“Score one for free speech!”

Arizona Sen. John McCain called Monday’s Supreme Court decision to weaken part of his McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, “Regrettable.” 

The court lessened the impact of a provision in the law which strictly limited ads paid for with corporate and union money within 30 days of a primary and 60 days of a general election. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, one of McCain’s primary rivals for the GOP nomination, declared, “Score one for free speech! Today the Supreme Court reaffirmed the First Amendment by rejecting a key feature of McCain-Feingold.” 

“McCain-Feingold was a poorly crafted bill,” Romney added. “Today’s decision restores, in part, to the American people a right critical to their freedom of political participation and expression.”

Flores case update

 Federal Judge Raner Collins today rejected the state legislature’s request for a stay in the Flores  v. Arizona case. Collins has held that the state was not in compliance, deeming funding levels inadequate to provide sufficiently for English Language Learners. The judge required the legislature to approve ELL provisions by the end of the legislative session.

There has been ongoing contention on this issue,  In March 2006, the state was fined $500,000 a day for delaying the implementation of the program.  Currently, the legislature is appealing to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals,

The 2007 legislative session adjourned June 20, after a lengthy 164 day session.

Will Sen. Kyl listen as intently to those of us without radio programs?

The Internet is abuzz with laudatory articles on Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl’s “conversion” of conservative radio talk show host, Hugh Hewitt, regarding the issue of illegal immigration. Hewitt has been a vocal critic of Kyl’s focus-group-winning titled, “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” scheme.

The recurrent theme of the self-congratulatory articles is that radio and television talk shows — along with bloggers,  have influenced the debate on this contentious issue, since the “conversation” took place when Kyl was a guest on Hewitt’s popular show:

Hewitt: ”Does the bill provide for any separate treatment of aliens, illegal aliens from countries of special concern, relative to those from Spanish-speaking countries?”

The ever-smooth Kyl replied: ”It’s going to, as a result of your lobbying efforts to me.  I’ve added language, it’s in the process of being drafted now, that will be included in a so-called enforcement amendment which we fully expect to pass.”  Kyl added, “People seeking entry to the U.S. from countries that the U.S. has designated as state sponsors of terrorism will get a higher level of scrutiny.”

Hewitt was so impressed he penned this ode to the senator:  In Defense Of Jon Kyl

Maricopa County GOP Chairman, Lyle Tuttle, urges action

To:        Republicans

From:    MCRC Chairman Lyle Tuttle
Subject: HB 2779 

Prior to adjournment, the Arizona Legislature passed on to the Governor House Bill 2779, the FAIR AND LEGAL EMPLOYMENT ACT  This Bill (IF signed into law by Governor No) would crack down on businesses that knowingly employ illegals.  In a nutshell, it requires all businesses to use the Basic Employment Verification Pilot Program to insure that the person they are considering hiring  is in the US legally.  If they fail to use the program, and they are found to have illegals working for them, the first violation places them on a three year probation, and they must sign an affidavit that they have fired all illegals working for them.  The second violation will cost them their business licence — permanently. 

Folks, this is another way to stem the flow of illegals into our country. 

The governor is receiving a lot of phone calls, asking her NOT to sign this bill. 
I urge you to call her and ask that she DOES sign.

Either way, this is OUR country, and we must either speak up or shut up.
Here are the phone numbers for the Governor’s office:
Local Telephone (602) 542-4331Toll Free 1-(800) 253-0883

I do not think she has an answering machine on this number, so please call Monday morning — early!!  Let her know what YOU think.

Lyle

               

Elizabeth Edwards kicks off SF Gay Pride Parade

Mrs. Edwards participation in the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender kickoff breakfast on behalf of her presidential aspirant husband, John, is reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. The paper enthusiastically cheers her action as the highest level of presidential participation at this event which has ever occurred. Democrat campaign strategist, Bob Shrum has written that in 2004, while advising the Kerry/Edwards due, he asked Kerry’s vice presidential running mate, John Edwards what he thought about gay rights. Edwards response: “I’m not that comfortable around those people.”

Mrs. Edwards participation in this LGBT kickoff breakfast is less about solidarity and more about damage control on behalf of her husband.

Deadline change likely for school redistricting

Arizona has 92 school boards. In recent years they have come to call themselves “governing boards,” as you might have noticed when campaign signs for those seats begin dotting the landscape. Regardless of which name they use, these can be contentious places for the uninitiated.An issue currently drawing attention is that of oversight of non-unified grades K through 12 districts. Several plans are under consideration. The Arizona Schools Redistricting Commission is responsible for unifying districts, standardizing curriculum and facilitating cost saving.Scheduled to be on the November 2008 ballot, the districts are requesting an extension of the current July 30 deadline for submission of community comments. That deadline appears to be moving toward September 15.

Pregnant woman and unborn baby warrant two murder counts

Ohio authorities charge two counts of murder against the Canton, Ohio police officer whose pregnant girlfriend has been the subject of a weeklong search.

A letter from Congressman Trent Franks

Congressman Trent Franks, 2nd District of Arizona Website | Biography | Constituent Services | Issues & Legislation | Press Office | Contact

Dear Friends, Immigration: One of the most important issues facing our country is illegal immigration.  Over the past few weeks I have heard from literally thousands of constituents in response to the “comprehensive immigration reform bill” introduced in the Senate.  I am unable to support this bill as introduced in the Senate for two main reasons. First, while America is a nation of immigrants, we must not reward those who have entered the country illegally with benefits denied to the law-abiding individuals who have chosen to undertake the legal path to citizenship.  Second, in an age of international terrorism, I cannot and will not support legislation that does not place the need for border security as our single most important priority.  The Senate bill has yet to be introduced in the House of Representatives; however, as this issue increasingly becomes the central topic of debate in Congress, I assure you I hear your voices.  I will continue to keep you informed as immigration reform legislation progresses in Congress. National Defense: On May 17th, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for the Department of Defense, which authorized $503.8 billion for the Department of Defense (DoD) and other national security programs.  While being amended in the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, the Democrats reduced $764 million in funding for Ballistic Missile Defense from the President’s budget.  In doing so, several vital programs were either abandoned altogether, such as conceptual studies for the Space Test Bed, or were relegated to becoming nothing more than elaborate research projects, instead of crucial layers to our national defense system.  This included the Airborne Laser, our most promising and mature missile defense system designed to interdict an enemy missile in the “boost phase,” where it is most vulnerable.  Our most basic responsibility as Members of Congress is to provide for the security of both the American people and our war fighters abroad.  Therefore, when the bill came before the House, I offered an amendment that would have restored full funding for missile defense.  While the amendment itself failed by a vote of 199-226, I was heartened by the fact that Republicans, as well as 13 Democrats who departed from a party-line vote, rallied to support a strong and robust missile defense, recognizing the urgent need to provide for the security of our nation. “Grassroots lobbying”: You may remember hearing of a “grassroots lobbying” law which aimed to impose 10 year prison sentences onto the efforts of religious leaders and political activists who encourage citizens to voice their views to Congress, if these activists failed to fully disclose all such grassroots political speech to the federal government for review and monitoring.  Some experts called this proposal to shut down the conservative grassroots the greatest assault on First Amendment freedoms in U. S. history.  As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, I served as the first line of defense in the Congress against this assault by preventing the sponsor of this regulation from introducing his amendment in my Subcommittee and by speaking out steadfastly against the law.  My office worked for months with Republican leadership, who looked to us to lead the charge in the final defeat of this language in the full Judiciary Committee.  We were successful because of the justice of our cause, our commitment to the Constitution, and because thousands of Americans like you exercised the very rights of free speech that the legislation tried to destroy, by contacting Congress and making your outrage known.  Together, we won this fight, and it will not be the last.”

AZ State Republican Chairman’s message:

We choose to inaugurate Seeing Red AZ with this excellent reminder from Arizona’s GOP Chairman, Randy Pullen. The wisdom contained in his article titled, Why I Am A Republican, is well worth your time.