Just Democrats Only

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Gosar won by a wider margin than most

Early this year, many political insiders thought Republican freshman Rep. Paul Gosar was in trouble.

Vote margins between Republican and Democratic candidates in U.S. House races

With his Congressional District 1 redrawn to make it more favorable to Democrats, the Flagstaff dentist announced that he was going to run for re-election in the neighboring District 4 in western Arizona, which is heavily conservative. There, he faced competition from Ron Gould, a state lawmaker, and Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, who was considered the favorite.

But Babeu dropped out after a scandal tainted his campaign, and Gosar went on to win the primary.

Now, totals from the Nov. 6 general election show that Gosar won re-election by a wider margin than any of his colleagues or soon-to-be colleagues except one -- senior delegation member Ed Pastor, a Democrat who faced only a Libertarian candidate.

Gosar had a 38 percentage-point margin over Democrat Johnnie Robinson in the rural district that includes Lake Havasu City, Prescott and part of Yuma. It helped that the district is considered one of the most conservative in the state and Robinson was virtually unknown.

In the 5th Congressional District in the far East Valley, also one of the more conservative districts in the state, former Republican Rep. Matt Salmon won re-election with a 34 percentage-point margin in his race against Democrat Spencer Morgan. He had the next-highest margin after Gosar.

Even entrenched incumbent Reps. Trent Franks, a West Valley Republican, and Raúl Grijalva, a Tucson Democrat, drew smaller margins.

Gosar attributes his support to campaigning for votes in the fall, pretending he was "20 points down," despite his likely success in the general election after clinching a tough August primary.

"We've always gone anywhere and everywhere to listen to people; whether it be one person for coffee, three farmers for coffee or breakfast or 300 veterans, we come and talk," Gosar said. "It's part of the mantra of a health-care provider. When you walk into my office, I can't start pulling teeth. I have to ask you, 'What hurts, and how can I help you?'"

In a separate measure of support, voter turnout was lowest in the Hispanic-heavy districts held by longtime Democratic incumbents Pastor and Grijalva.

The total votes cast in Pastor's west Phoenix district, 128,379, and Grijalva's southern Arizona district, 168,980, were tens of thousands below Arizona's other House races. The most popular House contest, won by Republican Rep. David Schweikert, drew nearly double the number of ballots.

Voter apathy is likely one factor in the low turnout, given that Pastor and Grijalva were nearly assured re-election.

But the congressmen mostly blamed demographics. Pastor's district, largely lower-income, has fewer registered voters because more people are young, undocumented immigrants or have criminal pasts that preclude them from voting, he said. But groups such as Mi Familia Vota worked hard to sign up as many voters as possible, he said.

Grijalva argued the Democratic Party needs to spend more money to get voters to the polls, even in places where a competitive race may not be in play, because other races such as the statewide U.S. Senate contest could have benefited.

"You're kind of left to your own devices," he said. "We've never been able to match the turnout I had the first time I ran."

Redistricting also may have hurt turnout in Pastor and Grijalva's races. The once-a-decade redrawing of the political map cut out some of the congressmen's highest-performing neighborhoods.

Copyright 2012 The Arizona Republic|azcentral.com. All rights reserved.For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.

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Obama nominates Kerry for State post

President Barack Obama has picked Sen. John Kerry for secretary of state, hailing him as an extraordinary lawmaker who has played a central part in every major foreign policy debate of the past 30 years.

Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and decorated Vietnam veteran, would replace Hillary Rodham Clinton if he's confirmed by his fellow senators.

"Today, I'm looking ahead to my second term, and I'm very proud to announce my choice for America's next secretary of state, John Kerry," Obama said. The president added: "Over the years, John has earned the respect and confidence of leaders around the world. He is not going to need a lot of on-the-job training."

Kerry's path to the nomination cleared last week when another candidate -- United Nations ambassador Susan Rice -- announced she would not pursue the post. Kerry, who turned 69 this month, has had a lifelong involvement in foreign issues. The son of a foreign service officer, Kerry fought in Vietnam and later became a leader of a veterans group that opposed the war.

Elected lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1982, Kerry won his first U.S. Senate race two years later and is currently in his fifth term. He secured the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2004 but lost the general election to incumbent President George W. Bush. During his Senate years, Kerry opposed U.S. assistance to Nicaraguan rebels during the 1980s and criticized the Iraq war during his 2004 presidential bid against Bush.

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Saturday, January 12, 2013

Level the field for charter and public schools

(PNI) Leveling the playing field on public-education funding is long overdue.

We must change the fact that charter schools receive public funds and can receive exemptions under Arizona's state procurement rules. These rules are in place to ensure public dollars -- your tax dollars and mine -- are spent fairly, competitively and without conflict of interest.

Recent Arizona Republic articles highlight the charter schools' administration and board members' link to quite expensive purchases. It is no wonder that administrative costs are higher for public schools; they must adhere to rules that charters can be exempted from.

It is time to level the playing field as well as protect our public dollars. Charter schools should be required to follow the same set of rules as Arizona public schools because they receive part of the same public funds.

-- Karen Havird, Phoenix

A sex-offender dilemma

Republic reporter Michelle Ye Hee Lee identified just a few of the many symptoms of the sex-offender issues that face our communities ("Unwanted, unsettled, unaccounted for," A1, Sunday).

The focus must remain on the big picture and where our continued failure to act by our current (and past) elected officials will soon take us.

Their failure, despite being informed that something needs to be done today, likely will mean some poor child will have to be hurt or abused before they do what is required to help resolve or at least improve the system.

Yes, it will take tax dollars. Yes, there are many more sex offenders in prison waiting to be released and need some place to go. So, stop wasting time talking about failures and pointing fingers and start talking about solutions and taking responsibility.

-- Michael White, Peoria

More political alienation

I write in response to Nomiki Konst's timely column, "Arizona Democrats need to update plan to grow party base" (Opinions, Saturday).

I believe the column, although directed at Democrats, applies equally to both major political parties.

The growing number of voters who register as independent certainly reflect a range of rationales, but one is a growing sense of alienation from the traditional "political-party mentality" pervasive in both groups.

I have not yet registered as an independent but have seriously considered this option because of my negative assessment of the functioning of the Arizona Democratic Party.

Political parties must reinvent themselves to become relevant and viable as voices of the people they claim to represent, rather than the established and well-financed interests currently in full control of the levers of power.

From my point of view, the Democratic Party has the right core values and perspectives; it just functions and campaigns so much like the other party that it fails to distinguish itself as a preferred choice worthy of allegiance.

-- Melvin Hall, Scottsdale

Arizona now purple state

I must disagree with Nomiki Konst's column claiming Arizona Democrats had a bad year ("Arizona Democrats need to update plan to grow party base," Opinions, Saturday). That was true only for the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Democrats won all three winnable congressional seats and ran the closest race for U.S. Senate since Dennis DeConcini's victory in 1976. Further, they picked up four seats each in the Arizona House and Senate. And only two states (North Carolina and Georgia) had narrower margins for Mitt Romney over Barack Obama than did Arizona among the 24 states Obama lost. We are indeed now a purple state.

-- Gary Peter Klahr,

Phoenix

Driver's license solution

It seems there is a simple solution to the "problem" of issuing driver's licenses to young people who have qualified for work permits to avoid deportation under President Barack Obama's executive order.

Since the state can issue different types of licenses, why can't the MVD create a license that expires at the conclusion of the executive order and be clearly labeled "Not a United States citizen"?

My daughter's license before she turned 21 was clearly labeled that she was a minor to prevent her from going into bars. Why can't the same type of logic be applied here?

This would satisfy the governor's fears of the license being misused or of attempts to illegally gain benefits that the license holder is not authorized to receive. The kids need to be able to drive to work.

Why is this so hard?

-- Chip McTiernan,

Youngtown

Fed up with greedy CEOs

Regarding "Hostess done in by brass" (Letters, Friday):

I believe Americans are fed up. Not with all Republicans. Not with all Democrats. With greed.

What I am frustrated by is excess. I see the excessive salaries paid to CEOs and professional athletes and entertainers.

Maybe if they had to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on every cent they earned, it would also help fund those programs.

--Kelly Murray, Tempe

Seasonal sharing needed

You recently reported that the Harris Poll found that Americans plan to spend more this Christmas season than last but are less likely to give a charitable gift. How dismaying!

To think that another necktie for Uncle Elmer may be on the list but not a donation to help the one in four children in the U.S. who lives in poverty suggests the milk of human kindness has curdled.

As we express relief that we have not suffered the awful devastation of Hurricane Sandy, we omit a donation to the American Red Cross or Salvation Army in favor of yet another toy for little Joey.

With the unprecedented demand for emergency food, we fail to give a can of peanut butter or a donation to the Association of Arizona Food Banks and instead give a box of candy for Auntie Em.

Even your stories of real people who benefit from the Season for Sharing may be overrun by our own Season for Spending.

-- Ruth Wootten, Tempe

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Kyl was a natural legislator, uncorroded by political game

(PNI) From the political notebook:

It is revealing and emblematic that Jon Kyl didn't devote his farewell address in the U.S. Senate last week to reminiscing about his 26 years in Congress. Instead, he provided a thoughtful exposition of the political principles and causes that he has sought to defend and advance during his time there.

Kyl is what Margaret Thatcher called a "conviction politician." Holding office was a means to an end, not the end itself.

Kyl was not a natural politician. But he is a very disciplined person, and he doggedly set out to do the things that are necessary to win elections better and more comprehensively than anyone else. His campaigns left as little as possible to chance. And he leaves office as one of the most successful politicians in Arizona's history.

Kyl was a natural legislator. While not a natural politician, he understood the political beast and the give-and-take of legislating. And he usually had two advantages: a greater mastery of the topic and a better sense of where he wanted to end up. Kyl went to Washington to matter. He did.

A long career in politics is usually corrosive. The game becomes more important than the outcome. Such an evolution is almost an iron rule, which is one of the reasons I support term limits.

Kyl is a close friend. I never detected the corrosion in him. The game never became more important than the outcome.

Kyl rose to the highest level in the game and leaves office as the second-highest-ranking Republican in the Senate. Yet he seemed to retain a healthy detachment from the political power game in which he was a principal player. He was able to participate in the game to advance the causes he believed in without being completely absorbed into the game.

In fact, during Kyl's entire 26 year career in Congress, the only thing I saw that I thought truly changed him was becoming a grandfather.

That says a lot.

Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva is also a conviction politician, although decisively from the left. He reminds me a bit of Jeff Flake, current congressman and senator-elect, in this sense: Grijalva is a far more important national political figure than is commonly understood in Arizona.

Grijalva is co-chairman of the Progressive Caucus in the House, which is sort of the uncompromising liberal wing of the Democratic Party. It takes positions well to the left of the House Democratic leadership, particularly on fiscal issues. I think its positions are almost universally wrong-headed for the country. But I do give it credit for this: For the most part, the Progressive Caucus doesn't duck the tough questions or issues. In that respect, it offers far more honest leadership than President Obama or the official Democratic congressional leaders.

Recently, more than 200 environmental and other liberal organizations recommended Grijalva to be secretary of the Interior. This was remarkable because it isn't clear that the current secretary, Ken Salazar, is leaving.

Now, I think it would be a disaster for Grijalva to be secretary of the Interior. It would be the left's equivalent of Ronald Reagan appointing James Watt to the position in the 1980s.

The Interior secretary has to balance a lot of competing interests. Republicans strike the balance at a different point than Democrats, so elections matter regarding the regulation of public lands. But without a balance, the competition becomes destructive political warfare.

Grijalva ain't about balance. But it is testimony to his national importance that somany groups lined up behind him to try to shove himto the front of the line in case the position does come open.

Grijalva deserves more attention here in Arizona.

All the wrong lessons are being drawn from the failure of House Speaker John Boehner to get the votes necessary to pass his bill extending the Bush tax cuts for everyone except those making over $1million a year. The real lesson is that a big deal isn't possible. Only a very small one is.

Obama and congressional Democrats are being unrealistic about what House Republicans will accept in revenue increases. House Republicans are being unrealistic about what Democrats will accept in budget cuts and entitlement reform.

Unless Boehner is willing to commit political suicide by bringing to the floor a big deal he negotiates with the president that is opposed by a majority of his caucus, kicking the can down the road again is the only thing that's politically achievable.

Reach Robb at robert.robb@

arizonarepublic.com.

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Senator Inouye of Hawaii, elected in 1959, dies at 88

WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON Recovering from war wounds that left him with one arm, Danny Inouye wanted a cigarette and needed a light.

The nurse at the Army hospital in Michigan threw a pack of matches on his chest. He wanted to curse her. Instead, she taught him how to light it one-handed.

"Then she said, 'I'm not going to be around here for the rest of your life. You'll have to learn how to light your own matches, cut your own meat, dress yourself and do everything else. So from now on you're going to be learning,'" Inouye recalled decades later.

From that moment on it seemed like nothing would stop a determined Daniel K. Inouye, who died Monday after a uniquely American life defined by heroism in war and decades of service in the Senate -- and a lifelong love of Hawaii symbolized by his last utterance.

"Aloha."

Inouye, who broke racial barriers on Capitol Hill and played key roles in congressional investigations of the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals, was 88.

A senator since January 1963, Inouye was currently the longest serving senator and was president pro tempore of the Senate, third in the line of presidential succession. His office said Monday that he died of respiratory complications at a Washington-area hospital.

Less than an hour after Inouye's passing, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Inouye's death to a stunned chamber. "Our friend Daniel Inouye has died," Reid said somberly. Shocked members of the Senate stood in the aisles or slumped in their chairs.

Inouye was a World War II hero and Medal of Honor recipient who lost an arm to a German hand grenade during a battle in Italy. He became the first Japanese-American to serve in Congress, when he was elected to the House in 1959, the year Hawaii became a state. He won election to the Senate three years later and served there longer than anyone in American history except Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who died in 2010 after 51 years in the Senate.

President Barack Obama, a native of Hawaii, said in a statement, "Tonight, our country has lost a true American hero with the passing of Sen. Daniel Inouye. ? It was his incredible bravery during World War II -- including one heroic effort that cost him his arm but earned him the Medal of Honor -- that made Danny not just a colleague and a mentor, but someone revered by all of us lucky enough to know him."

Obama also sent a tweet that ended "Aloha, Danny."

Inouye died after a relatively brief hospitalization. Once a regular smoker, he had a portion of a lung removed in the 1960s after a misdiagnosis for cancer. Just last week, he issued a statement expressing optimism about his recovery.

Despite his age and illness, Inouye's death shocked members of the Senate.

"I'm too broken up," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who becomes president pro tem of the Senate. Leahy also is poised to take over the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie will appoint a replacement, choosing from a list of three candidates selected by the state Democratic Party. "We're preparing to say goodbye," Abercrombie said. "Everything else will take place in good time."

Whomever Abercrombie appoints would serve until a special election in 2014.

Inouye has represented Hawaii since it became a state in 1959, first in the House. He was handily re-elected to a ninth term in 2010 with 75percent of the vote.

Inouye became president pro tem of the Senate in 2010, a largely ceremonial post that also placed him in the line of succession to the presidency, after the vice president and the speaker of the House.

Earlier, he had taken the helm of the powerful Appropriations Committee, where he spent most of his Senate career attending to Hawaii. At the height of his power, Inouye routinely secured tens of millions of dollars annually for the state's roads, schools, national lands and military bases.

Although tremendously popular in his home state, Inouye actively avoided the national spotlight until he was thrust into it. He was the keynote speaker at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and later reluctantly joined the Senate's select committee on the Watergate scandal. The panel's investigation led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Inouye also served as chairman of the committee that investigated the Iran-Contra arms and money affair, which rocked Ronald Reagan's presidency.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.

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Friday, January 11, 2013

Taxes raised with no fiscal responsibility

(PNI) Three-fourths of households will see their taxes go up on the promise that spending will be looked at in the near future. Huh?

Ronald Reagan raised taxes on the promise that for every dollar of tax increase there would be $3 of future spending decreases. George H.W. Bush raised taxes on the promise that for every dollar of tax increase there would be $2 of future spending decreases. In both instances, the taxes were immediately raised, but the Democrats reneged and spending cuts never came about.

President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party have never shown the slightest interest or the required courage necessary to begin genuine debt reduction. They skirted the law by not passing a budget in three years. The president ignored his own committee's report on how to reduce the deficit.

Instead, Democrats continue to divide Americans by playing class warfare and promoting the crass emotion of jealousy. Individual initiative and responsibility no longer apply.

-- Lowell Ziemann, Scottsdale

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Offer thanks, not judgment, this Thanksgiving

(PNI) On this Thanksgiving Day, I hope all Arizonans and Americans will take time to truly reflect and pray and ask themselves these questions: Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have food on your table? Do you have a loved one who is in the hospital and receiving medical care whether or not they have insurance?

If you can answer yes to these questions, you are richly blessed. Please don't complain if our government has helped others in need achieve these three basic needs. Be thankful that you live in such a great nation that helps its own.

Please don't judge those who may not have reacted to negative experiences the same way you did. Count every blessing, deeply reflect and pray for all those less fortunate than you. In every way, we are the same.

Happy Thanksgiving.

-- Diana Hurst Wyllie,

Phoenix

Redistricting was a farce

So now, Arizona, which has a large majority of conservative Republican citizens overall, is being represented in the House by five Democrats and only four Republicans. This is a direct result of the underhanded gerrymandering pushed through earlier by the so-called Independent Redistricting Commission.

The commission was headed by a longtime Democratic Party activist who falsely filed as an independent when she was certainly not nonpartisan. She then banded together with the two Democrat members to ram through all the redistricting maps and decisions by a party-line 3-2 majority in all cases.

The redrawn maps, which greatly favored the Democrats in the election process, ended up with the desired result of having a Democratic Arizona majority in the House, even though this does not represent the desires of the majority of Arizona citizens.

The worst part is that this farce cannot be remedied for another 10 years. I guess crime does pay, as long as you're a crooked politician.

-- Brian Callahan, Sun City

Obama's gift: Respect

To those who think we voted for Barack Obama because we've received or expect to receive "gifts" from him:

Many of us voted for the president because he offers us the gift of respect.

Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and many other Republicans have shown contempt for women, minorities, LGBT people, immigrants, the poor, recipients of food stamps, Social Security and Medicare and -- above all -- contempt for honesty.

When you treat people with respect, we'll respect you in return. If you're contemptuous, we'll return your contempt with interest.

-- Tony Chambers, Tempe

Tax hike won't hurt rich

Do the voters really believe their taxes will not rise? Only the wealthy will see an increase?

Are the people so naive that they don't realize the wealthy have plenty of tax shelters and ways to hide their money? The middle class will bear the burden of these tax increases, not the wealthy.

A realistic voter.

-- J. A. Younger, Scottsdale

Not the captain we need

Having Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett do an "overhaul" of the voting process is like giving the captain of the Titanic the keys to a newer, bigger ship.

-- Tom Dunning, Payson

Embassy safety is crucial

The partisan wrangling over Benghazi is a sideshow to the real problem of addressing the purposes of our U.S. diplomatic objectives in the Islamic world.

Our embassies, consulates and missions are hiding behind fortresses with blast-resistant barriers, iron fences with razor wire and armed security guards. Embassy personnel have restricted access to the public and travel in body armor and reinforced vehicles. Increased security perimeters in vulnerable locations will not resolve how we communicate in Islamic countries.

If local governments cannot protect our missions, we should leave. The real issue for Congress is to rethink our global diplomatic mission in light of the overall terrorist threats and not score political points on a setback that exposed our vulnerabilities everywhere.

-- Don Sharpes, Scottsdale

GOP must change views

Since losing the presidential election, there has been a lot of talk among the pundits about changing the Republican Party. I contend there is no Republican Party, just as there is no color purple.

The Republican Party is a combination of people with many different viewpoints. To change the shading of the party, there must be change to the viewpoints of its membership.

For example, adopting a Dream Act for the sake of wooing voters is not a change in viewpoint, it is superficial. Allowing abortion and contraception for votes is not a change in viewpoint.

I therefore also contend that this change is more difficult because the views held by many, particularly in Arizona, are deeply ingrained.

Change can happen only when we change our views, and that comes from learning tolerance for other human beings.

-- Mike Ullery, Glendale

Hamas' deadly strategy

Question: What's the real reason Hamas fires rockets into Israel?

We would be wrong to believe they think they can significantly hurt Israel's citizens or military by doing this. The larger strategic purpose is simple: to provoke an Israeli air war on Gaza.

Look behind this cynical action and you'll find their strategic success: worldwide TV coverage of children killed and mass demonstrations in other countries supporting Hamas.

It is, clearly, the hate-filled, brainwashed Hamas leadership that brings the human tragedy of war on themselves.

-- Steve Berliner, Buckeye

The elephant in the room

OK, I'm going to say it. I'm going to say what no one seems willing or able to say:

Ken Whisenhunt must go.

-- Mary Ann Bashaw, Phoenix

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