Michael Bryan

Michael founded BlogForArizona.net as the Howard Dean presidential campaign blog for Arizona in 2003, and has been blogging ever since. The Blog is now coming up on 20 years of continuous publication, a major achievement for any political blog, which usually have the life-spans of mayflies. Michael is an attorney living in Tucson with his wife Lauren. In 2008, Michael remade BlogForArizona into a collaborative project. Michael is now but one of the contributors to the blog and provides editorial and publishing direction in consultation with the Board of Directors and the other authors. If you want to keep up with the latest Arizona and National political news in an entertaining quick hit of news and opinion, check out the BlogForArizona twitter feed, which Mike largely curates and writes. Michael is also an AAPC member who occassionally consults on political campaigns, strategy and communications.

FACT CHECK: Sen. Kyl’s Lobbying Firm Did NOT Spend $1M+ To Promote Kavanaugh

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Arizona’s Politics has reported multiple times on Senator-Turned-Lobbyist-Turned-Sherpa-Turned-Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and his activities related to current Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. And, Arizona’s Politics has questioned Kyl repeatedly for the details of his sherpa’ing and lobbying since President Trump took office. With that in mind, the calls today for Kyl to “recuse” himself from the nomination vote (if/when it takes place) caught our attention.

State lawmaker Daniel Hernandez, Jr. called for the recusal on Twitter (below) and Arizona Republic columnist E.J. Montini made the case in detail.

Kyl has done both sherpa’ing and lobbying for Trump nominees, which has created some of the confusion. Montini’s column is evidence. He states that “Kyl’s lobbying firm spent more than a million dollars in TV ads promoting Kavanaugh,” and that “as a lobbyist Kyl worked for Kavanaugh.” These are not accurate.

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UPDATE: Republic Article On AZ AG’s Involvement With APS & Prop. 127; APS CURRENT Donations To Re-Elect Brnovich (#50ShadesOfDarkMoney)

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(This article was originally posted at ArizonasPolitics.com)

We need to call attention to an illuminating article by Ryan Randazzo in the Arizona Republic about the Arizona Attorney General’s Office making changes to the wording of Proposition 127 – the Clean Energy initiative on the November 6 ballot. Arizona Public Service is investing heavily in defeating the measure.

Randazzo includes a focus on the $425,000 that Pinnacle West (APS’ parent) sent to the Republican Attorneys General Association in 2014 to assist then-candidate Mark Brnovich in his campaign. (He indirectly credited Arizona’s Politics by citing columnist Laurie Roberts’ 2014 column citing our initial article.)

Arizona’s Politics was also the first to report that APS has contributed $50,000 (so far) to RAGA to re-elect Brnovich.

Our articles have hinted at the oddness of the APS/RAGA monies, as opposed to

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Donkey Feed, Sept. 15, 2018

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By Michael Bryan

Slip off your shoes and strap on the feedbag! It’s time for some Feed…

First, a cool tool: try BallotReady.org. You plug in your address and it will run down every candidate and their positions on the issues. You can even save a completed ballot to take with you to the polls with all your choices.Next, some graphical goodness: contrast the GOP’s tax bill, the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) and the recently introduced Democratic alternative, the GAIN Act, in their impact on lower- and middle-income Americans, and ask yourself, which party has your back?

Now, some video fun: Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of the world’s largest hedge fund takes some time out from counting his lucre to explain how the economy’s cycles work. Trust me, it’s worth a half-hour of your time:

Maybe you’d like a new book to read? May I suggest two? The updated Impeachment: A Handbook, New Edition for what must be done to rid ourselves of a troublesome Trump? This book will be re-released on Sept. 18th. And Ray Dalio’s Principles: Life and Work. It’s not often you get the accumulated life experience of a billionaire to give you guidance and insight to live your best life. Dalio has also created a video series covering the principles in the book:

Now, just click Continue Reading for the rest of your Feed…

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Sexual Misconduct Allegation Against Brett Kavanaugh

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By Michael Bryan Is Judge Kavanaugh about to have a #Metoo moment? Sen. Dianne Feinstein has reported to the FBI an allegation concerning Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that appeared to be connected to an incident of potential sexual abuse when he was a teenager, a person familiar with the matter said. If the allegation … Read more

Donkey Feed, Sept. 11, 2018

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By Michael Bryan

Welcome back to your Feed! This week we take a moment first to contemplate the significance of the date. Then it’s time for some Feed…

Let us all take some time today to remember and mourn those 2,977 human beings (I always exclude the 19 murderous scum from the death toll of 9/11) who were murdered on 9/11/01. But let us never forget the over 6,381 military personnel who have subsequently died in the wars we were drawn into by those atrocities; and let us not forget to mention the tens of thousands of Americans who have been wounded, in body and/or in mind, in those same wars. It has become the norm to commemorate the victims of 9/11 on this day, but we should also contemplate those who have been lost or harmed as a result of our reaction to those attacks.

Nor should we neglect to recall and contemplate the tens of thousands of innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan that have perished or been seriously hurt by our reactions to the 9/11 atrocities in the subsequent 17 years. Further, we should consider the hundreds of thousands killed, wounded, or displaced by the knock-on effects of our “war on terror” in places like Syria, Lybia, Sudan, Chad, Yemen, and others. The atrocities of 9/11 have created a legacy of death and misery that we should contemplate as a whole on this day. We should resolve to do better for the victims of 9/11 than to continue perpetuating the killing and the dying.

Now, some graphical realness. How many thousands of Americans lose their lives and health every year to accidents caused by distracted driving? It is an established fact that our mobile devices are simply not compatible with safe driving, yet the AZ Lege still will not take action to ban distracted driving:

Next, a little video for you Feeders. This has got to be the most bizarre and thought-provoking economic critique I’ve seen in a minute; puppets, rap, and economic theory!

Now, just click on Continue Reading for the rest of your Feed…

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