It’s time to start talking about ballot questions
June 20, 2010
Posted by Craig McDermott Lost in the excitement over the races for various offices on this fall's ballot have been the large number of important questions being placed before the voters in November. The Arizona Legislature's Legislative Council (basically a group of lawyers who take legislative bill proposals and write them into "legalese) will be
SB1070 Update: Analyzing the “Secure the Border” rhetoric
June 20, 2010
by David Safier The Republic's Dennis Wagner presents a very interesting analysis: Political rhetoric ignores reality at United States border with Mexico. Amid a growing national angst about illegal immigration, Americans keep hearing a chorus: Secure the border first. Then talk about immigration reform. The idea appeals to public sentiment, and it seems like a
Weekly: Melvin refuses debates, boycotts major local media outlets
June 20, 2010
by David Safier Wow. Just, Wow. Tucson Weekly's blog, The Range, has an amazing piece about "Atomic" Al Melvin's strategy for the 2010 elections. Basically, it comes down to "Run away! Run away!" First, Melvin refused Cheryl Cage's invitations to a series of debates. Here's one of his reasons. “I told her I’m busy,” Melvin
SB1070 Update: Tea Party split on immigration
June 19, 2010
by David Safier Tom Tancredo admits, the tea party is split on immigration and SB1070. The more pro-immigration, libertarian wing of the TP-ers want to shut the hell up about immigration, since they know it's a wedge issue in the TP ranks. The Tancredo wing wants to shout their anti-immigrant rhetoric from the rooftops. Tancredo
SB1070 Update: SB1070, Path to Citizenship polling equally
June 19, 2010
by David Safier An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted this week found that 58% of Americans support SB1070, and 57% support a path to citizenship for immigrants. You can interpret this result in lots of ways. I read it to say this: People are frustrated that our immigration laws are a mess and any move
Candidate challenges update: Shaw out, Cheuvront out; Huppenthal in
June 18, 2010
Posted by Craig McDermott Only a couple of challenges remain unresolved, but most of the "big" ones have been adjudicated – – Augustus Shaw, Republican House candidate in LD17, is OFF the ballot for a minor technicality – he lives in LD20. OK, so that's not so minor. 🙂 – John Huppenthal, Republican candidate for
Let the “Debate!” debates continue: this time in LD-26
June 18, 2010
by David Safier Much ink has been spilled over Senate candidate John Dougherty asking candidates to agree to a series of debates and Rodney Glassman saying he wouldn't commit. Glassman's people have said he wants debates, but he wants neutral groups to set them up. Score a political point from Dougherty on that one. But
Rep. Steve King’s “Sixth Sense” – The Movie
June 18, 2010
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is one of the most offensive individuals ever elected to Congress. It still amazes me that it is Iowans who elect this rabid wingnut. There is an old joke in Minnesota that IOWA is an acronym for "idiots out wandering around." Maybe so. You Minnesotans should not laugh
