One candidate ballots deny right to choose

It is utterly disappointing, even pathetic, that the Arizona Democratic party has decided that it is the party machine, and not primary voters, who should select who runs for what. Fred DuVal vs. Terry Goddard? A solid gubernatorial contest. Instead, Democratic voters can have any gubernatorial or secretary of state candidates they want, so long as its Fred Duval and Terry Goddard. This primary, Arizona's Republicans are running a wide slate of candidates up and down the ballot, representing the spectrum of coalitions in today's Arizona GOP. The Democrats, on the other hand, have denied voters their right to choose, and whats democratic about that?

Migrant Activists must work with GOP moderates

Immigration activists Kica Matos and Frank Sharry betray their crass partisan intentions by threatening to target Republicans, even those who are supportive of immigration reform.

These people aren't interested in building the political coalition truly needed to get something as momentous as comprehensive immigration reform across the finish line.

Instead, Matos and Sharry want to replace potential GOP allies simply because they belong to the wrong political party. Alienation cuts both ways.

If moderate support is not appreciated and nurtured, all Matos and Sharry do with their plan is help create a self-fulfilling prophecy about the other side, which is what they may want anyway.

These "advocates" would rather engage in dueling demagoguery with immigration hard-liners than work with moderates. If the GOP retakes Congress, zealots like Matos and Sharry, along with those they are advocating so poorly for, should hope more GOP moderates are re-elected, not fewer.

On Sen. Olympia Snowe

Moderate Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine dropped a bombshell on her party last week when she suddenly announced that she would not seek re-election this November. Snowe was cruising towards certain victory, but she is walking away. She leaves behind her party, and fellow GOP moderates like myself.

Sen. Snowe has enjoyed one of the rarest forms of political support. Maine is a blue state, albeit with Yankee Republican pedigree (Maine was one of two states that FDR never carried in four tries). In deep blue Maine, Snowe has never lost an election in 30+ years of elected office, and, in three senate races she received 60% of the vote twice, and in 2006, she received a whopping 74%, in one of the worst election years in GOP history.

Since 2010, the GOP has come a looong way in New England. In 2009, Snowe and fellow Mainer Susan Collins were the only Republicans elected to hold national offices from a region that was a historical breeding ground of Republicanism. 2010 changed the political landscape quite a bit. First, Scott Brown became the first Republican senator Massachusetts had sent to the US Congress in over 30 years. Additionally, Kelly Ayotte won a Senate seat in New Hampshire. Suddenly, the ladies from Maine had company in New England. New England's GOP stature has been further burnished with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's pursuit of the presidency.

This brings us back to reality, however. At 47 seats, the GOP only needs to win 4 additional senate races to control the senate. Snowe was a shoo-in on the road to 51, but no longer. Now, Scott Brown's re-election effort is even more important, and possibly, is now more daunting. Why? Back in 2006, Rhode Island had an affable, well liked senator named Lincoln Chafee. Chafee's father had been governor of Rhode Island, and had also served as a senator until his death in 1999. Lincoln was appointed to his father's vacant seat. In the Nov. '06 elections, deeply blue Rhode Island faced the prospect that favorite son Sen. Chafee would be the 51st. Republican senator. He was summarily booted, and the Democrats took over the senate.

In the retiring Sen. Snowe, moderate Republicanism has lost an advocate and a role model. Her help could have sorely been needed this November, when the GOP will control both houses of Congress irrespective to the results of the presidential elections.

Please Vote for Wes Gullett on Monday or Tuesday

Wes Gullett is just the kind of common sense urban thinker that the GOP needs to foster in order to be relevant in America's big cities. All in Phoenix who yearn for, or bemoan the lack of political moderation in today's political landscape would do well to vote for Wes Gullett. Gullett is a outsider candidate who can succeed in city government, a candidate who has intimate knowledge of how the mechanics of Phoenix City Hall works, but one that also possesses tangible small business experience. Gullett's brand of inclusive sense urban conservatism would be a refreshing change to the insider politics that has dominated Phoenix city politics for decades. Putting all transparent attacks aside, let's vote for the kind of city government that the city deserves. Phoenix, please vote for Wes Gullett !

Mitt Romney: Leading from behind on the Debt Ceiling

Mitt Romney has been conspicuously silent on the current national crisis, an exceedingly curious phenomena when one remembers that economic matters are a Romney strength. Count me disappointed when the Fox News crawl stated today that Romney was against the compromise bill just passed by the House. The crawl announced that Romney supports the Cap, Cut, and Balance bill initially passed weeks ago only to be shelved in the Senate by Harry Reid. Cap, Cut, and Balance (CCB) is the bill of choice among the Tea Party crowd, and there can be little doubt that Romney is seeking Tea Party goodwill with his recent announcement.

Trouble is, Michelle Bachmann has been for CCB for weeks, and, right or wrong, has been publicly saying for weeks that she will vote no on any compromise bill. Bachmann is obviously being guided by her ideological convictions on this matter , and there she has been, out front on top of her proverbial white charger drawing the admiration and cheers of her troops while also drawing heavy fire from Democrats and political talking heads.

The challenge for Romney is that this late to the CCB party episode plays into the chief negative narrative against candidate Romney: a lack of true convictions and an over abundance of political triangulation. For the record, I like Romney. He was a Republican governor in deep blue Massachusetts, and his economic bona fides are just what the country could use in a leader at a time like this. However, unlike 2007, when I knew immediately who I would be backing in the GOP Presidential nominating process, I am still officially uncommitted. I am waiting for someone else, or for someone in the current lineup to step it up.

Fellow Republicans: It is not good enough to be right on the debt ceiling debate

I have watched the proceedings in Washington on the debt ceiling with growing trepidation for both my party and my country. Through skillful political maneuvering and messaging, the President has been successful at assigning the GOP with "reasonable doubt" in the mind of the public on the debt ceiling issue. What I mean is that the GOP should consider this current crisis as a court case, with the American public serving as jury.

President Obama has used his bully pulpit as President as a platform to sling lightning bolts at Republicans, and Republicans lack both the stature of that office, or a communicator of Obama's stature to counter. Republicans sound off about higher tax burdens will inhibit economic growth and that entitlement spending is out of control. Most technocrats will probably agree, but on the other side you have the President calling the GOP the party of the stingy ultra rich, and evil corporations, staring down at us regular people from the windows of their corporate jets. The GOP is losing the messaging battle, and the party must figure out how to use plain talk that speaks to the basic truths most people know. Talk of trillions of dollars this or balanced budget amendment that isn't getting us anywhere right now.

Let me say this, the case Obama has made is sticking out here in the real world. Obama doesn't get off scot-free either, but a 50-50 assignment of blame is not helpful for any opposition party. Republicans need to stop talking about a Constitutional amendment that has zero chance of occurring in the next 7 days, (or before next year's elections, for that matter), and strike the best deal we can right now. We have made the Democrats come a long way on this issue, and the time has come to put pressure back on the President by placing a bill on his desk.

Obama the Insincere

Last week, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), invited the President for a meeting dealing with the "debt ceiling". The White House coldly turned the overture stating: "...the administration knows Republican positions about taxes and spending..." . Obama's press secretary added that, as far as the Administration is concerned, a possible meeting with McConnell is " ...A conversation not worth having..." Candidate Obama famously announced that he would meet with America's foreign enemies without preconditions, but evidently this offer is not equally applied to Obama's political ones.

I found it most ironic that Obama is now calling for Congress to come together and "make hard choices" on A deal over increasing the debt ceiling. Last week, he gave us Republicans the proverbial bird and now this week, he dares to lecture us on A lack of bi-partisan progress. This is a typical Obama tactic, slinging mud when no one is paying attention, then serenely preaching down on those who have his mud stains on their shirts when the cameras are on.

This is not the new politics of Hope, but the politics of dopes. Dopes are what the President must consider most of us following the news to be if he thinks we will blindly buy into his phony, insincere narrative. We must hold this man accountable n the next election.