Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Tea-Publican authoritarianism and their contempt for constitutional provisions — both the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission enacted by voters in the Arizona Constitution, and the right of a free press under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — were on display Friday in a farce of a committee hearing to discredit and undermine the AIRC by Tea-Publican legislators.

As I posted the other day, AIRC Update: Tea-Publicans plan legislative interference with the 'independent' commission:

What part of "independent" do Tea-Publicans not understand? Arizona voters enacted the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) to take redistricting out of the hands of legislators.

After waging a campaign of threats and intimidation against the AIRC through lawsuits, a politically motivated AG investigation, and the GOP front group FAIR Trust lawyer-lobbyists and teabaggers insulting commissioners at commission hearings, now the Tea-Publican controlled Arizona Legislature wants to appoint a committee of legislators to "scrutinize" the draft maps.

The Committee on Interfering with the AIRC held its first meeting on Friday. The Democrats appointed to the committee without consultation of Democratic leadership boycotted this farce of a committee hearing.

"Rep. Lynne Pancrazi of Yuma and Sen. Robert Mesa of Phoenix announced they won’t serve on the committee and skipped today’s hearing in order not to lend credibility to a committee whose sole purpose 'appears only to be political in nature.'" Two Dems snub joint panel on IRC – Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required). Pancrazi stated at a press conference prior to the hearing, "These lawmakers have hijacked the very process that puts the power in independent hands.”

The Tea-Publican only Committee on Interfering with the AIRC then proceeded to engage in hostile exchanges with constituents who dared to disagree with their actions and even ejected a reporter for simply mouthing the word "bullshit" to what was going on at this farce of a proceeding. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports Chippy meeting on IRC maps brings out critics on both sides -Arizona Capitol Times:

The first speaker of the public comment period, a Phoenix resident named Tonya Norwood-Pearson, echoed some of the Democrats’ sentiments. She accused the Republicans of acting with a “mob-like mentality” and trying to undermine the IRC’s independence for partisan political gain, and said they should testify at the IRC instead.

“You are pushing your partisan agenda to forward your own political interests for political gain. It kind feels a little bit like bullying,” she said.

Sen. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, said the committee was nothing more than a fact-finding mission formed to craft the Legislature’s official response to the IRC’s draft maps. He accused Norwood-Pearson of using the kind of inflammatory rhetoric that she alleged the committee was using.

“Demagogic language would be to say this is mob-like,” Biggs said, shortly before he had a liberal blogger ejected from the meeting for allegedly mouthing swear words at him.

The Arizona Capitol Times and its sister publication The Yellow Sheet political gossip rag, publications by lobbyists and for lobbyists, both like to use "liberal" as a pejorative. The "liberal blogger" is actually the only reporter who has consistently reported on the public hearings of the AIRC, Steve Muratore of The Arizona Eagletarian blog.

Muratore's reporting has been a must-read for anyone wanting to know what is going on at the AIRC because our corporate media villagers have done such a godawful job of reporting on the AIRC — unless it is to advance the GOP talking points that AIRC Chair Colleen Mathis is biased or that the GOP is getting screwed with the draft maps — both stories advanced by the Arizona Capitol Times and The Yellow Sheet.

I will let Steve Muratore explain what really happened from his blog post.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Arizona Daily Star today published a story by McClatchy Newspapers from Lesley Clark and Roy Gutman which the Star's creative headline writer captioned Obama: US will quit Iraq. Advertisement As you all know, "quit Iraq" was used as a pejorative by the Neoconservative Three Stooges of Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: President Obama's Weekly Address for Saturday, October 22, 2011. Transcript of WEEKLY ADDRESS: Renewing America's Global Leadership: Remarks of President Barack ObamaWeekly AddressThe White HouseOctober 22, 2011 This week, we had two powerful reminders of how we’ve renewed American leadership in the world.  I was proud to announce that—as promised—the rest of … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Willard "Mittens" romney was critical of President Obama's announcement of the end to the war in Iraq today. First Read – Republicans criticize Obama over Iraq withdrawal: Mitt Romney issued a scathing rebuke Friday of President Obama's decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq by year's end, joining a chorus of … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The unnecessary war of choice in Iraq sold on a web of lies, one of America's greatest mistakes at a terrible toll in lives and treasure, is finally coming to an end.

Last year, the President brought an end to the combat mission in Iraq, and through the course of the past 14 months, more than 100,000 troops have returned to their families.

Today, President Obama announced that the rest of our troops will be home by the holidays. President Obama Has Ended the War in Iraq:

Over the next two months, our troops in Iraq—tens of thousands of them—will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home. The last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq—with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops. That is how America’s military efforts in Iraq will end.

But this moment represents more than an accomplishment for the President. It marks a monumental change of focus for our military and a fundamental shift in the way that the our nation will engage in the world:

The United States is moving forward, from a position of strength. The long war in Iraq will come to an end by the end of this year. The transition in Afghanistan is moving forward, and our troops are finally coming home. As they do, fewer deployments and more time training will help keep our military the very best in the world. And as we welcome home our newest veterans, we’ll never stop working to give them and their families the care, the benefits, and the opportunities that they have earned.

A promise made, a promise kept. All troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of 2011 effectively ending the war in Iraq. Our troops will be home for the holidays.

Full statement after the jump.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: After President Barack Obama's $447 billion American Jobs Act was filibustered in the U.S. Senate by Tea-Publicans, a key component of his jobs plan that would provide $35 billion to cash strapped states to hire and retain teachers and first responders was also filibusterd by Tea-Publicans late Thursday night. Tea-Publican filibusters are preventing the Senate from … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Sen. John McCain's media arm, the Arizona Republic, did some mighty fine spinning for the senator this morning in McCain: It's time to step up aid: U.S. Sen. John McCain has consistently called for a more active U.S. role in supporting the Libyan rebels. * * * In April, McCain traveled to … Read more