Arizona: Kyrsten Sinema

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Monday went from bad to worse at the state capitol. First the bad. The Arizona Capitol Times blog reported Five-party talks in peril: Rep. Kyrsten Sinema spoke to our reporter at the conclusion of today’s five-party talks....

With GOP control of both the Arizona state legislature and the governor's chair, Republicans will OWN this awful budget if it passes and voters will clearly know who to blame when schools and social services are cut to the bone.

State employees will be laid off by the thousands, many of whom have in the past voted for Republicans. I bet they won't any more! Especially when they can't get though to DES to find out why they aren't getting an unemployment check.

That is, of course, unless some Democrats cut side deals and give the GOP'ers bipartisan cover.

If Democrats don't break ranks, they may yet force the governor to negotiate with them in earnest, instead of attempting to buy off individual members with trinkets.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Guardian (subscription required) reports that "After weeks of closed-door meetings, GOP legislative leaders are trying to rush through a package of budget bills so fast that adequate public notice and participation will be all but impossible."

"On Tuesday, Republicans in the Senate voted to suspend the rules in order to allow the bills to be heard in committees without the required prior notification." Senate leaders decided to hold the hearing Wednesday morning.

"Senate President Bob Burns said lawmakers will then try to move the entire budget deal out of the Legislature by the end of the day. The House is scheduled to come back at 1:30 p.

by David Safier
Poets usually get invited to the White House to show off the current occupant's class and cul-cha. But a poetry slam? That's a whole 'nother matter.

And our own Assistant House Democratic Leader Kyrsten Sinema is one of the 100 people nationwide invited -- to watch, not to slam.

Do you think the audience will be grading the poets? Isn't a slam supposed to have a winner?

Here are the participants: James Earl Jones; Mayda Del Valle- Slam poet; Michael Chabon; ELEW (Jazz pianist); Esperanza Spalding (Jazz Bass player); Lin-Manuel Miranda- In The Heights playwright and star; and Ayelet Waldeman.

I take it, it's not open mic night.

QUESTION: Dr. Word wants to know, why is it "mic" and not "mike"? "Mic" should rhyme with "pick," right? Not with "pike"? Anyone know the origins of that odd spelling? I'm sure there's a very good, very hip reason.