Stick a fork in Hillary,

She is DONE:

Edwards to Endorse Obama.

Maybe now, Hillary will bow out gracefully so we can get on with getting the White House back!

Republican Rick Renzi Rejects Resignation

Embattled AZ Congressman Rick Renzi (R CD-1) has said he won't resign his seat, claiming that resigning would make him look guilty:

Through his press office in Washington D.C., Renzi said: “I will not resign and take on the cloak of guilt because I am innocent.”

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/226858.php

Rick, it is not any potential resignation that makes you look guilty, it is all of those charges after a lengthy investigation that makes you look guilty!

Forget the blanket, Linus can pull his Glock 9 to feel Secure

Well, leave it to the Arizona Legislature to try and find more reasons and places for folks to draw their guns.

Several years ago, it was guns in bars. Last year it was a bill allow guns in any public location, and earlier this session the bill to allow teachers to pack heat.

Now, they want to make it easier for folks to draw their weapons without breaking the law, as long as they feel or perceive a threat: Panel says pull your gun if you feel endangered.

I have no problem with someone defending themselves if their life or the life of a loved one is in immediate danger, but to basically allow folks to draw their guns if they perceive danger is plain asinine. Hey old lady, that Black kid makes you feel insecure? Pull out that .32 snubnose and show him whose boss! Teenagers all dressed in black make you feel awkward at the mall? Hey middle-aged white woman, just pull out your .25 from your purse and show them how secure you feel.

Gang-bangers carrying a gun? Cops can't touch you, because you were just showing everyone that you are not going to be intimidated.

Renzi Indicted

Yup, at long last, AZ congressman Rick Renzi has been indicted on numerous Federal charges.

From CNN.COM:

In a 35-count indictment handed up by a grand jury in Arizona, Renzi is charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering extortion and insurance fraud.

The indictment stem from Renzi's efforts to use his position in Congress to promote land deals in Arizona by a former business partner, according to the sources.

He is officially toast.

Shadegg out: Is this a sign that McCain may resign?

February 22: Well, He changed his mind and will run for re-election.

FLIP FLOP.
------



John Shadegg is not running for reelection.

Speculation is rampant: priming himself to run for the Senate when McCain becomes President? Wants to avoid a tough race vs Bob Lord? Tired and wants to spend time with his family?

Until just a few minutes ago, I was certain that McCain wasn't going resign his seat unless he won the general election. Now I think that he may have told folks that he is at least thinking about resigning to focus solely on the White House.

If he let people know that he would resign his seat if he was the Republican nominee, it would make sense for Shadegg to announce now. He gives the party a chance to find a viable candidate to campaign and makes him readily available for appointment to fill McCain's seat until an election occurs.

If he had run for re-election, there is no way that his party could put his name on the short list for the governor. Janet would appoint him immediately to the Senate and hand the CD-3 seat to Lord.

If John does resign, he will wait until he has completely locked up the nomination. (Huckabee could still force a brokered convention, mathematically speaking).

That would give him something else against either of the Democrats during the general election, since it is not likely that Obama or Clinton would resign their seat.

My Letter to Sen. Aboud

As an educator I was absolutely appalled by your statement that you might be able to support Russell Pearce-Karen Johnson proposed bill that would allow teachers to carry guns in schools.

The actual cases where a gun in the hands of a teacher could have possibly prevented violence are few. Incidents at Columbine, Va Tech, UofA College of Nursing could possibly been mitigated by a teacher had they been armed. But only if the armed person had actually been close by and been able to get off a good, clean shot.

There is far more danger, however, in having teachers in a school carrying a firearm. Just last week at Rincon/University High School (where you used to teach) there was an incident that could have been deadly. Image that the assistant principal was one of those teachers that was carrying a firearm. She was knocked out when she fell and hit her head. Had she been armed, that would have left a gun within easy reach of some of the students who were fighting. What had been a fight between several girls could have quickly turned into a tragedy.

Imagine an over-worked, stressed out teacher with a gun. On a regular basis teachers that are otherwise caring educators 'go off' on a student or students. Teachers are human, and a confrontational situation could easily escalate into a deadly situation.

I have 3 kids in school here in Tucson (oldest is a junior at Rincon) and I sure as hell do not want them attending a school where the teachers might be armed.

Please re-think your support of this proposal.

Aboud owes an explaination.....

Russell Pearce is well known for sponsoring or supporting asinine legislation, so his latest legislative proposal should not come as to much of a shock. What is shocking is that there is a legislator from Southern Arizona that says she could possibly support it.

According to the Arizona Daily Star, the proposed piece of legislation from Rep. Pearce and Senator Karen Johnson would allow teachers, and some students to carry guns on campus. This is completely insane on so many levels. This, however is not the worst of it.



Paula Aboud, State Senator from LD28 seems to agree with Pearce:

But Sen. Paula Aboud, D-Tucson, said she might be able to support such a plan — but only if carrying guns were limited to teachers.

"I can see where she's coming from in light of the tragedies that we've had on the campuses," Aboud said, referring to incidents at Virginia Tech and Columbine High School.

But she said parents rightly would be concerned for their children if other students were carrying guns. Armed teachers present a different situation, Aboud said.

"I think teachers, depending on where they are teaching, experience a tremendous sense of fear," she said. "I think there's a potential for violence almost anywhere."

So Paula, a former educator, thinks that arming teachers would be a good thing. Many site incidents like the Virginia Tech shootings as a good reason to arm teachers. I don't buy it, but don't have the time to go into the problems with this part of their argument for arming teachers. Instead, I am going to use a recent local incident to show how deadly having teachers carrying guns on campus could be.

This past Wednesday there was a fight at Rincon/University High School. The fight started out small, but grew to involve 8 girls. Responding to the incident, one of the Assistant Principals went to break up the fight. She was either shoved, bumped or hit, which caused her to fall and hit her head. She was knocked out. Now imagine if she had been carrying a gun. One of the students could have easily grabbed that gun, quickly turning an simple fight into a tragedy.

I think that Senator Aboud owes us an explanation of why she would even think of backing this stupid and dangerous piece of legislation.

This explanation needs to be a good one, or I will work to get someone to oppose her in the primary.

Good Christian?

These days many politicians, especially Republicans, try and promote themselves as good Christians. Nothing wrong with that. But far too often this is just a facade, and like all things built on poor foundations, the facade comes crumbling down. A state legislator in Colorado is the latest to show his true colors.

A photographer for the Rocky Mountain News took a picture of this lawmaker praying during the opening prayer prior to being sworn in. The legislator, Douglas Bruce, then kicked the photographer, Bible in hand the entire time.

AP Story: Colorado Lawmaker Kicks Photographer

He must be stuck in the Old Testament, with all of that smiting of enemies!......