Posted by AzBlueMeanie: From MSNBC's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell blog: Advertisement Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, who admitted in his memoir to attempting suicide while held captive as a P.O.W. in Vietnam for 5 1/2 years, is responsible for blocking funding for a suicide prevention program aimed at military reserve troops returning home … Read more

by David Safier Here's a short summary of information about Russell Pearce and his son, Joshua, from today's Phoenix New Times: In 1974, Russell Pearce, "then a young sheriff's deputy, busted down the door of his first wife Karen. Karen and Russell were divorced the same year. No charges were ever filed in that incident." … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported on the GOP war on public employees. Public servants feel sting of budget rancor: Here are two words you don't hear much lately: public servant. More and more, when politicians talk about government employees – whether they are federal, state or local – it is with … Read more

by David Safier The voting will officially begin December 27. It was hard to narrow down, but I've chosen what I think are the five worst Star headlines of 2010 — plus one more, because, even though it doesn't reach the same level of egregious-ness as the others, it still fries my bacon. You, dear … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Arizona's twin embarrassments, "Senator Obstruction," Jon Kyl, and "Senator McNasty," John McCain, each led the fight against a major initiative of the Obama administration: Kyl waged an incoherent partisan attack against ratification of the New START Treaty, and McCain waged a demagogic attack against the conditional repal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT). … Read more

by David Safier FULL DISCLOSURE: I haven't written about Obama for awhile because I feared I had turned into an apologist. Everyone I knew was furious at the guy for his failures, and I found myself wanting to say, "Wait a minute, are you forgetting what he's accomplished? Are you forgetting what he was up … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: In another major victory for the Obama administration — and for sanity — the U.S. Senate ratified the New START Treaty today by a vote of 71-28. Senate ratifies new U.S.-Russia nuclear weapons treaty: The Senate ratified the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as New START, by a vote of 71 … Read more