Senate Republicans shuttered their caucus yesterday — 15 minutes into a meeting originally called to discuss the state budget. The tempers of a couple of senators rose to match the outdoor temperatures as they vainly attempted to find consensus.

When the dust cleared, Senate President Bob Burns (R-Dist 9) was nowhere to be seen.  He had skedaddled, most likely in preparation for his excursion to the Summer ALEC convention (American Legislative Exchange Council). Burns is Arizona’s state chairman to the national legislative group.

With this lineup of speakers, who could blame him? It’s got to beat listening to his colleagues try to solve the economic woes of the state of Arizona.

Presented by: National Center for Constitutional Studies
Sponsored by: Constitution Week USA

Discover the 28 fundamental beliefs of the Founding Fathers which they said must be understood and perpetuated by every people who desired peace, prosperity, and freedom.  This positive, exciting message will give you a lasting understanding of the Principles of Liberty. Thousands of people have enjoyed this seminar all over the country.

Date: Saturday, July 18th Time: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

Place: Mesquite High School,  500 S. McQueen Rd., Gilbert

$25 per person (not recommended for children under 12)
$40 per couple Tuition includes the book “The Five Thousand Year Leap” and lunch.

Register here.

For more information, contact Sarah Crawford: (480) 236-2326.

Last month, a Saudi Arabian man named Raed Abdul-Rahman Al-Saif, placed three bags on the Tampa, Florida airport security conveyor belt as he made his way toward his gate to board US Airways flight 1077 to Phoenix, Arizona and Portland, Oregon. He never made it to the gate.

Read the rest of this compelling article titled The County and the School of Hate, by David R. Stokes, a Virginia-based minister and broadcaster.

Earlier this year, Seeing Red AZ posted a video and article on this subject. We urge you to read Rev. Stokes article and revisit our post. This is vitally important information.

The latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds that voters now trust Republicans more than Democrats on eight out of 10 key electoral issues, including, for the second straight month, the top issue of the economy.

Republicans also narrowed the gap on the remaining two issues, the traditionally Democratic strong suits of health care and education

The percentage of voters trusting the GOP more on economic issues is 46% to 41%,. This is just the second time in over two years of polling the GOP has held the advantage on economic issues. The parties were close on the issue in May, with the Democrats holding a one-point lead.

Voters not affiliated with either party trust Republicans more to handle the economy by a wider 46% to 32% margin.

Last week’s report of 9.5 percent unemployment, the highest since 1983, raised doubts about the economy and the president’s handling of it. Consumer and investor confidence is now down to the lowest levels in three months. Just 39% now say President Obama is doing a good or an excellent job on the economy while 43% rate his performance as poor. Those are by far the weakest numbers yet for the president.

Ron Fournier, AP’s Washington bureau chief, writes an entertaining interpretation of the political lingo being used in the pre-confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.

Read his piece here.

Bashas’ Supermarkets Inc. has announced the closure of 10 more stores by July 21 — negatively impacting approximately 1,000 jobs Valley wide.

Earlier this year, Bashas’ closed five under-performing stores. The store closures, attrition and about 300 layoffs at its corporate headquarters have resulted in the Chandler-based grocery chain eliminating 1,700 people from its payroll in the past year.

The company, the only one of the state’s top-five grocery chains that is locally owned, is still run by the Basha family that founded it in 1932.

Bashas’ competes in a highly competitive grocery market, with Wal-Mart and Fry’s as No. 1 and No. 2, and in a climate where recession-ravaged shoppers have cut back to necessities and cautious lenders have clamped down on providing credit, according to a report in the daily.

 UPDATE:

The chain has now filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Phoenix, a move that will impact thousands of creditors — both large and small.  Bashas’ owes as much as $55 million in unsecured debt to between 20,000 and 25,000 vendors, many of them Arizona businesses — and $84 million in long-term debt to a group of lenders led by Prudential Securities and $110 million in revolving loans to a group of banks led by Wells Fargo.

The report can be read here.

The following locations are slated for closure::

Bashas’:

•1919 E. Ray Road, Chandler
•6085 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler
•4321 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert
•4727 E. Bell Road, Phoenix
•18785 S. Interstate 19 Frontage Road, Green Valley
•687 S. Lake Powell Blvd., Page
•1761 E. Arizona 69, Prescott

Food City:

•4335 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale
•1648 S. 16th St., Phoenix
•4338 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said she plans to return to the national political stage — stumping for conservative issues and even Democrats – giving a brief glimpse into her plans just a week after abruptly announcing her departure from the governor’s post.

“I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation,” she said

“People are so tired of the partisan stuff –  even my own son is not a Republican,” said the 45-year-old Palin, who stunned the political world earlier this month with her decision to step down as governor July 26 with 18 months remaining in her term.

She has made no secret of the fact that both her son, Track, 20, an enlisted soldier serving in Iraq, and her husband, Todd, are registered as “nonpartisan” in Alaska.

Palin confirmed signing a book contract — rumored to be $6 million or more. She declined to discuss other employment prospects, including becoming a television commentator, according to a fascinating three page report in the Washington Times.

Arizona Republic columnist Robert Robb has written an excellent analysis of the state’s budget debacle and Gov. Jan Brewer’s attempted tax hike “fix.”

Robb’s column is a must read for those who have grave doubts regarding her handling of the mess.

He writes: If Brewer gets her sales tax referral and voters approve it, that would only provide an additional $450 million or so for 2010. Brewer proposed to partially bring back the state property tax and Democrats want to bring it back entirely. That’s just another $250 million.

So, even with the additional revenues Brewer and others insist have to be part of the solution, there’s still a 2010 deficit of around $1.9 billion to be tackled.

Looking forward, remember that the federal funds are temporary. So, even if Brewer’s sales tax increase is passed and a year’s worth of proceeds collected, and the state property tax comes back in its entirety, the state has an ongoing structural deficit – the gap between the state’s same-year expenses and revenues – of $2.5 billion.

Unless Brewer plans to advocate a tax increase three times as large as she has so far, she needs to quit demonizing spending cuts.

Do yourself a favor and read, Surreal state budget.

Opposition research to undermine plaintiff: firefighter Frank Ricci

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s advocates are pulling out all stops in their efforts to have her sail through her upcoming confirmation hearing. As an example, the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way is urging reporters to scrutinize what they called the “troubled and litigious work history” of Frank Ricci, the Connecticut firefighter at the center of Sotomayor’s most controversial ruling.

“To go after so sympathetic a plaintiff as Frank Ricci . . . is a new low in the politics of personal destruction,” said Roger Pilon, the director of the libertarian Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies. “If they were smart, they’d keep a low profile.”

The 35-year-old Ricci was the lead plaintiff in the case Ricci v. DeStefano, challenging New Haven’s refusal to promote white firefighters after black and all but one Hispanic firefighters failed to score high enough on a promotion exam.

Sotomayor and a majority of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the city’s claim that it was justifiably concerned about a potential civil rights suit being filed by the black firefighters.

Last month, however, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 2nd Circuit by a 5-4 vote.

Read the complete McClatchy news report here.

An overwhelming majority of Americans oppose the position that Sonia Sotomayor took on the affirmative action case — with 71 percent favoring the promotion of the white firefightersand the one Hispanic, who scored well on the test. Only 19 percent side with the city — and Sotomayor — in abandoning the test and awarding no promotions.

In addition, a strong public majority — 55 to 36 percent — favors abolishing affirmative action entirely, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll.

This brief video explains the 20 firefighter’s reverse discrimination lawsuit.

From the United Arab Emirates port of Dubai to Toronto and points in between, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is on the go.  He even works in a few trips to Washington D.C. to rail against those who oppose his Sanctuary City  policies.

As to his global jetsetting, Philly says:

“When developing new economic opportunities, you have to do things face to face. I believe to create jobs, to help our city, to keep people safe, the mayor of Phoenix should be leading, not following, and risking that Phoenix will be passed by others cities in the country.

And I’m good at it. I’ve got the energy, I’ve got the background, and I’m representing the state of Arizona when I’m doing this.”

A suggestion you might want to consider regarding keeping the people of the city of Phoenix safe, Mr. Mayor: How about discarding the policies that provide safe haven to lawbreakers and reward criminality?

The article in the daily can be read here.

Another on Hizzoner’s globetrotting includes this portion: Gordon may be all over the map, literally and figuratively, as his critics allege. A more focused approach might make more sense.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.