In a grotesque mix of Freudian projection, denial, all-out hubris and crass hypocrisy, ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce has told the Arizona Capitol Times that he's trying to "forgive" Jerry Lewis, the man who spanked him hard by 12 points in the Legislative District 18 recall election for the "dishonesty" that took place during the campaign.
"I'm not a hateful guy," Pearce claimed to the CapTimes. "It's difficult with the dishonesty that took place in that campaign. It's disappointing, a lot of things that happened in the campaign. I tend to get over things, so we'll work on that. I should forgive him, so we'll work on that."
Well, if you know anything about Pearce, you know he was easily the most hateful politician in Arizona. I use the past tense here because his political career is now kaput, in large part because he's such a hateful dude.
Pearce is the guy who banned people from the state Senate, remember? People whose political beliefs he did not approve of, such as Phoenix human rights activist Sal Reza.
Not to mention that he blamed illegal immigrants for all of America's woes, worked to rob birthright citizenship from the American citizen kids of undocumented aliens, hung-out with extremists such as neo-Nazi J.T. Ready (and then denied the association later), did nothing to extend federal unemployment benefits rightfully due out-of-work Arizonans, mercilessly cut education and then buffaloed anyone who would listen to make himself seem like a friend to education, and on and on.
Indeed, reading about Pearce condemning the alleged "dishonesty" of others gives further credence to the arguments of unbelievers. Because if there were a God in the sky, Pearce likely would've been on the receiving end of a lightening bolt for accusing folks of what he himself is guilty of.
Over the years of reporting on Pearce, I've often wondered if he was capable of telling the truth. I've done many, many blog posts and columns cataloging his countless whoppers. The most recent followed a Pearce appearance on PBS' Horizon during the recall election.
What's particularly galling about this CapTimes quote is that Pearce's opponent Jerry Lewis, now state Senator from LD18, ran an exceptionally honest and clean campaign.
That's unlike the campaign run by Pearce and his supporters, which involved false accusations about Lewis' work educating homeless kids, fake Facebook and Twitter accounts, a sham candidate by the name of Olivia Cortes, misleading robo-calls intended to suppress the vote, and pro-Pearce mailers so full of lies they'd singe Satan's fingers were he playing mailman.
And Pearce is working on "forgiving" Lewis? As I've written before and as was once more confirmed by the CapTimes article, Pearce has never even bothered to call Lewis, as is tradition in American politics, and formally concede.
Which shows you just what a low-born hunk of pond scum Pearce really is.
Here's the intriguing question -- is Pearce delusional, does he believe his own bull, or not?
Like a lot of two-bit con artists, Pearce is not delusional. He is a serial prevaricator, pure and simple.
I've caught him in lies before, and when confronted, he either shrugged it off or kept right on with the fibs and the falsehoods, as if by telling more it would somehow insulate him from exposure.
Well, Russ, the public finally got your number, and that's why you're out of a job, hating on the man who whupped you fair and square.
