Friday, January 30th, 2009...10:23 am
Three Things That Have Bugged Me This Week
Okay, three things that for reasons unfathomable I have neglected to comment on this week.
Uno – I know that there was some consternation from some of the królewięta after Paul Eckerstrom’s election this week, but some of the rumors I have heard have been downright ridiculous. My favorite is this sequence of contradictory knocks against Eckerstrom: on Saturday and Sunday, the talk was going around that he didn’t have a job. I talked to one elected official who said that someone called her and told her that. By Monday, folks realized that Eckerstrom does, in fact, have a job. Maybe they didn’t realize that he has weekends off or something. So, by Monday, the knock (from some of the same people) was that he has the wrong job and is ineligble to serve. Eckerstrom works for the Pima County Legal Defenders office, and is not barred from outside political activity. Last year’s drama between one local right wing talk show host and Isabel García tought us all that.
Dwa – Emily DeRose is leaving the State Democratic Party. She wanted to make it clear to me that she had accepted an offer from the Democratic Governors Association before Saturday’s election. I was supposed to keep this quiet for a bit, but the melindrosos at Sonoran Alliance broke the news on Tuesday. They complained about what they thought was an insulting and whiny tone in her press releases by writing an insulting and whiny post. Go figure. My favorite claim on their part was their claim that moderate Democrats were embarassed by her press releases. Which leads me to wonder what moderate Democrats they talk to, heck, they brag that they don’t even talk to moderate Republicans.
Waik – I heard Rene Gutel’s story the other day about the students protesting at the capitol and heard comments from John Huppenthal. He said “I wasn’t looking forward to being relected because I fully anticipated this environment.” Oh, come on. Huppenthal wasn’t looking forward to being reelected because he is planning a run for statewide office, not because he is falling on his sword to “do what is right.” Stop with the Profiles in Courage posing, Senator.
8 Comments
January 30th, 2009 at 10:44 am
It looks like Paul E. is in for a bit of a rough time. I don’t know who is dishing out the rumors and the insults, but it looks like they’re beginning to fly. I was there at the party reorganization. Paul was elected by 80 something votes out of 500 something voters — a strong majority. When he spoke, I heard applause and cheers from lots of delegations outside of Pima. I even imagine there were some disillusioned Maricopa folks who were looking for more dynamic leadership and voted for him. I think it would be wonderful if some of the state heavy hitters got behind Paul and asked how they can help keep the donations flowing while moving the party into a more Dean/Obama style of governance and politics.
As for Emily, she’ll be greatly missed. I hope whoever replaces her reads her work over the past year and takes careful notes.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Yeah Mr. Huppenthal DIDN’T want to get re-elected so badly that he assaulted an elderly woman who tried to stop him from removing an opponents sign from a polling place.
I would hate to see what he would do if he really wanted something!
January 30th, 2009 at 11:19 am
I took Huppenthal’s comments differently…I thought he was saying “I’m not looking forward to my next re-election.” I guess what Michele says is even worse, since it is obvious that he wanted to get re-elected. “Oh, please, don’t vote for me!” Come the heck on.
January 30th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Can I add another “thing” to your list, Ted? I am not sure what language you are using, so I will use my favorite second language:
Cuatro – The Arizona Legislature passing a budget that guts K-12 education funding, the universities, ACCCHS and other social services under the cover of night and behind closed doors.
I read that the (ahem) Governor wants it on her desk to sign before she leaves for the Super Bowl. Of course, we wouldn’t want her leaving for Tampa without taking immunizations away from kids or doubling university tuition.
Also – a note on the “rumors” out there about Paul Eckerstrom. I have known Paul for many years and got a chance to work with him a great deal when he was Pima County Chair and I was at the Party, and then later we worked together on the IEC that helped elect Karin Uhlich and Nina Trasoff. I think he is a bright, hard-working guy with a good political instinct. It’s time for all of us to come together to support him so we can get to the task of countering the Brewer Admin and the GOP Legislature and winning elections in 2010 – isn’t that what we are here for?
January 30th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Hear, hear.
January 30th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
To answer Michelle’s question: Spanish, Polish, O’odham (in case Ruben Guerrero was reading).
January 30th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Did Huppenthal succeed in claiming legislative immunity to avoid being prosecuted on the sign stealing charges?
February 1st, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I will miss Emily too. But I’m glad to see her moving up, she’s smart, talented and witty.
As far as Eckerstrom, as you know I went against a guy who I had a lot of respect for in order to vote for Eckerstrom based on his saying exactly what I’ve thought for some time about the need for stronger and more direct messaging.
That said, the election is over. Voters have now seen up front exactly what the GOP is about (and I’ve even heard some Republicans in my deep, deep red precinct grumbling about budget cuts to education) and in this environment we need to articulate a viable alternative. If we can, I think we can win.