U.S. House of Representatives

Nickel-Bag Joe Arpaio Strikes Again!

SPINNING WHEELS EX-JOURNALISTS TURNED PR FLACKS REDEFINE THE TERM "COVERING THE STORY"

DESCENT OF A WOMAN

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from the week of March 15, 2001

Hot Links: Obama’s Historic Victory

from the week of March 15, 2001

Hot Links: Troops May be Coming to Arizona; PA Gov Apologizes for Napolitano Comments; Cops Bust Cockfighters

Are we expecting company? As many as 20,000 soldiers may be stationed in the western United States -- with a "significant" number going to Arizona -- to serve as a terrorist-fighting force. The idea is to stop any bad guys from trying to storm the Palo Verde nuclear power plan and other ... More >>

April 2 In Blogs: 287(g), Ryan Avery, Prado and More

We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Valley Fever: Valley Photographer Says Cops Harassed Him for Taking Pictures in Down ... More >>

Dueling Mormons

Marshal Jeff Flake goes toe-to-toe with Russell Pearce, and a former New Times staffer's popped for armed robbery

Hee-Haw Politics

Clinton won, Fife lost, and now state Dems have high hopes for '98. But they're in for a wild-ass ride

November 9 In Blogs: Anarchists, Wrestlemania, Fez, and Accident-Prone Police

​In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Feathered Bastard:The Anarchists Own the Nazis, and the Nazis Cause a Car Wreck as They Amscray Transgender ... More >>

Congressman John Shadegg Suggests NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Daughter May Be Kidnapped By Terrorists If 9/11 Trials Happen in New York

www.necn.com Congressman John Shadegg talking baby-speak the other day. ​Congressman John Shadegg's theatrics on the floor of the House of Representatives are becoming almost legendary. By legendary, we mean borderline insane.

Congressman John Shaddegg Won't Seek Re-election; Vows to "Fight for Freedom in a Different Venue"

John Shaddegg, seen here actually using a 7-month-old baby as a prop on the floor of the House​Arizona Congressman John Shaddegg is throwing in the towel and announced today that he will not be seeking re-election in 2010.Score one for sanity in government.Shaddegg, who's antics during his tenure ... More >>

Felecia Rotellini's Gloves Are Off Now That David Lujan is Running for Attorney General

Felecia Rotellini​Representative David Lujan made it official today and announced that he would be running for attorney general in 2010. Lujan has had an exploratory committee up and running for close to a year, so this is far from a shocker but another candidate for AG and fellow Democrat, former ... More >>

Who Will Fill John Shadegg's Congressional Seat? Not Dean Martin

John Shadegg using a seven-month-old baby as a prop on the floor of the House of Representatives​With Congressman John Shadegg throwing in the towel and announcing he would be retiring from Congress yesterday, there is no shortage of talk about who his potential replacement might be.One of t ... More >>

Does Mayor Phil Want to be Congressman Phil? The Rumor Mill is Turning

Congressman Phil?​Here's one fresh from the rumor mill:With John Shadegg's long-overdue departure from the U.S. House of Representatives, there are rumors that Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon may be looking to take his seat.So, does Mr. Gordon really want to go to Washington? He's certainly spent a lot ... More >>

Arizona House Approves Bill Allowing Residents to Own Guns Without Registration With Feds

www.motivatedphotos.com​ So far this session, the Arizona Legislature has considered or partially approved legislation that would allow people to build their own guns and ammo, allow university faculty to bring guns into the classroom, and allow anyone with a gun to conceal his or her ... More >>

J.D. Hayworth Pledges to Do "Everything in His Power" to Repeal Health Care Bill; When Did J.D. Hayworth Get Power?

www.msnbcmedia.msn.comFormer Congressman J.D. Hayworth (left)​Former Congressman J.D. Hayworth is speaking out against the controversial health care reform bill that passed the U.S. House Sunday night and he's using a bunch of shoulda, coulda, woulda's to blast John McCain, his opponent in the GOP ... More >>

"Birther" Bill Advances in Arizona House; America Laughs its Ass Off

​In the Arizona legislature's latest attempt to make the Grand Canyon State the laughing stock of the entire country, legislators in the House of Representatives advanced HB 2441 yesterday, or, as it is more infamously known, the "birther bill."Legislators voted 31-22 to advance the bill, which wo ... More >>

ManBearPig? Not in Arizona! Legislature Passes Embarrassing Bill Outlawing "Human-Animal Hybrids"

Martin Cizmar Russell Pearce, Jan Brewer, and ManBearPig​The Arizona Legislature finally has tackled the super-cereal business of making sure that the likes of South Park's infamous "ManBearPig" have no place in the Grand Canyon State.A ManBearPig -- as described by "Al Gore" on t ... More >>

John McCain's "Danged Fence" Ad Even Has John Shadegg Laughing, and He's Freakin' Nuts

Congressman John Shadegg using a baby as a prop on the floor of the House of Representatives.​ If you haven't laughed your ass off at seen Senator John McCain's latest campaign ad focusing on building "the danged fence" yet, you're missing out on comedic gold.The ad features McCain and Pinal ... More >>

Morning Poll -- "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repeal: Too Soon?

www.motifake.com​Last night, the U.S. House and Senate armed services committees voted to insert a repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" -- the 1993 law banning gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military -- into the defense authorization bill, which will be due for a vote i ... More >>

David Lujan's New Excuse for Missing the Big SB 1070 Vote

Lujan, at a Dem function on April 13, the day he missed the vote on SB 1070Compared to the verbal fisticuffs former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Arizona schools Superintendent Tom Horne laid on each other in their recent Horizon debate over the GOP primary nod for Arizona Att ... More >>

Barack Obama's $600 Million Border Boondoggle

Obama: $600 million-tough on landscapers and nanniesSo President Barack Obama, who still talks a good game about "comprehensive immigration reform," has now signed a supplemental border security package worth $600 million to add 1,000 Border Patrol agents, as well as hundreds of new officers for Imm ... More >>

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

Obama: $600 million-tough on landscapers and nanniesSo President Barack Obama, who still talks a good game about "comprehensive immigration reform," has now signed a supplemental border security package worth $600 million to add 1,000 Border Patrol agents, as well as hundreds of new officers for Imm ... More >>

John McCain vs. DREAM Act: Vote Expected Today

Tim'es a waistin', people. Hit those phones. Hit 'em hard.The DREAM Act, proposed legislation that would legalize the status of undocumented students brought here when they were young, is being discussed on the floor of the U.S. House even as I type this. A vote in both houses of Congress is expecte ... More >>

John McCain vs. DREAM Act, Pt.2: Passes House, Senate Vote Today

Dream a little DREAM with me...The haters were defeated in the U.S. House yesterday, and the DREAM Act passed 216-198.Today, the fight goes to the U.S. Senate, where the Republicans threaten a filibuster, and the Dems lack the 60 votes to invoke cloture.I say, let them filibuster. Call their bluff. ... More >>

What Would Comprehensive Immigration Reform Look Like If the Feds Got Off Their Duffs?

Dream a little DREAM with me...The haters were defeated in the U.S. House yesterday, and the DREAM Act passed 216-198.Today, the fight goes to the U.S. Senate, where the Republicans threaten a filibuster, and the Dems lack the 60 votes to invoke cloture.I say, let them filibuster. Call their bluff. ... More >>

Gabrielle Giffords' Seat Would be Filled Through Special Election in the Event of Her Departure From Office

If Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is unable to carry out her duties, Governor Jan Brewer would call a special election. ​As Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords remains hospitalized and in critical condition after taking a bullet through the brain during Saturday's shooting spree in Tucso ... 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 >>

Arizona House Passes Bill Prohibiting Picketing at Funerals; Lawmakers Display Bipartisan Spirit

www.bipartisanbridge.org Arizona lawmakers engage in bipartisanship​After swiftly moving through the state Senate and the House of Representatives, a bill that makes it illegal to protest or picket within 300 feet of funerals is making its way to Governor Jan Brewer, who is expected to sign ... More >>

Giffords and Security: When Man Dropped Gun at 2009 Event, Police Were Already There

Image: www.youtube.comAlberto Melis, police chief of Douglas, Arizona, provided police security in 2009 for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords -- even though she didn't ask for it​When Douglas Police Chief Alberto Melis got word in August of 2009 that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords planned an even ... More >>

New York City Proves Obvious in Arizona: Any Criminal Can Score a Gat at a Gun Show

Now if you could only buy nuclear weapons this way...Tucson killer Jared Lee Loughner didn't get his gun through a gigantoid flea-market-type gun show, where any criminal can buy a Glock and some extended mags, cash and carry.Actually, Loughner copped his gat from a licensed gun dealer. He passed th ... More >>

Arizona Republican's Abortion Bill is "Assault [on] Woman's Dignity," Pro-Choice Group Says

www.demotivateus.com​There are several abortion bills making their way through the Arizona Legislature at the moment. None of them seem to make a whole lot of sense, considering the other, more-pressing issues the state currently faces (namely a pesky $2 billion budget shortfall), but o ... More >>

Ask a Mexican on Imperialist Land Grabs and Exclaiming in ALL CAPS

www.demotivateus.com​There are several abortion bills making their way through the Arizona Legislature at the moment. None of them seem to make a whole lot of sense, considering the other, more-pressing issues the state currently faces (namely a pesky $2 billion budget shortfall), but o ... More >>

Senate Vote on Race-Based Abortion Bill Set for Today

​As state legislators continue to waste their time -- and infinitely more important, your tax dollars -- coming up with solutions to problems that don't actually exist, the Arizona state Senate will vote today on a bill that would make having an abortion based on race or gender a felony.The bill w ... More >>

Arizona Legislature Would Prefer You Not Be Gay if You Want to Adopt a Kid

www.cafepress.com​The Arizona Senate yesterday approved a bill already given the green light by the House of Representatives that makes it as difficult as possible for gay people to adopt a child in the Grand Canyon State.The bill doesn't necessarily say homosexuals can't adopt children, but that ... More >>

Colorado House Spikes Legislation Charging Undocumented Students In-State Tuition

News MildUndocumented students walk through a minefield of laws in pursuit of higher education.​Some bills die on the floor of the statehouse. Others die on the governor's desk. Sometimes, they die in the courts. And then there are those that die in a legislative committee, along party lines, li ... More >>

Kirk Adams Stepping Down as State House Speaker on Thursday; Run for Congress Likely

  ​Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams (left) will step down from his post on Thursday as a likely step toward running for Representative Jeff Flake's seat in Congress. Flake's planning a run for U.S. Senator Jon Kyl's soon-to-be-vacant seat, and Adams has been among the possible candi ... More >>

DREAM Act Reintroduced as Democrats Continue Kabuki Courtship of Latinos

Cleveland.comDREAM On.​Illinois Senator Richard Durbin will re-introduce the DREAM Act later this morning. Durbin's move is the second step in the Democratic Party's kabuki courtship of Latino voters ahead of the 2012 elections, which began with Barack Obama's bogus immigration speech yesterday. ... More >>

Morning Poll -- More Exciting: Gabrielle Giffords in D.C. or U.S. Government (Probably) Not Going Into Default?

Gabrielle Giffords returned to Congress yesterday to vote on the debt deal.​Two pretty incredible things happened yesterday: the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bi-partisan debt-ceiling bill that -- Senate-approved -- will keep the federal government from defaulting on its loans. Also ... More >>

How Did Your Representative Vote on Debt-Ceiling Bill? Let's Take a Look

www.pcrf.com​The federal government avoided economic catastrophe today after the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill to increase the debt-ceiling yesterday. The bill cleared the Senate this morning, and President Barack Obama signed it into law moments ago.The vast majority of Arizon ... More >>

Should the U.S. Government Subsidize Accordion Festivals?

ww.schoolmusicshirts.com​A group of accordion fanatics in Texas aren't happy with Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake.This coming weekend is the International Accordion Festival in San Antonio, Texas. The Festival is subsidized by the National Endowment of the Arts, an independent agency of the federal ... More >>

As the Stop Online Piracy Act Hits Capitol Hill, Here Are Five Major Artists That Support Online Music Piracy

​No matter your stance on piracy, you have to admit it's pretty freakin' sweet that, at any given time, you can hop on the web and get free art. Even if it is illegal. Of course, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is out to change all of that. Introduced to the House of Representatives in late ... More >>

As the Stop Online Piracy Act Hits Capitol Hill, Five Artists That Speak Out Against File Sharing

Sigur Ros​Yesterday, we blogged about the ultra-famous musicians that support music piracy in the face of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), recently introduced to the House of Representatives, which aims to protect the copyright laws of music and other downloadable intellectual property. Web ... More >>

Arizona's GOP Congressmen on Joe Arpaio's Botched Sex-Crime Investigations: (Crickets)

Attention GOP congressmen: grow a set, would ya?​Since the old, 2009 Pulitzer Prize-worthy tale of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's 432 botched sex-crime investigations was thrust into the national spotlight thanks to an oddly timed Associated Press article last week, two of Arizona's three De ... More >>

State Representative Matt Heinz Will Run For Gabrielle Giffords' Seat in Congress

State Representative Matt Heinz is running for Congress.​Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords resigned from her seat in Congress last week in an emotional farewell speech read on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.State Representative Matt Heinz, an openly gay Tucson Democrat, annou ... More >>

Congressman Ben Quayle to Face David Schweikert in District 6 Congressional Primary

James King Congressman Ben Quayle​In what comes as no surprise to anyone who keeps tabs on Arizona Congressional politics, Republican Congressman Ben Quayle announced today that he plans to run in Arizona's newly formed sixth Congressional district -- which is likely unsettling news for GOP ... More >>

Representative Kimberly Yee Wants to Tell You When You Can Have An Abortion

​Republican Arizona Representative Kimberly Yee has taken a page out of fagala-phobic abortion bully Trent Franks' book, and is taking it upon herself to attempt to dictate when women in Arizona can have an abortion.Yee introduced a bill into the Arizona Legislature yesterday that would ban aborti ... More >>