I was on KJZZ-FM radio today for their award-winning “Here and Now” show along with state Senator David Shapira (D) and GOP consultant Barrett Marson. I think my blood pressure has gone down a bit, but it can be just so crazy-making when the insanity at the GOP Legislature is treated as if it was just right-leaning government. It’s not. It’s off the edge to the far, far right being led by the Tea Party Republicans. (See Washington Post OpEd by Ornstein and Mann.)
This is the first time I had met Sen. Shapira, a candidate in the 9th congressional district primary, and he is as impressive as any of his opponents, al of which are works in progress. I’ve know Barrett for several years and he does his best to defend his party, although one gets the sense that its something of a stretch for him. (Consider state Sen Sylvia Allen (R) who believes the Earth is only 6,000 years old and that trees are trying to kill us.)
But I digress.
We were invited to take a long view look at two years of a Republican super majority in the Arizona Legislature. From any rational outside view, as I mentioned, it always seems as if they are in a constant state of auditioning for “The Daily Show” with their steady stream of wacky ideas. But the wackiness doesn’t stop with anti-immigration measures of allowing guns virtually everywhere. Most importantly it extends to the state budget and spending priorities.
With rare exception over the past 20 years, Republican majorities have turned “trickle down” economics into a religion, despite the fact that it doesn’t work. And despite the fact that refusing to invest in education is driving business away from Arizona.
I could go on, but the at the end of the day, I tried to do my best to raise the debate away from “facts” in order to get to the “truth.”
