AZ Congressional Delegation

Democrats need to start laying the Progressive Foundation for 2020 now.

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As other pundits in the national and local media have pointed out, It will be tempting these next several months to focus on the Popular Vote Loser’s (Presidents) tweets, outrageous comments and behavior, and potentially criminal acts that will be adjudicated in the courts.

Now that they will be in control of the House of Representatives, Democrats do have a responsibility to provide oversight of the Executive Branches actions that the Trump (Republican) Party failed to undertake. That is only right and proper.

Democrats and Progressives, in the federal government and in the state government offices they triumphed in, should also take this as an opportunity to advance progressive policies (both incremental and ambitious) that will further attract supporters in the rural, urban, and suburban parts of the country.  They should attempt to create bipartisan consensus with the Trump Party but be prepared to fight for and campaign on what the Trumpists obstruct in the Senate and the Oval Office.

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TANKING? White House, Senior Republicans Think McSally Should Be Pushing Their Vote Count Trickery Messages; Suspect She’s Just Waiting For Ducey Appointment To McCain Seat

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Trump’s top political aides – inside and outside the White House – and other national Republicans believe that Rep. Martha McSally (R-CD2) has not been pushing their desired party line that some sort of trickery is happening in Arizona’s ballot processing and counting. Some speculate that she is silent because she believes re-elected Governor Doug Ducey will appoint her to fill Sen. John McCain’s seat if she loses the election to Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-CD9).

This reporting from Alex Isenstadt and James Arkin at Politico help fill in some of the missing puzzle pieces. When Trump Campaign Manager Brad Parscale tweeted about “tricks” in Arizona and speculated about “rampant fraud”, followed quickly by the President’s implications that there was corruption on display in Arizona, it was a sudden 1-2 that caught many off guard.

But, when that was followed by Arizona Senator Jon Kyl chiming in and RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel calling it intentional “corruption” and “election meddling” on Fox’s Sean Hannity’s show, it was apparent that a strategy had been formed that left out McSally. Trump’s over the top tweet from Paris this afternoon – just as a court hearing on the Republicans’ suit to stop Maricopa and Pima County Recorders from contacting voters was about to begin – brought the chorus to a crescendo.

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THE MCSALLY FORCES ARE UNAMERICAN: WE SHOULD COUNT THE VOTES

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Yesterday’s lawsuit by Republican operatives (on behalf of the McSally campaign) to inhibit county recorders from verifying mail-in ballots with disputed signatures now that the election is over is an attack on our democracy and another stain on the military and public service of Representative/Colonel Martha McSally. Despite the rise of the Trump Party (The … Read more

A Good Beginning Toward Building a Progressive Governing Majority in Arizona

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Yesterday was a good beginning toward building a progressive governing majority in Arizona. Democrats appear to  have prevailed in some state house races :

  • Jennifer Jermaine in LD 18
  • Jennifer Pawlik in LD 17
  • Aaron Lieberman in LD 28.

 

Democrats also prevailed in local contests (notably school board) laying the groundwork and foundation for future progressive advances.

Democrats should also take comfort in recruiting many capable and compelling local and congressional candidates who gave Republicans a run for their money and performed well against the odds. Hopefully, many of these candidates will decide to run again.

  • It may take until March but Kate Gallego appears to be the odds-on favorite to be the next Mayor of Phoenix.
  • Jennifer Longdon, a role model for people who can overcome great adversity, coasted to victory as a State Representative in LD 24.
  • Anne Kirkpatrick came back into the political arena to win in Congressional District Two.
  • Former Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, possibly on a career track to run for Governor in 2022, easily won Congressional District Nine.
  • Kathy Hoffman, who went from political novice to perhaps becoming the next Superintendent of Public Instruction, may be a rising star.
  • The races for Katie Hobbs and Kyrsten Sinema, as of Nov. 7, are still too close to call with up to 500,000 votes in Maricopa County still to be counted.

Youth turnout rose dramatically. Yes, yesterday was a good beginning.

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Martha McSally’s actions and those of her staff speak louder than words

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Like her patron in the Oval Office, Representative Martha McSally says one thing but supports another.

Like Donald Trump, Martha McSally says she will do one thing and instead does the opposite.

Martha McSally still says she is fighting to protect people who have Pre Existing health conditions. Her voting record, including her votes to repeal Obamacare without a replacement that would protect those preexisting conditions, proves otherwise.

Martha McSally still says she is fighting to protect her sister and brother veterans. Again, her voting record against measures protecting veterans from predatory loans, promoting job training, and safeguarding their healthcare prove otherwise.

This culture of hypocrisy towards our veterans, the people who are willing to sacrifice their lives for our country, apparently extends to her office staff in Tucson. One married couple, Carey and Caleb Hayter, recently recounted how the McSally office was dismissive of their request to help research and help assist the couple, two retired veterans of the Marine Corps, in their pursuit of finalizing disability eligibility and issuance of benefits to Carey through the Veteran’s Administration. After receiving the standard bureaucratic form letter from the McSally office that they could not help, the Hayters took their plight to the Arizona State Department of Veterans Services where their staff was able to assist the Hayters and bring the matter of Carey’s disability eligibility to a positive outcome.

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