Former Maricopa County Attorney Romley was left to grouse from the sidelines. He has forgotten the word “former” is before his name and yearns to call the shots at his old office. In truth, he was there long enough to have gained the traction to be reelected if he had so desired. But ambition called his name and he gave up the comfortable for the glam. But the glam eluded Romley. He found himself reduced to serving on Democrat Mayor Phil Gordon’s phony committee, working at the Attorney General’s Office for yet another Democrat, Terry Goddard, and endorsing Democrats Dan Saban for Sheriff and now, ACLU lawyer Tim Nelson to head his old office.
An ignoble end to a one-time political star and a Vietnam veteran who made great sacrifices for this county. The shame is, his raw ambition and erratic temperament brought him to this unfortunate spot where he has become the Democrat’s go-to endorsement RINO and Republican pariah.
But remember, these are not his first run-ins with his own party. He also dissed Republican stalwart and next-in-line to the governor, popular Secretary of State Jan Brewer, when he endorsed her Democrat opponent, Chris Cummiskey in 2002.
Although Romley endorsed Thomas during his previous campaign, a rift grew when ego-centric Romley demanded an office and staff after he was hired by Pinal County for one case. This demand was rejected by Thomas.
Romley’s petty, name-calling of his successor along with his endorsement of the Democrat challenger to County Attorney Andrew Thomas are a good barometer of the lengths to which this man will go when cameras are trained on him. His actions would illicit pity if they didn’t infuriate.
October 10, 2008 at 10:46 am
I read in the morning paper that Romley accused Andrew Thomas of “McCarthyism.”
What a joke! Romley should know a thing or two about the rigid authoritarianism of McCarthyism. He was despised by many of the prosecutors when he was County Attorney for that very reason. This is a real case of the pot calling the kettle…….
October 10, 2008 at 11:01 am
So Rick Romley joins up with a slew of Democrats. What’s newsworthy about that? That’s what he’s always been about. His cohorts are all liberals: ”Sanctuary City” Mayor Phil Gordon, Attorney General Terry Goddard and problem-plagued Sheriff’s candidate Dan Saban, come immediately to mind. He has a long-standing penchant for endorsing liberals.
October 10, 2008 at 11:17 am
When he was in office, Romley was widely criticized in the press for his self aggrandizing and extremely costly annual report sporting a gold leaf emblem on the cover and full of photos of himself including a bare-chested one of him during his time in the military. Now he hammers his successor for doing far less. This guy has become a parody, albeit not a very funny one.
October 10, 2008 at 11:36 am
I suggest Romley give himself an early Christmas gift and reregister as the Democrat he is.
October 10, 2008 at 11:37 am
Romley presided over the illegal alien population boom for the 16 years preceding Thomas’ term. Thomas is doing his best to clean up after the mess Romley helped create.
Thanks Seeing Red AZ for the more complete background on Romley. I always knew him to be a RINO. Now he is taking it further and outright trying to curry favor with the Democrat Party. What an egotistical move to hold his news conference endorsing the Democrat in front of the County Attorney’s office. Thomas should have had the whole bunch arrested for loitering!
October 10, 2008 at 11:56 am
Wow! How would he have taken to this type of undermining from his predecessor? Romley would have thrown a public tantrum. County Attorney Andrew Thomas is too classy for that.
October 10, 2008 at 11:57 am
It’s extremely hard for me to criticize Rick Romley, he was medic-vacked out of the same unit I served in Nam with about the time I arrived in-country. However, with all due respect, which he has earned, I have to disagree with his endorsement of Nelson. I expect that Rick will endorse whomever he most agrees with. However, when someone finds themselves supporting so many people in the other party, it may be time to compare the two parties and decide which one he is more in agreement with and register with that party. At the end of the day however, thou I disagree with Rick Romley, I still feel he is a very honorable man.
BOB HARAN,
Phoenix
October 10, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Bob Haran:
While I certainly honor Romley’s service to our country and the personal losses he suffered as a result, I find nothing honorable in acting dishonorably.
Rick Romley loves the high-beam of the press shining on him, and that has been all to infrequent for his tastes of late. He has every right to support whomever he chooses, but his cross-party endorsements are wearing very thin. Republicans have expected more from him, but it‘s time to realize the sad truth about this vengeful and power-hungry man.
BTW, as someone who saw the ravages of death up close and personal, wouldn’t you think he’d be pro-life? As I recall, he isn’t.
October 10, 2008 at 12:45 pm
OK, it’s now time for the MCRC EGC to sanction him……..let’s go folks, do your job!!
October 10, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I worked with Romley years ago before he was elected and when he worked as a prosecutor at the county attorney’s office. At the time, he was a low line supervisor of a division known as Family Support, dealing with establishing paternity and assigning child support payments. He was a temperamental tyrant even then, very difficult to work with and known for grabbing credit for the work others performed. That division was dismantled long before Andrew Thomas was elected.
October 10, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Romley expected so much more for himself at this point. That he is reduced to performing low-level duties for a liberal AG says it all.
October 10, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Great title to this post! Very appropriate.
October 10, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Rick Romley has zero hope of running for anything again. He is a pariah among Republicans.
October 11, 2008 at 6:23 am
Maybe he’s looking for Nelson to hire him on as chief deputy? Har, Har.
October 11, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I don’t expect the Republican chieftains to endorse all Republicans. And on rare occasion, I could even understand if — for grave reasons — someone was compelled to endorse a Democrat over a Republican.
That said, any Republican who — on numerous occasions — endorses Democrats and Democratic causes isn’t exercising a conscience, but working for the other side.
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