Jeff DeWit, Fmr. State Treasurer, elected AZ GOP chairman

.@JeffDeWitAZ is your next @azgop chairman! pic.twitter.com/Tn2UYrjGDE

— AZ State Rep. Austin Smith (@azaustinsmith) January 28, 2023

Video courtesy of AZ State Rep. Austin Smith (LD 29)

Joe has “no regrets” about hiding classified documents for 6 years

Joe Biden — who claims to take classified information "seriously" — says he has "no regrets" about improperly storing classified documents in his home, office, and garage for SIX years. pic.twitter.com/rBgDEgMOfv

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 21, 2023

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AZ’s conservative icon Russell Pearce has died

Arizona was fortunate to have a man of the caliber of Russell Pearce as a legislative leader. A man of integrity and unwavering political resolve, he was admired by his cohorts and respected for his determination even by his adversaries. Russell Pearce was a longtime deputy sheriff who rose through the ranks retiring as chief deputy. Running for the state legislature, Pearce was initially elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2000 and later to the state Senate in 2008, where he was elected Senate president by his colleagues. Pearce later served as director of the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division and more recently worked for the Maricopa County Treasurer’s Office.

Pearce partnered with then-Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach, a lawyer, who with Pearce, co-authored SB 1070 bearing the title, “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act.” It was signed into law by Gov. Jan Brewer in April 2010.

Kobach is now Kansas’ newly elected attorney general, who served as Kansas secretary of state from 2011 until 2019. A committed conservative, he rose to national prominence with his involvement in SB 1070. Arizonans owe both Sen. Russell Pearce and Kansas AG Kris Kobach debts of gratitude.

R.I.P. Senator Russell Pearce. You will long be remembered as a man of integrity and deep faith, a loving husband to LuAnne, devoted father of five, plus adoptive grandfather of three and respected friend to the state of Arizona.

“He lived a life of service to God, family and country. He loved us, and we loved him dearly,” Pearce’s family said in a statement.

Ducey flexes muscle, makes judicial appointments just prior to leaving office

After needlessly expanding the Arizona Supreme Court and putting two close friends in black robes, Gov. Doug Ducey, on his way out of his ninth-floor office door, has expanded both divisions of the Arizona Court of Appeals. He appointed Michael Catlett, Anni Foster, and Daniel Kiley to Division I. Ducey also appointed Lacey Stover Gard, Michael Kelly, and Christopher O’Neil to Division II. These vacancies were newly and superfluously created by the addition of three at-large appellate seats on each division of the Arizona Courts of Appeals. The Arizona Judicial branch describes the court duties.

Read Ducey’s December 29, 2022 news release announcing his appointments, along with the new judge’s bios, before it disappears. He will be replaced by incoming democrat Katie Hobbs, who will be inaugurated along with other state officials Jan. 5, 2023.

In his statement, Ducey inanely states, “These new judges will provide the much needed resources for the Court of Appeals to handle its growing caseload as more and more people choose Arizona as a place to live, work, and start a business…”  The fact is, Court of Appeals judges working in three-judge panels, without juries, are not corporate lawyers. They deal with both civil and criminal Superior Court cases that are appealed to a higher court for additional review. What Ducey more appropriately should have added is that the state’s open border is a gateway for criminals illegally invading our state, who commit additional crimes once here and are clogging our legal system.

Anni Foster, appointed to Division I, previously dropped out of the race for Maricopa County Attorney after Rachel Mitchell, a former County Attorney’s Office Division Chief was initially appointed and was then elected, to fill the seat vacated by problem plagued Allister Adel, 45, heralded as the first female county attorney. Adel died unexpectedly. Ducey’s general counsel, Foster was fortunate when Ducey ensured her future employment appointing her to the Court of Appeals. She won’t have to campaign since judges are on a retention ballot.

Message to those who idolize Anthony Fauci, put him on a pedestal

He doesn’t get impressed by that…never has

FAUCI: “It’s nice that some people idolize me and put me up on a pedestal”

pic.twitter.com/UupYPwo2qF

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 20, 2022

Dr. Fauci, 82, hasn’t seen a patient since he made rounds as a resident in medical school. He is the highest paid government employee, earning more than the U.S. President.

His wife, Christine Grady, was his boss at the National Institutes of Health…a very chummy relationship.

“While I am moving on from my current positions, I am not retiring,” Fauci said in a statement. “After more than 50 years of government service, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field.”

Joe Biden’s Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who oversees Fauci’s department, said Fauci’s decision is one “we all knew would eventually come but hoped never would.” Many Americans disagree. U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, MD (R-KS) received Dr. Anthony Fauci’s unredacted FY2020 financial disclosures. The release followed a heated Senate exchange between Fauci and Sen. Marshall which concluded with Fauci calling the senator, who is also a physician, a “moron.”

Forbes previously published, “No, Fauci’s Records Aren’t Available Online. Why Won’t NIH Immediately Release Them?”

This 2001 National File photo shows Fauci and his left-wing pals.

T’was the night before Christmas….

Clement Clarke Moore’s original poem, “A Visit From Saint Nicholas,” was written in 1822 as a gift to his children. It was first published nearly 200 years ago in 1823 in the Troy Sentinel newspaper, in Troy, New York.

Clement Moore came from a traditionally religious family. His father, Benjamin Moore, was rector of Trinity Church in Manhattan. He later became bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York.

Read the poem here.

Enjoy Christmas Eve.

A pre-holiday treat: JD Hayworth on KKNT radio Thurs. Dec. 15, and Fri. 16, 3-6pm

Former Arizona Congressman JD Hayworth will be guest hosting on Seth Leibsohn’s popular radio show Thursday and Friday.

Listen LIVE  at KKNT “The Patriot” or tune in at 960am on your radio.

Sen. Sinema’s party metamorphosis not unique in AZ

Since Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema made headlines Friday with her announcement that she is ditching the democrat party to register as an Independent, speculation as to her motivation has run rampant.

Never adverse to doing whatever it takes to promote herself, beginning in her days as a Green Party candidate and moving on to a dem with an incredibly false story of growing up in an abandoned gas station without running water and electricity. Sinema is now a newly transformed Independent. The actual motive for this move is to expand her voter base to gain votes when she is likely to be challenged by far left dem U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, (CD-7). In a statement issued shortly after it was made public that Sinema was leaving the democrat party to become an independent, Gallego accused Sinema of “putting her own interests” ahead of those of Arizona residents.

Arizona’s two U.S. Senate seats are both currently held by democrats for the first time since 1953. Senate terms are six years, three times as long as members of the U.S. House of Representatives who run every two years.

The last time Arizona had two democrat U.S. Senators was when Ernest McFarland and Carl Hayden represented the state. Hayden had been the territorial sheriff, first running for congress in 1911 in anticipation of Arizona’s 1912 statehood. He was born in Hayden’s Ferry, Arizona Territory, which was later renamed Tempe in 1878. McFarland was unique — serving in all three branches of government, elected to the U.S. Senate, where he became the Senate majority leader; Arizona’s governor, and the state’s Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Arizona does have a precedent for a party switching member of congress. Democrat Bob Stump served four terms in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1959 to 1967, followed by five terms in the Arizona State Senate from 1967 to 1976, where he was senate president. He was first elected to congress in 1976 as a democrat. After voting for President Reagan’s tax cuts in 1981, he announced his party switch to Republican. U.S. Rep. Stump remained popular, and continued to win by wide margins, until his retirement in 2000.

Sinema asserts she will not caucus with Republicans and says that she intends to vote the same way she has while in the U.S. Senate. “Nothing will change about my values or my behavior,” she said.

Interestingly, there is not a word on her U.S. Senatorial site about her change of party affiliation. Calls to her Phoenix and Tucson offices transferred to Washington DC, and went unanswered.

AZ Republic signals its print demise

Back in April, Greg Burton, executive editor of the failing local newspaper announced, “To make the best use of limited space in print,” they would be “updating some of the puzzles and features, with the most significant change the elimination of TV listing.” Burton admitted, “We know that doesn’t serve all readers. If you prefer printed listings, we offer TV Weekly magazine by mail at an additional cost.” It then goes on to list what is being changed and switched, in a frantic effort to stay afloat digitally, which doesn‘t entail the costs associated with printing and distributing hard copy editions. It’s clear Burton views the remaining subscribers as mind-numbed dolts.

The desperate, far-left newspaper which fully launched its decline following its Hillary Clinton presidential endorsement over eventual winner Donald Trump, then proceeded to editorially whine that it received countless subscription cancellations and death threats,” though how a newspaper can be threatened with physical harm was never defined. Its actual commitment to ethnic diversity and inclusion overtakes any obligation to disseminating balanced news. Jobs have been eliminated and subscriptions have significantly plunged. The Arizona Republic is a Gannett publication, and Gannett is in deep trouble as Northwestern University declares: “With local journalism in crisis, Northwestern University has assembled a team of experts in digital innovation, audience understanding and business strategy. The goal is incorporated in a hodgepodge of platitudes including this gem, “reinventing the relationship between news organizations and audiences to elevate enterprises that empower citizens.“ The message then concludes with a facetious salute: “Thank you for subscribing and supporting local journalism.”

The newspaper recently announced it is “published 7 days per week, excluding Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.” Apparently it has detected there will be no news to report on those days. Other media sources are committed to keeping a flow of newsworthy information, though the local newspaper is closing shop.

Despite occasional efforts at resuscitation, facts clearly demonstrate newspapers are relics of the past — collapsing due to their unwavering commitment to the left that has driven rational readers away.

Far-left CNN is suffering the same fate. It is reported to be laying off staff and slashing $3 billion worth of costs over the next two years.

AZ University presidents get massive salary increases, tribes get free tuition

The Arizona Board of Regents appears to go to great lengths to keep the public informed, but don’t be conned by a multitude of “pursuants.”  The key words are, “the board will call the meeting to order and immediately convene in executive session.” That translates to “cloak of darkness.”

According to a lengthy report in the local newspaper, Arizona’s university presidents at ASU, UA and NAU all will get steep pay increases granted by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), who unanimously approved the salary increases and contract extensions based on their annual performance reviews. The report states, “Regents raised no questions or comments prior to their vote.” The term of a regent is eight years, twice as long as the governor who appointments them.

Arizona State University President Michael Crow’s base salary (excluding numerous perks and bonuses) is now $809,846, up 5% from $771,282 a year ago. University of Arizona President Robert Robbins will receive $792,241 in base salary, Northern Arizona University President Jose Luis Cruz Rivera will get a base salary of $576,800, up a hefty 12% from when he assumed the position just six months ago. Crow, who was appointed in 2002, is among the nation’s highest paid public university presidents. Arizona’s governor, who runs the entire state, is paid $95,000 — minus all of the perks paid to the university presidents. Governors are limited to two consecutive four-year terms in office.

In addition to their salaries, the university presidents also receive housing and vehicle allowances, numerous benefits, retirement contributions and the opportunity for hefty bonuses each year based on “achieving various goals for their universities.” All of their contracts were extended.

Regents “approved payouts for achieving some of those goals and set new goals for each of the presidents and the university system over the next year and next several years,” ensuring the money stream keeps flowing.

ABOR members previously discussed the contracts in closed-door executive session “because they are employment and salary issues.” The public, whose taxes fund these excessive salaries, and cash strapped students, often working multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet, as their tuition and fees rise yearly, are unable to be privy to the details of those conversations.

The latest absurdity comes in the form of NAU’s announcement that it will begin providing free tuition for members of any of Arizona’s 22 federally recognized tribes. The University of Arizona already has such a program in place as does Arizona State University. Guess whose tuition will be raised to cover this extremist separatism?