Tag: arizona

I expect that Jan Brewer is going to have an interesting primary.

[UPDATE] Or maybe the question is moot:

And by ‘interesting’ I mean ‘savage.’

Republican legislative leaders are not happy with Gov. Jan Brewer calling a special session to prompt votes on a $1.6 billion Medicaid expansion she supports.

Brewer, also a Republican, called the session to have legislators vote on the state budget and the Medicaid expansion, which leverages money from President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

Continue reading I expect that Jan Brewer is going to have an interesting primary.

Iraqi, possibly Muslim*, refugee bombs Arizona Social Security office.

The short version: on Friday morning the US Social Security office at Casa Grande, Arizona, was targeted by an IED.  Fortunately, nobody was hurt; and equally fortunately, they have already have a suspect in custody.  His name is Abdullatif A. Aldosary, and you know where this is going, don’t you? …By the way, if you write the name out as “Abdul Latif Al-Dosari” you get a partial match with a guy (“Juma-Mohammed-Abdul-Latif-Al-Dosari“) who we have in custody already; I mention this not because it’s the same guy (it’s not), but because somebody else is going to notice that anyway, so we might as well establish that it isn’t the same person now.

At any rate, The PJ Tatler has a roundup of the coverage, or lack thereof (including a hysterical oopsie from at least one Online Left site on how this guy was clearly the vanguard of a bunch of right-wing small-government pipe bombers**).  The problem here is not so much whether or not the Casa Grande bombing was part of an organized Islamist conspiracy: the fact that it detonated when the building was empty would actually argue against that.  Islamist terrorists have never shown any interest in minimizing civilian casualties.  No, the real problem here is that the Media – and, to the extent that they can be distinguished these days, the Obama administration – is so absolutely bound and determined to gateway the heck out of potentially awkward news, up to and including trying to downplay inconvenient details about any of the individuals featured in said news.

Continue reading Iraqi, possibly Muslim*, refugee bombs Arizona Social Security office.

Richard Carmona (D CAND, AZ-SEN) REALLY wants you to know that he denies ever screaming at that woman.

You hear that? He says that it never happened.  Richard Carmona will be happy to keep telling you that, too. Over and over and over again.

Background here: the short version is that Carmona’s former boss cut an ad for Jeff Flake documenting alleged crypto-stalking behavior and general anger management issues (as in, Carmona can’t manage his) shown towards said boss by the candidate.  Given Carmona’s past history, particularly towards female managers, you can understand why Carmona would want to deny the charges.

Eighteen times, in a single interview.  Just in case you didn’t hear him any of the other times, apparently. Continue reading Richard Carmona (D CAND, AZ-SEN) REALLY wants you to know that he denies ever screaming at that woman.

October surprise: Obama’s killing Democratic House prospects.

Let me just list the House races that Democratic strategists are willing to admit – some, even by name! – as having been endangered by Barack Obama’s sub-par October performance.  Just list.

And then there’s the generic ballot, which has gone from plus-Democrat to even-steven. Also note the ostensible swing-state nature of most of the races on that list; you can be certain that official political operatives from both parties have.  All in all, this is pretty good news to have, less than two weeks out – both on the Congressional, and the Presidential, level.

Needless to say, the Republicans in all of the races above could use whatever support that you can muster.  The Democrats were counting on taking or holding all of those seats.  Deny them the satisfaction.

Moe Lane

http://sulia.com/channel/capitol-hill-insiders/f/41a85fb6-5ca1-41a4-96b9-9ed885ad13f9/?source=twitter

RS Interview: Col. Martha McSally (Ret.) (R CAND, AZ-02).

This is an interesting race: the Democrats are faintly desperate to hold onto Gabby Giffords’ old seat in Arizona, to the point where they tried to suggest that a combat pilot and squadron commander was some sort of in-the-kitchen cardboard cutout for the GOP.  We had a bit of a chat about that with Col. McSally, and a few other things:

…and it actually went over my usual self-imposed time limit for these things.  Completely my fault; there was one extra question that I simply had to ask.

Martha McSally’s site is here.  This is a pretty balanced seat, partisan-wise; it can be got.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

Democrats launch sexist attack against Warthog driver Martha McSally (R CAND, AZ-02).

Pro-tip: never launch an attack ad against a candidate that allows her to make this response:

“The fact that they use this theme of Martha McSally in a kitchen cooking up recipes is … overtly sexist and insulting to any woman, but it certainly doesn’t fit specifically with me,” she said in a phone interview. “For crying out loud, I served 26 years in the military. I was too busy shooting 30 mm out of my A-10 at the Taliban and al Qaeda to spend any time in a kitchen.”

The A-10 is, of course, this:

…the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, otherwise known as the ‘Warthog’ for its looks.  This plane is also known as the ‘flying tank’ (because it, well, is); and as I understand it its operators are notably exempt from the casual prejudice shown by the Army and/or Marines towards USAF personnel.  Possibly this is because the Warthog is used effectively and routinely in supporting ground troops.  You can shoot the living heck out of a Hog and it will still ruin your day via the application of 30mm DU shells, and then fly home.

So that’s what Col. McSally was flying.  Before she became a squadron commander, and while she was successfully suing the Defense Department over having to wear the abaya while in Saudi Arabia. Which is to say, [the ad that the Democrats cut] is not an accurate image – and, using the rules that Democrats themselves claim to follow, a remarkably sexist one as well.  But then, I guess Pelosi is probably personally offended that McSally doesn’t have to jump through the same male-created hoops that Pelosi did in order to get ahead in politics…

Moe Lane

PS: Tough race, but a potential upset.  Martha McSally for Congress.

[Edited for clarity.]

A look at the brutal Flake ad on Carmona (AZ SEN).

To understand this ad from Jeff Flake whaling on Richard Carmona in the AZ-SEN race…

…you need to know the background. Essentially, the woman in the ad is former Acting Assistant HHS Secretary Cristina Beato, who was Carmona’s boss back when he was Surgeon General under GW Bush.  You might remember that Mr. Carmona had an epic meltdown and public break with the previous administration over supposed politicization of science; Ms. Beato was called in to testify about that, and gave testimony about Carmona that then-Oversight chair Henry Waxman (D) promptly put on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying “Beware of The Leopard*.”  Essentially, Beato called Carmona a liar, multiple times; painted him as a strutting, narcissistic twit who liked to brag about his access to the President; brought up Carmona’s habit of using travel allowances to get free rides home to Arizona and California; and … this bit. Continue reading A look at the brutal Flake ad on Carmona (AZ SEN).

RS Interview: Vernon Parker (R CAND, AZ-09).

Arizona’s Ninth District is a new one created because of redistricting, and it’s shaping up to be one of the interesting races* this cycle: not least of which is because the Democrat tapped for it is, well, nuts.  I spoke with Vernon Parker  – the non-crazy one – about the race:

Vernon’s site is here.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*Also possibly one of the nastier ones, alas.  This flyer is reportedly being sent around, showing a picture of Vernon Parker that was noticeably darkened.  Which is a horrible thing to accuse the Arizona Democratic party of – only, the Utah Democratic party did pretty much the same thing to Mia Love.  It’s heart-breaking that there are still sad, ignorant people out there who think that this sort of thing actually works…

#rsrh Fox is NOT claiming that Fast & Furious guns were found at today’s border shootout.

I know that a quick reading of the story might suggest it – short version; one Border Agent was killed and another wounded at a shootout this morning at the Brian Terry Station* in Arizona – but when Fox is referring to Fast & Furious guns found on the scene the network is referring to the 2010 Terry shooting.  It’s a breaking story; presumably they’ll clean it up a little in a little while.

More info here and here.  Prayers and good wishes to the families of the victims.

Moe Lane

PS: Fire Eric Holder.

*Named after US Border Agent Brian Terry, who was killed in a shootout with drug gangs in 2010.  Guns on the scene were traced to the government’s infamous Fast & Furious program, which was a program that disastrously allowed guns to be illegally resold to drug cartels and other violent criminals all over the American super-continent.  The Obama administration has thus far refused to hold anyone in its administration accountable for our responsibility in the murder of hundreds of people.

Vernon Parker (R CAND, AZ-09) to deliver this week’s Republican Address.

The national party is kind of excited about this particular race and candidate:

“This week brought more disappointing economic news, and more reminders that President Obama’s weak leadership and failed policies have hurt small businesses and driven jobs overseas,” House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said.  “We need principled leaders who will come to Congress and join Republicans in the fight to help create a better environment for jobs growth by addressing our looming debt crisis and stopping all the looming tax hikes which, according to Ernst & Young, could destroy up to 700,000 jobs.  Vernon Parker is an independent thinker and a rising star in the Republican Party who is committed to listening to the people of Arizona and restoring the American Dream.  I’m sure Vernon will do a great job outlining what is at stake in this election, and I’m looking forward to hearing his address.”

…for a variety of reasons.  First is that Parker was a pretty good catch for this race: he’s a local mayor with national experience in the federal government under both Bush administrations, as well as being one of the NRCC’s Young Guns.  Second?  His opponent, Kyrsten Sinema, is high-functioning crazy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MVXuPGPeuu8

Continue reading Vernon Parker (R CAND, AZ-09) to deliver this week’s Republican Address.