2014: This New Year rich with opportunities

 

Seeing Red AZ sends sincere best wishes for a satisfying, productive, safe and healthy New Year to our readers.

As we embark upon this New Year, there is no better time to renew our acquaintance with America’s founding documents: The Declaration of Independence, our U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They have served us well. The least we can do is stay familiar with what they contain and ensure that our children know what blessings we have been given as a nation.

We urge our readers to get involved in the elective process. This year will feature important mid-term congressional and statewide elections. It is crucial we elect dependable and consistent conservatives to turn this country around — while there is still a chance.

Retread Goddard seeks circuitous path to Gov’s office

Also-ran Dem Terry Goddard opts for new route to the job he actually desires

The New Year is upon us and the cry of “Out with the old, in with the new!” is once again chanted by revelers. But don’t look for that tune to ring a bell with Samuel Pearson “Terry” Goddard, III.

The onetime state attorney general’s liberal ego is rewinding into campaign mode, as he gears up for yet another run. This time governor wanna-be Goddard is announcing for Arizona Secretary of State. Due to our constitutional line of succession, that office is just a heartbeat away from the elusive gubernatorial prize he has repeatedly and unsuccessfully sought.

In recent years several Arizona Governors found their way to the state’s highest office by standing in the Secretary of State’s wings.*

Long known for prancing around the Ninth Floor pond, Goddard desperately wanted to do more than merely dip his toe in. It must be  tough being repeatedly rejected for the governor’s seat once held by his father. Papa Sam was a short timer, serving only two years, the length of a gubernatorial term in the 1960’s, but at least he was able to get elected once — though he was defeated in his next two contests.

“Terry,” the more informal moniker for his family nickname of “Trey,” meaning The Third in continental-speak — tries desperately to connect to the regular folks in his Democrat party — without much success. As a Harvard graduate, who as a lad attended the tony Phillips Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, he can’t quite span the canyon-like chasm.

Goddard has previously run on public money. At this point, it’s unknown if he will go that route again. Many will remember him as the disappointing Democrat Attorney General, whose opposition to SB 1070 won him few friends outside of the circle of open borders radicals. Liberal to the core, as AG he also refused to join 27 other states in a lawsuit over the federal overreach known as Obamacare.  Winning an A rating from the extremist group ACORN did more to harm than help him. This time around the constant candidate disingenuously claims he is seeking the secretary of state post  because of his commitment to “voter access” and his opposition to anonymous “dark money.”

During his 2010 campaign for governor he appointed octogenarian Democrat former Gov. Rose Mofford as his campaign chairman.  No word yet on his 2014 strategist. During that race he carried a mere 42% of the vote. Jan Brewer won with 55% — after finally signing the popular SB 1070 into law.

In the upcoming primary, Goddard will be challenging Sen. Leah Landrum Taylor, so far the only Democrat who has filed for the office. Three Republicans have announced, including conservative Mesa businessman Wil Cardon, Rep. Justin Pierce and Sen. Michele Reagan. Incumbent Secretary of State Ken Bennett is term-limited and running for governor.

*In 1977 Wesley Bolin, Arizona’s longest serving Secretary of State with 28 consecutive years on the job, succeeded Gov. Raul Castro who left midterm to become ambassador to Argentina. Bolin served less than five months before suffering a fatal heart attack. The next in line of succession was Attorney General Bruce Babbitt, later elected to two full terms.

In 1988 Secretary of State Rose Mofford succeeded impeached Gov. Evan Mecham. Jane Hull followed the same route in 1997 after  Gov. Fife Symington resigned due to a felony conviction — which was later reversed.  Current Gov. Jan Brewer was Secretary of State when she completed Janet Napolitano’s term  in 2009 when she resigned to join the Obama administration.

Obviously perennial loser Goddard’s been paying attention.

Howard Dean admits Obamacare woes, predicts more

Broken promises on costs, keeping your doctor, access to specialists

 Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” acknowledged that Obamacare would suffer additional setbacks as it continues rolling out next year, yet he claims that ultimately the health care overhaul “will work.”

“There are going to be problems,” he said, conceding that the Obama administration was having trouble getting young, healthy people to sign up for health care plans, which is sure to drive up costs.

“The data does show that less healthy people are signing up,” Dean, a physician, said. “Younger people are signing up less frequently than hoped.”

Never venturing far from his leftist ideological stance, the former Democrat Party Chairman defended Obamacare, trouncing its critics and  accusing them of “hyperbole,” hypocritically  declaring they “look incredibly partisan.”

Dean debated Obamacare with Scott Gottlieb, M.D., a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, who criticized the health care plans offered.  Gottlieb said they are “very, very narrow” and “exclude a lot of specialists.” He also noted an older and less healthy population are the ones currently attempting to sign up. Additionally he noted that Obamacare drug formularies will only cover drugs on the list and yours may not be included.

Welcome to the Orwellian world of 1984.….2014 — just a few decades late.

Homeschooling under assault

Ohio Democrat legislator introduces massively intrusive bill

The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) — an advocacy group defending the constitutional right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children and to protect family freedoms —  is hard at work in Ohio.

We might well need their services here in Arizona.

As the federal overreaches contained in the Common Core curriculum gain more exposure, parents have balked to the point that John Huppenthal, Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, with enthusiastic approval from Gov. Jan Brewer have attempted to dupe the public by slickly changing the name “Common Core” to “Arizona College and Career Ready Standards.” The duo are shamefully pushing policies intended to cede control of every facet of our education system to federal bureaucrats, undermining local control.

As Arizona’s 2014 legislative session gets underway Monday, January 13, we need to remain vigilant.  Ohio parents who opt to alternatively homeschool their children are already under legislative assault.

With the recent introduction of Senate Bill 248, by Democrat State Sen. Capri Cafaro, Ohio has suddenly become a frontline in the battle over homeschooling freedom. HSLDA describes SB 248 as “breathtakingly onerous in its scope.” It requires all homeschooling parents to undergo a social services investigation which would ultimately determine if homeschooling would be permitted. Social workers would interview parents and children separately, conduct background checks and be the sole determiner as to whether or not to recommend homeschooling for each individual family. If it is not recommended, parents would have to submit to an “intervention” before further consideration of their request to homeschool.

SB 248   (read it here) is a ham-handed response to a child abuse tragedy which ended in the death of a 14-year-old boy at the hands of his mother’s boyfriend. The crime would not have been averted had this bill been enacted and in effect at the time the crime occurred. While a student in public school, his ongoing abuse was reported by teahcers to authorities who did not intervene. His mother removed him from the school under the guise of homeschooling him, when in fact she wanted to ensure no prying eyes would intrude on the dysfunctional family.

The Ohio bill unjustly targets homeschooling, removing the focus from the state — which did nothing to protect the boy when the vicious abuse he suffered was reported — and attacking families making educational choices for their children. The “mother” and her boyfriend are now where they belong — in prison.

Illegals: The misuse of scripture for political gain

Biblical translations misinterpreted by some evangelical clergy to advance amnesty

James Robb, Operations VP for NumbersUSA writes: “This is the time of year when many pro-amnesty advocates in the pulpit and the press misuse the Bible to try to advance their cause. This year, churchgoers are fortunate to have access to a much different explanation of scripture, thanks to the emergence of a group called Evangelicals for Biblical Immigration and to a fascinating panel recently sponsored by the Heritage Foundation to inform congressional staffers and the media.”

Do yourself a favor. Take time to read this enlightening and well referenced blog post, “Leading Evangelicals Show that Bible Has Been Misinterpreted,” and watch the panel presentation.

Then check out the Immigration Report Card Locator to see the grades members of the Arizona delegation have so far received. Background on the grading system is available here.

Christine Jones: AZ Gov candidate’s questionable judgment

If you were one of the multitude who received this head-scratcher of a Christmas card from 2014 gubernatorial candidate Christine Jones, you’d not only have to wonder about her choice in selecting a campaign advisor, but also her own shaky judgment.

Jones has had her share of problems, missteps and foolish utterances, but sending out a card with the words “Glory to God in the Highest,” topping a photo of her and her husband Gary standing in the foreground of the tony Arizona Biltmore Resort, a luxury Waldorf Astoria property, outranks them all.

Intertwining biblical quotes and praise to the Lord with an image epitomizing worldly grandeur to mark the day commemorating Jesus’ birth gives the impression her idea of appropriateness is more than a bit skewed.

Her judgment has been impaired more than a few times, as we’ve previously noted. Serious driving infractions include multiple DUI convictions  TPM reports that records show she was first pulled over in 2004.  Jones was ticketed on red-light-running charges in 2008 and 2009.  She was also twice convicted of DUI in 2006. She calls those incidents that landed her an overnight bunk in jail and cost her in fines — which she slickly conceals as “dues” — “regrettable mistakes.”

A key high dollar bundler for John McCain, the conservative poser generously donated to the campaigns of Democrats and RINOs. Now the former Go Daddy honcho, who has never evidenced any interest in the Republican Party in any meaningful way, arrogantly wants the state’s top job.

Would you hire her?

(Click photo to enlarge.)

Driver’s licenses for illegals, er…“immigrants, undocumented ”

What kind of distorted thinking regards the illegal entry into the United States as worthy of rewards?

No surprise here. The open borders supporters at the Periódico de la República de Arizona (Arizona Republic)!

The daily heralds the news that based on Barack Obama’s executive order — his regal route for bypassing congress — the  AZ Department of Transportation will uphold a policy making not only illegal aliens eligible for state issued driver’s licenses, but also their spouses, children and parents, if a non-citizen relative is serving in the military.

The online version of the article, which refers to illegal invaders as “immigrants” or “undocumented” 15 times, with the sympathetic qualifier “young” sprinkled liberally throughout, is topped by a preposterous video featuring the outer columnist E. J. Montini and illegal champion reporter Richard Ruelas. The duo are engaged in  a choreographed discourse in which they conclude Gov. Jan Brewer has been driven by “spite,” in arguing against providing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. She has contended that only Congress has the authority to grant non-citizens legal presence, which is required under state law to obtain a driver’s license or state issued ID.

A 1996 Arizona law, in statute as 41-1080 requires persons seeking a state license to show their presence is “authorized under federal law.”

We happily provide our readers with this helpful primer “Deciphering Republicese,” which includes a link to our popular “Lingo.” Number three on the list explains the actual meaning of “undocumented.”

JD Radio: Year-end wrap-up, and 2014 beginning

For those of us who are diehard JD Hayworth fans, there will be ample opportunity to hear him now and as he ushers in the New Year.

Hayworth will continue to do “Huckabee” following Christmas and at the beginning of 2014.

Listen December 26 & 27 — as well as starting with programming on January 2^nd and 3^rd.    Listen Live at KFSO 560 from 10:00 am -1:00 pm, (AZ Time) or via tape delay locally from 1:00 – 3:00 pm on KFNX, AM 1100 on your radio dial or Live here.

Tune in next Monday and Tuesday (Dec. 30 and 31), to catch him on WLS Chicago, from 8:00 am -10:00 am, (AZ Time) AND on New Year’s Day from 1:00 -5:00 pm, (AZ Time). Listen live here.

And magically, those same two days (Dec. 30 and 31), we’ll be treated to his conservative wisdom on 104.1FM, “The Truth” in Tucson from 3:00 -6:00 pm. Listen live here.

2013: Joyous Christmas Wishes

With sincere best wishes for a Merry Christmas to all of our readers.

May the peace and goodwill of this season be with us all. We express our gratitude to our service personnel, many stationed far from their own families, who ensure our countless freedoms.

We fervently pray that God will continue to bless America.

Seeing Red AZ

T’was the night before Christmas….

This charming image is of Clement Clarke Moore’s original handwritten poem, “A Visit From Saint Nicholas,” written in 1822 as a gift to his children. Here is the full, easier to read version.

Enjoy Christmas Eve.