"Veterans, the state of Arizona and the Democratic Party have lost a major supporter with the passing of Bob Stelling. His efforts gave veterans, particularly those from Native American communities, a desperately needed voice through the Arizona Democratic Veterans' Caucus and the Forgotten Veterans Project. His efforts impacted lives for the better, and we are thankful to have known Bob. We offer our deepest condolences to Bob's family and his Arizona Democratic Party friends at this difficult time."

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Congressman Jeff Flake just can't seem to figure out where he stands on comprehensive immigration reform. For years, he was for comprehensive reform. Then, shortly after launching his Senate campaign, he announced he "no longer" supported comprehensive reform.

Today, Congressman Flake has a different position. He told the Washington Post "we have to have comprehensive reform."

This now marks Congressman Flake's third position on comprehensive immigration reform in just the last 14 months. Who knows what Congressman Flake will support next.

BACKGROUND:

FLAKE TODAY: “What I Have Said Is We Have To Have Comprehensive Reform. We Have To Have It.” Responding to a Washington Post reporter’s question about his change of heart, Flake responded: “What I have said is we have to have comprehensive reform. We have to have it. But those of us who have pursued it — myself, Sen. Kyl, Sen. [John] McCain — have realized that that is a dead-end. We have beat our heads against the wall for a long time. And until we have a more secure border, nobody’s going to trust the federal government to move on with the other elements of comprehensive reform. And the problem with this president is he’s not even pursuing comprehensive reform. He wants a few elements of it, but not really comprehensive reform. So, once we get a secure border, then we can move on to the other items.” [Washington Post, 5/2/12]

FLAKE LAST YEAR: “A Comprehensive Solution Is Not Possible, Or Even Desirable, Given The Current Leadership.” "In the past I have supported a broad approach to immigration reform - increased border security coupled with a temporary worker program. I no longer do. I've been down that road, and it is a dead end. The political realities in Washington are such that a comprehensive solution is not possible, or even desirable, given the current leadership," Flake wrote in a statement. [Arizona Daily Star, 3/27/2011]

FLAKE THE YEAR BEFORE: “What I Have A Problem With Is Those Who Say Let’s Fix The Border, And Then Do Everything Else.” Jeff Flake on Arizona Horizon: “But what I have a problem with is those who say let’s fix the border, and then do everything else, knowing that doing those things on the border at best is going to take years to secure the border, and in the meantime, we have to realize that between 42 and 45 percent of those who are here now didn’t come across the border, they came legally and have overstayed. And so I think it behooves us to also deal with those issues as well, while we focus on the border, not just say ‘we’re going to focus on the border and then everything else.” [Arizona Horizon, 8/18/2010]

Arizona is proud to welcome Vice President Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama to our state.

Vice President Joe Biden
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Heard Museum
Phoenix, AZ

First Lady Michelle Obama
Monday April 30, 2012
Tucson Convention Center
260 S. Church Ave.
Tucson, AZ

To attend this event, click here for details. 

Moderate Republicans, Independents and Democrats will unify around Ron Barber in June

NEWS RELEASE
Apr. 17, 2012

PHOENIX, AZ--Bill Roe, Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, issued the following statement on Jesse Kelly and the earRepublican primary for Arizona's Eighth Congressional district:

“Jesse Kelly emerged tonight from a Tea Party primary that banged the drums of extremism. Jesse Kelly is on the warpath against Arizona's middle class families. He would abolish the minimum wage, eliminate Medicare, privatize Social Security, and ban a woman's right to choose--even in cases of rape or incest. He would also make certain that rich people and corporations get enormous tax breaks."

“If Jesse Kelly could not ride the wave to Congress in the Republican flood of 2010, he is not viable in 2012. Many moderate Republicans, Independents and Democrats in Southern Arizona will reject his extremism in favor of Ron Barber's solid plan to rebuild the middle class.”

Reince Priebus Set to Visit Russell Pearce's Home Turf Today

NEWS RELEASE
Apr. 18, 2012

PHOENIX, AZ--Arizona Democratic Party Chair Bill Roe released the following statement on RNC Chair Reince Priebus's visit to the Arizona Republican Party headquarters today:

"As RNC Chair Reince Priebus walks in to visit the Arizona Republican Party headquarters today, he is meeting with the most extreme state party organization in the United States; an organization where Russell Pearce serves as First Vice Chair, where elected officials pursue a divisive right-wing agenda and political corruption scandals have implicated high-ranking politicians such as Attorney General Tom Horne and former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas."

"Chairman Priebus is coming to Phoenix for Friday's RNC Meeting in Scottsdale, where Republican Party leaders will meet their presumptive nominee, Mitt Romney. As Priebus meets with senior Party leaders, which one would assume will include Russell Pearce, the question for concerned Arizonans is simple: does Reince Priebus plan to shape the national Republican Party in the image of Arizona's Tom Morrissey and Russell Pearce?"

PHOENIX--Luis Heredia, Executive Director of the Arizona Democratic Party, released the following statement:

"I am deeply troubled by the Senate Education Committee's decision to advance the nomination of Greg Patterson to the Arizona Board of Regents today. The Board of Regents is a powerful post where respect for higher education must be valued; in contrast, Greg Patterson has a demonstrated record of attacking university presidents, second guessing the value of education, and defending cuts to education."

"Additionally there are legitimate questions about his record: from defending his vote against the Martin Luther King Day holiday in the Legislature to defending Russell Pearce, Greg Patterson reflects the core of what is wrong with Arizona politics today: he puts his extremist agenda first, and governing always comes second."

Mr. Patterson's appointment has been questioned by a wide variety of voices, including the Arizona Republic editorial board. Below, you'll find a copy for your reference of the Arizona Democratic Party's initial response to the appointment of Patterson to the Board of Regents.

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Brewer Appoints Yet Another Lobbyist to Board of Regents

Brewer launches direct attack on university presidents with appointment of Patterson to Board of Regents

NEWS RELEASE
Mar. 23, 2012

PHOENIX, AZ--Luis Heredia, Executive Director of the Arizona Democratic Party, released the following statement on the appointment of Greg Patterson to the Arizona Board of Regents:

"At a time when Arizona's universities are enjoying historic success both academically and as job creators, Governor Brewer has sent the exact wrong message with her appointment of lobbyist and Pro-Russell Pearce activist Greg Patterson to the Arizona Board of Regents. Rather than demonstrating that she values higher education, Brewer instead has chosen to appoint a well-known lobbyist whose record of personal attacks against our university presidents is well documented. This appointment is a shot across the bow, a personal attack on the leadership of our university presidents in job creation and innovation in Arizona, and demonstrates Brewer's priorities perfectly: rewarding Tea Party activists over job creation."

"As the publisher of the hard-right blog Espresso Pundit, Greg Patterson has a storied career of agenda journalism where he has done everything from defend cuts to education to making serious personal attacks against Arizona university faculty. What's worse, despite being appointed to oversee Arizona's university system, Patterson is repeatedly on record opposing the instruction of entire fields of study, questioning the value of investing in education, and has brought into question the very existence of the Board of Regents itself. "In Greg Patterson's Arizona, universities would liquidate academic disciplines by the dozens and politicians would have unfettered authority to make specialized decisions about the administration of higher education in Arizona. It is beyond alarming that Governor Brewer would appoint someone like Patterson to the Board of Regents, and any Senator who values either our universities as institutions or our university presidents as professionals should oppose this appointment."

###

PHOENIX--It was a day late for an April Fool’s joke, but Tucson lobbyist Jonathan Paton’s congressional campaign on Monday blasted out a letter of support from state Sen. Sylvia Allen, one of Arizona’s most out-of-touch lawmakers.

Allen’s support rings several warning bells about Paton, a former payday-lending lobbyist who lost his CD8 primary in 2010 and is now moving to CD1 so he can run there instead.

Warning #1: Does Paton agree with Allen’s “yes” vote for HB2625, the troubling birth control bill that sparked a national uproar over its assault on a woman’s health-care privacy from her employer? The bill was so extreme that even GOP leaders like Sen. John McCain and Gov. Jan Brewer refused to support it.

Warning #2: Does Paton agree with Allen’s sponsorship of HB2757, the electronic billboard legislation that was strongly opposed by Arizona’s astronomy and defense sectors? (Note to Paton: Those industries are prominent in your new district, CD1). Editorial boards across the state condemned the bill as a job killer, and Gov. Brewer even vetoed it.

Warning #3: Does Paton agree with Allen’s 2011 vote to eliminate AHCCCS, our state’s version of Medicaid that assists thousands of the state’s most fragile residents, including the elderly and disabled? Where does Paton stand on the Ryan Budget’s plan to dismantle Medicare into a voucher program and slash Medicaid?

“By aligning with Sylvia Allen, Jonathan Paton is already on the wrong side of women’s health, job creation and protecting seniors,” said Luis Heredia, Arizona Democratic Party executive director. “If this is his campaign platform, Paton might as well turn the moving truck around and go back to lobbying.”

PHOENIX, AZ--Luis Heredia, Executive Director of the Arizona Democratic Party, released the following statement::

"Jeff Flake made his priorities for Arizona exceedingly clear last week. With his votes, Flake continues to demonstrate his preference for pushing his ideology over finding solutions -- even when those ideas would eliminate jobs in Arizona and send health care costs for our seniors skyrocketing."

"By voting in favor of both the Ryan budget and the more extreme Republican Study Committee budget, Flake has voted to: End Medicare as we know it, hand out tax breaks to millionaires, cut 44 million people from the Medicaid rolls, slash Social Security benefits and raise the retirement age. On top of that, Flake recently proposed to eliminate the Export-Import Bank -- and the 300,000 jobs it supports -- and blamed Pell Grants for the rising cost of tuition."

"This is all in just little more than a week, and shows what Jeff Flake has in mind for Arizona. As a Senator, Flake would continue to push his extreme ideologically-driven agenda that even few Republicans support to disastrous results for our most vulnerable. The choice for Arizonans couldn't be clearer."

BACKGROUND:

FLAKE VOTED FOR RYAN BUDGET

Flake Voted For Rep. Paul Ryan’s Disastrous Budget, Choosing Millionaires Over Medicare. Jeff Flake joined 227 of his GOP colleagues in supporting Paul Ryan’s disastrous budget that cuts taxes for millionaires and ends the Medicare guarantee. [Vote 151, 3/29/12]

PAUL RYAN'S BUDGET HURT ARIZONA SENIORS

842,546 Arizonan Seniors Would Be Forced Onto Vouchers When They Retire. Starting in 2023, all Arizona seniors will receive a voucher to purchase either private insurance or traditional Medicare. There are more than 842,546 near-elderly Arizonans who are now ages 47-56 who, instead of getting Medicare as we know it when they retire, would only get a voucher to purchase their insurance. Private insurance plans will aggressively pursue the healthiest, least expensive enrollees, thereby allowing Medicare – currently the lifeline for 933,435 Arizona seniors – to “wither on the vine.” [CBPP 3/20/12, Census, accessed on 3/20/12; CBPP 12/21/11; KFF, accessed on 3/21/12; NCPSSM, 3/20/12]

For Arizona Seniors, Republican Budget Will Increase Out of Pocket Costs By As Much As $5,900 Per Senior. The Republican budget would cap these vouchers for individuals at growth levels that are lower than the existing increases in health care costs. In other words, seniors could be forced to pay higher premiums in order to access the same benefits they would receive under the current system. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the plan could increase out of pocket costs by $5,900 and lead to diminished access to quality care. [CBO, 3/20/12; CBPP, 12/21/11; CAP, 3/20/12]

Republican Budget Will Force 95,990 Arizona Seniors Back Into the Prescription Drug “Donut Hole.” The Republican budget would “re-open” the prescription drug donut hole and cost the average senior who falls into the donut hole approximately $11,794 between 2012 and 2020. The “donut hole” forces seniors to pay the full cost of their prescription drugs after their yearly drug expenses exceed $2,840, and full coverage doesn’t resume until total drug spending hits $6,447 for the year. Since health reform was signed into law, 95,990 Arizona seniors saved $56,882,096.09 on prescription drugs. [HHS, 3/19/12; State level data compiled by HHS, 3/20/12]

728,400 Arizonan Seniors To Pay More For Preventive Services This Year. The Republican budget will require that seniors pay deductibles, co-insurance, and copayments for many preventive services currently covered by Medicare; including cancer screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies as well as annual wellness visits. As a result, fewer seniors will access these preventive services, thereby dramatically increasing Medicare spending in the long-term. [CMS, 2/15/12]

...TO GIVE TAX CUTS TO MILLIONAIRES

CBPP: New Tax Cuts In Ryan Budget Would Give Millionaires $265,000 On Top Of Bush Tax Cuts. “Even as House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget would impose trillions of dollars in spending cuts, 62 percent of which would come from low-income programs,1 it would enact new tax cuts that would provide huge windfalls to households at the top of the income scale. New analysis by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center (TPC) finds that people earning more than $1 million a year would receive $265,000 apiece in new tax cuts, on average, on top of the $129,000 they would receive from the Ryan budget’s extension of President Bush’s tax cuts.” [CBPP, 3/27/12]

CBPP: “New Tax Cuts At The Top Would Dwarf Those For Middle-And Lower-Income Families,” Widening Income Inequality. “The new tax cuts at the top would dwarf those for middle-and lower-income families. After-tax incomes would rise by 12.5 percent among millionaires, but just 1.9 percent for middle-income households.” [CBPP, 3/27/2012]

CBPP: Ryan Budget “would likely produce the largest redistribution of income from the bottom to the top in modern U.S. history.” Said Robert Greenstein, President of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities: “The new Ryan budget is a remarkable document — one that, for most of the past half-century, would have been outside the bounds of mainstream discussion due to its extreme nature. In essence, this budget is Robin Hood in reverse — on steroids. It would likely produce the largest redistribution of income from the bottom to the top in modern U.S. history and likely increase poverty and inequality more than any other budget in recent times (and possibly in the nation’s history).” [CBPP, 3/21/12]

FLAKE ALSO VOTED FOR MORE EXTREME REPUBLICAN STUDY COMMITTEE BUDGET

Flake Voted For Even More Extreme RSC Budget That Also Raises Retirement Age For Social Security. Flake supported a substitute budget offered by the Republican Study Committee (RSC). In addition to the tax cuts for the wealthy and plan to end Medicare as we know it outlined about, the Republican Study Committees Alternate proposal would raise the retirement age for Social Security, cut of millions from access to healthcare through Medicaid and place our environment in danger through recklessly increasing drilling in the Gulf and ANWR. [Vote 149, 3/29/12]

RSC Budget Cut Social Security, Raises The Retirement Age. The RSC Budget “gradually increases the retirement age for Social Security, including by raising the eligibility age for full Social Security retirement benefits to age 70 for those born in 1958 and after.” [CQ, 3/29/12]

RSC Budget Cuts 44 Million People From Medicaid Rolls. Under the RSC Budget, over 44 million people would not be able to access health care under Medicaid by 2021. Because of the deep cuts in the RSC Budget, "states would have little choice but to institute deep cuts to eligibility, benefits and/or provider payment rates, resulting in millions more low-income individuals and families ending up uninsured or underinsured and losing access to needed health care." [Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/28/12]

FLAKE TRYING TO ELIMINATE JOB-CREATING EX-IM BANK

Flake Sponsors Job Killing Ex-Im Bank Repeal. “GOP Reps. Amash, Flake attack corporate welfare with bill ending Ex-Im Bank. Reps. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) this week introduced legislation that would abolish the Export-Import Bank, the export credit agency that the two members say is a major source of corporate welfare. Under their Export-Import Bank Termination Act, H.R. 4268, the bank would be abolished three years after the bill becomes law, and would not be able to accept new loan or loan guarantee applications after just 30 days. […] Authorization for the Bank expires in May. In 2011, the Bank helped more than $40 billion in export sales by providing more than $30 billion in financing for them.” [The Hill, 3/29/12]

Ex-Im Bank Supported Almost 300k Jobs Last Year. According to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Ex-Im provided $32 billion in export financing last year, supporting more than $41 billion in exports from more than 3,600 U.S. companies. Those exports, in turn, support approximately 290,000 export-related American jobs. [NAM, link]

From 2007-2012, Ex-Im Supported 107 Businesses In Arizona, And Over $350 Million In Export Sales. 107 Arizona businesses have received support worth $356,735,024 in export sales from the Ex-Im Bank, including a featured “Success Story” on the Bank’s website: the ServerLIFT Corporation of Phoenix, Arizona, which recently moved operations back to China. According to the Bank, ServerLIFT “originally manufactured in China and recently moved operations back to the U.S., resulting in doubling the number of its U.S. employees. They received a $250,000 Express Insurance policy from Ex-Im Bank in June, 2011, with approved foreign buyers in Ireland and Turkey.” A full list of supported companies is available at EXIM.gov. [EXIM.gov, 3/5/12; EXIM, Success Stories]

PHOENIX, AZ--Luis Heredia, Executive Director of the Arizona Democratic Party, released the following statement on the appointment of Greg Patterson to the Arizona Board of Regents:

"At a time when Arizona's universities are enjoying historic success both academically and as job creators, Governor Brewer has sent the exact wrong message with her appointment of lobbyist and Pro-Russell Pearce activist Greg Patterson to the Arizona Board of Regents. Rather than demonstrating that she values higher education, Brewer instead has chosen to appoint a well-known lobbyist whose record of personal attacks against our university presidents is well documented. This appointment is a shot across the bow, a personal attack on the leadership of our university presidents in job creation and innovation in Arizona, and demonstrates Brewer's priorities perfectly: rewarding Tea Party activists over job creation."

"As the publisher of the hard-right blog Espresso Pundit, Greg Patterson has a storied career of agenda journalism where he has done everything from defend cuts to education to making serious personal attacks against Arizona university faculty. What's worse, despite being appointed to oversee Arizona's university system, Patterson is repeatedly on record opposing the instruction of entire fields of study, questioning the value of investing in education, and has brought into question the very existence of the Board of Regents itself.

"In Greg Patterson's Arizona, universities would liquidate academic disciplines by the dozens and politicians would have unfettered authority to make specialized decisions about the administration of higher education in Arizona. It is beyond alarming that Governor Brewer would appoint someone like Patterson to the Board of Regents, and any Senator who values either our universities as institutions or our university presidents as professionals should oppose this appointment."

PHOENIX, AZ--Luis Heredia, Executive Director of the Arizona Democratic Party, issued the following statement on the announcement by recalled ex-Sen. Russell Pearce that he will be seeking the Arizona Senate seat in the new Legislative District 25:

"Several months ago, the voters of Russell Pearce's conservative District 18 rejected his extremist, divisive brand of politics in the historic recall election that led to his dismissal in disgrace from the Arizona Legislature, making Pearce the first sitting Senate President to be recalled from office. This watershed moment demonstrated that even in traditionally conservative areas like Mesa, the Republican Party's extremist Tea Party agenda is no longer in step with the views and values of mainstream conservatives."

"Fortunately for Russell, the Republican Party in Arizona failed to learn the lesson of the November elections. Pearce enters an LD 25 Republican Senate primary where he will face off against primary opponents who unfortunately seem inclined to subscribe to Pearce's Tea Party brand of politics. As Republicans continue to veer further and further to the right, Arizonans of all stripes will continue to reject the Republicans and their extremist agenda."

NEWS RELEASEMar. 17, 2012

PHOENIX, AZ--Bill Roe, the noted Tucson conservationist who has spent over 35 years fighting to advance progressive causes in Arizona, was elected by acclamation as Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party today at a meeting of the Arizona Democratic State Committee at the Church of the Beatitudes in Phoenix. Roe ran on a platform seeking to empower grassroots leaders by building strong, resilient county party organizations, which he contends are the backbone of a robust statewide organization.

"I'm honored and respectfully accept the State Committee's decision to elect me as the new Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. I look forward to hitting the ground running; we don't have a moment to waste. After historic victories in last year's local elections, we have momentum on our side--I am confident that with a lot of hard work, we can carry our message to the voters of Arizona and make substantial gains in 2012," Roe said on Saturday. "More and more, Arizonans are rejecting the Tea Party extremism of the Republican Party, putting Arizona in play as a competitive state for Democrats. From re-electing the President to making gains at the Legislature, I'm optimistic about our chances in 2012," Roe added.

"Our party stands united behind Chairman Roe," said Luis Heredia, Executive Director of the Arizona Democratic Party. "From his service on the State Parks Board, his public service on a number of citizen boards in Pima County and throughout the state, to his current service on the Democratic National Committee, Bill Roe has demonstrated that he has both the skills as a leader and the passion to steward our Party towards a new Arizona," Heredia added.

---

For more than 35 years, since his arrival in the state in 1975, Bill Roe has dedicated himself to improving Arizona’s environment and championing land conservation efforts. Bill has served on the boards of directors of the Arizona League of Conservation Voters and AZLCV Education Fund for more than a decade and is the groups’ longest serving board member. He has also served two six-year terms on the Arizona State Parks Board, served on the Arizona Land and Water Trust Board, and dedicated years to long-term service as a leader in developing the Nature Conservancy in Arizona. A Tucson resident, Bill is chairman of the Pima County Conservation Acquisition Commission and is involved in land and watershed protection in southeastern Arizona.

More recently, Bill was elected Arizona's Democratic National Committeeman with 77% of the vote. In this role, Bill was able to take his skills as an advocate and Party Leader to the national level, advocating for Arizona's interests in the national Democratic Party.

As a proud Tucsonan, Bill is the first Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party to come from outside Maricopa County in a generation.

Bill graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio and received his law degree from Columbia University. He and his wife, Alice, have been married for 45 years and have two children and three grandchildren.

Though the GOP base in Arizona is still roiled by the influx of undocumented immigrants into the state, the Obama campaign is betting that a backlash led by the growing Latino community can turn Arizona into a new presidential battleground in 2012. This is the subject of my cover story in the new issue of TIME, available online to subscribers Thursday and on newsstands Friday. For the cover, photographer Marco Grob traveled to Arizona to shoot an amazing gallery of portraits of Latino voters.

In the coming weeks, the Obama campaign will open its fourth field office in Arizona, a state no Democrat has won since Bill Clinton and which native-son John McCain won in 2008 by nine points. The location of the office, a storefront on Phoenix’s majority-Latino west side, matters. Just a few months ago, it was used by campaign volunteers for Daniel Valenzuela, a local firefighter, who mounted an underdog bid for the City Council on the theory that he could turn out Latino voters who don’t normally vote. He won big in 2011, as did the new Democratic mayor in Phoenix, Greg Stanton.

A group of young people calling themselves “Team Awesome” knocked on 72,000 doors in the city to support Valenzuela’s bid. They increased off-year turnout among the Latino community by 480%, more than delivering Valenzuela’s margin of victory. “There is a ripple effect that has the city and the county and the state of Arizona looking at the way they approach politics,” says Joseph Larios, 29, a community organizer now working with the state Democratic Party who helped Valenzuela develop his strategy. “It’s impossible to say going after low-propensity Latino voters doesn’t matter based on what happened.”

For the Obama campaign nationwide, “expanding the electorate” increasingly means “expanding the Latino electorate.” If Obama is able to win heavily-Latino Western states like Nevada, Colorado and Arizona, he could still win in the electoral college even if he loses historically key states in the industrial Midwest like Ohio and Wisconsin. “If we do our grassroots stuff right on the ground in all these Western states, which we will, because it’s something we are good at,” Obama campaign manager Jim Messina told me, “we could seriously change the outcome.”

At the same time, Republicans have generally done a dismal job through the primary of appealing to Latino voters. George W. Bush won more than 40% of the community in 2004, but in a recent Latino Decisions poll conducted for Univision, 72% of Latinos said the GOP either did not care about their support or was hostile to their community. The 27% who sensed hostility represented a seven point increase from April of 2011, when the same pollsters asked the question. “Conservatives have not realized how their tone and rhetoric has turned people off,” says Jennifer Korn, who led George W. Bush’s Latino outreach effort in 2004.

There are many within the Republican party urging a moderation in tone. Marco Rubio, the newly elected Cuban-American senator from Florida, and a potential vice presidential pick, is trying to make that shift happen. “I’m always trying to remind my colleagues that if they lived in Mexico or anywhere in Latin America, and their kids were hungry, every night went to sleep hungry, and your country provided no opportunity for you to feed them, you’re telling me that there’s nothing you wouldn’t do to feed them?” he says. “You’re telling me you wouldn’t go anywhere there was a job so you could send money to them?”

So in the days remaining before the Arizona primary, pay close attention to how the GOP Presidential candidates talk about immigration. They have little to gain from Republicans by pivoting to softer rhetoric, but they have much to gain in the general election.

"It is appalling that the Tea Party leadership of the Arizona Legislature found it appropriate to call an avowed anti-Semite and purported racist to testify before the Senate this morning. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Spencer, the leader of a vigilante militia known as the 'American Border Patrol,' is the author of articles such as 'Is Jew-Controlled Hollywood Brainwashing America?' who once opined that 'patriotic Americans are far outnumbered by liberal Jews who now have total control over our media.' It is a disgrace that the Republicans are wasting taxpayer dollars and sullying the name of Arizona with this charade."

"Perhaps most disappointing of all is Attorney General Tom Horne, who made a presentation to the committee just before Spencer but said nothing as Democratic senators protested. The fact that the chief law enforcement officer of this state would say nothing about a hearing that sought to legitimize a notorious militia leader is a shocking dereliction of duty. It's vintage Tom Horne: advocate for public safety until it gets in the way of your radical ideology, and at that point, look the other way."

"It's no surprise that even conservatives now disapprove of the extremist Tea Party Legislature. Sylvia Allen and the Republicans owe all Arizonans an apology for wasting taxpayer resources on promoting such a divisive figure."

To observers of Arizona politics, this isn't surprising. As was recently featured in the upcoming week's Time magazine cover story, Arizona is the home to historic organizing efforts that are turning out the decisive Latino vote for Democratic candidates in record numbers. As these efforts continue, one can only conclude that Arizona will be a hotly contested battleground going into the Fall.

At the link below, you can read the highlights of Public Policy Polling's Arizona polling memo.

Mitt Romney has said on the campaign trail that he was responsible for saving the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. However, several people involved in the Games have said he exaggerated his role and overstated his involvement.

In addition to exaggerating his impact on the games, Mitt Romney also fails to acknowledge the $1.3 billion federal bailout--the largest for any Olympics then--that he secured and bragged about at the time, while railing against similar federal spending on the campaign trail today.

Just as Mitt Romney has failed to come clean about what he actually did in the private sector as a corporate raider, there are even more tall tales and hypocrisy when it comes to the Olympics. Mitt Romney will say anything to win, and as Sen. McCain points out, when it comes to the Olympics he didn't save the games--the taxpayers did.

"As we saw last weekend when Russell Pearce was elected the GOP's shadow chairman, the Arizona Republican Party is doubling down on the same failed leadership that even Pearce's own conservative district has rejected. Given that, it should come as no surprise that Pearce is running for reelection."

"Arizona has shown time and again over the last year that it has moved past the ugly and divisive politics of Russell Pearce. Come November, Arizona will again show Pearce that his time is over."