Listen to Judd's "brainwash" quote, 30 seconds in... See also: Jan Brewer's Arrogant Bull at ALEC's GOP-Corporate Love Fest See also: Jan Brewer's Top Sycophant, SRP Lobbyist Russell Smoldon, and ResistALEC's "Sleeping Dragon"
Talk about a poor choice of words.
Republican state Representative Peggy Judd is currently in Salt Lake City, Utah, attending the annual conference of the now-notorious American Legislative Exchange Council, the powerful, conservative organization that pimps pro-corporate bills in state legislatures nationwide.
She spoke to a Fox affiliate there on Wednesday, and her interview begins 30 seconds in. Judd relates how she participated in an ALEC leadership training conference in Washington, DC, about one month after she was elected in 2010.
"I wouldn't say they brainwashed me," she told reporter Max Roth. "Because when I got there, I felt so at home. I guess I could say my dad brainwashed me, to be a very strong conservative person."
Well, that's reassuring. Later in the broadcast, Roth relates how Judd told him that she does get lobbied in the ALEC meetings, even though ALEC is a non-profit, and shouldn't be lobbying legislators.
"She said, in fact, the meetings were officially supposed to be casual dress," stated Roth, paraphrasing Judd. "But the lobbyists wear such nice clothes, it's hard to dress down."
A recent editorial by Common Cause president Bob Edgar, "ALEC Is a Lobby, Not a Charity," calls ALEC out for "violating--flouting, really--federal tax laws and at least skirting some state lobbying laws."
Lawmakers receive "scholarships" to attend ALEC meetings, one of the perks of being a state legislator. Arizona legislators from both sides of the aisle take these sorts of "scholarships" from loads of different organizations. Though, ALEC draws mostly Rs, natch.
As far as I'm concerned all such gifts should be banned, along with the free lunches the legislators receive from various groups on the state Senate and House lawns. No free hamburgers for you, Representative Seel. You've been gettin' a tad plump of late.
You'll recall that ALEC was in Scottsdale this past December, and was protested by various activist groups, including one that occupied the Salt River Project's Tempe headquarters. The far right-wing-leaning SRP is closely tied to ALEC. Its fat cat lobbyist Russell Smolden sits on ALEC's private enterprise board.
If you want to read more about ALEC, investigative reporter Beau Hodai has been way ahead of the curve on exposing the organization's influence and detailing ALEC's involvement with the creation of Senate Bill 1070. Which is why ALEC hates him so much.
The Center for Media and Democracy has a collection of his articles, and Hodai's website dbapress.com is a must as well. I highly recommend checking out both, if you haven't already.
