AZ Rep Johnny Mendez came out as atheist and that is good for all of us
I couldn’t stay for the press conference after the Tuesday Arizona House floor session, but I did arrive at the gallery in time to see AZ Rep. Juan Mendez deliver his now-viral secular invocation on the House floor. Hat tip to Hemant Mehta for the transcript: Most prayers in this room begin with a request [...]
Occupy Movement was targeted by Uncle Sam on behalf of Big Business
You may remember (I do since I blogged about it) back in late 2011, when ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, held a big conference right here in the Valley of the Sun. Some folks from the Occupy movement wanted to welcome them with signs and In These Times reporter Beau Hodai tried to talk [...]
Feeling grateful for all those Democrats in the AZ Senate today
So budget bills got through the Arizona Senate Thursday, which were surprisingly decent, and the Medicaid expansion won a decisive majority vote. Political strategist and former legislator John Loredo said it best on his Facebook page: Tonight Senate Democrats along with a handful of courageous Republicans passed a reasonable, responsible budget. Dems learned that when [...]
Really, when they say who they are, believe them.
Craig McDermott captured an interesting thing Rep. Steve Smith said Tuesday about a ridonkulous bill before the Arizona Legislature, that prevents the evil Federal Government from sapping our Stately essences. Or something. Per Craig: The text of his “explanation” (emphasis added) – Mr. Speaker, I think just since we’re talking a little bit about history, [...]
Name games in the City Council 8 race
My friend Bob Lord has been taking flack from Phoenix City Council candidate Warren Stewart’s campaign over his posts about a disparaging comment that Maricopa County Supervisor and Stewart supporter Mary Rose Wilcox made about Kate Gallego, who is also running in that race. I missed this last month, not sure how. Because this is [...]
Possible budget deal illustrates how “bipartisanship” can be dangerous
AZ Eagletarian has a concise run-down of a rumored deal by AZ Senate President Andy Biggs (which I hinted at on my Sunday Square Off appearance) to ram a budget through the Senate by tacking a Medicaid expansion amendment on it and dangling some district pork in front of a few Dem Senators to get [...]
The crazy is strong in some Medicaid expansion opponents
Christine Bauserman, whose Facebook page proudly boasts all her conservative and Republican affiliations, believes that poor people getting health care in Arizona is a Marxist plot. She wrote a hilarious LTTE to the AZ Capitol Times about it. Just how desperate are Gov. Jan Brewer and political wizard Chuck Coughlin to force Obamacare on an [...]
