Joe Arpaio to Host Fundraiser For Matt Salmon — a Man Who Doesn’t Like Him, Doesn’t Trust Him, and Doesn’t Think He’s “Playing With a Full Deck”

If Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio hosted a fundraiser for everyone who doesn’t like him, doesn’t respect him, doesn’t think he’s “playing with a full deck,” and compares him to Mayberry’s bumbling lawman Barney Fife, he’d have no time for things like inmate coloring contests, or Elvis-themed panty parties at his jails.

So, it’s a good thing he’s only hosting a fundraiser for one person who can’t stand him — and that person is former Congressman Matt Salmon, who happens to be running for Congress…again.

Next Wednesday, for the bargain price of $250, you could spend an evening with America’s self-proclaimed “toughest sheriff,” and some of his far-right-wing GOP cohorts as Arpaio attempts to raise money for Salmon — again, a guy who is on the record talking about how incompetent he thinks Arpaio is.

Get the details on the fundraiser here.

You may recall last month, after Arpaio endorsed Salmon, we dredged up some old interviews Salmon gave to various media outlets, including New Times. The topic: Joe Arpaio.

In a May 2003 article in the East Valley Tribune, when asked about Arpaio, Salmon told the paper “do I care for Arpaio? Do I like him? No.”

He goes on to compare the sheriff to Mayberry’s inept top sheriff’s deputy, Barney Fife.

From the Tribune:

While Arpaio may have high poll numbers, his support is not deep
and people are growing weary of his antics, Salmon said. He cited
the millions of dollars the county has paid in lawsuits against the
sheriff’s office, as well as Arpaio’s well-publicized acquisition
of an armored personnel carrier complete with a .50-caliber machine
gun for the department.

“It almost looks like Barney Fife after a while,” Salmon said of
Arpaio’s tenure. “It’s like drilling on people’s teeth without
Novocaine. It just hits a raw nerve.”

Salmon made similar remarks about the powerful sheriff in a 2005 interview with New Times.

In 2005, when asked about Arpaio, Salmon told New Times “I don’t respect him. I don’t think he’s playing with a full deck.”

So, as of 2005, Salmon’s feelings towards Arpaio are as follows:

-He doesn’t like him.

-He doesn’t respect him.

-He doesn’t think he’s playing with a “full deck.”

-He compares him to Barney Fife.

Yet, now that he’s running for Congress and could use the endorsement
of a political heavyweight known for his tough stance on Arizona’s issue
du-jour, illegal immigration, Salmon’s lovin’ him some Joe.

In a press release announcing that Arpaio is endorsing his campaign, Salmon says the following:

Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been a tireless advocate for the safety of
Maricopa County citizens for almost two decades. He understands how
important it is to protect our national borders against illegal
immigration and he knows I will make that a top priority in Washington. I
am grateful for his confidence in my ability to represent the best
interests of our communities.

We’ve sent Salmon’s staff multiple emails asking for an explanation of the switcheroo. We’ve been ignored each time.

If you’d also like an explanation as to why a Congressional candidate,
who once said he had no respect for Joe Arpaio, would now refer to the
sheriff as a “tireless advocate for the safety of Maricopa County citizens for almost two decades” now that he’s running
for Congress, email Salmon’s campaign spokesman Adam Deguire at Adam@SalmonforCongress.com.