GOPinsider|W|P|Apparently he saw the big money that Chip Scutari is making now at Moses Anshell.
|W|P|Phx kid - More than a "little" trouble.
She did run for Rep state committee in LD8; out of 82 candidates for 72 spots, she came in
82nd.
http://www.d8azgop.org/
Joe Giles|W|P|Are you sure there were only 82 candidates running? I suspect there may have been more, and the district only listed 10 alternates.Still doesn't answer the ultimate question, however.
|W|P|The problem with the linked article is that although Sproul & Associates used to be located in the same office building as Lisa & Gordon C. James Public Relations, the article confuses the Meghan Rose who worked for Gordon James with Meghan Cox who still works for Sproul.P.S. For anyone who's still wondering why Munsil did not do better against Napolitano, look how few votes he got for State Committeeman in his own district. He made it, but his drop-off in support among his fellow Republicans is obvious even in a district election.
|W|P|Joe Baby - No, I'm not sure there were only 82 running, but Donna Reagan (outgoing district chair) and Michele Reagan (her daughter and incumbent state rep) got 89 votes each.
If anyone in the LD8 Rep organization was going to get 100% support (or close to it), it would be those two. Since 89 is close to 82, and not every PC wants to be on the state committee, I figured it was close enough to say that 82 candidates ran.
If you have info that more ran, great.
P.S. - it must have ticked off Colette Rosati to once again finish behind Carolyn Allen after Sen. Allen thumped her in the primary.
Zelph|W|P|I think State Senator Karen Johnson would make a most excellent State GOP Chairman.
I have already heard talk that Webb will somehow be an out of control maverick who will be just as likely to vote against the Democratic caucus as with it. I don't buy it for a couple of reasons. First, the only example that most commentators point to is that Webb's position on gun control is far to the right of most democrats (he is against any, not most, any, restictions on gun ownership). Unless this next session of congress will only be a protracted discussion on the Second Ammendment, I don't think this will come up often enough to be a problem. Besides, there are already splits among the Democrats on gun issues, so this will not exactly be a new thing.
Second, the guy is very much an economic populist. Check out this eviceration of globalization, class divisions and the corporate power structure that Webb wrote in the Wall Street Journal. Conservative Democrat? This guy sounds like Tom Harkin more than he sounds like any DLC position paper.
The cojones this guy has! Heck, first the guy goes after CEO pay right there on the pages of the Wall Street Journal, then he tells the President to get stuffed in his own house. This guy ain't afraid of nothin'. Always send a marine when you need the job done.|W|P|116485088307174640|W|P|What the Heck, I'll Start It...Jim Webb for President!|W|P|prezelski@aol.com |W|P|WHAT, Net rot you have to be kidding me. If any of these readers want to look over what was said tell them where to look. My c Pontificate all you want
http://www.espressopundit.com/
Look under Sunday Square off comments 11/24/06it is the post above Fife
I am against the Greens who crawled in to the Democratic Party after Nader lost.
Socialist like you is destroying the Democratic Party.
Never forget that MLK tossed the reds (what you call socialist) Chavez tossed the Marxist out of the movement and Labor got rid of the Socialist.
A Lie of omission is still a lie.
|W|P|Net root don't forget Casey in PA Lieberman in CT, Moore in KS. Harry is even talking to the Blue Dogs. If you really believe Heath Shuler was the only Mod/Cons Dem elected you are fooling yourself. Look over http://www.bluedogdems.com/ , http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bluedogmoderatedemocrats/ and http://www.westerndemocrat.com/2004/11/let_us_look_wes.html. This sums up the centrist views held by most rank and file Dem. I NEVER slammed Democrats or even Liberals. Just Socialist, the same type who actively supported Green candidates.
|W|P|Net Root, You are right about the name calling.
From RRR: your words
"I am socialist on ALL issues except for guns."
Now you are not a socialist.
"I loathe the Naderites. For it was they who by their vote gave us Alito and Roberts because Gore wasn't there to make a choice."
From Espresso Pundit: your words
"I know Ms. Sinema and I am a huge supporter of hers"
She ran as a Green, not just voted for Nader, but also actively supported the Greens with her campaign manager Chad (LD 14). In 2000
From RRR: your words
“You stated FIVE issues that we lose on. and those are very near and dear to about ninety percent of Dems. “
My words from EP:
“Democrats never win elections with out the Roman Catholic vote. Never have and never will. The FDR coalition was built on Roman Catholic, Union, Jewish, Southern Democratic, and working Democratic voters. That is the alliance that has won it for us this time.
Furthermore “The people who are reading this blog are EXACTLY the people Democrats need to be reaching out too. With the exception of the 5 Issues of Conscious (3rd trimester abortion, fetal stem cell research, the capitol punishment, Gay marriage and euthanasia) Democrats win.”
As a Democrat and A Roman Catholic I know we don’t win with out this vote.
Raul Grijalva?, I would not only vote for him if I lived in S AZ, I walked for him in 04.
The def of a Blue dog is Taken from the South's long time description of a party loyalist as one who would vote for a yellow dog if it were on the ballot as a Democrat, the "Blue Dog" moniker was taken because their moderate-to-conservative-views had been "choked blue" by their party.
Sorry if I got worked up but you came on jsut as strong
Sign me the AZ Blue Dog troll
|W|P|I was in bed and realized my years aer off, man it is late. I need a new hobby |W|P|I did not get a chance to ride on the transit system when I visited Portland. For some reason I have been leery of trying another city's system since I nearly got lost in New Orleans.However once my friend in Portland was riding the bus and was in the back listening to some music. He saw the bus driver waving at him but he did not respond. Eventually the bus driver had to come back to where my friend was sitting and tell him to turn the music down. I guess that is what happens when you listen to the Fall on the bus with really good headphones.
Eli Blake|W|P|Actually demotions are good.I am presently the first Vice Chair of our county Democratic party. Part of the reason why is that in 2002 when I first became a P.C., I was one of two in the entire county.
This year, we have 29 P.C.'s. Still a ways to go, but that is better than a 14 fold increase over two years ago. Last time we had elections, I ran again and succeeded myself, but this coming year (our by-laws stagger positions) I am looking forward to NOT running and electing one of our good, dedicated NEW people to the position.
|W|P|Last district meeting I was at had 65 people.The room was very warm. Much warmer then today.
Congrats on your new office Ted.
Tony GOPrano|W|P|Comrade Ted,Guess your not Communist enough to be a Democrat District Chair.
|W|P|Wood is a hard worker and a thoroughly reliable person. Whatever he says he will do, he will do and do well. You can count on that! Wood and I served on Donna Branch-Gilby's committee to recruit and train PC's and he was thorougly reliable, pleasant and nice to work with!! His experience in the party will be an aid to the chair who has somewhat less experience within the party.I'm a grass roots guy.Yep, whenever I think Fife Symington, I think regular joe, out there on the hustings, get your hands dirty sort of political organizer. Symington is the Republican Katie Bolger and I just didn't know it. Okay, aside from me being snarky, there is a bit here that could be important. Symington would be running against current chair Rob Haney, who led that district committee's effort to censure Sen. John McCain. Many Republican office holders consider the guy to be an embarassment. It seems to be a bit of overkill to bring in an ex-governor to take the guy out, but this may also be because Haney is a good organizer, and maybe it might take that much oomph to take him down. Somebody somewhere may try to make this into a battle between moderates and conservatives in the Republican party. God help us if the table is now so tilted that Symington is now a "moderate." No, it seems more like this is the Republican establishment trying to wrest control back from what they consider to be an out of control grassroots. There may be some worry that these guys may be more concerned about winning arguments than winning elections. Haney's antics, for example, got him press, and may have even helped nominate more conservative candidates in the primary (defeating incumbent John Allen, for example), but ended up losing them a seat in the general election. A letter went out to District 11 committee members from several Republican office holders, few of whom would be called moderate on any political spectrum (Andrew Thomas is on there for God's sake!) asking them to support Symington. Could this sort of heavy handedness backfire? If there is this much of a fight over their district chairs, what is it going to be like when they elect their state wide officers? Some more stuff, because these internets are rife with posts: Haney's response to the Symington interview is posted here. A response from RNC member and Haney supporter Randy Pullen is posted here, in which Pullen points out that the loss was expected because Napolitano won the district over Matt Salmon. Of course, this just makes the point that Haney's politics are out of synch with even Republican voters in the district, doesn't it? The blog Hot AZ It Gets also has a summary of the race here. Oro Valley Dad over at Sonoran Alliance even weighs in here. Wow, bringing up the Keating Five again...this is going to get bad. NB - Oro Valley Dad also has an account of the LD 26 Republican meeting, where they re-elected the same crew that ran the district before. OVD describes one candidate for chair as "a troublemaker from the far-right," which begs the question: how far right could the guy be that even the guys on Sonoran Alliance think he's too far right? Anyway, check the interesting comment that spins the LD 26 general election results as good for conservatives, even though it was a victory for two Democats and a Republican they despise. They got their boys nominated, and that's a win. This would be tantamount to the anti-war left calling the 1972 presidential election a solid victory. Oh yeah, before anyone writes me about this: Haney's resolution may not have directly caused the defeat of a Republican nominee in his district. But, I'm pretty sure that the powers that be are wondering if he is spending too much energy censuring Republican office holders than trying to help get more of them elected.|W|P|116464566000691483|W|P|Governor Three Stick and District Two Stick|W|P|prezelski@aol.com
On ABC's "This Week," host George Stephanopoulos asked [Sen. John] McCain why he supported the measure [Arizona's Proposition 107], saying it "actually denied any government benefits to civil unions or domestic partnerships. Are you against civil unions for gay couples?" First McCain said: "No, I'm not." "I think that initiative did allow for people to join in legal agreements such as power of attorney and others," he said. "I think that there was a difference of opinion on the interpretation of that constitutional amendment in Arizona." "So you're for civil unions?" Stephanopoulos asked. "No," he said. "I do not believe gay marriage should be legal. I do not believe gay marriage should be legal," he repeated. "But I do believe that people ought to be able to enter into contracts, exchange powers of attorney, other ways that people have relationships can enter into."First of all, McCain is mischaracterizing the proposition. Prop. 107 would have made any government recognition of unmarried (same sex or no) couples illegal. This wasn't a matter of difference of interpretation, it was what the backers intended and a big part of why the proposition failed. So, why would McCain claim to be for giving marriage like rights (his words: "contracts, exchange powers of attorney, other ways that people have relationships can enter into") but embrace the backers of a proposal which would prevent government from recognizing those rights? That would render any of those "contracts" or whatever he's talking about as useful as that bachelor's degree certificate I have from Miskatonic University. What we have here is a game that he's got to play over the next year and a half: yes you moderates, I'm still the McCain you loved from 2000, but hey, conservatives, I'm one of you too. I just hope he can do it without giving himself an aneurysm. I'm waiting to see Rudy Giuliani pull this one too.|W|P|116448315365648155|W|P|More "Straight Talk" From John McCain|W|P|prezelski@aol.com
|W|P|McCain's new nickname is Seesaw. Eli Blake|W|P|Good one, e.r.My best line on McCain is this:
If John McCain thought he could get votes by claiming he was a squid, he'd claim he was a squid.
|W|P|If you want to see some really good GOP anger check out esspressopundit.com seems as if Mr. McCain is attempting to take out a Dist Chair who is not happy with himAZ Blue Dog
Eli Blake|W|P|You know that old Joni Mitchell song, 'Both sides now?'Here is the 'John McCain version', "Both sides howdy"
'Once Iraq was popular, I banged the war drums, loud all day!
Approval was in the stratosphere, I've looked at Iraq that way,
But now guerillas block the sun, the bad news gets to everyone,
So many things I would have done, but polls got in the way!
I've looked at Iraq from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow,
it's those illusions I still spin, I really don't know Iraq at all.
I used to know to avoid, 'gay', And what to do and what to say,
But the 107 'fairy tale' went down,
I'll look at 'gay' 'nother way,
Civil unions I'll say I did support,
as a last resort,
to change that report,
Don't give myself away,
I've been on 'civil uions' on both sides now,
For and against, with both sides,
I'ts a fine illusion I put forth,
I really don't know gay issues, at all.
I used to talk just like a moderate, But I couldn't win a primary,
So I changed my tune, I changed my song,
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds.
That's what I'm about today,
But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well somethings lost, but somethings gained
loony right wing votes,
I've looked at running from both sides now, from win and lose, and still somehow,
It's political illusions I cling to,
I really don't know voters, at all.
|W|P|Ummm...so who is worse - People checking your site on a holiday for a new, and probably informative, post?
Or people who check their site traffic on a holiday?
Inquiring minds want to know... :))
|W|P|Happy Thanksgiving Ted. Tony GOPrano|W|P|The answer is simple Teddie!Liberals, after finishing their cannibalism dinner ( all Libs are turkeys), the triptophane from their brothers/sister Turkey kicks in and tells them to 'Go to Rum, Romanism and Rebellion' to see what brother Ted has posted today. Gobble Gobble...noticed I, as a Conservative, didn't check your Blog until Friday. Waiting till tomorrow...GO SUN DEVILS!!! Wait a second? If ASU wins, Smirk Koetter keeps his job? Its OK if U of Who wins as long as Smirk gets the AX...LOL!
Another southside place to get robbed or have your car stolen while you enjoy a movie.An ignorant statement for a couple of reasons. One is that there are no first run theaters on the South Side now, which would make it hard for it to be "another southside place to get robbed...while you enjoy a movie." It is also ignorant for another reason: the South Side has it's problems (I know, because I work here) but it is not the den of crime that folks seem to believe. You don't have to believe me, you can check the crime statistics maps on TPD's website. For each category, there is a small cluster on the south side, and one on the east side and some places here and there in midtown. But what is this dark green and black stipe in the middle of the map? A sliver of neighborhoods between First and Oracle moving north, yes north, from Downtown to River Road. Golly. I take it from Beto's name that his assumptions about the South Side are not about race, but are instead about geography and the generations long assumptions that any person wandering the South Side is subject to all manners of predations. I hear this all the time from people who really ought to know better. Of course, it was only the second time out that we get the racial comment:
You'll need a translater if you don't speak Spanish to go shopping in that part of Tucson. I've been to the Super Walmart out that way and it felt like I drove down to Mexico to go to Walmart.Being one that has actually shopped on the South Side, I can assure you that you are free to use English anytime you want. I am also pretty sure that most of them even know the proper spelling of the word "translator." Have these guys ever actually been South of 22nd? Or even Broadway? I'm sure that this person would tell me that it isn't about race, but would he say such a thing if he was comfortable around Hispanics? Some of the comments degenerated straight into outright racism, one fella who calls himself Socrates O. alleges that Hispanics are just not polite and civil, but the tone of his comments just proves that lack of civility is not unique to the Hispanic community. Of course, Socrates claims he isn't racist or anything, he just knows the truth. Oh, yeah, and those Messicans will steal your car because this mall will be closer to the chop shops, which are apparently all over the South Side. One fella name Shea B. has an explanation for the conflict between the prejudiced notion of the South Side and reality: South Siders don't call police because they are all worried about getting busted by the Border Patrol. Shea isn't racist, he just assumes all Hispanics are illegal aliens. He helpfully provides this little dialogue, aparently inspired by the ground breaking work of Bill Dana and Speedy Gonzales:
all the victims on the southside are illegal...this is how it goes... lady says: aye chihuahua someone stole the carro!! call the policia!! husband says: shut up puta! dont you know that if we call police, la migra comes!!! then they take us back to the border, and damnit, ill leave your ass before i try to get stuffed in the dashboard of a car again!!!!Who the heck are these people who post to these boards? Oh yeah, and although these comments are pretty ignorant, the racism is pretty mild compared to what I sometimes see on the boards.|W|P|116421844681805681|W|P|More Enlightened Commentary From the Star/Citizen Message Boards|W|P|prezelski@aol.com
Liza|W|P|Interesting observations, Tedski.I've thought about racism more in the last few years than I have in a very long time. When I was a kid growing up in the south most of the adults I knew were racists to some degree and didn't think twice about racial slurs. Lucky for me, the Dominican nuns who taught at my school were not southerners and they were not racists. Nonetheless, racism was ever present and disturbing. In the post Civil Rights era, social pressures to curtail outward signs of racism grew to the point that people were not so loose with their tongues regardless of how they felt. I thought this was a good thing, because even as a child I understood that leopards do not change their spots and we would have to wait and hope that the next generation would be more enlightened. But, in the interim, some of the worst racists had to engage the filter between their brains and their mouths. I was hopeful back then.
Eventually, I learned that racism is not regional, it can be very subtle, and it's everywhere. But what I've noticed these last few years is a resurgence of that in-your-face type of racism that I grew up with and I've got to say that this is extremely disturbing. I believe that the two predominant issues are hatred of illegal immigrants and hatred of Mideastern people. All of this focus on illegal immigration and the "war on terror" has more or less sanctioned a more vocal and blatant form of racism not unlike that in the pre-civil rights era. The victims may have a different ethnicity, but the hatred is essentially the same.
In the blogosphere, of course, anyone who is even partially literate and able to access the Internet can write anything without suffering social consequences. It is the perfect forum for racists to spew their hatred, find their kindred spirits, and to shock the nonbelievers.
Don't look for it to get better, my friend, at least not any time soon.
|W|P|Back when I lived on the west side of Phoenix, everyone used to tell me that it was a crime ridden place, that I should never walk around at night because I would be beaten up and all sorts of bad things would happen.Nothing ever did but I was once asked directions by a lady who was on something while walking home on Van Buren at 11 at night.
Eli Blake|W|P|The only thing is it is structured differently from other fantasy games in that more than one person can pick the member of Congress. Which is probably good for me since I joined late and still got to pick Sen. Byrd.
I do notice however that they aren't very regular about updating their point totals.
Eli Blake|W|P|And Ted--If you're humble then I'm young.
See ya on the second.
|W|P|My team is number two! :D Zelph|W|P|I do a weekly feature on the "Truth to Power Hour" called "Focus on Arizona" at about 2:15pm every Saturday. I rely on your blog as well as other Arizona bloggers to keep me up to speed on what is happening, since our local media does such a terrible job at covering state politics. I've plugged Eli's blog as well as yours.
Assistant Attorney General Paul Eckerstrom is being talked up as a candidate to run against Barbara Lawall for County Attorney. Eckerstrom had been talked about before, but the talk seems to be a bit more serious now.
Eckerstrom has worked both sides of the courtroom, as a public defender and as a prosecutor. He currently works in the Attorney General's Southern Arizona office here in Tucson. His brother, Peter Eckerstrom, was appointed a judge on the court of appeals in 2003. He's got some strong roots in the coummunity. His father, if I remember right, was a minister (thus the names Peter and Paul) who ran an off-campus hang out spot for students in the late 60's. The cafe featured a number of performers, including a young Linda Ronstadt.
Eckerstrom has been involved in politics for years. He was a staffer for Bruce Babbitt's presidential campaign back in 1988, working several Iowa counties for him. He supported Bill Bradley in 2000, but felt he had to be neutral in 2004 because of his chairmanship of the Pima County Democratic Party. It probably ticked him off to have to sit on the sidelines of that one.
He ticked off some activists when he recruited Nina Trasoff to run for city council when Steve Farley had already declared in that race. He was very active in Patty Weiss's campaign for congress, and claimed some credit for encouraging her to run. I'm waiting to see if he gets Colleen Bagnall or Erica Hartquist to run for something.
There are a number of folks who have grievances against Lawall: there were some serious questions about the handling of the El Grande Market case, where false testimony may have been encouraged by prosecutors, and with the handling of the more recent murder of Dr. David Brian Stidham, where all maner of problems with personel in her office were revealed. There has also been criticism of the long standing (pre-dating Lawall) policy of "over charging" and not accepting plea agreements, which some say has led to expensive trials in cases that could have been settled without them. Finally, SEIU had some problems with Lawall's interference with their efforts to organize county employees.
Talk has been that Lawall has already been talking to some of Eckerstrom's supervisors, maybe trying to get him fired, maybe just trying to make his life difficult. Lawall's supporters are already spreading the story that Eckerstrom has been too busy mucking around with local politics to do his job. Eckerstrom, however, has one of the largest case loads in the Southern Arizona office and is regarded by his colleagues (and most importantly, Terry Goddard) as a hard working prosecutor.
It remains to be seen whether all of these troubles add up to the number of votes necessary to displace Lawall. With Eckerstrom running, we are at least guaranteed that it won't be a quiet campaign.|W|P|116411547413408786|W|P|Lawall Gets a Primary Challenge?|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Tedski|W|P|George-I know it has been talked about for a while. It was even talked about in 2004. The talk seems to be a bit more serious now, that's why I decided to write about it.
Eli Blake|W|P|Then there is also former chair Harry Mitchell-- oh, wait-- he already got a promotion courtesy of the stronger Democratic party that has been built up over the past few years. Tony GOPrano|W|P|Hey Teddie you could use a job couldn't you? Tedski|W|P|Not that one. It would require too much time in Phoenix.
J. D. Hayworth, being a long time member and one that was moving up in the House leadership, had swanky digs in the Rayburn House Office Building. The office was not only on an upper floor, but in a corner with a nice view. For a number of reasons, not least being that his re-election bid was officially up in the air, Hayworth's office was never entered in the lottery. Oops.
So, Hayworth's old office was allocated to the member that defeated him, Harry Mitchell.
Most freshman and even sophmore members get offices in the depression-era Longworth House Office Building or the cramped and decrepid Cannon House Office Building. Mitchell got to leap frog all of that and get Hayworth's much sought after space. There are more than a few senior members who are less than amused.
Hayworth showed some grace and took Mitchell on a tour of his new office.
NB - Does Mitchell also inherit Hayworth's creepy talking website?|W|P|116398347269249959|W|P|The Lottery Ads Were Off: Hayworth Didn't Play, So Mitchell Won|W|P|prezelski@aol.com |W|P|I have frightened more then one person with that creepy website. :D Tony GOPrano|W|P|Enjoy your one term SS Harry Mitchell....can you say Sam Coppersmith? ROTFLMFAO!!!! |W|P|My question is: was this due to the delay in confirming Mitchell's win, or was it due to the gratitude of the Dem leadership for finally ridding them of JD? Jane Arizona|W|P|My nightly AZCW routine was like this:http://www.house.gov/renzi
http://www.house.gov/franks
http://www.house.gov/shadegg
[skipped Pastor, he never has news]
http://hayworth.house.gov
[realize that my sound is on]
"HI THIS IS CONGRESSMAN J.D. HAYWORTH-"
[oh jesusgod turn it OFF already]
[turned sound off]
http://www.house.gov/flake
...
Anyway, the point -- please, Harry, no talking websites. Sight-impaired people have special tools that read websites for them. Please think of the bloggers!
Tedski|W|P|What Jane, no Raúl? |W|P|I'll give you all the dish on the talking website.State Rep. David Bradley's (D-28) son, Nathan, is an owner of the company audioeye.net. When I was working in the Phoenix area, Nathan approached me more than once to have this "technology" installed on my company's website. He even brought Barry Goldwater, Jr. along for support. My guess is that he approached JD and managed to sell him on it. I don't remember that exact price tag but it was in the $10k's.
Also, if you check out www.azleg.gov, they have the same audioeye.net "technology" available for use. I don't believe Dave Bradley was connected to the legislature wasting on that money on Nathan's company.
The Chairman-designee of the Powerful House Ways and Means Committee, Charles Rangel, says he will introduce legislation to re-instate the draft. Since I'm 36 years old now, I am all for this.|W|P|116398180623656205|W|P|But, Will We Be Drafting Barbara and Jenna?|W|P|prezelski@aol.com |W|P|I will be okay with it if we have women in the draft too. No reason why us women cannot blow the crap out of enemies. |W|P|by the way Ted, the new bill will have the ages 18-42. Heehee
Eli Blake|W|P|I'm 44.Heeheeheeheehee.
Oh, and I wonder what they will do when a bunch of young people all write letters to the draft board coming out as being openly gay.
|W|P|116395383185268430|W|P|Bishop Manuel Duran Moreno|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Tedski|W|P|I didn't forget...I just neglected it. |W|P|Interesting...do you know this stuff off the top of your head or do you do research? Chris|W|P|District 8 sent Michele Reagan, Collette Rosatti, and Carolyn Allen to the legislature in 2002 and 2004. |W|P|I still have not forgiven D8 for Collette Rosatti. |W|P|Well if it was not for the well known liberal bias of reality... Eli Blake|W|P|Gosh, Ted, I thought I was the only one still around who had read Burrough's Barsoom series.But I would agree with you that the Republican leadership is on Mars on this one. Besides anti-war Democrats, most of the rest who voted for Murtha are Pelosi loyalists.
And to be honest, I'd be more worried about the Republicans finding some creative ways to get their legislation in if they'd voted for Pence and Shadegg. By choosing Boehner/Blunt, they have in effect re-elected Dennis Hastert's leadership without voting for Dennis Hastert. Sort of like when a car breaks down after 200,000 miles and they just took it in to the mechanic, replaced the particular part that broke, got it running and are planning on another 100,000.
Rex Scott|W|P|Frankly, I think Gabby will do a great job of demonstrating why she is uniquely suited to represent this diverse district. Those who voted FOR her will have ample reason to do so again. She will not be easily categorized (or pushed around!) on Capitol Hill.What will be interesting to see is how those who voted AGAINST Randy or Bush or the GOP in its current state vote in two years. Republicans will still have a registration edge in 2008 and the district lines will not change. Thus, Gabby's greatest concern would be to go up against a Republican who can unite their party and peel away a chunk of her independent support. Granted, the indies are less susceptible to defections unless she votes in ways they dislike...or her opponent successfully spins her voting record in a negative way.
Using these criteria as a guide, Tim Bee may be a very formidable opponent. Reliably conservative on most issues, he has a strong record of support for public education, receiving the AEA endorsement in virtually all his races. He has a base in eastern Pima County that cuts into Gabby's edge there and he and his brother Tim are well-liked in Cochise County, too.
Carroll would also be a strong foe...but how can a guy say he wants to stay here to raise his kids and sound credible changing his mind a mere two years later? I take Ray at his word that he is not planning a congressional run and The Weekly said he would likely run for re-election in 2008.
Mike Hellon might make another run and he would offer some of the same assets Bee and Carroll do. He was the voice of reason and maturity in this year's GOP primary and has the connections to raise bucks in a field less crowded than the one he had to confront this year. Don'tr count him out.
What I truly hope does not happen is for Gabby to face a challenge from the left in the primary, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit if she did.
|W|P|Paton is easily a better fit for the district than most anyone running. He's a real Republican--not like Huffman, but I think he appeals to all three of the groups Phx Kid was talking about. He'll go toe-to-toe with people like Grijalva, but unlike Graf, he's got a great background, education and a sense of humor. He has strong ties with the business community and the military. He was the most successful freshman lawmaker for the past two years. Look at the sheer number of votes he got in the primary. Gowan was supposedly the most "conservative" candidate in the most conservative district in Southern AZ and Paton has crushed him twice. Even though Gowan (in two elections in a row) outspent him with clean elections dollars and was heavily endorsed by Graf.
As for district 13, that district was a lot different than CD-8--it was evenly split and it was a four-way race (not to mention it was 6 years ago--a lifetime in politics).
Bee is a great guy too. He's a lot quieter. He would make a great congressman, but he hasn't had a serious challenge since he beat Bill McGibbon in 2000. He'll have to ramp up his presence (and not up in Phoenix) in Southern AZ in order to make a strong showing. But if he could get in, he would be a great asset for So. AZ.
The interesting thing is that Paton and Bee work together quite a bit on legislation and seem to be good friends.
Zelph|W|P|The buzz is that Tim will be busy as a bee in his new position as Senate President. He's already begun clearing the hive of long time political drones. Tim and his honey Grace will likely be more time in Phoenix. |W|P|I think Wally summed it up pretty well; and Rex made some good points too. However, is everyone forgetting the 800 pound gorilla in the room? How does a John McCain-led ticket affect Gabby and either Paton or Bee? It may be a pipe dream, but the McCain coat tails might be the silver bullet in CD 8, and in the CD5 (formerly know as J.D. Hayworth's district).
With this week's media buzz about Rudy Giuliani taking yet another step to run for president, I am having a wee bit of trouble wrapping my head around the punditry's "meme" about this guy's candidacy.
Here's what the pundits say: Giuliani's liberal views on abortion, gun control and gay rights makes him pallatable to mainstream voters, but those same views from a Democrat make that candidate horribly out of touch with those same mainstream voters.
A lollypop to anyone who can explain how that works.|W|P|116377215377927579|W|P|Hey! Giuliani|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Framer|W|P|Sirocco & Tedski,I think the general concensus is that it was much better for Republicans to have a meltdown this year than in 2008. With the direction they were headed, this was bound to happen. Fortunately, the Democratic hill to climb really isn't that high, and "We hate Bush!" is no longer going to be your only selling point. Democrats are going to have to lead, and so far there has been precious little proof that this can happen, especially as this is not the 90's when hard decisions could be avoided.
If Hoyer were the Speaker, Obama or Ben Nelson head of the Senate, and Warner the most likely Presidential candidate, I would be fretting a little more to be honest. Pelosi, Clinton, and Reid make me like our chances in 2008 for both Houses and the Presidency.
And as far as far as abortion, gun control, and gay rights, there is a good chance that these stands could cost him the nomination. However, there is a far difference between Guiliani having these beliefs and his making them a priority if President. Clinton, and most other Democrats, on the other hand believe in them enough to place them in their agenda.
My gut is still that Rudy isn't quite ready.
shrimplate|W|P|What are republican religious fundamentalists going to say about Rudy when stories of him sleeping with his mistress in the mayor's mansion while wifey and the kids slept upstairs are repeated all over again?Poor copy, that.
And besides, he's Catholic so fundametalists will not be able to forgive him. Oh the irony.
TimWilsonAZ|W|P|Alexis has already done big things. She was Harry Mitchell's campaign director, I believe. Eli Blake|W|P|That is his real name.He was born Steny Hamilton Hoyer, in New York City on June 14, 1939.
I don't know the origin of the name, but his birth certificate says, 'Steny.'
And if he got into a shoving match with Hayworth, it sounds like he's the right kind of guy.
Zelph|W|P|Steny Hamilton Hoyer was born on June 14, 1939, in New York to a family of Danish origin — his name is the diminutive of his father’s, Steen.http://www-tech.mit.edu/V126/N54/long3.html
I went ahead and registered a league on Fantasy Congress. Fantasy Congress gives us political geeks a chance to do what NFL geeks have been doing for years: get obsessive about stats. Go over to the Fantasy Congress page, and check out the R Cubed league (you can look it up, it is called "R Cubed," easier to spell that way). The league password is "udall." You all (yes, even you Greg) are invited to sign up and draft a "team." I will activate the league as soon as I have at least five players.|W|P|116364715016370895|W|P|R Cubed Fantasy Congress League|W|P|prezelski@aol.com |W|P|Sure Chris. Thank you Ted for putting this on. :)
|W|P|Great idea Ted!I thought about drafting JD just so I could have the joy of waiving him at the end of his term, but I decided that would be petty of me.
It was a close call, though. :)
Tony GOPrano|W|P|Team Kick Dems ASSES is reporting for duty...NO Prisoners taken Teddy so be ready for WAR!!!Forgetaboutit!!!
TonyGOPrano
Conservative Republican Warrior & Hit Man
So, this weekend, my boys in the New England Revolution played in the MLS Cup final for the third time in five years. The last two cups went into overtime and resulted in eventual losses to the Los Angeles Galaxy (in addition, the 1999 US Open Cup was also against the Galaxy and was an overtime loss).
This weekend, the Revolution played against the Houston Dynamo, which was already a good sign since there was no need to battle the Galaxy bugaboo. The game was scoreless throughout the first ninety minutes and went into a second overtime period still scoreless until Taylor Twellman nutmeged a Dynamo defender and scored a goal. The Revs and their fans (out numbered since the game was in Texas), went nuts. The Revs hadn't even managed to score a goal in any MLS Cup match, but were now ahead with only seven minutes left. What could possibly happen?
Well, 72 seconds later, a defensive breakdown allowed Dynamo forward Brian Ching to score, tying the game. The game went into a penalty kick shootout, always a crap shoot. The Revs lost on a miffed shot by Jay Heaps.
Anyway, the lesson here is not getting giddy about victories. Some can be very, very temporary, especially when you spend your time celebrating, getting full of yourself and forgetting how you got to the spot that let you get that victory in the first place.
I'm not thinking of any particular group of people here...|W|P|116359989234644871|W|P|Another Tortured Soccer Metaphor|W|P|prezelski@aol.com |W|P|So you think that having John Murtha as Majority leader would be a bad thing? Tedski|W|P|Um...no...but Alcee Hastings on intelligence just because you can would be. |W|P|She is loyal though, that is what I think this was.
Alben Barkley, who was Vice President for Harry Truman, ran in a few Democratic primaries that year before he realized that the country was not yet ready for a President named "Alben." His middle initial was "W," however.
You would have to go back to 1928, when Calvin Coolidge's Vice President, Charles Gates Dawes, chose not to seek the nomination. Despite the fact that he was a Nobel Laureate, the man became a laughing stock in Washington after a few self-argandizing gaffes and campaigning against the fillibuster. He probably would have had a great deal of trouble winning the nomination.
Dawes and Barkley did have an interesting legacy though. Dawes had a frequently paraphrased quip he made in remarks to Barkley, then a Kentucky Senator:
I can only do two things: one is to sit up here and listen to you birds talk, the other is to look at the newspapers every day to see how the president's health is.|W|P|116355874917134170|W|P|Because This Is Exactly the Sort of Trivial Nonsense That You Read This Blog for, That's Why|W|P|prezelski@aol.com
"Hey, J. D. Hayworth's just conceded."
"He's not just concieted, he's an egomaniac."
"No, no, he just conceded."
"Oh, why didn't you say so?"|W|P|116355212357087598|W|P|J. D. Stands for "Just Defeated"|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Curtis Dutiel|W|P|That was probably the hardest thing that JD has ever had to do! I was SURE that he would fight to the bitter end, cry foul, call for a re-countand/or hold up in his office, forcing SWAT to drag him out by his heels....
Eli Blake|W|P|The reason it is such a good thing that J.D. is gone is that he pretty much seems pathologically incapable of anything except partisan acrimony. This stands him in sharp contrast to even other Republicans in the delegation-- could you imagine Jeff Flake (or even Trent Franks) offering a resolution like the one Hayworth talked Duncan Hunter into offering last year on Iraq in which he effectively shut off what had the potential to be a productive debate by forcing a vote on 'whether to support the President or withdraw immediately?' And keep in mind that he has served in a Congress in which Democrats were never in the majority, and he still thought that partisan warfare was the most important thing in Washington.What this election does show is that the redistricing commission, whatever their flaws were, was a good idea. If the legislature had drawn the lines (back when Calamity Jane was the Governor to sign off on it) they'd have made sure that this never happened.
Oh, this is priceless: Word verification is 'riidsuss'
As in 'rids us' dragged way out, just like this election.
|W|P|I know I smiled at the news. :) And Harry has honourably decided to wait until the votes are counted before doing a victory dance.
Patty Weiss is having a "thank you" picnic for supporters on the 18th. So, that leaves a question, what exactly is she going to be up to over the next year or so?
I have heard speculation that she may be tapping her supporters for some cash to pay off some campaign debts. This would be a short term goal at best. The question on most minds is: does she plan to run for another office?
The talk among some Democrats is about a run at the mayor's office. Bob Walkup recently announced that he will be running for another term. For all of the handwringing about the 2003 race, it must be remembered that Walkup didn't even manage 50% of the vote in that race. On the surface, a figure as well known and well liked as Weiss is could easily win a race like that.
A couple of hurdles here: in 2003, Walkup could be easily identified with the unpopular council majority led by Fred Ronstadt and Kathleen Dunbar. Both were dumped by large margins in last year's council elections. Without that baggage, Walkup's image is now back to where it was before: a sunny, friendly executive. It may prove to be harder to run a race against that Walkup than the 2003 version.
The other hurdle is that Weiss may not be interested. I asked one person involved in Weiss's campaign if speculation about the mayor's race was a "pipe dream" and he said yes.
I suppose I could show up to the picnic on the 18th and ask her. Naw...
NB - I asked this before: with Carol West's recent announcement, Walkup loses his last reliable ally on the council. With little prospect of another Republican winning next year, does he reconsider his decision to run for a third term?|W|P|116352944985962645|W|P|What is Patty Weiss Up to?|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Liza|W|P|Why would anyone want to be the mayor of Tucson? Liza|W|P|Tom,Okay, I'm sorry that I offended the natives. I guess that I was thinking of, let's just say the "challenges" of a poor transportation infrastructure, limited water supply, limited mass transit, lack of a cohesive growth plan for the last several decades, etc...But, you're right about the University.
|W|P|TedskiI think two things account for the defeat of Prop. 107.
I agree with you in part on the overreaching of benefits, however, a number of other states have included benefits in their successful marriage amendments.
I agree that we are less of a conservative state than many people suspect, but less than Michigan and Ohio? Both states have passed a Marriage Amendment that also bans civil unions.
What was unique in Arizona was the "No" campaign run by Arizona together. They made it about benefits from day one, and featured heterosexual couples in their advertising. By contrast, the "Yes" campaign never addressed the issue of benefits, and ran a horrible, invisible campaign.
|W|P|TedskiI think two things account for the defeat of Prop. 107.
I agree with you in part on the overreaching of benefits, however, a number of other states have included benefits in their successful marriage amendments.
I agree that we are less of a conservative state than many people suspect, but less than Michigan and Ohio? Both states have passed a Marriage Amendment that also bans civil unions.
What was unique in Arizona was the "No" campaign run by Arizona together. They made it about benefits from day one, and featured heterosexual couples in their advertising. By contrast, the "Yes" campaign never addressed the issue of benefits, and ran a horrible, invisible campaign.
Tony GOPrano|W|P|The domestic benefits part of the Proposition killed this. Look also at who ran this campaign? Nathan Sproul....failed in 2004 in Nevada gathering signatures; failure in 2006 in the Governor's race (Len Munsil) and the Prop 107. The only good thing is , Sproul will be finished as a GOP consultant in Arizona. |W|P|Arizona Together did not make it about benefits since day one. In fact, there was quite a bit of back-and-forth about strategy. There were divisions and disagreements galore over the past two years. Ultimately, Pima County split off from AT and created its own parallel campaign, No on 107. The win can be attributed to CAP's overreaching, small-l libertarians, and the coordinated efforts of local campaigns in Pima County (No on 107) and Maricopa County (Arizona Together). Local people running local campaigns put the no vote over the top where it counted, in the urban counties that decisively defeated this hate amendment.
Some of the students I work with have, well, a history with our justice system. Inevitably, they are always blameless for their arrests, or, they were arrested because the victim "snitched." I don't know why it counts as snitching when it's the victim, but that's how it goes.
Republican lobbyist, strategist and svengali Grover Norquist, from an article in the Financial Times:
Bob Sherwood’s [he means Don Sherwood] seat [in Pennsylvania] would have been overwhelmingly ours, if his mistress hadn’t whined about being throttled.|W|P|116328938947908500|W|P|And These Guys Wonder Why They Lost?|W|P|prezelski@aol.com
Well, Captain Al's ship is about to be decomissioned. Charlene Pesquiera's lead on Al Melvin, which was as low as 50 votes some moments on election night has widened 
to 355 votes. There are 5,000 votes early ballots yet to be counted, plus an additional 11,000 ballots countywide, but only a fraction of those would be in District 26.
Some have pointed out that there are also many outstanding ballots in Pinal County. I know that some Republicans are taking hope in this, since Melvin had strong support in Saddlebrooke, the only Pinal County community in the district. However, those outstanding ballots are far more likely to be from the half-dozen or so larger communities in the county rather than Saddlebrooke.
Congratulations, Charlene.|W|P|116328839626711641|W|P|Pesquiera Widens Lead|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Rex Scott|W|P|Not only did Charlene run an aggressive grass-roots campaign, (masterfully coordinated by Katie Bolger, who also worked on behalf of LD26 state representative winner Lena Saradnik) but Melvin's case is instructive for future candidates from EITHER party. That is, you can't appeal to the extremes in your party in order to win a nomination and then expect to seem appealing to the broader electorate in a general election. David Jorgenson made the same mistake in LD26...and Pesquiera and Saradnik (assisted by numerous mailings from the Arizona Democratic Party) were relentless in reminding the voters of some of the reactionary positions both he and Melvin espoused. Along with the retail politicking, it was a winning combo in moderate-leaning LD26.I would suggest that Ned Lamont made the same mistake in Connecticut. He came across as a single-issue partisan with no prior experience and he tried to oust a loyal Democrat who had been a force for social progress in his state since the 1970's. It didn't work and I hope many of the bloggers who were quick to demonize Joe Lieberman remember this case as we approach 2008 and start to throw the ugly label "DINO" around again. It didn't work against Lieberman...or Gabby Giffords in CD8, for that matter.
Giffords, Lieberman, Pesquiera and Saradnik won NOT by posturing as ideologues, or by banging on one drum. They talked about all the issues they will have to confront in the offices they won and impressed voters as sensible, pragmatic and able to work on behalf of the interests of the many, not some narrow elite. They represent the sort of candidate (Napolitano is another one and so was Tim Kaine in Virginia's governor race last year) that are winning elections because voters are tired of shrill voices that spout exclusive messages on both sides of the aisle.
|W|P|So what happens two years hence when Pete Hershberger is term-limited out of the House and runs for this Senate seat? I'd really love some insight on that dynamic.P.S. I'm also not thrilled about Blogger Beta. If you're thinking of switching, wait until the final release rolls out. You can't switch back once you've switched over.
Elizabeth Rogers|W|P|Well Mexilina, I went up by 388 votes compared to my opponent's gaining 323. Does that make you feel better? eckeric|W|P|We need to get Ted over to Coffee Etc. here on the southside.Oh, and Elizabeth, great job!
Elizabeth Rogers|W|P|You never did send me that picture of Ted with the cute little horns on it Mexilina. And my lead is growing, which is weird when Harry's is slowly going down a bit.
Ohio's 18th District will now be represented by a guy named Zack Space. The name sounds to me like one from a comic book. Not Marvel or DC mind you, but maybe 70's era Atlas or Charlton.
Of course, the Republicans had a field day with his name. Note for next time guys: you need more theramin.|W|P|116319451247092784|W|P|And the Best Name of this Election Cycle Is...|W|P|prezelski@aol.com shrimplate|W|P|OK, I got the Theramin joke, not that I'm proud. Hands showing evrybody else who did? |W|P|I got it. Eli Blake|W|P|Hey, I have a friend who I met online (a blogging buddy in fact) who worked very hard to get Zack Space elected.And the citizens in SE Ohio now have a real Congressman they can be proud of in contrast to Jack Abramoff's golfing buddy (Bob Ney) who is on his way to prison.
grannuaile|W|P|If the Republicans who didn't want Weiers wanted Biggs, why would they team up with the Dems to compromise on someone presumably more progressive than either Biggs or Weiers? Or do they just distrust Weiers enough that they're willing to vote for, say, a Konopnicki just to get rid of him?
I ran into Phil Lopes yesterday, and he told me that he could take me. Okay, not really. But Lopes was having a problem that he didn't anticipate. He had to make arrangements to move today's Democratic caucus meeting to a different room to accomodate four members more than anticipated.
Not exactly the sort of problem that is really a problem though, is it?
Lopes is running for re-election to be house minority leader in a caucus today, and another Tucson legislator, Linda Lopez, is hoping to replace him. Yesterday, the Republicans had their meeting and re-elected Jim Weiers (something that the voters almost didn't do). That meeting was closed, so I have no good gossip for you.
I have a feeling that Lopes (with an "S") will be re-elected. He has done a good job leading a loyal opposition and also made sure that candidates like Lena Saradnik got support from the State Party when they otherwise might not have been able to. I'm not sure what case can be made against his continued leadership. Lopez (with a "Z") just became president of the Sunnyside School Board and may have to fight a recall soon. I've said this before, I don't know how anyone, no matter how talented, can do both jobs and do them well.
Something I'm curious about, do the overwhelming victory of Janet Napolitano and the gains by Democrats make the Republican caucus reconsider some of their tactics of the last couple of years, or did we just make them angrier?|W|P|116309196343208041|W|P|Caucus, And I Don't Mean Azerbaijan|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Liza|W|P|Carol West represents Ward 2 on Tucson's eastside. Tedski|W|P|Oops..y'all got me. I'll fix it. Michael|W|P|And Kathleen Dunbar is apparently moving to Prescott. I'm not sure what to make of that, but I'll keep my snark to myself.
As if things weren't bad enough for J. D. Hayworth, in addition to losing his race, he had to watch as his 2004 opponent, Elizabeth Rogers, won a term as a Justice of the Peace in Maricopa County.
¡Pobrecito!
I recieved not one but two emails yesterday requesting volunteers to help in a hand recount of the CD 5 race. Republicans are enthusiastic about a hand recount? Weren't they calling us whiners for asking for the same thing back in 2000?
I would never call them hypocrites, of course.|W|P|116308364680799867|W|P|Salt in the Wound|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Elizabeth Rogers|W|P|wait, they ask for volunteers? May I ask why? Tedski|W|P|The e-mail gives the impression its for a re-count in CD-5, but I think it was actually for the audits that are now authorized by the new Downing/Johnson law. Probably easier to ask for volunteers for a "recount" in a close race that volunteers for an audit that will not effect the outcome. Elizabeth Rogers|W|P|That seems a bit more sensible. Hopefully no one will "riot" like they did in 2000.
As all of you no doubt know, Gabrielle Giffords will be the third woman to serve in congress from Arizona. You know this because you read this blog and are thus well informed. Here is something interesting: if she serves two complete terms, she will serve more time in congress than either of the previous distaff occupants, Karan English and Isabella Greenway. She will serve longer than Greenway before she has her fourtieth birthday.
By her second re-election (knock on wood), she will be in congress longer than the two of them combined.
English only managed one term before being defeated by some guy whose name escapes me because he is no longer relevant. Greenway's first election was to fill the unexpired term of Lewis Douglas, then she was elected to a full term. At the end of that term, she retired from congress.|W|P|116308257383648507|W|P|Trivia From the R-Cubed Library of Fascinating Facts|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Shane Wikfors|W|P|Karan English was defeated in 1994 by non-other-than JD Hayworth. Of course you knew this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karan_English Tedski|W|P|You know, Roy, I think I could take you. Curtis Dutiel|W|P|Roy, sorry, put I never heard of YOU until Ted wrote about YOU!! |W|P|And I, like so many others benignly smiling, said "Who? Roy who?"Someone check that young man's ancestors. I'm willing to be there was a land thief, a rapist, a criminal, and or an illegal runaway indentured servant.
Who's the illegal alien, pilgrim?
Liza|W|P|This is from yesterday's headlines on Democracy Now:"With around eighty percent of the electorate casting at least one vote electronically, voting problems were reported in scores of districts across the country. In Denver, hundreds of people were forced to wait long past the 7 p.m. voting deadline. Voting hours were extended in eight states. Hundreds of precincts in Florida, Indiana and Ohio turned to paper ballots amid problems with electronic voting machines. The Electronic Frontier Foundation reported dozens of complaints that touch-screen machines recorded votes for the wrong candidates. There were also scattered reports of voter intimidation. In Virginia, voters reported receiving telephone calls telling them to stay home or face criminal charges. In Arizona, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund reported Latino voters were stopped and questioned by three armed men outside a precinct in Tucson."
Gee, what good is national recognition if they don't even get your name? Maybe that's why no one heard of Roy Warden until Tedski started writing about him.
Daniel R. Patterson, Editor|W|P|Get a life, Mr. Roy Hate. I respect your right to burn flags, but don't mess with anyone in my neighborhood or you might get beat down or shot dead (not by me). People here don't tolerate racist scumbags like you.
How about you move to Idaho and join the racists there to attack Canadian migrants?
You give white men a bad name.
Daniel R. Patterson, Editor|W|P|Looks like Warden, et al. were likely breaking the law Tues. with weapons at a polling place. Why didn't TPD arrest? Will there be a prosecution? http://www.dps.state.az.us/ccw/3102.asp
FIREARMS ARE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED IN THE FOLLOWING PLACES (with or without a permit)
* Polling places on election days (peace officers are excepted)
Liza|W|P|What surprises me most about Roy Warden is that he is able to construct a sentence. Check it out. He uses quotation marks, colons, and commas. Amazing. Kiva|W|P|Precinct 49 was specifically chosen because it's where Grijalva votes. Dove has confirmed this. Admin|W|P|DRP, good point. Roy also has ties to domestic terrorism (US Code Title 18, 2331) through the Minutemen and Laine Lawless. Russ Dove|W|P|Pct. 49 was selected because it had a very high population and voter registration increase and it was only after the fact that it was selected that I learned that Ralph G. and I. Garcia voted there. Kynn miss quoted me or like with everything else he wrote used my words to tell the story he wanted to not the one I told. Typical lost-mind-syndrome . . .We are and will continue to be a LAWFUL Nation!
The AP and NBC have called the Virginia Senate race for Jim Webb.|W|P|116303723635914328|W|P|51!|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Elizabeth Rogers|W|P|Yay! Curtis Dutiel|W|P|Oh yes!... Time for McCain to be put on suicide watch!!!azw88.blogspot.com
Ya gotta love it!!!!
Liza|W|P|I hope that McCain does get the Republican nomination. Even though his fans haven't noticed that he is 800 years old, the rest of the nation will. He'll lose.
Over at Talking Points Memo, Josh Marshall is reporting rumors of Donald Rumsfeld's impending resignation.
I bet it's so he can spend more time with his kids.|W|P|116300977505068837|W|P|Wow, I Guess Things Are Changing Already|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Curtis Dutiel|W|P|RUMMY has indeed RESIGNED!! Mark him as the FIRST post-election casualty!http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/08/rumsfeld.ap/index.html
Elizabeth Rogers|W|P|It is pretty sweet. Liza|W|P|This is just so typical. We lost so let's lop off a head or two and the people will think we got their message. Sorry, Rumsfeld head even on a silver platter is not enough!Quite frankly, if they were smart, they would put Dick Cheney on the sacrificial altar. For one, he's the worst of the lot. And for two, they could pick a new VP who would have incumbent status in 2008. The problem is, of course, that Cheney has the goods on all of them and is hardly willing to resign.
Anyhow, good bye and good riddance to Donald Rumsfeld.
Curtis Dutiel|W|P|Liza, I suspect that Cheny WILL resign in the next 6 months or so, allowing Bush to nominate someone he feels can use the veep position as a springboard to the 08 presidential nomination. I have been saying this for quite a while now.Bush faces a hard row ahead with the Gates nomination, as he has some hardcore baggage to carry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gates
It should have been obvious to Melvin that she probably represented the sort of Republican that lives in the district. Instead, he only strayed from his "RINO Hunter" rhetoric long enough to regurgitate Goldwater Institute talking points that had little do do with voter concerns.
Ron Drake had a similar problem. I actually thought the guy would be a decent candidate. Now, I didn't think he could win, but I thought he'd be an articulate candidate who would fly the Republican flag, and then get crushed. Drake though seemed to be clueless about Tucson voters, who do comprise the largest share of voters in the district. His "you people in Tucson need to learn" statements in debates probably didn't win him much support down here. My only real encounter with his supporters was at the U of A debate, and they seemed to be composed entirely of students from the Phoenix area. They didn't understand Raúl Grijalva's popularity because they didn't understand and were dismissive of Tucson.
And nationally: was there anywhere where the Democrats lost a seat? In 1994, no incumbent Republican lost, which was seen as a repudiation of Democratic policy. This year, not only did no incumbent Democrat lose, but no where where there was an open seat (so far) was a Democrat even replaced by a Republican. Even in 1994, where Tony Knowles was elected governor of Alaska and John Baldacci won an open house seat in Maine, the occasional Democrat was able to win a new seat.
I remember the media buying the spin that this was a sign that voters were ticked at the Democrats. Already though, I'm reading spin that this arguably clearer victory was a repudiation of both parties. One of the people I've already heard spinning it this way: Joe Lieberman.
More later.|W|P|116299817695245915|W|P|So, Let Me Get This Right: Gay Couples Can Live Together, They Just Can't Speak Spanish?|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Unknown|W|P|MALDEF was apparently notified according to TPMmuckraker. Curtis Dutiel|W|P|Graf is what my grandmother would call a banti rooster, apearantly a small rooster that acts tough because it is small. I am not surprised that this is how Graf acts.
Sadly, I doubt that you will no longer write about him, because he won't go away. He will run for something in 2008. He is Joe Sweeney with more money.
Liza|W|P|Maybe Randy should focus on his golf game and see if he can qualify for the Senior PGA tour. You only have to be 50, and I think he's already 49. The timing is perfect! Good bye, Randy.
x4mr|W|P|Interesting, Tedski. That is bizarre behavior. My interactions with him were perfectly civil. Of course, I think he thought I was a supporter. That might help.As to whether he is a "manly man" that's bullshit. The guy bought a couple cigars yesterday, those candy ass CAO Fruit Flavored kind.
Damned tempted to post a SED story with the "Graf a Confirmed Sweetophile" headline and put local lingo to get it into Lefty blogs and inform folks he smokes that crap.
Then I decided: Who cares?
His flavor of choice: Exotic Fruit and Vanilla.
Now if he had purchased the white chocolate truffle with Irish cream flavor, it would have pushed me over the edge.
By the way, where is the party tonight? Haven't seen a thing. Maybe they don't want me to come.
Liza|W|P|Yeah, that is a strange story about what Graf said to Tedski when they met. Men are so weird, but I think this is related to some kind of primitive behavior. In the animal world, size wins. In this case, maybe Randy felt threatened at some level and instinctively acted to assert dominance. Perhaps he was "packing" and that gave him confidence. But, the greatest likelihood is that he knew Tedski would not take him on.I've seen my dogs act in a similar way when a larger dog is behind a fence. They know they can be aggresive and the larger dog can't attack. So, they take full advantage of the situation and it makes them feel like Rottweilers for a few seconds.
Curtis Dutiel|W|P|Kralmajales, what scares me about graf is that he does have some support, and that support has some $$ to back him. I could easily see him working for the next two years on winning the CD8 seat in 08.... It worked for Kolbe.I hope Gabby can beat him so thouroughly that he gets seriously depressed and gives us the "you won't have Graf to kick around any more" speech.
x4mer, the democratic party is @ the Doubletree, and Michael Bryan, blogforarizona.com, has a gathering at the Trident. Check out his site for more details.
Liza|W|P|206,Maybe you can caddy for Graf on the Senior PGA Tour. Everyone here in the blogosphere will really miss you, to be sure.
The very English alternative music icon Robyn Hitchcock has been hanging out in Tucson for a couple of weeks and played a show at Club Congress the other night. My brother went to the after party where local musician, and Tom's neighbor, Nick Luca introduced him to Hitchcock as "My State Representative."
Hitchcock was interested in talking to him, and told Tom that he had attended the Bill Clinton rally at Reid Park. What, and he didn't offer to play? Wanker.
Anyhow, my brother was excited to talk to him, and he told Hitchcock that he considers "I Wanna Destroy You" to be one of the best protest songs ever.
"I Wanna Destroy You" was recorded by Hitchcock with his old band, The Soft Boys, back in 1980 for the Underwater Moonlight album. It was a hit in the UK, and a hit on college radio, then still coming into its own, here. The song has also been covered by the Goo Goo Dolls, Uncle Tupelo, Circle Jerks and Chicago alt-Country band Dollar Store. (Audio clip of a piece of the song here)
The song is an anti-war anthem, but also takes scathing shots at compliant media and apathy.
Hitchcock told Tom that he hadn't played it for years, but since Bush got elected, he plays it all the time.|W|P|116282243053048039|W|P|And Maybe If John Edwards Is Elected, He'll Bring Back "I Want to Be An Anglepoise Lamp"|W|P|prezelski@aol.com benny06|W|P|I'm confused here. Are you talking about John Edward the medium, or Senator John Edwards, who was down in Arizona recently to help promote raising the minimium wage? shrimplate|W|P|Robyn Hitchcock is one of those amazing underexposed talents that college radio jocks have always raved about."Underwater Moonlight" and the later "Fegmania" are gems.
An old New Music Express record guide said this: "Drop what you're doing and go track down 10 copies of 'Underwater Moonlight' right now."
The Jonathan Demme concert film
"Storefront Hitchcock" is a good representation of what he's doing these days.
- Card is the second longest serving Chief of Staff, the first being Sherman Adams
- The President likes Donald Rumsfeld
- The President is the leader of the Republican Party
- The President and the First Lady read in bed
- The President likes the sports page
- The President will support the Republican nominee in 2008
- The President likes kids
Democrats rally, but it was a personality and not politics that brought them out.Eh? Yes, it can be admitted that the folks that came out to the rally came out to see Bill Clinton. There probably would not have been so many if it were, say, Earl Blumenauer or something. But to say that it wasn't "political" was just silly; people were there ('cept for the protestors) to support the Democratic ticket. I don't know if this represents any "bias" on the part of KOLD, but it was not too insightful.|W|P|116281889774149902|W|P|Why I Get Frustrated|W|P|prezelski@aol.com
GPO|W|P|tee ball Tedski|W|P|George-Gawd...the random interchangeable news readers all look the same to me.
I'll fix the post.
The United States now is home to 11 million illegal immigrants, and the number grows every year. But instead of protecting our borders, congressional candidate Tom Hayhurst supports citizenship opportunities for illegal aliens.Here's where this becomes funny: in Indiana, automated calls, or "Robo Calls," are illegal. So, how does one keep the costs down? You farm it out to a foreign call center, of course. Souder is angry because he feels the anti-immigration message is watered down when delivered by people with thick, foreign accents. Hey, if we don't hire the foreigners over there, we will have to hire them here. Robo Calls are legal here, and Randy Graf has taken some last minute advantage of that with an interesting twist. Callers hear a littany of reasons why if Gabrielle Giffords gets elected, this entire nation will become some sort of Marxist paradise and citizens will be forced to eat undercooked artichokes and listen to Death Cab for Cutie (my paraphrase may be inaccurate, I didn't get a call myself). After listening to the allegations, the recipient is given the option to join in on a conference call featuring Graf. One friend of mine listened and it sounded like a real conference call, with one Republican activist asking how to handle mail-in ballots. My friend was even given the option of asking a question. She asked why Graf is lying about the "sweetheart land deal" in his ads. They hung up on her. Many Democrats have gotten this call, including Giffords herself. Either the Graf campaign is wasting its money on calling people that will not ever vote for them, or this is some goofy strategy that I don't get. I am also trying to figure out if the conference is real. I find it hard to believe that Graf would sit around four days before the election and do a conference call with random voters. Heck, maybe he would, nothing else seems to be working for him.|W|P|116273904563950186|W|P|Psst, Hey Randy, Call Me|W|P|prezelski@aol.com
Elizabeth Rogers|W|P|Death Cab For Cutie? Ew! Elizabeth Rogers|W|P|Call him at 1-800-968-9474.Vetdem, I am not a fan of the current crop of young rockers. That is all.
Tedski|W|P|206 - Yeah, you got me. I am so jealous that Graf has run a brilliant campaign and I wish that the Giffords campaign was nearly as nimble.
If they were as good as the Graf campaign, just think about it, they'd be somewhere around 37% too!
Tedski
Liza|W|P|I got the phone call from Randy Graf yesterday inviting me to participate in a "conference call." Well, I went for it, of course, but I didn't last long enough to get to ask a question. When I tuned in, Randy was talking to "Hildegard" who sounded like an elderly lady. Hildegard was gushing about how wonderful Randy is, she is a lifelong Republican, she supports him 100%, and she wants to work in his office after he gets elected. Also, Hildegard said that she felt it was her civic duty to get 10 people to vote for Randy and everyone should do this. I couldn't tell if this was live or recorded, but I suspect it was recorded given how pro-Randy it was.
At least this time, he didn't claim any sort of common ground with Emiliano Zapata. I suppose I could give Warden a bit of credit here. A couple of weeks ago, Tan Nguyen, a Republican running against Loretta Sanchez, sent a letter to Hispanic voters alleging that if you are an immigrant it is illegal for you to vote.WARDEN TO ILLEGAL MEXICANS: YOU BETTER NOT VOTE THIS TUESDAY! Tucson Arizona November 04, 2006 Warden, the Notorious Mexican Flag Burner, has warned local illegal aliens: Those who vote this Tuesday are subject to arrest. "We already have cameras in place near Hispanic polling places," says Warden. "Patriotic Americans, who also happen to be Hispanic, have assisted us. [Raúl] Grijalva is going to get fewer votes than he expects. Grijalva has proclaimed: 'Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote.' To which I now add: And the Next Day You Go to Jail!" Warden estimates 15-20% of Hispanic votes are cast by illegal aliens. "With Ann Rodriquez's [sic] help, Hispanic voter fraud has greatly increased in Pima County. And after the election we will subpoena election records and prove it." Warden claims to have face recognition software supplied by Homeland Security. "We're going to take thousands of photos of people entering and exiting polling booths on Tuesday. If they're illegal they can expect a visit from 'La Migra.'" Warden, acquitted on Wednesday on charges relating to burning the Mexican Flag in Armory Park on April 10, 2006, says he's deadly serious. "We will not permit La Raza, Derechos Humanos, and you Aztlan freaks to steal America. And we're not going to let our politicians sell it to you either!" "America is the Stronghold, and Pima County is the frontier. Here in Pima County we Americans will make our stand!"
Be advised that if your residence in the United States is illegal or if you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that can result in incarceration, and possible deportation for voting without the right to do so. [emphasis mine]He just said "immigrant," not non-citizen. Interestingly, the "immigrant" category would include Nguyen himself. At least Warden makes a distinction between legal and illegal immigrants. Of course, he goes on to allege that F. Ann Rodriguez, who near as I can tell has never been active in the immigrant rights movement or even in a politically meaningful Hispanic organization (and whose name Warden can't spell), is behind the number of supposed illegal immigrants on the voter rolls. I guess that because she is Hispanic, Warden concludes that she must be helping illegal immigrants register to vote. Of course, this dosn't make Warden racist, right? I still don't get why people on the right assume that there are all these illegal aliens who are anxious to put their names on government lists. I realize that many of my conservative readers won't like being lumped in with Warden, but I still hear Republican activists and even elected officials still allege that the victories of Grijalva and Janet Napolitano were due to the votes of illegal aliens. This is just plain silly. Heck, we can't get people born here to vote, but folks hiding from la migra are going to? Please. I'm still curious how Warden can tell an illegal alien from any other Hispanic. And, what if the illegal alien isn't Hispanic? Can Warden still tell? Maybe he can read invisible glyphs on people's foreheads like in those Riverworld novels.|W|P|116273554650859756|W|P|I Don't Care What the Court Says, Roy Warden is Still Guilty of Being a Neanderthal|W|P|prezelski@aol.com
AZ Gringo|W|P|The good news is, thanks to evolution, neanderthals eventually die off, just like those ignorant race-baters of another era.Glad to see my cousin Eugene is still holding court down south.
Tedski|W|P|Roy -I think you are getting me confused with another blogger. I think you have me confused with Michael Bryan over at blog for Arizona...he's an attorney and he's got a picture of himself with a flower in his lapel.
I don't know if Michael's mouth is any fatter than mine though.
And by the way...I wasn't arguing for or against anything in the sixties...I was born in January of 1970.
Eli Blake|W|P|It's even worse when it IS tailored to the candidate. I got a message on my answering machine supporting scandal-ridden corrupt congressman of mine Rick Renzi, and he praised Renzi for tenacity, honesty and integrity beyond reproach.That could come back to bite McCain if and when Renzi is indicted and makes national headlines (though of course it still won't be very visible to readers of the Arizona Republic), and if 'Mr. Straight Talk' is running for President at the time he could be very embarrassed by having issued that particular endorsement (though I hope that when it happens, Rick Renzi is an ex-congressman instead of being a congressman.
GPO|W|P|Maybe he just forgot to include the Barry Hess sign. Rex Scott|W|P|I am unsure as to how Mack was perceived in Graham County when he ended his tenure as sheriff. He could cut into Kyl's vote there if he is still held in some esteem. It is also plausible that he has pockets of support in other areas of Southern Arizona as he was once touted as a primary opponent against Kolbe back when he was a Republican.Secondhand Smoke Kills!
Vote Yes on 200
This left me trying to figure out what a voter lottery has to do with second hand smoke. I'll call Mark Osterloh and ask him, he is an MD after all.|W|P|116264694859130799|W|P|But, What If You Spend the Million on Packs of Smokes?|W|P|prezelski@aol.com Zelph|W|P|They'll stop calling it the "Red Star" about the time they stop making constant charges of "liberal media bias". That is to say, never. It's called working the refs.
Former House Speaker Jeff Groscost has died. I didn't agree with the guy on anything, but 45 is way to young to go.|W|P|116261510516823217|W|P|Jeff Groscost|W|P|prezelski@aol.com shrimplate|W|P|Has there ever been an Arizona politician who has cost the taxpayers of the state more on a useless boondoggle than Jeff Groscost?My condolences to his bereaved family, on both his untimely death and the sad legacy he left.