Read Blog for Arizona | Politics from a Liberal Viewpoint for more about December 2014

Political Calendar: Week of December 14, 2014

December 14, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

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Political Calendar for the Week of December 14, 2014:

Sunday, December 14, 6:00 p.m.: Legislative District 11 Holiday Party, at Vero Amore, Dove Mountain, 12130 N. Dove Mountain Blvd. (Marana). For all LD-11 PCs and family, friends, AND for all LD-11 supporters! For more information please call (520) 395-0204.

Monday, December 15, 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 Matt Lowen, Associate Director American Friends Service Committee, update on “Operation Streamline” (mass hearings for deportations) in Tucson. DGT will be on holiday break December 22 and 29. See you next year!

Cartoon of The Week

December 14, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

Warren Blasts Corporate Politicians, Calls for Break-Up of CitiGroup (video)

December 13, 2014December 13, 2014 by Pamela Powers

In a fiery but measured speech on the Senate floor, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren blasted the close ties between CitiGroup, Congress, and the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations as Wall Street “cronyism”. Channeling trust-busting, progressive President Teddy Roosevelt, Warren called for “opening up Dodd-Frank to make it tougher” and for an end to “too big to fail” banks.

“Let me say to anyone who is listening at Citi, I agree with you that Dodd-Frank isn’t perfect,” Warren said, looking directly into the camera. “It should have broken you into pieces.” [Full video after jump.]

Warren and other progressives are riled up because Congress inserted a Wall Street deregulation clause into the federal government budget bill which the House passed last week. This provision– written by CitiGroup lobbyists– weakens the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, allows Wall Street banks to return to the risky derivatives trading that sparked the worldwide financial collapse of 2008-09, and paves the way for future Wall Street bank bailouts. The fix is in for more gambling with our money.

Governor Jan Brewer’s final act of defiance against the federal ‘guvmint’

December 13, 2014 by AZ BlueMeanie

Governor Jan Brewer, aka George Wallace in a dress, in a final act of defiance against the federal “guvmint” before she rides off into the sunset, is letting her Confederate freak flag fly.

Earlier this week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals told Brewer to go pound sand in response to her motion for stay of the Court’s order to allow Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) eligible DREAMers to obtain an Arizona drivers license during the pendency of Arizona’s lawsuit challenging President Obama’s executive order on DACA. Court moves closer to driver’s licenses for dreamers.

Consumed by hatred for people breathing while brown and spite for that Black man in the White House, Brewer has filed a motion for stay in the U.S. Supreme Court that almost reads like South Carolina’s Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify. States’ rights!

Justice Anthony Kennedy has called for a response to her application, to be filed by noon (Eastern time) next Tuesday, December 16.

Lyle Denniston at SCOTUSblog reports, Arizona tests delayed deportation policies:

State officials in Arizona, seeking to block undocumented immigrants from getting driver’s licenses even if they have been spared from deportation, asked the Supreme Court today to examine new Obama administration moves on immigration policy. This marked the first time that the Court has been drawn into the tense national debate over President Obama’s actions on immigration without waiting for Congress to act on a new law.

The Arizona application (14A625) is here; a challenged decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is here. A federal district court ruling in the case is here.

Party on with Arizona Party Bike in Winterhaven

December 12, 2014 by Carolyn Classen

Arizona Party Bike company will provide daily tours of the famous Winterhaven Festival from December 13th – 27th

For Immediate Release

What pedals in gear and brings holiday cheer? The Arizona Party Bike!

The Winterhaven neighborhood, which for decades has hosted the famous Festival of Lights drawing tens of thousands of people each year, has accepted the Arizona Party Bike company as its new tour operator for 2014!

(In case you haven’t seen it, the Arizona Party Bike is a large, pedal-powered vehicle that operates downtown and is usually rented out by large groups and tourists for nights out on the town, local craft beer tours, and special occasions. Guests may BYOB while enjoying all the pedaling glory.)

From December 13 – 27, Arizona Party Bike will operate fun, family-friendly tours of the festival each hour from 6pm to 10pm. Groups can enjoy the lights and decorations of the Winterhaven Festival while riding out in the open air. By utilizing three 15-person party bikes, as few as one seat to as many as 45 seats can be booked at a time, making this a great option for groups of friends, families, and companies looking for a new and fun way to enjoy the festival!