Month: February 2013

The GOP’s ‘savior’ throws a hissyfit for his media villager base

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Posted  by AzBlueMeanie:

This is how the "lamestream" media functions — anytime a Republican politician has something to whine about, he or she is given a platform by the "lamestream" media to say it or they stenographically report it uncritically as "news."

Case in point over the weekend: The GOP's newly annointed "savior," Tea Party freshman Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, threw a hissyfit like a Mean Girls biotch over the weekend after USA Today published a leaked draft of an immigration reform plan being developed by the White House just in case the bipartisan negotiations in Congress fail to produce a legisaltive plan. "I"m the 'savior,' here! Didn't you see my TIME cover? It's my plan or no plan!"

Well actually, the draft plan being developed by the White House is nearly identical to Marco Rubio's plan, as one would expect because the plan Marco Rubio wishes to claim as his own is nearly identical to President Obama's immigration reform plan introduced in a May 2011 speech. "Big Gulp" Rubio is not an original thinker, as his conservative Kool-Aid response to the State of The Union Address last week made clear.

ALEC and the Arizona legislature: School Choice Directory Act

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by David Safier In 2011, when information was just getting out about ALEC and its influence on Republican state legislators across the country, I wrote a series of posts, with the help of Lisa Hoffman who did most of the research, about Arizona legislation based on ALEC Model Bills. Here's one example: a post about … Read more

My New Favorite Website

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Posted by Bob Lord

Well, not entirely. I'm still enthralled with TomDispatch. But I just bumped into Paulcraigroberts.org, and really like some of his posts. Roberts was an assistant Treasury Secretary under Reagan, but apparently has changed his views since then.

Arrests, deportations, protests: Is Tucson an immigrant-friendly city or not?

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On Sunday, Tucson Police and the Border Patrol arrested Rene Meza Huertha, in front of his wife and children, and arrested activist Raúl Alcaráz Ochoa, who was trying to prevent the arrest of Huertha. This action by TPD is in direct violation of the City Council's vote in August 2012– making Tucson an "immigrant friendly" city. From the Arizona Daily Star…

"We don't want people to feel fear when traveling to work, to school, to the store," [City Councilwoman Regina] Romero said before the meeting. "We also don't want people to be afraid to call the police to report a crime."

She said a conversation now will begin among the city, immigrant communities, businesses, the Tucson Police Department and others about how to make the city more welcoming.

Activists are calling for a protest and press conference today, Monday, February 18 at 4 p.m., outside of TPD. 

On a related note, the American Friends Service Committee, Border Links, Derechos Humanos, and other immigrant supporters, including the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, will hold a press conference and protest of Operation Streamline on Tuesday, February 19, at 12:30 at the Federal Courthouse. The Operation Streamline action leads up to a Congressional hearing on this policy on February 22 in DC. Details and background on both of these actions after the jump.

Arizona Legislature: The coming week

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By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

 

This initial post covers the activities of Monday and Tuesday only.  We're approaching the deadline for bills to be heard in committee in their originating chamber, so a few of the committee agendas are very long.  I'll update with coverage of scheduled activity for Wednesday and Thursday tomorrow evening…

As usual, all committee agendas, floor calendars, and event schedules are  subject to change without notice. Call ahead to confirm plans before travelling  to the Capitol based on an agenda, calendar, or schedule cited  here.

Notes:

If an agenda is summarized with "looks harmless so  far" that only means that nothing on the agenda set off "bat-shit crazy" alarm  bells; if the committee in question covers an area of interest to you, check out  the full agenda yourself. And if I missed something significant, please leave a  comment letting me know.

A hearing room designation of "SHR" means it is  a hearing room in the Senate building; "HHR" means that the hearing room is in  the House building.

Lastly, this summary is not, nor is it intended to  be, comprehensive. Many bills have been covered, but not all of them. Again, if  a committee covers an area of interest to you, check out the full agenda  yourself.

Floor activity: