The Arizona Republic endorses Paul Penzone for Maricopa County Sheriff

October 8, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

On Sunday, to no surprise, the Arizona Republic endorsed Paul Penzone for Maricopa County Sheriff. Crazy Uncle Joe Arpaio's gotta go!

Arpaio's Records Says: Elect Penzone

The early theme of the Joe Arpaio re-election effort is heartwarming.

In the campaign's television ads we see Joe as family man, as a young public servant in uniform. Joe as defender of the kids. And in a particularly whimsical shot, we see the Maricopa County sheriff plinking away at an ancient typewriter.

These images remind us of the public servant we supported in the 1990s and the 2000 election.

* * *

But that sheriff is as much an artifact as a manual typewriter. Arpaio, who in 1992 vowed to serve a single term, has evolved into a career politician devoted to burnishing his national brand. Arpaio's self-interest always trumps the public interest.

We and Arpaio once valued the same characteristics in a Maricopa County sheriff. Our values have not changed. His have.

Cap’n Al Melvin questions your patriotism again

October 8, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Crazy Cap'n Al Melvin is questioning your patriotism again. Political notebook: Melvin dismayed Dems aren't the flag-flying type:

How can you tell if a Republican moves into your neighborhood?

A flag on the pole and an empty chair in the drive are two dead giveaways.

Or so says "Captain" Al Melvin, the Republican state senator from SaddleBrooke.

It's sad but true, the captain says. Democrats just don't fly they flag.

"When I go door to door, and the other candidates do, when we see a house with an American flag we know it's a conservative home," he told a Sept. 22 Tucson Tea Party rally.

"I can count on one hand the number of Democratic homes with American flags I've seen," he continued. "It's a sad, sad commentary, but it's a fact."

And while he was on a roll, he urged all true patriots to stick an empty chair in their driveway, à la that Clint Eastwood shtick during the Tampa convention.

"I do it. My neighbors do it," he proclaimed. And sure enough, he does. We checked.

"It will send a massive message to everybody who sees it," he said.

What a Flake: Is this any way to treat your B-ball buddy Obama?

October 8, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: In several campaign ads, The Flake sharply criticizes Dr. Richard Carmona over a phone call — just one phone call — he received from President Obama encouraging him to run for U.S. Senate.   Extrapolating from this one phone call, The Flake insists that Carmona was "handpicked" by Obama and he will be a "rubber-stamp" … Read more

The Flake misleads on Dr. Carmona’s record

October 8, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

So have you seen the latest attack ad from The Flake against Dr. Richard Carmona with the tagline "another Obama big spender"? That's pretty rich coming from this guy.

Before I address the ad, let's look at The Flake's voting record on major legislation. Representative Jeff Flake – Voting Records – Project Vote Smart (this is the record of an ideologue).

The drivers of our national debt since 2001, when President Clinton was running budget surpluses and the national debt was projected to be paid off in full by the end of the decade, are: the Bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003; the war in Afghanistan and the unnecessary war in Iraq that were put on the nation's credit card; the unfunded Medicare Part D prescription drug subsidy to Big Pharma; and the Bush Great Recession in 2008 which led to the TARP bailout of the financial system and a recovery package to prevent the country from spiraling into a Great Depression.

So how did The Flake vote on these measures?

The Flake voted for the Bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 without paying for them. He voted for every tax cut measure under Republican control of the House (2001-2006). He proved that he is an ideologue by voting against tax cut measures contained in recovery bills proposed by the Obama administration under Democratic control of the House.

The Flake voted for the Authorization of Use of Force against "terrorist organizations," i.e., the war in Afghanistan, and the unnecessary war in Iraq. These wars were put on the nation's credit card and paid for with borrowed money that added to the national debt.

The Flake had an interesting game he played with runaway "borrow and spend" budgets during the Bush years. He voted for Republican House budget resolutions, which is the framework of the budget, but routinely voted against the separate appropriations bills that actually funded the government (so he could maintain his street cred as being against government spending). The appropriations bills The Flake did vote in favor of were for the Department of Defense. The Flake had a mixed record on those Supplemental Appropriations for the wars that the Bush adminsitation used to keep war spending off budget. The Flake voted against these Supplemental Appropriations beginning in 2006.

The Flake did vote against the Medicare Part D prescription drug subsidy to Big Pharma. He does not get a pass, however. He subsequently voted against bills which would have permitted Medicare to negotiate for lower rates and to import prescription drugs to lower costs to consumers. He did nothing to control the cost of this subsidy to Big Pharma.

When the economy blew up in 2008 as a result of casino capitalism by the banksters of Wall Street and failed GOP economic policies, The Flake voted to do nothing.

That's right, The Flake would have let the financial system collapse and take the economy down with it in a death spiral of a Great Depression. The Flake voted against every recovery measure and voted against unemployment benefits for the millions of Americans thrown out of work as a result of failed GOP economic policies. If you think the past four years have been difficult, imagine the economic hellscape it would have been had The Flake and his ideological extremist pals gotten their way.

Given his record in adding to the national debt with the Bush tax cuts and two wars on the nation's credit card, The Flake is in no position to criticize his opponent, who has never served in elective office.

This Slow Recovery is Not Abnormal

October 8, 2012

By Karl Reiner The Great Recession that grew worse in the wake of the financial collapse of 2008 blew a large hole in the current theories of finance. Wall Street was supposed to be capable of calibrating its risks and markets were supposedly able to self-regulate. Unfortunately for the U.S. population, events proved they could … Read more