AZ Republic gives Mormon bashing a thumbs up

Arizona’s daily newspaper, known to many as the AZ Repulsive, lives up to its name with the glowing review of “The Book of Mormon,” described as a “cheerfully profane musical.”

Though the newspaper calls the Tony Award winning theater production a “controversial hit,” it goes on to extol the content. 

Most often the term “controversial” is reserved for legislation or politicians the liberals at the daily abhor, but it was actually hauled out for this effusive review of the offensive play, referred to as “critically acclaimed.”

 Readers are told that the executive director of ASU Gammage, which is owned and operated by Arizona State University, claims, “We’ve been fielding hundreds and hundreds of requests for the show, so we’re very fortunate that it will be here.” Others want to know, “Why did it take so long?” and speculate the unexplained delay “has fueled rampant rumors that Gammage avoided scheduling the show because of its controversial content —- perhaps bowing to political pressure from influential members of the local Mormon community.”

If such pressure did exist, let’s hope it also came from segments of the faith-based community beyond the LDS Church.

According to the review, “The plot involves two missionaries from Salt Lake City sent to preach in war-torn Uganda. Woefully unprepared to face the violence and poverty there, they suffer a crisis of faith.

Satirical musical numbers include “You and Me (But Mostly Me),” a duet sung by chipper go-getter Elder Price and geeky companion Elder Cunningham, and “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream,” which features a giant dancing Starbucks cup (a reference to the Mormon prohibition on drinking coffee).

There’s also a spoof of “Hakuna Matata,” the don’t-worry-be-happy anthem from Disney’s “The Lion King,” that is, from nearly any religious perspective, wildly blasphemous. Without question, much of the content is offensive to many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” says the newspaper report.

In fact, the so-called “spoof” is filled with “F-U God” references. 

Would a musical defaming Islam receive the same praise from the leftist newspaper? Would Muslim male characters portrayed as effeminate geeks receive rave reviews and awards? Though the Obama administration fabricated the underlying reason, tragic events at the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya and death threats against author Salman Rushdie, who dared write a book critical of  Mohammad, provide the unambiguous answer.

This is the opening number. Side-splittingly funny, huh? At the conclusion, comes this raucous introduction from Neil Patrick Harris: “Welcome everyone to the 66^th annual Tony Awards, or as we like to call it, Fifty Shades of Gay.”

And this is the measured response from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Advertisement

Veto of HB 2316 proves Huppenthal wrong on student privacy

Diane Douglas, the conservative Republican challenging Common Core-pushing John Huppenthal for Superintendent of Public Instruction in the Republican Primary has come out with a bombshell saying Governor Brewer’s veto of HB 2316 proves that John Huppenthal cannot deliver on his promise to protect student privacy.

Douglas reminds voters that at a candidate forum in SaddleBrooke, Arizona held on April 9th,  Huppenthal assured the audience that the privacy of sensitive student information being gathered as part of Common Core would be protected through new legislation.

His claim is clearly false in the light of the Governor’s veto of HB 2316.

“John Huppenthal is either naive or disingenuous when he falsely claims that the Common Core dossiers being assembled on our children will be kept private. If there is one thing we have learned from the Obama Administration, it is that the government can no longer be trusted with private information,” stated Diane Douglas.

Douglas added, “I am disappointed that John Huppenthal is willing to collaborate with President Obama in building government files on our children. I am opposed to Common Core and I will not allow Arizona’s Public schools to be turned into data gathering agencies for the Obama Administration.”

Douglas’ bio can be read on her campaign website.

Seeing Red AZ has previously written about the huckstering Superintendent Huppenthal, a public education insider now on the campaign trail seeking reelection. He obviously knows what countless parents suspect. Why else would he angle to deceive them with a swift name change for this radical curriculum? In an instant, colluding with Gov. Jan Brewer to pull off the sleight-of-hand scam, “Common Core” magically morphed into “Arizona College and Career Ready Standards.” Oddly, Huppenthal sent out this media advisory acclaiming the fact that he escorted Obama’s radical Education Czar Arne Duncan around Arizona.

At 29 years of age John Huppenthal began an unbroken 30-year record of feeding at the public trough. During those years he has become a recognized establishment hack. It’s time to retire him.

Fortunately, Diane Douglas offers conservatives an outstanding choice. The status quo is not acceptable.

AZ AG Tom Horne issues statement

“An impartial, nonpartisan judge announced last week that the campaign finance allegations against me were without merit and I was cleared of all charges.

Many people advised me to settle, and while that may have been the politically correct thing to do, I could not, in good conscience, admit to something that I did not do.

I’m disappointed by the biased coverage by the liberal media in this case. It’s clear that they were more interested in attacking me than reporting the facts. As proof of this I point to the many front page stories that essentially announced my guilt, with headlines more appropriate to another Pearl Harbor attack. And even after I won, the Republic chose to write an editorial that made it sound like I lost, so deaf are they to facts.

To my primary and general election opponents I say this: I hope you’re ready because despite all of your tawdry attempts at character assassination, I have never stopped protecting Arizonans.”

Seeing Red AZ covered this matter in this earlier post, ‘Vindication for AZ Attorney General Tom Horne.” His spot-on analysis of the liberally biased media reports and strong challenge to opponents in this message, make it a worthy read.

Check out Tom Horne’s unmatched credentials here.

Obama asks imam‘s prayers, seeks to end oppression of Muslims

Obama visits triumphal mosque built on site of church, asks imam to pray for him

This Thursday May 1, ushers in the 2014 observance of the National Day of Prayer.

In his first Inaugural Address, President George Washington prayed that the Almighty would preserve freedom of all Americans. On this 63^rd annual National Day of Prayer— an observance initiated by President Harry Truman —- we celebrate that freedom and America’s great tradition of prayer. We are encouraged to give thanks for God’s many blessings and to pray for each other and our Nation.

CNSNews reports on a prayerful moment Barack Obama had while visiting Malaysia’s National Mosque on Sunday. While there, and after removing his shoes as a sign of respect, Obama was asked by the Grand Imam Ismail Muhammad to end oppression against Muslims worldwide.

“Pray for me,” Obama replied, according to the imam who took him on a 25-minute tour of the mosque.

Obama’s a busy man.  He travels and golfs a lot.  No wonder he’s missed the news detailing Muslim violence against Christians and the fact that Muslims have long vowed to annihilate the Jewish people.

The 70-year-old cleric said Obama frequently replied with “Insy Allah” (Malay for “Allah willing”) and “terima kasih” (“thank you”) during the tour. The Straits Times reports that Obama was a hit during his trip due to his familiarity with the Malay language.

“This is out of the ordinary as I cannot recall any non-Muslim world leader visiting the National Mosque and this is a good start for Muslims here,” said Ustaz Wan Akashah Wan Abdul Hamid, a Muslim scholar.

The National Mosque was built in 1965 — after Malaysia won independence from Britain in 1957. It was constructed on the site of a Brethren Church built in 1922 that had been appropriated by the Malaysian government for the specific purpose of replacing the church with a mosque.

Although Malaysia is a multi-religious society, and the Malaysian constitution theoretically guarantees freedom of religion, Islam is the official religion of the nation, as well as the legally presumed faith of all ethnic Malays. Ethnic Malays are forbidden to leave Islam. Non-Malay Muslims seeking to renounce Islam require permission from a Sharia court, which is rarely granted.

The Live broadcast of the National Day of Prayer, which includes Americans of all faiths, can be seen here — 6:00 a.m. AZ Time/ 9:00 a.m. EST. Local events can be found here.

Mexican cartels threaten assassination of AZ lawmen

The Sierra Vista Herald details the dangerous escalation of events during what should have been a routine traffic stop, resulting in an officer involved shooting death of Lauro Jesus Avechuco, 40.

Avechuco is alleged to have driven his car at the officer, precipitating the deadly incident.  In accordance with department policy, the officer, Justin Dannels has been placed on administrative leave until a joint investigation by Sierra Vista police, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI can be completed and reviewed by the Cochise County Attorney’s Office.

In most instances, the news report would stop there.

But in this case, Officer Dannels is the son of Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels, and the incident has ignited “credible” death threats against the father and son from the drug cartels that control the area.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Sylvia Longmire, a Breitbart News border security expert and contributing editor, lives in southern Arizona. She is quoted as saying, “The region immediately south of Sierra Vista and Naco are predominantly controlled by the Sinaloa cartel. If credible threats are coming from that region, it is either from the Sinaloa directly, or from a criminal enterprise under the umbrella of the cartel.”

Longmire added, “Threats such as these bring increased scrutiny to the region and can interfere with the cartels smuggling efforts. If such threats did not originate with cartel approval, the issuer of the threats could find themselves in serious trouble with the Sinaloa Federation.”

Breitbart’s Brandon Darby provides the complete menacing report. As you digest the facts as they relate to the safety and security of our Arizona citizens and the lawmen who defend them, consider the cavalier attitude of the Congressional elite who are intent on pushing an amnesty bill that omits the volatile word ‘amnesty’ —- since it rings in as a miserable failure among focus groups. Remember when “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” was the reconstructed verbiage used by Sens. Kyl and McCain?  Today, the preferred terminology is “legal status” and it is always used in conjunction with a worthless pledge to implement “border security.”

August is the latest prioritized deadline to turn on the flashing neon welcome sign on our border and roll out the red carpet for the multitude of illegals that will surely follow the hordes of invaders already here. We wrote this warning on Friday.

Language is important. When the words “breaking up families,” “undocumented immigrants,”  “migrants” or the bogus figure of “11 million in the shadows” are used, it’s time to burn up the congressional phone lines. We’re losing our country and those Republicrats we sent to Washington are enabling the takeover. Their incomprehensible efforts will also ensure the death of the Republican Party under whose banner they ran.

Will you be able to look your children —- or theirs —- in the eye if you do nothing?

JFK Foundation honors Bush 41 for “courageous” lie

An outstanding example of Democrat irony is the naming of former President George H. W. Bush as a 2014 recipient of the John F. Kennedy “Profile in Courage” award in recognition of the political courage he demonstrated as President. 

In what courageous action did the Republican Bush engage that would be so grand as to win the hearts of Democrats?

If you guessed that the award is being given to Bush ‘41’ because he ridiculed Ronald Reagan’s tax cuts as “voodoo economics” during his own 1980 failed presidential campaign, you lose.

Bush will receive the award for breaking his 1988 convention speech pledge not to raise taxes. According to the Kennedy Foundation, signing the tax increase after solemnly promising not to do so, took courage.

In naming the one-term former president for this distinction, John F. Kennedy’s grandson Jack Schlossberg, a member of the award committee, said. “In his first term in office, President George H. W. Bush risked his reputation and ultimately his political career by forging an important compromise on the budget in 1990 that moved our country forward, and should not be forgotten.”

The lie continued to haunt G.H.W. Bush. He lost his 1992 reelection bid to Democrat Bill Clinton. And in a remarkable bit of full circle coincidence, the New York Post reports Schlossberg’s mother Caroline Kennedy says she’s “absolutely” endorsing Hillary Clinton if she runs for president in 2016.

As a reward for her 2008 endorsement of him, Obama appointed the articulate Caroline as U.S. ambassador to Japan.

Call it what you will, Bush’s award will be presented at a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on May 4, 2014.

Amnesty lurks, prepare for post-election thrust

Boehner, McCain, sycophant Flake poised to pounce; AZ 4 clearly onboard amnesty effort

Speaking at a Rotary Club in his Ohio home district, John Boehner mocked his fellow GOP Congressmen, saying they’re afraid to reform immigration policy.

“Here’s the attitude. Oh-h-h-h. Don’t make me do this. Oh-h-h-h. This is too hard.” Boehner engaged in the farcical imitation of his prudent colleagues before the lunchtime crowd he addressed.

“We get elected to make choices. We get elected to solve problems and it’s remarkable to me how many of my colleagues just don’t want to —- they’ll take the path of least resistance,” he sniffed.

Those colleagues he was referring to also know Boehner can’t vote for any of them and their conservative constituents are not onboard gifting illegal invaders with American citizenship.

The Left has intentionally misrepresented the desire to have our border respected as “anti-immigrant,” omitting the key word, “illegal.” But Gallup polling reflects the hard truth that only 13% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing. Moveover, continued unemployment and under-employment among our own citizens dispute the need to import more competition for fewer jobs.

Allahpundit at Hot Air blog reports that John McCain is now tooting a new tune regarding shoving amnesty down the throats of the American people. His latest claim is that America has dishonored itself by dragging its feet in rewarding approximately 30 million foreign nationals who broke into our country —- with the gift of our citizenship. The blog notes that McCain vows to name any such bill in honor of his close senate associate, the late Ted Kennedy.

For John McCain, repeatedly censured by Arizona Republicans, and slick enough to survive the Keating Five Corruption Scandal that took down other senators in 1989, to talk in terms of a stain on honor would be laughable if not so…well…McCainish. Nothing this man does surprises Arizonans anymore.

Just days ago we reported that Jeff Flake complemented Republicrat Jeb Bush for referring to the illegal invasion as “an act of love,“ actually saying the issue “shouldn’t rile people up.” As if on cue, McCain’s doppelganger Jeff Flake agreed with Bush, praising him for having “the guts to say it.” 

Last May, Arizona’s GOP U.S. Reps. Paul Gosar, Matt Salmon and David Schweikert co-authored this bit of deception, “What immigration reform must entail,” winning praise from the pro-amnesty daily newspaper. Their prose included these words: “At the same time, there is no benefit to keeping 11 million illegal immigrants trapped in the shadows. In fact, it is in our country’s interest to know who they are and where they live. Reforming our immigration system to address the status of the 11 million people in our country illegally should focus on normalizing their legal status without access to federal benefits or a special pathway to citizenship.”

Though not part of this particular trio of deceivers, U.S. Rep. Trent Franks has not only allowed illegals and their supporters to camp overnight in the front yard of his family home —- he joined them in prayer.

Stay alert. Keep calling your members of congress. Don’t allow these self-serving politicians to throw open the floodgates of our sovereign nation. Nothing has changed since Ronald Reagan misguidedly conferred amnesty on millions in 1986. There has been no actual effort to staunch the deluge of illegal entrants in the nearly 30 years since.

It’s time to say, “Enough!”

 

Rich Crandall loses Wyoming Ed Supe post

Even if they lived across the Valley or in the far reaches of the state from Mesa’s Legislative District 16, many Arizonans remember former state lawmaker Rich Crandall.  During one regular session Crandall was notorious for missing 254 out of 382 floor votes. He was one of the first RINOs to join with the unified Democrats in supporting OBrewerCare, the costly and unsustainable Medicaid expansion.  Crandall also made the infamous Benedict Arnold list after joining with the unified Dems on five major bills in 2011 

On August 13, 2013, the Republicrat lawmaker, with little commitment to his constituents, was removed from office by Senate president Andy Biggs for misrepresenting facts to angry constituents. He took off for Wyoming after his friend Gov. Matt Mead appointed him to run the state Education Department.

Now the Wyoming Star Tribune reports that former state Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill has been reinstated to overseeing operations of the Wyoming Department of Education after Laramie County District Judge Thomas Campbell issued an order Friday supporting an earlier finding by the Wyoming Supreme Court. The high court had ruled that the bulk of a state law that passed last year stripping most duties from the state superintendent of public instruction was unconstitutional. 

The back story to this saga? Mead and Hill are both seeking the Republican Party nomination for governor this year.

With Tea Party supported Cindy Hill back at her post, Crandall should be out of work. But Gov. Mead is quoted as saying,  “I have asked him to work in my office for an indefinite period of time in the transition process, so if there’s questions about where a particular project is, or challenges on it, that he would be readily available.”

Crandall is salaried at $205,000 a year —- just a tad over his $24,000/year + per diem salary as an Arizona state legislator.

Wyoming state government is not our concern.  We just hope they figure out a way to keep Rich Crandall. Arizonans don’t want him back.

Why Jeb Bush will never be President

Illegal invasion of U.S. given green light by Jeb Bush and his cohorts Flake and Bolick 

Education Week makes no bones about the Scottsdale summit where “deal making” and “money moving through the education market“ featured Jeb Bush. The former Florida governor amorously eyeing a 2016 presidential run, called for more guest worker programs and a path to amnesty for all of the country’s illegal aliens. 

Speaking at the sold-out, three-day event known as “Davos in the Desert‘ at the Phoenician Resort on Monday evening, Bush stuck to his one-note tune that the United States needed “robust guest worker programs” and an expansion of H1-B visas for the high-tech industry,” even though the notion that there is a shortage of American high-tech workers has been outed as a myth. He also disingenuously called for a “tough but fair path to legalized status” for all of the country’s illegal foreign nationals and an end to immigration quotas. 

Breitbart reports that Bush declared that it was not an “American value to have 12-13 million people living in the shadows.”  Count on the fact that no one called Bush out on the shopworn estimate in use for the better part of a decade. Immigration Counters has a number at least twice that figure based on multiple data sources.

This third Bush aspirant has called the illegal invasion “an act of love“ and actually said the issue “shouldn’t rile people up.”  As if on cue, John McCain’s doppelganger Jeff Flake agreed with Bush, praising him for having “the guts to say it.” 

Even establishment Republicrat Karl Rove, who has taken his losing battle of bashing conservatives on the road, conceded that Jeb Bush was not artful (sly enough) in those remarks. At the conference, which was co-hosted by Arizona State University and GSV Advisors, Bush made no reference to those prior comments, though he has previously defended them.

John Ellis “Jeb,” is a Bush too far.  Strongly influenced by his Mexican-born and reared wife Columba whose father was a “migrant worker,” his border positions raise even greater concern than the pro-amnesty Bushes who have occupied the Oval Office.

Watch the two disturbing videos of Jeb Bush and his co-author Clint Bolick in this post, “Another Bush? Thanks, Jeb, but we’ve had enough,” for an idea of his stance. They actually call for amnesty before  giving any thought to closing down America’s dangerously porous border.  The duo recently wrote “Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution,” the hardcover of which can now be purchased on Amazon for exactly what it’s worth: $2.78.

It’s not much of a surprise the liberal Washington Post has written about Republicrat Jeb being “drafted” for a presidential run. 

GOP Legislators win appeal on Medicaid expansion

The lawsuit filed against Arizona’s Medicaid Expansion —- an issue which caused mammoth legislative rifts last year —- has been given new life as Division One of the state Court of Appeals ruled that thirty-six Republican legislators,* two constituents whose representatives voted against the bill, and taxpayer Tom Jenney, have a constitutional right to challenge the law and the tax levy it imposes.

The Arizona court rejected Gov. Jan Brewer’s assertion that a simple majority of lawmakers have the constitutional authority to decide when a measure needs a two-thirds vote. In the court’s 11-page ruling, Appellate Judge John Gemmill wrote that ignores the actual language of the Arizona Constitution.

A petulant Brewer, who disingenuously called the tax levy an “assessment,” has promised to take the issue to the AZ Supreme Court. All new taxes are subject to a two-thirds legislative vote in the state of Arizona. Brewer pushed this tax through during a special session. The late night ‘debate’ did not allow those in opposition to  speak.

Read the opinion delivered by the three judge panel.

* Andy Biggs,  Andy Tobin; Nancy Barto; Judy  Burges; Chester Crandell; Gail Griffin; Al Melvin; Kelli Ward; Steve Yarbrough; Kimberly Yee; John Allen; Brenda Barton; Sonny Borrelli; Paul Boyer; Karen Fann; Eddie Farnsworth; Thomas Forese; David Gowan; Rick Gray; John Kavanagh; Adam Kwasman; Debbie Lesko; David Livingston; Phil Lovas; J.D. Mesnard; Darin Mitchell; Steve Montenegro; Justin Olson; Warren Peterson; Justin Pierce; Carl Seel; Steve Smith; David Stevens; Bob Thorpe; Kelly Townsend; Michelle Ugenti.