Pearce and Bee Demonstrate Democratic Process 101

Russel Pearce is challenging Jeff Flake for the the Republican nomination in Arizona’s 6th District. He outlines in detail on his website how much he intends to raise and what he’s going to do with it. He’s practically a model of candor and transparency.

"Our first goal is to raise $25,000 to pay for critical research and polling so that we can be sure that this race is winnable. If we determine that it is, then we can formally begin a campaign to take back this district for the people of Arizona, and perhaps inspire a movement to take back America one state at a time.

Let me know how you can help and please, if you are able, make a contribution. As soon as we raise the $25,000 we will do our work and report directly back to you what we have found."

That is a stark contrast with Tim Bee’s campaign website which literally tells you nothing. Figuratively, however, Tim’s website speaks volumes. It says, "I don’t have to tell you anything, because I don’t have to care what you think." It says, "The voters haven’t any choice but to accept it when I stone-wall and obfuscate my intentions, because the Republican primary voters of CD8 haven’t any choice but me."

Tim has had the Republican primary cleared for him by the political bagmen of the GOP in Southern Arizona. An attendee at the meeting at which the nomination effectively took place told me that the cabal of big donors sat down all the potential candidates for the GOP nomination to CD8 and told them flat-out they were not to run: the nomination belonged to Tim Bee. So far, their writ has run, and there are no other GOP challengers for CD8.

Whereas Pearce knows he has to answer to the primary voters to survive, Tim Bee knows the primary voters in his district aren’t going to get a choice. Thus, he can keep them in dark, treat them with contempt, and get away with it.

This is what happens when politicians get to choose their constituents and are able control access to the political process. The voters are treated like mushrooms: kept in the dark and fed bullshit.

It is heartening that Tim Bee finally did the right thing by allegedly filing as an exploratory committee with the FEC (though as of this writing I still do not find any filing, it sometimes takes awhile for materials to come on-line), it is only a small first step. If Tim plans on raising funds for his challenge of Gabby, as opposed to funds required solely for judging whether he should run, then he is no longer exploring and must file as a candidate and, if that occurs before January 2008, resign his seat in the Arizona Senate.

I suspect, however, that Bee will continue gaming the campaign finance rules to perpetuate his use of the high-profile political position he is entrusted with to his own political advantage. Since the normal rules of political competition don’t apply to him, by fiat of the plutocratic poobahs of the GOP, why should any other rules apply?