Blog For Arizona

Oh look, they're blaming Clean Elections again

Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

Fresh on the heels of the SB1062 veto, and with national columnists hungry to meet deadlines with something “insightful” about Arizona, the Chamber of Commerce crowd is really pushing the “Clean Elections done it!” myth hard.

Here’s New York Times liberal Gail Collins repeating the narrative:

“I remember having a meeting with some folks I’d call country-club Republicans, and listening to them bemoan the fact that they have no more influence because of the Clean Elections law,” said Rodolfo Espino, a professor at Arizona State University.

We will come to a screeching halt here and re-examine that thought.

Yes! Part of the super-weirdness of Arizona politics appears to be the result of the state’s 1998 public financing law, which provided tons of matching funds to unwealthy-but-energetic candidates from the social right at the expense of the pragmatic upper class. The Supreme Court took the teeth out of the law in 2011, but, by then, the traditional Republican elite had lost its place at the head of the political table.

We really dodged a bullet there

Crossposted from Democratic Diva 2/26/2014

So Brewer vetoed the very bad no good Center for Arizona Policy bill, with the attention of the world on her, and of course we must all contact her and thank her, for Republicans must be praised effusively like good doggies who haven’t soiled the rug on those rare occasions they do the right thing. Personally, I’d be embarrassed if people’s expectations of me were that low but, then again, I’m just one of those adults in the room.

We really did dodge a bullet and at risk of sounding cynical, I’m glad the focus was on LGBT discrimination from a purely tactical standpoint in addition to the moral and human rights ones. Having it framed as targeting LGBT citizens was what brought the fiercely negative reaction in the media and the organized business community around to kill it. But make no mistake, this was also very much an anti-choice bill. CAP spokesman Aaron Baer cited Hobby Lobby in a TV interview as an example for why SB1062 was needed. Had contraception access been the main public focus – and I bet CAP wishes like hell it had – there’s a good chance the bill would have been quietly signed into law with nary a peep from the Chamber of Commerce crowd because sluts.

The obvious, and only, way to put the brakes on all this dumb shit is to elect more pro-choice Democrats.

 

AZ GOP First Vice Chair advises Religious Right to vote for Al Melvin!

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The dysfunctional Arizona GOP is once again allowing the disgraced and recalled former Senate President and current First Vice Chair of the Arizona Republican Party, Russell Pearce, to behave as if he is still "King Russell" (only in his own mind).

Today Russell Pearce chooses sides in the GOP primary for governor by advising the Christian Right, "If you call yourself a Christian, now is the time to stand and be counted in the name of God, country and family" -- and vote for Cap'n Al Melvin! From the Arizona Republic, Stand up, Christians:

If you call yourself a Christian, now is the time to stand and be counted in the name of God, country and family.

* * *

I was very disappointed to see some of our Republican candidates for governor lose their nerve when it came to Senate Bill 1062, which amends the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. And now some state senators who voted for it want to hide and retract their vote for religious freedom.

Unbelievable.

Stop picking on Sean Noble!

Crossposted at DemocraticDiva.com

Sean Noble is a type of right wing operative I find particularly annoying. These guys are total miscreants but have the cornpone choirboy routine down pat. They often like to preen about how they don’t use profanity, which makes them more moral than us dirty liberals. Arizona is thick with these homespun “consultants”, hoovering money out of gullible rich wingnuts with political aspirations, but Noble has really scored. He was recently the subject of a hard-hitting investigative report from ProPublica, in which he was revealed as the ringleader funneling “dark money” from the Koch brothers to various conservative causes around the country. One of them was Mitt Romney’s campaign – they might as well have taken a match to that money – but others were more successful, such as the defeat of the Scott Walker recall in Wisconsin. Dark Koch money has flowed like a river into Arizona. It funded the legal attack on independent redistricting and the defeat of Prop 204 (making the one cent sales tax permanent for education) in 2012, among plenty of other things.

'Cathi's Clown' takes a stand on SB 1062

Postede by AzBlueMeanie:

On Saturday, I asked Where does 'Cathi's Clown' stand on the Religious Bigotry bill?

The Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) stealth candidate for governor of Arizona is the only candidate yet to take a position on the Religious Bigotry bill. Cathi Herrod from CAP is on State Treasurer Doug Ducey's campaign steering committee (he proudly displays her endorsement on his campaign web site).

Where does "Cathi's Clown" stand on the Religious Bigotry bill?

To be fair, on Sunday "Cathi's Clown" answered this question for The Arizona Republic. Governor candidates weigh in on SB 1062 (from one of the Republic's multi-media reports):

So Ducey would veto this bill, but he would invite Cathi Herrod from his campaign (and others) to the table to write another bill? Way to straddle the fence there, Ducey. This is not a satisfactory answer.

And what is this "before this legislative session adjourns" parameter? What's the rush? Assuming that you are elected governor (God help us) you would not take office until January 2015. This is an empty promise on which you cannot deliver.

"Unbought & Unbossed" documentary about former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm on February 25

Posted by Carolyn Classen

As part of Black History Month, the Black Women's Task Force is sponsored a documentary about the late Congresswoman Chisholm.

Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968, representing New York state's 12th CD. She served for 7 terms from 1969 to 1983.  In 1972 she ran for U.S. President, and received 152 votes at the Democratic National Convention in Miami, Florida. Asian American Congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink from Hawaii also ran in that 1972 race for President.

Documentary will be shown on Feb. 25, 6 p.m. at the YWCA on Bonita Ave, west of the I-10.

 

Where does 'Cathi's Clown' stand on the Religious Bigotry bill?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) stealth candidate for governor of Arizona is the only candidate yet to take a position on the Religious Bigotry bill. Cathi Herrod from CAP is on State Treasurer Doug Ducey's campaign steering committee (he proudly displays her endorsement on his campaign web site).

Where does "Cathi's Clown" stand on the Religious Bigotry bill? Ducey told Howard Fischer only that he is "studying it," saying he will “approach this as both a man of faith and a businessman.” Head of economic development group asks Brewer to veto controversial religion bill.

The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports, Business leaders: SB1062 could damage Arizona for years to come:

Most Republican gubernatorial candidates came out in opposition to SB1062. Secretary of State Ken Bennett was one of several who said the bill was unneeded to protect rights that already have sufficient protections.

“SB 1062 is an unnecessary measure to protect a God-given right already assured by the Constitution,” Bennett said in a press statement. “I strongly support religious freedom, but divisive measures such as these distract us from the most important challenges facing Arizona — jobs and economic development.”

Al Melvin, Tea Party candidate for governor

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Cap'n Al Melvin at the Arizona GOP Awards Dinner the night before the Arizona GOP Winter State Committee Meeting last month, said that he would "proudly wave the flag of the Tea Party." (video below the fold).

This video is pure Cap'n Al, unplugged.

As I have said before, the Neo-Confederate dead-enders and John Birchers need to get their own damn political party and stop hijacking the hollowed-out carcass of the Republican Party for the legitimacy of the party label.

This is not your father's GOP. The "Party of Lincoln" long ago ceased to exist. This is a hostile takeover by a band of far-right radicals and extremists.

Pro Publica exposé on Sean Noble and the 'Kochtopus' dark money network (Updated)

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Republic frequently decries "dark money" organizations on its editorial page, but it oddly is limited to concern about public employee union "dark money" organizations that attacked their boy, Phoenix City councilman Sal Diciccio. It's funny (not) how little attention the Republic pays to the vast network hub of "dark money" organizations operating out of Maricopa County. Maybe it's because these people are their friends, neighbors and asssociates whom they hang out with at cocktail parties and political events.

About the only place you can find any reference to Sean Noble* and the "Kochtopus"  dark money network he operates out of Maricopa County is here. This is a fundamental failure of the corporate news media to perform its constitutional function as the "watchdog of democracy."

Kim Barker and Theodoric Meyer at Pro Publica have a richly detailed new exposé on Sean Noble and the "Kochtopus" dark money network, The Dark Money Man: How Sean Noble Moved the Kochs' Cash into Politics and Made Millions:

For a brief, giddy moment, Sean Noble—a little-known former aide to Arizona congressman [John Shadegg]—became one of the most important people in American politics.

Plucked from obscurity by libertarian billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, Noble was tasked with distributing a torrent of political money raised by the Koch network, a complex web of nonprofits nicknamed the Kochtopus, into conservative causes in the 2010 and 2012 elections.

Noble handed out almost $137 million in 2012 alone -- all of it so-called dark money from unnamed donors -- from his perch atop the Center to Protect Patient Rights, a group run out of an Arizona post office box.

The Trouble with E.Orr - he does not represent the values of his constituents

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Is this a private fight, or can anyone join in?

Tim Steller of the Arizona Daily Star is writing the most recent iteration of the Political Notebook that Rhonda Bodfield and Daniel Scarpinato (now with the RNCC) before her used to write. God, I hated the Political Notebook!

Anyway, Timmeh takes issue with Blog for Arizona's Pamela Powers Hannley for taking issue with a recent column of his, correctly pointing out that Rep. Ethan Orr (R-Tucson) only nurtures the appearance of being a moderate but votes with his GOP caucus routinely.

I would make the point that the occasional departure vote does not make Orr a "moderate" or a RINO, any more than a Democrat casting the occasional departure vote makes him or her a Teabagger or a DINO. It is a voting record taken as a whole that matters.

Here is Pamela's informative post. AZ Star Perpetuates 'Ethan Orr Is a Moderate' Myth. Please note the Votesmart.org link to Orr's voting record.

Today's Steller column wastes everyone's time focusing on Facebook comments about his previous column with which Pamela Powers Hannley took issue. Yeah, that's not news. Too many political reporters are fixated with social media like Twitter and Facebook. It is not news.

"Both parties suck! Wah! Why won't you Democrats fix it?!?"

Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

Laurie Roberts at the AZ Republic is beside herself that the well-heeled proponents of the dumb Top Two Primary idea are, as she delightedly exclaims, baaaaaack. (Much more after the jump)

Those fake NRCC mirror web sites violate federal law

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

You have all heard by now about last week's GOP dirty tricks by the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, setting up fake mirror web sites for Democratic candidates. If it's the NRCC, that means the Arizona Daily Star's former political reporter hack and all-around prick Daniel Scarpinato is involved. In fact, the Star gave "The Scarp" gratuitous copy in its reporting on this story. GOP fundraising websites touting Democrats called unethical:

A move by the National Republican Congressional Campaign has local Democrats seeing red over a set of new websites that appear to tout Democrat candidates.

The Republican political committee has created mini-websites for U.S. Reps. Ron Barber, Ann Kirkpatrick and Kyrsten Sinema touting their accomplishments and asking for donations.

However, those pulling out their checkbooks with the intent of backing the incumbent Democrats will actually be giving their hard-earned dollars to Republicans.

The tactic isn’t isolated to Arizona, either. The NRCC has created at least a dozen websites in other states similarly targeting other Democrats running for office.

Campaign staffers are calling the slick, one-page websites with their high-resolution photographs of the candidates a cheap political play, designed with only one goal in mind: to trick voters into giving money to Republicans.

NRCC national press secretary Daniel Scarpinato is proud of the mini-websites, saying voters can get information from the Republican-backed websites that is not readily available on the candidates’ sites.

Uphill Battle: Rep. Victoria Steele Introduces Bill to Extend ERA Ratification Deadline

Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
– Equal Rights Amendment

by Pamela Powers Hannley

There is an ideological perfect storm brewing in the Arizona Legislature. A memorandum supporting extension of the ratification deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has been assigned to a committee where five out of seven members have pledged to protect and fight for the rights of fetuses over the rights of women.

Not content with winning the right to vote in 1920, women’s rights advocates proposed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) 91 years ago. The ERA was introduced during every Congressional session between 1923 and 1972 and finally passed nearly 70 years after it was originally proposed. In the 1970s, there was a ground war at the state level to get 38 state legislatures to ratify the ERA in order for it to become a Constitutional Amendment. The ERA fell 3 states short of ratification; Arizona is one of a handful of states that never ratified the ERA.

HCM2006 Sponsors

Fast forward to 2013, the ground war for women’s equality has resumed at the state level with ERA ratification proposals six states– Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Virginia, and now … Arizona.; Nevada and North Carolina plan to hear it in 2014. LD9 Rep. Victoria Steele has introduced HCM2006, a memorandum from the State of Arizona asking the federal government to extend the deadline for ratification of the ERA, and HCR2016, a fill to ratify the ERA.

In addition to Steele, the ERA memorandum has 18 co-sponsors– including two Republican women, Kelly Townsend (LD14) and Karen Fann (LD1). Below is the complete list. Although Southern Arizona is well-represented on this list with Steele, Wheeler, Gabaldon, Saldate, and Pencrazi, where are the rest of the Democrats and the “moderate” Repulbican? (Should I name names, or can you figure out who’s missing here? If you live in LD9, LD10, LD2, or LD3, you might want to ask your representatives and senators why their names are missing from this list.)

First Vice Chair of AZ GOP is raising money . . . to defeat Republicans

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Just how dysfunctional is the Arizona Republican Party? This dysfunctional: the First Vice Chair of the Arizona Republican Party is raising money . . . to defeat Republicans. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports, SB1070 author Russell Pearce raising money to defeat Republicans:

[Recalled] former Senate President Russell Pearce is helping raise money that will be used to target former Republican legislative colleagues who backed Gov. Jan Brewer’s expansion of the state’s Medicaid program last year.

Pearce is headlining a Feb. 13 fundraiser for the Arizona Taxpayers Action Committee at the Paradise Valley home of former Republican legislator Colette Rosati.

Leaders of the conservative independent expenditure committee opposed Brewer’s proposal to restore funding that was cut from AHCCCS during the recession and expand enrollment to comply with the Affordable Care Act and capture additional federal health care funding.  The committee leaders have publicly targeted Republican legislators who voted for the plan.

Tom 'banned for life by the SEC' goes on trial today

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The job of the Attorney General of the state is to conduct investigations and to prosecute trials. Arizona's Attorney General Tom "banned for life by the SEC" Horne must have misunderstood the job description, because since he has been in office he has been under investigation and is being prosecuted at trial. The man is a disgrace and embarassment to lawyers and law enforcement. If he had any sense of morality and decency, he would have resigned his office long ago -- and saved the taxpayers of Arizona the expense of investigating and prosecuting him.

Howard Fischer reports, AG Horne's campaign finance case heads to trial today:

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne heads to court Monday. But this time the state's top law enforcement officer isn't the prosecutor.

Instead, Horne and one of his aides are facing civil charges of violating the state's campaign finance laws when he ran for re-election four years ago.

Horne and aide Kathleen Winn deny the allegations that they illegally coordinated spending in his 2010 election while she ran an independent committee called Business Leaders for Arizona.

The charges were brought by Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk in October. A three-day hearing is scheduled before an Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings judge starting Monday.

Democrat Randall Friese Kicks-off Campaign for LD9 Representative (video)

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Grassroots volunteers mingled with local and statewide Democratic Party glitterati at the official campaign kick-off event for Dr. Randall Friese, who is running for a seat in Arizona House of Representatives.

Friese recently announced his candidacy for one of LD9's two seats in the Arizona House. Currently, LD9, which stretches from Speedway in midtown north into the Foothills, is a competitive district being served by Republican Ethan Orr and Democrat Victoria Steele in the House and Democrat Steve Farley in the Arizona Senate.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her astronaut husband Mark Kelly hosted an estimated 130 stalwarts of the Pima County Democratic Party, including current County Chair Don Jorgenson, past Chair Jeff Rogers, and several current and former elected Democrats: LD9 Rep. Victoria Steele, LD10 Reps. Stephanie Mach and Bruce Wheeler, LD10 Senator Dave Bradley, Tucson City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich, former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona, former Attorney General and current Secretary of State candidate Terry Goddard, and former Rep. Nancy Young-Wright. (Farley was conspicuously absent, following a social media dust-up on Friday over this article in the Arizona Daily Star.)

Former Giffords' staffer Pam Simon and Kelly gave impassioned speeches about Friese, who was one of the University Medical Center trauma surgeons who cared for Giffords and others who were shot on January 8, 2011. During Giffords' long stay in UMC's intensive care unit (ICU), Kelly and Friese became friends and had many late-night ICU discussions on multiple topics-- including politics. According to Kelly, Friese and Giffords are similar in that they are dedicated to finding solutions, not playing politics. [Friese vs Orr on the issues, after the jump.]

Senate Elections Committee hearing on Tuesday

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In addition to attempting to repeal HB 2305 to deny the voters of Arizona their constitutional right to vote on a bill that the voters referred to the ballot as a referendum, there are several other election/campaign finance bills coming up in the Arizona legislature this week.

One of the principal architects of the GOP Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305, Sen. Michele Reagan, who has fantasies of becoming our next Secretary of State to make it easier for her to suppress your vote, has several bills scheduled in her Elections Committee on Tuesday Agenda (.pdf), Room SHR 1 at 2:00 p.m.

Remember how Rep. "Fast Eddie" Farnsworth swore last week that he was not aware of any legislator attempting to revive elements of HB 2305? Yeah, that was bullshit, and everyone knew it.

SB 1232 (.pdf) would "require circulators who are not residents of this state (non-residents) and paid petition circulators to register with the Secretary of State (SOS) prior to circulating petitions and prescribes circulator registration information." The bill also "permits any person to challenge the lawful registration of circulators in the superior court of the county in which the circulator is registered."

The bill "Conditions the enactment of the following provisions on the approval or rejection of Laws 2013, chapter 209, the subject of referendum petition R-03-2014, at the next general election, or the failure of Laws 2013, chapter 209 to be referred to the ballot at the next general election:

a) eliminates the requirement that non-resident circulators register with the SOS prior to circulating petitions and eliminates the requirement that the SOS provide for a method of receiving service of process for registered non-resident circulators.

b) directs the SOS to remove all petition sheets collected by a circulator who fails to register as required.

Brent Bozell plots a 'decapitation' strategy against GOP congressional leadership

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The GOP has long practiced the political tactic of "decapitation" -- a strategy of taking out the other party's top leadership. Former Democratic House Speaker Tom Foley (D-WA) lost his seat in the Gingrich Revolution in the 1994 election. Former Democratic Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle lost his seat in 2004.

Now Brent Bozell, a conservative media entertainment complex troll (Media Research Center) and the president and treasurer of a Virginia non-profit corporation called America, Inc., operating as ForAmerica, is plotting a "decapitation" strategy against the GOP leadership in Congress. Brent Bozell Will Try To Remove Every GOP Leader From Office:

ForAmerica announced Tuesday that it's pouring six-figures into its "Dump The Leadership" campaign.

It probably won't come as a surprise that the man behind the group is none other than L. Brent Bozell III, the right-wing flamethrower who's proven himself plenty willing to take on the GOP establishment.

After Paul Ryan hashed out a bipartisan budget deal late last year, Bozell predicted that the conservative base would "stampede away from a party that has lost its principles and bearings.”

"Time and again, year after year, the Republican leadership in the House and Senate has come to grassroots conservatives, and Tea Party supporters pleading for our money, our volunteers, our time, our energy and our votes," Bozell told CNN in a statement.

Sen. Leah Landrum Taylor withdraws from Secretary of State race

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports Landrum Taylor exits secretary of state race:

Sen. Leah Landrum Taylor, a Phoenix Democrat, is dropping her bid to become the next secretary of state.

Landrum Taylor, a veteran legislator, said she will instead focus on child welfare and added she is open to working in this arena after her retirement.

“This is the direction that I would rather spend my energy on,” she said.

Former Attorney General Terry Goddard announced in December that he was running for secretary of state, prompting many to speculate that Landrum Taylor would soon end her campaign.

Landrum Taylor said her decision to drop out has nothing to do with Goddard’s candidacy. A rigorous primary challenge has “never scared me off,” she said.

Felecia Rotellini Campaign Kickoff Events

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Announcement from the Felecia Rotellini for Attorney General campaign:

New Tea-Publican challenger To Martha McSally in CD 2

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

After one Teabagger stumbles out of the gate, out of the race, another Tea-Publican "dark horse" has entered the starting gate.

The Tucson Weekly reports that, New GOP Dark Horse at the Starting Gate in CD2:

A new Republican candidate wants to see if he can outmaneuver GOP favorite Martha McSally for the chance to take on U.S. Rep. Ron Barber in Congressional District 2 this year. Meet Chuck Wooten:

Chief Master Sergeant, U.S. Air Force (Retired) Chuck Wooten is announcing his candidacy for the Arizona Congressional District 2 (CD2) on the Republican ticket.

Chuck Wooten is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Congressman Ron Barber.

Wooten has achieved certain notoriety with his Open Letter to Congressman Paul Ryan regarding the reduction of military retirement payments in the Ryan-Murray Budget that was passed into law in late December 2013. [More about that Open Letter below.]

Wooten is running on a platform that includes steadfast, conservative positions on issues regarding border security, jobs for southeastern Arizonans, healthcare reform and reducing the federal deficit. Wooten offers a clear, common-sense alternative in his approach as compared to the other Republican candidates.

“I deliberately chose a campaign slogan that echoes loud and clear the message that southern Arizona conservatives have identified as the top qualities they demand in their representatives, “Trust. Leadership. Guts.” These qualities are my hallmark and my commitment to deliver to them when I earn their votes,” said Wooten.

Wooten will be making a formal announcement for his candidacy for Arizona Congressional District 2 on Monday, February 3, 2014, at 12:00 Noon on the steps of El Presidio Park, 160 W. Alameda Street in down town Tucson.

Fred DuVal proposes sweeping ethics reforms

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Democratic candidate for governor Fred DuVal has proposed sweeping ethics reforms which go beyond the weak half-measures currently being proposed by Republican legislative leaders at the capitol.

When we elect our representatives we expect them to act ethically and be good stewards of our tax dollars. Unfortunately, what we’ve seen is scandal after scandal and no one’s lifted a finger to change the culture of corruption at the State Capitol. Free tickets to sporting events, free meals from lobbyists, free flights and hotel rooms, it’s all got to stop.

That’s why I’ve published a plan to totally overhaul our ethics laws and clean up the State Capitol. My plan would require every elected official in the state and the lobbyists that attempt to influence them to abide by tough, new standards including:

•A complete ban on accepting gifts, including tickets, free travel, or hotel stays for events.

•Creating a State Ethics Commission to investigate reported ethics violations and punish rule breakers.

•Closing the loophole that allows “professional lobbyists” to influence legislators without registering as lobbyists.

•Banning any statewide elected official from serving on the board of a for-profit company while in office.

Ethics reform and good government are not partisan issues. Everyone in Arizona will benefit from cleaning up the system, which is why it’s so frustrating that we’ve seen no action in the more than two years since Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery recommended changes to our ethics laws in the wake of the Fiesta Bowl scandal.

As a taxpayer, I’m disgusted at the lack of attention ethics reform has received at the State Capitol. If our lawmakers continue to refuse to act, I will.

###

Questions for Martha McSally: empty platitudes, bumper sticker slogans and GOP talking points

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Martha McSally is finally taking questions, not from a skeptical media, but from the friendly safe confines of the Republican 1200 Club dinner in Sierra Vista last Friday. Bill Hess of the Sierra Vista Herald reports, "Each [candidate] responded to questions which they had been given in advance by the club leadership, as well as one from the audience. The candidates were given three minutes to respond to each query." GOP candidates for Congress speak to 1200 Club (subscription required).

As you would expect, the questions were softballs and the candidates avoided any thoughtful substantive responses:

The first question was a natural, with the women asked why they were seeking the seat.

In an alternating response format, McSally went first and said, Congress is broken.

“I want to fix it. I want to fight for you,” she said.

There’s too much government overreach by the Democratic leadership which Barber follows, McSally said.

“It’s time for a change.”

[Shelley] Kais said, “Our party is struggling.”

The need to get the Republican message out has been hampered and needs to stop, she added.

“What we do in America is impacting the world,” Kais said.

Wow, there's some deep thinkers for you. These candidates get a softball question and all they've got are empty platitudes, bumper sticker slogans and GOP talking points. That may work in front of the 1200 Club, but general election voters are going to demand more substantive responses to difficult policy questions.

Listen to Linda, Fred

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Republic's Linda Valdez recently opined, Find a primary challenger for Fred DuVal:

The nicest thing Democrats could do for their gubernatorial candidate Fred DuVal is find a primary challenger for him.

It’s the best way for him to get some media time and attention between now and the primary.

The multi-faceted circus on the GOP side will eclipse DuVal unless he, too, has opposition to play against.

A challenger is the ticket to debates, where DuVal can showcase his intelligence, charisma and understanding of the issues.

A challenger will result in news coverage as the two duke it out over issues. It’s not news when somebody releases a policy paper. It is news when candidates mix it up.

A challenger will provide the kind of name repetition the GOP candidates gain every time one of the goofier wanna-bes says something outrageous.

* * *

So Democrats, do yourselves and Fred a favor.

Find a primary opponent who will keep your candidate from disappearing during primary season.

Linda Valdez is admitting to the fact that the GOP-friendly Arizona political media will focus all of its attention on the GOP clown car primary for governor, and Democrat Fred DuVal will largely be ignored. Entertainment sells. By the time the GOP clown car primary for governor is over, everyone will know the name of the winner, but many Arizona voters will still be asking "Fred who?" Not for lack of effort by Fred DuVal, but because this is the way our feckless GOP-friendly political media operates in Arizona.

SWAG for 2014 (State Offices)

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

It's a thankless job, but I suppose someone has to do it. That's right, it's time once again for the Silly Wild Ass Guess (SWAG) list of who is running for office in 2014. 

If there are additions, subtractions or corrections to the list below, please post it in the comments. I appreciate your help in cleaning up this list.

I will try to update the list once a month.

Let's begin with state offices, because these are the important races which affect your life directly. Voters don't pay enough attention to state office races. It's time to pay attention!

Governor

Fred DuVal (D)
Ronald Martin Cavanaugh (D) - he does have a web site.

Jan Brewer (R) - said she will decide in February (termed out)
Ken Bennett (R)
Doug Ducey (R)
Al Melvin (R)
Andrew Thomas (R)
Christine Jones (R)
Scott Smith (R)
Frank Riggs (R)
John Molina (R)
Alice Lukasik (R)
Gary Tupper (R)
Joe Arpaio (R) - always pretends to run for governor

James Lee Draper (I)
Harold "Chip" Howard (I)
Diana Elizabeth Kennedy IV (I)

Barry Hess (LIB)

John Lewis Mealer (AEL)

SWAG for 2014 (Congress)

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Time once again for the Silly Wild Ass Guess (SWAG) list of candidates running for Congress in 2014. It's a short list this year (so far).

DISTRICT 1

Ann Kirkpatrick (D) - Incumbent

Gary Kiehne (R) rancher and businessman

Rep. Andrew "Andy" Tobin (R) House Speaker

Rep. Adam Kwasman (R) District 11

Jim Brown (R)

DISTRICT 2

Ronald "Ron" Barber (D) Incumbent

Martha McSally (R) retired USAF officer, 2012 candidate

Edward "Ed" Martin (R) Tucson talk radio host and Tea Party activist (withdrawn)

Shelley Kais (R) President of Kais E Systems, Inc.

Charles Wooten (R) Chief Master Sergeant, U.S. Air Force (Retired)

DISTRICT 3

Raúl Grijalva (D) Incumbent

Gabriela Saucedo Mercer (R) Tea Party activist and 2012 candidate

Miguel "Mike" Olivas (R) ex-congressional aide and perennial candidate

Jaime Alfredo Vasquez (R) general comtreactor and 2012 candidate (withdrawn)

Damien Kennedy (R)

DISTRICT 4

Paul Gosar (R) Incumbent

Mikel Weisser (D) poet, artist, Democratic activist, 2012 candidate

DISTRICT 5

Matthew "Matt" Salmon (R) Incumbent

James Alan Samuelson (IND)

DISTRICT 6

David Schweikert (R) Incumbent

DISTRICT 7

Edward "Ed" Pastor (D) Incumbent

DISTRICT 8

Trent Franks (R) Incumbent

Helmuth Hack (R) land surveyor and 2012 candidate (possible)

DISTRICT 9

Kyrsten Sinema (D) Incumbent

Vernon Parker (R) former Paradise Valley Mayor and 2012 candidate

Wendy Rogers (R) retired USAF officer and 2012 candidate

Andrew Walter (R) retired former pro football player

Weak Tea in District 9

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

While researching the upcoming Arizona legislative races in 2014, I pulled up an editorial I bookmarked from Inside Tucson Business from last June, shortly after Rep. Ethan Orr (R-Tucson) from Legislative District 9 was one of the "RINOS" (Republicans in name only) who voted for Gov. Jan Brewer's Medicaid (AHCCCS) expansion bill.

In the Obama Derangement Syndrome Tea Party, this one vote somehow made Ethan Orr a "moderate" (he votes with his Tea-Publican caucus well over 90% of the time) and guilty of "compromising with Democrats" and the anti-Christ, Barack Obama. There was talk of a Tea Party purge in the 2014 GOP primary in District 9 at the time.

Inside Tucson Business tried to talk the teabaggers down from the ledge. Ethan Orr is not the enemy:

The ink hasn’t even dried on bills signed by Gov. Jan Brewer and the post-mortems are only beginning on how this year’s session of the Arizona Legislature went but already some in his party are targeting state Rep. Ethan Orr, R-Tucson, in next year’s — yes, we’re talking 2014 here — elections.

Apparently they are unhappy the moderate hasn’t stayed a true Republican and he played too nice with Democrats. They say they want to find two conservative Republicans to challenge him in next year’s primary election, which should knock him out of the race.

That would be winning a battle but losing the war.

Meet David Garcia tonight

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Late calendar entry:

An Educated Devil

Arizona State University Education Professor Dr. David Garcia, candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, will be speaking with the University of Arizona Young Democrats. This will be a great opportunity to talk education policy and learn about an often overlooked office in Arizona.

When: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, January 23rd
Where: University of Arizona Student Union (4th floor, Agave Room)
For More Information: email [email protected].

(Update) Kavanagh for the kleptocracy of the 'Kochtopus'!

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I recently posted Kavanagh for the kleptocracy of the 'Kochtopus'!:

I am guessing that the Goldwater Institute "Kochtopus" Death Star is also behind this latest bill attacking the state employee pension system as well, sponsored by its waterboy, Rep. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills). Lawmaker seeks to allow cuts in public pensions:

An Arizona lawmaker wants the state constitution amended to allow cuts to public employee pensions and increases in employee contributions if the systems are badly underfunded.

Republican Rep. John Kavanagh introduced a bill [HCR 2001 (.pdf)] that would refer the proposal to the voters. He said in an interview he is targeting automatic cost-of-living increases but acknowledged nothing in his proposal would prevent cuts to existing pensions.

* * *

Kavanagh said that under his proposal, payouts from the state’s three major pension plans would have to be trimmed and contributions from employees and employers raised if reasonable accounting practices found cuts were needed.

“These decreases are only triggered when it’s necessary to maintain the health of the system,” he said. “If the system doesn’t need the cuts, you can’t do them.”

Stephen Lemons of the Phoenix New Times recently went into greater detail of Kavanagh's ties to the "Kochtopus," Legislator John Kavanagh Could Teach Panhandlers a Few Tricks, Like How to Score a Free Trip to China:

State Representative John Kavanagh revels in his self-appointed role as the rightwinger Arizona lefties love most to hate.

Since recalled, disgraced former state Senate President Russell Pearce (Kavanagh's pal) was pounded into mainstream political irrelevance in 2011, Kavanagh's eclipsed his erstwhile mentor to become Sand Land's Lord Voldemort for liberals, dreaming up all kinds of ways to send those on the D-side into fits of apoplexy.

* * *

Lately, he's been on a roll, twirling his mustache and doing his best Oil Can Harry.

Meet Paula Pennypacker, the Democratic challenger to John Kavanagh

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Last August I posted that Paula Pennypacker, an unsuccessful 1993 Republican candidate for mayor of Toledo, Ohio and a candidate for the Arizona state legislature in 2010, had officially switched her party registration to the Democratic Party. Republicans bail on the GOP and head for the exits.

Ms. Pennypacker explained her endorsement of President Barack Obama to the Toledo Blade in October 2012. Ex-Toledoan laments political state:

Ms. Pennypacker, who ran as a Republican for the Arizona state legislature in 2010, said her side-switching in the presidential race has turned friends into enemies, but she’s determined to make a make a stand against what she said is the excessive rightward drift of the Republican Party in Arizona.

“I have never seen a more polarized environment. It has cost me friends; horrible hateful emails. Romney, I never believe anything that comes out of his mouth. Obama is going to win,” she said in a telephone interview from Scottsdale.

Teabagger stumbles out of the gate, out of the race

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Commenters to this blog assured me that teabagger part-time radio host Ed Martin would defeat the empty (flight) suit Martha McSally in the GOP primary for CD 2.

It turns out that "Mr. Ed" stumbled out of the gate, and is out of the race before it really started. (Ed Martin is President/CEO of a Kentucky-based association that advocates for integrity in equine sport.) Republican Martin drops out of congressional race:

Republican Ed Martin, a former Tucson talk-radio host and horse-racing official, has dropped out of the race for the seat now held by Democratic congressman Ron Barber.

Martin, 59, said in a written statement that he withdrew because of “unforeseen personal family challenges“ that will require his attention. Martin announced his candidacy in September stating that he represented an alternative to Martha McSally, the 2012 Republican nominee, who is again seeking the congressional seat.

In addition to McSally, Shelly Kais, a former McSally campaign supporter and Tucson businesswoman is also seeking the party’s nomination.

Scott Smith for Governor? Beware of "centrist" mayors.

I'm about to do a post that is similar to one I did on Democratic Diva a while back but since that site is down and Brahm Resnik of 12 News in Phoenix just tweeted that Mesa Mayor Scott Smith intends to announce his bid for the GOP gubernatorial nod in Arizona, I'm going to repeat my warning:

There was a guy by the name of Pat McCrory in North Carolina. He was the Mayor of Charlotte, a medium-sized city which had enjoyed a good bit of high tech development in recent years. McCrory was considered a centrist, and was the darling of the Chamber of Commerce and media establishment types in NC. When he ran for governor in 2012, McCrory styled himself as a keen-eyed, business focused pragmatist. At debates and endorsement interviews he swore up and down he wasn't going to indulge the tea party ideologues in the state legislature. He was all about jobs jobs jobs! When he was specifically asked about abortion at one forum, he gave a one word answer - "no" - to signing any bill involving abortion into law. 

So does this mean that Jan Brewer is running for governor?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Accidental Governor, Jan Brewer, was on her way to becoming a footnote in history in 2010 until she embraced SB 1070 and churned up anti-immigrant hysteria to ride to victory.

As Brewer's PR guy Howie Fischer frequently reminds readers, Jan Brewer has not yet declared if she will be a candidate for governor this year (which would require a legal challenge to Arizona's term-limit provisions).

Jan Brewer is embracing SB 1070 again. So does this mean that Jan Brewer is running for governor? Howie Fischer reports, Brewer asks Supreme Court to allow expanded SB 1070 enforcement:

Gov. Jan Brewer is asking the nation’s high court to let Arizona enforce a 2010 law making it a crime to knowingly transport or harbor illegal immigrants.

Legal papers filed Monday on the governor’s behalf at the Supreme Court contend there is nothing improper about the state having its own laws aimed at controlling immigration. John Bouma, Brewer’s chief legal counsel, said the fact that there are federal laws criminalizing the same conduct does not pre-empt state action.

* * *

The law in question makes it illegal for someone to transport, conceal, harbor or shield anyone unlawfully present in this country or “encourage or induce the alien to come to or live in Arizona.”

It is part of SB 1070, a broader package of measures designed to give police more power to question and detain those they believe are in the country illegally. Several provisions already have been voided by courts, including three by the Supreme Court itself, as preempted by federal law.

Let's play Bogus Lincoln Quotes

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

"Bogus Lincoln quotes" is probably a game more suited to Twitter (I recommend using Al Melvin's twitter feed for your drunken New Year's Eve parties), but I'll get things started:

"Cap'n Al deserves a Melvin for attributing quotes to me that I never said, and lying about it." -- Abraham Lincoln

Keep it clean folks! Points for being creative and funny.

Have fun!

UPDATE: Thanks to Wileybud -- here you go!

Primary races for Secretary of State - What I expect to hear from the candidates

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Democrats in Arizona now have a primary race for Secretary of State -- the chief elections officer in Arizona. Sen. Leah Landrum Taylor (LD 16) is joined by former Attorney General Terry Goddard as of Monday. Democrat Goddard to run for secretary of state.

On the Republican side we have the co-author of the GOP Voter Supression Act, HB 2305, Sen. Michele Reagan (subject to a "citizens veto" referendum on the 2014 ballot), Rep. Justin Pierce, former state Sen. Jack Harper, and self-funded millionaire Wil Cardon.

So let me lay down some markers of what I expect to hear from the candidates in the way of policy proposals for election law in Arizona.

I have been arguing for some time in favor of the "universal voter registration" proposals from the Brennan Center for Justice. Voter Registration Modernization | Brennan Center for Justice.

In a universal voter registration system, it would be the government's obligation to ensure that every eligible citizen was registered to vote. Individual citizens could opt out if they wished, but the registration process itself would no longer serve as a barrier to the right to vote.

Here are some of the important ways that federal policy can and should encourage the states to improve on the current voter registration system:

1. Mandate that the states put systems in place that would phase in universal voter registration, while preserving the states' ability to experiment with different systems.

2. Require states to immediately implement permanent registration, so that voters wouldn't have to re-register if they moved within a state.

3. Require states to implement Election Day registration, as a fail-safe mechanism for eligible voters missing from the voter rolls for any reason.

4. Provide the federal funding that states would need to ensure that every eligible voter is registered.

In 2013, Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown came within one vote in the state senate of passage of House Bill 3521, a universal voter registation bill, when a Democratic senator balked at voting for the bill. Secretary Brown promises to bring this bill back again in 2014.

When money is speech, democracy is in peril

I don't think it's possible to overstate how bad the AZ Supreme Court decision on Monday to allow astronomically high fundraising limits ($4000 for statewide and legislative races) is. It's pretty much taking the very worst aspects of our state's politics and injecting them with steroids.

In case you share the conceit of many in the Arizona establishment punditry class - AKA "the Village" - that moderation and pragmatism will reign once elections are completely in the hands of wealthy and wise "business leaders", let me disabuse you of that forthwith:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll: Democrats should go on the offense on 'ObamaCare'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

A Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll of "battleground" congressional districts for the Women's Voices, Women Vote Action Fund and Democracy Corps released on Thursday recommends that Democrats go on the offensive on "ObamaCare." Are you listening Reps. Barber and Sinema? New WVWVAF Poll: Affordable Care Act Remains Popular with Rising American Electorate:

Survey Shows Unparalleled Support for Women’s Economic Agenda

WASHINGTON, DC – December 12, 2013 – The Affordable Care Act remains incredibly popular with people of color, unmarried women and other members of the Rising American Electorate, and a plurality in Republican districts and a majority in Democratic districts still support implementing “Obamacare” over repealing it. Those are some of the key findings of a major new poll (PDF) sponsored by Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund and conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for Democracy Corps.

“Despite all the noise over the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, our polling shows that it remains popular among African Americans, Latinos, unmarried women and other members of the Rising American Electorate,” said Page Gardner, founder and President of Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund. “They realize that the reform law will improve their lives and ensure that they have affordable and reliable health care. These often economically-vulnerable Americans make up nearly 54 percent of the voting-eligible population, and these are the voters who decide elections.”

Sen. Linda Lopez to resign, Pima County BOS to appoint successor

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Tucson Weekly reported Wednesday that state Sen. Linda Lopez (D-LD 2) will resign in January. Sen. Linda Lopez Resigning Next Month. My sources confirm this.

LD 2 will have to hold a special meeting of precinct committee persons to nominate three individuals to refer to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, which will appoint the successor to Sen. Lopez.

The Weekly speculates that Legislative District 2 Rep. Andrea Dalessandro, former state lawmaker Tom Prezelski, and historic preservation champion Demion Clinco, are in the mix. I hear District 2 Rep. Rosanna Gabaldon is also a possibility.

Rep. Andrea Dalessandro posted on Facebook declaring her intentions to seek the Senate seat:

Andrea Dalessandro

I was recruited a few months ago but I did not want to make it public until Linda Lopez spoke of her pending resignation in public. She did last night at the Arizona Women's Political Caucus Holiday Party. I was planning on running for the Senate in 2016 when Linda would have been termed out. I am seeking the appointment to the Senate.

Should Dalessandro or Gabaldon move up to the Senate, this would result in another vacancy and another special meeting of precinct committee persons to nominate three individuals to refer to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, which will appoint their successor.

Arizona Democratic Party launches the realmcsally.com website

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

It looks as if I finally have some help in my lonely quest to expose Martha McSally as a media invention, and an ill-informed and ill-prepared candidate. The Arizona Democratic Party sent out this press release on Wednesday:

Who is the Real McSally??????

December 11, 2013

Phoenix, AZ–DJ Quinlan, executive director of the Arizona Democratic Party issued the following statement on the launching of therealmcsally.com website:

“The voters of Southern Arizona deserve to know where Martha McSally stands on crucial issues that affect the future of our country and state. Unfortunately McSally won’t come clean. In fact, her website does not even contain an issues page. That’s why we are launching therealmcsally.com website. It will serve as a resource to the voters of Congressional District 2 to help them track the multiple positions (or lack thereof) that Martha McSally has taken.

Reception for Congressman Ron Barber

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Announcement from Congressman Ron Barber:

Questions for Martha McSally: Jim Nintzel doesn't get an answer either - again

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In this new series, "Questions for Martha McSally," we pose questions to the McSally campaign about her positions on current hot topics -- I am not going to give her a free pass until after the GOP primary like our local media did in 2012.

Jim Nintzel of the Tucson Weekly and host of the Arizona Illustrated political roundtable tried to get Martha McSally to take a position on the current hot topic of gay marriage and "ObamaCare" and - suprise! - McSally is still hiding in the bunker with no ready answer to substantive questions. This is one incredibly ill-informed and ill-prepared candidate for someone who has been running for office since 2010. In Sickness and in Health:

What about gay marriage? Are you evolving on that at all?

Am I evolving on that?

A lot of people seem to be evolving on that. You said last time out that you supported a constitutional amendment to limit marriage to one man and one woman. Now we have it in all these states.

I believe it's primarily a state issue. When you're answering these surveys, sometimes it's a "yes/no" question when really it should be an essay answer that's appropriate.

Treasury proposes new rules for 501(c)(4) tax exempt status

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

About damn time! Treasury proposing new rules on tax-exemption:

The Treasury Department proposed new guidelines Tuesday that would affect so-called social welfare groups applying for tax-exempt status[.]

The intended rule change would establish a new term, “candidate-related political activity,” to help the IRS determine which organizations should be disqualified from 501 (c)(4) status.

The department said it will also seek recommendations for changing how much of a group’s activities could fall into that prohibited category before they would be ineligible for tax-exemption.

Many lawmakers have criticized the IRS’s current policy of allowing organizations to qualify as long as the majority of their activities do not involve political actions, a standard that is difficult to measure.

The newly proposed rules would clarify that social welfare does not count as prohibited activity. It would also define the term “candidate-related political activity” to include communications, grants and contributions and activities closely related to elections or candidates advocating for a clearly identified political candidate.

The Notice of Proposed Rule Making is Here.

Legal fissure opens between AZ Secty of State and the AZ Lege over campaign finance limits

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

A legal fissure has opened between Arizona Secretary of State Ken "Birther" Bennett and the GOP leadership of the Arizona Legislature seeking to overturn the Arizona Court of Appeals decision in Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, et al. v. The Honorable Mark H. Brain, and real parties in interest (.pdf), which struck down our lawless legisture's new campaign finance limits as unconstituional. Howard Fischer reports, Erasing campaign contribution limits now would create problems, Bennett tells court:

Reversing his earlier stance, Secretary of State Ken Bennett now wants to keep caps in place for how much money candidates can take from individuals and special interests, at least for the time being.

In legal papers filed with the Arizona Supreme Court, Bennett acknowledged he initially supported the bid by Republican legislative leaders to allow much higher limits — and, in some cases, no limits at all — on what donors can give and candidates can accept. In fact, his attorney argued to the state Court of Appeals, the Republican-controlled Legislature was legally entitled to make the changes.

The appellate court disagreed, blocking the higher limits from taking effect.

GOP leaders want the state’s high court to overrule the appellate court. But they concede a full-blown review of the issue could take months, so they are asking the justices to allow the higher limits to be implemented while the case plays out in court.

Bennett, through his lawyer, told the justices that would be a bad idea.

“The public has a significant interest in the smooth function of an election,” wrote attorney David Weinzweig for the secretary of state. He said changing the rules now — which actually would be for the third time — would result in “uncertainty and chaos.”

Bennett said he has worked since the appellate court ruling to inform both candidates and contributors that they are bound by what was on the books until September.

“Another change in regulations would undo those efforts and further upend Arizona’s campaign finance system,” he said.

So what's it going to be, Guv? Yes or no?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Governor Jan Brewer's publicity agent for her crappy book Scorpions for Breakfast, Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, frequently inserts into his reporting the reminder that "The governor said she remains convinced that, despite a constitutional provision, she can run for what would be a third term. 'I have not made up my decision,'' she said."

Almost a year ago, Brewer's Secretary of State, Ken "Birther" Bennett, also a GOP candidate for governor in 2014, argued that Governor Brewer is constitutionally prohibited from running again. Howard Fischer reported, Brewer can't run again in 2014, Bennett says:

The state's chief election officer said Monday that his interpretation of state law is that Republican Jan Brewer's reign as governor must end in January 2015, no matter what she and her lawyer say.

Secretary of State Ken Bennett said he understands Brewer believes that the two years she spent finishing off Democrat Janet Napolitano's term do not count toward the two-term limit voters mandated in 1992.

Brewer, elected in her own right at the 2010 election, is saying she could run again in 2014 if she wants, although she has not yet decided if she will.

* * *

Bennett sidestepped a question of whether he would take legal action to keep Brewer off the ballot should she seek the nomination.

Fact Check: AFP's 'Pants on Fire' ad about 'ObamaCare'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The "Kochtopus" organization Americans For Prosperity is running ads in Southern Arizona against Rep. Ron Barber that begins with some innocuous blonde speaking in a concerned voice about how Americans don't like political ads (it is a political ad!) and saying "health care isn't about politics, it's about people." Ahhh, isn't that special.

Remember, this is from the "Kochtopus" organization Americans For Prosperity -- far-right radical politics is all they do, and the "Kochtopus" doesn't give a damn about you or your health care.

In fact, AFP wants to repeal "ObamaCare" which would kick millions of Americans off of health insurance that they did not have before "ObamaCare," and millions of seniors would lose new benefits they received under Medicare. Millions more working poor would be kicked off expanded Medicaid in states like Arizona without the federal funds.

The ad makes three specific claims:

>> "Millions of people have lost their health insurance": This is objectively FALSE. The ad is conflating the recent cancellation notices for substandard insurance policies with "losing insurance," but these policy holders are being offered other plans, or can purchase a plan from the Marketplace health insurance exchange. The key provision of "ObamaCare" is that individuals cannot be denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions, or hitting an annual cap or lifetime cap on benefits.

The GOP Playbook - 'Whine Fest 2014'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

For the third election cycle in a row, the GOP has decided that it will run against "ObamaCare." It is now a single-issue party fixated on denying millions of needy Americans access to affordable health care. In fact, the GOP would kick millions of Americans off of health insurance who now have it as a result of "ObamaCare" and return to the status quo of the old broken health care system. The only health care alternative offered by the GOP is "perhaps you should die, and decrease the surplus population."

The modern-day Tea-Publican Party has become a sociopathic political party that lacks empathy, compassion and humanity for their fellow human beings, and rejects The Social Contract embodied in the Constitution ("to promote the general welfare") on which this country has collectively advanced for over 200 years. It has devolved into “post-policy nihilism,” in which Tea-Publicans are no longer guided by any real policy, but instead are chronically positioning themselves only in opposition to President Obama.

The New York Times reported on Thursday, G.O.P. Maps Out Waves of Attacks Over Health Law:

The memo distributed to House Republicans this week was concise and blunt, listing talking points and marching orders: “Because of Obamacare, I Lost My Insurance.” “Obamacare Increases Health Care Costs.” “The Exchanges May Not Be Secure, Putting Personal Information at Risk.” “Continue Collecting Constituent Stories.”

The document, the product of a series of closed-door strategy sessions that began in mid-October, is part of an increasingly organized Republican attack on the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature legislative initiative. Republican strategists say that over the next several months, they intend to keep Democrats on their heels through a multilayered, sequenced assault.

The idea is to gather stories of people affected by the health care law — through social media, letters from constituents, or meetings during visits back home — and use them to open a line of attack, keep it going until it enters the public discourse and forces a response, then quickly pivot to the next topic.

(Update) Questions for Martha McSally: Will you ever come out from hiding in the bunker?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In this new series, "Questions for Martha McSally," we pose questions to the McSally campaign about her positions on current hot topics -- I am not going to give her a free pass until after the GOP primary like our local media did in 2012.

I have never seen a candidate so controlled by handlers and so afraid of answering substantive questions from the media. I have speculated previously "it is painfully obvious that Martha McSally is a vacuous candidate who does not know enough about any subject to offer a thoughtful and detailed explanation of her positions. So she continues to hide in the bunker and refuses to offer any detailed explanations of her positions."

Today, Martha McSally actually gives an answer that confirms my suspicion. She is ill-informed, and ill-prepared -- and frankly, too intellectually incurious and lazy, and lacking in discipline -- to be a qualified candidate for Congress.

Jim Nintzel writes at the Tucson Weekly, Detail Work:

In an interview with the Weekly earlier this month, McSally explained that she generally doesn't know enough about the details of legislation to make a good decision about how she would vote on it.

"I'm not in Congress, I don't have a staff, I don't have the briefings," McSally said. "I'm not going to spend all of my time making comments on legislation I haven't studied or been briefed on or have the same sort of opportunities that a member of Congress has. I'd be spending literally day and night if I'm going to comment on every single piece of legislation that comes up, and I'm not going to just willy-nilly go, 'Yeah, I would have voted for that or I wouldn't have voted for that' if I haven't really studied it."

McSally said sharing her general principles ought to be enough for voters, and that Southern Arizonans were not interested in how she would vote on legislation this year.

"The only people who are pushing me on this are the media," McSally said. "Not constituents. Not voters. Voters want to know what my philosophies are."

This is an admission against interest that she is ill-informed, ill-prepared, too intellectually incurious and lazy, and lacking in discipline to effectively serve as a member of Congress. If I was vetting this candidate, my recommendation to the party would be that McSally should not be a candidate for public office.

Questions for Martha McSally: Jim Nintzel doesn't get an answer either

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In this new series, "Questions for Martha McSally," we pose questions to the McSally campaign about her positions on current hot topics -- I am not going to give her a free pass until after the GOP primary like our local media did in 2012.

Jim Nintzel of the Tucson Weekly and host of the Arizona Illustrated political roundtable tried to get Martha McSally to take a position on the current hot topic of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) and - suprise! - McSally is still hiding in the bunker with no ready answer to substantive questions. This is one incredibly ill-informed and ill-prepared candidate for someone who has been running for office since 2010. From

Republican Martha McSally, who hopes to unseat Barber next year, declined to take a position on ENDA.

"I haven't read the law, so I'd have to read it before I make a comment," she told the Weekly last week.

When she ran in 2010, McSally was opposed to "adding 'sexual orientation,' 'gender identity,' or 'gender expression' to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestory in anti-discrimination law," according to a survey she filled out for the Center for Arizona Policy, a religious-right organization.

McSally said last week she filled the survey out early in her political career, so she would have to go back and review how the question was phrased before she could say whether she still stood by it. The questionnaire, she said, only let her say whether she supported or opposed various positions, and she felt she should have instead been given an opportunity to write longer answers.

[Note: This is B.S. Candidates frequently attach detailed responses to questionnaires when they have a nuanced or detailed position on an issue. I have to read these questionnaires all the time. A candidate does not need to ask permission to attach their response. Where is that proactive, take charge leadership skills McSally wants us to believe? She was intimidated by a "check the box" questionnaire from CAP?]

Questions for Martha McSally: Do you support the automatic GOP Sequester budget cuts?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In this new series, "Questions for Martha McSally," we pose questions to the McSally campaign about her positions on current hot topics -- I am not going to give her a free pass until after the GOP primary like our local media did in 2012.

Patrick McNamara of the Arizona Daily Star reported this week on Congressman Ron Barber signing "a letter along with 32 other members of Congress imploring Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to preserve the A-10 program, which has a large presence at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base." Barber backs A-10 retention at D-M. "The letter was written in an effort to head off any threat from impending federal budget cuts in the coming fiscal year, which almost certainly will include defense-spending reductions."

This would be the automatic GOP Sequester budget cuts in the event a budget agreement is not reached before January.

McNamara got himself a quote from Martha McSally, who is running for Barber's seat, presumably because she used to fly the A-10 (hopefully not because he is treating McSally as the GOP "presumptive nominee;" she has two primary opponents, Ed Martin and Shelley Kais).

Naturally, McSally went for snark over substance, suggesting that it seems the congressman has only now realized the threat of impending elimination of the A-10 program. This is in reference to her own reckless and irresponsible fear mongering over Davis-Monthan AFB possibly being closed if the A-10 is phased out. Questions for Martha McSally: On what basis do you assert that Davis-Monthan AFB will close?

Let's be clear: The only immediate threat to the A-10 at Davis-Monthan AFB is the automatic GOP Sequester budget cuts. While McNamara's report in regards to Congressman Ron Barber was about the federal budget and defense cuts, oddly enough he does not report whether he asked Martha McSally about her support for the automatic GOP Sequester budget cuts to the defense department budget (if he did, he failed to report any response). Instead, he framed McSally's responses based upon her previous reckless and irresponsbile fear mongering over the A-10.

NPR 'Secret Persuasion' report with the Center for Responsive Politics

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

NPR with the Center for Responsive Politics has a two-part investigative news report into 501(c)(4) social welfare groups and how their donors can give unlimited amounts while remaining private and bypassing public disclosure laws.

Part 1: From Social Welfare Groups, A River Of Political Influence, by Peter Oversby.

Part 2: Secret Persuasion: How Big Campaign Donors Stay Anonymous, by Peter Oversby.