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Author Topic: What the fuck, Arizona?  (Read 52945 times)

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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #280 on: November 02, 2011, 07:09:32 AM »

So, okay.

Some years back Arizona passed a referendum appointing an independent commission to be in charge of drawing district lines, instead of letting the legislature do it.

Well, the legislature (and governor) don't like how the independent commission has drawn the district lines, so they've just voted to fire the head of the commission.

Now, given that I try hard not to fall into partisan traps, I have to ask myself if I'd be pissed if the shoe were on the other foot and a Democratic legislature fired an independent commissioner for redrawing district lines to decrease the Democrats' power.  And I'm pretty sure I would.

Now, there ARE some weird-looking districts there.  But Pacobird's made the point before that gerrymandering can serve a positive purpose: it can protect a minority population from tyranny of the majority.

And of course that's the entire reason we voted in an independent commission in the first damn place: so a two-thirds Republican legislature can't entrench itself.  (Even if that's pretty close to the demographics in the state -- one-third Republican, one-third Democrat, and one-third Independents who tend to vote Republican.)

Anyhow, once again Brewer's in it to thwart the will of the public as expressed in ballot initiatives.  Rather like how she's had the opening of medical marijuana dispensaries indefinitely postponed (though granted she had help from the Obama Administration on that one).
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Pacobird

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #281 on: November 02, 2011, 10:39:26 AM »

For a while there, the independent commission on redistricting was one of the very few things I could point to in Arizona state government that they got right, outside of the generally-pretty-great things they've done for groundwater preservation.  Of course, it isn't really a politically independent body at all if it can be removed by a politically elected legislature.
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #282 on: November 02, 2011, 10:46:53 AM »

I tend to think checks and balances are a good thing, and it's a good idea to be able to hit the brakes in extreme situations.

Unfortunately, as in the Bush Administration, the extreme situation in this case is "two branches of government are controlled by crazy people."

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #283 on: November 03, 2011, 10:44:00 AM »

The Pearce recall election is Tuesday.

Lemons is optimistic.  Again, that's his job, but he makes some good points: he describes a recent Pearce rally as tiny, made up of the same people he's seen at other rallies, half of whom aren't even from Pearce's district, and even Arpaio making the point that it's people in LD18 they need to convince.

And, in a twist straight out of a Dick Dastardly cartoon, if Pearce DOES wind up losing it's going to be because he fought dirty.
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #284 on: November 03, 2011, 11:48:47 AM »

I tend to think checks and balances are a good thing, and it's a good idea to be able to hit the brakes in extreme situations.

Unfortunately, as in the Bush Administration, the extreme situation in this case is "two branches of government are controlled by crazy people."

And the people who wrote the law agree!
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #285 on: November 04, 2011, 01:23:34 PM »

Lewis is beating Pearce in the latest polls, albeit within the margin of error.  Close race, anyway, which bodes well.

I'm beginning to feel a bit of cautious optimism.  And as noted before, even if Pearce wins, he'd better be ready for a deposition.
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #286 on: November 07, 2011, 12:28:07 PM »

New Pearce robocall tries to convince Democrats/Latinos to vote for a write-in candidate instead of Lewis.

Meanwhile, we're starting to see stories of early voters who cast for Cortes before finding out she was a sham.

Again, even if Pearce manages to win this, he's looking at some rough times.



EDIT TO ADD: For the most of you who haven't been following this beyond what I've been saying, the Arizona Republic (our state paper and generally center-right) has a nice concise rundown of how we got here.
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #287 on: November 09, 2011, 05:34:18 AM »

Queen - 'Another One Bites the Dust'

Here's the headline I wanna see in newspapers across the country: "Immigration bill architect recalled in historic election."

If it were up to me, it would be followed by a picture of Pearce looking shifty, captioned "Clean out your desk, you racist fuck."

Oh, Mesa, I take back most of the bad things I said about you.

This is a big deal.  A big, big deal.

It's not over, of course -- SB1070's still working through the courts, and we've still got a governor and legislature doing their best to thwart multiple voter referenda.  And Sheriff Joe still sits atop his dark throne in Barad-Dur.

But the good guys are starting to win.

Mesa gets all the credit here; this was a local election and it was a true grassroots campaign.  But it's a good day for Arizona -- and dammit, for America.
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #288 on: November 09, 2011, 05:52:39 AM »

(ALSO: I just realized that Arizona government now has a Dean Martin AND a Jerry Lewis.)



(And also a Paul Newman.)
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Büge

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #289 on: November 09, 2011, 06:00:33 AM »

Dinner and a show, people.
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #290 on: November 11, 2011, 06:58:50 AM »

So our new Senate President is...a guy named Pierce.

It bears repeating that our last three governors have been named Jane, Janet, and Jan.
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #291 on: November 11, 2011, 07:25:13 AM »

Oh snap, more good news.  Remember that whole thing where the New Times' publishers got arrested by Arpaio's goons? Still in court, and immunity for Arpaio and Thomas is still up in the air.
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Cthulhu-chan

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #292 on: November 11, 2011, 07:36:47 AM »

Nice, hope they manage to get that one to stick.
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McDohl

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #293 on: November 11, 2011, 06:35:44 PM »

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/10/politics/gop-candidates-arpaio/index.html

Republican presidential candidates court Sheriff Joe.

Wow.  Pandering to the base.  God, the Republican field knows how to make me vomit that special way.
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #294 on: November 14, 2011, 07:10:30 AM »

Yeah, a few weeks ago Cain did a photo-op with Arpaio (the one that got all the play for the "It COULD be electric!  I'm not walking away from that!" comment) and Bachmann did one with Pearce.  :whoops:
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #295 on: November 14, 2011, 10:51:00 AM »

More from Lemons (who wasn't around to cover election night as he was in the hospital getting a gallstone removed, in one of the best metaphors ever).  He notes that the margin for Lewis's win has widened to double digits -- even McCain only beat Obama in Arizona by 9%.  It is now fair to say that Pearce was a SERIOUSLY unpopular guy.

He also suggests that Pierce-with-an-I is from the moderate wing of the party.  Again, I think he may be a little too optimistic, but he points out that Pierce DID help scuttle Pearce's "let's ignore the Fourteenth Amendment" nonsense, which was really the beginning of the end.  (OTOH, Pierce-with-an-I DID support the damn birther bill, as Lemons also notes.)
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #296 on: November 15, 2011, 11:02:06 AM »

Good news: Lewis sees his election for what it is, and before he even takes office he's pushing for adoption of principles similar to the Utah Compact:

Quote
The compact -- endorsed by numerous political, business and religious leaders in Utah -- says the nation must find ways other than strict enforcement to deal with people who are here illegally but working productively.

It states that immigration is a federal problem requiring federal solutions, says local police should focus on serious crime rather than civil immigration violations, encourages policies that keep families together, recognizes immigrants' contributions to the economy and says immigration policy must be based on the principles of a free society.

He's got his work cut out for him, but I'm impressed.

Bears repeating that the Mormon Church is a big part of this conversation; it's working hard to improve its image, and a compassionate stance on immigration is part of that.  Mesa is a heavily Mormon city, and Pearce and Lewis are both LDS.
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Pacobird

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #297 on: November 16, 2011, 06:57:59 PM »

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Classic

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #298 on: November 16, 2011, 08:59:07 PM »

GOD DAMMIT PACO!
There's nothing in that post that gives even the mildest hint as to where the fuck the link goes.

HERE IS THE HEADLINE:
American stranded in Ukraine in online dating scam:
Former write-in candidate for Arizona governor found ill on streets
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Thad

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Re: What the fuck, Arizona?
« Reply #299 on: November 18, 2011, 06:49:38 AM »

For a while there, the independent commission on redistricting was one of the very few things I could point to in Arizona state government that they got right, outside of the generally-pretty-great things they've done for groundwater preservation.  Of course, it isn't really a politically independent body at all if it can be removed by a politically elected legislature.

Good news: AZ Supreme Court's reversed it.

I expect that about now Jan's wishing Andy Thomas had made AG so she could just have them all prosecuted under RICO.

Though maybe I'm giving her too much credit.  Any time I try to imagine her thought processes, it winds up looking a lot like the "inside Homer's brain" gags in old Simpsons.
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