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Pelosi-Gate Seems Fake

May 17, 2009 By 5 Comments
by Gayle Plato
Is it not odd how CIA Director, Leon Panetta, threw Nancy Pelosi overboard like shark chum? It definitely smells a bit fishy.  Speaker Pelosi might just be the least liked member of Congress by the voters too. Pelosi’s unfavorables are at an all time high, with a Rasmussen poll from about six weeks ago putting her unfavorables at 60% (http://patriotroom.com/article/pelosi-s-unfavorability-hits-new-high-of-60-)
 
What a perfect time to distance POTUS.  Just get a Pelosi staffer to suggest that nobody trusts the CIA, put it out there that they lied to you.  Then in moments, Panetta will have a stern statement. That is poetic license of the administration Book of the Dead witchcrafting. She may be wiccan but the warlocks on top are casting her out- a French Queen offering us all cake.
 
Barack Obama can seem centrist as Pelosi sounds like a jerk, arguing.  No one likes an older woman who’s flustered either. She is a screeching finger nail on the chalk boards of Coach Axelrod’s war room.  She’s your mom driving you crazy as she doesn’t listen while looking for her glasses, on her head the whole time.  She’s politically expendable.  Another great move by the Chicago Machine.  Top it off with truly a beautiful speech at Notre Dame.  I feel like Quasi Motto shouting ‘the bells”  
Next thing you know, they’ll nominate Bill Clinton to the Court… do you hear the bells too?

Check out the interesting parallel comments ( thx JR): http://bit.ly/G8GuS WSJ
 
Filed Under: Government, Judicial, Political Science

Barry the Builder is Closing Car Dealerships

May 15, 2009 By 11 Comments

Just think of all those folks who spent the last election chanting the slogan of an Australian Muppet for small children.

GM to close 1100 Dealerships, the day after Chrysler announced closing 789 dealerships.

Now usually, “under performing” dealerships are offered for sale or closed.  This isn’t happening which brings us to how this came about.   It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where these orders are coming from, Mr. Fix-it in the Oval Office.

When our favorite local liberals come crashing in telling us that its “economics” and “the management” made these decisions, I sincerely hope those of you who know better will educate them otherwise.   But in case, here’s a delicious quote to chew on by Treasury Secretary Geithner:

As difficult as these announcements are for the dealers that will no longer be selling GM and Chrysler cars and the communities in which they operate, without the President’s intervention, the entire GM and Chrysler dealer networks could have been lost.

The Administration’s commitment to this industry has given both companies a new lease on life. By supporting a restructuring that results in stronger car companies – supported by efficient and effective dealer networks – this process will not only provide more stability and certainty for current employees but the prospect for future employment growth.

Here’s how Barry the Builder with his tax evading side-kick is fixing the economy.  These closures will mean joblessness for some 101,000 dealer employees. Plus many others in associated suppliers.

Presumably, since these positions will have been lost, they’ll be added to the 3.5 million jobs the Obama administration will save or create. (Andrew Malcom)

From the Sales Manager to the Lot Attendants, from the parts counter worker to the mechanic all we can hear is “Yes We Can”

Filed Under: Economics, Government, Jobs/Labor

Judgement Day in LD 10 – Quelland Ordered Out!

May 15, 2009 By 16 Comments

***** BREAKING NEWS *****

From AZCentral.com

Arizona legislator ordered removed from office

Arizona’s public campaign finance commission has ordered Rep. Doug Quelland removed from office for violating rules on outside election financing.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission made its decision to oust Quelland after meeting on Friday. The Phoenix Republican had been accused of violating laws and rules by bolstering his publicly funded 2008 campaign with private spending.

Quelland acknowledged hiring a campaign consultant but said he ended the arrangement and never paid the fee. But the commission obtained billing records and other documents contradicting his testimony.

Quelland’s attorney says his client plans to appeal and is interested in a settlement that would keep him in office. He would remain in office pending that appeal.

===========================================

Today, the Citizens’ Clean Elections Commission meets to possibly issue a verdict on the complaint against State Representative Doug Quelland.

Mary Jo Pitzl ran a post on another variation on a theme of this political whodunnit episode. When the whole “he-said, he-said” incident started, Quelland dismissed Davis because Davis wanted to “go negative” on Quelland’s incumbent opponent, Jackie Thrasher. Quelland refused and supposedly, they parted ways.

For the record, this blog has defended Quelland taking his word over Davis’ because of character issues surrounding Davis.

I would like to return to the issue over Thrasher and hopefully set the record straight. Last November, Sonoran Alliance received the following email from Thrasher in an attempt to clear her step-son’s name. Here is the text and photo from that email. If Thrasher is correct, this means neither Quelland nor Davis did their “opposition research” on Thrasher’s family.

Greetings:

I have been intrigued by recent newspaper stories and blog postings about a possible Thrasher family member being incarcerated or that there was a Thrasher family secret that if exposed would make headlines.

For such a boring person, even I was getting interested in my story…..

Upon further research I found that there is a “Jayson Thrasher” DOB 9/1977, listed on the ADOC web site with a criminal record.

My stepson, Jason Thrasher DOB 2/1975, has no criminal record and is happily living in Portland. Here’s a picture of Jason Thrasher, his girlfriend Alison and their mutts:

Happy Thanksgiving! –Jackie

So what does it matter and why drag in a supposed troubled family member anyway? If Quelland assumed Davis was going to resort to that type of tactic, Quelland was correct and ethical in getting away from Davis.

Filed Under: Campaign Finance, Campaigns & Elections

Still Moving Pro-Life

May 15, 2009 By 4 Comments

For some time I’ve been asserting that the country is moving pro-life based on simple demographics. And although a majority of Americans voted for the most pro-abortion president in history, that vote was not driven by pro-life values but rather economic self-preservation.

Today, Gallup released results of a poll stating the obvious – the country is moving pro-life. Gallup states,

A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves “pro-life” on the issue of abortion and 42% “pro-choice.” This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995.

Much of this attitude shift is due to an unmasking of the ugly and horrific Obama abortion agenda among middle-of-the-road voters: taxpayer funding of organizations who promote abortion overseas, taxpayer funding of destructive embryonic experimentation (which has already been determined ineffective compared to adult stem cell research), the pursuit of the so-called Freedom of Choice Act, opposition to the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act and the list goes on…

Fundamentally, the country is switching and there are a number of reasons.

First, the pro-life movement has made tremendous strides in educating the public on the issue. Whether this has been through promoting an adoration and respect for innocent human life through the culture (music and film), through teaching basic human development and embryology in the classroom, or by simply stigmatizing the abortion industry.

Second, this is a battle of attrition. Let’s face it, pro-lifers are having children and “pro-choicers” are not. Those values are being passed on to their children and as I’ve said, its creating a red-diaper culture. This is especially prevalent among faith-based groups which hold a strong respect for life: Evangelicals, Catholics and Muslims. Think about it. As those with less or no religious views (typically pro-choice) have fewer children and those who have strong religious views have more children, the value of respect for life becomes more concentrated or diluted on their respective sides.

The good news is that time is on the side of the pro-life movement. The law will finally catch up to the science. Eventually the culture will shift not just based on the pure science of the issue, but it will also be reinforced by the faith factor. And one day, we will live in a country in which all human life is respected regardless of age, location or human development.

Filed Under: Culture, Demographics, Polls, Sanctity of Life

Barrett Marson shuts up

May 15, 2009 By 4 Comments

Former GOP House Spokesman Barrett Marson was always quick with a quote, and never short on something to say.  In his current role as DOC spokesman, however, well…

For all the people who wondered if Barret Marson could ever keep quiet, here’s ten seconds of dead air while he fumbles for a response on last night’s television news (1:26 into the video, which can be found to the right of the story).

The “hardball” question that silenced the loquacious Marson?  “Will early release of prisoners make us less safe?”

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment, Illegal Immigration

Republican Professionals at the NRA Convention

May 15, 2009 By

Another Republican event being held this weekend!

Republican Professionals

Networking at the National NRA Convention!

Our Official Republican Professionals Event

Evite – RSVP
Downloadable Event Flyer (So you can pass out to your friends.)

When: Saturday, May 16th, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Where: Goldwater Room, Wyndham Hotel, downtown Phoenix
50 E. Adams Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004

 

Filed Under: Special Event

Pol-parazzi is back!

May 14, 2009 By 5 Comments

After quite a long hiatus, Sonoran Alliance’s Pol-parazzi is back!

Tonight a new group called Republicans Professionals – “Politics on the Rocks” – met at the W Hotel in Scottsdale. Here are a few photos courtesy of Arizona Intellectual Conservative:

Charles Jensen greets Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas who spoke to the gathering.Republican professionals get snapped by Pol-parazzi at the

Charles Jensen and Intellectual Conservative’s Rachel Alexander share a moment for the camera.

Charles Jensen and speaker, attorney and pro-life activist, John Jakubczyk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please send your favorite pol-parazzi photos to Sonoran Alliance.

Filed Under: Pol-parazzi

Boy Scouts morphing into Brown Shirts?

May 14, 2009 By 18 Comments

IMPERIAL, Calif. — Ten minutes into arrant mayhem in this town near the Mexican border, and the gunman, a disgruntled Iraq war veteran, has already taken out two people, one slumped in his desk, the other covered in blood on the floor.   The responding officers — eight teenage boys and girls, the youngest 14 — face tripwire, a thin cloud of poisonous gas and loud shots — BAM! BAM!

New York Times, May 13, 2009 Link Here “Scouts Train to Fight Terrorists and More”  Pay attention to who the ‘bad guy’ was in this drill…

This program is operating in one of California’s poorest counties and is recruiting marginal kids with a “C” average as young at 13 years old.  And once these kids are trained, how long will it be before some will find the wages offered by Los Zetas much more attractive than what Homeland Security can offer?

Please when you read this, go back to this article on the nexis of H.R. 2159 and the Ministry of Internal Security’s “you might be a terrorist if” list.

When a government begins to act out of concert with its people, and tyranny begins to take form,  Officer Friendly soon becomes ‘The Enforcer’.

I’m leaving you with this jewel of a research piece by the CATO Institute,

Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America

footnote: the title is not a reference to race for my liberal readers, it is a reference to history.

Filed Under: 2nd Amendment, Border, Culture, Government, National Security, Predictions, Terrorism

PR: Governor Brewer on House Senate Budget Actions

May 14, 2009 By 1 Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2009

Statement by Governor Jan Brewer

PHOENIX – “I want to thank the Members of the Arizona House and Senate for putting in substantial time and effort together with me to fill the increasing FY ’09 deficit hole. I have now signed both pieces of legislation. This latest update to the FY ’09 budget was not a simple exercise, as state revenues have continued to decline and very few weeks remain before the beginning of the new fiscal year. I am hopeful that, with a continued emphasis on negotiation and compromise, the legislature can reach consensus with my policy goals to approve an FY ’10 budget package promptly.

“The state deficit for FY ’10 now stands at more than $3 billion. As I have communicated clearly for many months, there is no question that additional spending reductions will be necessary to balance the FY ’10 budget and ensure that we are well positioned to deal with projected FY ’11 challenges. In total, my permanent spending reduction target is an accumulated total of $1 billion. This is not a small cut to government. It is the largest reduction in the size of state government in Arizona history.

“But let me repeat – spending reductions and federal stimulus dollars alone will not come close to fixing the FY ’10 budget or future budget deficits. New revenues of roughly $1 billion will be necessary, as federal stimulus funding will only cover approximately $1 billion of the FY ’10 deficit. And I will not approve an FY ’10 budget that does not take into account FY ’11 needs and requirements, just as I was unwilling to overutilize federal stimulus funding to balance FY ’09 and leave our education system exposed to massive
reductions in FY ’10.

“We are only a few months away before my agencies must begin preparations for FY ‘11. It would be fiscally irresponsible for the legislature to ignore the depths of the FY ’11 state deficit by promoting a budget plan for FY ‘10 that relies primarily on one-time measures.

“Now is the time for the legislature to build upon the momentum of this FY ’09 fix, and work with me on a balanced budget that is comprehensive, sustainable, addresses all points in my 5 point plan, and does not ignore the next budget process that is merely months away.”

Filed Under: Press Release, Spending, State Budget, Taxation

County Attorney Andrew Thomas to speak at Republican Professionals Politics on the Rocks tonight

May 14, 2009 By 16 Comments


The Republican Professionals are relaunching their happy hour to be called “Politics on the Rocks.” Our launch party will be held at The W Hotel in Scottsdale on Thursday, May 14th at 6:00 PM. The purpose of “Politics on the Rocks” is to bring Republican & Conservative Professionals together in a monthly happy hour where they can network, socialize, and hear directly from prominent politicians and successful business leaders. Politics on the Rocks was started in Phoenix, Arizona and has spread to other cities.

County Attorney Andrew Thomas will be speaking briefly at 7pm, followed by John Jakubczyk from Arizona Right to Life and a libertarian candidate in CD-5.

evite RSVP
facebook RSVP

Filed Under: Special Event

Jeff Flake Proposes Bill To Increase Taxes To Solve Global Warming

May 14, 2009 By 15 Comments

For someone who signed the Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge and who says on his website “[t]he last thing this economy needs is a tax hike,” this seems like an interesting bill to be introducing:

WASHINGTON — Reps. Bob Inglis of South Carolina and Jeff Flake of Arizona on Wednesday became the first Republican lawmakers to introduce legislation imposing a carbon tax on producers and distributors of fossil fuels.

The bill, co-sponsored by Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois, would set a tax of $15 a ton of carbon dioxide produced in its first year in effect, with the tax rising to $100 a ton over three decades.

James Rosen/McClatchy Newspapers

Arizona would be hit especially hard with Rep. Flake’s new tax because Arizona relies heavily on carbon dioxide emitting coal and natural gas power plants to produce our electricity.  According to a recent editorial in the Arizona Republic by the presidents of APS, TEP, and the Salt River Project:

[A]t $20 a ton [of carbon dioxide], the costs to our operations would amount to a greater than 10 percent increase in your price of electricity. Some experts have predicted the price could reach $75 per ton, which could result in more than a 40 percent price increase for our customers.

To be fair, Rep. Flake claims his bill will be “revenue neutral” because it supposedly reduces payroll taxes by an amount equal to the new carbon tax. However, count this blogger as skeptical of the revenue neutral claim.  Congress has passed many bills that were supposedly “revenue neutral” but ended up raising taxes. Furthermore, because of Arizona’s reliance on coal and natural gas for electrical power, Arizonans will end up paying more in higher utility bills than we would save in reduced payroll taxes.

Filed Under: Energy, Environment, Legislation, Taxation

Justice Napolitano?

May 13, 2009 By 5 Comments

Huge hat tip to Sean Noble at Noble Thinking for picking up on the SCOTUS vibe back in February when he speculated on a Justice Napolitano. According to the Associated Press, Barack Obama is considering Arizona’s former governor for the position being vacated by David Souter.

The only reason Bill Clinton is not being considered is because he would never pass the “Anita Hill” portion of the nomination hearings.

Filed Under: Judicial

An evening with Sheriff Joe Arpaio

May 13, 2009 By

Mark Your Calendar! Wednesday Night, May 20, 2009, 6:00PM

An evening with Sheriff Joe Arpaio

* The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Refused To Fund The $1.6 Million Dollars Specifically Appropriated By The Legislature To Fund The Sheriff’s Programs Designed To Protect Maricopa County Citizens.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR – MAY 20, 2009

The PAChyderm Coalition Is Proud To Present

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio

WE HAVE VERY LIMITED ROOM!
Make Your Reservation Now!

Filed Under: Border, County Government, Crime and Punishment, Public Safety, Special Event

Job-killing proposals, warming fears, and unreliable data

May 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment
National survey of NWS surface stations

A survey of National Weather Service weather stations finds that
most are improperly sited, yielding higher-than-proper
temperature readings.

Special Thanks to WeGetIt.org for the following:

As the country reels from the economic down-turn and officials cautiously hope for a recovery to begin by the end of this year, some Congressional leaders are calling for a “green recovery.” But Spain, which leads the world in creating green jobs, has found that for every green job created, 2.2 jobs are lost.

Now comes a memo from the Office of Management and Budget to Environmental Protection Agency saying, “Making the decision to regulate CO2 under the [Clean Air Act] for the first time is likely to have serious economic consequences for regulated entities throughout the U.S. economy, including small businesses and small communities.”

But, what would you think if you learned that the most reliable database in the world on which fears of man made global warming–the rationale for such a massive tax–are based was fundamentally unreliable? That almost 9 out of 10 measuring stations failed to meet basic criteria for long-term comparable data?

You’d probably think the fears weren’t well grounded–and neither was the tax.

That’s precisely the case with American temperature monitoring stations. They’re supposed to constitute the world’s most reliable set of stations, but 89% fail to meet the National Weather Service’s siting requirements . They’re exposed to all sorts of nearby point sources of heat that have increased over time, making their long-term records show a false upward trend.

National survey of NWS surface stations

(Left) A National Weather Service temperature monitoring station located among
wastewater treatment pools,and (right) an infrared photo of the same location
(with station position marked), showing the pools as strong heat sources

As this map and its key show, the result is near-universal higher-than-proper temperature readings at stations around the country. (You can see stations in particular states here.)

Temperature readings at stations around the country

A study of the significance of these and similar findings for stations around the world led two experts to conclude that estimates of warming from 1980 to 2002 were double what they should have been. Satellite records confirm this study’s results and show significant global cooling for the last seven years.

Are these good grounds to adopt expensive cap-and-trade?

Filed Under: Demographics, Economics, Energy, Environment, Ethics, International Trade

School District Seeks to Re-Educate “Homophobic” Kindergartners

May 13, 2009 By 11 Comments

For Immediate Release:

School District Seeks to Re-Educate
“Homophobic” Kindergartners

Alameda, CA – The Alameda Board of Education will consider supplemental curriculum tonight which seeks to eradicate “homophobia” from students barely old enough to write their names.

The curriculum is being touted by officials in the Alameda Unified School District as necessary to “create safe schools for all children,” but it focuses almost exclusively on sexual orientation and gender identity. In a recent question and answer memo defending the proposed curriculum, the District lamented that “homophobia is still very much present in many of our schools and communities” and insisted that “students of all ages must be given an opportunity to learn that the words ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’ are adjectives that should be used with respect to describe people in their community, not words used in a negative way…” The District further claimed that “using anti-gay slurs starts as early as kindergarten,” and therefore all students must be drilled with positive portrayals of gays, lesbians and transgender people.

PJI staff attorneys have written to the Board in opposition to the curriculum and will address the Board meeting to point out that the so-called “Safe Schools” effort does nothing to counter the most significant sources of school bullying and harassment, such as race, religion, gender, physical appearance, and socioeconomic status. Instead, the supplemental curriculum focuses exclusively on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, commented, “It is both risky and wrong to ignore the real causes of school bullying in favor of a politically correct propaganda program. If anyone needs a lesson against name-calling, it is those who are labeling our kindergartners as homophobic.”

Contact: President Brad Dacus (916) 857-6900

Why should innocent precious children be exposed to this?
Is this what public schools are for?

Filed Under: Culture, Education, Family, Homosexuality, Human Condition, Political Correctness, Press Release

Liberty’s Apothecary lambastes Goldwater Institute for misleading report on public official self-promotion

May 13, 2009 By 5 Comments

Wow. We were going to analyze this report ourselves, but since Liberty’s Apothecary beat us to the punch with extensive coverage focusing on the section about County Attorney Thomas, we’ll direct readers there.

Filed Under: Spending

PR: Secretary of State Ken Bennett Endorses Senator John Huppenthal for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2010

May 13, 2009 By

PHOENIX – Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett today announced his endorsement of State Senator John Huppenthal for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2010.

Senator Huppenthal, the current Senate Education Chairman, is weighing a potential run for this position in 2010 and opened an exploratory committee last month to measure public support. The current Superintendent, Tom Horne, cannot run for re-election due to term limits.

Bennett said he is encouraging Huppenthal to enter the race, and would look forward to campaigning with him statewide.

“I’ve worked closely with Senator Huppenthal, first as a member of the Arizona State Board of Education, and later as a State Senator,” said Bennett. “I can tell you from personal experience that Senator Huppenthal is a policy wonk’s wonk. He does his homework and nobody knows the issues better. He brings real intellectual depth to the making of public policy.”

Bennett served on the Arizona State Board of Education from 1992 to 1998, and served as its president in 1996 and 1998. He served in the Arizona State Senate from 2000 to 2008, where he served as Chairman of the Senate Education Committee for two years and as Senate President for four years (2003-2007).

“Ken Bennett has a long and distinguished record of working to improve the quality of education for Arizona’s children.” said Huppenthal. “I’m honored to have his support.”

Huppenthal is one of Arizona’s leading authorities on education issues. In addition to being the current Senate Education Chairman, Huppenthal has served for 17 consecutive years on the State House and State Senate education committees.

Huppenthal’s reputation for making policy based on the best research available is well established. A September 2008 editorial in The Arizona Republic stated:

“…Huppenthal is a veteran of the Legislature, having chaired five committees and being as knowledgeable about the bill-making process as any of his colleagues. He’s a pragmatic conservative who bases his positions on exhaustive research and works across party lines to get worthwhile bills passed.

Huppenthal insists that legislation be based on best practices from around the country, and he’s prone to arcane dissertations based on stacks of studies he has compiled as he delves into state and district problems. It’s not sexy stuff but it’s necessary to guide a legislative process too often led astray by raw politics and emotion.”  (Read editorial.)

A February 2008 article by reporter Luige del Puerto in the Arizona Capitol Times stated:

“Don’t start Sen. John Huppenthal with reports and studies. A staff member says he probably knows more about them than most, and that’s probably an understatement. Indeed, when the Chandler lawmaker makes a point on the floor it is certain to be backed up by research, and not just any kind of research, but the best research available. To converse with Huppenthal is to immerse in figures, percentages, growth rates and performance ratings. He treats studies the way others probably regard meditation, a way to find peace amid the noise and haste.”

During Senator Huppenthal’s legislative career he successfully developed and passed over 200 bills – the most of any legislator in Arizona history.

Senator Huppenthal played a key role in helping create school choice for parents. In 1995, as Senate Education Chairman, his legislation took the caps off charter schools. This legislation moved Arizona to first in the nation in school choice (ALEC rankings). In addition, Congressman Trent Franks named Senator Huppenthal one of three legislators most responsible for creating and expanding tuition tax credits in Arizona.

Bennett’s endorsement of Huppenthal comes one week after Arizona’s most popular elected office, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, said he would work to help elect Huppenthal should Huppenthal decide to run. A recent statewide poll by Rasmussen Reports shows 68% of Arizona voters have a favorable view of Arpaio.

For additional information, please call Senator John Huppenthal at (480) 330-3215 or visit www.ImprovingArizonaSchools.com.

###

Previous press release: Sheriff Joe Arpaio Endorses Senator John Huppenthal

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Press Release Tagged With: , ,
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