Just over four months into his term as our newest U.S. Senator, our very own Jeff Flake has distinguished himself quite a bit – as being the most unpopular Senator in the country. A recent poll of Arizona voters conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP) shows only 32% of Arizonans have a favorable view of Senator Flake while 51% have an unfavorable view (17% are neutral). Republicans largely still stand by their man with a 57% favorability vs. 29% unfavorable. And not surprisingly Democrats overwhelmingly dislike Flake with only 10% having a favorable view of Flake and 71% disapprove of him. But, most importantly in Arizona where Independents swing most political races, Independent voters disapprove of Flake by a 58-25% margin.

Senator Flake initially discounted the PPP poll, calling the firm “leftist leaning”. PPP does conduct polling for many Democratic candidates and organizations, including the progressive web site DailyKos. But it was also one of the most accurate pollsters of the 2012 election. In their final poll of Arizona in 2012 PPP predicted Mitt Romney would carry the state by 7 points; he actually carried it by 10 points, and other pollsters had Romney ahead by as much as 15 points. And in the U.S. Senate race PPP predicted Flake would defeat Richard Carmona by 5 points; Flake actually won by 4.6%. By the next day Flake was back peddling, agreeing the PPP poll was accurate. He wrote on his Facebook page:

“Nothing like waking up to a poll saying you’re the nation’s least popular senator. Given the public’s dim view of Congress in general, that probably puts me somewhere just below pond scum. Now, notwithstanding the polling firm’s leftist bent, I would assume that my poll numbers have indeed taken a southerly turn since my vote against the Manchin-Toomey background check proposal. It was a popular amendment, and I voted against it.”

Somewhere below pond scum? For once I can agree with Jeff Flake.  And yes, the Manchin-Toomey background check proposal is popular, even in the land of the Gunfight at the OK Coral and the town too tough to die. 70% of all Arizonans support expanded background checks, and only 26% oppose it. Democrats support it overwhelmingly, by a 92-6% margin. Even Republicans support it by a 50-44% margin. And Independents support it strongly by a 71-24% margin. So yes, Senator Flake, not only did you vote against something which has strong support in your state, it’s the way you went about it. In the days following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary, Flake vowed not to be swayed by the National Rifle Association. And then when the NRA announced its opposition to the Manchin-Toomey Background Check Bill and said it would “score” Senators on their vote on the measure Flake crumpled and voted against it. And just weeks before the vote Senator Flake responded to a letter from the mother of a man killed in the Aurora theater mass shooting. In his own handwriting he told her “While we may not agree on every solution, strengthening background checks is something we can agree on.” And then he turned around and voted against it. Senator, have you no shame?

Jeff Flake may have no sense of shame, be he thinks he does have a sense of politics – he thinks Arizona voters are stupid and that we’ll forget his shameful double cross on his vote for expanded background checks. In an interview with the LA Times Flake said he was “not concerned about gun-control groups who are vowing political consequences.  That’s the beauty of a six-year term“. The beauty of a six-year term, eh? You say one thing and then vote the other way because you won’t have to face the voters for another 5 1/2 years? Have it your way, Senator. But, Mark Kelly won’t forget.

Mark Kelly, husband of former US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, says the gun-control organization the couple has founded will work to defeat Sen. Jeff Flake (R) in the next election if the Arizona senator votes against expanding background checks to include more gun buyers. Mr. Kelly said Senator Flake is “a good friend” of Ms. Giffords. But he gave this warning Tuesday at a Monitor-hosted breakfast with reporters: “You know friendship is one thing … saving people’s lives, especially first-graders’, is another.”

And don’t count on us Arizona voters forgetting either, Senator.

UPDATE:

The group Mayors Against Illegal Guns released a report today stating that the 45 senators who voted to block expanded background checks have received a combined total of $8,165,490 in lifetime contributions and independent expenditures from the NRA. They list the individual NRA contributions for 14 Senators, including Jeff Flake. Senator Flake received a total of $362,616 in contributions from the NRA.

Credit: Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Mr. Flake did pretty well for himself, which may well explain his flip-flop on claiming to support “strengthening background checks” but then voting against it when his NRA patron opposed it and said they would “score” his vote on the bill. By comparison, the only Democrat on the list, Max Baucus of Montana received only $28,780 in NRA contributions. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky received $162,545 in contributions. Ted Cruz of Texas, also just elected last year with Flake, received  $79,329 in contributions. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio seems to have undying loyalty to the gun manufacturing lobby, receiving over $1,314,279 in contributions.

The best Senators money can buy.

That would be Mitt Romney campaigning with Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock in the photo above. Mitt Romney recently cut a TV ad endorsing Mourdock, calling him the “51st vote in the U.S. Senate”:

The 51st vote in the United States Senate? Scary thought – the guy who thinks Social Security and Medicare are “unconstitutional” could be the 51st vote in the Senate? The guy who said that bipartisanship is “driving us into bankruptcy”, and also said that his idea of bipartisanship is Democrats coming to the Republican point of view? The guy who said:

 I struggled with myself for a long time but I came to realize life is that gift from God, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape. It is something that God intended to happen.

“Something that God intended to happen“. The old “It’s God’s Will!” argument. Was it “God’s will” that the rape happened in the first place? Do we stop prosecuting murderers because the murder must have been God’s will? Do we let Jerry Sandusky out of prison because his rapes of young boys must have been God’s will? No, we don’t – because it wasn’t God’s will, it was the heinous acts of men. And pregnancy isn’t God’s will, it’s a sperm cell and egg cell uniting.

It’s sad just how far the Republican party has sunk. Remember Todd “Legitimate rape” Akin? Think those two Republican Senate candidates are isolated cases? Nope, there’s plenty of Republican Congressmen and Senators who think exactly like Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin, but have the political savvy to keep their mouths shut. Congressman and Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, Todd Akin and over 200 other Republican Congressmen co-sponsored a bill in Congress that re-defined the definition of rape. The Hyde Amendment has long banned any federal funding for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or the danger to the life of the mother from a pregnancy. Paul Ryan, Todd Akin and over 200 others thought that too many women were getting a free pass on that rapey thing. They tried to insert the word “forcible” in front of “rape”, they tried to say the woman had to bear signs of being “forcibly raped” – that she clearly had been beaten into submission. Didn’t fight back hard enough? No rape exception for you. Victim of the so called “date rape” drug, slipped a mickey that puts your mind so far out in lah-lah land you have no idea or recollection of what you did? No rape exception for you. Victim of statutory rape, an adult forcing himself onto someone far too young to understand what they are doing? No rape exception for you. Republicans eventually had to take the term “forcible” out of the bill because of public outcry, but that’s what they tried to do.

When you consider the choice between President Obama and Mitt Romney, remember that Mitt Romney thinks Richard Mourdock would make a just fine & dandy 51st Senator.

When you consider the choice between Richard Carmona and Jeff Flake for the U.S. Senate, remember that Jeff Flake could be serving and voting with the likes of Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin, and remember what women think of Rich Carmona.

Those of you in Congressional District (CD) 1, when you consider the choice between Ann Kirkpatrick and Jonathon Paton, remember that Jonathon Paton could be voting for bills passed by a Republican House that could be approved by a Senate with the likes of Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin and signed into law by a President Romney should Republicans win control of the Senate and Mitt Romney win the election.

Those of you in CD 2, when you consider the choice between Ron Barber and Martha McSally, remember that Martha McSally could be voting for bills passed by a Republican House that could be approved by a Senate with the likes of Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin and signed into law by a President Romney should Republicans win control of the Senate and Mitt Romney win the election.

Those of you in CD 3, when you consider the choice between Raul Grijalva and Gabriele  Saucedo-Mercer , remember that Saucedo-Mercer could be voting for bills passed by a Republican House that could be approved by a Senate with the likes of Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin and signed into law by a President Romney should Republicans win control of the Senate and Mitt Romney win the election.

This election isn’t about Obama – it’s about your mama. It’s about your daughter, your sister, and it’s about you.

Why is Jeff Flake stooping so low? Richard Carmona has an amazing life story – born to a poor Hispanic family in New York City, he experienced homelessness as a child as his parents struggled with alcoholism and substance abuse. Facing such a bleak future, Rich dropped out of school and enlisted the army and was promptly shipped of to Vietnam. He applied for Special Forces and become a combat medic, all while earning his high school equivalency degree at the same time. Rich left the Army a combat-decorated veteran, with two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, a combat medical badge and numerous other decorations to mark his service.  When he came home he went on to become the first one in his family to earn a college degree, and then continued on and earned a medical degree – receiving the prestigious gold-headed cane as the school’s top graduate. He and his family became southern Arizonans when was recruited jointly by the Tucson Medical Center and the University of Arizona to start and direct Southern Arizona’s first regional trauma care system. While continuing his medical career he joined the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in which he has served for more than 25 years as a deputy sheriff, detective, department surgeon and SWAT Team Leader. In 2002 he was nominated by President Gearge W. Bush to be the nation’s 17th Surgeon General of the United States. He was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate. But Jeff Flake would like you to forget all that, and think only of this:

Notice the caption at the beginning of the ad? Dr. Cristina V. Beato, Acting Assistant Secretary for Health, 2003-2005. Not “Assistant Secretary for Health”, Acting Assistant Secretary for Health – “acting”, because while Bush nominated her for the office she was so controversial she could never win confirmation from the US Senate, even when Republicans controlled the Senate. Her nomination was derailed in 2004 after accusations surfaced that she had padded her résumé. She claimed all that was just a little “misunderstanding” and “clerical errors”. A Cuban-American, Dr. Beato was a very right wing Republican and highly partisan. In July 2007 Dr. Carmona testified before Congress that top Bush administration officials had interfered with his public health mission for political reasons. Out of loyalty he refused to name names, but speculation quickly focused on Dr. Cristina V. Beato. In a NY Times article shortly after Dr. Carmona’s testimony before Congress, Dr. Philip R. Lee, a former government health official said “Dr. Beato was more ideological and more right-wing, less objective and more political than Dr. Carmona“. Dr. Lee said Dr. Carmona frequently consulted him “when he was particularly frustrated” as surgeon general, adding: “Rich is a straight shooter, but he was naïve about the ways of Washington“. Frustrated – not “angry”. It was after Dr. Carmona’s testimony before Congress and attention focused on Dr. Beato as the one had interfered with the Surgeon General’s public health mission that she testified and made those claims years after she claimed they happened. She claims now that she “feared for her life and that of her children”, but never told anyone about that until years later? Her claims against Dr. Carmona were rejected by Congress because she couldn’t produce one shred of evidence. She couldn’t produce a single friend, family member, colleague – ANYONE who could testify that Beato had complained to them about Dr. Carmona’s behavior. It was retribution for Dr. Carmona’s testimony, plain and simple. She lied.

Here’s what another woman who worked with Dr. Carmona has to say about him:

Yes, Congressman Flak should be ashamed. Why is Jeff Flake stooping so low? Flake worked in Washington as a lobbyist for years before being elected to Congress. He’s now been in Congress for a dozen years, and is now asking voters for another six year job in Washington. I guess when you’re a career politician and that career is on the line you’ll do and say just about anything for another free ticket back to Washington.

Senator Richard Carmona – an Independent voice for all Arizonans.

Invasion of the Zombies on their way to the voting booth? Mitt Romney campaign political director Rich Beeson dismissed yesterday dismissed recent polls showing every single battleground state slipping away from Mitt Romney.

“The public polls are what they are. I feel confident about where we are. At the end of the day, Ohio is going to come down to the wire.”

Come down to the wire? The latest swing state polls from Quinnipiac University, CBS News and the New York Times show Obama holding leads of 10 points in Ohio, 9 points in Florida and 12 points in Pennsylvania.  In all three states, 51 percent of voters prefer Obama over Romney to preside over the national economy — a policy area over which the president has seized the upper-hand in the last month. About 60 percent of voters in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania say Obama understands and cares about their problems, while similarly large majorities say Romney does not.Obama’s consistent advantage among women voters has spanned virtually the entire campaign, but the gender gap has swollen considerably in the three states. The president holds commanding leads among women voters in Ohio (25 points), Florida (19 points) and Pennsylvania (21 points).

Mitt Romney campaign political director Rich Beeson  claimed the competitiveness of the race in states like Wisconsin and Iowa suggest a close national contest. “This is a wide open race” he claimed.

Meanwhile, back in the land of reality, last week’s NBC/Marist poll has the President leading Romney 50-42% in Iowa. The same poll has Obama leading Romney 50-45% in Wisconsin; PPP has it 52-45%. Does Mr. Beeson see dead people planning on coming back from the grave and into a voting booth? Or is their internal polling done by the same make believe NFL referees that gave Seattle a winning touchdown over Green Bay? Langer Research Associates poll for ABC News & Washington Post 9/19-23:

Overall, do you have a favorable or unfavorable impression of the way Barack Obama is running his presidential campaign?
Favorable: 53
Unfavorable: 45

…the way Mitt Romney is running his presidential campaign?
Favorable: 36
Unfavorable: 61

  …Romney’s recent comments about people who don’t pay income taxes?
Favorable: 33
Unfavorable: 54

Yes, election day is still 6 weeks away and anything can happen. Well, sorta. Except for that little thing called early voting. Early voting kicks off tomorrow in  Iowa, and with more swing states following close behind, including Ohio next Tuesday, George Mason University professor Michael McDonald, who researches early voting behavior, forecasts that 35% of the vote will be cast before Election Day. That’s nationwide; in many states it’s much higher. In the swing state of Colorado, 78% of all votes in 2008 were cast prior to election day; this year it;’s predicted to be 85%. Here in Arizona, where we start getting early mail-in ballots 2 weeks from tomorrow, it’s predicted over 65% of all ballots will be cast prior to election day.

So, desperate times call for desperate measures, and the Republicans are getting desperate. In the Massachusetts Senate race, GOP darling Scott Brown decided to make his closing argument challenging Democrat Elizabeth Warren’s claim of Native American ancestry because  . . . she looks white to him. At a campaign rally yesterday Warren supporters were taunted with Indian war whoops and tomahawk chops. Among those doing the taunting were Brown’s deputy Chief of Staff Greg Casey and Constituent Service Counsel Jack Richard. Those guys’ salaries are paid by taxpayers, and they belittle Native Americans? Scott Brown, you deserve to loose. And Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd “Legitimate Rape” Akin? After he made those remarks Republican Party leaders demanded his resignation, calling his remarks “disgraceful”. Yesterday those same party leaders were saying “Todd Akin is a principled conservative who is committed to winning and fighting for freedom in the U.S. Senate”. Why the sudden about face? Yesterday was the absolute deadline for Akin to drop out of the race and have his name removed from the ballot, and their fading hopes of gaining control of the Senate is more important to them than principle. No rape is legitimate, and no, women who are rape victims have no magic defense from getting pregnant. Mr. Akin, you deserve to lose.  And here in Arizona, Democratic Senate candidate Richard Carmona released a new ad pointing out a series of votes Jeff Flake cast on veterans’ issues, including cuts to services and his opposition to a bonus for Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans. Jeff Flake, you deserve to lose.

The Mecklenburg County VA Republican Party’s Facebook page:

Nice. You guys all deserve to lose. Big time.

The new U.S. Senate that convenes in early January will likely be very narrowly divided, with independent thinking, moderate Senators in the driver’s seat. Above are two of them – Angus King of Maine and Richard Carmona of Arizona. And after the miserable failure of the current Do Nothing Congress, there will be no shortage of challenges facing the next Congress. Undoing that jobs destroying “Sequestration” budget cuts of over $100 Billion imposed on us by the current Congress, which many economists say that if they go into effect as scheduled next year will push us over the “fiscal cliff” and back into recession. The Bush tax cuts expire at the end of this year. The Democrats say keep the tax cuts for the middle class and let the tax rates for those earning over $250k per year revert back to what they were under President Clinton, when the economy was just fine; actually, really fine. The Republicans say it’s all or nothing, if they don’t get the tax cuts for the wealthy, then everyone suffers. What we need is independent, centrist Senators to break this gridlock and get each side to meet them in the middle. Like Senator Angus King and Senator Richard Carmona. Why do I think they can succeed? Let me explain what I think will happen on Nov. 6:

President Obama and Vice-President Biden will be reelected. Mitt Romney has run a miserable candidacy, and has nothing but the tired old Republican meme that more tax cuts for the wealthy will magically kick start the economy. Sound familiar? It should – that’s how George W Bush sold his tax cuts back in 2001 & 2003. It’s never worked before, it didn’t work then, and won’t work now.As the old saying goes, it ain’t over until the fat lady sings – but she’s about to start warming up. Respected pollster statistician Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com rates Obama’s reelection chances at 75%. Bettors at Intrade.com have Obama’s reelection at 66.5%, Romney chances at 33.3%.

It pains me to write this, but the gavel of the Speaker of the House will remain in John Boehner’s hands. At least he will have less of a majority and hopefully he’ll be more inclined to pass legislation that can pass with moderate Republican and Democratic support instead of only legislation he can sell to his teapublicans on the far right. Real Clear Politics (RCP) currently rates the House as 229 Republicans, 183 Democrats, and 23 tossups. My prediction is for 235 Republicans and 200 Democrats, a net gain of around 9 for the Democrats (there are currently3 vacancies, 2 Dem and 1 GOP ).

It’s the U.S. Senate where is gets interesting. Currently there are 51 Democrats, 47 Republicans, and 2 Independents, both of whom caucus with the Democrats. One of them is retiring, Joe Liberman. RCP currently rates the Senate races as 48 Democrats, 46 Republican, and 6 tossups. But for my scoring, I’m taking 2 seats they rate as “leans Republican” back and including them in tossups – Arizona and Nevada -  for a total of 8 tossups.

• 4 Republican Seats: AZ, IN, MA & NV. I think Democrat Elizabeth Warren will win in MA, Dems +1, 3 Tossups
• 4 Democratic Seats: CT, MT, ND & VA.  I think Democrats will hold CT & MT No change, 2 tossups

So, let’s say Republicans hold IN & NV but Carmona wins here in Arizona, and Republicans win in ND & VA. That would give us a Senate evenly divided 50-50. With VP Biden presiding over the Senate, his tie-breaking vote gives the majority to the Democrats. Except for one little detail: RCP is counting Independent Angus King as a Democrat, and he has steadfastly refused to say which side he would caucus with. And he appears to be truly independent. He was elected twice as Governor of Maine as an Independent, defeating Republican and Democrat opponents. He endorsed GW Bush in 2000, but John Kerry in 2004. He endorsed Barack Obama in 2008 and again this year – but with the caveat “considering the alternative”. He appears to relish the role of Kingmaker, no pun intended, and will no doubt make Harry Reid or Mitch McConnell earn his vote for Majority Leader, and on every other vote. And I have no doubt longtime Independent Richard Carmona will be right at his side. Perhaps not on who should be Majority Leader since he is running on the Democratic nomination, but certainly on the many vital issues the new Senate will face. And they could convince other centrists to join them in a Centrist Coalition in the center to get Republicans and Democrats to compromise and tackle the problems and issues facing us. On the Republican side, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who lost the GOP nomination in 2010 and won reelection with the votes of Democrats & Independents. Fellow Maine Senator Susan Collins. On the Democratic side, Jon Testor of Montana, who like many Montanans has an independent, centrist streak. New Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Mark Begich of Alaska, Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Just 6-8 independent, centrist thinking Senators could tip the balance for legislation they support. Meaningful compromise to tackle the deficit through careful, targeted spending reductions coupled with increased revenue. Letting the tax rates revert back to pre-2001 rates for those best positioned in this economy – those earning over a quarter million a year. Ending welfare – corporate welfare – by ending the billions in subsidies for big oil and other industries who don’t need taxpayers to subsidize them.

Jeff Flake has already been in Washington for a dozen years. He’s towed the line for Republicans without compromise, voting for both Bush tax cuts, voting for the Iraq war, voting to increase the debt limit under George W Bush with no pre-conditions, while joining with other Republicans to impose the stupid “sequestration” spending cuts for the debt limit to be increased under Obama. We have a clear choice in Arizona: send a partisan, Washington insider to the Senate to continue the partisan gridlock in Washington. Or, send a new, Independent voice to the Senate to work with fellow independent centrists to break the gridlock and tackle the vital issues that will face the next U.S. Senate.

Add would be Arizona Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Flake to the chorus line of Republicans appalled by Rep. Todd Akin’s claim that women have a magical defense preventing them from getting pregnant from a rape Rep. Akin hurting their chances of gaining control of the Senate and he should withdraw from the race. He went even further in a speech to Pima County Republicans, claiming:

“I have always, throughout my career, said that there should be exceptions for rape, for incest and for life of the mother, “ Flake said. “I’ve received a lot of criticism from groups on the right because my position wasn’t as they wanted it to be, but that’s been my position and I’m sticking with it”.

Oh really? Always, throughout his career? Jeff Flake seems to have a short memory. Just last year Congressman Flake was a cosponsor – along with Congressmen Todd Akin and Paul Ryan -  of House Resolution 3, the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act”. Taxpayer funding for any abortions has already been prevented since 1976 through the Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayer monies from paying for abortions – with the exception of pregnancies that would endanger the life of the mother or those that result from rape or incest. What the so called “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” does is attempt to narrow the definition of rape. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology publication The Tech calls it an A frightening affront to rape survivors:

However, H.R. 3 would not only codify the Hyde Amendment, but also redefine what rape is in the eyes of the law. According to the bill, no federal funds can be used for an abortion as a result of rape or incest unless “the pregnancy occurred because the pregnant female was the subject of an act of forcible rape or, if a minor, an act of incest”.

“Forcible rape – aka Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape”. No bruises, no broken bones? Not a “legitimate rape”, no abortion for you. Statutory rape – an adult having sex with a child? Not a “legitimate rape”, no abortion for you. And note the wording “if minor, an act of incest”. Over 18 and a victim of incest – not a “legitimate rape”, no abortion for you. The Tech notes the  case of Commonwealth v. Berkowitz, in which a college sophomore went to her boyfriend’s room only to find his roommate. The defendant locked the door to keep others out, made repeated sexual advances toward her, removed her shirt and bra and fondled her while she repeatedly said, “No, no.” The defendant proceeded to undress her, move her to the bed, spread her legs apart — while the girl continued to voice her objections — and penetrate her until he ejaculated. Following the ordeal, the girl immediately rushed downstairs, found her boyfriend and called the police. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court found the rapist not guilty, because “the degree of force required to constitute rape is relative and depends on the facts and particular circumstance of the case”. In other words, the court didn’t think she fought off her rapist hard enough. Courts could interpret H.R. 3 as requiring a rapists to be convicted of “forcible rape” in order for the victim to qualify for H.R. 3′s exception for forcible rape. By the time that happened it would be far too late for an abortion.

Oh really, Jeff Flake? Always, throughout your career, you’ve said there should be exceptions for rape? Short term memory loss? Or another case of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oInSiayyV-E#t=6s

Yes, you read that headline correctly – Jeff Flake doesn’t want Arizona voters to vote for him in Arizona’s U.S. Senate race. He want’s Arizona’s Republican controlled State Legislature to anoint appoint him to the position.  The Payson Roundup reports that in a recent meet and greet with area Republicans in Payson Jeff Flake called for the repeal of the 17th Amendment and return to the system of state legislatures appointing U.S. Senators, instead of voters selecting who they want to represent them in the Senate.

He even said he preferred having state legislatures appoint U.S. Senators instead of the voters, a system that changed in 1912 with the adoption of the 17th Amendment.

Prior to the 17th Amendment, passed in 1912, voters had no direct say in who represented them in the U.S. Senate. Voters were considered too stupid to make the correct choice, so their state legislators selected U.S. Senators. However, in 1899, a man by the name of William Andrews Clark revealed the flaw in that cozy little system. (Politicians choosing which other politicians get to hold office – what could possibly go wrong?) Clarke was one of the “Copper Kings” of Butte Montana. He grew wealthy repossessing mining properties when owners defaulted on their loans. He grew even more wealthy with copper smelters, electric power companies, newspapers, railroads and other businesses. But he yearned for something more – he wanted to be remembered as a statesman. So he used a portion of his wealth to bribe enough legislators to appoint him U.S. Senator from Montana. But, as it has a habit of doing, truth prevailed and details Clark’s bribery leaked and erupted into a huge scandal. The U.S. Senate refused to seat him, and the scandal led to the passing the 17th Amendment and voters selecting their U.S. Senators. In his defense, Clark said “I never bought a man who wasn’t for sale”. THIS is the system Jeff Flake thinks is more “reliable” than Arizona voters choosing who they want in the U.S. Senate???

However, Flake’s elitist position didn’t stop with his wanting to end voters directly selecting their Senators. He enthusiastically  embraced Paul Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” budget plan – a plan that guts federal government support for education, infrastructure, housing assistance and much more. A plan which would force future retirees to buy their own health insurance or do without. A plan which doesn’t balance the budget until 2040 because even with all those cuts to domestic programs it raises spending for defense – even though the Defense Department says it doesn’t need it – and doubles down with even more steep tax cuts for the wealthy.

Jeff Flake is an elitist and so wrong for Arizona in so many ways.

Rich Carmona, a refreshing, Independent voice for Arizonans.