Sheriff Arpaio wins federal court victory against Department of Justice

The following article was in today’s daily, but tucked in with other one-column reports on page 3 of section B, under the easy-to-miss header Around Arizona. It was not available online:

U. S. District Judge G. Murray Snow this week barred the Department of Justice from participating in depositions related to a racial profiling case against the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office pointed to Snow’s decision as a victory and sheriff’s officials believe it bolsters their assertion that the Justice Department, which has an  ongoing civil-rights investigation into Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office, is using “back door” methods to gain information.  Sheriff’s officials have accused Justice Department investigators of using Department of Homeland Security employees to gather information for the investigation and attempting to gain entry to a press conference without identifying themselves.

The Justice department does not comment on ongoing investigations.

Placement, it appears, is everything. When issuing the nearly daily scathing assaults on Sheriff Joe Arpaio, they merit Page One, above-the-fold, coverage in the Arizona Republic. When the sheriff wins a court victory, the ever-so playful newspaper takes us on a game of hide and seek.

We don’t want to play.  What we do want is straight, unbiased news reporting — which is likely too much to hope for, but the spirit of optimism lives and breathes.

A guest editorial: Reasserting the Center

We invite you to read it here.

Conservative Party candidate beneficiary of Scozzafava campaign suspension

In a stunning announcement this morning, liberal GOP New York Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava has suspended her collapsing campaign —  just days before the Tuesday Republican NY 23 special election. Here is the statement she released to supporters.

Her decision is an enormous boost for Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, who already had the support of 50 percent of GOP voters and is maintaining his lead with registered Independents, according to a just released Siena Research Institute poll. Hoffman is now well-positioned to win over the 25 percent of Republicans who had been sticking with Scozzafava, according to a report in the Washington Examiner.

Democrat Bill Owens pulling 36 percent and Conservative Doug Hoffman with 35 percent have emerged as the frontrunners, the Siena poll of likely voters found. Scozzafava, who had been the early frontrunner, has seen her support erode to a mere 20 percent.

As the Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava drew strong opposition for her liberal views. In her campaign’s final moments, she did not endorse either of her two opponents.

Seeing Red AZ has been interested in this race, which shows that conservatives, who stay true to basic principles, can prevail over limp, “moderates” who masquerade as Republicans. 

Take heart and heed, Conservatives.

Priceless new website: My Congressman is nuts

Created by Floridians outraged and embarrassed by Alan Grayson’s leftist positions and childish behavior. MyCongressmanIsNuts committee is an independent organization committed to defeating Alan Grayson in 2010.

Watch the video here.

If you liked Obama’s Cash for Clunkers program, you’re gonna love this

As part of the Obama administration’s “economic stimulus” package, $300 million in rebates for buying energy-efficient products has been set aside as a reward for ditching your old appliances. State governments were required to submit detailed plans to the Obama administration to explain how they would give that taxpayer money away. So unlike the “Cash for Clunkers” program, each state is in charge of its own “Cash for Appliances” plan.

Programs have already been scheduled for California, New York, and Florida. If you think your neighbors should be paying to replace your no longer trendy refrigerator and harvest gold washer with newer appliances, Arizona’s energy department contact information is here.  Michelle Bermudes, the energy coordinator in charge of Arizona’s appliance rebate program, can be reached at (602) 771-1151.

Back in January, the liberal New York Times, a newspaper that endorsed Obama for president, wrote this about the “stimulus” costs estimates:  But anyone who looked closely [at the table of numbers from the Congressional Budget Office] would have seen something strange about the table. It suggested that the bill would cost only $355 billion in all, rather than its actual cost of about $800 billion.

Why? It turns out that the table was analyzing only certain parts of the bill, like new spending on highways, education and energy. It ignored the tax cuts, jobless benefits and Medicaid payments — the very money that will be spent the fastest.

Even the New York Times gets it.

Gov. Brewer’s well received tax-hike idea intrigues Mayor Phil

Mayor Philly Gordon, Phoenix’s high flyin’ international jet-setter, is looking for a cash infusion for the monetarily anemic city. In addition to recently raising fees for numerous city services, Phil Gordon is now “floating” the idea of a “temporary sales-tax increase,” according to a report in the daily.

And why not? The concept was certainly a winner for Gov. Jan Brewer.

Suggestion to Slippery Phil: How about defunding the costly Sanctuary City policies you oversee, which provide refuge to illegal aliens as well as ensuring funding for their education, medical care, and the high costs associated with law enforcement, prosecution and incarceration incurred by many of the lawbreakers.

In addition, the idea of rewarding a censured spendthrift of taxpayer funds with the job of county manager is preposterous, yet Gordon cast his ballot for David Cavazos, despite his week-long disciplinary work suspension and imposition of sanctions in the form of reimbursement for his personal travel extravagances,

Another example of city wastefulness is the “ very, very severe” punishing salary of  a mere $81,245 to the city’s chief spokesman, David Ramirez for his ongoing crude and vulgar mistreatment of subordinates. Ramirez had previously earned $105,368 plus numerous perks — including a monthly car allowance of $435.

We don’t need no stinkin’ tax increase, Mayor. We need tax relief. There are additional places to cut. When you get off the plane, take a look around City Hall.

40th birthday greetings to the Internet

Without forward thinking innovators Charles Kline and Bill Duvall, information delivery would still be the purview of newspapers and broadcast media rather than the instant connections afforded each of us on our personal computers and cell phones.

Seeing Red AZ is particularly grateful to them and their colleagues for holding us captives without so much as a ransom note.

BHO’s got a video challenge going

This one, in which the American flag is defaced, seems to have caught the eye of the judges.

But the one where more children are exploited has its own particular brand of charm.

These two videos are among the many submitted to President Barack Obama’s Organizing for America Health Reform Video Challenge. Which one brings you closest to gagging?

Wanna see Obama’s promised “transparency?”

Here it is.

Holy Smokes! The New York Post endorses Conservative Party candidate Hoffman

From the Post editorial: The Republican candidate in that race, [New York’s 23rd Congressional District] Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, is the product of an obscenely corrupt political bargain by GOP bosses that sells out their party — and New Yorkers generally.

Read the well-reasoned and politically instructive editorial here.