The sky is falling, the sky is falling!
Wanna stop the sky from falling? Then give and give generously to Arizona Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema's re-election fund.
Yep, that's the appeal from Sinema as the U.S. government heads straight for sequestration and tens of thousands of Arizona jobs supposedly face the butcher's block.
"If Congress doesn't act by Friday," Sinema warns in an e-mailed and Facebooked appeal for cash, "Arizona could lose 49,189 jobs because Congress passed a bad budget bill two summers ago. This bill would slash billions of dollars from just about everything worthwhile that our hard-earned tax dollars pay for: air-traffic controllers, federal law enforcement, investment in science and technology research, funding for our school teachers, even the roads we drive on each day."
Wow, sounds terrible, right? So what's the solution?
Send cash to Kyrsten's campaign. Whatever you can spare. Give 'til it hurts, people. C'mon, let that medical bill wait. And who needs those groceries? Junior can miss a meal if he has to.
"Please stand with me against these cuts and help me stand up for actual Arizona jobs. Contribute $5, $10 or $25 today to make your voice heard," concludes Kyrsten's message, with the appropriate link to the page where you can enter your credit card number.
See, when Sinema knows that nearly 50,000 Arizona jobs are at stake, her reflex is to make sure her job is secure.
But wait, didn't we just have an election four months ago or something?
So why does Sinema need our money right now? The next congressional election is about year and eight months away.
Because no occasion to ask taxpayers for cash should be overlooked. And to give Sinema and her team credit, they rarely overlook such occasions.
Sinema's FB-watchers ain't having it, though, pointing out that representing the people of the Ninth Congressional District already is something Sinema's paid to do.
"In order to 'stand up for the middle class' we should send you yet MORE money? No way!" writes one.
"We shouldn't have to pay to have our voices heard," types another. "We voted you in office to do that."
There are a few Sinema apologists on the comment string, claiming that the appeal was written by a staffer and, therefore, it's not Sinema's fault. Even though Sinema's signature is on the e-mailed appeal.
After all, that's what staffers are for: to take the blame.
One staffer does weigh in, telling all and sundry that this isn't Congresswoman Sinema asking for dolo, but rather Candidate Sinema.
"To be clear, this is the Sinema Campaign Facebook page," the anonymous scribbler scribbles, "and requests for contributions are for the campaign, not for Congresswoman Sinema."
Boy, someone definitely doesn't get it.
I know shamelessness is practically a requirement for Arizona politics, but does that extend to campaign staffers as well?
Apparently, so.