After questioning the attorney general and listening to his responses during the December 8 Judiciary Hearing, I became increasingly frustrated by his refusal to answer straightforward questions or hold individuals within the Justice Department accountable for the Fast and Furious debacle.

Fast and Furious was a deeply flawed program. Since its implementation, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and numerous Mexican citizens have been killed by criminals using weapons obtained through the program. These facts alone signify a lack of leadership and control within the Justice Department that warrant the removal of certain individuals who authorized and failed to supervise the damaging operation.

Republicans here are leaning hard on this Fast and Furious talking point since the Justice Department released its report describing how Joe Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office engage in racial profiling and brutality toward inmates, especially Latino ones. This came on the heels of the revelation that MCSO botched hundreds of child sex abuse cases. The usual Republican M.O. is distraction and projection and this is what’s going on here: Point the finger at Holder, Obama, and Fast and Furious (distraction) while claiming the Justice Department are the ones distracting with the MCSO report (projection). Repeat ad nauseum.

Let’s be clear, Operation Fast and Furious appears to be a poorly conceived, poorly executed strategy that resulted in multiple tragedies. I can’t think of anything more harebrained and ill-advised than “let’s demonstrate the poor results of no controls on a dangerous activity with a ‘controlled’ experiment where we remove all the controls!” You can’t even call it ironic when things go, um, awry. It’s like unleashing a known invasive species into a known vulnerable habitat and being shocked when it devours everything in sight. So it looks very bad and deserves a thorough investigation. Heads should roll up to and including the highest level of the DOJ, if necessary.

Same goes for MCSO. It’s disgusting and immoral to foster an institutional climate of bigotry and persecution as a law enforcement agency. It’s unconscionable to fail to pursue justice in crimes against children. And while I’m not the slightest bit inclined to help Republicans score political points or win elections, I am a citizen so I’m not going to give a Democratic-led agency a free pass if they’ve screwed up. I want the Maricopa Sheriff AND the ATF to be held accountable for any misdeeds either may have committed. When Republicans use Fast and Furious as a red herring to diminish or supplant the MCSO scandal we all lose.

I was on the panel of the last Sunday Square Off on Channel 12, which you can watch here if you missed it. I was joined by AZ Republic columnist Bob Robb and Republican consultant Chip Scutari. One of the topics was the Supreme Court decision on Clean Elections and how it would impact the 2012 races. Chip repeated the common Arizona pundit and consultant class canard about Clean Elections: it has intensified extremism and Democrats shouldn’t support it. It’s disappointing that a number of prominent Dems in Arizona have bought into this unsupported-by-evidence bunkum and are lending support to Republicans and lobbyists in their attempt to dismantle Clean Elections.

So how did rabidly conservative pink pistol wielder Klein fund her 2010 campaign? Traditionally. She raised over $51K and much of it came from the usual crowd of business executives and lobbyists*. I guess Klein’s business-friendly stances on taxation and school choice trumped any concerns Arizona’s earnest stewards of moderation might have had about her being clearly off her rocker.

*She also got $820 from Presidential candidate Herman Cain and his wife Gloria.

Arpaio is yesterday’s boy band, though, as the news fanboys and girls have fallen hard for this new heartthrob, Babeu. When Sheriff McDreamboat drops a press release or stages a photo op, they come a-runnin’.

The Pinal County Sheriff got new eye scanners! Squee!!

The scary thing to ponder here is that Babeu is a helluva lot more telegenic than his aged mentor. If we thought the celebrity worship of Arpaio was sickening we might need to brace ourselves for how much worse it might get.

One of those bills would allow out-of-state insurers to sell policies in Arizona that don’t have to comply with state coverage mandates. But just to make it so Arizona insurers won’t be deprived of being able to collect premiums without delivering actual health care, they also want to waive the requirement that Arizona insurance companies cover a wide range of treatments.

Guess who is a prime sponsor of this? None other than Arizona’s Mostest Pro Lifest Legislator, Nancy Barto. She who called a 2009 anti-abortion measure “the ultimate health care bill for children”. Postpartum, those children better hope that the insurance policy their parents chose is with a company that chooses to cover things like diabetes or cancer should they be diagnosed with them. Because Nancy’s really pro-choice when it comes to what health insurance companies ought to be compelled to do to save the lives of babies she wants women to be forced to have. “I think the market will handle that,” she said Wednesday.

The big-money contributors to the SCA, including local developer and Phoenix Coyotes owner Steve Ellman, were also contacted by either Sheriff’s Office or party officials and asked to resubmit checks directly to the Republican Party — which they did.

Did Steve Ellman really think that Joe Arpaio, who was riding high in the polls in 2008, needed his help? Why did he contribute what constituted as pocket change for him to the SCA just to bully Dan Saban? Again, why are we supposed to revere these people as capitalist heroes when they turn out to be nothing more than petty, sadistic assholes?

Where are the jobs they’re supposed to be creating?

In a massive show of force on Monday, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant and arrested the homeowner, Jesus Llovera, on charges of suspected cockfighting.

Llovera was alone in the house at the time of the arrest, and he was unarmed.

“I think taxpayers should be shocked,” said Robert Campus, Llovera’s attorney. Campus said he believes the operation costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Deputies had no probable cause to believe Llovera was armed or dangerous, according to Campus.

Campus said he believes the entire scene was basically a stage, to help actor Steven Seagal’s TV show, “Lawman.”

Seagal was riding in the tank.

The Sheriff’s Department has entered into a contract with Seagal and part of that contract gives Seagal carte blanche to go along with the sheriff as he arrests people.

Your Maricopa County taxpayer dollars at work: Helping a pathetic aging has-been celebrity feel relevant. Steven Seagal too.

Bundgaard has lawyered up with a fellow named Mark D. Goldman, formerly of Wilenchik and Bartness. Goldman might be a familiar name if you’ve been following the Arpaio/Andy Thomas/Lisa Aubuchon corruption extravaganza. And there are still more fun things to find about Esquire Goldman on the googles. First hit from a search of his name was to someone Goldman really pissed off sharing his experience on RipoffReport.com

I’m a guy who tried to help Mark out. I rented him my condo in Mexico as a lease option. When it came time to close, or leave, he refused. He used his experience in real estate and law to manipulate the system. To this date he has not paid rent since February 2007. He is in arrears over $150,000 in back payment and association fees.

He has got me tied up in the courts hoping to bankrupt me so that he and his dishonest attorney can steal my condo. He has gone as far as to brag to neighbors in the condo that he was going to take my condo for half of what it was worth by trying to bankrupt me.

He even found a way to file criminal charges against me for moving his stuff out of my condo so that when I came to Mexico to meet with my lawyers, I was scared that I would be arrested!

He is not allowed in the unit anymore because it is in litigation, but his attorneys are now living in it. I’m fighting with him and will continue to update everyone on how its going.

He went as low as to file criminal charges against a 78 year old lady who is the administrator in the condomium.

Ron
Redwood City, California
U.S.A.

Condo stealing isn’t very nice. A real estate agent rating website had some choice words for Goldman too:

“this guy never follows up with what he says he will do. he is hard to get a hold of. he stole money from my friend”

“These two could be the biggest crooks in the world. Do not trust them with a dime. You can tell they are lying if their lips are moving. STAY AWAY from these dirtbags!!!!!!!”

“I believe Mark Goldman is not to be trusted. He is not what he portrays himself to be. Just be aware.”

The other “biggest crook” being referenced there is Goldman’s former business partner Steven Ruza. And on the same page a person claiming to be Steven Ruza says:

this man has a memory problem. i left thousands of dollars with him. he said ” i will watch over your money as if it were my own”. he kept the money. he is a dishonest thief that makes up stories about how smart he is. i know people in michigan looking for him right now

Yikes. Hey Michigan people looking for Goldman, you can find him in Arizona. He hangs out with the sleazeball PR guy with the big hair and his little state senator buddy.

Dupnik took up his cause again on Monday. And, in response, we have to say at last . . . enough. Enough attacks, sheriff. Enough vitriol. It is well past time for the sheriff of Pima County to get a grip on his emotions and remember his duty.

It is well past time!

Let me get this straight: The Republic gave Joe Arpaio a pass for years until the Maricopa County Sheriff’s behavior got so megalomanical and vindictive that even they couldn’t indulge him any longer but now they are quick to condemn Pima Sheriff Clarence Dupnik for being indecorous enough to call attention to uncomfortable truths about the political climate in Arizona.

Really?

Sheriff Dupnik is four years younger than Sheriff Arpaio and has about as long a career in law enforcement. Dupnik has served the people of Pima County since 1980. Twelve years longer than Arpaio has been Maricopa County’s Sheriff. Somehow, Dupnik managed to do his job for over three decades in relative obscurity. In that time he hasn’t become the grotesque caricature of narcissism that Arpaio has. Looks like Clarence Dupnik already had a grip on his emotions. There’s a difference between becoming famous for something you said (Dupnik) and desperately seeking fame at all times (Arpaio). Wish the Republic would learn the difference.

Oh but, Donna, how can that be possible? He demagogues the issue with such vigor! He must believe of what he speaks!

Sure he does. Russell Pearce wants illegal immigration to go away so badly that he had CCA, who stand to profit handsomely from an influx of detainees, author SB1070. The other corporate backers of ALEC beamed proudly. Russell Pearce so dearly wants to defend the flower of white Arizona purity that he cut a deal with the AZ Chamber of Commerce to strip the teeth out of employer sanctions in SB1070.

In short, Russell Pearce LOOOOOOVES illegal immigration. He hearts it. Russell Pearce and illegal immigration are BFFs. For real. Pearce is a Republican and like approximately 99.97% of the Republican elite, he does not want illegal immigration to go away. Ever. And yes, he’s a racist too. These two aspects of wingnut nativists like Russell are not mutually exclusive.

Everyone, but liberals and progressives especially, needs to focus on the real issue here. Illegal immigration is a goldmine for the GOP. It’s a wedge issue for their politicians which goes into the arsenal along with abortion and gay-bashing. We know about the private prison industry now. But we’ve always known that the rich business owners who fund Republican politicians and think tanks get to have a workforce that is not only desperately poor and exploitable but that is hated by their working class and poor American counterparts. Win-win.

To recap: For progressives and immigrant rights activists, Jeff Flake has never been “good on immigration”. I don’t care how nice he was when you visited his office to lobby him or how he puts on his concerned face when you tell him about anti-Hispanic harassment. The Goldwater Institute and Chamber are also not “good on immigration”, no matter how many forums you’ve been in with them where they seem so reasonable on the issue. Where have they been in the wake of SB1070? GI currently has its thumb up its collective ass and the Chamber endorsed every single pro SB1070 statewide candidate. Jeff Flake is talking about ending birthright citizenship now.

Similarly, if you’re hardcore anti-illegal immigration you should know that Russell Pearce, Joe Arpaio, and their ilk are not really interested in reducing the flow of illegal immigration so that employers are forced to hire Americans. No, they’re really not. If they were the business community would have gotten rid of both of them long ago. They’re bigots for sure but they don’t believe their own bullcrap about immigration and they’re definitely all about self-preservation.

Democrats, please pay attention. If we want to stop getting our clocks cleaned on this issue we need to understand what motivates Republicans and stop letting them define us on this.