Arizona Politics

Russell Pearce Files Lame Court Challenge to Recall Petitions

Squawk all you want, bully-boy, your days in office are numbered...right up till November 8State Senator Russell Pearce's lawyer Lisa Hauser filed one of the lamest legal challenges in this history of civil actions today. This, to the so-far successful recall effort against Pearce, which has resulte ... More >>

Medical Marijuana Is Under Attack in Arizona Again -- But This Time, Voters and Patients Hold the High Ground

Governor Jan Brewer Issues Order for November 8 Russell Pearce Recall Election

I like Sinema, but she flubbed a couple of facts on OlbermannThough it's mostly a formality, Governor Jan Brewer today officially called a November 8 recall election for state Senate President Russell Pearce.In a terse memo issued on her website, she stated:"Today, in accordance with state law, I is ... More >>

Russell Pearce Denied: AG's Office Says No Corporate Contributions for Pearce's Anti-Recall Committee

Gage SkidmoreNo corporate money for you, boo-boo​More bad news for state Senate President Russell Pearce.One day before the historic announcement by the Arizona Secretary of State's Office that the Pearce recall will go before the voters of Legislative District 18, Arizona's Solicitor General Davi ... More >>

Governor Jan Brewer Says Feds' New Letter on Medical Pot Proves She Took "Proper Course of Action" in Derailing Dispensary Program

Governor Jan Brewer​Governor Jan Brewer believes that a "clarification" by the feds on medical-marijuana programs proves she took the "proper course of action" in halting the voter-approved dispensary program.Brewer and state Attorney General Tom Horne filed a declaratory judgment in federal ... More >>

Jan Brewer's Special Session Adjourns Leaving 45,000 Arizonans in the Lurch

Brewer's "special session" was a major dudThe state Legislature recessed indefinitely today from its special session without making a minor change in state law that would allow some 45,000 jobless Arizonans to continue receiving unemployment checks.Around 15,000 out-of-work Sand Landers will receive ... More >>

Russell Pearce Begs for Corporate Funds, Uses Office on Behalf of Anti-Recall Effort

Pearce, seeking corporate dough to save his hideState Senate President Russell Pearce and the Republican-controlled Legislature couldn't be bothered today to change one word in state law to extend unemployment benefits to 15,000 out-of-work Arizonans, but Pearce has had time to compose a lengthy, fi ... More >>

Jan Brewer's Special Session, and the GOP's Hypocrisy

Senate President Pearce: A life spent sucking on the public spigot...Extending unemployment benefits to around 15,000 Arizonans still looking for work should be a no-brainer, assuming the wingnuts at the state Capitol had a pound of gray matter among 'em.It's federal money that's pumped into the sta ... More >>

Tom Horne, Arizona Attorney General, Worked With Anti-Prop-203 Leader Carolyn Short on Federal Lawsuit Idea

Image: Carolyn Short's Facebook siteCarolyn Short, leader of the "No on 203" movement, admits she's actively trying to defeat the voter-approved medical marijuana law. Tom Horne and Jan Brewer appear to be taking her cues.​ Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne discussed a plan to launc ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Pal Thayer Verschoor to Take Over for Brett Mecum as AZ GOP's Executive Director, Sources Say

Thayer Verschoor​With the ouster of now-former Executive Director of the Arizona Republican Party Brett Mecum, Thayer Verschoor, a veteran of the Arizona Legislature and short-lived communications director for the AZ GOP, is getting a promotion.Sources tell New Times Verschoor has been slated to t ... More >>

ACLU to Defend Medical Marijuana Law Against Legal Attack by Governor Jan Brewer

Governor Jan Brewer followed through today on her threat to attack the voter-approved medical marijuana law.​ Governor Jan Brewer followed through today on her threat to attack Arizona's voter-approved medical marijuana law, but advocates of democracy are fighting back. Numerous defendan ... More >>

Governor Brewer Can't Stop Medical Marijuana Under State Law; Qualified Patients Can Legally Possess Drug Without State Approval

Governor Jan Brewer hopes to derail Arizona's voter-approved medical marijuana law, but qualified patients can legally possess weed with or without state approval. ​ The effort by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and state Attorney General Tom Horne to steamroll voters in their attempte ... More >>

Governor Brewer Fails to Defend Will of Voters in Attack on Medical Pot; Supports Enforcement of Federal Drugs Laws

Governor Jan Brewer is failing to stand up for Arizona's voters following the Arizona U.S. Attorney's threat to arrest participants of the state's new medical marijuana program.​ Governor Jan Brewer ought to just come out and admit it: She's thwarting the will of voters who approved Ari ... More >>

Arizona Medical Marijuana Program in Trouble: Brewer Halts Dispensary Permits Will Seeking Federal Ruling on Legality -- **Update With Gov's Statement

​ Arizona leaders are preparing to ask to the feds to put a halt to Arizona's medical marijuana program. * UPDATE: Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne says no dispensary permits will be issued until a federal court rules on the legality of the program. He's not sure how long that will take. * ... More >>

Morning Poll: Is Terry Goddard Really the Best Senate Candidate Arizona Democrats Can Come Up With?

Is Terry Goddard the best Democrats can come up with?​Yesterday, a poll conducted by left-leaning pollsters at Public Policy Polling released results of a poll showing that assuming Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords doesn't run for the Senate seat getting vacated by Senator Jon Kyl, former Arizona ... More >>

Governor Jan Brewer's Pretty Sure She Can Run for Third Term -- All She Has to Do is Ignore Arizona Constitution

Jan Brewer: Making it up as she goes along​Governor Jan Brewer is trying to weasel her way into a third term as governor by calling the Arizona term-limit law "ambiguous" -- which is complete BS.Brewer is convinced that she can legally be governor for another term, even though the Arizona Constitu ... More >>

Governor Jan Brewer's Spokesman Explains the Arizona Constitution Shouldn't Apply to Her in Running for Third Term

Jan Brewer: Making it up as she goes along​While Governor Jan Brewer is pretty sure she can run for a third term (which she can't), her camp is already cooking up some wild explanations to let it happen.Brewer's spokesman Matthew Benson tells New Times that folks inside the governor's office beli ... More >>

Feds to Sue Arizona and South Dakota Over Anti-Union Law That Guarantees Secret Ballot Elections

​ The Obama Administration is gearing up to sue Arizona again. In a letter to Arizona and three other states, the National Labor Relations Board's lawyer announced  plans to sue over state laws that guarantee the right to a secret ballot election in unionization efforts. Wh ... More >>

Arizona Republic Thinks Arizona Dems Owe Jan Brewer a Thank You for Vetoing Humiliating "Birther Bill"

The Arizona Republic thinks Democratic Party Chairman Andrei Cherny owes Jan Brewer a thank you.​Usually, common sense and rational decision making is expected from elected officials -- unless you're the Arizona Republic's editorial board. If that's the case, gratitude is apparently required for s ... More >>

Morning Poll: Is Governor Jan Brewer Getting Back to Her More-Moderate Roots?

Jan Brewer seems to be getting back to has did-ing what's right for Arizona.​Yesterday, Governor Jan Brewer shocked everyone when she didn't cave to the state Legislature's right-wing crazies and vetoed three bills that were humiliating for Arizona/products of right-wing kookery.Brewer refused to ... More >>

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal Says He's Batty for "Birther Bills," Unlike Arizona Governor Jan Brewer

zimbio.com Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal​Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal apparently is trying to steal some of Arizona's far-right-wing "birther" thunder.   As you've probably heard, the sudden rash of "birther" legislation is a ludicrous response to the repeatedly debunke ... More >>

Jan Brewer Vetoes Humiliating "Birther Bill." Gov Finds Penis Descriptions Too Get on Ballot Goes to Far

Even Jan Brewer thinks it's nuts to make a candidate provide a description of his penis to run for president in Arizona.​It pains us, but big props must go out to Governor Jan Brewer, who today vetoed one of the most ridiculous, conspiracy-based, purely symbolic pieces of legislative garbage to pa ... More >>

Jan Brewer Defies Russell Pearce, Republinuts, Vetoes Birther Bill, Others

Jan Brewer puts the smack down on Russell Pearce and his wing-nut pals, at least on three bills...Chalk up another embarrassing defeat for state Senate President Russell Pearce and his fellow Republinuts on three bills they desperately wanted: the birther bill, the guns on campus wackiness, and a bi ... More >>

Arizona Legislature Passes Birther Bill on to Governor Jan Brewer, Stipulation for Penis Documentation Included

cafepress.comKenya tell us about your penis, too?​Pending a signature from Governor Jan Brewer, the Arizona Legislature has made it official -- show us the birth certificate. Or your circumcision certificate, early baptismal certificate, hospital birth record, postpartum medical record, or an ... More >>

Russell Pearce, Jan Brewer, Tom Horne, the Tea Party, All Get the Dennis Gilman Treatment

Gilman's latest: Beyond 1070: The Tea Party's War on ChildrenI'm sure glad I'm on local, lefty videographer Dennis Gilman's good side. Otherwise, he might skewer me in a video like the one above, where Attorney General Tom Horne, state Senator Lori Klein, state Senate President Russell Pearce, ... More >>

McDonald's Gets Some McLove as Arizona Legislators Put the Kibosh on Happy Meal Bans; Bill Awaits Governor Jan Brewer's Approval

foundshit.com Have a McCrappy plastic toy too. ​The Arizona Legislature's had a busy couple of weeks -- Governor Jan Brewer signed a bill banning imaginary abortions and the state Senate's trying to make sure Arizonans can't vote a Kenyan into the White House -- and on Wednesday, the Legi ... More >>

Fiesta Bowl Fiasco: Arizona Dems Make it Political -- Despite Some of Their Own Having Benefitted From John Junker's (Ahem) Generosity

​By now you probably know about the Fiesta Bowl's decision to ax CEO John Junker following an internal investigation into how he was spending the organization's money, but it's the alleged illegal contributions to the campaigns of Valley politicos that has Arizona Democrats fuming.Junker, the ... More >>

Morning Poll: Are Jan Brewer's "Day of Prayer" Proclamations Unconstitutional?

www.cafepress.comJan Brewer thinks God will bail her our of Arizona's economic mess.​Arizona's economy is in the tank, the state has a pesky $1.15 billion budget shortfall to deal with, but fear not, Arizonans, Governor Jan Brewer's got a plan: prayer.In January, the governor proclaimed a "Day of ... More >>

Governor Jan Brewer Likely to Proclaim Another Prayer Day Despite Lawsuit, Spokesman Says

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer says she won't let a lawsuit stop her from proclaiming a state Day of Prayer.​ Arizona Governor Jan Brewer won't let a lawsuit deter her from proclaiming another state Day of Prayer, says her spokesman. As we mentioned in a previous blog post today, local freethink ... More >>

Mark Spencer's PLEA Backstabs Own Members

Mark Spencer, betraying PLEA members one endorsement at a timeWhat would you call law enforcement union leaders who claim to battle for their members' public benefits during tough economic times, while handing out endorsements to lawmakers hell-bent on wiping out those benefits for good?Hypocrites? ... More >>

Jan Brewer Says Alaska Trip is Her "First Vacation" Since Becoming Governor -- Which is a Lie

www.legaljuice.com​We regret to inform you that we nearly let Governor Jan Brewer get away with one.Since our earlier post about the governor's vacation to Alaska, which she claims is her "first vacation in over two years as Governor," we were reminded of a story we published last May. That story, ... More >>

Jan Brewer's Personal Army? SB 1495 Paves the Way

Senator Allen: Pawn of the feds?Do you think Governor Jan Brewer, or any Arizona governor from this point on, should have a volunteer military force that she can call up and use for any purpose whatsoever?Well, that's what the governor would have if Senate Bill 1495 becomes law: A blank check t ... More >>

John Birch Society Less Radical Than Arizona Legislature

Ron Paul RevolutionJim Pinkerman: John Bircher and voice of reason? Sca-ry.It's an odd day in the annals of the Arizona legislature when members of the far-right John Birch Society -- a conspiratorial-minded organization obsessed with the "New World Order," the Federal Reserve, and the gold standard ... More >>

Russell Pearce in a Pantsuit? Susana Martinez, Much More Than That

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez: Not as easily dismissed as the Dems would likeYou may have read of New Mexico's newly-elected Republican Governor Susana Martinez's executive order rescinding what she's referred to as that state's "sanctuary status," and ordering state police to inquire into the ... More >>

Russell Pearce Recall Paperwork Filed by Anti-Pearce Group

Halina Reed (left) and Somos Republicans' DeeDee Blase: Leading the (first) recall of Russell PearceOn the day that state Senator Russell Pearce's insidious, anti-American, and unconstitutional plot to undermine the birthright citizenship provision of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment was being ... More >>

Kyrsten Sinema Wipes the Floor with John Kavanagh Re: Jan Brewer's Budget

I've been critical of uber-lefty state Senator Kyrsten Sinema on different issues, like the anti-Westboro Baptist Church legislation she recently sponsored in the legislature.And I think it's a big mistake to think that Dems can work across the aisle with crocodiles such as state Senate Presid ... More >>

Arizona Lawmakers Move to Strip Governor Jan Brewer of Commutation Power

http://azjusticeproject.org​A group of state representatives has introduced a bill that would strip the governor of the power to commute prison sentences and hand it over to the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency. The legislation, formally titled HCR 2025: the Arizona Commutation Reform Act, is ... More >>

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne Throws AG's Office into Crusade Against Obama-Care

James KingAttorney General Tom Horne has a few problems with President Obama's health care plan.​Newly sworn in Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne announced today that he's planning to do something his predecessor, Terry Goddard, refused to do: throw the Arizona Attorney General's Office into the ... More >>

AZ Lawmakers Expected to Pass a Law Prohibiting Picketing at Funerals; Aim to Halt Protests at Tucson Shooting Victims' Funerals

Senator Kyrsten Sinema​State lawmakers proposed emergency legislation Tuesday to head off picketing by a Topeka, Kansas, church at the funeral service for a 9-year-old girl who was among six people killed during Saturday's shooting in Tucson.The state Senate passed a bill, which is being con ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Problem with the Rule of Law; and Andrei Cherny Contends for Democratic Party Chair

Sidebar: Fantasy Voter Fraud

Arizona Democrats' Defeat Dissected and Why the Party Needs to Bust Out a Guillotine or Two

Terry Goddard, Three Time Loser, Fishes for Suggestions on FaceBook: I've Got One

Terry Goddard for Governor's FB page Please, Terry, just go away... Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard wants your take on why he fumbled so badly against Governor Jan Brewer in the recent gubernatorial race. Well, actually, according to a note on his FaceBook site Terry Goddard for Govern ... More >>

Jon Hulburd's a Turncoat, and Terry Goddard's Weak. So Who Are This Year's Democratic Role Models?

Terry Goddard Tells Jan Brewer to Give Campaign Manager the Boot After Gay Remarks

​Since the moment Governor Jan Brewer's campaign manager suggested that her opponent in the gubernatorial election, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, was gay, Goddard has insisted that he's not (insert standard "not that there's anything wrong with that" comment here).During a no-holds-barre ... More >>

Fox News Anchor Butchers Terry Goddard's Name -- as Usual, He Did Nothing About it

Attorney General Terry Goddard​Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard went on Fox News this morning to pimp his latest probe into mortgage companies he says provide flawed foreclosure documents.He came across well -- for example, he didn't say anything like "we have did what's right for Arizona," ... More >>

I'm Not Sick -- And My Opponent's Gay! Jan Brewer's Campaign Fights Health Rumor by Trying to Out Terry Goddard

  Image: Jan Brewer TV ad Brewer's campaign: The governor's not sick, and her opponent is gay.​Jan Brewer's campaign fought back hard today against rumors that the Arizona governor's health is in question -- by questioning the sexuality of her opponent. Brewer issued a strong st ... More >>

Under Jan Brewer's Fearless Leadership, Arizona Not Ranked Worst-Run State in Country -- Just Third Worst

​Arizona Governor Jan Brewer may think that she has "did what is right" for Arizona, but an independent analysis by the financial news Web site 24/7 Wall St. disagrees. The site has issued its "State of the States" rankings and Arizona has been ranked 48th on its list of well-run states.The rankin ... More >>

Terry Goddard's Itchin' to Debate Jan Brewer Again. Jan, Not So Much

​Gubernatorial candidate Terry Goddard's pulling out all the stops in trying to get Governor Jan Brewer back on stage for a debate, and Jan's not havin' it. Goddard's accepted invitations to 10 debates or candidate forums and Brewer, apparently, won't be at any of them. "Why is Jan Brewer hid ... More >>

Terry Goddard Declares "Surge" in Polls -- Based on Polling Numbers From One Congressional District

Terry Goddard​Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, the Democratic candidate for governor, is beaming today after the results of a new poll were released showing he's narrowed the gap in the polls separating him and his GOP opponent, Governor Jan Brewer.According to the latest poll, Brewer now o ... More >>