Ann Kirkpatrick-- This Is What It Means To Be A Careerist Politician With No Core Values

Later Kirkpatrick changed almost all her answers

When a candidate for office has no core values other than their own craven careerism, they'll flip-flop all over the griddle like a fish out of water. Ann Kirkpatrick is one of the worst candidates running for election anywhere in the country. At the urging of the DCCC, EMILY's List and the New Dems, she migrated down to Tucson from Flagstaff to run in the now-open second congressional district. But carpetbagging, although perhaps important to the folks in southern Arizona, isn't the worst thing about Kirkpatrick.

On Sunday there was a Democrats candidate forum at the Quail Creek retirement community just outside Green Valley. It was a disaster for Kirkpatrick, a disaster because she's torn in every direction... basically because there's no there there. On camera she pledged to not support Pelosi for Speaker, which seems odd, since it's Pelosi's DCCC that is the only thing that's propping up-- financially and otherwise-- her absurd campaign. [Her staff later said she didn't understand the question and that she would indeed support Pelosi.] Also laughable was her pledge to support term limits-- after going back on her own pledge to serve only three 2-year terms in the House. If elected again, this would be her 4th term! [She later tried "clarifing" that one too, but no one knows where she stands on the issue now-- probably exactly what she wants.]

She also pledged to co-sponsor Raul Grijalva's locally popular bill to restore protections for Oak Flat-- a sacred tribal area for San Carlos Apache that she and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) teamed up to STEAL from them a couple years ago on behalf of mining interests. She's so slimy that you have to be completely brain-dead to consider voting for her-- or not care about truth at all. She also pledged to oppose the Rosemont mine, even though when she was in Congress she was always publicly for mining projects, including, of course, this one. [She later said she didn't understand that question either and that she would continue supporting the mine.]

And then the gun issue and her close mutually-supportive relationship with the NRA.Take a look at this news segment from her election campaign in 2010:



An untrustworthy political hack, she smells which way the wind is blowing and on Monday she pledged to support an assault weapons ban-- after loudly leading the opposition to such a ban for her entire grimy political career. She also told the forum attendees show will now oppose her old allies in the NRA in all possible ways-- despite her A rating that she bragged about until very recently. She defines the term "dishonest politician," perfect for the DCCC, perfect for EMILY's List, perfect for the New Dems. Ann Kirkpatrick is the quintessential candidate for the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.

Green Valley was really quite the show. When she figured out that there was a GOP tracker present and filming her, she made sure to state emphatically that "I do not support single payer health care. And I do not support Medicare for All," claiming it is too expensive. Of course that was met by 400 blank stares from the perplexed audience of mostly progressive Democrats. She then described a Medicare buy in plan-- stolen almost word-for word from other Democratic candidates-- which is an expansion of an existing single payer system.

She was all over the place... again a politician that stands for nothing but her own career. So pathetic!

Mary Matiela is one of the progressives in the primary and she also took part in Quail Creek the forum Sunday. "I think the differences between my candidacy and Congresswoman Kirkpatrick's are really coming into focus," she told us. "While she's been talking to the donor class I've been out talking with the voters. I've heard what issues they care about. Voters want single payer healthcare, they support the regulation of marijuana for adult use, and they want our public lands protected from wealthy corporations. These are issues I will fight for, and that Ann will continue to fight against. Ours is a grassroots campaign, so we'll rely on the people spreading the message, not corporate PACs-- but if we can spread that message, we'll prevail. There's growing momentum from progressive leaders like Congressman Raul Grijalva and national progressive groups like Democracy for America, Justice Democrats, Demand Universal Healthcare, Project 100, and Common Defense. This race is shaping up to be the moderate vs. the progressive and I'm thrilled to be the latter."

You Want Candidates Who Will Vote With Republicans Against The DREAMers? Vote For New Dems And Blue Dogs

Breitbart appears frightened that Señor Trumpanzee could abandon Stephen's racism and xenophobia for something more pragmatic. They were calling him "Amnesty Don" Thursday morning (above) but appear to have changed the headline slightly by afternoon (below). But they're still whining about the DREAMers, as you can see. This is what one of the Breitbart Nazis had to say "President Trump told mainstream media reporters on Wednesday that he was open to breaking his immigration commitment by giving a pathway to U.S. citizenship to nearly 800,000 illegal aliens shielded from deportation by the President Obama-created Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In statements outside the White House, Trump told the Associated Press (AP) that he would be open to giving U.S. citizenship to DACA illegal aliens, saying 'It’s going to happen.'" They fumed over AP's report that Señor Trumpanzee said "he’s open to a pathway to citizenship for hundreds of thousands of young people who were brought to the country as children and are now here illegally. Trump told reporters, 'We’re going to morph into it. It’s going to happen, at some point in the future, over a period of 10 to 12 years.' Trump was talking about the young immigrants who had been protected from deportation and given the right to work legally in the country under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program."

DREAMers weren't overjoyed by Trump's announcement, basically because the Stephen Miller framework he got Trump to put on the table is so onerous. Greisa Martinez Rosas, Advocacy Director for United We Dream and potential beneficiary of the Dream Act, said:

“Let’s call this proposal for what it is: a white supremacist ransom note. Trump and Stephen Miller killed DACA and created the crisis that immigrant youth are facing. They have taken immigrant youth hostage, pitting us against our own parents, Black immigrants and our communities in exchange for our dignity.”

“To Miller and Trump’s white supremacist proposal, immigrant youth say: No.

“With each passing day, immigrant youth are losing their livelihoods and are at risk of deportation. People like Eric, Yuridia, and Damaris could soon face the same fate as Luis, who was kicked in the head by deportation agents and confined in a detention camp.

“But our fear, our pain, and our lives must not be used to shackle our parents and ban those seeking refuge; we must not be used to tear apart the moral fabric of this country. For months, we have organized and mobilized the country to demand a common sense solution that delivers protection without harming others: the Dream Act.”

“So let us be clear: any politician who backs up this ransom note is enabling Trump and Miller’s white supremacist agenda.

“Members of Congress of conscience must make the moral choice to reject this white supremacist proposal and pass legislation that protects us without harming others. Dream Act now.”

Earlier this week the whole Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- the Blue Dogs and New Dems-- abandoned the DREAMers and voted with the Republicans. In case you're wondering, the New Dems have endorsed 23 candidates so far this cycle:

• Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ)
• Greg Stanton (AZ)
• Dave Min (CA)
• Harley Rouda (CA)
• Hans Keirstead (CA)
• Lauren Baer (FL)
• Jason Crow (CO)
• Paul Davis (KS)
• Elissa Slotkin (MI)
• Angie Craig (MN)
• Dean Phillips (MN)
• Dan McCready (NC)
• Brad Ashford (NE)
• Mikie Sherrill (NJ)
• Max Rose (NY)
• Anthony Brindisi (NY)
• Susie Lee (NV)
• Chrissie Houlahan (PA)
• Jana Lynne Sanchez (TX)
• Jay Hulings (TX)
• Ben McAdams (UT)
• RD Huffstetler (VA)
• Dan Kohl (WI)

They didn't get a chance to vote but the organization they each sought and got an endorsement from sure did. If you help elect them, they will be on the wrong side of every vote in Congress that means anything. In the words of CREDO Political Director Murshed Zaheed, "Not surprisingly, a racist immigration fantasy masked as a proposal from a racist White House is a white supremacist’s wish list. It goes without saying that {President} Donald Trump’s Stephen Miller’s racist immigration proposal should be dead on arrival in Congress. The negotiators in Congress should work to enact a clean DREAM Act without a single compromise to Republicans’ nativist agenda. Time is up. Congress must pass the DREAM Act now."

Four candidates Blue America likes a lot Antoinette Sedillo Lopez in Albuquerque, Mary Matiela in Tucson, Nina Ahmad in Philly and Ricardo Franco, the progressive running for the Devin Nunes seat in the Central Valley, both shared their perspectives with us. Antoinette: "The Trump/Stephen Miller proposal is a repudiation of some of the most important principles that this country holds dear. I don't believe  that the American people will sell out our values and accept the militarization of our country’s borders with an enormous ICE presence acting to remove immigrants and, of course, sowing fear and discord in our communities. I don't believe that Americans are willing to pay for a $25 billion wall that is simply a hateful symbol and will not have any tangible positive effect on our country. Family unification has been a bedrock principle of immigration law because families are foundational to building our society; eliminating this policy would betray our values. Poll after poll shows that most Americans support DREAMers, young people who do not belong to any other country but ours, where they have grown up and continue to contribute. Anything less than a clean Dream Act betrays our values of inclusion and compassion.  This proposal is an embarrassment, and it should be rejected by all who are willing to stand up to this President’s divisive agenda. We all should stand strong against this hateful proposal."

Mary Matiela, the best of the candidates running to replace Martha McSally in Tucson: "No doubt, Dreamers have contributed to this country-- they are doctors, nurses, soldiers, builders, painters, etc. Dreamers are our colleagues, our neighbors, and our family-- we cannot, must not abandon them. Trump's plan, where the pathway to citizenship evolves over 15 years, is deceitful and cruel; we must reject it! Legislators must urgently work on a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, i.e., not by February 8."

The most recent Blue America endorsee, Nina Ahmad, came to the U.S. from Bangladesh and has made her life into a stunning success story that has been a big boon for our country and for Philadelphia. Yesterday she said that "Once again, we see President Trump using DREAMers as a bargaining chip rather than treating them as the human beings they are. The DREAM Act is a popular piece of legislation that should have been passed years ago. As an immigrant, I hope Democrats reject the premise that this is a compromise and focus on the humanity of immigrants and their families. We can do better than what Trump has proposed."

And Ricardo Franco, who's starting to get some real traction against Nunes: "From my years in business I know that you don't bargain or argue over something that has consensus or unanimous support. More than 85% of the country believes our DACA recipients should stay.  Only Trump and career politicians disconnected from the lives of their constituents would ever think bargaining over something like this is reasonable. I have sat in the homes of people who are threatened by the loss of DACA and shared their fear. Passing a clean DREAM act is a matter of life and death to many of our constituents. How ignorant must a legislator be to not understand this?  We can no longer tolerate any members of Congress that don't take this and other issues with the respect and seriousness that humanity commands."

And New York state's Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, said that since Trumpanzee "abruptly ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program last September, DREAMers have been left in fear and uncertainty. Every day, an estimated 122 DACA recipients lose their protections from deportation, resulting in thousands of young people facing threat of separation from their families and friends since Trump’s devastating decision. Over 40,000 DREAMers are New Yorkers, and I’m keeping up the legal fight to protect them from this administration’s harmful and unlawful actions against them. But leaders in Washington, D.C. have the opportunity to solve this problem and prevent additional young people from losing their protections right now by passing the bipartisan DREAM Act. While I’m fighting in the courts... Each day that passes without a legislative, long-term solution for DREAMers leaves many to wonder if and when they’ll be forced back to a country they do not know, in many cases countries where their health and safety are at risk. President Trump promised to have 'heart' when it came to defending DREAMers, but so far he’s failed to deliver, instead choosing to blow up negotiations with Congressional leaders and hold DREAMers hostage while he demands billions of dollars in funding for his border wall... No matter what happens, I will continue to fight for DREAMers’ right to stay here in the country they call home."