by David Safier
In the latest chapter of Adams and Pearce's attempts to blatantly politicize the nominations to the Independent Redistricting Commission (note the word "independent," as in "independent of partisan politics"), they have asked three people already nominated to withdraw their nominations.
One has taken his name out of the pool. One has refused. The third hasn't made a public statement.
It's clear, Adams and Pearce (A&P) want a vacancy they can fill with one of their hand-picked flunkies, someone who won't so much as order lunch at commission meetings before getting A&P's approval.
So when Mark Schnepf, a Republican, withdrew his name, saying he might as well withdraw since he knows he won't be appointed, he's either being naive or he's playing naive.
If Schnepf stays in, A&P can't put their hand-picked flunky into the nominating pool. If he leaves, they have the opening they need. So Schnepf is either a political idiot, or he's had his arm twisted.
Here's an unexpected alignment. You know who's just as furious about what's going on as BfA and Craig of Random Musings? The Arizona Republic, which has an editorial today headlined, Keep politics out as Arizona draws new voting lines.
Arizonans don't want redistricting to be a blatant game of politics. . . . The message should be blazing like a neon sign for members of the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments: Arizonans want you to rise above political pressures.
[snip]
The constitution gave the job to you. Not to Senate President-elect Russell Pearce. Not to House Speaker Kirk Adams.
[snip]
The redistricting process is just starting. Members of the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments, your decisions will determine whether the public sees the system as fair, equitable and open. Or dismisses it as an insider game.
You need to stay tough. You need an iron spine.
Y'know, when BfA and the Republic line up on the same side of an issue, especially when both are highly critical of the Republican leadership, it should be clear to everyone who hasn't noticed already: something is very rotten in the state of Arizona's Republican politics.