Should anyone be surprised that Governor Jan Brewer will be one of the keynote speakers at the American Legislative Exchange Council's big wingding in Scottsdale this week at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa?
I'm sure not. Even before ALEC posted the announcement to its website and the governor's office noted a November 30 speech by Brewer on her schedule for the week, I could smell that one coming.
The Republican-lobbyist lovefest will also feature former Reagan-era Attorney General Ed Meese (yep, he's still alive) as a speaker, and you can pretty much anticipate that nearly every GOP legislator in Sand Land will be around for at least part of the three-day event.
In fact, legislators from all 50 states will be on hand, according to ALEC's website.
There could be Dems there as well, but they may want to have their Groucho 'staches on to elude detection from all of the progressive types protesting ALEC outside.
A message to ALEC from the anti-ALECkers
Various lefty groups from inside and outside Arizona are converging on Scottsdale, promising to "shut ALEC down."
For such groups, ALEC is a sort of corporate octopus, one that grants legislators "scholarships" allowing them to attend ALEC events. In turn, ALEC's corporate members gain access and influence and the ability to write state legislation.
Independent journalist Beau Hodai has done extensive investigation into ALEC's sway over state legislatures. You can read his latest piece on ALEC, here.
It will be interesting to see what sort of access ALEC allows the press during its "States and Nation Policy Summit." I've submitted a request for press credentials, and will let you know how forthcoming ALEC is.
I'm not a conspiracy-minded individual. A confluence of interests usually is what it is. But the public has the right to see what its servants get up to at these shindigs. And if ALEC chooses to stonewall the media or cherrypick Fourth Estate "friendlies," it will deserve all of the bad press it gets.
