Read Blog for Arizona | Politics from a Liberal Viewpoint for more about 2018

AZ’s Worst Legislator: Todd “Confederate” Clodfelter in LD10

October 19, 2018September 29, 2018 by

I know the Republican incumbent, state Rep. Todd Clodfelter of Tucson’s LD10. I listened as he told a woman at a town hall who was afraid to send her children to school that we would all soon need to carry guns to defend ourselves. I still feel ashamed that I did not go stand next to that mother and challenge his vision of Arizona.

Remember the coverage of Todd Clodfelter’s display — on the floor of the Arizona House of Representatives — of his laptop computer’s screensaver depicting what most of us think of as “The Confederate Flag”? He is immune to the argument, quoted in a Washington Post interview with a Civil War Historian, that “You can’t filter out the racism and leave what’s pure and historical in the flag, because that purity doesn’t exist. Some things are so primitively stained or tarnished by history that they can never be set side. The flag is a perfect example.” Clodfelter defended his use of the flag as “acceptable” imagery. This is the Clodfelter I know.

Todd ‘Confederate’ Clodfelter has a new scandal

September 29, 2018 by AZ BlueMeanie

State Representative Todd “Confederate” Clodfelter didn’t bother to show up for the Legislative District 10 Citizens Clean Elections debate earlier this week, presumably because he did not want his constituents to ask about his defense of his “Southern heritage” of slavery, secession and segregation. “White power!”

At least his treasonous rebel relatives had the courage to show up and take their beating from Union soldiers back in the day. Todd “Confederate” Clodfelter is a coward who dishonored his rebel relatives by making other plans to avoid the debate. His dead relatives are ashamed.

But it turns out that there may be another reason why this coward did not want to show up and be asked questions by his constituents. The Arizona Daily Star reports today, Hackers: Rep. Todd Clodfelter had account on website that caters to extramarital affairs:

Less than two weeks before early ballots hit mailboxes, an anonymous website has revealed that Republican state Rep. Todd Clodfelter has had a profile on a website geared at internet users seeking extramarital affairs.

Clodfelter, a representative from Tucson who was first elected in 2016, is owning up to creating the profile at AshleyMadison.com, saying he’s made some mistakes that he’s working through with his family.

Further, the lawmaker says, his personal sex life is nobody’s business and has nothing to do with his position as a state lawmaker.

Wow. Is this guy clueless, or what? Has he not been watching the Judge Kavanaugh hearings this week?

BREAKING, WATCH: Sinema One Of 3 Democrats Voting For Largely-Symbolic GOP Tax Bill; Schweikert Expresses “Joy” Over Bill

October 1, 2018September 28, 2018 by Michael Bryan

On the final day of the House session before the mid-term elections, Arizona Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-CD9) was one of 3 Democrats to vote with Republicans* on a largely-symbolic bill to make last year’s tax cuts permanent.

The measure passed 220-191, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already determined that any bill to make cuts permanent would need 60 votes to pass, and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) said the House measure would not be taken up this session.

Sinema – who is running a statewide race to replace Jeff Flake in the Senate – issued a brief statement implying that she worked with Republicans to craft

Brett Kavanaugh cried, shouted and pouted at his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Men: We’ve Heard About Assaults. Speak Up About Them.

September 28, 2018 by Bob Lord

Distributed via OtherWords

Women who report assault deserve to hear that we believe them, and that we can back them up — because we’ve heard the other side.

The Brett Kavanaugh confirmation imbroglio shined a bright light on a terrible misconception: that the #MeToo movement is somehow about destroying the careers of powerful men.

Again and again, Kavanaugh and his defenders complained that the allegations were “ruining his life” or “his good name.” (Never mind whether he deserves it.)

This sort of entitlement completely erases survivors of assault. #MeToo is about those women, previously silent, speaking out so that America’s shameful tolerance of sexual assault ends.

Even worse, some Republicans appear willing to accept Kavanaugh even if the allegations brought by Christine Blasey Ford and others are true. To them, it’s unfair that something Kavanaugh did as a 17 year-old boy should impact his career 36 years later.

This is nothing less than open tolerance of sexual assault. To me, that’s unacceptable.

I suspect millions of men share my view. And we need to speak up — especially those of us who got a glimpse inside the world Brett Kavanaugh grew up in.

CR signed to keep the government open – see you in December

September 28, 2018 by AZ BlueMeanie

President Trump has signed the short-term spending bill and continuing resolution (CR) passed by Congress last week that will keep the government open through Dec. 7 and avert a government shutdown.

Trump backed off his oft-repeated threat to shut down the government in order to extort funding from Congress for his “big beautiful wall” on the Mexico border, putting off a fight over the funding until after the midterm elections. Trump Signs $854 Billion Spending Bill To Avert Government Shutdown:

President Donald Trump has signed an $854 billion spending bill to keep the federal government open through Dec. 7, averting a government shutdown in the weeks leading up to the November midterm elections.

That’s according to a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the action.

Trump signed the legislation to fund the military and several civilian agencies without journalists present at the White House. The president is acting after the House and Senate approved the spending plan earlier this week.