One of Arizona’s most famous son’s is Barry Goldwater, a five term Senator known as “Mr. Conservative”.
Republican Senator Goldwater launched a bid for President of the United States against Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and Goldwater was portrayed as reactionary, too right-wing and bat-shit crazy for his fights against the New Deal, unions and liberalism.
He lost the election to Johnson by one of the largest landslides in history, taking down several Republicans with him.
Goldwater was known as a ‘libertarian’ way back when, and in the 80’s when he saw the religious right’s influence with Reagan, Goldwater predicted that there would come a day when he would be labeled a “LIBERAL.”
Then there was Republican Evan Mecham, who owned a car dealership, and he won the election for governor of Arizona in 1986 and is famous for his recollections of folks calling African American children ‘pickaninny’ meant in an affectionate way.
Governor Mecham is also known for overturning the Martin Luther King Holiday and blaming working women for high divorce rates.
Governor Mecham was impeached by the voters of Arizona in April of 1988 for obstruction of justice and misuse of government funds, which he was later acquitted.
Then there was Republican Jane Hull, who bankrupted the state of Arizona with the alt-fuel fiasco, and perhaps lesser known, was that Governor Hull launched the bid of Texas Governor George Bush Jr. for President.
Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano was elected after Hull’s reign of errors, and in her first term as governor of Arizona, Governor Napolitano balanced the budget and got the state out of debt and into the black.
Governor Napolitano even managed to setup a “rainy day” fund, which has since been raided and decimated.
To be fair, midway though Governor Napolitano’s 2nd term, she did play with the numbers and credit and did leave her successor with massive debt, since no one in power saw the collapse of the housing market, which was Arizona’s main economic source.
Arizona’s State Legislature has always been Republican majority and Governor Napolitano did work with them and they would vociferously complain about her vetoes, yet she managed to get the job done.
President Obama scooped Governor Napolitano from Arizona by offering her the job as head of Homeland Security, and there were Republicans rejoicing that Janet was gone, and others saddened that she left, and others angered because she left Arizona in such dire straits.
Jan Brewer slipped into the position of Governor, as Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor, and Jan Brewer is a Republican that held the position of Secretary of State.
Governor Brewer is the fourth woman, the third consecutive woman to hold the title of governor in Arizona.
Governor Brewer, an unelected governor, has not been able to work with the Republican majority in the state’s legislature.
Following former President GW Bush’s example, the Republicans shut out the Democrats from all legislative meetings, Governor Brewer only calling on the Democrats to sign her bills when the Republican majority refused.
The Arizona Democrats refused to support the legislation, since they had no voice in forming the bills, and Governor Brewer led the Republican charge that the reason the state could not balance the budget was due to the Democrats and obstruction.
The Arizona Legislature under Governor Brewer have managed to pass some of the most liberal gun laws in the country, and once again to be fair, Vermont has similar laws.
Governor Brewer was very unpopular for being unable to work within her own Republican Party, but all that changed once Governor Brewer signed the anti-immigration SB1070 into law.
I do not need to share last night’s debate between the unelected Governor Brewer and the Democratic candidate Terry Goddard as it has gone viral on the Internet.
Due to Arizona’s ‘Clean Election Law’ voted in by voters in 1996, Governor Brewer was forced to do one debate and of course, the Republican legislature has been working hard on overturning the ‘Clean Election Law’.
Last night, the local CBS station did a story on Governor Brewer’s ties to private prisons in the state, and the money they are giving to her campaign for governor.
Governor Brewer was silent when 3 dangerous criminals escaped from a private prison in Kingman and when a woman tossed wire cutters over the fence, and then two of the escapees killed a couple from Oklahoma while they were camping New Mexico.
Governor Brewer is not happy with that expose and has pulled all her ads for governor from the local CBS channel 5 in Phoenix.
On another update of Arizona news is that the Department of Justice has issued fines against Sheriff Joe due to his non-compliance with 2 subpoenas for his records regarding a DOJ investigation into abuse of power and civil rights abuse in his jails.
I’ve researched subpoenas and what it means when a person refuses to comply and it is normal for 2 warnings to be given.
This is rare, as a sheriff’s office has never refused to cooperate with a DOJ and Grand Jury investigation since Mississippi in the 1960’s.
Isn’t it amazing that Sheriff Joe is refusing to “show his papers”?
Have you caught the latest from your Sheriff in Pinal, j’avaz?
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/mccains_danged_fence_sheriff_claims_drug_cartels_control_us_ter.php
On your morning walks, j’avaz/dr’graz, please be careful. They might mistake you for a “good guy” and pick you off!
Goodness, if this is going on north of Tucson, I’m going to have to be careful going to the store. Given that Tucson is surrounded by three mountain ranges, does this mean we are surrounded? 😉
I remember Evan “Pickaninny” Meachem. Gary Trudeau had a field day with him.
Remember how outrageous that was when it happened? He’d fit right into the Tea Party today.
j’avaz, a fine article and great summary of what you and yours have had to deal with.
If anyone hasn’t seen this little one minute snippet of the debate that Brewer attempted, it’s worth a look. Did this woman actually have a mini-stroke on camera? Sure looks that way:
TIA? I am familiar with them. Very good call Nurse k’es!! Maybe more than a baby aspirin called for this time?
Perhaps a little Sheriff Joe taser therapy, b’ito?
Maybe 15 minutes or so, setting on “stun”?
“This won’t hurt a bit, Jan…”
The Arizona Republic has an article regarding Sheriff Joe and the lawsuit filed by the DOJ.
The article interviewed a few attorneys familiar with the DOJ and Civil Rights cases, and they agree that Arpaio doesn’t stand much of a chance in fighting the lawsuit and he’s already cost the county taxpayers $3.2 Million in attorney fees, audits and other expenses related to the dispute.
The county supervisors and other officials in the county are urging Sheriff Joe to turn over all the documents that the DOJ have requested.
Sheriff Joe has turned over some documents, but only the ones that he believes are pertinent to the case and that’s not how the DOJ works.
The DOJ controls the investigation because the Federal Gov’t funds certain programs in the county and the county must follow Federal guidelines and be within the law to collect.
Some officials are saying that by Joe’s refusal to turn over all the documents requested, and his refusal to allow Federal investigators into his jails and access to his employees hints at wrongdoing or a cover-up.
After all, if Joe has done nothing wrong, why is he refusing to comply?
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/09/03/20100903fedssuearpaio0903.html
This DOJ lawsuit is unrelated to the ongoing Grand Jury investigation into abuse of power charges against Sheriff Joe and former county attorney Andrew Thomas.
And in yet another case against Sheriff Joe is the state’s determination that Arpaio violated election laws by putting out fliers attacking Interim County Attorney Rick Romley.
http://eastvalleytribune.com/local/cop_shop/article_59421a0e-b6ef-11df-9aee-001cc4c03286.html
j’avaz, good morning. There seems to be a large disconnect between Joe and every one else. What no one seems to understand is Joe enforces the law, he doesn’t have to obey it, and the sooner we understand that the better! 😉
Morning b’ito!
Have you seen the Arizona Daily Star?
Brewer is NOT doing anymore debates!
LMAO
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/jan-brewer-im-done-with-debates.php
Plus, KPHO – the local CBS channel 5, read a few emails supporting Brewer and it’s really sad.
One email said that they didn’t care if Brewer were a clown and believed that she was from Mars, because the person is still going to vote for her because of SB1070 and her fight against Obama and socialism!
Very sad.
The good news is that Brewer has promised not to air any of her campaign ads on KPHO and since we watch that station more than any other, we won’t be subjected to her grating voice!
(SRP trucks in the area again and not sure how much longer we’ll have power today. It’s been frustrating losing our power without notice. Makes it difficult when in the middle of cooking and/or doing laundry, besides having to reset all the clocks every morning!)
j’avaz, no I missed that in the Star, I got hung up on some Joe stories. Got I wish they would read your posts or the New Times and see the long history of him and his despicable deeds.
I talked to someone about SRP, you and what they are doing and their lack of consideration. He said “Yep, sounds like SRP, they’re not known for their customer service.”
That must be a pain. They do that to my water all the time, but that’s not as bad as power with this heat.
Welcome to the Planet dead dove-(dd) Hope you find the Planet to your liking and respect your new home.
Regarding Janet, her budget and her departure. I think of her every time I read about our legislature and hear “headless body” Brewer speak.
If I remember correctly before Janet left, she presented a budget which was scoffed at by the legislature and thrown inthe trash. I read a few reviews of it and it seemed to them to be a good budget, or not a bad budget. We will never know.
Again Welcome, dove
Thanks for explaiing and detailing the wacka-doodle from your state, Javaz! Brewer shows me how “appealing” Ms. Palin will be in another 40 years. When you lose your looks, you’re just plain old stupid.
As my dear departed daddy used to say: Stupid is not something to be proud of, son. (This was said to some of my boyfriends – and with cause, I now admit!)
Reminds me of one of my favorite WC Fields lines:
Man: “You’re drunk!”
Fields: “Yeah,and you’re crazy. And I’ll be sober tomorrow and you’ll be crazy for the rest of your life.”
Was once at a dancehall in Texas with a friend who was a “starter” (meaning good at starting trouble). Some dancehall queen slammed into her chair (which WAS pushed out from the table a bit), looked down and sneered at my friend “I’m SORRY!”
Annie looked back at her and replied “You’re sorry? No you’re not – YOU’RE ugly and I’M sorry I have to look at you, bitch!”
Needless to say, it did not end well. But I remember it from 30 years earlier……..
As I pointed out in my last article, it is no accident that the Arizona Territory chose to be entered into the Union fifty years to the day that it entered the Confederacy.
Knowing this, nothing else needs to be said about Arizona. So, when cracks are made about Arizona being the new Mississippi, that’s because it shares some of the very same roots.
Although, given the housing market nixing Climate, we might be wise to stress cotton again. Or any of the four other C‘s.
Khirad – you are a fount of information. I never knew AZ had confederate ties. Explains quite a lot, doesn’t it? Thanks for reminding us of this!
Jan is hogging up the AZ time on the networks, but we will always have Joe. j’avaz, check out the line “could cost the county millions….” Can we say “raise taxes or anything left to cut?”
And here’s another thing –
Local CBS channel 5 deserves accolades, because they also went after Sheriff Joe and were reamed for it.
The station’s motto is “Telling it like it is” and shocking, especially in such a Red state, they really do.
This is the station locally that no longer airs the “700 Club” and really, isn’t that something that CBS – KPHO – is turning into a ‘liberal’ station for Arizona?
Not liberal, but at least trying to get the truth out?
According to the local ratings, KPHO is the highest rated station in Phoenix, and so the truth is winning out.
They are onto something, and they know it so they are going for it in investigating Brewer’s ties to private prisons.
And what the hell?
Brewer now refuses to air any of her ads for governor on that station, and believe me, is that not a relief?
Who in the hell wants to hear her speak?
She’s worse than Sarah Palin, but equal in air-headness – and her voice is grating.
I hope that Goddard slams her by airing his ads more so on KPHO, and I really cannot believe that a local CBS station broke rank with the corporate news media and is exposing Brewer and Arpaoi for the pieces of corporate crap that they are.
LOL
I haven’t read your post yet, j’avaz, but I have been hoping and waiting for one from you on this subject. It is a circus and the “Big Top” is getting crowded.
B’ito!
As embarrassing as that debate was, Brewer will win unless the Hispanics vote.
Do you think that I am wrong about that?
I don’t know, j’avaz. The ones that have been Arizonians for years are usually registered and will vote for her. The newer arrivals are usually not registered. It will be very close in Pima but as usual Phoenix overwhelms the state vote. (Goddard’s family is from down here originally.)
In the debate last night Goddard was talking about education, very weirdly, Jan went “oh yeah-your Unions are boycotting the state so we don’t have any money.”
I thought that needs a U-Tube, that was weird!!
“It’s raining outside, Jan.”–“Oh yeah, I have a big refrigerator!”
Somehow, I’ve lost my ability to download an image.
There was some freaky sh*t that popped up when I tried to download an image, and I apologize for not being able to figure it out and I tried twice!
Even my husband was lost, so I went ahead and published it anyway, because I actually did a bit of research for this post.
LOL
javaz, no worries about the images, I provided the one of Brewer as a temp but if you could post the link to the image you’d like for the post, I can swap it in.
A techNerd note, what you uploaded had an “htm” at the end, meaning it was the web address of a page that has the image, not the actual image. To add an image if you’re using Windows, right click on an image, Save Image As to your computer then upload that image into your post as you did.
There, hope I’ve properly confused you now. 😉
Thanks for adding the image, AdLib!
And I am confused but that’s normal!