The high-priest of Hispanic-hatin', now flapping his lips on the AM dial...

Xenophobia, self-adulation and delusion are just some of the repulsive dishes offered at ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce's radio cafeteria of hate, which airs Tuesdays and Mondays at 7 p.m. on Phoenix's KFNX 1100 AM.

The disgraced Mesa pol, who lost by 12 points to now-state Senator Jerry Lewis in a historic recall election in Legislative District 18 last year, recently scored a gig as president of the nativist-shill organization Ban Amnesty Now. 

With it came the one-hour show sponsored by BAN, formerly hosted by BAN's founder, erstwhile Arizona GOP executive director Sean McCaffrey.

I tuned in to Tuesday's show, expecting the worst, and I was not disappointed. Pearce ranted and fumed about illegal immigration, interrupting his tirades occasionally to take calls from listeners who were full of hero-worship for the corrupt, hate-filled first vice-chair of the state Republican Party.

Latinos were, of course, completely demonized as a criminal element. For instance, in denouncing the National Council of La Raza, the most influential Latino organization in the United States, Pearce labeled it a "crime-promoting organized crime syndicate."

The undocumented did not fare any better. Pearce blasted migrants crossing the southern border as a security threat unrivaled by any other.

"Right now, the greatest threat to America is not Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan," he growled at one point. "It's what's coming across that border...Gangbangers. Child molesters. Drug smugglers. Human smugglers."

When a caller offered his impression that most illegal immigrants here in the U.S. hate Caucasians, Pearce dismissed the entire population as one belonging behind bars.

"They've started out as lawbreakers," Pearce told the man. "They're criminals. They have violated our laws, they've trespassed in our nation. And they have attitudes."

Who would give this guy $3.4 million? Loads of suckers from out of state...

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Former Valley reporter turned Gotham journo Nick Martin reports today on the TPMMuckraker blog that Sheriff Joe Arpaio's political action committee Joe PAC has scored only a little over $20,000 since its inception.

When Arpaio's campaign guru Chad Willems of Summit Consulting announced Joe PAC's formation in September, his press release stated that the PAC's purpose was to "support candidates and causes that promote border security, and combating illegal immigration."

But, as Martin points out, Arpaio's been focused more on fundraising for his own already-bloated war chest. As I reported in January, Arpaio's latest campaign finance report for his re-election effort shows that he had $3.4 million cash-on-hand as of December 31.

Though substantial, that's far less than the $6 million figure Arpaio and Willems had been bandying about for months. That $6 million includes receipts going all the way back to 2008, and counts a rollover of $67,257 from the 2008 re-election campaign.

In reality, Arpaio has only about $600,000 more than the $2.8 million cash-on-hand he had as of the end of 2010.

Certainly, Willems and Arpaio wanted to give the impression they had millions more in the bank, though they'd been careful in parsing their words. You'd think it would be enough to brag about having $3.4 million, but $6 million sure sounds better.

Most of the money Arpaio has raised has been from out-of-state donors, the large majority of them retirees. 

Arpaio caves to the DOJ, for the moment, apparently...

In spite of all of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's bluster, the claims of he and his subordinates that the U.S. Department of Justice's report on his racial-profiling ways is hogwash, and the use of that report by Arpaio's re-election campaign to raise money, Arpaio's office issued a statement yesterday after a summit with DOJ representatives that reads like an admission of guilt.

The DOJ has yet to respond to my inquiry for a comment on the meeting, but here's what the MCSO had to say:

"Representatives of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, and the attorneys for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office met with attorneys from the U.S. Department of Justice today to discuss the allegations presented in the letter from the Department of Justice dated December 15, 2011.

"The parties have agreed to work together to develop a document that addresses any agreed upon improvements needed in the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff and the US Department of Justice are both committed to avoiding unnecessary and expensive litigation by the creation of an enforceable agreement which will lead to sustainable reforms and positive results for all citizens of Maricopa County. These discussions will continue in earnest and will be completed by April 14, 2012."

The feds recently warned Arpaio's office that the two sides would be headed to court if the MCSO wasn't willing to cooperate, a warning that Arpaio's top flack, Deputy Chief Jack MacIntyre labeled as "saber rattling."

CBA demands accountability of Arpaio in the latest video by Dennis Gilman

A point some local journos missed concerning the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors' recent hearing on Sheriff Joe Arpaio's various misdeeds was that the special meeting, which addressed Arpaio's racial profiling and his bungling of the more than 400 sex crimes cases, would not have taken place save for the efforts of Citizens for a Better Arizona.

CBA, the same group that successfully forced a recall of former state Senate President Russell Pearce, eventually walked out of the meeting, charging that board chair Max Wilson had abrogated an agreement that would have allowed them to question County Attorney Bill Montgomery and MCSO Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan.

That walkout, led by CBA leaders Chad Snow and Randy Parraz, is documented in the above video from Phoenix videographer Dennis Gilman. 

After denouncing the supervisors, they and their supporters marched over to the U.S. Attorney's Office to deliver a letter from Snow, asking, "What is the threshold for injustice at which point the United States Department of Justice will take action?"

The letter, which you can read, here, outlines some of the abuses of power by the Arpaio regime. An excerpt follows:

Pearce's sleazy career as a pol will dog him all his days

The news that former state Senate President Russell Pearce is positioning himself to run again for the state Senate should surprise no one.

To be clear, Pearce hasn't yet announced his intention to seek that office. He's merely filed paperwork with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office that would allow him to do so.

But his recent election to the Arizona Republican Party's First Vice Chair position, his new paid gig as president of the nativist shill organization Ban Amnesty Now, and his comments to reporter Howie Fischer that, "I'm getting pushed by a lot of people to run," all signal that Pearce has finished crying in his oatmeal over his humiliating 12 point recall loss in November.

Literally, the 64 year-old has few other options, never having held a job in the private sector, unless you include the recent BAN appointment and the part-time stint as a Tuesday night talk-radio host that comes with it.

If Republican state Senator Rich Crandall seeks re-election, Pearce would face him in a primary, assuming Pearce runs, of course.

And by all means, I hope Pearce does run. Because I can promise I will be ruthless in reminding people of the mountain of sleaze that has been his career in public life.

Associations with right-wing extremists and a well-known neo-Nazi. Being fired from the Arizona MVD. His Fiesta Bowl freebies and contributions from Fiesta Bowl execs to him, being but three examples of this sleaze.

The campaign he and his functionaries foisted on the public this past fall should be, simply, the most recent reminder of what Pearce stands for.

The Pearce camp and its backers engaged in a long string of dirty tricks: a fake Twitter site, smears of the eventual victor state Senator Jerry Lewis, misleading robocalls seeking to suppress the vote, and, most notoriously, the sham candidacy of Olivia Cortes.

Cherny, stepping down as party chair to tackle CD9

It will be official shortly, but Andrei Cherny, Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, is stepping down today, in anticipation of a formal announcement of his candidacy for the Ninth Congressional District seat sometime next week.

The former Arizona Assistant Attorney General and policy adviser to the Clinton White House has chaired the party for the last year, offering a more vigorous and outspoken leadership style than his predecessor Don Bivens.

Cherny, 36, will take on former state Senator Kyrsten Sinema and state Senate Minority Leader David Schapira in the primary race for the Democratic nod. 

Congressman Ben Quayle has been considered a possible Republican contender for the CD9 general election, and many observers believe Quayle has been waiting to announce whether he'll run in the newly-formed CD9 or against fellow Republican U.S. Representative Davis Schweikert in CD6.

Pearce, now 1st Vice Chair of the AZ GOP

Ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce began slithering back into relevancy this Saturday during the Arizona GOP's winter meeting, held at Phoenix's Church for the Nations, where he was elected to the party's First Vice Chair position.

Despite an embarrassing 12-point loss to fellow Republican Jerry Lewis in November's recall election, Pearce remains popular with many state tuskers. His bid was endorsed by Arizona GOP Chair Tom Morrissey and various Republican office-holders

Though Pearce was running against a respected incumbent, Diane Ortiz-Parsons, when Morrissey announced the results at day's end, Pearce had crushed her, 669 to 443.

(The SeeingRedAz blog has a slightly different vote count, 668 to 441. The numbers I'm quoting above are what I heard Morrissey read to the assembled.)

One other stark result from Saturday's meeting: Congressman Ron Paul's name drew massive support in a presidential straw poll that served as a fundraiser for the party. 

Paul scored 256 votes to 20 for Newt Gingrich, 17 for Mitt Romney and 8 for sweater-boy Rick Santorum.

Young, intelligent and enthusiastic, the Paul supporters were a welcome, non-conformist presence. 

Otherwise, the day was dominated by Pearce's triumph over Ortiz-Parsons, and the sickening shadow of nativism, which darkens every aspect of the GOP in Arizona.

Carmona talks immigration, foreign policy and women's issues with Gilman and I

Above is a video of an interview videographer Dennis Gilman and I did with former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, now a candidate for the U.S. Senate. The interview took place at the state Democrats' winter meeting in Tucson.

Carmona's appearance at that meeting and his bid for the Democratic nomination were the subject of my recent column, "Richard Carmona Promises AZ Dems a U.S. Senate Seat."

Attorney and ex-Arizona Democratic Party chair Don Bivens is also vying to be the Dems' primary pick. Republican U.S. Senator Jon Kyl is vacating the seat.

Republican Congressman Jeff Flake and businessman Wil Cardon are the main contenders for the GOP nod.

Sylvia Allen: Bizarro-world politico

If you need an example of wigged-out, dysfunctional democracy verging on outright insanity, look no further than state Senator Sylvia Allen's Border Security, Federalism and States' Sovereignty Committee.

Here, Chairwoman Allen and a cadre of right-wing loons hold sway. Rational questions and reasoned arguments are dismissed with a flutter of Allen's hands. And those poking their heads in the room to interject a note of sanity are most unwelcome.

That was the case Thursday when Major General Hugo E. Salazar, Adjutant General of the Arizona National Guard, dropped by Allen's committee to express his concerns over Senate Bill 1083.

That bill, which is Allen's baby,  would create a state-sponsored "Arizona Guard" with four paid staff positions, an initial $500,000 from the state's general fund and an extra $1.4 million from gang task-force funds, all so that potentially hundreds of local, armed militia-types can run around on the border after "illegals."

Under the Arizona Constitution, Salazar is the commander of all state military forces and answers directly to the governor, and he would, in theory, bear responsibility for this new force as well. So you would think Allen would be eager to hear what the general had to say.

She wasn't. In fact, her face visibly dropped when Salazar approached the lectern before the committee, and explained that he had seen that the bill was on the day's agenda, so he decided to be present so he could make his concerns known.

"My real concern is...I really haven't been consulted on this bill," he told the committee.

Seems he and Allen had discussed the bill in her office, but that was about it. Otherwise, he explained, "I don't know what the plan is."

He hastened to state that he had no official position on the bill, but he had a number of worries, among them the fact that Allen's militia would be armed. 

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I'm guessing those stains will not come out in the wash...

The photo above showing seven young men with guns holding what seems to be a bullet-riddled T-shirt depicting President Barack Obama was, until recently, up on the Facebook page for Sergeant Pat Shearer of the Peoria Police Department.

The photo is captioned, "Another trip to the ranch," and features the comments, "Damn it feels good to be a gangsta," and, "They look like Gangsta's huh?"

"Gangsta"? That's so late '90s...

Not sure how "gangsta" it is to shoot-up a pic of the President of the United States, but I'm certain it's a constitutionally-protected activity. Heck, here in Arizona, I'm surprised public schools don't have target practice at Obama cut-outs during lunch break.