Arizona: Huppenthal

by David Safier
I've heard Goddard is a scofflaw because someone introduced him by saying he was running for governor, or he made an oblique remark in that general direction, or something like that. And Sinema, she must have done something equally outrageous, because Republicans are all over both of them about it.

Which makes this a little strange -- a headline in the Yuma Sun, Huppenthal to run for state superintendent.

 Did Hupp say he was running, or did the paper infer it? You be the judge.

While he won't make his official announcement of intent to run for state public schools superintendent until January, Huppenthal said he plans to run in the August 2010 primary election.

As predicted in this space, Republican Senator John Huppenthal got off scot-free on charges of campaign sign theft. and according to the the court docket for San Marcos Justice Court, his dinner buddy Judge Keith Frankel, who had originally recused himself because of his close personal relationship with Huppenthal, wound up hearing the case after all.

The fix was in from the beginning.  

In the course of his "non-sign theft", the Huppster got into a tussle with an elderly woman who was trying to keep him from "not" stealing it.

Huppenthal hopes this fiasco won't hurt him in his upcoming race for Superintendent of Public Instruction.

I hope you've learned a valuable lesson, kiddies: IOKIYAR!

I sure hope no one steals his campaign signs!  That would be wrong. And remember, it's only OK if you're a Republican (not to mention, a friend of the judge).  Otherwise you could go to jail.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

It appears that the GOP insane clown posse leadership may be losing control over its caucus.

Republicans held a closed door caucus meeting on Monday for what Majority Leader Chuck Gray (R-Mesa) described as discussions about "how our leadership team is functioning." He said that fit the legal exception for "organizational" meetings to justify gathering in private.

But the full wording of that exception actually is for "organizational meetings to elect officers of the caucus," something that was not done Monday. (Someone should explore filing a complaint for violation of the Open Meetings law.)

The GOP natives are starting to get restless and may be ready to give the Accidental Governor what she demands: referral of a sales tax increase to the ballot in a November special election.

by David Safier
From the Arizona Guardian:

“We made huge adjustments to the ’09 budget, and that shocked the system, so much so that some of our members couldn’t handle the shock,” [Huppenthal] said. “During the course of the past six months, we’ve done an enormous amount of reductions, but it’s not near enough.”

He is hopeful that more lawmakers will be in the proper mindset to make further cuts during the special session.

You. Can't. Make. This. Stuff. Up.