Saturday, December 2nd, 2006...10:23 am
Here is the Funny Part
A Howard Fischer story made the rounds last week about Sen. Karen Johnson and her latest claims of, I think, a Canadian invasion. Many of us had a chuckle about it, including her assertion that she had meetings with Jeff Flake and Rick Renzi about the issue, an assertion not yet confirmed by either office.
Here is what should really send up alarm bells, from Fischer’s article:
Johnson, who will head the Senate Education Committee this coming session…
Yes, that’s right, despite some folks reading the reticence of Flake and Renzi as some sort of “shunning” by Republican leaders, apparently, the ones in the legislature think enough of her that she should head up the education committee. This would have to mean that Tim Bee, who was supported by the AEA with more enthusiasm than was given to some Democrats, thought this woman (and this sort of statement isn’t new for Johnson) should be shepherding school policy through the legislature.
Karen Johnson appeared in an unaired Randy Graf ad this cycle with Rep. Russell Pearce, who will again chair the Appropriations committee. In addition, Sen. Ron Gould will chair Transportation. This begs the question: just loopy and intollerant does one have to be before people say, “hey, wait a sec?” Do they have to actually bring the gas to a cross-burning? Hand out copies of the Turner Diaries? Dress like Mussolini?
8 Comments
December 2nd, 2006 at 11:35 am
Tedski,
Love the blog. Could you elaborate on one strand from this Karen Johnson piece:
This would have to mean that Tim Bee, who was supported by the AEA with more enthusiasm than was given to some Democrats, thought this woman (and this sort of statement isn’t new for Johnson) should be shepherding school policy through the legislature.
I’m in Phoenix, so I miss out on a lot of what happens down in the Dem-friendly Tucson area. Who in particular did AEA not support that you feel they should have (if I am reading your inference correctly)?
Are you aiming at Tim Bee, AEA, or both?
December 2nd, 2006 at 2:32 pm
I thought Johnson already dressed like Mussolini.
December 2nd, 2006 at 6:31 pm
TimBee has long been a supporter of Education and has had the support of the AEA for a long time. I can’t recall what Tim does for a living, but
His father was the printshop teacher @ Palo verde HS for ages.
Their enthusiasm for him this cycle is they liked the idea of a pro education republican in charge of the Senate.
I do wonder about this chice to head the education committee…
December 2nd, 2006 at 10:07 pm
I am VERY progressive and I lobbied at the AZ Capitol and Karen was one of the most pleasant, honorable Representatives I have ever worked with. Yes, I disagree with her on most things - in particular gay issues - but she always kept her word come hell or high water, you knew where she stood, and she wasn’t in the pocket of corporate lobbyists. In fact, she is always endorsed by the trial lawyers, is against the trade deals (though not a state issue), and most importantly, is vehemently for election reform with paper trails. She’s been on Air America about it.
She is for pay raises for state employees and voted for it. Also, she was always pro-law enforcement union when I lobbied her. She carried and passed several bills for us. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how she does. It is no accident she is often attacked by the corporate wing of her party.
She was always a pleasure to work with, and though I am gay, she never treated me any different personally (contrary to some supposedly more moderate Republicans there). Though, obviously, her gay stance is absolutely repellant, immoral, disgusting, and loathesome. But it’s based on her belief system, which is better than some Republicans who base it on their disgust with homosexual sex.
Full disclosure: I no longer lobby for unions at the Capitol. I now do the same thing in Massachusetts.
December 3rd, 2006 at 1:04 am
I read this past year that Vicente Fox had proposed to Bush several years ago that the FREE FLOW OF LABOR be allowed, along with the FREE FLOW OF GOODS, across the U.S./Mexico border.
Obviously there are a lot of businesses benefitting from the free flow of labor–Why else would we have employer sanctions on the books for 20 years which are not enforced???
Also, it is my impression that with some trade agreements, local environmental and other local requirements/laws can be usurped, so to speak.
December 3rd, 2006 at 8:57 am
I have no idea why Tim Bee is making the decisions that he is with regard to committees. Could it be seniority?
However, one ancillary benefit to placing hardcore conservatives into positions of powers is this:
Mr. Bee is considered a top flight possible challenger to Giffords in 2008. While he does come across moderate on many issues like education, he will still have to appeal to the hard core conservatives that make up the active base of the Republican primary in S. Arizona.
We all see what the impact of that base can be and how they can strike out against anyone who does not share their conservative credentials in a primary.
December 3rd, 2006 at 9:22 pm
The Republican primary this year seemed to me like a bad joke. I am not a Republican but couldn’t make any sense of where the candidates were on the issues, ith the exception of making the immigration problem terribly volatile. 2008 will not be a repeat, believe me.
I believe Gabby will do a good job - personally, I hope she champions causes that benefit people such as passing a minimum wage, lowering student tuition, affordable health care (although I prefer universal health care) - reforms for the credit card industry - aligning herself with the concerns and needs of people who work for a living in an often hostile world. She received massive endorsement from union groups and this makes me feel she is and will be responsive to the needs of everywoman and everyman. This will certainly strengthen her position in 2008.
March 25th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
[...] an issue for her for sometime. Last year, she apparently accosted Jeff Flake and Rick Renzi and claimed that they supported her position. According to Phyliss Schlafly’s newsletter (a “non-partisan” source according to [...]