For an organization that wants to be known as a group of average Americans who are upset with their out of control government, why would they pick a former congressman to be the face of their group and not someone like Joe the Plumber?
The Tea Party is expected to announce that former Rep. JD Hayworth (R-Ariz.) will become a national spokesperson for the movement, a source close to the matter told The Hill.
While the article says Hayworth will be the spokesperson of the Tea Party, I thought the Tea Party was only made up of grassroots citizens that did not pledge loyalty to any party or organization? I assume he will be the spokesperson for the nationally organized and corporately funded Tea Party Express, though the article does not mention the Express by name.
It's also kind of funny that the Tea Party's MVP Sarah Palin endorsed John McCain over their new spokesperson in his recent primary.
From a Facebook announcement from the group "People who support Dan Saban for Sheriff in 2012":
Dan Saban is now a candidate for Maricopa County Sheriff 2012. Now it's our turn to finance his campaign. Make checks/money order payable to "Saban for Sheriff 2012" and mail to 14301 N. 87th Street, Suite 315 Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Be sure to include your address, occupation, and employer. (btw, you can contribute up to $410) Once his website is up and running, I will post links for it. I believe they will take online payments in the near future.
Send him a couple bucks to help him get the campaign off the ground.
U.S. Representative Trent Franks, who represents comes from the Second District has agreed to debate his Democratic challenger, retired school teacher John Thrasher.
From Thrasher for Congress press release:
Congressional District 2 Democratic Candidate John Thrasher, has challenged the incumbent, Republican Trent Franks, to a debate.
During an interview session with an Arizona Republic Editorial Board on Friday September 3, 2010, Thrasher challenged Franks to a debate on neutral ground. Mr. Franks accepted.
Mr. Thrasher now seeks a venue to hold this debate which would ideally be limited to 30 minutes before either a live audience, televised, or both.
Media outlets interested in hosting this debate should contact Thrasher for Congress Campaign Manager Chuck Foy at 602-828-5828.
Now, if Rep. Franks can debate his opponent why does Ben Quayle refuse to debate Jon Hulburd?
Rodney Glassman, on his campaign website, endorsements page, lists United Farm Workers as having endorsed him in this year's race for Arizona's US Senate seat.
However, the United Farm Workers website, on its endorsements page, lists several candidates in California races and for each one specifies which campaign (i.e. Nov 2010 in most cases) but only ONE endorsement for an Arizona campaign. That is for Ruben Gallego, for the August 2010 primary for state House of Representatives in District 16.
Rodney Glassman is conspicuously OMITTED from the endorsement list for the United Farm Workers.
Master Rodney also makes an emphatic point at every public appearance to introduce himself as "former Vice-Mayor of Tucson" and that he has earned five degrees from the University of Arizona, including a PhD in "Arid Land Resources."
Is it common knowledge that "Vice-Mayor" is something council members in Tucson take turns serving?
Further, Tucson blogger Three Sonorans exposed "Dr." Glassman's disseration and coursework as having absolutely nothing to do with Arid Land Resources.
Ben Quayle, son of former Vice President J. Danforth Quayle and candidate for candidate for Congress, initially denied that he had anything to do with "Dirty Scottsdale". Now he's coming clean. Sort of.
"I just posted comments to try to drive some traffic," Quayle said.
You can find more about Ben's adventures in Scottsdale trolling for hot chicks here.
How did this story break into the national media? It smells like a Rose to me. Jason Rose is working for Quayle's opponent in the Republican primary for the 3rd Congressional District for Arizona, Vernon Parker, former Mayor of Paradise Valley.
Rose and Parker had recently assailed Quayle, who has no children, for "renting a family" for his campaign mailers. Parker apologized after learning that the children in the flyer were Quayle's nieces (and the children of Jason Rose's sister-in-law), but Jason kept right on pounding Quayle on this on his Twitter feed long after Parker's apology.
Don't you just love it when Republicans get down and dirty in the primary? It makes our job so much easier.
Earlier this evening the four Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate debated in Tucson. I couldn't figure out how to embed the video, but here is the link to tonight's debate. Below, you will find video of the July 27 debate on PBS's Horizon in Phoenix.
If you are still undecided about the Senate primary you might want to consider attending the Q&A; with the same four candidates tomorrow night (Friday, Aug 6) at Paradise Valley Community College's Center for the Performing Arts. The town hall style forum will be held from 7 to 9pm and the address is 18401 N. 32nd St. in Phoenix.
Attention candidates: Here is a prime example of how not to use social media as part of your campaign. If you are a candidate you should not be the one updating your account anyway. That way, you won't ever be accused of something like this.
Two Republican state Senate candidates from LD4 have resorted to attacking each other over a Facebook photo. Former NFL player Tony Bouie was accused by his primary opponent Scott Bundgaard of straight up lying about his affiliation with his own organization called "Bouie's Buddies." This was an organization that Bouie says he created in his playing days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bundgaard, basically claimed there really wasn't ever such an organization and called on Bouie to prove it. In response to his accuser, Bouie posted a photo from a NFL game featuring a huge banner on a wall next to the playing field in Tampa's stadium. The banner read "Bouie's Buddies." For Bundgaard, this was not enough evidence and this is where it got interesting.
After Bouie posted the photo for proof he said this in the comments section of the picture:
People, Scott does not understand anything about the NFL. This proof needs no other explanation than this picture that it existed. He is so blind and wants to win so bad that he will not see the truth when it is presented to him and everyone else in FB land. I pray the program had lasting effects on the kids we had.
Bundgaard responded to Bouie by saying that still wasn't proof that his organization actually existed. He called for Bouie to produce some sort of literature from his alleged organization.
At this point in their Facebook argument, someone with half of a brain stepped in and urged them both to stop. They both agreed and then the picture and the comments were deleted. They should remember, though, once something is on the Internet it will never truly be gone.
The latest from Rep. Farley. If you live in his district (LD28), make sure he returns to the Lege.
Howdy, Friends O'Farley...
VOTE VOTE VOTE!!! Yes, we are now in the midst of Election Month, and this will be the last Farley Report before the August 24 primary election day.
Some predict as many as 70% of the votes will be cast by mail, so Election Day will stretch on and on. This gives us all a chance to convince our friends and neighbors that it would be a good idea to re-elect Steve Farley. Please email my campaign manager Daniel (daniel@friendsofarley.com) if you would like to walk or phone with us, display a yard sign, or volunteer in some other way.
Many of you have already received your ballots in the mail, and you may even have sent them in. I thank you so much for your support and your vote. I am also very honored by the many endorsements our campaign has received from a wide range of great Arizona groups.
As of today, endorsements for the Farley campaign include: Tucson Weekly, Arizona League of Conservation Voters, AFL-CIO, Arizona Education Association, Arizona Association of Realtors, Planned Parenthood, Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona, the Sierra Club, Arizona Correctional Peace Officers, Arizona Medical Association, AFSCME, Arizona Nurses Association, Las Adelitas, Associated General Contractors, Equality Arizona, Arizona State Building and Construction Trades Council, National Association of Social Workers, Arizona Pipe Trades Local 469, and IBEW Local 640.
While their individual missions may differ, those organizations have a very important common goal: Restoring common sense to the Arizona Legislature and restoring good policy to the people of Arizona, focusing on jobs, education, and quality of life instead of ideological wedge issues. I am humbled that they have recognized my work in that direction as worthy of their endorsements.
And, boy, is there a lot of work to do!
Thanks to our Republican leaders' speeches telling the world how dangerous it is to be in Arizona--led by Jan Brewer's constant false statements about beheadings in the desert--our tourism industry is taking a dive. More than 7,500 tourism jobs were lost last month alone, and our June sales tax receipts were down almost 6% over last June, which was the worst June in recent history.
To respond to this self-inflicted wound on our economy, Brewer has proposed a $250,000 re-branding of Arizona's image. At the conference in which she announced this effort, she obliviously continued to defend her statements about rampant violence in Arizona. Perhaps if we could pay that $250,000 to Jan Brewer to keep her mouth shut, we could make some headway.
Then again, we could use the money to promote the Arizona Republic "Political Insider" blog's darkly humorous suggestion for a new state slogan -- "Arizona. You Should Be Headed Here."
