Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Right-Wing Slimeball David Crowe Prepares To Challenge Raul Grijalva By Taking On A New Identity As A Hispanic

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At the end of last year John Nichols did a piece for The Nation called The Progressive Honor Roll of 2011. They gave Raúl Grijalva the title "Most Valuable Representative." Not just the most valuable in Arizona, the most valuable anywhere in America:
Few members of the House have been so consistently progressive as Arizona Democrat Grijalva, who has a history of challenging Republican, and Democratic, administrations on issues of economic justice, civil rights, and war and peace. Grijalva made headlines when-- in the face of death threats-- he opposed Arizona’s draconian anti-immigrant laws. He has been just as outspoken at the federal level, working closely with his Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair, Keith Ellison, against the GOP austerity agenda while prodding the Obama administration to support a dramatically bolder jobs agenda. Grijalva’s no-punches-pulled progressivism is all the more impressive because he represents a district where in 2010 he faced a serious re-election fight. He saw off that challenge, proving that even in the toughest years it is possible, perhaps even necessary, to run left to win.

Monday Campaign For Children named Raúl to their highest level of honor, "Champion For Children." If you follow Grijalva's career, even a little, you'd expect that kind of thing-- champion for children, champion for working families, champion for the underprivileged, champion of the environment... that's what government service has always meant to him. And that's what his day to day life is all about. We created a Blue America page just for him. He and Bernie Sanders are the only ones who got their own.

Last year Raúl was heavily targeted by the same corporate interests who have now been emboldened by their ability to knock off Democratic incumbents by concentrating millions of dollars in poisonous, misleading advertisements in their districts. Tucson is a cheap market and there's no doubt they'll try the same thing again this year. In 2006 Raúl won reelection with 60% of the vote. In 2008 he got 63% (while Obama won the district with 57%). And then in 2010, he scraped by with 50%. against teabagger Ruth McClung who took 40%. What changed? Aside from national Democratic disappointment with Obama, which held down turnout among progressives, there was a little matter of Citizens United, which allowed shady right-wing groups financed by the Kochs, Rove, criminal oligarchs and the kinds of corporations Grijalva works to protect his constituents from, to put immense amounts of basically unregulated cash into the district in the form of vicious attack ads.

This year these people are going to try something else-- another right-wing Republican, but running as a "Democrat." We get them all over the country but this is a new one for the Tucson area. Jim Nintzel is covering it for the Tucson Weekly. Defense contractor and Republican donor David Crowe, now calling himself "David Crowe Robles," claimed in a press release that he's a "Democrat" who "looks to put Congressman Raul M. Grijalva out of work and will officially announce his candidacy in the race for U.S. Representative in the new Third Congressional District. Citing the lack of jobs in the district, that for the last 10 years Grijalva has represented, led to this important decision."

Local activist Luke Knipe responded to Crowe's preposterous claims, although he forgot to mention that Crowe has never lived in the district-- not within the old lines nor the new lines:
This guy's a bit on the silly side. He was a Republican until December of 2010, and had actually given money to Tea Party candidate Ruth McClung that year. After switching his party affiliation, he began talking to people-- including people loyal to Gabby Giffords-- about a run for the U.S. Senate seat Giffords had her eye on, prior to last year's tragedy. Last summer, he came and spoke at our monthly LD 28 meeting. I asked him about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. He didn't know what it was.

And now he's got a new name: "David Crowe Robles." (Previously, he was just "David Crowe." Apparently, he's undergoing a metamorphosis of political and ethnic identity. And maybe he's even learning some of the issues while he's at it. But his cluelessness has been witnessed by too many, at this point. He's not fooling anyone serious on the Democratic side. He's approaching this as a more cynical enterprise than it really is, and has mortally wounded his candidacy in doing so. In other words, he's going nowhere.

He's got an even funnier Republican trying to run against him, Gabriela Saucedo Mercer, a crackpot wingnut who we'll pray wins the GOP primary and then get into a nice detailed description.

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5 Comments:

At 4:19 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

0 comments or the web editor is not allowing responses to the article to be displayed? Grijalva is too quick too judge his running mates and claiming Crowe is a slime ball? Who goes against their own state? Crowe would never do such a thing. This state and country need better reps like Crowe, not someone that will turn their back on the very people that put you into office. Seems like grijalva is worried about the competition and has no real concerns except for others last names and the identity of the party. So what if Crowe went from republican to democrat. Does it matter? If grivalja can't believe in change, why do we want him to represent us? Crowe is about change and job creation. I am a true believer in his work, his mission, his dedication, but most of all... A true leader. We need a leader in these struggling economic times... Not someone who will turn their back on us.

 
At 5:11 PM, Anonymous Jacqrat said...

"Methinks 'Anonymous' doth protest too much!"

Nice try, but no cigar.

 
At 9:56 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

In reviewing the donations made by Crowe, I see 2 to Democrats (Giffords and Grijalva). Why does the post claim he is a Republican Donor? This might be just a blog, but shouldn't the facts check out?

 
At 10:07 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

DownWithTyranny
I challenge you to contact the leader of the Russel Pearce recall effort, Randy Parraz and see how much Crowe and Grijalva donated to that effort. I think you will find that Crowe opened his checkbook to fight tyranny, and Grijalva scrificed the checkbooks of hard working Arizona workers to do the same. Sounds like the 'Champion of the People' can't seem to find any money to fight SB1070. I guess he is not much of a champion, is he?

 
At 10:29 AM, Blogger Meg said...

Your slanderous commentary relates your inadequacies for seeing the truth. Is Crowe a democrat? A Republican? Independent? Who cares. Who he IS, and what He BELIEVES IN, on the other hand DOES matter. Listen to what he says. Look at what he has accomplished. He represents more than just a party affiliation. He represents US. The folks that live here. The people that work hard to pay taxes, bills , raise kids, create jobs...... I have NO DOUBT that Mr. Crowe (Robles - yes, you can slam that as much as you want as well)...NO DOUBT is THE CANDIDATE that will make a difference. A good choice that will benefit the average Tucsonan. NOT one that spews the typical political garbage. You are searching for the negatives so that you can justify supporting Grijalva again.Old saying goes, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten." It's time to give someone with brains, business sense and direction a chance to make a difference?

 

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