Sunday, April 2nd, 2006...9:03 am
Musical Chairs at the Capitol
Sen. Harry Mitchell’s stepping down from his State Senate seat didn’t just create a vacancy in his Senate seat, but it also created a vacancy in the Democratic party leadership.
Sen. Richard Miranda has moved into Mitchell’s old seat as Assistant Minority Leader, and Sen. Jorge Luis Garcia has moved into Miranda’s old seat as Minority Whip.
In a weird development, one legislator claimed that there were too many Hispanics in the Democratic leadership. Who was that? Was is Ron Gould? Russell Pearce? No, it was Democratic Senator Ken Cheuvront.
Cheuvront was making a case for his bid to be in the Democratic leadership, but making this the rationale for his candidacy was, to say the least, the exact wrong way to do it. Not only does is it smack of racial insensitivity, but it wasn’t good political judgement either. Out of the twelve Democratic Senators, seven are Hispanic. One important skill for party leaders is the ability to count.
Of course, saying there are too many Hispanics around seems to be a good way to advance in some other political parties I can think of.
8 Comments
April 2nd, 2006 at 9:27 am
Let’s remember that this is the same Ken Cheuvront who did not stand with the rest of his caucus when Steve Huffman tried to do away with school desegregation funding. The effects of that disastrous proposal would have been borne primarily by schools with high proportions of Hispanic students.
By the way, although some districts have not consistently used these funds in the spirit intended, the fact is that this matter has to be addressed by local districts because the state refused to take on the task when federal court orders came down in the ’70’s. Cheuvront and Huffman had no answer to how the lost funds would be replaced if their wrong-headed proposal had not been derailed by MOST Democrats and a few brave Republicans.
None of the above is meant to imply intolerance on the part of Senator Cheuvront, but there does seem to be a tendency on his part to speak or act impulsively.
April 2nd, 2006 at 9:58 am
Wow…a nice issue for the “moderate” Huffman to defend if he is the party’s nominee in the fall. Although, I think…with the Republican base angrier about immigration and the Munsil candidacy…that he has little to no chance of beating Graf in the primary.
April 2nd, 2006 at 10:11 am
On the subject of the GOP CD8 race, here is a list of Mike Hellon’s supporters pasted from his website:
Campaign Chairman
Hon. Ray Carroll
Advisory Committee
Hon. Carolyn Allen
Hon. Mike Boyd
Hon. Ray Carroll
Hon. Robert Donfeld
Hon. Kathleen Dunbar
Hon. Norman Fenton
Hon. Toni Hellon
Hon. Freddy Hershberger
Hon. Chris Herstam
Hon. Jane Dee Hull
Hon. Patti Noland
Hon. Lou Ann Preble
Hon. Helen Purcell
Hon. Jim Waring
Anyone still think the Huffman forces will talk HIM into dropping out? Looking at this list, one wonders which “moderates” are left to back Huffman.
April 2nd, 2006 at 4:02 pm
Rex,
There are plenty of moderate endorsements to go around on the Republican side. Just an example, Huffman has Mayor Walkup, Rep. Hershberger and Jim Click. This is just a sample. I am not sure if there are enough moderate GOP voters for either Hellon or Huffman to win.
April 2nd, 2006 at 5:59 pm
Holy smokes Rex! That was a fantastic follow up post. Bully for you! I had heard that there was a movement to get Hellon out by some of the big money Republicans, but hell, what you just showed me tells me that they are going to have to “buy him out” if they are going to get Hellon out of the race.
And to boot…Hellon is a Vietnam War Veteran…
Anyhow, I stand by my prediction…and it is an easy one…that Graf will win this one hands down. I think even if Huffman and Hellon did not split the vote, Graf is going to benefit from the Immigration issue and the Munsil candidacy at the top of the primary ballott.
April 3rd, 2006 at 7:13 am
If Graf wins, then say hello to Rep. Giffords or Weiss next fall.
Graf can’t hold the district for the GOP, so instead of arguing over whether Huffman or Hellon are conservative enough, Republicans should start realizing that they will lose the seat.
Even a pseudo-Democrat (former Republican) like Giffords will be voting in the Democratic caucus.
April 3rd, 2006 at 4:28 pm
I don’t know how anyone could refer to Gabby as a pseudo-democrat with a liftime 100% voting record with the Arizona AFL-CIO, a 100% voting record with the Arizona League of Conservation Voters, and a 100% Voting Record with Planned Parenthood. Gabby is not only a Democrat, but she’s the best kind, one that votes the right way and inspires others to do the same.
April 6th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
The Best Kind of Democrat:
Supports Universal Healthcare
Supports Fair Trade, not Free Trade
Supports and pays for public education
Supports the Bill of Rights
Is a Peacemaker
Supports Progressive Taxation
Gives to the Poor
Distrusts the Military Industrial Complex
Discloses all investments and ethical compromises
Believes in Transparency
Distrusts corporations and big business
Believes the environment is more important than cars and cheap imports
Will fight for the disadvantage
Hates war, racism and torture
The Best Kind of Republican:
Supports the above