U.S. Senate

Mark Kelly, Testifying on Gun Violence, Informs Senate Committee of Phoenix Shooting (Video)

Mark Kelly, while testifying in a U.S. Senate committee hearing on gun violence, informed the rest of the room that another Arizona shooting had just taken place during the meeting.After talking about the Tucson shooting of his wife, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Kelly fielded a question ... More >>

Rich Carmona, U.S. Senate Candidate, Spends Election Day Rallying the Troops

U.S. Senate candidate Rich Carmona started Election Day in South Phoenix with Mayor Greg Stanton, rallying the troops who have been working all year to boost support for the former U.S. Surgeon General. "Volunteers for [Carmona] have been working as hard as they can to make sure that every eligible ... More >>

Is Jeff Flake a Libertarian in Any Sense of the Word?

Yesterday, we told you about an online advertisement targeting Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Marc Victor, which says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid really wants Libertarians to vote for Victor."Every morning, Harry Reid wakes up, eats his breakfast, and says a little prayer that Libertarians ... More >>

Bill Richardson Takes DPS to Task for Baseball-Tickets Scandal and Other Possible Signs of a "Failed Agency"

In a column today in the East Valley Tribune, former police officer Bill Richardson takes the Arizona Department of Public Safety to task for a baseball-ticket scandal and other possible signs of a failed agency. New Times broke the story last December of the investigation into the DPS' former No. ... More >>

Top Ten Arizona Political Ads of 2012 (So Far)

I don't think anyone will bemoan the end of the 2012 election cycle, except perhaps the TV execs and political consultants who're making a killing off the political ads bombarding us through the boob tube. Still, quite a few are memorable, and there is nothing more American than reducing your oppo ... More >>

Senators John McCain, Jon Kyl Upset Their Praise for Senate Candidate Richard Carmona Surfaced in Campaign Ad A Decade Later

The campaign ads are showing no signs of slowing in the heated race for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat. Congressman Jeff Flake, who is endorsed by Arizona Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl, has been making every effort to paint his opponent, Rich Carmona, as a handpicked candidate who will rubber stamp ... More >>

Jeff Flake, U.S. Senate Candidate, Says He's Opposed to Budget Earmarks, But Looked the Other Way When it was Politically Convenient

Congressman Jeff Flake, who is running for U.S. Senate against former U.S. Surgeon General Rich Carmona, says he doesn't like earmarks, which some call "pork barrel spending." He certainly has earned a reputation for fighting against federal funding for specific projects attached to unrelated bil ... More >>

Jeff Flake Smiled at Rich Carmona's "Prettier" Joke, Now Lamely Makes Hay Over It

So why can't a man be prettier than a woman? Look at Brad Pitt. Leonardo DiCaprio. Johnny Depp. David Beckham. And, um, Congressman Jeff Flake. Not that Channel 12's Brahm Resnik is in their league. I mean, he's no Joe Dana. If you ask me, you folks who were outraged by former Surgeon General an ... More >>

President Obama, Mitt Romney "Dead Even" in Arizona, if Poll Is to Be Trusted

According to the latest poll of Arizonans, President Obama's ahead of Mitt Romney by two percentage points, which qualifies as being "dead even."This poll comes from the Behavior Research Center, which is notably the only polling outfit that's shown an Obama lead in Arizona out of the eight companie ... More >>

Richard Carmona Raised a Large Sum of American Dollars Last Week

It was just a couple weeks ago that Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Richard Carmona's campaign was boasting about raising $51,000 in his bid to upset Republican Congressman Jeff Flake.That had been Carmona's biggest haul of U.S. currency in one week, until now -- Carmona's campaign says they took i ... More >>

The Mormon Dilemma: What About Mormon Latinos?

Jeff Flake, U.S. Senate Hopeful, Chastises Congressman Todd Akin Over "Legitimate Rape" Comments, Yet He Co-Sponsored Legislation with Phrase "Forcible Rape"

Congressman Jeff Flake posted on his Facebook page on Thursday that during his campaign trail travels all over the state -- to places such as Superior, Miami, Globe, Payson, Show Low, Prescott, Flagstaff, Williams, Lake Havasu, Sierra Vista, Tucson, Kingman -- he had a revelation. "What I've found i ... More >>

Jeff Flake Endorsed by John McCain and Jon Kyl; Wil Cardon's Still Stuck With Trent Franks

Republican U.S. Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl announced their endorsement of Congressman Jeff Flake for the Senate seat being vacated by Kyl.That brings Flake's tally of endorsements from sitting Senators to five, in addition to Congressman Paul Ryan and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.Flake's pr ... More >>

Stephen Steinbrink Leaves Arizona With a Pop Record About Arizona

Like nearly everyone in Phoenix, songwriter Stephen Steinbrink (you may recognize his project name French Quarter as well) has a love/hate relationship with the city. It's easy to love the pockets of true community, the DIY art-spaces, punk rock house shows, and the affordable, delicious Mexican foo ... More >>

Don Bivens, the $160,000 Man, Slimes Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona

Former Arizona Democratic Party Chair Don Bivens will not go gently into that good night, like he should.Rather, Bivens seems hell-bent on an ugly contest in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate this year. Already, he's going negative on former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, the guy Pr ... More >>

Joe Arpaio's Endorsement Still Worth Something, if Polls are to Be Trusted

​If public-opinion polls are to be trusted, then Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's endorsement still is worth something to Arizonans.Arpaio's endorsement of some candidates hasn't worked out too well -- like former U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth, ousted Senate President Russell Pearce ... More >>

Ask a Mexican on Marco Rubio and The 'Real Mexico'

Richard Carmona Promises AZ Dems a U.S. Senate Seat

Russell Pearce Supporter Ron Ludders' Lame Robocall Targeting Democrats and Latinos

What we'll be serenading the Pearce folks with this Tuesday evening...In what smells like a classic attempt at voter suppression, the conservative Safeguard Arizona's Future PAC, which previously backed wackjob loser JD Hayworth in the 2010 Republican U.S. Senate primary, is doing robocalls to ... More >>

Is Joe Arpaio Really Thinking About Running for Senate (as if We Even Have to Ask)?

​Did you hear the one about 79-year-old Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio considering a run for the United States Senate?That's not a joke -- Arpaio, at 79, really claims to be considering running for the Senate seat getting vacated by Senator Jon Kyl.Anyone who knows anything about America's sel ... More >>

Morning Poll: Is Senator Jon Kyl's Excuse Over "Factual Statements" Satisfactory?

Disclaimer: Jon Kyl's apology for lying about abortion statistics is "not intended to be a factual statement" -- or it is? ​Senator Jon Kyl issued a statement yesterday apologizing for his attempt to redefine lying by following a lie with the disclaimer that his statement was not "intended to be a ... More >>

Russell Pearce Is His Own Worst Enemy

Senator Jon Kyl's Lies About Planned Parenthood "Not Intended to be Factual Statement"

www.persephonemagazine.comDisclaimer: whatever Senator Jon Kyl says is "not intended to be a factual statement."​As the United States government creeped closer to shutting down on Friday because far-right-wing-nuts don't like abortion, Senator Jon Kyl took to the Senate floor to give a less-than-" ... More >>

After Re-Living Fatso Cream-Cheese "Tweet," Grant Woods Says He'll "Look at" Running for Senate

Senator Grant Woods?​Announcing that you're considering running for U.S. Senate after telling a story about fatsos and their love of cream cheese is an interesting campaign tactic -- and it's one Former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods pulled out this morning on live TV.Woods, a.k.a. the best ... More >>

Gabrielle Giffords Congressional Buddies Hold Fundraiser for Her 2012 Campaign -- For Whatever Office That May Be

Senator Giffords? Too soon to tell, if you ask us.​Several of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' friends in Congress will be holding a fundraiser to raise money for the wounded U.S. representative's 2012 campaign, fueling speculation that if she's able, she'll run for the U.S. Senate seat being vac ... More >>

Russell Pearce's "Anchor Baby" Bills, John Eastman's Homophobia, Adam Driggs' Political Courage

Pearce, foiled, but only for the moment, on his two 14th Amendment bigot bills...As you likely know by now, state Senate President Russell Pearce's unconstitutional, un-American, immoral, and illegal effort to undermine the birthright citizenship provision of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitut ... More >>

Terry Goddard, Raul Grijalva Call for Compromise, as Rodney Glassman Whips Up Rancor

Compromise? Apparently not, if Glassman gets his way...Fearing an acrimonious showdown this Saturday when Dems are scheduled to meet at the Wyndham Hotel downtown to pick a new Democratic Party chair, former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and Congressman Raul Grijalva are calling for a compr ... More >>

Rodney Glassman: Put Off "Largest Middle-Class Tax Increase in History" -- Of Course, That's Only "Until the Economy Recovers"

​ Rodney Glassman, the young, rich, Democrat running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican John McCain, loves the tax cuts put into place by former President George W. Bush. It's surprising to hear any Dem praising a move by Bush, who still gets the credit by President Obama for today' ... 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 >>

Joe Arpaio and Russell Pearce's Ban Amnesty Now Blasted by John Dougherty

Sheriff Joe's ball: Yours for $100Crusading U.S. Senate candidate and former New Times journalist John Dougherty has fired a salvo at what he refers to as "Arizona's axis of hysteria." That is, this odd fundraising venture on the part of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and neo-Nazi-hugging state Senator Russell ... More >>

Democratic U.S. Senate Candidates Schedule Debates -- by Democratic Candidates, We Mean Everyone But Rodney Glassman

U.S. Senate hopeful Rodney Glassman​ Three of Arizona's four Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate have been busy scheduling a series of debates set to begin June 9. But one, former Tucson Vice Mayor Rodney Glassman, hasn't agreed to take part -- at least he hasn't let the other candida ... More >>

John Dougherty, Journalist-Turned-U.S. Senate-Hopeful, Celebrates Petition Turn-In At Tempe Bar

Truth told, we have spent an hour or two over the years with our longtime colleague John Dougherty at Casey Moore's Oyster House, the venerable neighborhood joint on South Ash in Tempe. ​The beer was cold as always, and the food delicious. But this was different--at least a little ... 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 >>

John McCain Picks Up Support of 31 Arizona Mayors in His Bid to Fend Off J.D. Hayworth in GOP Senate Primary

www.afeatheradrift.com"The maverick"​A day after former Congressman J.D. Hayworth officially kicked off his campaign to unseat Senator John McCain as the GOP's candidate for a U.S. Senate seat, "the maverick" has received an outpouring of support from 31 Arizona mayors.Hayworth, on the other hand, ... More >>

J.T. Ready, Sal Reza, and a Horde of Racist Tea Party Tards in Big Noise Films' White Power U.S.A.

I met Big Noise filmmakers Richard Rowley and Jacquie Soohen while they were in town to cover the National Socialist Movement march on the Arizona state Capitol in November. Though the duo live in New York, they fly all over the world, from Afghanistan and Iraq to Mexico and Ecuador producing docume ... More >>

Barack Obama Makes Joe Arpaio's Pal Janet Napolitano Point Woman for Immigration Reform, 287(g) Ignored

President Obama's remarks after the White House immigration summit today While it was gratifying to see President Barack Obama's much-delayed summit on immigration take place today, and for the President to declare after the meeting that, "My administration is fully behind an effort to achieve comp ... More >>

Rick Renzi, Indicted Former Congressman, Getting His Earmarks Through

  If you don't like the $1.2 million in earmarks shoved into a Congressional spending bill headed for a vote in the U.S. Senate, it may be tough to get ahold of the man responsible: Indicted Former Congressman Rick Renzi. USA Today reports that Renzi is one of several former lawmakers who ... More >>

"Save Our Secret Ballots" Group Includes Arizona in Anti-Labor-Union Plans to Change State Constitutions

Arizona is poised to take center stage in the debate over a proposed national law that would ban workers from voting for or against labor unions in secret ballot elections.A group based in Las Vegas called "Save Our Secret Ballots" is preparing to defend against the proposed law -- which is support ... More >>

Doug MacEachern, aka, "Mr. Provincial," Takes a Swipe at His Betters at The New York Times

Is it just me, or is MacEachern looking more and more like the old dood from Family Guy these days?Here's a big surprise, the Republic's lead curmudgeon Doug "Mossback" MacEachern doesn't like it that the New York Times recently labeled Cactus Country a "State of Fear," due to our loss of Janet Napo ... More >>

Janet Napolitano Heads to Homeland Security, Joe Arpaio Dances a Jig

  Part One of Amy Goodman's recent Democracy Now! segment on Janet Napolitano. Part Two from the same Democracy Now! show. If you want a quick video primer on why today's official pick of Gov. Janet Napolitano to be Obama's Homeland Security Secretary is a disaster for those concerned about ... More >>

Tramp the earth down: The unlikely debt I owe the late Senator Jesse Helms.

Is John McCain a War Hero?

The senator's five years as a prisoner of war have been widely viewed as heroic. But as he prepares a White House bid, a small group of detractors is determined to expose him as a wartime traitor

The Pampered Politician

Arizona Senator John McCain is ready for a presidential run — if the national press corps has anything to say about it

WITH JON KYL, DULL DOESN'T MEAN HARMLESS

FIFE'S DOUBLE TALK ON EDUCATIONGOVERNOR SYMINGTON'S SCHOOL-VOUCHER PLAN IS A GIFT FOR CONSERVATIVES--NOT THE POOR

EVEN HIS WIFE CAN'T STAND HIM ANYMORE

Those $1,000 Checks Do Add Up

The Dark Horse Is Closing

The Battle of Patriots Square

It was the mother of all placard wars