Fact-filled reading to make you smarter

Jack Cashill’s compelling article available at American Thinker, compares “The Competing Narratives of Barry and Sarah.” 

Beginning in the spring of 1964, Cashill follows the paths of infant Palin and toddler Obama. A lengthy read, it is nonetheless worth your time.

When it serves her purpose, Linda Valdez ignores the news

It’s quite an accomplishment for an editorial writer to deliberately ignore the news, but when it serves her purposes, the tactic seems to work quite well for Linda Valdez.

A case in point is her foolish Quick Hit in today’s newspaper. Under the headline, So how do you think Latinos are voting? she writes:

“According to a recent release from the Immigration Policy Center, “New Americans” (naturalized citizens or their U.S.-born kids) made up 10.6 percent of all registered voters in Arizona in 2006. Latinos made up 11.7 percent of voters in the state in 2008. Hmm, I wonder how they feel about the political party with a reputation for immigrant bashing?”

Valdez is so bonded to her amnesty agenda that she misses the mark entirely when she uses the term “immigrant bashing, “ in her attempt to marginalize the Republican party. She wants so badly to link criminal illegal trespassing into the U.S. to the lawful and orderly process of immigration, when she knows no corollary exists. We have the most gracious and easily accessible immigration policies in the industrialized world for those who want to immigrate legally. Breaking in is quite another issue. Valdez most likely has locks on her own doors to prevent such activity on her own property.

This Rasmussen Reports survey must have caught her eye. It is a poll of Arizona Democrats and Republicans — statewide and notes that Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Arizona voters have a favorable view of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and his aggressive enforcement of laws against illegal immigration. Forty-six percent (46%) view the sheriff very favorably. Just 26% have an unfavorable opinion of Arpaio, including 16% who are very unfavorable,

Rasmussen found that “Arizona voters also strongly approve of some of the tactics the sheriff employs to fight illegal immigration and crime related to it.”

Check it out Linda.  We don’t make up facts to fit an overarching scheme.

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ACORN: Taking a page from the Obama playbook?

Remember how Barack Obama took such offense when his middle name Hussein was mentioned during the 2008 campaign? It was considered so “racist” and derogatory that his even his opponent John McCain jumped to Obama’s defense after Bill Cunningham, a national talk show host warming up a Republican crowd for a McCain appearance had the temerity to utter the name. McCain actually opined it was “disparaging” and “inappropriate” to mention the name. “I absolutely repudiate such comments, and it will never happen again…it will never happen again,” vowed McCain. Watch him solemnly intone his promise here.

Then came the day of reckoning, when Obama placed his hand on the bible and was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, unreservedly using the middle name he ran from during the previous years.

Now we read that ACORN, the group known for voter fraud and steeped in corruption and criminal practices, an organization in which Obama cut his political teeth, has been considering taking a page from that name change book in an effort to rehabilitate its disreputable image. This internal memo comes courtesy of POLITICO.

Politics Arizona Republic style

The smoldering embers are reigniting into that familiar old inferno. We’ve seen it before when a conservative has the temerity to gain traction, or heaven forbid, actually win an election. The Arizona Republic pulls out all stops to effect a frontal assault. Pseudo Republicans are taken under wing, which is why Congressmen Jeff Flake and John Shadegg usually garner favorable coverage. Ditto Sens. Jon Kyl and John McCain.

But let an actual conservative Republican even talk about the issues or have a base urging him to run, as in the case with popular radio talk show host and former Congressman J. D. Hayworth, and the flames get fanned with extra vigor.

Via its editorial staff, reporters, columnists and even the now-liberal cartoonist, the Republic has relentlessly hammered Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas, for doing their jobs of enforcing the law. The newspaper would prefer to see selective enforcement and certainly none that results in the arrest, conviction or deportation of their favorite residents: illegal aliens.

Now the vulnerability of John McCain has become the vanguard issue. He has recently been the subject of a Rasmussen Reports survey that showed him to be in a dead heat in a hypothetical match-up with Hayworth — not good news for Arizona’s senior senator. Another such survey indicated 61 % of Arizonans said he doesn’t represent them. He has had a disconnect with his own party base for so long that he didn’t even bother to attend the state presidential preference primary when his name was placed in nomination for the 2008 election, an overt display of disdain for the very people who brought him to that dance.

J.D. Hayworth serves to compound the injury as far as the daily is concerned. He is knowledgeable on the issues, congressional procedures and the myriad personalities. They exposed their growing angst Saturday in an editorial lavishing praise on McCain. The very next day, the newspaper sics the drooling dog E.J. Montini on Hayworth. The more ink they expend, the more fearful they appear that Hayworth could, in fact, show their boy Johnny the door. National politicos are speculating on the possibility of a McCain defeat.

Right now, we can only hope. If Hayworth enters the race, we can look forward to calling him “Senator.”

Throwing liberal caution to the winds, Brewer acknowledges Christmas

Gov. Jan Brewer is bringing back the Christmas tree to the Capitol Tower, and is making no bones about what it is called.

 “I believe in calling something what it is, and it is a Christmas tree — just as a (Chanukah) menorah is a menorah,” she said.

Former Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat who developed a severe case of liberal amnesia with the accompanying systemic virus of political correctness, forgot the Judeo-Christian religious roots of our nation‘s founding, and gave these items the foolishly generic names of “holiday tree” and “candle holder.”

Deborah Sheasby, legal counsel for the Center for Arizona Policy, said Brewer made a good decision. “The government does not have to shy away from acknowledging what it is,” she said of the holiday display.

Gov. Brewer will actually participate in the Capitol Christmas tree lighting ceremony tomorrow, Monday, November 30, at 10:00 AM. 

Join her and give her a loud applause.

Criminal enterprise ACORN has cronies in high places

The Justice Department has concluded that the Obama administration can lawfully pay the community group ACORN for services provided under contracts signed before Congress banned the government from providing money to the group, The New York Times reports.

The opinion was signed by David Barron, the acting assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel.  Brian Kettenring, the deputy director of national operations for ACORN, praised Barron’s decision.

So much for President Obama’s October 1, signing into law a bill that included a provision saying no taxpayer money — including money authorized by previous legislation — could be “provided to” the group or its affiliates.

Rep. Darrell Issa, the top Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued a statement saying “the bipartisan intent of Congress was clear — no more federal dollars should flow to ACORN.”

“It is telling that this administration continues to look for every excuse possible to circumvent the intent of Congress. Taxpayers should not have to continue subsidizing a criminal enterprise that helped Barack Obama get elected president. The politicization of the Justice Department to payback one of the president’s political allies is shameful and amounts to nothing more than old-fashioned cronyism.”

But what can we expect from a Justice Department under the auspices of Barack Obama — who played an active role training Chicago ACORN members in leadership seminars. In turn, those volunteers worked on his campaigns. He also served as the legal representative for the group, now known primarily for facilitating voter fraud and encouraging other nefarious activities.

The Hill reports that the very Department of Justice that is now deciding in favor of the group, provided it over $200,000 in grants between 2002 and 2009, according to a recent report by the department’s inspector general.

The Cleveland Leader provides a detailed and fact-filled account of Obama’s involvement with ACORN. National Review Online’s Stanley Kurtz writes Inside Obama’s ACORN.

The costly Court Tower of Babel

Barbara Rodriguez Mundell, presiding judge of Maricopa County Superior Court, has written a My Turn column for the daily, in which she heaps accolades on the new and innovative 16-story  criminal court tower.

Mundell never mentions the cost, but does enthuse over the consultants who ensure victims’ rights will be in the forefront of the design team‘s agenda.

Funny, all along we thought it was the dispensation of justice, by interpreting the law and applying it to the facts of each case, which was the role of the criminal courts.

Among the litany of recommendations to be implemented, from separate waiting rooms, hallways and restrooms for victims and their families, are “highly visible signs.”  How much do you bet they’ll be bilingual?

The courts have enlisted the services of Dr. Judith Heerwagen, an environmental and evolutionary psychologist whose work focuses on the links between building design and human health, well being, and productivity. Mundell stresses Heerwagen’s ability to make the new courts more “empathetic.”  Among other projects, Heerwagen has worked with the University of California, Berkeley on the development of a protocol for assessing sustainable buildings. “The Living Building Leader,” Cascadia, has offices in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington state and Oregon. Their exceptionally high-end website carries these words: “The Cascadia Region Green Building Council advocates for change at all levels and pushes for paradigm-shifting legislation.”

We’ll leave you to figure out what that signifies, but we suspect it’s expensive and has a left-wing bent.

The project is currently pegged at costing taxpayers $340 million. Any additional questions you might have after reading Judge Mundell’s column, are answered — with slant included — at no additional cost. The county has thoughtfully provided a live construction camera which updates images every minute, for those interested in seeing how their money is being spent.

But under the link for Consultants and Contractors, only Arizona companies are listed and there is not a single mention of Dr. Heerwagen.

We predicted this would happen, but so soon?

A “statesman” has appeared in the daily’s editorial. The newspaper is obviously in full fret-mode over what could be an impending challenge to the old Maverick.

So far, the man they fear hasn’t even announced, but the sweat is dripping off the brow of both the editorial board and Arizona’s Señor Senator, Juan McCain.

Dem duo Harry and Philly get economics lesson from Delia Garcia

Seeking a holiday message to provide a platform for their political grandstanding,  Congressman Harry Mitchell and Phoenix Mayor Philly Gordon hit upon the idea of urging Phoenix residents to make “at least one out of three purchases” in locally-owned stores. Teaming with a group calling itself Local First Arizona, the message is to help local businesses weather the Obowma enhanced recession.

“For every $100 that is spent in a locally-owned store, we get to keep $45 of it in our community,” said Gordon, quoting information from a national study of the impact of local buying by an Austin-based organization, Civics Economics.

Interesting that an Austin, Texas based study is being used to advocate for support of Arizona businesses.

A visit to both organization’s websites illustrates they use similar language and figures, customizing their findings for other cities such as Pelosi’s San Francisco and Obowma’s hometown of Chicago.

Remember Harry? The former high school teacher, who should understand basic economics, was nonetheless onboard voting for all of the unsustainably costly Obowma bailouts, trillions in government expansion programs and the socialized fed-med overhaul. But he assists the local economy when he is in town, by getting his haircuts at a local barber, according to the report in the daily.

Gordon oversees Phoenix’s “Sanctuary City” status, compelling taxpaying citizens to fund benefits for the illegal aliens he coddles by providing safe haven from the law. His help consists of supporting illegals who are taking jobs from Arizona workers by accepting substandard wages.

Although support of local businesses is commendable, Arizona’s Wal-Mart spokeswoman Delia Garcia,  pointed out that the Arkansas-based retailer employs 32,000 Arizonans, spent $1 billion with Arizona suppliers last year alone, paid $342 million in state sales taxes and donated $10 million to Arizona charities. Information is available here.

Interesting bedfellows aligned on behalf of Payday loans

Former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods and HighGround execs Doug Cole and Chuck Coughlin are lobbying on behalf of Payday loans, an industry many consider to be unscrupulous predatory lenders due to excessive interest rates. All three men are advisors to Gov. Jan Brewer. To the surprise of many Capitol watchers, Woods’ name appeared as campaign manager on Brewer’s 2010 campaign filing documents earlier this month.

Last year, by a vote of 59.5% to 40.5% voters overwhelmingly rejected the industry-crafted initiative — Proposition 200 — to repeal the law putting the lenders out of business after June 30. The industry poured more than $14.7 million into the campaign while opponents had less than $1 million. Woods, Cole and Coughlin are trying to convince lawmakers to let the Payday lenders stay in business despite the public vote to the contrary.

Arizona’s usury laws cap interest on consumer loans at 36 percent a year. But industry lobbyists pushed through a special law in 2000 allowing them to charge fees that far exceed the cap for “deferred presentment transactions” of up to $500, writes  Howard Fischer of  Capitol Media Serices.

For example, someone who needs money writes a check for that amount plus the fee, which can be up to $17.85 per $100. The company agrees not to cash the check for up to two weeks. That amounts to annual interest of more than 450 percent. But when lawmakers enacted the law, they included a sunset clause: The law self-destructs July 1 unless renewed.