The day I interviewed Republican Patrick Gatti for this week’s cover story on the CD1 congressional race, who knew the interesting remark he shared with me would make news on the Arizona Republic’s AZ/DC Blog.
The blog post kindly describes the Show Low retiree’s campaign as low-key, although I mentioned he said he’s only raised about $500, which is about as low as a key can get. But I digress. The focus of the post was Gatti’s remark on his fellow Republican congressional candidate Jonathan Paton:
“He portrays himself as a warrior, but he was in the National Guard, which I consider to be of lesser quality than full Army,” Gatti said (although Paton is actually in the Army Reserve).
Gatti doesn’t completely deny the quote, but that he “can’t confirm that quote.” However, Paton, the actual contender in the Republican primary, told the AZ/DC that he was quoted accurately in the same story and didn’t understand why Gatti, who got Paton’s service wrong to begin with (Army Reserve not National Guard), felt it was of a “lesser quality”:
“I’m not in the National Guard, but we have a saying that we’re all green. We’re all the same,” he said. “My main reaction is regarding the reputation of the best army in the whole entire world. That army does not function without the Guard and the Reserve components. They have the same training and the same responsibilities in the field as the active duty component.”
I wondered the same thing, especially when I shared the story with my mom, a former captain in the U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps, who probably said a few expletives under her breath in reaction.
Well, maybe Gatti was just confused the day I interviewed him. Did AZ/DC get to the end of my story? After chatting to me about cutting more federal dollars to the tribes (you know, the rent we pay for the land and all those wonderful things we did — look ethnic studies is banned in Arizona, so I probably shouldn’t treat this as Howard Zinn moment.), he talked about how he and Democrat Wenona Benally Baldenegro were the only two congressional candidates to go before the Hopi Tribal Council.
Benally Baldenegro is Navajo. In fact, her candidacy was recently endorsed by the Navajo Nation Council. Gatti said this about the candidate:
He describes Benally Baldenegro, a member of the Navajo nation, as “a Hopi Indian and educated outside the reservation and brought back in to do work for the reservation.”
My mom, a fourth-generation Tucsonan, proud to have served her country (especially as a nurse. I’m telling you, don’t mess with nurses), was even more upset that Gatti didn’t have enough respect to note Benally Baldenegro’s tribe correctly and had the chutzpah to remark backhandedly about her education.
Too bad AZ/DC didn’t think it was important to ask Gatti about those comments. Maybe an ethnic studies class for Gatti is needed after all and an introduction to U.S. Army basic training, which my mom is ready to provide.
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2012.
I dont even know the reason for this articule. An old retired with dreams of grandor. Dosent have a chance in heck of getting votes past the single digit. Whats the point?
I have not seen any reportin of the District 3 race, this is going to be a real race. Amanda Aguirre. Running against Raul Grijalva. Amanda is from the same area as Raul, Has shown years of accomplishments 30 years running health care and Womens centers in YUMA. Has built a health care system similar to El Rio. Served in the AZ legislater.
And Raul still wont meet with or debate Amanda. The AZ Star wont interview Amanda. The AZ democratic party wont except her or give her information or the registered voter list of Democrats in her District . Their response we have a canidate in Raul and he is endorsed by Obama. We need to look at AZ, Yuma has the highest unemployment rate in the Nation, As well as foreclosures. Several of the growers and prosessors have left and sold their operation to chinese corporations. Reason they dont want to get into the boycott mess. Raul has displaced thousands of Hispanics in his own backyard by his reaction to SB1070.
While Raul Grijalva travels to Brimingham AL. looking for a rekindeling of the civil rights Issues. Just this last summer I was in Montgomery Selma,Tuskeege Brimingham, AL. Just take a look at those cities do we want to model ourselves like them?? These cities are nationally known but there is little hope for young families or growth through Education. While these cities have changed a Nation the Nation has grown past them. Leaving them slowly dieing from profiling and resentment for policy years gone. This is the Furture Raul Grijalva see’s.
It just does no service to the People of AZ to find an expresive GOP person Who has filed some papers to run for office. Then point out inaccuracies and silly comments and how some take offence to them. Basically this articule is worthless.