False equivalence: ALEC and NCSL

by David Safier

In a reasonably good article about ALEC in the Capitol Times (subscription only), the reporter allowed Russell Smoldon, who the article says is both "Arizona’s private sector ALEC chair" and "Salt River Project lobbyist," to compare ALEC with the National Conference of State Legislatures. Smoldon said NCSL is "somewhat Democratic-oriented," which means there are partisan groups doing the same thing on both sides.

To compare ALEC's blatant corporatist/conservative/Republican agenda with a group which is "somewhat Democratic-oriented" is quite a stretch all by itself. When you look at the NCSL website, as I did, and see names of both Arizona Democrats and Republicans (John Kavanagh, Rich  Crandall, Daniel Patterson and Matt Heinz, to name a few), you realize that "somewhat Democratic-oriented" is little more than code for "doesn't toe the conservative party line."

Yesterday, Phoenix's ABC Channel 15 News made the ALEC/NCSL comparison look even more ridiculous. NCSL is holding a conference next week in San Antonio. Arizona Republican Senator Rich Crandall will be participating "in a session titled 'Testing the Constitution: State Immigration Laws and the Courts.'"

Senate Majority Leader Andy Biggs, House Speaker Andy Tobin, Sr. and Senator Nancy Barto are also scheduled to participate in sessions about health reform, the changing role of state government and leadership during tough times.

One of the featured speakers at the conference is arch-conservative Rick Perry, soon to announce as a candidate for president.

Can you imagine four Arizona Democrat legislators participating in ALEC sessions, and, say, John Kerry as featured speaker?

Once again, the false equivalency breaks down.