The daily is pounding its drum again. If you are new to Arizona and unacquainted with the technique, the newspaper often resembles a nagging ex-wife. The editorial staff can’t offer an opinion. They harp. They badger. They stridently repeat. And often they rewrite the same thoughts with a slightly different skew.
Today’s editorial, Let’s energize Arizonans to push for changes, is a case in point.
The latest mission of the daily is government reform — which they want to accomplish from the top down.
Like lovesick swains, they have fallen hook, line and sinker for Sandra O’Connor ‘s namesake effort, the O’Connor House Project which is teamed up with the liberal Morrison Institute and the Center for the Future of Arizona. These groups and their overreaching concepts were represented at the recent Arizona Town Hall, which issued a report calling for a state Constitutional Convention to — among other things – allow these elites to revamp state government, raise taxes, and alter the methods of voting for elected officers by removing the citizen’s ballot component and replacing it with appointments by other elected officials.
The report also points to impediments to raising revenue and suggests the Constitutional Convention implement these major changes. The full report and its recommendations can be found here.
Designed to appear benign they nonetheless conclude these “barriers to effective government” need their wisdom and oversight. A clue that all is not as presented is contained in these words deprecating the current system, which they say “encourages extremist candidates” and the practice of ballot initiatives which they opine “has created dedicated funding streams that cannot be touched, even in times of severe need.” That translates to limits on taxation which the people support and the Town Hallites want lifted.
Don’t be fooled by the high-sounding rhetoric. This is a fundamental takeover of state government by a liberal cabal, with the blessing of the left-wing Arizona Republic.
They don’t intend to tarry. We can’t afford to ignore the massive power-grab they envision and intend to implement.
In today’s daily, Linda Valdez tells readers: We must recognize border benefits as well as problems. Her piece begins by taking on Sen. Russell Pearce, whom she refers to as “one of Arizona’s biggest border critics” when he says, “The greatest threat to our citizens is the failure to enforce our immigration laws.”
Linda says he’s so wrong, that “it’s time for a reality check.”
In Linda’s simplistic view, the budget deficit outweighs illegal immigration — failing to acknowledge the symbiotic relationship. She ignores the impact the wage-undercutting illegal work force has on unemployed American citizens, exacerbated by the massively struggling economy. She glosses over benefits such as medical care and public education illegals receive, and the impact of their criminal activity, both to Americans who are victims and the overburdened criminal justice system, all arenas reeling under the costly stress. Instead of mentioning the myriad problematic burdens tied to the gift of instant citizenship conferred on newborns born to illegals, her article depicts a few prosperous Mexican visitors shopping at the toney Biltmore Fashion Park.
Linda, you see, thinks there is more to the Mexico problem “than illegal immigration and drug trafficking.” She says there are “huge potential benefits to sharing a border with a nation that has a young labor force, an emerging middle class and a taste for American products — not to mention ocean access that could make Arizona a shipping alternative to Long Beach, California. Mexico, she says, could bring two ocean ports to this landlocked state.
After the economy began its free fall, and the argument that there are jobs American’s refuse to do no longer held water, Linda presented us with the sad tale of “broken families” when illegals returned home. That didn’t sell. Now she enthuses that we will have access to a ocean port.
Give her a point for inventiveness and a goose egg for veracity.
In an obvious attempt to divert attention away from the massive political defeats suffered by President Obama on Tuesday, the daily pumps him up as the anti-Bush environmentalist. This morning’s Page One, above-the-fold article, including three large photos — plus the generous jump page coverage — is titled: Obama moves quickly to preserve the West. And if that doesn’t grab you, the line, Policies favoring environment over industry, should.
The puff piece article is a clear indication the left learns little from harsh realities. Although Obama personally and repeatedly urged support of Democrat candidates in Virginia and New Jersey, the voters rejected Chris Deeds in his gubernatorial bid and turned out sitting Gov. Jon Corizine in favor of fiscally conservative Republicans. Yet inexplicably, the newspaper’s coverage is replete with knocks against former President George W. Bush.
A few examples taken from the article clearly indicates Bush, though no longer a political entity, still makes a fine foe:
– [steps] President Barack Obama has taken to reverse environmental policies of the Bush administration since taking office in January.
– For eight years, the Bush administration crafted policies that opened doors wider for multiple uses on public lands. Users such as mining and logging companies won greater access in some areas, and federal agencies were given greater leeway in allowing development.
– The Bush administration had planned to open up [a park area] to off-road vehicles.
– In a sharp departure from the Bush administration, the Obama team has halted new uranium-mining.
– “The environmentalists have been waiting in the wings for eight years,” quoting an assistant professor of political science at ASU, who obviously has a political rather than conservationist axe to grind.
– “The previous administration was really all about extraction of resources from the land,” they quote reliable liberal Rep. Raul Grijalva.
– While the Bush administration went after the region’s oil and gas reserves as a way to achieve greater energy independence, the Obama administration is shifting the focus to solar, wind and geothermal power as it looks for ways to boost both the economy and the state of the environment.
It’s the blame game at work. And when Democrats have no one to blame but themselves, they are not above hauling out a Republican former president to slap around.
In an absurdly blathering, slathering and kowtowing article titled, Why, hello there, neighbor: Sonora’s new governor, Guillermo Padres Elias stops by for a chat, readers of the daily fish wrap are treated to an unrequited love-fest of monumental proportions.
In the opening gambit alone, the daily uses up a good number of their slobber-covered adjectives describing his election by an “ample victory,“ capping a “remarkable nine-year rise.” The reporter oddly decided to omit the word “meteoric.”
The thrust of the photo-filled article is a softball question-and-no-real-answer session, minus any meaningful follow-up from either the newspaper’s adoring editorial board or their cohorts.
Syndicated columnist and commentator, Dr. Charles Krauthammer, has written a superb article regarding the White House’s calculated war on Fox News. The network, he writes, is a singular minority in a sea of liberal media: ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, NPR, CNN, MSNBC vs. Fox.
The lineup is so unbalanced as to be comical — and that doesn’t even include the other commanding heights of the culture that are firmly, flagrantly liberal: Hollywood, the foundations, the universities, the elite newspapers.
What rankles Obama and his administration is that Fox viewership outnumbers CNN’s and MSNBC’s combined. Which is exactly why White House communications director Anita Dunn said that Fox is “opinion journalism masquerading as news,” senior adviser David Axelrod declared Fox to be “not really a news station,” and Chief of Staff Emanuel told (warned?) the other networks not to “be led [by] and following Fox.”
It’s no secret the daily is no fan of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. They trounce him repeatedly — whether editorially, in cartoons or in biased, fabrication-laced “news” articles, employing the most pointedly unflattering photographs — and on a nearly daily basis. Often they run concurrent reports in the same issue.
Joe bashing has become their stock-in-trade.
Today we see the Fishwrap isn’t enamored with Arpaio’s Chief Deputy David Hendershott, either.
And unless the article is about a spa, or diet center, how often is the weight of the subject of a news article reported? Yet that pertinent fact is in this imbalanced coverage.
The New York Times called it “ugly” and “about as subtle as a playground taunt” when New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine explicitly referred to his challenger Chris Christie’s weight in a television ad. And in case viewers missed the point, a narrator snidely intones that Mr. Christie “threw his weight around” to avoid traffic tickets.
Corzine was called on the carpet for this prejudice and the Republic should be, also. Make your point. If it has merit, it will stick. But personal insults are outside the realm of decency.
Oops. We forgot, this is the standardless Arizona Republic we’re talking about. The concept of decency left the pages of this newspaper decades ago.
Here is a typical article written in Republicese. The underlying theme is the criminal activities that aid and abet foreign nationals after they illegally cross the Mexican border to gain access into the United States. Once here, they require documents such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses and social security cards in order to facilitate gaining employment, renting an apartment, enrolling their children in school or driving a car.
This article details the arrest of two men by the Arizona Fraudulent Identity Theft Task Force after a search warrant was served at a home in Scottsdale, following a month-long investigation into a fake ID operation.
Pay particular attention to the word usage. Both men are described as “suspected of being undocumented immigrants.”
From the report, it’s clear to see they are neither “immigrants” — a word which implies legal immigration — nor are they “undocumented.” In fact, they were documented to the hilt.
Investigators said the men made fake ID cards appearing to originate from Idaho, New Mexico, North Carolina and Kentucky.
The intent of these two entrepreneurs was to provide”a way for immigrants to have an identity while in the country illegally.” Well, whadda ‘ya know? The reporter finally said it.
While searching the home, investigators said they found hundreds in cash, a handgun, 14 fake ID cards, a card printer and software.
Seeing Red AZ is happy to provide our readers, free of charge, this handy and simple to use glossary to enable ease of navigation while reading in Republicese.
Compare the Arizona Republic article to the informative Press Release from the arresting Department of Public Safety. Be sure to click on the fascinating photo links in the lower left corner.
From the provocative headline Pearce and Crew Fill Leadership Vacuum With Bunk, to the descriptions of the numerous elected leaders, whom he refers to as “Arizona personalities,” who participated in Sen. Russell Pearce’s Wednesday press conference at the Arizona State Capitol, the editorial is awash with the bottom scrapings of their word barrel. Among the terms:
- Foolhardy,
- Absolutists and radicals,
- Inmates of the immigration-reform asylum,
- Leadership vacuum,
- Most radical and single-minded (describing those dedicated to border/national security),
- A “who’s who” of us-against-them absolutists,
- MacEachern boorishly refers to enormously popular KFYI radio host J.D. Hayworth as an ousted Congressman who has made a latter-day career of characterizing illegal immigrants as bloodthirsty criminals,
- Then, MacEachern absurdly describes Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas, as having a commitment to ridding the county of dishwashers, landscapers and broken-tail-light scofflaws that is beyond question,
- Leading the affair, he writes, was state Sen. Russell Pearce, nationally renowned illegal-immigrant basher,
- Abhorrent, demonizing and stigmatizing of Hispanics.
Democrat MacEachern concludes this unholy mishmash of invectives with a show of compassion — for, would you believe — Republicans. He worries about the “unintended consequences” of what he calls Sen. Pearce’s “radical” plan reducing the GOP’s abilities to win elections.
There were likely several neck cramps this past Sunday as readers scanning the newspaper did a swift double-take. For a moment, it appeared the cash-strapped daily was recycling last year‘s news.
Dan Nowicki, the Arizona Republic’s political columnist assigned to cover Sen. John McCain during his lackluster presidential campaign appeared to morph into a pit bull, sinking his teeth into former Congressman J.D. Hayworth’s leg.
Apparently he is still bonded to and fighting the battles of the man he tailed for the interminable campaign. Conservative Hayworth is now a radio talk-show host, with a loyal listener base urging him to mount a challenge to the liberal senator in 2010.
So where does this take Nowicki? Back to the side of McCain with a banner headline accusing Hayworth of nursing a grudge against an ex-McCain aide.
When there is little to provide readers except purchased news service feeds and celebrity fluff, this inane blow of hot air apparently was intended to fill the vacuum for local news.
This is the recent Time magazine article on what could be a match-up longed for by conservatives.
Posted by seeingredaz 
Posted by seeingredaz 
Posted by seeingredaz 
In an absurdly blathering, slathering and kowtowing 
It’s no secret the daily is no fan of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. They trounce him repeatedly — whether editorially, in cartoons or in biased, fabrication-laced “news” articles, employing the most pointedly unflattering photographs — and on a nearly daily basis. Often they run concurrent reports in the same issue.
