of whole cloth,” said Jeff Rogers, Pima County Democratic Party Chair. “This is straight out of Sarah Palin's play book.”

Kozachik opposed the all-mail election which has improved turnout at a lower price.

“The Tucson City Council has provided a model for the rest of Arizona to get more people to the polls while saving taxpayers money,” Rogers said. “Kozachik looks pretty silly opposing it, so he’s just making stuff up hoping nobody will notice the facts.”

Independent voters are encouraged to turnout.

“If you haven’t mailed your ballot, you should do it today,” Rogers said. “Otherwise you can drop it off on Tuesday at six locations across Tucson. Voters can also show up on Tuesday to vote.”

The locations are:

Randolph Golf Complex, 600 S. Alvernon Way

Quincie Douglas Library, 1585 E. 36th Street

Clements Center, 8155 E. Poinciana Drive

St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 1145 E Ft. Lowell Road

Udall Park Recreation Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road

Valencia Branch Library, 202 W Valencia Road

###

UPDATE: Apparently you can embarass the Arizona Daily Star into reporting factual news. Who knew? City primary is on pace to double usual turnout.

Terry Goddard to Tom Horne: Stop intimidation of the AIRC

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and former Phoenix mayor Paul Johnson, chairman of the nonpartisan Open Government Committee, have a message for Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne today in an opinion in the Arizona Republic. Goddard and Johnson: Stop attacking redistricting commission:

Arizona's Independent Redistricting Commission has the important task of redrawing our legislative and congressional boundaries under guidelines established by voters when they passed Proposition 106 nearly a dozen years ago.

Unfortunately, from the moment the current commission began its work, it has been under attack by a highly partisan coalition that is throwing roadblocks in its path.

At the moment, the bulk of complaints are directed at the commission's selection of attorneys and a mapping firm. Several Arizona politicians who didn't like those choices want to undo the contracts that were awarded.

Unfortunately, the attacks are not limited to accusations and outbursts at commission meetings. They also come from the highest levels of state government. Some legislators have threatened to remove the independent chair of the commission if she doesn't do exactly what they want.

And Attorney General Tom Horne recently announced an investigation of the commission - breaking a longstanding attorney general protocol of never discussing pending investigations before a lawsuit is filed or a grand jury has returned an indictment.

As a former Arizona attorney general and as former mayors, we both know how easily investigations can become politicized. The power of the Attorney General's Office must not be or appear to be subverted for partisan purposes.

Members of this commission are volunteers who have stepped forward to serve the people of Arizona. They deserve our thanks, not constant attacks. But more important, it was Arizona voters who took redistricting out of the hands of politicians when they approved Prop. 106. Voters went to great lengths to ensure this commission was truly independent, insulated from pressure from politicians who care most about staying in office.

Obviously, some Arizona politicians do not like anything that is outside their control. They might lose some of their power if the commission creates districts that are fair and competitive. Rather than take that risk, they are trying to blow up the commission before it can do its job.

We submit that the appropriate time for debate about the commission's fairness is after draft maps are submitted. We don't have to wait long. Unless the attackers have their way and disrupt the work before any maps are finalized, the commission is expected to release the first drafts of district maps in less than a month.

In this highly partisan atmosphere, Mr. Horne's announced "investigation" further diverts the commission from doing its assigned task. It does nothing to find or prevent lawbreaking. The appropriate prosecutorial approach, if any wrongdoing is suspected, is to conduct a thorough, confidential investigation.

If that investigation discovers evidence that a law was violated, then the attorney general can file a lawsuit or, if the charges are criminal, submit the facts to a grand jury and request an indictment. To do otherwise, especially in this super-charged political environment, only tarnishes the reputation of an office that, under attorneys general of both political parties, has always operated at the highest ethical standards.

We call on Attorney General Horne to end his part in the intimidation campaign and allow the commission to focus on the important duties entrusted to it by Arizona voters.

In all this furor, one thing is certain: If the commission does its job right, neither Republicans nor Democrats are going to be completely happy - exactly what Arizona voters wanted when they passed Prop. 106.

Tell Gov. Jan Brewer to follow the law

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Rep. Chad Campbell has a message for Gov. Jan Brewer (and "shadow governor" Chuck Coughlin, who runs the governor's office while at the same time his lobbying firm lobbies on behalf of private prison clients).

One principle of governing is that elected leaders should follow the law.  It is a simple premise.

In Arizona, apparently not.

Republican and Democratic legislators enacted a state law requiring a bi-annual analysis to compare the cost to the taxpayer of private vs. public prisons.  Unfortunately, the state simply hasn’t followed the law.  What’s more, Governor Brewer and Republicans in the legislature are pushing to issue more contracts to out-of-state corporations without that cost analysis and in open violation of state law. 

That’s why I sent a letter to Governor Brewer and Department of Corrections Director Charles L. Ryan last week asking them to halt any new private prison construction until they comply with state law.  Rather than rushing to privatize our public safety, Governor Brewer should protect the taxpayers instead of out of state private prison companies and special interests. 

What’s even more astounding is that all of this is taking place after Arizona’s private prisons made national news for lax security and high-profile jailbreaks, one of which led to the tragic and avoidable murders of Gary and Linda Haas, an Oklahoma couple vacationing in New Mexico.

In fact, this week, Gary Haas’ mother testified at a public hearing of the Department of Corrections in opposition to new private prisons, stating:

"I've been through a lot of painful times in 81 years,” she said.  “Even surviving the terrible tornado that hit Joplin recently. But nothing compares to the pain of having my kids brutally murdered because MTC [Management and Training Corp] couldn't do its job of keeping criminals locked up."

Yet, despite that tragedy, despite the fact that Governor Brewer and Director Ryan are not following the law, and despite the data that shows private prisons are wasting taxpayer dollars, Republican leaders and Governor Brewer continue to push for more private prisons.

When the State is eliminating health care, cutting education and increasing our children’s class size, yet INCREASING money spent on private prisons, it’s time to stop the madness.  It’s time to stop lining the pockets of out-of-state private prison companies at the expense of children and Arizona taxpayers.

Please call the Governor today at 602.542.4331 or 1.800.253.0883 and tell her to follow the law.  It’s time to stop wasting our money on more private prisons that send our tax dollars out of state and produce failing facilities.

It’s the first step to restoring balance and accountability in Arizona.

Sincerely,

Chad Campbell
House Minority Leader

C'mon Irene! Dedication of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial delayed by hurricane

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Let freedom ring... from Stone Mountain in Georgia... to the "Stone of Hope" on the National Mall.

The long-planned dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial on Sunday, August 28, 2011 has been canceled due to hurricane Irene. It will be rescheduled to a date yet to be determined.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. released the following statement about Dedication Day. Dedicate The Dream:

Thank you for coming back this evening for a further update on our Dedication plans. In consultation with the National Park Service, the Mayor’s office and FEMA, it is with a heavy heart and enormous disappointment that we announce that, in the interest of public safety, we are forced to change our plans.

Here is the new schedule. First, the Friday schedule will continue as planned. Second, on Saturday we will hold the National Prayer Service at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This will be the final official event of the Dedication week.

We have worked with the Park Service to ensure that the Memorial will be open to the public, weather permitting, on Saturday. The Memorial will be open Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 12 noon.

Finally, the official Dedication ceremony will be moved to a date yet determined in September or October. We will announce those details when we have them. For now, we wanted to make sure you had this information as soon as possible.

So many worked tirelessly to dedicate the dream and make this Memorial a reality. We owe a special debt of gratitude to the Foundation staff, our generous sponsors, and to you, the public.

In the words of Dr. King, “we must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” With that in mind, let’s remember the spirit of the Memorial - justice, democracy, hope and love.

* * *

For more information about the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, please visit www.dedicatethedream.org.

# # #

You can take a virtual tour of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in this video.

Tom Horne files a politically motivated challenge to the Voting Rights Act

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I warned you before the 2010 election; others warned you as well. Tom Horne would use the office of Attorney General not to enforce the laws of Arizona and to pursue justice, but to use it as a platform to pursue his political agenda in his quest to become Arizona's next governor (God help us). He has misused and abused the powers of his office to pursue one politcally motivated case after another.

Horne's latest abuse of power is a constitutional challenge to the Voting Rights Act. He asserts that Arizona no longer needs federal scrutiny for past acts of discrimination against minority voters. Arizona sues over Voting Rights Act:

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, who filed the lawsuit, said the original criteria for pre-approval are no longer relevant or constitutional, and Arizona no longer needs the federal government's scrutiny.

* * *

The sections at issue require states that failed to meet certain criteria in 1972 to get federal approval for any state legislation or procedural change that could impact voting.

Nine states failed to meet that criteria, which included having low voter turnout and not offering election materials in other languages.

The nine states are Arizona, Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

Arizona in 1974 implemented bilingual voting, but Congress never removed Arizona - or other states that now comply - from the list. The criteria has never been updated. So for more than 30 years, Arizona and its municipalities have had to get approval from the U.S. Department of Justice for things such as legislative or school-district boundary changes, revisions to driver's licenses and laws requiring tax hikes to go before the voters.

* * *

Horne filed the lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., and asked for a hearing before a three-judge panel. The lawsuit asks the court to either eliminate the original criteria for scrutiny as well as the pre-approval requirement or at least exempt Arizona from the requirement.

* * *

"And nobody's out there trying to stop people with Hispanic surnames from voting," he said.

Horne must be living in a parallel universe. Prop. 200 in 2004 imposed a proof of citizenship requirement for voter registration (still being litigated on appeal in court) and a photo I.D. requirement to vote at the polls (approved by the U.S. Supreme Court in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008)), both requirements based upon the entirely false premise without any proof that "illegal aliens" crossing the border from Mexico were voting in Arizona elections.

The voter I.D. requirement adopted by several other states is now being challenged in court on a disparate impact theory of discrimination, i.e., a consequence of the law is a discriminatory impact upon distinct classes of persons who are least likely to have driver's licenses or passports: the elderly, the poor, the disabled, college students and urban dwellers. I would argue that this is intentional discrimination -- the GOP-favored voter I.D. laws disenfranchise classes of persons who tend to vote Democratic, which is exactly as the GOP intended. [UPDATE: See Rep. John Lewis, A Poll Tax by Another Name - NYTimes.com].

More broadly, Prop. 200 also imposed the same requirements for any person prior to receiving any state or locally funded benefits. Then of course there is SB 1070, Arizona's profiling law that can be abused by overzealous law enforcement to the extent that it is "illegal to breath while brown" in Arizona, sweeping up U.S. citizens of Hispanic descent equally with undocumented immigrants. These laws create a hostile environment towards Hispanics in Arizona, something of which the DOJ must take notice.

There was also Arizona's "English only" law in 1988 that was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1998. Prop. 103 in 2006 only declared English to be the official language of Arizona. While Arizona has complied with the multiple language ballot requirements under federal and state law, I can foresee an opportunist like Tom Horne using this "English only" issue, if freed from Section 5 pre-clearance, to engage in more of these "states' rights" challenges to federal law under the Voting Rights Act.

Finally, Steve Muratore at The Arizona Eagletarian has a link to a copy of the letter dated May 20, 2002 from the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division to the attorneys for the last Independent Redistricting Commission in which DOJ objected to Arizona's redistricting plan:

[O]n behalf of the Attorney General, I must object to the 2001 legislative redistricting plan for the state of Arizona.

* * *

[B]ased on the information provided, we have determined that the AIRC has not met its burden of establishing that minority voters will continue to be able to elect candidates of their choice in five districts (2, 13-16, 23-25, 27 and 29) in which minority voters will be able to eelct candidates of their choice. As a result, the proposed planm, which results in a net loss of three districts from the benchmark plan in which minority voters can eefectivly exercise their electoral franchise, is retrogressive. [A violation of the Voting Rights Act]

* * *

In creating the proposed District [23], the AIRC made several adjustments. For example, the towns of San Manuel (46.2% Hispanic) and Oracle (38.3% Hispanic), both of which had been in existing District 7 were removed while the entire City of Casa Grande (39.1% Anglo) and  virtually all of Apache Junction (87.9% Anglo) were placed into proposed District 23... [T]he circumstances surrounding the removal of these two towns and the resulting drop in the Hispanic voting age population percentage, has raised concerns regarding the ability of the AIRC to establish that this action, which had a retrogressive effect, may also have been taken, at least in part, with a retrogressive intent. (emphasis added)

In other words, the DOJ found intentional discrimination by the last AIRC in redistricting state legislative districts ( a rare finding today), to which the DOJ objected. In fact, the last three redistricting plans for legislative districts in Arizona (1981, 1991 and 2001) were objected to by the DOJ. This is evidence of a continuing pattern and practice of discrimination, the very reason for Section 5 pre-clearance by the DOJ. Arizona has failed to demonstrate it is worthy of not being subjected to Section 5 pre-clearance by the DOJ.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has responded to Tom Horne's frivolous and politically motivated case. Hat tip again to Steve Muratore at The Arizona Eagletarian. US Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement in response to Tom Horne's lawsuit:

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on Lawsuit Challenging the Voting Rights Act of 1965

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement regarding a lawsuit filed today by the State of Arizona challenging the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act of 1965:

“The Voting Rights Act plays a vital role in our society by ensuring that every American has the right to vote and to have that vote counted.  The Department of Justice will vigorously defend the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act in this case, as it has done successfully in the past.  The provisions challenged in this case, including the preclearance requirement, were reauthorized by Congress in 2006 with overwhelming and bipartisan support.  The Justice Department will continue to enforce the Voting Rights Act, including each of the provisions challenged today.”

Just how messed up is the City of Mesa?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Just how messed up is the City of Mesa? Isn't it bad enough that it is home to nativist anti-immigrant demagogue Russell Pearce and his buddy, Neo-Nazi J.T. Ready? (that's them together in the photo, h/t Phoenix New Times). Ready was booted from a low-level leadership role in the Republican Party in 2008, only after the Neo-Nazi revelation. Now I read this headline in the East Valley Tribune today: White nationalist party pushing candidate for Mesa council - East Valley Tribune. Seriously?

Ralph Brandt is seeking a City Council post in Mesa, the same community where J.T. Ready sought the same office five years ago only to later be pictured at a Neo-Nazi rally.

Brandt is the Arizona leader of the American Third Position, a political party that is making a push to run candidates in all 50 states.

* * *

The party formed in 2009 and has quickly grown in strength and its activity, said Heidi Beirich, the Southern Poverty Law Center's director of research. The nonprofit civil rights organization said the white nationalist party was founded by skinheads but now is headed by professors and a corporate lawyer.

"The leadership is more highbrow today but the basic principle of the party is to make this a white country. As a result, we list them as a hate group," Beirich said.

Wait for it...

The party's website says it represents the political interests of whites and that the nation needs to be restored to its "rightful owners."

Well I am certain the Native American tribes, at least the remnants of those tribes that were not entirely wiped out by genocide at the hands of white European settlers, will be glad to hear that this group wants to "give America back to the Americans." Does this also mean these white supremacists will be packing up and returning to their ancestral lands in Europe? (Not that any European country would want them).

Brandt says he is organizing a statewide effort to get the American Third Position Party on Arizona ballots. That requires more than 23,000 signatures. Those petitions should make it easy to identify the white supremacists, skinheads and Neo-Nazis in Arizona -- it is a public record, after all. I am sure the Department of Homeland Security's domestic terrorism office will appreciate your assistance.

You know that fence Russell Pearce wants to build? Maybe we should be building that fence around Mesa.