Ah, the payday lenders are at it again. Last year, y’all remember that despite a well-financed campaign, their attempt to change the laws to keep their doors open failed at the ballot box 41-59. Now, they have brought on Doug Cole, Chuck Coughlin and Grant Woodson board to lobby the [...]
Maricopa County Justice of the Peace C. Steven McMurry when ruling on attorney’s fees for five activists who were acquitted weeks ago of disturbing the peace charges on one defendant’s assertion that Joe Arpaio’s deputy was “fascist:”
Moreover, it is important to note the message being telegraphed by Deputy Acritelli by [...]
John McCain took to the floor yesterday to take on the health care plan. He has proposed an amendment to get rid of changes to Medicare designed to save money, changes he says amount to cuts. Okay, he can argue that, ‘cept…well…this is from the Wall Street Journal last October [...]
I heard some sad news about someone that many of us that were active in the Young Democrats may have known: Eli Senna. Senna was a major force in the Young Democrats of New Mexico that I first met during my time as regional director in [...]
Busy week, what with Double-Plus-Extra-Special Session ending with a bit of a whimper. So, after the jump is my summary of items I didn’t quite get to last week:
Conservative blog Sonoran Weekly Review has a bit blasting Tom Boone for what are, at least, serious conflicts of interest in [...]
I attended an informal memorial for Enrique Pérez Gómez, a community activist who passed away last week. I have to admit that I didn’t know him that well, only to say hello when I’d see him in the room. I was invited to attend, and [...]
So here it is, and it must be seen to be believed.
I’m struck by the anger and bluster over a totally made up list of factoids. Sums up my trouble with the conversation on the right these days. Add to that the needless slap at folks of a different sexual [...]
So, which bleeding heart, fiscally irresponsible Democratic legislator said this?
…a fatally flawed legislative budget. The legislative budget ignores my consistently expressed goals and instead incorporates devastating cuts to education, public safety, and our state’s most vital health services for the frail. In particular, this package of bills is shortsighted, in [...]
One note I need to make, however. I contacted Raúl Grijalva aide Natalie Luna and she confirmed that Grijalva does not drive a Buick LaSabre but a Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid.
[...]
I normally don’t write about legislative candidates in the Phoenix area, but what the heck?
Ruben Gallego is is finishing off the last of his case files for Councilman Michael Nowakowski’s office and will make a run for the State House in Distict 16. Gallego is part [...]
We are already talking about another special session. I have a question: how many of these do we have to have before they are no longer, well, special?
[...]Ray Barnes made a doozy of a speech this afternoon. I don’t think I have ever seen that much rank ignorance being demonstrated before a public body. It made me embarassed to be an Arizonan. As soon as the session is archived, I’ll be posting it.
[...]Well, it passed. Thayer Verschoor, who was so steadfastly against the budget bill that he didn’t show up, gave an apology to the Senate for all the trouble he caused and voted for the bill. One railbird texted me to tell me that he thought that Bob Burns used the [...]
The Senators are back in session…and already they pulled a funny. This was from the very first point of personal privlege today from Ron Gould:
$195,000 would buy a lot of toilet paper.
[...]
The Senate was supposed to convene at 10 AM, but no dice. Marszałek Senatu Bob Burns brokered a deal with Jorge García and Albert Hale which would have allowed schools on reservations to use impact aid for things like exces utilities. There is a sound policy [...]
David Safier over at Blog for Arizona found out that a website called My Gay Phoenix was lifting his posts in their entirety with nary a link back to his blog. He did some digging and found out that it is par for the course for the guy running [...]
Now you know why these are called “Special Sessions.” Like a very special episode of, say, Family Ties, this one is “to be continued.” To be continued today, as a matter of fact.
No word yet if the Governor has a plan to leave the state before things commence at ten [...]
Some sights and sounds from the Democratic Party meeting in Kingman yesterday:
Ed Espinoza from the Democratic National Committee came to address the group. I know Espinoza from his time as President of the Young Democrats of California, and some readers may remember him from his Mr. Super blog, where he [...]We here at R-Cubed are deeply, deeply sorry for mischaracterizing Jan Brewer’s actions during our very special session. She may have missed out on the entirety of the meetings this week due to her crucially necessary presence at the Republican Governors Association meeting, but she showed us the sort of [...]
Marszałek Senatu Bob Burns is angry with Senador Thayer Verschoor, who didn’t show up for Thursday’s extra special session. Burns was so angry with Verschoor that he…tweeted!
Pique is best when done in 140 character segments, I always say.
The funny part about this is that Verschoor was [...]
From Rasmussen:
Senator John McCain’s future in the U.S. Senate may be a little less assured than previously thought.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely 2010 Republican Primary voters in Arizona finds the longtime incumbent in a virtual tie with potential challenger J.D. Hayworth. McCain [...]
The folks at the Yellow Sheet decided to take on the Democratic Party for, it seems, a press release that the party sent a year and a half ago.
You may recall that during the heady days of the 2008 campaign, Tim Bee brought George W. Bush to Tucson for a [...]
Sarah Palin has been making the rounds (and no, I haven’t read the book) and one of the things that inevitably comes up is Katie Couric and her “gotcha questions.” It would be helpful to remember that one of these “gotcha” questions was about what newspapers she read. This wouldn’t [...]
All Things Considered had a bit about Carl Hayden last night featuring Jack August. This was obviously because they saw my post about Hayden yesterday morning and knew they had to catch up with me. The piece is up on their website.
August made one error (admittedly a big [...]
At the suggestion of one dedicated reader, I sifted through Shaun McCluskey’s last campaign finance report. He sent in an amended one due to a last minute infusion of cash and his last minute spending on hit pieces on Richard Fimbres.
It’s no big surprise: various members of Jim Click’s family [...]
Quick, who was the longest serving member of Congress? Well, up until this week, you could have proudly mentioned Carl Trumbull Hayden of Tempe. As of this week, however, the good Senator Hayden has lost that distinction to Robert Byrd of West Virginia.
Hayden served a term [...]
Meg Burton-Cahill announced last night that she will be stepping down from the Senate at the end of this term. Burton-Cahill has been a tireless advocate for programs for the neediest of this state. When I was sitting in the gallery for Sine Die, her remarks [...]
Sonoran Alliance had a reply to my post on Vic Williams the other day. I particularly enjoyed their citation of David Safier:
It what is best described as a case of wishful thinking, both Tedski over at Rum, Romanism and Rebellion, and David Safier at My Gay Arizona…are playing up [...]
There is an article in this morning’s Roll Call entitled “Grijalva: Enforcer for House Progressives.” Money paragraph:
An earthy, rumpled former social worker and community activist from Tucson who didn’t get a college degree until he was 39, Grijalva seems better suited to talk to House [...]
David Safier, who reads the Northwest Explorer so I don’t have to, linked this article by Emil Franzi over at Blog for Arizona. As expected from a Franzi column, you get your typical “why won’t these ignorant people listen to me?” plus a gratuitous sexist [...]
Bruce King, who served as Governor of the State of New Mexico for three non-consecutive terms, has passed away at the age of 85. His gentle, cowboy manner and frequent malaprops (”A whole box of Pandoras…”) belied a sharp mind and sterling political skills. [...]
I recieved an e-mail today from Sam Wercinski’s campaign touting four endorsements: Corporation Commissioner Sandra Kennedy, Pima County Supervisor Richard Elías, Yuma County Supervisor Lenore Loroña Stuart and Flagstaff Vice-Mayor Al White. I wrote back to the campaign asking about other elected officials who have endorsed [...]
Russell Pearce and Andy Tobin are saying that the state of Arizona does not need to follow the federal “MOE” requirements to get stimulus money. MOE is not a jam band or a member of the Three Stooges but is an acronym for Maintenence of Effort. It’s a fancy way [...]
It’s been official for a few days, and it looks like Steve Kozachik is already putting a staff together for his council office. I’m curious about what he is going to be able to accomplish.
First off, he needs three other votes. On paper, this would be [...]
A question fresh from the rumor mill: is Vic Williams contemplating a primary run against Al Melvin?
The talk is that Williams has been meeting with educators, possibly to mount a run against Melvin. The story goes that he would present himself as a moderate alternative to [...]
On this Veterans Day, the R-Cubed community offers Captain Al Melvin our thoughts and prayers as he battles non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
Melvin told the Yellow Sheet earlier this week that he is “firing on all cylinders.”
[...](It is worth knowing that O’Reilly, even when he is right, still shows himself to be an idiot. How does Shadegg become si-DAYG?)
The Arizona Democratic Party put out a press release refuting Shadegg’s claims about the bill. I half expected the Arizona Republicans to put out a press release condemning [...]
La Cervecera on Terry Goddard, as quoted in the Arizona Daily Star:
It’s easy to be a Saturday night quarterback.
I realize I spend my sports-watching hours following the other kind of football, but isn’t the phrase “Monday Morning Quarterback”? I mean, teams play on Saturday nights, right?
[...]Actual Twitter from George Hutchins, a candidate for congress in North Carolina. The capitalization is his. All his.
GOTTA SIGN OFF THE TWITTER AND PUT IN MY NIGHTLY 6 HOURS OF FOX NEWS. SUPPORT FOX NEWS!! (ANYWAY I CAN PUT THAT IN BOLD OR FLASHING?)
He also, by the way, blames [...]
Press release from the Jackie Thrasher campaign:
Phoenix - Administrative Law Judge Thomas Shedden has ruled that Representative Doug Quelland (R-10) should be removed from office.
Citing Quelland’s testimony as defying reason that the work done by Larry Davis and his firm, Intermedia Public Relations, was for Quelland’s now defunct coffee shop.
“The [...]
St. Michaels Representative Christopher Deschene pulled papers last week for an exploratory committee to run for Secretary of State. I’ve been told to look for a more official announcement later this week.
Deschene has an incredible story: his family returned to the Navajo reservation when he was [...]
Both I and Jim Nintzel had our little rants on the Star’s editorial last week that condemned those citizens that dared organize a Facebook group to express their feelings about the direction of Downtown development.
I had a thought: let’s think back to the late 1960’s when “urban renewal” [...]
Come on, really? One of the most important legislative debates of the last decade, and the man resorts to baby talk. Way to represent your constituents, congressman.
In a further embarrassment, Shadegg had bragged earlier this week that he’d kill the anti-abortion Stupak Amendment (one that irritated most Democrats but gave [...]
Steny Hoyer’s office has made available this handy-dandy internet gizmo that will answer some questions about the what effect the health care bill (called the Affordable Health Care for America Act, HR3962) will have on you. All indications are that the bill will come to a vote tomorrow.
There is [...]
A certain Samuel Pearson Goddard III, also known by the alias “Terry,” has filed an exploratory run for governor. The web page for his explorations is up too.
Since everyone knew this would happen, it is my job to make this interesting by harping on some [...]
Several Republican members, including our own Trent Franks, skipped out on a House Judiciary Committee meeting yesterday to attend the “Superbowl of Freedom!” This meant that several Republican amendments to strengthen the PATRIOT act failed. TPM has the details.
Heck, I was not all that enthused [...]
In an editorial this morning, the Star takes issue with a new Facebook group, “Boycott Stiteler & Kwang C. An in Downtown Tucson.” They allege that criticism of downtown re-development will send investors elsewhere.
Point taken. Does the rule that no one can criticize downtown re-development apply to their own [...]
Henry Fountain Ashurst’s “cold clammy hand of consistency” at it again, to wit:
Barack Obama is fully responsible for an economic downturn that started before he was president, and bank bailouts that happened under the previous administration and supported by his opponent in last year’s election [...]
