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Tea-Publican Senate votes to give the governor an ‘Arizona Special Missions Unit’ border militia
March 1, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Well why not? Tea-Publicans have gone batshit crazy in Arizona.
The Birthers-Birchers-Secessionists of our Tea-Publican legislature are at it again. A Senate panel approved a proposal to create an armed militia that could be deployed to the Mexican border under the direction of the Governor. The bill, SB 1083, is backed by "states’ rights" advocates and anti-immigration zealots. What could possibly go wrong? (Jan Brewer and her teabaggers are recklessly irresponsible enough to create an international incident or start a war). Senate panel votes to give the Governor a state militia for the border.
What makes this so ridiculous is what is motivating it. Sen. Sylvia Allen believes that Hezbollah is recruiting and training Mexican drug cartels for acts of terrorism against the United States. (Update) Second Senate panel votes to give the Governor a state militia for the border.
The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports Volunteer strike force on border gets Senate OK – Arizona Capitol Times:
A senator who believes Middle-Eastern terrorist groups are active in Mexico and Central America persuaded her colleagues to advance a proposal that would create an armed volunteer force to help apprehend criminals who illegally enter the United States.
The Senate passed the measure today by a vote of 20-10.
The proposal now heads to the House, which must also approve it before it is sent to the governor’s office for her signature.
Legislative classroom probes are defeated. But ultravoucher bill passes.
March 1, 2012
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by David Safier In one way, the comparison between Arizona education legislation and the Virginia anti-abortion bills is a stretch. In another, the comparison makes a scary amount of sense. Virginia was going to make a vaginal probe exam a requirement for any woman wanting to have an abortion. After protests, that part of the … Read more
Where is the print media on the Babeu boarding school story?
March 1, 2012
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by David Safier Paul Babeu was headmaster of DeSisto School in Masschusetts from 1999-2001. While he was headmaster of the boarding school, students were subject to cruel and humiliating punishment. All that is fact. Many students who were at the school say Babeu was having a sexual relationship with a 17 year old male student. … Read more
The Republican War on Workers and Women
March 1, 2012
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by David Safier Repeat after me: The Republican War on Workers and Women or: The Republican War on Women and Workers or: The Republican War on Workers or: The Republican War on Women Over and over and over.
What a shock! Birther Joe Arpaio claims Obama birth certificate a forgery
March 1, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Just as I predicted.
Caution: This is from World Net Daily, wingnut conspiracy central, Sheriff Joe’s posse: ‘Probable cause’ Obama certificate a fraud:
An investigative “Cold Case Posse” launched six months ago by “America’s toughest sheriff” – Joe Arpaio of Arizona’s Maricopa County – has concluded there is probable cause that the document released by the White House last year as President Obama’s birth certificate is a computer-generated forgery.
Arpaio, at a news conference in Phoenix live-streamed by WND TV that began at 3 p.m. Eastern time, has elevated the investigation to a criminal probe that will make the resources of his Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office available to his volunteer posse.
The posse says it has identified at least one person of interest in the alleged forgery of Obama’s birth certificate.
* * *
Mike Zullo, Arpaio’s lead investigator, said his team believes the Hawaii Department of Health has engaged in a systematic effort to hide from public inspection any original 1961 birth records it may have in its possession.
“Officers of the Hawaii Department of Health and various elected Hawaiian public officials may have intentionally obscured 1961 birth records and procedures to avoid having to release to public inspection and to the examination of court-authorized forensic examiners any original Obama 1961 birth records the Hawaii Department of Health may or may not have,” Zullo said.
The investigators say the evidence contained in the computer-generated PDF file released by the White House as well as important deficiencies in the Hawaii process of certifying the long-form birth certificate establish probable cause that a forgery has been committed.
* * *
Arpaio believes a congressional investigation might be warranted and has asked that any information relevant to the investigation held by other law enforcement agencies be forwarded to his office.
The Cold Case Posse advised Arpaio that they believe forgers committed two crimes. First, they say it appears the White House fraudulently created a forgery that it characterized as an officially produced governmental birth record. Second, the White House fraudulently presented to the residents of Maricopa County and to the American public at large a forgery represented as “proof positive” of President Obama’s authentic 1961 Hawaii long-form birth certificate.
“A continuing investigation is needed to identify the identity of the person or persons involved in creating the alleged birth certificate forgery and to determine who, if anyone, in the White House or the state of Hawaii may have authorized the forgery,” Arpaio said.
There's a lot of more of this nonsense at WND.
SWAG for 2012
March 1, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
It's time to update the "Silly Wild Ass Guess" (SWAG) list of who is running for office in 2012. The new district maps have not been finally approved by DOJ, yet alone litigated in court, but there are a number of campaign committees for 2012 based upon the current legislative districts AND proposed new legislative districts. State law permits candidates to collect signatures in the current districts as well as in the proposed new districts.
As you might expect, this list is going to be subject to change when new districts are finally established. It is current as of time of posting.
I am told the Secretary of State will not provide a conversion table for new districts until those districts are finalized. As a result, the Secretary of State campaign committee page is a confusing mess. The FEC web site is even more of a mess. I am going to focus on just Southern Arizona races where I at least know who is running where until the Secretary of State gets his act together.
I will periodically update the list. You can try to follow along at home at the Arizona Secretary of State's web site Campaign Finance Search – Candidates.
Federal Election Commission filings (AZ) House and Senate Campaign Finance:
CD 8 Special Election (to complete the term of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords) April 17 Primary
Ron Barber (D) – filed
Frank Antenori (R) – filed
Jesse Kelly (R) – filed
Martha McSally (R) – filed
Dave Sitton (R) – filed
John Lervold (R) – failed to file
Mark Koskiniemi (R) – failed to file
A Response by Leonard Clark to Criticism of the Effort to Recall Governor Brewer
March 1, 2012
By Tom, on Behalf of Leonard Clark of RecallBrewer.com
A Response to Bob Lord's post "Anatomy of a Doomed to Fail Recall — Blind Passion, or Blind Egotism?"
In the interests of full disclosure, I am proud to call myself one of Leonard Clark's recall volunteers and his friend as well. I wanted to reply sooner, but we have been busy with the petitions and events, as the interest is incredible. Regardless, please allow me to respond now.
As is evident above, Leonard is an active, determined and politically passionate individual. While we would all prefer to avoid personal attacks between our colleagues, I never fail to be amazed at how quickly we Dems eat our own when someone decides to just go out and "do it". Too often in this Party the nail that sticks up gets hammered down. Instead of finding the good in a proposal or looking for some way it COULD work or how we COULD help, we instead find the flaws and pick it apart because it's 'not invented here' or "wasn't planned well".
Planning? cough, cough, Planning? In The Democratic Party? The brilliant strategic "planning" of the leadership of our Party can be seen most clearly in one stellar hometown example: The selection of, acceptance by, and departure of, our former Governor Janet Napolitano from Arizona to head The Department of Homeland Security. REALLY? Was no one else in the 50 States qualified?
This one act turned the entire State of Arizona over to Republican Control, brought us a new "Scorpion Queen" heroine for the excitable masses, ushered in the era of SB1070, and beget some of the most regressive anti-family, anti-immigrant, anti-union, anti-education legislation seen in this country in the last fifty years.
Lest anyone think this is 20/20 Hindsight, I, along the aforementioned Mr. Clark and several other liberals and progressives called KPHX and other radio and online shows while the offer and acceptance “dance” was occurring between the Governor and President. Many of us were questioning the move and predicting a coming catastrophe for our State. I am saddened to say we were right.Yet, some folks tell us we rank and file jest ain't as smart as our leaders and their "strategery".
So please don't preach about 'laying the groundwork', lining up the ducks, etc. The Democratic Party (which I would love to love) is chock full of ready-shoot-aim moments like the Napolitano Departure. These failures to gauge voter sentiments and exercise common sense create workloads for us running on for days, weeks and even years spent extracting ourselves from all-too-preventable mistakes.
The downside of a "reckless" recall effort at this time is extremely small in comparison:
The results of doing nothing? Further attacks on the families and workers of Arizona.
The results of success? An admirable milestone in Arizona history.
The results of failure? A little embarrassment that does not rule out any later effort.
Those are decent odds. In point of fact, considering all the regressive legislation coming our way, this Heinous Governor should be facing recall every minute she is 'serving' the business interests and donors that elected her.
Even the commentary pointed out "we’ve reached a point where disruptive politics are valuable for the disruption alone". Point taken.
[Editor – Please click through for the entire post…]
Reminder: Day of Action to Protect Workers Rights – Today!
March 1, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Announcement from the Arizona AFL-CIO:
