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FCino (Fiscal Conservatives in name only)

February 4, 2010 By 13 Comments
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I have to hand it to Californians for creative political ads. This ad was released by the Carly for California campaign attacking Tom Campbell. The voiceover was done by actor Robert Davi. Sound familiar? He’s the same voice heard in John McCain’s ads.

Carly Fiorina was one of several high profile spokeswomen and advisors for the McCain Presidential campaign. Now she’s running for US Senate in California in a primary along with several high profile Republicans including, Tom Campbell, Al Ramirez and Chuck DeVore.

What makes me uncomfortable about Ms. Fiorina is her close ties to John McCain. The fact that she is using the same actor (Robert Davi) to cut the voiceover signals that McCain is involved in much more than his own Senate re-election campaign.

But what is really disturbing is that Fiorina is using the same tactic to attack someone like Tom Campbell who has been a frequent guest on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show and is introduced as a fiscal and social conservative. It’s the same tactic being employed against JD Hayworth here in Arizona. Paint your opponent as a big spender and not fiscal conservative while trying to cover your own fiscally miserable record.

Last week, Red State’s Brian Faughnan wrote a piece entitled, “Arguments I Never Expected: Hayworth Is No More Conservative than McCain.” In that piece, Faughnan reminded us that McCain’s rating from Citizens Against Government Waste was 88% compared to Hayworth’s 89%.  That’s not quite the huge chasm that McCain claims over Hayworth. (Incidentally, McCain’s lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union is a mediocre 81% compared to Hayworth’s 98%.)

Read perceptively between the lines. McCain and his allies are laying down fire on their opponents in order to distract the voters from their real record or position.

Obviously, I don’t live in California so I won’t vote there. (If I did, I’d vote for Chuck DeVore.)

But I can smell a political rat (FCino) and I think the infestation is more widespread than we realize.

Filed Under: Advertising, Campaigns & Elections, Political Parties

Jim Ward(R-Ariz.) signs the Taxpayer Protection Pledge

February 4, 2010 By 4 Comments

From Amir Iljazi on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 9:01 AM

Businessman Jim Ward became the first candidate to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in his 2010 bid to represent Arizona’s 5th Congressional district.

Ward is a GOP Primary candidate looking to take on incumbent, Harry Mitchell, who was elected in 2006 after defeating J.D. Hayworth. The seat is rated by Cook Political Report as R+5 on their PVI index, and Hayworth had held the seat for more than a decade prior to Mitchell’s win. Arizona’s 5th Congressional district is just one of a slew of seats where pledge signing challengers are taking on non-pledge signing incumbents from vulnerable districts.

Ward, the first pledge signer in the race, has made a commitment to the taxpayers in the 5th Congressional District in Arizona that he will fight to stop massive tax increases imposed by a reckless Congress. We here at ATR encourage all candidates seeking Federal office to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and let the taxpayers in this country know that they stand with them; against higher taxes, higher spending, and higher deficits.

Here’s ATR’s official statement on Jim Ward signing the Pledge:

Jim Ward(R-Ariz.) signs the Taxpayer Protection Pledge
Congressional candidate promises to protect taxpayers’ wallets

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jim Ward, a Republican running in Arizona’s 5th Congressional district, recently signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). The Pledge commits signers to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”

ATR has offered the Pledge to all candidates for federal office since 1987. To date, 33 U.S. senators and 172 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed the Pledge. Additionally, seven Governors and over 1,100 state legislators have signed the Pledge.

“After the passage of the so-called “Stimulus Package,” better known as the Pelosi-Obama-Reid Spending Give-Away, Americans are desperately searching for candidates and politicians that will protect their livelihoods and put their wallets ahead of the federal government’s coffers,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR.

“By signing the Pledge, Jim Ward demonstrates that he understands the problems of hard-working taxpayers nationwide, but especially the taxpayers in Arizona’s 5th Congressional district.”

“I challenge all candidates for federal office to make the same commitment to taxpayers by signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge today,” Norquist continued.

Copies of the Pledge are available at www.atr.org or by calling (202) 785-0266.

To see ATR’s official statement on Jim Ward, click here.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Endorsements, Taxation

Would AZ House and Senate Leadership Care to Comment?

February 4, 2010 By 18 Comments

Konopnicki announces run

for State Senate in District 5

(Eastern Arizona Courier) Published on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 2:00 PM MST

www.eacourier.com/articles/2010/02/04/news/breaking_news/doc4b69e48d62f77071282043.txt

Contributed Article

Arizona Legislative District 5 Representative and long-time voice for rural Arizona, Bill Konopnicki released the following statement today regarding his intention to run for the State Senate seat in LD 5:

“Over the last several months, I have been approached by constituents, friends and supporters from every part of Legislative District 5 to consider a run for the State Senate seat. I am heartened that so many folks think I am the right choice to represent our district’s diverse needs in the Arizona State Senate.

“From working to solve Arizona’s serious budget problems with a sound businesslike approach, to protecting rural healthcare, to keeping both K-12 and Higher Education funded at necessary levels, and helping local governments deal with the proposed state shift of costs to counties and cities, I have the experience necessary to serve in the State Senate.

“I have lived in the district for over 40 years and know our residents want leaders who aren’t simply followers; they want leaders who will rise above partisanship to do what is best for our state – no matter the political risk. It is time to change the way the Arizona Capitol functions, and I owe it to my constituents to run for the State Senate and begin to make these changes. We need new leadership and new direction, with a special focus on jobs and unemployment in rural Arizona. I can no longer allow misguided ideological decision making to override common sense.

“For these reasons and many others, I am announcing, today, the beginning of my campaign for the State Senate seat in LD 5. I look forward to spending time visiting with the many friends I have in the district and to carrying my message to voters throughout rural Arizona.”

Konopnicki has a history of developing solutions for issues affecting rural Arizona families, ranchers, hospitals, farmers, education and small businesses. He is a business owner, a former educator and community leader who understands the many challenges of the diverse constituency of District 5. These are very difficult times for Arizona and District 5 needs a strong rural voice in the Senate.

http://www.eacourier.com/articles/2010/02/04/news/breaking_news/doc4b69e48d62f77071282043.txt

The link to the original article in his hometown newspaper is provided to allow readers to view local comments … or share sage insights.  Veritas would like to thank his friends out in Pima for this contribution from their side of the state.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, State Budget