Russell Pearce-Conqueror Jerry Lewis Endorsed by Eddie Basha, Paul Johnson; Democratic Lies Denounced

But he's not. Instead Lewis is like some sort of Mormon Gandhi, politically speaking, taking it on the chin and hoping to win people over with a positive campaign.

Now, if someone were to wave a magic wand and make me Lord of Sand Land, sure, I'd take that $450 million in the state's piggy bank and give it to the kids. Heck, I'd probably go all socialist on this state, soak the rich and give it all to the poor. Every man a king, just like Huey Long once sang.

But I'm not the Grand Poohbah of Cactus Country, and this year, once more, the Dems were out of power in the state Legislature. Given that reality, Lewis' efforts to get some funding restored are praiseworthy, even if unsatisfactory from a Democrat's perspective.

I spoke with ex-Mayor Johnson about Lewis, who called Lewis a "voice for independence" and a "breath of fresh air," who is always willing to listen to opposing viewpoints.

"The truth should matter," Johnson said of the efforts to paint Lewis as a Tea Partier, since Lewis, by his very election, served to moderate all politics in Arizona.

"He showed a tremendous amount of courage when he ran against a sitting Senate President," Johnson observed. "I'm looking for people like that, willing to buck their party."

I called Basha for a comment as well, and he noted the sea change that's occurred in politics with Russell Pearce gone from power, something a lot of, let's be honest, non-Latino Democrats seem incapable of comprehending.

"Pearce did irreparable damage to the economic opportunities of our state," Basha told me. "Our prosperity suffered immeasurably under Senator Pearce, with all of the divisiveness and the attacks on the Hispanic community.

"As you probably know, Mexico is our largest trade partner, and I'm a businessman and we depend on that economic growth. This is very serious."

He called Lewis' run against Pearce "bold and courageous," and noted that Lewis "served with distinction" in the Senate where he maintained an amicable relationship with Democrats.

The Ds are targeting moderate Rs this year in a desperate attempt to force a 15-15 tie in the Senate. But in doing so, they risk doing away with GOPers that might work with them in the future.

I'm hoping the Dems' viciousness in LD 26 will backfire tomorrow and Lewis will prevail over Ableser, whose 40 percent absentee rate indicates that he lacks Lewis' seriousness and maturity.

I know I'm not the only citizen who has been turned off by the nastiness of the LD 26 Dems. Many of their fellow progressives don't like it as well. And it's them the LD 26 Ds have to justify it to, not to me.