Nov 1, 2011
Statement on Republican abuse of power in redistricting impeachment
Andrei Cherny, Arizona Democratic Party chairman, gave this statement in response to the Republican supermajority's redistricting impeachment vote:
"Today, Arizona's Republican politicians showed they are willing to violate the Constitution and the rule of law in order to perpetuate their own power. This baseless, unfair vote to impeach a volunteer citizen commissioner was the culmination of nearly a year of bullying and interference. Every honest person in the state agrees that this is not about ‘substantial neglect of duty’ or ‘gross misconduct in office.’ It is about protecting the careers of Republican congressmen at the expense of good government and fair elections. This is a historic abuse of power without parallel in modern American history.
"Republican politicians know the only way they can stay in power in a closely divided state is to break the law and drag the reputation of an honorable citizen through the mud. Today, they did so. But what they're not counting on is this: The stench is something they will never be able to shake. It will trail them into next year's elections where every Arizonan will know what they did to silence the voices of Arizona's growing ranks of independents. We will do everything in our power to hold them accountable and remind Arizonans whose side GOP lawmakers are on -- their own."
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