Rum, Romanism and Rebellion

If that’s the way he treats his friends, what chance do the rest of us have?

My poor brother had to suffer from too many minutes sitting next to Russell Pearce today. Don’t worry, he was given some pills and he will be okay.
For those that missed it, he debated Rep. Pearce today’s Lou Dobbs Tonight on the issue of the National Guard on the border. It will be repeated a […]

In a move that blindsided even a self-appointed (self-styled? self-delusional?) political expert like me, Tim Sultan, who ran in the 2002 CD 8 primary, endorsed Patty Weiss today.
Sultan was an intern for Dennis DeConcini, and worked on the staff of Nancy Pelosi and a short stint with Janet Napolitano.
The move suprised me, because I have […]

Earlier this week, Pima County Democratic Party Chairman Paul Eckerstrom announced that he is leaving his office at the end of the month.
Geez, Paul, you could have called me so I could have a scoop. Thanks, man.
I first met Eckerstrom when I was in college, when he and Ramón Valadez approached the University Democrats […]

A new Rasmussen poll shows Janet Napolitano ahead of her opponents by ridiculous margins. Is there anything like a mercy rule in politics?
Don Goldwater (still no supporters!) seems to do the best of the bunch, he only gets whupped 54% - 23%. Other candidates tested were John Greene (54% - 27%) and Jan Smith-Florez (55% […]

I can already tell I’m going to get flamed for this.
Senator Ron Gould walked out of an interview with Phoenix station KNXV after the reporter questioned his flying of the Confederate battle flag at his home in Lake Havasu City.
Gould gave the tired excuse that the flag is only being flown for historical reasons. The […]

I was forwarded an e-mailed “Media Advisory” from Republican Candidate for Governor Gary Tupper. At first, the e-mail sounded like another gripe from a minor candidate who thinks that somehow if he would just get more coverage, the people would see that he is the only man truly qualified and elect him Governor, Kaiser, maybe […]

Wednesday’s Lou Dobbs Tonight will feature a bit about Governor Napolitano’s plans for using the Arizona National Guard on the border. The piece will include an interview with some long haired freak legislator that I met once.
The show will be broadcast at 4:00 PM Arizona time on CNN.
UPDATE: The producers have changed the broadcast to […]

Once again, John McCain has shown the bad side of himself and the national media is shocked, shocked, that he can be so vindictive.
Senator Barack Obama committed a horrible faux pas: he wrote a courteous letter to Senator McCain, saying that he had some differences with him. McCain then responded with a snide (and public) […]

There have been some recent developments in the story of SEIU attempting to get official status with Pima County employees that could spell some real danger for other unions in this state.
SEIU recently presented 1,800 signatures from county employees that want to be represented by the union. The process seemed to be moving along so […]

I don’t pay any attention to polls, but I’d like to point out that we are doing very well in those polls.
- Pres. George H. W. Bush
A couple of weeks back, I published an entry where I was trying to be overly clever. I wasn’t sure how much more obvious I could have made the […]

Hey, any of you have any idea of the reaction of the Governor’s staff to the cover of the Weekly? I think it’s kind of cool, but people get sensitive at times.
I know there are a few people up on the ninth floor reading this, so y’all can chime in.
When Raúl Grijalva ran for re-election, […]

Israel Torres, Arizona’s Registrar of Contractors, is set to announce his candidacy for Secretary of State next Thursday.
I don’t know much about this guy, but he’s gotten plaudits from the press for restructuring his agency and making it relevant. He has already been laying the ground work for his candidacy, having a meeting two weeks […]

I was inadvertently steered to this story by Espresso Pundit, who really only was interested in it because it also included an item taking a shot at Chip Scutari. He looks like Richard Hatch! Does that mean Robbie Sherwood looks like Dirk Benedict?
Anyhow, I found the rest of the column more interesting. Apparently, Republican Chairman […]

Slim claimed when I last wrote about David Burnell Smith that he no longer wanted me to write about him. Yes, Slim, but you read the entry and responded to it. This must mean you were interested. Otherwise, you would have just scrolled through it looking for your name the way my brother does.
Besides, you […]

Some Republican leaders are now claiming that Gov. Napolitano’s line item veto of some items in a pay raise bill for state employees is unconstitutional. They are hoping to mount a legal challenge, but I have my doubts about whether or not it will be successful, given that shakier line item vetoes have been upheld […]

I’ve resisted writing anything about this, mostly because it is a story I am having trouble following. I have trouble following it mostly because I am usually uninterested in intramural disputes between Maricopa County Republicans. Let ‘em kick each other, I say.
Back in 2004, the Republican primary for State House in District 20 (Ahwatukee, Western […]

Eva Bacal has dropped out of the CD 8 race and has thrown her support to Gabrielle Giffords. I guess the frequent complaints about her not updating her website are moot.
Many of Bacal’s supporters from her last campaign were already on board with Giffords, but it can’t hurt to have her support.
This still leaves the […]

Samuel Pearson “Sam” Goddard, Jr., who served one two year term as Governor in the 1960’s died this morning at the age of 86.
Goddard was an important figure in our state’s politics, and not just because of his long tenure as chairman of the state Democratic party. In his single term as governor, he brought […]

I talked to a guy the other day that claims to be a regular reader of this blog, and he asked me a question that led me to ask him, “Didn’t you read that on my blog?”
“Well, I only read if you are talking about CD 8…”
Sheesh…
Okay…I suppose I must pander to you people. No […]