It's always nice to see your name in a headline that doesn't also include the phrase, "police say," but we're taking the most recent Sonoran Alliance blog post by "Cincinnatus" with a grain of salt.
Cinnypoo has been writing a lot of negative things lately about Tom Horne, the state schools chief. Horne's running for Attorney General, the same lofty post being sought by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas.
Sure, if a fellow blogger claims he or she doesn't work for Thomas or in any other county government position, we want to take the bloke's word for it. We have no evidence to say otherwise, and we imagine it might even be true. Still, Cin'll have to forgive us if we hold out the possibility he/she is lying. It's kind of hard to believe someone who's wearing a mask. Besides, political theater is complicated: The writer might not work for the county, but still have another personal incentive, or indirect benefit in tearing Horne a new one.
As to the substance of Cin-City's posts about Horne... It's so-so. Horne is attacked primarily because he's not conservative enough on certain issues, like abortion -- and indeed, his voting record (as tallied by Cincinnatus) probably falls into the category of What Jesus Would Not Do. But abortion won't be the most urgent issue facing the state attorney general.
Remember Andrew Thomas' message in the 2002 primary race that launched his political career? It was essentially "I'm WAY more conservative than these guys." Whether he intends to or not, Cincinnatus seems to be carrying that old jug of water for Thomas. But who knows -- maybe Horne's more moderate-Republican stance will come off looking more reasonable as the 2010 race heats up statewide.
One last thing: Cincinnatus' two-tweet Twitter account links to a T-shirt for sale that bears his name (where the above image comes from). It's just one more reason we don't fully trust Cinny. Not because he's hoping someone throws change in his cup, but because the image isn't of Cincinnatus -- it's Augustus.
