James King

Congressman Ben Quayle

​In what comes as no surprise to anyone who keeps tabs on Arizona Congressional politics, Republican Congressman Ben Quayle announced today that he plans to run in Arizona's newly formed sixth Congressional district -- which is likely unsettling news for GOP Congressman David Schweikert, also is running in District 6.

Because of how the Independent Redistricting Commission drew up the new map of Arizona Congressional districts, Quayle lives in what is now District 9. However, as he notes in a press release announcing his plan to run in District 6, about two-thirds of his current constituents live in what is now District 6.

Schweikert, however, actually lives in District 6 -- not that it matters; the law only requires members of Congress to live in the state they represent, but not necessarily in the district.

More >>

Abortion Bully Trent Franks

​According to Texas Congressman Lamar Smith, "abortion is the leading cause of death in the black community" -- a claim he makes in a memo to House Republicans urging them to vote for a bill introduced by fagala-phobic Congressman Trent Franks that would make it illegal for a woman to end a pregnancy based on the race or gender of the fetus.

As we've noted in many previous posts, it's a great solution...to a non-existent problem.

In addition to the shameless name-dropping found in Franks' bill -- "The Susan B. Anthony and Fredrick Douglas Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act" -- it also would give a woman's family members the ability to sue abortion providers if they think an abortion was performed because of the race or sex of the fetus.

More >>

Matt Heinz wants to be a congressman.

​State Representative Matt Heinz announced Tuesday that he's running for the Congressional seat previously held by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Giffords, as you probably know, resigned from the seat last week so she can focus on her recovery after getting shot in the head during last year's shooting rampage in Tucson.

Heinz is in his second term in the Arizona Legislature. He's a doctor, he's openly gay, and seems like a pretty standup guy (when he was first elected, we had a chance to speak with him at length while we were working for another publication).

On the other hand, Heinz has only served two terms as a state legislator, and the only pieces of legislation he's sponsored that stick out in our memory are a bill that allows people in Arizona to buy booze at 6 a.m. on Sundays (not that we find anything wrong with that), and a bill that would allow members of the military to cancel memberships at health spas if they're deployed out of state.

Oh...we almost forgot -- he's also behind a 2009 resolution stating that the Arizona Legislature supports the people of Iran's right to "express their opinions and have access to news" regarding that country's presidential elections.

In other words, Matt Heinz thinks Iranians should have the freedom of speech -- take that, Ahmadinejad!

More >>

State Representative Matt Heinz is running for Congress.

​Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords resigned from her seat in Congress last week in an emotional farewell speech read on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

State Representative Matt Heinz, an openly gay Tucson Democrat, announced yesterday that he wants to be Giffords' replacement.

"It is with deep respect for Congresswoman Giffords and her work that I humbly submit my candidacy to the people of southern Arizona," Heinz says in a statement. "Gabby has come so far in her recovery, and I wish her continued healing. Gabby put southern Arizona before party or ideology and that legacy must be continued."

Heinz has served in the Legislature since 2009. In addition to his gig in the state House of Representatives, Heinz is a doctor at the Tucson Medical Center.

More >>

Congressman Jeff Flake should teach a class on how to be a politician without acting like a total ass-clown.

​Congressman Jeff Flake may be the poorest member of Arizona's Congressional delegation, and he may have flaked on his support of comprehensive immigration reform, but he's still a standup guy -- a class act from whom other Arizona politicos (we won't name names...just kidding -- specifically, Governor Jan Brewer) could learn a thing or two.

The same day Brewer was sticking her finger in the face of President Barack Obama as the two argued on a runway at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Flake held former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' hand as she formally resigned from Congress yesterday.

Hours earlier, as Obama gave his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, Flake, who was seated next to Giffords, stood with the congresswoman each time she wanted to join her fellow Democrats in applauding the president -- even as Flake's Republican colleagues remained seated.

Flake didn't stand because he necessarily agreed with the president, he stood to help Giffords, who is still recovering from a gunshot wound to the head, and often needs assistance to do things most of us take for granted, like stand up.

More >>

C-Span

Gabrielle Giffords submits her letter of resignation to House Speaker John Boehner.

​Gabrielle Giffords formally resigned from Congress this morning in an emotional goodbye that brought tears to the eyes of several lawmakers present -- including, of course, House Speaker John Boehner.

While holding Congressman Jeff Flake's hand, Giffords listened on as Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz read her letter of resignation to members of Congress, just over a year after Giffords was shot in the head during last year's Tucson shooting rampage.

A copy of the letter was given to Boehner and Arizona Governor Jan Brewer.

"I don't remember much from that terrible day, but I have never forgotten my constituents, my colleagues, or the millions of Americans with whom I share great hopes for this nation," Giffords writes in the letter.

See the full text of Giffords' emotional letter below.

More >>

www.newser.com

​Fagala-phobic Arizona Congressman Trent Franks is obnoxiously conservative. Aside from thinking race/gender-based abortions are a legitimate problem in the United States (which it's not), he thinks letting gay people tie the knot "literally is a threat to the nation's survival" because it threatens the sanctity of traditional marriage.

Cheating on your wife, however, is something the family-values conservative can overlook -- unless you're Jesus, apparently.

Franks was the Arizona campaign chairman for Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign. When Bachmann pulled the plug on the campaign, Franks threw his support behind former House Speaker Newt Gingrich -- despite the former speaker's alleged marital "issues."

Gingrich's second wife, Marianne Gingrich -- whom he divorced in 1999 -- now claims her former hubby/current presidential candidate lobbied for an open marriage when the two were still in wedded (ahem) bliss.

More >>

Yee-haw

​Get ready, Arizona: another John McCain-esque "build the danged fence" campaign ad is apparently on the horizon --this time, compliments of Congressional candidate Matt Salmon.

GOP sources tell New Times Salmon headed down to the border last week to shoot an ad for his District 6 Congressional campaign. Apparently, he found it necessary to dress exactly like the Marlboro Man -- which is somewhat hypocritical ironic considering Salmon is A) Mormon, and B) a huckster for the electronic cigarette industry.

The photo above was taken during the filming of the ad -- and spruced up a bit (thanks to photoshop) by the blogsters at Political Mafioso.
More >>

www.thejournal.com

​

As you may know, the Internet is "on strike" today. Well, not the entire Internet -- just Wikipedia. Several other big-name, high-traffic websites -- including Google and Craigslist -- have "blacked out" their websites today in protest of a bill currently making its way through Congress that they say would lead to censorship of online content, and could force many of the companies to shut down.

One sponsor of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is Congressman Ben Quayle...er, was Congressman Ben Quayle.    

More >>

Facebook.com

Kyrsten Sinema's running for Congress in Arizona's new Congressional district. Expect a Democratic primary, folks.

​In a move that doesn't come as much of a shock to anyone familiar with state politics in Arizona, Democratic state Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced today that she's resigning from her Senate seat and running for Congress -- potentially against Congressman Ben Quayle (although, that's unlikely. More on that below) -- in Arizona's newly drafted Ninth Congressional District.

There's been buzz for months that Sinema, a seasoned veteran in the Arizona Legislature, would seek higher office.

"I've decided to run for Congress because we need to wake up Washington!" Sinema posted on her Facebook page about an hour ago. "I will fight for the forgotten middle class and stand up to a system that is rigged against them."

For now, Sinema is the only Democratic candidate who's officially declared her candidacy -- Senator David Schapira formed an exploratory committee for a potential run for the seat in November, but is yet to make anything official.

Schapira's also expected to be sworn into the Senate when the Legislature goes back into session -- according to the rumor-mill, he doesn't plan to leave his Senate seat if he does decide to run for Congress.

More >>