How the right is using the ‘Tragedy in Tucson’ to attack Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Rahm Emanuel is often credited with saying "never let a good crisis go to waste," but it is right-wing politicians who have taken his words to heart and put them into actual practice.

Their latest effort to take advantage of a crisis is to recall Pima County's Sheriff-for-life Clarence Dupnik because Dupnik dared to utter the obvious that "Arizona has become a mecca for prejudice and bigotry," following the assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Arizona's high priest of hate, our shadow governor if not de facto governor, Senator Russell Pearce, is none too pleased. And neither is his modern-day "Know-Nothing Party" of nativist anti-immigrant bigots.

David Neiwert reports at CrooksAndLiars.com:

The right-wing flying monkeys have been out in force in pursuit of Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik ever since he spoke an important truth last week, in the wake of the tragic shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 20 others, in calling out irresponsible, vitriolic right-wing talkers for creating the kind of political and cultural environment in Arizona where hateful violent acts are encouraged. One of the leaders in the "Get Dupnik" crowd, in fact, has been Fox News' Bill O'Reilly.

So now, encouraged by all the attention they're getting from Fox, the local Tea Partiers in Tucson are trying to get Dupnik recalled:

A group opposed to illegal immigration has begun an effort to recall the sheriff in a special election. Meanwhile, a Pima County tea party group is planning on holding a "Dump Dupnik" rally next week outside his office. [Tea Party Patriots plan rally on Jan. 28 to 'Dump Dupnik': The group is separate from the Tucson Tea Party. The Pima County Tea Party Patriots formed last summer and held their first rally in July on Arizona's controversial immigration enforcement law, SB 1070.]

"I haven't been a fan of Dupnik's for a long time, but this really was the straw that broke the camel's back," said Tom Rompel, co-owner of Black Weapons Armory in Tucson. "He's law enforcement. We expect 'the facts, ma'am,' not his opinion. He leans far left, always has, and frankly, people have had enough."

Sheriff Dupnik is "far left"? You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

You can imagine our surprise (or rather the complete lack thereof), then, when Bill O'Reilly devoted a segment to promoting this effort. And guess who he brings on to attack Dupnik for his "divisive" rhetoric? Why, none other than that Nazi-coddling nativist state Senate president and noted Friend of Joe Arpaio, Russell Pearce [that's Sen. Pearce with Mesa Neo-Nazi J.T. Ready]:

PEARCE: He has inserted himself — not only did he inflame the issue with calling his constituents and the citizens of the state of Arizona racists and bigots because they want the laws enforced and border secured. He ignores the fact that Rob Chris was murdered on the border during a debate of 1070. He ignores the fact that Brian Terry was just murdered on the border as a border patrol agent and 12 Phoenix police officers killed and I can go on and on and on.

It's outrageous that he would accuse us of being racist and bigots because we want our laws enforced.

But in addition to that — in addition to that he has refused to enforce Senate Bill 1070. That's a violation of his oath of office.

See, it's actually Dupnik's open dismissal of SB1070 that really sticks in Pearce's craw — especially since Pearce was its chief architect. Now that he's out promoting the effort to strip Latino immigrants' children of their birthright citizenship, guys like Dupnik continue to make him look bad.

But then, Pearce and O'Reilly don't need Clarence Dupnik around to look bad. They do that all by themselves.

What these Tea Party "Patriots" (sic) really want is a Joe Arpaio in Pima County. And they are willing to use the "Tragedy in Tucson" to further their nativist anti-immigrant bigotry. Which really just goes to prove Sheriff Dupnik's point that "Arizona has become a mecca for prejudice and bigotry." What idiots.

UPDATE: There is a "Support Sheriff Dupnik Rally" event page on Facebook.