Month: August 2014

10th Circuit Court of Appeals to hear Kobach v. U.S. Election Assistance Commission on Monday

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The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals sitting in the Byron White Courthouse in Denver, Colorado will hear oral arguments in Kobach v. U.S. Election Assistance Commission tomorrow morning, August 25, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. MST. Argument Schedule (.pdf).

NoVoteThis is the Prop. 200 (2004) proof-of-citizenship requirement to register to vote in Arizona for which Arizona Secretary of State Ken “Birther” Bennett, relying on nothing more than an Attorney General Opinion from Tom “banned for life by the SEC’ Horne, AG Opinion No. 113-011 Here (.pdf), has by executive fiat imposed a “dual election” system in Arizona for elections this year — there is no statutory authorization under Arizona law for such a dual election system — in which voters who registered to vote using the federal voter registration form will only be allowed to vote in federal races (Congress) in Tuesday’s primary election.

Arizona election officials earlier this year estimated 1,500 voters will have to use the special ballot with only federal races for the state primaries on Aug. 26.

That’s right, Arizona will deprive American citizens of their franchise to vote in state races on Tuesday in violation of their privileges and immunities as citizens of the U.S. and in violation of their due process rights under the 14th Amendment. Because “states’ rights!”

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Political Calendar: Week of August 24, 2014

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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.

It’s time for “Take Ten” again. Take ten of your family members, neighbors, coworkers and friends to vote early, or to the polls on election day for the primary election. It’s the power of ten.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission debates are available online. View Replay of Candidate Debates Online.

Note: For Event Notices and Fliers, click on the “Calendar” button in the menu options above.

Progressive_values

Political Calendar for the Week of August 24, 2014:

Sunday, August 24, 2:00 p.m.: (New Day) Legislative District 11 meeting, at the Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist Church, 3601 W. Cromwell Drive (Tucson). For more information please contact Tom Cuevas at (520) 440-5458. Find us at www.AZLD11Dems.org.

Sunday, August 24, 4:00 p.m.: Circle of Friends End of Summer No Host Happy Hour, at Christopher’s Crush, Biltmore Fashion Park, 2502 E. Camelback Road #102 (Phoenix). Members $15, guests $30 (includes one drink and selection of appetizers). space is limited, so advance purchase of your ticket is requested. CLICK TO PURCHASE TICKETS. To RSVP, please contact Ben at benwhaley@maricopadems.org or call (480) 577-1752.

Sunday, August 24, 4:30 p.m.: Friese Forum, with Dr, Randy Friese, House candidate for LD 9, at Northwest Medical Center, La Paloma Urgent Care Community Classroom, 4001 E. Sunrise Drive. RSVP or direct questions to Cheryl Cage by email or phone: (520) 360-9016.

Monday, August 25, 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 Andrew Morrill, President of Arizona Education Association on “the role of the school board – success and failures in Arizona.” Next Week: No DGT in observance of Labor Day.

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No more lame excuses! Just go vote

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Historically, Arizona voter turnout is abysmal. Arizona always trails the national average. The failure of Arizonans to vote is why we have the government that we do at the state capitol. If Arizonans would all just get off their asses and exercise their civic duty as a U.S. citizen to vote, maybe things would change for the better. Voter Turnout | Arizona Indicators (from George Mason University):

Here is voter turnout by “voting age population” (VAP), includes all those over 18. In the 2010 midterm election, VAP turnout was only 35.9%.

Screenshot from 2014-08-23 15:18:21

Here is voter turnout by “voting eligible population” (VAP), counts only those truly able to register and vote, excluding non-citizens, non-residents, felons, and mentally incapacitated persons. In the 2010 midterm election, VAP turnout was only 41.5%.

Screenshot from 2014-08-23 15:17:05

So what are the most common excuses people give for not voting?

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Breaking: Thucky May Be Channelling Weiner

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Hat tip to Carolyn Classen for sending this link to me:

“Are you still blogging, that’s my question yes or no?” One-on-one with Superintendent John Huppenthal

The link is to a KGUN9 interview by KGUN’s Justin Schecker of our friend Thucky.

I’d been wondering about this myself. I recently saw this post at Sonoran Alliance, suggesting Huppenthal was posting there under the pseudonym “Light”:

John Huppenthal At It Again! This Time, Posting by Proxy

Apparently, Huppenthal may have been attacking Diane Douglas on the Sonoran Alliance site.

Speaking of proxies, the Sonoran Alliance post was just a few weeks after I received this comment from a proxy server in Germany to a post about Huppenthal trashing Jan Brewer in a comment back in 2009, Did Huppenthal Call Jan Brewer a Liar?:

Seriously, Bob. Get over it.

If Huppenthal didn’t visit your site and comment, you wouldn’t have a fucking thing to write about.

Jews like you prove that Hitler had the right idea, but lacked ambition.

Do I know it was Thucky who wrote the comment? No, he’s learned not to leave tracks. But I do know two things that point to him: (1) consistent with the comment, he’s fascinated with all things Hitler; and (2) nobody else on the planet would care enough about my posting on Thucky’s comments to lash out at me like that.

In the KGUN piece, Justin Schecker asks Huppenthal four separate times if he’s still blogging. Check out the exchanges:

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