During every election cycle I am always asked which judges to vote for on the ballot. This is always the biggest mystery since almost every judge refuses to answer candidate surveys.

Below is what we know on the judges and how you should consider voting. All of these judges will be retained. In fact, no judge has been turned out of office in over 30 years! However, judges do like to review their numbers the day after the election to see how they compare to their cohorts.

Here is the list:

ARIZONA SUPREME COURT:
Andrew Hurwitz – VOTE NO – Liberal Democrat
Ruth McGregor – VOTE NO – Liberal Democrat
 
AZ COURT OF APPEALS:
Division One – Including Maricopa County
Donn Kessler – VOTE NO – Liberal Democrat
Patricia Norris – VOTE NO – Liberal Democrat
Maurice Portley – VOTE YES - Democrat, but a good judge
 
Division Two – Southern Arizona
William Brammer – VOTE NO – Liberal Democrat
Paul Eckerstrom – VOTE NO – Liberal Democrat
Philip Espinoza – VOTE YES – Solid Conservative
Joseph Howard – VOTE YES – Solid Conservative
 
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES, MARICOPA COUNTY:
Barbara Rodriguez Mundell, Presiding Judge – VOTE NO!!!!!!!
Be advised that many of the judges who are listed as Republicans switched parties when Hull was in office. They are actually Democrats.
Edward Burke – VOTE YES
Alfred Fenzel – VOTE YES
Jeffrey Hotham – VOTE YES
Brian Ishikawa -VOTE YES
Michael Jones – VOTE YES
All are fine judges
NO on all others, especially Barbara Rodriguez Mundell

With Republicans appearing to sag in the polls as Election day draws near, who can we expect to lend us a bump other than John Kerry?

Yesteday in the midst of a military-hating crowd of indoctrinated college students at Pasadena City College, John Kerry made the following statement:

“You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

Today, Kerry is trying to brush it off as saying it was a joke or that he was actually referring to President Bush. But there is a more profound revelation here. John Kerry, has manifested his real dislike of our military men and women. Kinda brings back the statement that ended up clobbering him in the 2004 election cycle: “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.”

Expect Kerry’s recent display of affection to be all over the news the next few cycles as Republicans take advantage of Kerry’s words to improve their election outcomes across the country.

With enemies like John Kerry, who needs friends?

     Gabby touts herself as having successfully run a small business. From what I understand it was more like putting lipstick on the pig before it was sent to the slaughterhouse.

     It does look like she is at least a smart, if disingenuous, businesswoman. She somehow managed to have the City of Tucson take control of an environmentally polluted site so someone else could pay for the clean up. She failed to mention that on her resume of business accomplishments.

Tuesday 10-31-06, 1:30 pm

     Our site has been noticed over at AZNetroots.com. Tim found our post on embryonic stem cell Frankenscience and wrote the following comment (#8):

     Did you know that in the normal course of Sexual intercourse, thousands of blastocysts are flushed from the uterus. Maybe you can get some volunteers to rescue these poor souls.

     I am no specialist in biology but this is a very interesting take on intercourse and blastocysts. If there are any “wingnuts” out there with a background in biology who would like to comment please do so.

Monday 10-30-06, 11:30 pm

Senator Jon Kyl has widened his lead over Jim Pederson in the latest edition of the Zogby / WSJ Battleground States Poll. Kyl is not showing a 7.4% edge compared to 6.2% on October 19th. Still a close race but the trend is decidedly not good for Pederson. May another few million will seal the deal.

They are also tracking the race for governor. Munsil will like the trend but I am not sure what will happen on November 7th. The current numbers show Len within 8.6% of Janet. A slight improvement from last months 9.5%.

I will try to link to the numbers tomorrow but it is late and I cannot seem to get the page to open.

Monday 10-30-06, 10:50 pm

     There is a new blog out there covering Gabby’s love life. Somehow I do not think this is part of her authorized biography.

Here’s a commercial that gets my vote for best commercial of the year. Please share this with someone who loves our country and the people who serve and defend it.

     Janet Napolitan’s office has been charged with threatening member companies on the Arizona Chamber of Commerce that did not vote her way, according to an article at Hot AZ It Gets.

     Liberals are crying foul and claiming that an attack ad against Harold Ford Jr. has a not so subtle message that a black man is after white women.

     The benchmark American film dealing with this issue is To Kill A Mockingbird. The film showcases true racism and has a powerful message. Brock Peters played the falsely accused Tom Robinson.

     Mark Shields on NewsHour with Jim Lehrer describes the political ad as playing to our “atavistic, base fears of the Mandingo black man is after our white daughters.” What?

     I am confused. What is it about Harold Ford Jr. that would possible trigger an atavistic fear in anyone? Even if that fear still existed in the Tennessee, wouldn’t the man need to look black in order to trigger it?

Friday 10-27-06, 8:40 pm

     The Democrat wedge issue this year is stem cell research. As discussed before Michael J. Fox is doing ads all over the country in a coordinated distortion of the position of many Republican candidates.

     Michael Steele has an excellent response on the air.

Friday 10-27-06, 5:00 pm

I always like to look at endorsements by different organizations to see who they are supporting. Its usually a real good indicator as to what legislative agenda candidates will pursue once elected.

Here’s a handful of links by different organizations regarding the General Election. Of particular interest are the liberal organizations and which Republicans they endorsed.

Human Rights Fund (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transexual Advocacy Organization): AHRFEndorsements

Planned Parenthood Action Fund (Largest Abortion Provider in Arizona): http://www.ppcnaction.org/images/PPAAOnlineVotersGuide.pdf

Sierra Club Proposition Endorsements: http://arizona.sierraclub.org/political_action/pa_2006/2006_props.asp
2006 Legislative Report Card: http://arizona.sierraclub.org/political_action/pa_2006/report/2006EnvironmentalReportCard.pdf

Center for Arizona Policy Voter Guide: http://www.azpolicy.org/pdf/cscans/2006GeneralVotersGuide.pdf 

Arizona Right to Life Political Action Committee Endorsements: http://azrtl.org/endorsements3.htm

National Rifle Association Endorsments: http://www.nrapvf.org/Elections/State.aspx?State=AZ

National Federation of Independent Business: http://capwiz.com/nfib/e4/rlist/?state=az

Also, look for all major Arizona Newspapers to release their editorial board endorsements in the week ahead.

EspressoPundit has posted on the race in legislative district 30 in which it was revealed that candidate Jeff Chimene was convicted for a domestic violence incident against a former girlfriend in 1990. While actually practicing the “rule of thumb” on his former girlfriend, Chimene blamed the domestic violence tendencies on his diet.

Chimene said the woman intentionally tried to anger him, and his low blood sugar made him irritable.

“I recognize what I have done, and I’ve done a lot to control my diet and things that led to that,” said Chimene, who expected the incident to come up when he decided to run for office.

Didn’t I recently post on this? As early as 1990, Chimene attempted to use the “dietary-orientation” argument to seek protection under the law. Unfortunately for Chimene, it didn’t hold enough weight on the scales of justice. But don’t be surprised if you start hearing this and hygenic-orientation in the years ahead.

Here is the press release issued by Captain Al Melvin regarding an attack piece ridiculing his service in the U.S. Navy:

Al Melvin for State Senate

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 26, 2006
For more information contact Al Melvin at (520) 429-8083    

Melvin Expresses Outrage at Attack Mailer
~ Calls on Democrat Opponent to denounce mailer ~

(Tucson) Beginning yesterday, voters in Legislative District 26 began receiving an ugly mail piece that mocked State Senate candidate Al Melvin’s military service.

Melvin, who retired from the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1999 after 30 years of service, had earned the rank of Captain, and his military service played a positive role in his successful primary campaign.

Yet a group calling itself Moderates for an Accountable Democracy has mocked Melvin’s military service, drawing a cartoon of Melvin in uniform and referring derisively to him as “Cap’n” Melvin.

Moderates for an Accountable Democracy, a front group for 7 donors that draws the majority of its funding from a Democrat pro-abortion group called Arizona List (related to the national Emily’s List), also made a number of false accusations on the mailer.  Yet it was the treatment of Melvin’s military service that made him most upset.

“It was an honor for me to serve in the military” said Melvin “and it is shameful that these people lack the decency to treat the uniform with respect.”

Melvin has called upon his Democrat opponent, Charlene Pesquiera, to denounce the mailer and its treatment of his military background.

- ### -

     Jim Kolbe makes the news again.

The normally loquacious Kolbe now has little to say to the press. (Click on the little video icon to play the tape.)

Now Brian Ross of ABC News gets in on the action.

      An independent expenditure committee has targeted Al Melvin with a hit-piece mailer. It says that it is paid for by Moderates for an Accountable Democracy. The group was registered on September 29, 2006. The chairman is Peter Hormel and the treasurer is Diane Diamond.

     The front group, Moderates for an Accountable Democracy, has received a few individual donations. Diane Diamond  $100; JoJene Mills $1,000; Thomas Chandler $500; Don Martin $1,000; William Risner $250; and Terrence Jackson $200. By far the largest contribution, $5,000, came from Arizona List. On their web site they call themselves “A Political Committee for Pro-Choice Democratic Women in Arizona.” They sound more like partisan activists than moderates. What is it about their abortion on demand agenda that causes them to fund attacks against Republican’s through front groups instead of directly. The top five names listed on the Honorary Board of Arizona List are Janet Napolitano, Raul Grijalva, Rose Mofford, Terry Goddard, and Gabrielle Giffords.

     One recent supporters of Arizona List is Lena Saradnik who is currently running for the house in LD 26. Another big supporter is Steve Quinlan of Long Realty. Steve is also a major contributor to Arizona Together and has given them over $20,000. Arizona Together is the anti traditional marriage group chaired by bi-sexual state representative Kyrsten Sinema. Barbara Lawall is another Arizona List supporter. Molly McKasson, Francine Shacter, and Don Martin. I wonder if that is the same Don Martin who gave $1,000 directly to the “Moderates” front group. Moderates is the last word I would use for this gang.

     Melvin may end up laughing all the way to the bank because this independent expenditure could trigger more matching funds from Clean Elections. To date Al has already received $21,952 in public financing just for the general election and more may be on the way. Another point in Melvin’s favor is that a huge part of the electorate has already voted days before the attack mailer was sent.

Wednesday 10-25-06, 10:00 pm