Does Sheriff Joe Arpaio really think it's unnecessary to debate his opponent, Paul Penzone, or is the Sheriff...chicken?

According to Randy Parraz and Citizens for Better Arizona members who brought live chickens to Arpaio's office on the 19th floor of the Wells Fargo Building in Phoenix, the Sheriff's chicken.

Arpaio says all the voters already know what his deal is as Sheriff, so there's no reason for a debate.

Parraz says it's because the Sheriff's afraid of his record, and brought the chickens along to prove a point.

"If he's going to act chicken about running against Paul Penzone...then he should hang out with the chickens," he said.

Unfortunately, Arpaio was on his way out of the Wells Fargo Building as Parraz and CBA members -- concealing the chickens in cardboard file boxes -- were on their way in.

Parraz said that the "chicken Arpaio" campaign is something that will go on until the election, though, so Arpaio's bound to find out at some point.

He added that they're using a little humor -- which, in addition to the live chickens, included the "Chicken Dance" and Arpaio's face fashioned like a chicken -- but they're also trying to make a "very profound point."

Debating is one of the fundamentals of democracy, he explained, and if Arpaio's happy about his "birther" investigation and his office's sex-crimes debacle, then he should defend it in a debate.

Until then, Arpaio's chicken.

• Arpaio