Joe Arpaio-- What Recalls Were Invented To Remedy

-by Bob Lord

Progressives across America have a rare opportunity.

Joe Arpaio, the megalomaniacal sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, is the face of racism in America today. He is facing a well-organized recall campaign. Arpaio has been elected six times, dating back to 1992, by raising zillions of dollars from right-wing ideologues and using the funds to play to the fears of Maricopa’s conservative population base, particularly the fearful senior citizens in the retirement communities west of Phoenix, while smearing his opponents with horrifically deceitful ads. But each election has been a tougher sell for Arpaio than the one before. Last November, he squeaked by with 50.7% of the vote.

I’d need a few hundred paragraphs even to summarize all of Arpaio’s vicious acts as Sheriff. The Phoenix New Times has printed dozens of full-length articles exposing his depraved actions over the years, which range from stripping prisoners of all human dignity and forcing them to exist on food I would not give to my dogs, to flagrantly violating Arizona’s campaign laws, to diverting virtually all resources to immigrant harassment while failing to investigate the rape and molestation of women and children in El Mirage, to illegally misspending $100 million of taxpayer funds, to costing Maricopa County $70 million in successful lawsuits filed against it, to illegally harassing and intimidating his political opponents, to unconscionably and systematically engaging in practices fully intended to tear apart the County’s Latino community and inflict as much misery as humanly possible. Perhaps the best summation of Arpaio is that he once said it was an honor to be compared to the Ku Klux Klan.

So, could this public menace, this scourge on our society, be removed from office through Arizona’s recall process? Is this a cause worth fighting for?

Enter Randy Parraz, labor leader, community organizer, civil rights activist, and progressive hero. In 2011, Parraz decided it was time for Russell Pearce, author of Arizona’s infamous SB1070 and close Arpaio ally, to go. Pearce was no easy target. As the representative of a deep red district and President of the State Senate, Pearce had power and money on his side. When Randy approached me for help, I said “Randy, you’re f*$%ing crazy, but I’ll help you anyhow.” Well, Randy wasn’t crazy. He was whip smart, with energy to match. He succeeded against all odds. Russell Pearce was the first leader of a State Senate in U.S. history to be recalled. And when he ran in the 2012 election, he was beaten again.

Randy has made it his mission to recall Arpaio. This time, I’m betting Randy can succeed, as long as he gets the financial help. So, will he get the help?

Arpaio’s recall should be a cause for progressives not just in Arizona, but nationally. Even if you’re not sufficiently moved by the need to stop Arpaio from inflicting more misery on Maricopa County’s minorities, you should be behind this as a strategic initiative for several reasons. First, the process of recalling Arpaio will be productive, even if the signature goal is not reached or Arpaio survives the recall election. Successful or not, the recall effort means hundreds of signature gatherers going to door-to-door in Latino neighborhoods registering new voters. Successful or not, the recall effort means causing Arpaio’s right-wing donors to burn through cash at a rate in excess of ten dollars for every dollar spent on the recall effort. Successful or not, the recall effort means a light is shone on Arpaio’s corruption far more intensely than it ever has been shone before.

Of course, the rewards of an unsuccessful recall effort pale in comparison to those of a successful recall effort, a goal I believe is well within reach. If the recall succeeds, hundreds of thousands of immigrants will be freed from Arpaio’s harassment and intimidation. If the recall succeeds, the budget of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office will be used to fight crime for the first time in 20 years. If the recall succeeds, a clear message will be sent to every Arpaio wannabe, both inside and outside Arizona. If the recall succeeds, persecuted groups nationwide will be emboldened to stand up and fight their oppressors. If the recall succeeds, Randy Parraz will be thrust onto the national stage. For those who seek real change, one Randy Parraz easily is worth about 100 mealy-mouthed, contribution-driven, self-absorbed Congressional Reps.

Can this effort succeed? Absolutely. The trend line shows Arpaio doing worse in each election. Projecting out one more election (the recall) he’ll be below 50%. And the dynamics of a recall could be far less favorable for him than his previous elections. Unlike past Arpaio campaigns, he won’t be a down ballot race in a Presidential year, so his antics will receive far more scrutiny, the coattail effect will be eliminated, and the cost of ad time for his opponent will be far lower. More significantly, recall election candidates in Arizona do not face primaries-- they go straight to the general. If Arpaio is forced to face a sane Republican one on one, the way Pearce had to in 2011, he’s toast. So, yes, this effort can succeed.

As long as Randy Parraz gets the financial help he needs.

This one is not a brainer. Anyone who wants to help can go here for more information.

Dispatch From The Inferno State: The People Of Arizona Need Some Good News. We Want Them To Get Some On Tuesday.

-by Doug Kahn

Sometimes during the run-up to an election I’m overcome by irrational exuberance. I think Randy Parraz is going to pull out a shocking win on Tuesday and win the Democratic nomination for US Senate. It’ll be Parraz vs. McCain, and that’s the contest Arizona needs. Randy Parraz is an honest, caring human being who isn’t afraid of Joe Arpaio, Russell Pearce and the other racist bullies in Arizona. He’s the kind of progressive Democrat we’re proud to call our own. Go to his website and see if you don’t agree.

Steve Singiser at DailyKos has some recent polling in the race.

AZ-Sen: Parraz internal claims close race for Democratic nod
Picking up a poll that slipped through the cracks last week: a new internal poll from Senate contender Randy Parraz has him within striking distance of the long-perceived frontrunner in the Democratic field, Tucson councilman Rodney Glassman. Glassman still leads, even in Parraz's poll, nabbing 20% of the vote to 17% for Parraz. The internal poll, by Dem pollsters Winning Connections, showed a ton of undecideds (nearly half of the electorate) still up for grabs in the August 24th primary.

Randy managed to come up with enough money to run his own tv, the positive biographical piece that a candidate is supposed to run first. From what I’ve seen, it’s a substantial buy. There’s an English and a Spanish version, and I’ve seen them, they’re good. You know, every candidate would like to win on a purely positive campaign.  

Howie has set up a new way for us to help win elections. We now have a 527 committee, the Blue America PAC I.E., and our first television buy is in Arizona, for Randy Parraz. The spot runs today through Monday in the Tucson and Phoenix areas.
 
We decided to do some of the dirty work, and take on Rodney Glassman, the front-runner.
 
Oh, Randy’s not reticent about pointing out that Rodney is a hypocrite, not a real Democrat. It’s easy to make contrasts, which Randy did in the four debates; having principles tends to give you the self-confidence to tell the truth. The other Democrats around here are busy trying to look like benevolent Republicans; so when Randy talks about how he spoke up against Joe Arpaio at Maricopa County Supervisors’ meetings in 2008 (and got arrested for it) he stands out. When he says it’s past time for complete equality for LGBT people, no exceptions, he looks like the leader people around here need. It’s fairly simple, looking good here; just have the gumption to tell the truth. 

This from the Daily Star about Glassman running away from important issues: 

Democrat Rodney Glassman has somehow managed to avoid a yes-or-no answer on whether he supports gay marriage, which has come up at debates between the four candidates vying for the seat. About all he'll say is he supports equality.

 
If you’re unfamiliar with the race: Ravishing Rodney, the Denatured Boy, is a spoiled, immature rich kid from Fresno, California, who moved to Arizona and became a Democrat because it’s fairly cheap to buy elections here. He promised to personally finance his campaign with millions of dollars in family money, and early on locked up the endorsements of the (clueless) Democratic establishment. Since then he’s convinced everyone who has come in contact with him that he’s one of the prime shitheads in Arizona politics, and we’re talking about the home state of some fabulous wankers.
 
For instance, remember the guy with the gun strapped to his leg outside an Obama event in 2009? He’s really from Scottsdale.


Here’s a sign carried by 3 guys protesting outside the Phoenix New Times, a good place to research real news about all that’s right wing in the Inferno State. (Not because they’re wingnutty, but because they agree it’s important to ridicule the idiots among us.)


The road department agrees with me:


There’s some circumstantial evidence that women don’t like working for Ravishing Rodney. The Phoenix New Times had this a few days ago: 

Since July, three top staffers have bailed on Glassman: Political Director Junelle Cavero left last month; Field Director Kristin Gwinn resigned a couple of weeks ago; Communications Director Dawn Teo stepped down earlier this week. Sources tell me there are more resignations on the way.
 
Glassman's press secretary Tina May confirmed the departures. "This is the regular churn of campaigns," May explained. "People come and go all the time."
 
I contacted the three women, who all declined comment for this story, other than to admit they're no longer working for Glassman.
 
But several confidential sources inform me that Glassman's staffers left because they were not happy with the behavior of their candidate.

These sources relayed a litany of complaints about the Glassman campaign, from Glassman berating staffers and volunteers in public, even yelling at them, to Glassman's having his brother Jeremy play a major role in the campaign (doing little or nothing, they say), and the fact that Glassman and his minions gave Democrats reason to believe he would sink millions into his bid for Senate. 

Sources also claim staffers were upset by a homophobic remark the former Tucson city councilman and onetime registered Republican reportedly made about a gay city councilwoman, saying that, "The toughest thing for me to do will be to sit next to an openly gay councilmember." 

Glassman denied making the statement to the Arizona Daily Star, but the councilwoman in question, Karin Uhlich, told the Star that the report was accurate.

 
I’m going to do my bit and go phone bank for Randy today and tomorrow at the UFCW office in Phoenix. I want to know if he really has the grassroots effort going that I think he does, and the turnout at this kind of volunteer opportunity will prove it. Only dedicated volunteers will call voters all day.

Dispatch from the Inferno State: Good News, For a Change-- Randy Parraz is Running for U.S. Senate

-by Doug Kahn

Democrat Randy Parraz for U.S. Senate, for the State of Arizona. I wanted to get that out of the way before I drifted off into my usual digressions, which can fill the visual page and prevent you from reading down to my real point. (My god, I’m doing it again.) 

There’s a lot of news to report from the eighth circle. A brilliant Federal Judge thinking rings around an Einsteinium of attorneys. Wacko state pols and Senator John Kyl threatening infant U.S. citizens with deportation. (To where?) Cowardly Democratic candidates and spineless Democratic Representatives running for the Superstition Mountains to avoid planeloads of reporters and pundits.  
Dream Students giving Washington a lesson in effective politics, causing the in-crowd to whine about divisiveness in public, then yell and scream behind closed doors and on cell phones. (Reminder to political operatives of said Senators and Representatives: Calls may be monitored and recorded for quality assurance purposes.) Highly professional, stoic law enforcement officers, and their opposites on Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Bizarro Goon Squad. The Somos Coalition hanging together, not separately. Puente and the National Day Laborer Network (and numerous other brave actionistas) confronting the racist Maricopa County dragnet that shames Arizona. That’s not for today, but over the next three weeks. 

If we’re ever going to get out of this right-wing place (figuratively I mean), we have to nominate and then elect people like Randy Parraz. The primary is exactly three weeks away, so Randy needs people talking about him. And he needs money, not an extreme amount, but probably more than we can raise right here. 

There’s a candidate debate tonight, and it should help. Randy vs. Rodney Glassman (the Human Cliché). Here’s Randy introducing himself in the July 27th debate: “I’ll fight to bring the troops home from Iraq, and as a lifelong Democrat I will fight for immigration reform, marriage equality, and to overturn SB1070.” Watch the exchange on marriage equality at 18:30 of the video.



So we need to convince the progressive community to help make Randy the winner of the 4-way primary on August 24th. Not hard: a reasonable estimate of 25% turnout among 1,000,000 Democrats, and 100,000 votes wins the nomination. Read the position statements on his website: He’s the only candidate telling the truth, telling it straight. Democratic voters know the difference between direct statements and vague wanderings that mean nothing, but they have to hear them. I think we can easily raise $50,000 here, and that gets Randy half way to telling enough voters who he is. 

There actually is polling in the race, by Rasmussen on July 21st: Randy pulls 10%, Glassman 15%, Undecided about 50%. These numbers, if reliable, indicate that very few voters recognize any of the names. If you stick a made-up name in a poll it gets 10%. So it’s all down to Randy reaching enough Democrats. 

I’ve written about him before. He co-founded an organization called Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability that took on Sheriff Joe, and seven members were arrested for it in September 2008. Because they attended and tried to make public comment at a Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ meeting. No civil disobedience, no shouting or demonstrating, just citizen participation. The charges were thrown out, and the Judge awarded them legal fees. A more recent judgment paid them $475,000 for the rights violations. 

Randy was arrested by 7 deputies in a different incident, just outside the door. He told me that they shackled his feet at the jail. Hard to believe this is the United States of America. 

I think that we need to prove this fall that real Democrats can win primaries, then beat Conservatives in the general. If we can’t show that voters agree with us now, with 2 years of foot-dragging and wasted opportunities for progress fresh in their minds, it’s a threat to the progressive movement. It would validate the strategy of not-talking.  

I’m not going to make a game out of this, and offer to match contributions. You know who you want to help, and how much you’re able to give. I’ve contributed the maximum, $2400 for the primary and $2400 for the general. 

Look, the people of Arizona need our help. This guy is the real thing.


UPDATE: Glassman Didn't Shy Away From Tackling A Tough Task

Doug live in the Phoenix area so he may have missed this breaking news out of Tucson but I'm sure he won't mind me adding it to his post. When Glassman was running for City Council in 2007 he was asked, “What will be the toughest thing for you to do as a Tucson city councilmember?”

Glassman responded “The toughest thing for me to do will be to sit next to an openly gay councilmember.”

Karen Uhlich is a current Tucson councilmember who was just re-elected for her second term and is the openly gay person that sat next to Rodney Glassman until he resigned to run for US Senate.

Uhlich is aware of these statements and said that she had a “heart-to-heart with Rodney.”

“He knows how strongly I feel about these issues,” Uhlich said. When asked how she felt about the comment Glassman made, Uhlich responded that while they resolved their conflict so that city business could be taken care of, she also added that perhaps there should be a “higher standard for candidates.”

No wonder he's the DSCC candidate... now it all makes sense.