On the “liberal” side:

–Blog for Arizona, www.blogforarizona.com, by Michael Bryan, David Safier, “AZBlueMeanie”, Craig McDermott (“Random Musings“), and Jenn F

–The Observer, www.tucsonobserver.com by Bob Ellis and Mark Kerr (latter was formerly here at Tucsoncitizen.com). The Observer has a print edition as well.

–The Range (Tucson Weekly), www.tucsonweekly.com/blogs/theRange/ by a host of reporters including Jim Nintzel, Dan Gibson, Mari Herreras, and others.

–Rum Romanism Rebellion, www.rumromanismrebellion.net by Ted Prezelski aka “Tedski” (former Democratic candidate for LD 28 House and brother of former LD 29 House Rep. Tom Prezelski)

In the middle:

–Pueblo Politics (AZ Daily Star, www.azstarnet.com/blogs/pueblo-politics/, by Rhonda Bodfield & Andrea Kelly, Star reporters

On the “conservative” side:

–Arizona News-Telegraph, www.arizonanewstelegraph.com by former Republican LD 30 Rep. Randy Graf, with James Kelley, Hugh Holub, Jonathan DuHamel (the latter two are here at Tucsoncitizen.com as well, respectively as “View from Baja Arizona” and “Wry Heat“)

–The Cholla Jumps, www.thechollajumps.workdpress.com, by James Kelley (formerly here at Tucsoncitizen.com)

–Sonoran Alliance, www.sonoranalliance.com by ? (“We are an alliance of political writers and activists dedicated to reporting and promoting conservative news, ideas, opinion and principles throughout Arizona and the Sonoran Southwest.”)

–Tucson Choices, www.tucsonchoices.com by KVOI radio talk show hosts Joe Higgins (former Republican District 1 candidate for Pima County Supervisor) and Chris DeSimone, and others

Plus the wide range of political blogsites here at Tucsoncitizen.com, from the liberal “3 Sonorans” and “Tucson Progressive“, to the conservative “Compound Captive” and “Fort Buckley“. And I think “The Data Port” might be an Independent in the middle. See the list to the right on our home page of all the blogs under Politics & Government (Pol. & Govt.).

Many of these blogsites have lists & hyperlinks to other political blogrolls as well, in Arizona and elsewhere.

Let me know which are your favorites, or of any I may have overlooked in Southern Arizona.

Keep on blogging.

10/24/11 Updates: Hugh Holub (Views from Baja Arizona) passed away suddenly on 9/17/11. R.I.P. Hugh. Blogger 3 Sonorans reported today that The Cholla Jumps will no longer be blogging after 11/1/11, and liberal Poco Bravo (Luke Knipe) has returned online:
http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/2011/10/23/one-blog-dies-another-one-experiences-rebirth/. And former Star reporter Andrea Kelly is now at KUAT Channel 6 TV.

So now that March 2011 & Spring are here, I’m re-publishing an updated (somewhat comprehensive list of how to find out what’s there to do in the Old Pueblo, under the Tucson Sun) — to aid us all in learning about & enjoying the numerous community events.

News outlets:

Arizona Daily Star, www.azstarnet.com

Tucson Weekly, www.tucsonweekly.com

Arizona Daily Wildcat, www.wildcat.arizona.edu
(University of Arizona)

www.uanews.org (University of Arizona News, online only)

Aztec Press, www.aztecpressonline.com, Pima Community College

www.tucsonsentinel.com (Tucson Sentinel online only)

Explorer News, www.explorernews.com

Green Valley News & Sun, www.gvnews.com

www.arizonanewstelegraph.com , Arizona News-Telegraph (online only)

Inside Tucson Business, www.azbiz.com

www.TheNewSouthwest.com, The New Southwest, formerly Tucson Green Times (online only recently)

The Observer, www.tucsonobserver.com

Monthly or bimonthly magazines:

Tucson Lifestyle, www.tucsonlifestyle.com

Desert Leaf, www.desertleaf.com

Zocalo, www.zocalotucson.com

Downtown Tucsonan, www.downtowntucson.org

Never Too Late, www.pcoa.org (Pima Council on Aging)

Bear Essential News (for Kids), www.bearessentialnews.com

Tucson Peace Calendar, www.peacecalendar.org

Arizona Jewish Post, www.jewishtucson.org

Tucson Pedaler, www.tucsonpedaler.com

Vermilion Flycatcher (Tucson Audubon Society), www.tucsonaudubon.org

At Your Library, www.library.pima.gov, Pima County Public Library (now only 3x/year)

Online calendars:

www.dotucson.com (DoTucson.com online only)

www.tucsonstyle.com (Tucsonstyle.com online only)

www.wingspan.org (Wingspan-LGBT, online only)

Last but not least, don’t forget our “Voice of Tucson”, www.tucsoncitizen.com, formerly the Tucson Citizen newspaper which ceased print publication on May 16, 2009.

And please let me know if there are any publications/monthly magazines I may have overlooked.

Nov. 2006:
Gabrielle Giffords 55.20% 116,043
Randy Graf 41.09% 86,386
(14.11 percentage point difference)

Nov. 2008:
Gabrielle Giffords 56.00% 151,556
Tim Bee 41.61% 112,612
(14.39 percentage point difference)

Nov. 2010:
Gabrielle Giffords 49.93% 117,389
Jesse Kelly 46.08% 108,327
(3.85 percentage point difference)

Why was this 2010 race so close? Probably due to the rise of the Arizona Tea Party & Tucson Tea Party, the national economic crisis, the Republican Party anger over the passage of Federal Health Care legislation (aka “Obamacare”), the furor over the constitutionality of S.B. 1070 in Arizona, continued immigration problems at the border which includes CD 8, etc. And voters appeared tired of incumbents this year, who seemed responsible for the nation’s economic woes.

This was definitely 2 term incumbent Congresswoman Giffords’ toughest race, and she prevailed by only 4,156 votes out of a total of 283,978 votes cast in CD 8.

Her previous opponents in 2006 and 2008 were experienced politicians. Former LD 30 Rep. Randy Graf served 2 terms in the Arizona state house, and former State Senate President Tim Bee served 8 years in the Arizona State Senate, also from LD 30. So they were both somewhat well-known figures in LD 30, a part of Congressional District 8.

Then her third opponent was Jesse Kelly, a young Marine who had served in Iraq, with no political experience, yet he came the closest to winning. I heard Jesse speak at a number of forums, debates and events, and he had a dynamic, fresh personality that attracted voters, and he took advantage of the changing political times of this campaign year.

When I spoke with Randy Graf after the CD 8 debate at the University of Arizona Grand ballroom on October 18, he merely told me that in comparing his race in 2006 to the 2010 race, that “times have changed.” Indeed, it has. Read Randy’s review of that debate from his new online Arizona News-Telegraph by clicking here (from his PoliGRAF column).

Voter registration numbers in CD 8 from Pima County Recorder’s Office :
Democrats 114,523, Republicans 126,054, Libertarians 2499, Greens 719, independents 98,328.

The fact that CD 8 Libertarian candidate Steve Stoltz got 3.93% of the vote -11,174 votes) obviously shows that he drew votes from outside his party of only 2499 registered voters. Apparently Gabby got her 114,000 Democratic votes plus 24,000 other votes (likely the independents). Kelly got his 126,000 Republican votes but only 8,000 others. (But that’s only based on the assumption that all registered voters in CD 8 voted, and they didn’t.) Voter turnout was 55.65% statewide.

For a breakdown county by county in CD 8, check the Arizona Daily Star analysis this morning in their paper edition, page A5. They say that Kelly won in Cochise & Pinal Counties, with Giffords carrying Pima and Santa Cruz. Pima County voter turnout was 65.54%.

Regardless, attracting the “Independent voter” does matter in CD 8. Giffords said at her HQ volunteer appreciation party on November 6 that her win was due to a “broad based coalition” and her dedicated volunteers.

Wonder which Republican in Southern Arizona will challenge Congresswoman Giffords in 2012?

Read Brodesky’s column here:
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article_523a376d-9c06-5c39-9963-ec7b49187757.html

He even mentions our Tucsoncitizen.com blogger “Three Sonorans” (David Morales) and former Tucsoncitizen.com blogger James Kelley. See David’s blog about this recent column, click here.

Brodesky further reveals the identify of “AZ Blue Meanie” over at Blog for Arizona, saying he is Tucson attorney Roger White. I suspected so for months but wasn’t sure. I knew AZ Blue Meanie was probably an attorney and a Democratic leader, from how he writes.

This is how Blog for Arizona describes AZ Blue Meanie:
“The Blue Meanie is an Arizona citizen who wishes, for professional reasons, to remain anonymous when blogging about politics. Armed with a deep knowledge of the law, politics and public policy, as well as pen filled with all the colors stolen from Pepperland, the Blue Meanie’s mission is to pursue and prosecute the hypocrites, liars, and fools of politics and the media – which, in practical terms, is nearly all of them. Don’t even try to unmask him or he’ll seal you in a music-proof bubble and rendition you to Pepperland for a good face-stomping.”

We’re not journalists as most of us have no journalism degrees, we’re bloggers and/or “citizen journalists”. See my earlier blog on our handbook, click here.

Graf served in the State House from 2000 to 2004. In November 2006 Graf, Libertarian David Nolan (now running for U. S. Senate), and Independent Jay Quick (who just ran for this same race in the Republican primary) faced off with then-former LD 28 State Senator Giffords for that CD 8 U. S. House seat, previously held by Congressman Jim Kolbe.

Fellow TucsonCitizen.com bloggers Hugh Holub (“View from Baja Arizona”) and Jonathan DuHamel (“Wry Heat”) along with former Tucsoncitizen.com blogger Jim Kelley (“The Cholla Jumps”) have joined Randy as contributors on this new online news source for Southern Arizona. There is a “Green Valley/Sahuarita” link, along with links for the “Border”, Opinions, Event Calendar, & Comicals.

Website: www.arizonanewstelegraph.com, phone 520-270-1303, email: arizonanewstelegraph@cox.net. Mailing address is 287 W. El Nopal in Green Valley, AZ 85714.

Check out this brand new news source.