Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Rose & Allyn Public Relations looking for PR person

Now that Robbie Sherwood has left Rose & Allyn to jump on the losing re-election campaign of Harry Mitchell, they need a new PR person.


Rose & Allyn Public Relations Seeks Participants
for First-Ever Dodgeball Job Interview


SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. OCTOBER 25, 2007. - It's the pressure of The Apprentice, the perseverance of Survivor, and the finesse of Dancing with the Stars. Sort of. It's Rose & Allyn Public Relations' first-ever Job Application/Dodgeball Championship. After all, that's kind of what we do for a living.

And it begins today. Now, in fact, following former Arizona Republic reporter Robbie Sherwood's jump to a posh post with Congressman Harry Mitchell.

Yes, applications are being accepted for the position of communications guru, and following intense scrutiny, a dodgeball championship will be the determining factor in who makes our team.
The reward?

You get to work with the most colorful, interesting and creative public relations firm on the planet.

Remember, Rose & Allyn Public Relations was named "Arizona's PR Heavyweigh"t by Arizona Business Magazine. Specifically, we need a middle- weight, light-heavyweight or heavyweight champion with experience in the trenches of media, politics or public relations.

To get in our clubhouse, you need to be driven. You need to be an overachiever. You need to be witty. You need to be impressive. Applicants are required to have smarts, The Big Idea, relevant experience, and most importantly a killer dodgeball instinct.

Why? You're going to be more productive than you thought possible. Have more fun than you could imagine. . .professionally. Learn things that you never knew you needed to. And work with some very cool people. Our team is nothing short of spectacular, and our clients are equally impressive.

The job search isn't limited to journalists, but we kind of liked Sherwood, especially when he went through his withdrawals from no longer being on Horizon. Especially when he walked out of the bathroom without a shirt on like George Costanza. We're kidding about that one.

Robbie will be missed. But since he will soon be joining our Alumni Association we want somebody who can hit the ground running. . . and tell funny stories at the Christmas Party. Check us out at www.roseandallynpr.com. Send your resume, with some sizzle, to info@roseandallynpr.com. Do it now.

-Rose & Allyn-

Stacy Pearson
Rose & Allyn Public Relations
email: spearson@roseandallynpr.com
phone: 480-423-1414 Direct: 602-577-6888
web: http://www.roseandallynpr.com

CAP: For Women Only! Thurs. Nov. 15

Are you overdue for some hilarious woman-to-woman fun and inspiration? The women of the Board of Directors for The Center for Arizona Policy invite you and your friends to a special luncheon on Thursday, November 15, 2007, featuring Cathi Herrod and a nationally-known Christian comedienne. You will be touched by the personal testimony of Cathi Herrod, CAP’s President, as she shares her journey as a child of divorce from liberal feminism to conservative activist mom. For the luncheon’s entertainment, we will enjoy a popular Christian comedienne’s inventive blend of musical comedy and inspiration.

CAP Women’s Luncheon
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Camelback Inn, 5402 E Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
$60 individual guests
$500 table for ten guests
(Tickets will not be available at the door)

Reserve your spot today for this exciting lunch online or by calling
(602) 424-2525. We look forward to seeing you at the Luncheon on
November 15 and sharing this incredible time together!

Goldwater Institute: A Look at Anglo and Hispanic Test Scores

Fourth grade reading scores are up, achievement gaps closing


By Matthew Ladner, Ph.D.


An examination of the trends in recent test scores shows the good news is that Arizona forth graders are improving; the bad news is the gains aren't lasting.

The chart below presents fourth grade National Assessment of Educational Progress reading trends for two different income groups of Anglo and Hispanic students in Arizona. We see positive trends in all four categories of students. Since 1998, the percentage of low-income Anglos and Hispanics who score at the "basic" level or better-meaning they read at grade level-increased by 21% and 44% respectively. Among higher income Anglos and Hispanics, scores increased by 10% and 25% respectively. Not only has progress been made with both income levels of both ethnicities, achievement gaps have also narrowed.


Unfortunately, 23 percent of students in the best performing group on the chart (middle- and upper-income Anglo students) still are not adequately reading by the fourth grade. Mark your calendar for those kids to begin dropping out in 2011. Furthermore, the trends in eighth grade reading have been negative in these same four categories of students since 1998. So, while we see some positive signs, we should hold off on the champagne.


Arizona's aggregate scores for all students have been mostly flat and remain below the national average. We should celebrate the gains we are making, but we need faster progress. And that will require bolder initiatives on parental choice and teacher quality.




*Timeline reflects the years NAEP reading exams were given in Arizona.

Dr. Matthew Ladner is vice president of research at the Goldwater Institute.

Earmarks Are A Gateway Drug

To: Shadegg Friends
From: John Shadegg


As you know I have been a long time critic of the earmarking process. I am one of only eight members of Congress who do not seek earmarks. I believe earmarks are the gateway drug to corruption. As the article below from the Wall Street Journal demonstrates, earmarking has become a cancer in Congress.

Every American needs to understand how this process works and why it desperately needs reform. Representative John Murtha is the poster child of the corrupting influence of earmarks. Please take the time to read the article below.

MURTHA INC.

How Lawmaker Rebuilt Hometown on Earmarks
Johnstown Gets Billions With Power Broker's Aid;
FBI Questions a Contract

By JOHN R. WILKE
The Wall Street Journal
October 30, 2007

Goldwater Institute: Hide and Seek

Tracking government spending is no child's play

By Tom Patterson

Grover Norquist is the president of Americans for Tax Reform and a leading anti-tax activist. Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate and a confirmed lefty. The two don't agree on much, but they are joining forces in support of a cause quickly gaining traction around the country: transparency, the notion that citizens are entitled to know how government spends their money.

In the old days of paper, pen and typewriters, there were legitimate obstacles to widespread data-sharing. It was cumbersome to reproduce and transmit information on a mass scale. But a funny thing didn't happen after the information technology revolution. Government remains about as opaque as ever.

Transparency means simply that state budgets, contracts and individual expenditures are made available to the public on the Internet. Sure, there are a few things that should be kept secret for security reasons or to protect citizens' privacy. But government spending is kept hidden from public view because - well, just because.

At least 20 states tried this year to help citizens see how their money is being spent. Unfortunately, Arizona wasn't one of them.

Why is transparency suddenly the "next big thing" in government? As Norquist points out, the action is at the state level, where partisan bickering is less intense than in Washington. Moreover, since most of the data is public information, legislation is usually not required to make it more available.

We know that it can be done. It just takes leaders who understand that our government belongs to the people, not government officials.

Dr. Tom Patterson is chairman of the Goldwater Institute, a former state legislator and emergency room physician. A longer version of this article originally appeared in the East Valley Tribune.

AZ Unit of Recording for Blind & Dyslexic needs readers

Please consider volunteering your voice to read books to be taped for the blind and others with print disabilities. The AZ Unit of Recording for Blind & Dyslexic is currently in need of more volunteers.

Why Volunteer at RFB&D?

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic provides over 185,000 people with print disabilities the books they need to learn and succeed. A national nonprofit organization, we need volunteers to help us record these books and more. Whatever your area of interest or expertise, you will find that volunteering at RFB&D is a very fulfilling experience. We could not do what we do without our talented and committed volunteers.

Sen. Kyl Coffee Club breakfast - Sat. Nov. 10


Please join U.S. Senator Jon Kyl
for the second breakfast in the
110th Congress Coffee Cup Club series

Saturday, November 10

Phoenix Airport Marriott
1101 North 44th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85008
(North of 202 on 44th Street)

8:00 a.m. - Registration begins
8:30 a.m. - Breakfast is served
9:00 a.m. - Program begins

If you haven't already, please be sure to RSVP by Wednesday, November 7.
Seating is limited. RSVP to info@jonkyl.com or (602) 840-0306.


Don't forget to bring a canned food item with you to the Coffee Cup Club breakfast
to support our annual holiday food drive.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

The ghost of Jon Talton - the Republic's doom and gloom piece on Arizona's economy

The Republic ran one of its periodic hit pieces on Arizona's economy today, which sounded suspiciously like it was written by former business columnist Jon Talton. Talton's Marxist analyses of the Arizona economy have been thoroughly refuted by espressopundit. The article contained several charts comparing Arizona with other similarly sized cities. Nowhere was there a disclaimer that Arizona's statistics are going to be significantly distorted because of the high population of illegal immigrants as well as recent legal immigrants. So the charts reflecting low wages and low education levels aren't really accurate. If the high number of illegal immigrants in Arizona were removed from the survey, Arizona would probably fare as well as the other cities.

In the one area Arizona is actually doing better than other cities, its low cost of housing, the article conveniently leaves out a graph comparing it with the other cities. When you take into consideration the lower cost of housing, Arizona's lower wages are no longer significant - they make sense from an economic perspective.

One of the areas Arizona is lower than other states is in venture capital. That's not surprising considering how hostile Democrat Governor Janet Napolitano has been to tax breaks for businesses and investment. Only with considerable capitulation by Republican legislators on increasing spending for Napolitano's pet programs did Napolitano agree to give in on a couple of small tax breaks such as corporate tuition tax breaks - not really even anything that would encourage venture capital. It's no surprise that a lot of capitalists don't want to invest in a state with mediocre tax rates when there are other states with fewer regulations and lower taxes.

The article complains about the lack of Fortune 500 companies in Arizona, and the lack of fast growing companies. This is rather humorous, because if Arizona did lead in this area, the article would criticize Arizona for being taken over by greedy corporate interests that destroy independent bookstores. Fears of Arizona not having enough hi-tech and biotech companies are misplaced. Arizona is the 2nd fastest growing state in the nation. Everyone wants to move here, especially people from the state that ranks tops in these comparisons, California (San Diego was the city compared). Eventually Arizona will have more scientists, computer geeks, and engineers in sheer numbers which will force companies to branch out here. Google already has. Of course, that fact was conveniently overlooked in this article, because it didn't support the point of the article which was that Arizona is being relegated to a manufacturing and customer service state.

Overall, I was pretty cheered up by the article. If you can read through the b.s., it actually paints a pretty optimistic picture of Arizona as a fast-growing state. And once Napolitano is out of office, if we can get a Republican governor in who won't veto business-friendly laws, we can expect to do even better.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

CAP: Who's Bella & Bioethics Conference

(1) Who's Bella?

For once, I have a movie to recommend you see this weekend! Tonight is the premier of Bella, a wonderful and uplifting movie with a positive, pro-life message. Bella was produced by Steve McEveety, the producer of The Passion of the Christ and executive producer of Braveheart. I had a chance, along with several other CAP staff members, to preview this movie. Afterwards, we all had the same reaction: This is a movie that we have to tell people about! Bella's a story of deep love, demonstrating that the trials of life can bring people together rather than push them apart.

Bella won the prestigious Toronto Film Festival Award, whose previous winners include Oscar winners like Hotel Rwanda and Chariots of Fire. But awards like this make little difference to Hollywood unless the movie does well at the box office, and in particular on opening weekend. So to make your voice heard in Hollywood, go see Bella tonight! And if you can't go tonight, see it tomorrow. To find a theater near you, visit the movie's web site at bellathemovie. com/theater. If a movie theater in your town is not showing Bella, call them up and ask them to show it! And finally, forward this email to friends and relatives, no matter where in the country they live, to ask them to go see Bella tonight!

The movie does deal with adult themes, like out-of-wedlock pregnancy and abortion, and it carries a PG- 13 rating, so parents should use discretion about bringing their children. For more details on specifics within the movie, see Focus on the Family's movie review at www.pluggedinonline.com.


(2) One More Week!

There's only one more week to register for "The Biotech Century: Facing Our Future." If you haven't yet taken the time to look at the conference web site and the scheduled lineup of speakers and topics, you'll want to do it now. Designed to educate the layman on issues that will face all of us in the coming years, the conference will answer the ethical questions that modern medicine has brought upon us. When is it right to "pull the plug"? What do I need a medical power-of-attorney for? What three essential issues does every living will have to address? What type of stem cell treatments are ethical to use in the treatment of disease and injuries? Is it the right decision for infertile couples to use in vitro fertilization? What alternatives are available? For the answers to these and many other questions, plan to join us November 3 at Bethany Bible Church in Phoenix for "The Biotech Century: Facing Our Future." Reserve your spot today at www.bioethicsconference.com or by calling 602- 424-2525 today!

Pro-life speaker Edith Horvath - Nov. 13, 7pm

Arizona Right to Life Presents . . .
Pro-life Courage
Defending Life No Matter the Cost
Tuesday, November 13th from 7:00pm – 8:30 pm
We invite all pro-life leaders, respect life coordinators, priests, pastors, deacons, school leaders and youth ministers to hear this incredible talk. Our goal is for you to preview this talk in hopes that you will help Edel get her courageous story out to your churches and organizations.
Edel Horvath, a victim of rape, will share her stirring testimony. Her new pro-life ministry is one born out of love for an unborn child whose moment of conception was at once the miracle of life and, for Edel, an experience of extreme pain and agony. Edel chose to keep her child even in the midst of having severe medical conditions that put her life in danger. Hear her story of God’s abundant graces and the strength He gave her to heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually from the brutality she endured. Edel also will share the blessing of her marriage to Ryan Horvath, and of his adoption of her son, Zachary. Find out how you can book this courageous pro-life speaker—or the whole family—for your church, school, or organization.
After this powerful testimony, Trent Horn, Program Specialist for Arizona Right to Life, will take a few minutes to present a state-wide plan to reduce abortion in Arizona and educate the public about this atrocity. Project Jericho is a collaborative effort involving churches, local Arizona Right to Life chapters, pregnancy counseling centers, and other pro-life groups and individuals in our state. Project Jericho will take place this spring in three simultaneous phases: prayer, service, and outreach. Find out how you and your organization or church can participate in this project.
To attend this talk, please RSVP to trent@arizonarighttolife.org or call (602) 285-0063.
Talk Location:
Arizona Right to Life
3700 N. 24th Street, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85016

Democrats Trillion Dollar Tax Hike !


Arizona Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen said the Democrats newly unveiled trillion-dollar tax hike would guarantee decades of Big Government at the cost of American families trying to make ends meet. “Let me echo the comments of the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee: this is the largest individual income tax increase in history,” Pullen said.

"This is just what the doctor ordered if your physician is named Kevorkian," Pullen said. “The Democrat plan would add a 4-percent surtax on the incomes of Americans earning more than $150,000 per year or $200,000 for married couples – constituting a massive, direct assault upon the institution of marriage in America.

“The Democrat plan raises the top tax rates, reduced by President Reagan, back up to 44-percent,” Pullen said. “That means small business owners, family farmers, even senior citizens preparing for retirement will be paying 44-cents out of every dollar they earn to the federal government rather than preparing for their futures.

“The Democrat tax hike also targets homeowners at a time when our housing market is weathering a crisis,” Pullen added. “While homeowners are struggling to pay their mortgages, the Democrat tax hike would slash the mortgage interest deduction by targeting adjusted gross income rather than taxable income. It hurts taxpayers who count on the mortgage deduction, taxpayers who give to charity, taxpayers who are able to deduct medical expenses, and it also erodes the standard deduction.

“The fact is, there is no real tax cut in the Democrat plan,” Pullen said. “These Americans are already being protected by the Republican AMT tax reduction and already benefiting from President Bush’s tax cuts over the last six years. When Democrats kill the 10-percent tax bracket, the $1,000 per child tax credit and increase the marriage penalty, it means bigger tax bills for millions upon millions of Americans across the nation.

“The bottom line is this: the Democrats are already arguing that blocking their tax increase would require raising other taxes,” Pullen said. “According to congressional analysis, Democrats are trying to force through a system that guarantees $3.5 trillion in tax increases over the next ten years. This is the single largest expansion of the federal government in our lifetime and a direct assault on the freedom of the American people.

“According to the staff of the congressional committees who wrote this bill, the Democrat plan includes revenue from an AMT tax increase and from the tax hikes that occur when the Democrats repeal President Bush’s tax relief,” Pullen warned. “Together, that totals $3.5 trillion over ten years.

"Presumably, the Democrat Party's logic holds that if they can ship enough American jobs overseas, bankrupt enough families, and put enough currently hard-working people on welfare, they can undo with one tax hike all the progress Republicans made getting people off welfare and into work over the last thirteen years," Pullen said. “This is a bad plan that screams of incompetence – one that will almost certainly put us down the path to recession.

“The federal government can’t tax and spend its way to prosperity for the American people,” concluded Pullen. “Why can’t Democrats learn that simple, simple lesson?”


Contact: Sean McCaffrey

(602) 957-7770

smccaffrey@azgop.org

Friday, October 26, 2007

Russell Pearce for Congress (exploratory) events

Dear Friends,

I wanted to let you know of 2 separate events that the Pearce for Congress Exploratory Committee is doing. Both events are on the same day, November 17th.

First Event 1:00 pm November 17th

$20.00

The American Freedom Rider’s will be showing the movie by Chris Burgard called “Border” on my behalf. Chris Burgard the producer will also be attending this event Many of you remember the first movie called “Border Movie” that featured our good friend J.D Hayworth. Well this is the second movie that has just been completed by Chris and features Chris Simcox of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corp. The movie will be shown in Gilbert, AZ. The location is the Highland High School in Gilbert. We are selling tickets on-line at http://www.etickets.to/buy/?e=670 and if any tickets are left over the day of the event we will sell them at the door, however, we can not guarantee tickets will be available at the door so go get your tickets now at http://www.etickets.to/buy/?e=670 The ticket prices is $20.00 per-person.

For information on the Border movie go here http://www.bordermovie.com/

Time: 1:00 pm Doors open at 1:30 pm

Location: Highland High School

4301 East Guadalupe Road

Gilbert, Arizona 85234

Thank you American Freedom Riders for your support.

**************************************

Russell Pearce Gala Reception

with

Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Bruce Jacobs and Chris Burgard

Second Event 6:00 pm

November 17th

Dinner with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Bruce Jacobs Chris Burgard Host Committee Mr. & Mrs. Don Goldwater Mr. & Mrs. Eric Johnson

Private Reception 6:00 pm.

Dinner 7:00 to 9:00 pm

Catering Provide by Heidi's Catering

Location: Tempe

Only 100 tickets are available for this event.

You have two options to choose from.

Dinner only $100.00 Per-Person

Dinner and Private Photo Reception $200.00 Per-Person

Private Hors D'Oeuvres reception with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Bruce Jacobs Chris Burgard and others to be announced. This private reception includes a photo with Me, the Sheriff , Bruce Jacobs, Chris Burgard. As well as a couple of other individuals whose names will be released soon. Imagine getting with you, the greatest Sheriff in America, with Bruce Jacobs of KFYI, Chris Burgard, myself and others to be mentioned soon to hang on your wall at home. What an opportunity. You really don’t want to miss this one.

Dinner with the above mentioned from 7:00 to 9:00 pm

You can purchase tickets on line at http://www.etickets.to/buy/?e=671 or call Eric Johnson at 480-892-5154

If you have any interest in being on the Host Committee please contact Eric Johnson at 480-892-5154 or ejohnson@pearce2008.com

If you have any questions you can contact Eric Johnson at Ejohnson@Pearce2008.com

I hope to see you there,

Russell

www.pearce2008.com for the Exploratory Committee.


Republic’s Agenda Is Weak, Wrong

by Barnett Lotstein, Special Assistant, Maricopa County Attorney

There it is - out in the open for all to see.

Since The Arizona Republic Editorial Board has failed in its mission to excuse the criminal conduct of illegal immigrants in the court of public opinion (see recent polls relating overwhelming public support for enforcement of laws targeting illegal immigrants by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio), they’ve gone to a new strategy: vilifying elected officials like Thomas and Arpaio to deflect attention from their pro-illegal immigration agenda.

The misstatements and untruths in The Republic’s lengthy editorial on Thursday (”Thomas’ pet bully”) are too numerous to respond to in the space granted for this reply. But I will do my best.

Far from declaring a “war on the judiciary,” the County Attorney’s Office enjoys professional relationships with virtually all members of the county judiciary. Our prosecutors handle more than 40,000 felony cases a year before Superior Court judges and commissioners. Sometimes the judges agree with our positions, sometimes not. We respect the independence of the judiciary to make decisions even when we disagree with them.

However, Andrew Thomas acted properly in speaking out when certain judges and judicial officers refused to enforce Proposition 100, which ended the right to bail for illegal immigrants accused of serious felonies, and which was approved by 78 percent of voters last year. Had Thomas not informed the public of the courts’ repeated refusal to enforce Prop 100, this ballot measure still would not be enforced in Maricopa County. Eventually, in a historic rebuke to the Maricopa County courts, all three branches of state government - the Legislature, Gov. Janet Napolitano and the Arizona Supreme Court - had to unite this year to pass reforms ensuring that Maricopa County courts finally complied with this reform.

Even The Republic admits in its editorial that the Maricopa County courts refused to enforce Prop 100. Yet, The Republic gives no credit to Thomas for spearheading the difficult fight to ensure compliance. He did so even though it was at great personal and professional risk, knowing that the same judges resisting the reform would rule on his office’s cases.

Incredibly, the whole thrust of The Republic’s editorial is to pillory Thomas for holding accountable the same judges who, as The Republic admits, sought to thwart the will of the people.

The editorial’s description of Phoenix attorney Dennis Wilenchik as a “bully” for aggressively advocating on behalf of the County Attorney’s Office was both wrong and unoriginal (the writer, used the same term in describing J.D. Hayworth last year).

It takes an attorney with tremendous guts to go into a courtroom and make the case that a judge is acting in a biased fashion. If being an aggressive attorney and advocating with passion the cause of your client makes one a “bully,” then this characterization applies to many of the most successful and effective attorneys in our community.

The Republic opposes Prop. 100, the new employer sanctions law and virtually any meaningful crackdown on illegal immigration, while advocating blanket amnesty for illegal immigrants as the price for effective enforcement of our immigration laws. It’s obvious that The Republic’s frustration at having their pro-illegal immigration agenda rejected by the citizens of Arizona has led many of its writers to lash out at the only public officials willing to enforce the law, Thomas and Arpaio.

We at the County Attorney’s Office will not be intimidated from enforcing those laws enacted by the legislature and signed by the governor regarding illegal immigration.

No amount of name-calling or personal attacks will cause us to ignore our oath to uphold the law, notwithstanding the efforts of pro-illegal immigration apologists in the media who are rapidly losing credibility with the public.

The following editorial appeared in the Arizona Republic on Sunday, October 21st.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Don't forget - See Bella on opening night tomorrow


Bella Premiere

The pro-life film Bella, winner of the 2006 Toronto Film Festival
will be premiering on October 26th at the following theaters.

Glendale
AMC Arrowhead 14

Mesa

AMC Mesa Grande 24

Phoenix

Harkins Christown 14
Harkins Deer Valley 30
Harkins North Valley 16

Tempe
Harkins Arizona Mills 24

This beautiful story about love, friendship, family, and the sanctity of human life can only impact our culture with your help. Visit the movie's website to learn more about Bella and how you can promote the film right here in Arizona.

CAP: Joni Eareckson Tada to speak at Bioethics Conference next weekend





Joni Eareckson Tada Invites You!

Please take a few moments and watch this video invitation from Joni Eareckson Tada to attend "The Biotech Century: Facing Our Future" Saturday, November 3. Just click on the video player above to start playing. If your program doesn't allow you to see the video player above, please watch it at www.bioethicsconference.com. To register for the conference call us at 602-424-2525, or visit the conference web site.

If you would like to invite others from your church or Sunday school class, we have promotional materials that you can use. Call our office today at 602-424-2525 to request brochures to distribute to your friends!




Goldwater Institute partners with Helium.com for online debate forum


Have Something to Say?


The Goldwater Institute is pleased to announce it has partnered with Helium.com to provide its members and other policy enthusiasts an online forum to debate hot policy issues.

Helium.com is a leading online destination for debate, providing a fair environment for people to state their opinions and learn new perspectives on policy issues. Helium allows anyone to write an article on either the pro or con side of a topic. Through the use of a unique user-driven ranking system, the best pro/con articles are filtered to the top of the responses to any given topic.

The Goldwater Institute has offered six initial debate questions, and will update the questions regularly. The questions range from "Is taxpayer funding for political campaigns a good idea?" to "Will 'universal preschool' for 3- and 4- year-olds improve academic achievement over the long term?"

"Our members have long been asking for a place to debate the issues the Goldwater Institute raises, and we're excited that we found a partner who can provide all the features we've been looking for," said Starlee Rhoades, Goldwater Institute Director of Communications.

Along with a dedicated page on Helium.com, the Goldwater Institute added a banner featuring the current debate questions to its website, goldwaterinstitute.org.

"We hope every Arizona policy buff has fun with this new forum--and may the best policy arguments rise to the top!" continued Rhoades.

The Goldwater Institute is a nonprofit public policy research and litigation organization whose work is made possible by the generosity of its supporters. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution.

Contact:

Starlee Rhoades

Director of Communications

srhoades@goldwaterinstitute.org

(602) 462-5000 x 226


Goldwater Institute looking for a Constitutional Analyst and Director of Constitutional Government

Director, Goldwater Institute Center for Constitutional Government

The Goldwater Institute, one of the nation’s premiere market-oriented policy organizations, seeks an experienced senior-level researcher and writer to direct its Center for Constitutional Government. The director will report to Clint Bolick, Director of the Goldwater Institute Center for Constitutional Litigation, and will be responsible for the strategic vision, research, and operations of the Center for Constitutional Government. Specific tasks include researching and writing studies and articles on Arizona and federal constitutional issues; organizing forums and conferences; initiating and supervising research projects with outside scholars; editing papers; public speaking; playing an active role in the Arizona legal community; and supervising interns. Competitive candidates will possess a graduate degree, preferably Juris Doctor or a related field with an emphasis on law; at least two years of related experience; keen and demonstrated analytical and writing skills; good organizational and interpersonal skills; the ability to work effectively in a team environment; a demonstrated commitment to freedom; and a sense of humor. Address cover letter, resume, and two relevant writing samples to Clint Bolick c/o Kathi Bobbe, Goldwater Institute, 500 E. Coronado Road, Phoenix AZ 85004, or by e-mail to kbobbe@goldwaterinstitute.org. No phone calls please. The Goldwater Institute is an equal opportunity employer.

Constitutional Analyst

The Goldwater Institute, one of the nation’s premiere market-oriented policy organizations, seeks an accomplished researcher and writer to serve as an analyst for its Center for Constitutional Government. The analyst will report to Clint Bolick, director of the Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation, and will have principal responsibility for the operations of the Center for Constitutional Government. Specific tasks include researching and writing studies and articles on Arizona and federal constitutional issues; organizing forums and conferences; initiating and coordinating research projects with outside scholars; editing papers; public speaking; playing an active role in the Arizona legal community; and supervising interns. Competitive candidates will possess a professional degree (preferably Juris Doctor); 0-5 years of professional work experience; demonstrated skill in scholarly writing (preferably law review); demonstrated skill in popular writing (at least two published op-eds or other articles for a lay audience); public speaking experience; organizational skills; keenly developed research and analytical skills; good interpersonal skills; a demonstrated commitment to freedom; the ability to work effectively in a team environment; and a sense of humor. Address cover letter, resume, and two writing samples (one scholarly and one popular) to Clint Bolick c/o Kathi Bobbe, Goldwater Institute, 500 E. Coronado Rd., Phoenix AZ 85004, or by e-mail to kbobbe@goldwaterinstitute.org. No

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

AZGOP Tusk Times

IN THIS ISSUE

CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE

HEY SEAN, WHERE'S THE PARTY?

US SENATOR JON KYL TACKLES DEMOCRATIC EARMARKS!

STAFF EDITORIAL

TRIVIA CONTEST!

AZGOP...IN THE NEWS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE

Dear Fellow Republicans,

The 2008 Republican Stampede got an early start this past weekend with Republicans winning back the Democrat-controlled governor’s office in Louisiana!

Last week, we dispatched our political director and our field representative to New Orleans to assist with the statewide get-out-the-vote effort in the Louisiana governor’s race. They joined staffers and volunteers from all over the nation. I even heard that a Republican congressman from South Carolina traveled all the way to Louisiana just to go doorbelling for our Republican candidate!

Louisiana GOP Congressman Bobby Jindal faced a crowded field in the Saturday election. In this case, if a candidate received 50-percent of the vote on Saturday, he/she would win the seat outright. If no candidate received 50-percent, there would be a November 17th runoff election with the top candidates. Going into the final week, Congressman Jindal was at 47-percent. He won with 54-percent of the vote!

For months we have been preaching that the theme of the 2008 elections will be “competence”. Louisiana voters agreed! The Shreveport Times had this to say of our nation’s first Indian-American governor: “In Bobby Jindal, the state is hoping for a trifecta of competence, ethics and vision.” Added the Washington Post in its election analysis: “In television ads and other, broader appeals, Jindal focused on his competence and integrity.

Republicans have focused not only on returning to our core values, but on producing smart, results-based, actionable solutions to the challenges facing our state and our nation today. While Democrats spout terrible rhetoric (like the Democrat in Congress who sickly suggested President Bush derived “amusement” from U.S. soldiers dying on the battlefield), Republicans are proving we are far more qualified to lead this nation than “tax and spend” liberals who have no real solutions.

The 2008 elections will indeed be very exciting. Louisiana is proof that with better candidates and our positive, results-based message, we can and will win!

In your service,

Randy

HEY SEAN, WHERE'S THE PARTY?

Do you have an event coming up? The Tusk Times goes out each week to more than 100,000 Arizona Republicans and we’d like them to know where your Party is meeting! The more we spread the word, the more our candidates get to meet the voters, the better they’ll do next November! The following events were sent my way this week:

Carry Concealed Weapons (CCW) Permit required class at Ben Avery Shooting Facility, I-17 & Carefree Highway. Choose your date: Oct. 27th OR Nov. 17th, 7:00 a.m. (for fingerprints) to 5:00 p.m. This is a $99 value provided through MCRC for only $69.! Reserve your space by logging on to GUNSPLUSAZ.COM—CLASSES—CCW—Complete the Enrollment Form and follow the instructions. Bring a handgun, holster, ammo, hearing & eye protection and drinking water. Great information for all gun owners. CCW Permit Optional. Questions? Mark Zemel at 623-329-3130 or MarkZemel@1AZ.com.

ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATIVE WORKSHOP, Tues. Nov. 13th, check in 7:30 a.m., until 12:00 noon., at the Arizona State Capitol House of Representatives, 1700 W. Washington., 2nd floor and 3rd floor gallery. Host Rep. Russell Pearce, 602-926-5760. Limited seating, so you must register by Nov. 5th. Learn how the legislature works!

COYOTES HOCKEY EVENT, Sat. Nov. 24th, 7:00 p.m., playing the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mark Zemel host. Tickets: $40.00 ticket for $23.00, with $3.00 going to MCRC. We will have an info table on the Concourse. If we sell 75 tickets, one lucky person could get to ride the Zamboni machine. 100 tickets and we can have a group photo on the ice after the game. See Mark at a District meeting, or call 623-329-3130. MarkZemel@1AZ.com.

SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO ROAST, Sat. Dec. 1st, 7:00 p.m., at the Maricopa County Events Center (old Sun Dome) in Sun City West. Sponsored by LD4, Rep. Judy Burges host. 623-214-3715, or rburges_843@msn.com. Cost $15.00 per person. Workers needed for this event!

MCRC JANUARY MANDATORY MEETING, Sat. Jan. 19th, 8:00 a.m. Diane Ortiz-Parsons & Dan Nichols hosts. Location: Bethany Community Church, near the corner of Loop 101 and Guadalupe. Five members at large up for election, along with by-laws changes. Contact Diane at preference@cox.net and Dan at aznatcer@cox.net.

MARK ZEMEL TO HIT THE AIRWAVES!

Realtor. Precinct Committeeman. AZGOP Executive Committee Member. Mark Zemel already wears many hats around town. The newest hat Mark will be wearing is that of “radio show host”.

The “ARIZONA RIGHT REPORT” with Mark Zemel debuts November 4, 2007 and will air every Sunday from 6:00pm to 7:00pm on KKNT 960AM, immediately preceding Minuteman Radio with Chris Simcox and Carl Seel. Billed as “The Weekly Broadcast Newsletter By and For Arizonans Working For Conservative Representation In Government”, Zemel’s THE ARIZONA RIGHT REPORT is being hailed as “…a fresh grassroots twist to conservative radio…” and “…funny, witty and a great addition to conservative talk radio in Arizona!” To contact Mark about his show, or about advertising on it, you can email Mark directly at mzemel@thearizonarightreport.com.

US SENATOR JON KYL'S TACKLES DEMOCRAT EARMARKS!JonKyl

“GATHER YOUR GROOVY BEADS”

By U.S. Senator Jon Kyl

The Senate recently considered a spending bill that provides $150 billion to run the U.S. Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services next year. This bill would spend $9 billion more than the president recommended, and contains in excess of 1,000 “earmarks,” many of them inappropriate “pork” spending.

I was successful in eliminating one of the more egregious pieces of pork – the first time in memory this has been done. This bill contained a $1 million earmark for a museum located at the Bethel Performing Arts Center in Bethel, New York – the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival. The museum, which is scheduled to open in 2008, will house exhibits on the Woodstock Festival and the 1960s culture.

To read more, please CLICK HERE.

STAFF EDITORIAL


THE AUDACITY OF BARACK OBAMA

by Jill Cook

Last week, Presidential Candidate Barack Obama (D-IL) paid a visit to the Arizona State University campus. As a politically active student, I felt it important to attend to see what all the fuss was about. I was not impressed.

Everything about the event, from the Kanye West song as he entered to being the campaign parading local Democrat officials around the event like circus performers, to his being called “Barackstar”, all seemed designed to pander to students at the lowest common denominator rather than challenging anyone with ideas.

Perhaps, all was done in an attempt to distract students from realizing he has arguably the least experience of all top-tier Presidential candidates, with only half a term in the United States Senate. But while Obama took the time to give us a laundry list of things that are “wrong” with America, he never took the time to divulge any plans to fix these problems.

Yes, tuition and healthcare are costly; you won’t get any argument from me on those points. The solution is staring us straight in the face, a solution Democrats refuse to recognize. Lower taxes and leave Americans with more money to finance their educations and more liquid income to pay for healthcare, in addition to spurring growth in the economy. However, any choice limiting government interference in our lives is not a solution Democrats seem willing to explore.

One of the highlights of Mr. Obama’s speech was his insistence that a President must answer to those in government, as well as his constituents. I have one question to ask: If that is the case, if he truly believes what he is saying, why hasn’t he started by telling us just how he’ll fix the many “problems” he sees with our current government and our country?

in the end, the Barackstar’s speech was as light on solutions as his political career is light on experience; two major problems for a presidential candidate.

Jill Cook is a sophomore at Arizona State University and a communications/political intern for the Arizona Republican Party.


WEEKLY TRIVIA CONTEST

Last week’s weekly trivia contest winner will be announced next week (we’re waiting to hear back from last week’s winner, who gets to submit the next trivia question).

In the mean time, we’ll just throw one our ourselves for all you aficionados of political convention trivia: As of today (10/23/07), there are still five states whose delegate totals are not finalized for the 2008 Republican National Convention. Can you name them, and explain why?

Both last week’s winner (to be announced next week) and this week’s winner each get the really super-duper cool AZGOP bumper sticker (a staggering $3 value) and the right to submit a question for the next Tusk Times! (As usual, no AZGOP staffers… that’d be a’cheatin.)


QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I have said throughout this campaign that there are two entities that have the most to fear from us winning this election. One is Corruption, and the other is his sidekick Incompetence. If you happen to see either of them, please let them know the party is over.”

~ Bobby Jindal, Republican US Congressman & Governor-elect of Louisiana, in his victory speech (10/20/07)


PULLEN TO OBAMA: PRESIDENTS CAN’T CUT-AND-RUN

BRUCE ASH RADIO AD: S-CHIP & VETERANS

PULLEN TO BIVENS: STARK SHOULD APOLOGIZE

SEAN MCCAFFREY ON THE REPUBLICANS “LIVE TALK” (TRANSCRIPT)

WASHINGTON TIMES: PANDERING PELOSI-CRATS

NATIONAL REVIEW: WE’RE NOT IN 2006 ANYMORE

L.A. TIMES: ONE STRIKE, IRAN COULD BE OUT

A SON OF IMMIGRANTS RISES IN A SOUTHERN STATE