Politics & Government

In honor of the Arizona Bar disciplinary hearings that could potentially conclude with disbarments of disgraced former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Deputy County Attorney Lisa Aubuchon and the law-license suspension of ex-county lawyer Rachel Alexander, we’ve opted to go with a picture of the Alexander and Thomas for this week’s You Write…

As communities across Arizona — across the country — are desperately trying to attract new businesses and corporations to boost local economies, El Mirage is creating a headache for the city’s only gas station.We recently wrote about El Mirage city officials yanking their business from the Shell gas station on…

There is “reasonable cause” to believe that Arizona Citizens United, an independent expenditure organization that has poured more than $100,000 to ensure that Wes Gullett is Phoenix’s next mayor, has violated state campaign finance laws.Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett forwarded the case on October 13 to the Attorney General…

Yesterday, we watched as GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain told reporters that comments he made about his plan to install an electrified fence on the U.S./Mexico border capable of killing immigrants trying to come into the country illegally was just a joke.Then we watched him say he might seriously be…

Vice President Jan Brewer?If you just spit out your coffee, you can thank the Arizona Republic, which recently suggested the aforementioned absurd prophecy in one of its “Political Insider” posts.Check it out here.From the Republic:…

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann was in Phoenix this morning, where she met with local politicos at the State Capitol to talk about illegal immigration and, to quote Senator John McCain, completing “the dang fence.”Aside from blowing a few kisses at the asses of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Arizona…

Last week, we asked our readers to let us know what they would say to state Senate President Russell Pearce’s sham “candidate,” Olivia Cortes, if they bumped into her somewhere and got to tell her to her face what they think of her — and Pearce’s — sleazy attempt to manipulate Democracy…

Every Friday, we give our readers an opportunity to sound off about current events in the form of a contest we call You Write the Caption.In honor of sham Russell Pearce recall election “candidate” Olivia Cortes abandoning her “candidacy,” we’ve decided to change things up a little bit.This week, we’re…

Last time Minnesota Congresswoman/presidential candidate Michele Bachmann was in Phoenix, she told reporters she plans to target Arizona in her bid to become the Republican nominee for president.It appears she wasn’t kidding — Bachmann will be back in the Grand Canyon State on Monday to meet with members of the…

The “Dream” came true for illegal immigrants in California over the weekend — Governor Jerry Brown signed a version of the controversial Dream Act into California law Saturday. Now, local TV news station KPHO is suggesting the “Dream” may be coming to Arizona (insert Wayne Campbell’s “Shyeah…and monkeys might fly…

Mark Kelly, husband of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, spoke during an Arizona Democratic Party fundraiser at the Arizona Science Center in downtown Phoenix to salute the party’s grassroots volunteers.During his speech, the retired NASA astronaut, told the crowd that Giffords was excited for Greg Stanton to be Phoenix’s next mayor…

A Washington, D.C.-based firm conducted a poll in the Phoenix mayor’s race that reveals Greg Stanton has a  19-point lead over his opponent Wes Gullett.Robbie Sherwood, a spokesman for Stanton, said the poll wasn’t commissioned or paid for by the Stanton for Mayor campaign.”I haven’t seen that poll and don’t…

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu is endorsing Phoenix mayoral candidate Wes Gullett, saying that he would work with them to fight illegal immigration. “Wes Gullett understands that the most sacred responsibility of city government is public safety,” Babeu said in a press release. “He’ll work with us, not against us,…

Former Alaska Governor/the best person Governor Jan Brewer could find to write the foreword to her new book, Sarah Palin, isn’t going to run for president this year — but there’s a Senate seat in a certain Southwestern haven for far-right-wing-nuts that she’s rumored to have been eying for several…

This weekend is the 11th annual International Accordion Festival in San Antonio, Texas. It’s a three-day gathering of accordions, polka music, and, of course, beer.But if you ask Gwen Rivera, director of the International Accordion Festival, it’s more than just a gathering of polka fans who sit around and consume…

Scottsdale Lieutenant Mike Stauffer, the man who hopes to unseat Joe Arpaio as Maricopa County sheriff, announced Friday that he’s switching party affiliation to run as an Independent.It’s probably a pretty good move — Stauffer originally was running as a Republican, which means he would have had to face Arpaio…

Thomas Vickery lit a fire under the butts of city officials earlier this year, shaming them into finally moving a fire hydrant that blocked a curb ramp on a sidewalk.Now he wants the city of Phoenix to move up its schedule to do more improvements along Bethany Home Road that…

An illegal immigrant with epilepsy who crashed into the squad car of Phoenix police officer Jason Schecterle in 2002, burning the officer severely, has been deported to Mexico.Rogelio Gutierrez, 45, was marched across the border in Nogales on September 12 after spending the last nine years in an Arizona state…

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer announced yesterday that CNN will produce a “major” debate in Arizona between GOP presidential candidates.Jan’s “thrilled.””I’ve been in politics a long time, but I can’t remember a more critical election than this,” she says. “When it comes to some of the hallmark issues facing our country…

Steve Chucri, CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association, announced plans today to run against Don Stapley in 2012 for a seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.”It’s time for new ideas … it’s time for a new day at the county,” says Chucri, who’s been head of the restaurant…

There’s been much squawking in Phoenix about the need to outsource, to privatize and to slash government costs — and it was a pledge that many of the six mayoral candidates made as they ran in the first leg of the Phoenix election.Now that the field of candidates in the…

Former United States Congressman Matt Salmon and former Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams are both eying the Congressional seat getting vacated by Congressman Jeff Flake, who is running for the Senate seat getting vacated by Senator Jon Kyl.The two are both Republicans, both Mormon, and both have some big names…