Tuesday, July 29th, 2008...12:57 pm
Some More on Harper
It’s been noted that Jack Harper has had two different stories about what he did that prompted the ethics committee action against him. At first, he said the thing was all a big accident, that he hit the wrong button. But, Harper has stated that he out manuevered Senators Paula Aboud and Ken Cheuvront. He also argues that Aboud and Cheuvront were violating the rules, so anything he did is okay. I ain’t a lawyer, but my advice would be that Harper may want to get his story straight before the ethics committee convenes its hearings on this matter. This may require him to do something very difficult: shutting up. (stories here and here.)
(Note for those of you who choose to believe Harper’s “I hit the wrong button” story: he’s got a pizza franchise to sell you too.)
Anyway, you can check out Harper’s side of the story in this guest opinion that he wrote for the Star. Actually, maybe not, given the bizarre claims he makes, it probably doesn’t help his case. According to the piece, Aboud is responsible for the death of the spring training bill even though it was Harper’s fellow Republicans that pulled the bill to debate gay marriage.
In case you are curious, the ethics committee has only chosen to do an investigation four times since AZSCAM, and didn’t meet much before that either. The last time they did one was in 2006 and the target in that case was, guess who, Jack Harper, who was accused of misusing his subpoena power.
Senate President Tim Bee rejected a request to investigate the incident a few days ago. He lost his enthusiasm for the anti-gay marriage effort (even though he voted for it in the end), and the actions of his folks denied a vote on a bill his buisiness allies were pushing for. However, one has to wonder if his previous fast-and-loose enforcement of Senate rules (always done on behalf of the downtrodden, like cell phone lobbyists) created an environment where this sort of thing is okay.
9 Comments
July 29th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I just read the column…here’s the essence of Harper’s argument: “I know you are, but what am I?”
July 29th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
I did an lolcat in honor of Harper. Hope it worked:
moar funny pictures
July 29th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Okay, try this one: http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2008/7/29/iminurazleg128618613603280549.jpg
July 30th, 2008 at 8:40 am
It will be a pleasure to vote for Robert Boehlke for LD4 State Senate.
Harper needs to go.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:29 am
From Harper’s Clean Elections statement:
“…My opponent is a union appeaser and a liberal. Democratic Party organizations are backing his primary challenge. He missed a third of the meetings for the city council he was elected
to. His current employer emailed me a threat for reducing property taxes and this campaign is a vendetta of his to tax you more…”
Damn dude, want some cheese with that whine?
July 30th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
That Clean Elections Statement from Jack Harper is referring his primary challenger John Zerby, a moderate republican and city councilmember from Wikenburg. In 2006 Bill Whalen another moderate republican challenged Harper in the primary. These moderate, qualified republicans can not get past the primary, which is very frustrating.
July 30th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Cute Donna.
July 30th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Moderate R’s cannot win when there are two of them running against one platform Republican. That is a pretty basic axiom.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
I watched the short hearing on whether to investigate or not. I hope they take it seriously. It seems like this one is likely to end up as a slap on the wrist…when his action was what led to the passage of the hateful Prop 102 to the voters.
Because the chamber is rather close in numbers, a filibuster would have prevented the amendment. Just as the GOP legitimately use it time and time again in the US Senate.
This is a huge huge issue, but I fear it will just fall by the wayside and nothing will happen.