American Jobs Act up for vote in the Senate this week
October 9, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: This week, the Senate will vote on its version of President Obama's American Jobs Act. The Congressional Budget Office has scored S. 1660 [PDF], the Senate Democrats' version of the American Jobs Act, President Obama's jobs plan. The Senate bill replaces a number of tax increases on the oil and gas and
Grand Canyon Institute – ‘Keep Redistricting Independent’
October 9, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: For those of you who have been following Steve Muratore's must-read The Arizona Eagletarian blog and Blog for Arizona for information about redistricting in Arizona, the Arizona Republic today revealed a new resource for information is joining the fray: the centrist think tank the Grand Canyon Institute "announced its 'Keep Redistricting Independent'
Dr. Word asks: What do Al Melvin, Herman Cain and Ronald Reagan have in common? (Hint: it’s not Abe Lincoln)
October 9, 2011
by David Safier Words matter, and so do attributions, especially when you're attributing words to Abraham Lincoln. So I'll ask Herman Cain and Cap'n Al Melvin, who said the following words? (Too late to ask Ronald Reagan, obviously, though he used the words in his 1992 speech at the Republican National Convention.) "You can't help
Call the Wahhmbulance! Robert Robb whines the AIRC is unfair to Tea-Publicans
October 9, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: I posted last week about the coordinated media assault on the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) by FAIR Trust (the Arizona Republican Caucus), whining that the congressional "draft map" is unfair to Republicans because it creates only four "safe" GOP districts, two majority-minority Voting Rights Act districts that favor democrats, and three
Fast and Furious, meet Wide Receiver
October 9, 2011
by David Safier Ask Darrell Issa. It's the scandal of the century. Obama's ATF goons let guns walk across the border to Mexico as part of the wrong-headed Operation Fast and Furious. Never in the history of this nation has . . . No other president would ever allow . . . Well, never in
Stalking state laws: the NRA and its lobbyists work slowly but inexorably
October 9, 2011
By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings The NRA is proving that when it comes to lobbying state legislatures, persistence is almost as important as money, as is the patience to take small bites. (Not that lots of money hurts. :) ) Perhaps it's the old saw about repeating a lie often enough that it becomes fact
AIRC Update: Schedule of Round Two of Public Hearings Announced
October 8, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Arizona Independent Redistricitng Commission (AIRC) has announced the schedule for Round Two of public hearings around the state. If you have not previously attended any hearings, these hearings will be your last opportunity to make your voice heard. Round two of AIRC Public Outreach Meetings Download PDF Meetings are subject to
Koch Brothers’ lawbreaking: bribery and dealings with Iran
October 8, 2011
by David Safier This will be my last post on the Bloomberg News story, Koch Brothers Flout Law Getting Richer With Secret Iran Sales. I've broken my coverage of the story into four posts (here are one, two and three), because each individual instance of corporate greed and illegality deserves coverage. But the overall "preponderance
