Michael Bryan By Michael Bryan With Arizona having become a primary front in the GOP's War on Women, it seems to me there is a possible means to make the GOP pay at the polls this November for their aggression against the rights and health of half the population. The GOP supermajority in the AZ legislature has … Read more
by Michael Bryan Jesse Kelly notoriously and repeatedly, and falsely, claims that the U.S. has more oil than Saudi Arabia. This has several implications that need examination. First, his fact-free sloganeering indicates that Kelly doesn't really give a crap about reality or facts. Nor is he interested in offering real solutions to kitchen-table problems of … Read more
With the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in the Senate, with Kyl voting No and McCain voting Yes, the obvious question for those seeking Kyl’s seat is how they would have voted. I have absolutely no doubt that Carmona would have voted Yes. How would Jeff Flake have voted?
By Michael Bryan
As we near the time for arguments before the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of Arizona's SB1070, the Senate has held a hearing on the law.
Testifying about the bill were recalled former Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce (pro at 19:56), retired U.S. Senator Dennis DiConcini (con at 25:30), Arizona State Senator Steve Gallardo (con at 35:27), and Todd Landfried of Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform (con at 42:15). Questions begin at 49:05 with Schumer questioning Pearce.
Tellingly, Republican Senators Jon Kyl and John Cornyn both ducked out of the hearing leaving Pearce the sole supporter of the law in the hearing room. He was a bit sore about it, whining to the press, "I didn't get a phone call… I was disappointed. It's not just about supporting me, it's about supporting Arizona."
Kyl released a statement explaining his boycott of the hearing and labeling the hearing "strictly political theater." Governor Brewer also declined to attend and testify. One wonders why, if Kyl and Brewer considered the hearing political theater, they failed to make a curtain call: political theater is their profession, so given a chance to strut the boards before a national audience, why would they refuse the chance at a soliloquy?
UPDATE: (h/t to Bess1919) Apparently, one of Pearce's posse falsely accused Randy Parraz of shoving him after the hearing and was questioned by capitol police. Stay classy, Mr. Pearce.
UPDATE: Listening to Pearce's pressers following the hearing he made some claims that are wholly unjustified by the facts. He claimed that up to 9,000 Americans are killed per year by undocumented aliens. This clearly implies that a murder spree is on. The facts is that there are generally about 15,000 murders in the U.S. per year: Pearce is claiming that 3 out of every 5 murders are perpetrated by undocumented aliens? Bullshit. He also claimed that undocumented aliens commit crimes at three times the rate of "any other demographic". That's simply not true, either. Immigrant populations generally, and Mexican immigrants, including undocumented, commit crimes at a rate lower than any native-born demographic. Finally, Pearce claims to have met with DREAM students personally. I find that claim doubtful. Any DREAM students out there who can support Pearce's claim to have met with your personally, or even in a group?
Watch the hearing after the click…
By Michael Bryan Arizona has suffered enough. Mexico continually violates our State’s sovereignty by encouraging their citizens to invade our state. The government of Mexico is deeply corrupt and in bed with violent criminals that operate black markets across our border, killing our citizens and endangering our communities. Any other nation on earth would consider … Read more