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Wednesday, September 1, 2010
News Republican No Shows Part II
Posted by Mari Herreras on Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 7:31 PM
To follow up yesterday's Range regarding the Republican no shows at last night's campaign forum sponsored by the NAACP, the Southern Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce and the Urban League, we talked earlier today with Chamber Executive Director Clarence Boykins, who helped organize the event.
Boykins said e-mail invites went out to Republican and Democratic candidates for state-wide offices — Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruction, U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress — right after the primary. No invites went out to the state legislative candidates.
"All the legislative folks who attended last night didn’t get an invite," Boykins said about the 10 Democrats and 1 Independent who showed up — which included Terry Goddard for Governor, Rodney Glassman for U.S. Senate, and Chris Deschene for Secretary of State.
"We were surprised by who showed up. Even the mine inspector candidate was there, Manuel Cruz, and all various districts throughout the state and city. We were surprised they were there, but we welcomed them. We had met beforehand to decide what questions we would ask, and all of our questions were for the people we invited."
Boykins said he never heard from the Republicans who were invited - Gov. Jan Brewer, Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate John Huppenthal, Attorney General candidate Tom Horne, and Secretary of State Ken Bennett. Boykins said he heard back from U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' office, as well as Attorney General Candidate Felecia Rotellini and Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Penny Kotterman, who told Boykins they were unable to attend
According to Ken Moyes, campaign volunteer with state Senate candidate Frank Antenori, state Representative candidate Ted Vogt, and state Representative candidate David Gowan, the whole thing was "designed to be a set-up."
"Maybe it would not be the most receptive crowd," Moyes said.
When asked why it wouldn't be a receptive crowd, Moyes said, "I don’t know. That was probably a misstatement on my part."
Moyes also accused the forum organizers of fraud because they didn't explain to those in attendance that the Republicans were not invited.
Boykins said the first hour of the forum was reserved for Republicans, the second hour for Democrats and then questions from organizers. Since Republicans were not in attendance, that time was given to eight legislative candidates, including LD 28 Senate candidate Dave Ewoldt, a Green-turned-Independent.
Boykins said the campaign forum organizers would be happy to host a second forum for the Republican candidates who were not invited and all Democrats. Moyes said the three candidates he volunteers for would be interested in attending.
We e-mailed Huppenthal for comment, and called Brewer and Horne's campaign. When and if they call back with comment, we will let you know. We also have a few e-mails and calls out to LD Democrats to find out why they decided to show up, even if they were supposedly not invited.
Keep reading to see Boykins' campaign forum invitation.
Chow New Peruvian Bistro Coming to Southside
Posted by Adam Borowitz on Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 4:31 PM
It looks like a new eatery called Don Pancho's Peruvian Bistro is setting up shop in the Southgate Shopping Center, on the southwest corner of Sixth Avenue and I-10.
If you haven't tried Peruvian food yet, Candela and Inca's can help. The chicha morada at both places is out of sight.
The new Peruvian bistro is still under construction. We'll let you know when we learn more.
Politics Brewer Vs. Goddard: Watch the Debate Tonight!
Posted by Jim Nintzel on Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 1:02 PM
Republican Gov. Jan Brewer goes toe-to-toe with Democratic challenger Terry Goddard tonight in the Clean Elections debate. It might be the only one we get, so politicos will want to tune in.
If you feel like staying home, our friends at KUAT-TV will be carrying the debate on Channel 6 from 7 to 8 p.m.
If you want to make a party of it, Republicans will be gathering at GOP county headquarters, 5447 East Fifth St. Fun starts at 6 p.m. with light snacks.
The Democrats are getting together at Democratic Party HQ, 4639 E. First St. They promise snacks at 6:30 but invite folks to come down at anytime after 5 p.m. if they want to try their hand at phone banking.
Politics Kelly Campaign: It's a Boy!
Posted by Jim Nintzel on Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 8:56 AM
Congrats to Republican congressional candidate Jesse Kelly and his wife Aubrey. This just in from the Kelly campaign:
Jesse and his wife, Aubrey, are proud to announce the birth of their second son, Luke Samson Kelly, at approximately 1:00 am on September 1st, 2010. Luke was 7 lbs, 11 oz, and measured 21 inches long.Jesse made the following statement, “Aubrey and I have been blessed with another child. Mom and baby are doing very well and we would like to thank everyone for their kind words of support.”
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Politics Republican No Shows?
Posted by Mari Herreras on Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 7:07 PM
It's been a long day at Weekly World Central. We were just about to go home after getting the paper out to press, when we decided to do a little Facebook time-suck. According to a post from Adam Kinsey, Pima County Democratic Party executive director, no Republicans showed up to the NAACP candidate forum tonight at the Dunbar Community Center.
Well, I guess the Republicans didn't think that the candidate forum hosted by the NAACP, Urban League and Black Chamber of Commerce was worth attending tonight...
Kinsey followed up in a comment that 11 Democrats and 1 Green had the forum to themselves.
News 40th Anniversary of Rubén Salazar's Death Remembered
Posted by Mari Herreras on Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 6:31 PM
Sunday, Aug. 29 was the 40th anniversary of the death of Latino journalist Rubén Salazar. Salazar was killed on August 29th, 1970, when he was struck in the head by a tear gas projectile fired by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy into an East Los Angeles bar. Salazar was covering the National Chicano Moratorium Against the Vietnam War antiwar march.
During this anti-Mexican age of SB 1070 and HB 2281, now is the perfect time to honor Salazar and reflect on his work. The University of California Press has a fantastic archive of Salazar's work as a journalist that you can visit here. Democracy Now aired a report today on the anniversary that you should watch here.
Included in the report was Rodolfo Acuña, a California State University Northridge professor emeritus of Chicano studies, who happens to be the author of Occupied America, a book on Chicano history that's been used by Arizona's outgoing Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne to justify his attack on TUSD ethnic studies.
Here's what Acuña had to say about Salazar's legacy:
Well, I think it’s enormous. It would have been even enormous if he wouldn’t have been killed, because the articles that he wrote during the 1960s are monumentous. You start to read through them, and you really get the sense of the times. And I do think that he was right, that there was a revolution that took place among the youth at that time, especially. But I don’t think that there was any danger of overthrowing the government, the people that we should have been overthrowing.
There's a new Chicano movement rising up in response to the racist law Horne championed against ethnic studies and Sen. Russell Pearce's equally disgusting SB 1070. Horne, a Republican, now wants to be Arizona's attorney general. He said TUSD is teaching kids how to be revolutionaries in the ethnic studies classes. We know this isn't true, but the attack against Mexicans in Arizona is reminding those same kids and others that maybe a revolution is exactly what we need right now.
Do This! Noche de Luz Flashlight Parade
Posted by Mari Herreras on Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 5:23 PM
There's still time. Get home, gather the kids and/or dogs, put some tissue paper over the flashlight, grab some water and help end Tucson's birthday month at Noche de Luz.
The flashlight parade starts at 6:30 p.m. on Mission Road at the foot of "A" Mountain, and is an organized flashlight procession to honor "those who have gone before us."
More info from birthday organizers:
A $20 prize will be awarded for the flashlight decorated to best represent an individual's personal heritage and ancestors.The official route will be approximately one mile, round trip. The parade begins on Mission Ro...ad at the foot of "A" Mountain's eastern face, south of the Mission Garden and north of 22nd Street. We will proceed along the Santa Cruz River Park and the DeAnza Trail, between 22nd Street and Mission Lane. Energetic paraders can extend the route another mile.
Politics Az Democratic Party: Republicans Recruiting "Sham Green" Candidates
Posted by Jim Nintzel on Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 12:10 PM
Mary Jo Pitzl of the Arizona Republic reports:
The state Democratic Party is alleging possible voter fraud in what it called a scheme to undermine its candidates by recruiting "sham" Green Party hopefuls.In a complaint filed late Monday, the party seeks an investigation by federal, state and county law-enforcement officials.
The complaint names Rep. Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix; Steve May, a Republican candidate for the Legislature; and a House Republican staffer as complicit in an effort to register at least a half-dozen people as Green Party members so they could run as write-in candidates in last week's primary election.Republicans accused of the ploy denied any wrongdoing.
An interesting detail:
Weiers, a former House speaker, called the complaint "cynical" and said people have a right to run under whatever political banner they choose. "If somebody wants to do it," he said of the last-minute registration change, "there's nothing illegal about it. There's nothing immoral."He acknowledged that he talked to Chris Campbell about his bid to run on the Green Party ticket for state Senate in District 10 but said he did not recruit the recently re-registered Republican. Campbell is the roommate of one of Weiers' daughters.
District 10, which Weiers represents in the House, has a competitive Senate race, as Democratic challenger Justin Johnson seeks to unseat veteran Sen. Linda Gray, R-Phoenix.
Campbell on Monday said he was running at his own initiative and won't wage a campaign.
"I'd just like to get on the ballot," he said.
Read the whole thing here.
Politics Thomas Concedes To Horne in AG Race
Posted by Jim Nintzel on Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 11:41 AM
AP reports:
Former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas conceded Tuesday to state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne in the Republican primary for Arizona attorney general.Thomas said it was clear that Horne, who had a lead of 887 votes, had won the race. There are an estimated 900 ballots statewide that have yet to be processed.
"As I promised during the campaign, I hereby endorse him and wish him the best in the general election," Thomas said in a written statement.
Read the whole thing here
Andrew Thomas endorsing a man he dismissed just weeks ago as a known con artist who wants to allow babies to be aborted? Has he no principles?
Monday, August 30, 2010
Politics Horne's Lead Over Andrew Thomas: 892 Votes
Posted by Jim Nintzel on Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 5:39 PM
The latest count in the Republican Arizona attorney general race shows that Tom Horne now has an 892-vote lead over Andrew Thomas.
Matt Benson of the Arizona Secretary of State's Office reports that as of Monday afternoon, there are roughly 900 provisional ballots statewide that are yet to be processed and counted in Gila and Apache counties.
