Janet Napolitano and Raul Grijalva weren't the only Arizonans to get media attention during the Democratic National Convention.
A Tucson congressional candidate earned a bit of ink during the Boston love-fest, albeit not quite as much as Arizona’s governor or one of the state’s newest House members.
Tim Sultan, one of three Democrats running in the District 8 primary, was mentioned in an Associated Press story that moved a few days ago on aspiring pols at the convention.
"The main reason I came is to get national support for the general election ... to let them know we can win this election," Sultan told AP national writer Robert Tanner. "It's been written off for years."
The CD 8 seat is now held by Jim Kolbe, a 10-term Republican who himself faces a primary challenge from state lawmaker Randy Graf.
Sultan, a former aide to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, is running against Eva Bacal and Jeff Chimene. He has already far outpaced his challengers in the Mother’s Milk Sweepstakes — you know, money being Mother’s Milk of politics. As of July 15, Sultan had amassed a campaign war chest of nearly $50,000. Bacal and Chimene combined had about $3,100.
Tanner wrote that Sultan is "a shoo-in to win his party primary, and is hoping to capitalize on Kolbe's intra-party fight against a conservative challenger."
The full story can be found on Sultan's Web site, www.timsultanforcongress.com.
And just so no one gets upset, go to www.evabacalforcongress.com to read about Bacal and www.chimeneforcongress.com for info on Chimene.
Arizona, the state with one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the nation; the state with one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the nation; the state with more West Nile virus cases than all other states combined; the state that is home to the once-great Arizona Diamondbacks; the state that has voted Democratic only twice since 1948, unanimously and proudly casts its 64 votes for our next president, John Kerry!
No, Jim Pederson, chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party, didn't actually bellow those words at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night. Though if he did he wouldn't have lied.
Pederson instead opted for hopefulness over some embarrassing cold hard facts. He called Arizona "a new battleground state" and a "state that will produce 10 new electoral votes for Democrats." He did cast Arizona’s 64 votes for Kerry. As if there was any doubt.
Tucson delegate Ted Prezelski, in his latest e-mail from the convention, told us about a new lapel button making the rounds: "America says SHOVE IT to George W." The operative adverbial phrase, of course, is a reference to a less-than-friendly encounter between Teresa Heinz Kerry and a journalist a few days ago.
"I wore one around and it got snickers even from reporters," Prezelski wrote. "Now, everyone seems to want to have one."
Much was made of the Heinz Kerry-journalist flap among the chattering class on TV, but as New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd told Katie Couric on the Today Show on Thursday, no one ever really suffered much of a backlash by telling a member of the media to shove it.
Speaking of Heinz Kerry, she was introduced at a breakfast meeting of the Latino Caucus on Wednesday by Rep. Ed Pastor of Phoenix as "the first lady." Not so fast, Ed. There's that little matter of an election that has take place first.
Heinz Kerry, an immigrant from Mozambique, appeared before the group wearing a very business-like charcoal gray suit, a sharp contrast to the ketchup-colored number she had on when she addressed the convention on Tuesday. Her remarks were broadcast on CSPAN on Thursday morning.
She told a story about a columnist who wrote that she was not really an immigrant because she was not poor. "You don’t not have to come to this country shackled and poor to know what an immigrant life is," she said.
Pastor himself addressed the convention on Wednesday afternoon. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Tucson spoke on Thursday. He nominated John Edwards as the Democratic candidate for VP. Here's a transcript provided by Grijalva's office:
"It is my honor to be here with you tonight. I want to take a moment to thank all the people of Arizona, with special recognition to the first Americans in the 22 Native nations of our Great State.
"I stand here to lend my voice to the resounding chorus of Americans who join us in placing Senator John Edwards’ name as our party’s nominee for Vice-President of the United States of America.
"John Edwards, is ready to change the Bush political landscape…a landscape built on division and misguided personal privilege. He will challenge us to be the America that we can be…An America that embraces and respects each person’s uniqueness—a united America.
"Me siento muy honrado de estar aqui con ustedes y en estos breve momentos darle voz a los sueños de nuestra gente de este país…un sueño de esperanza y oportunidad—una oportunidad que merece toda la gente de nuestra nación. Para realizar nuestros sueños tiene que haber un cambio profundo y el Senador John Edwards representa ese cambio y la esperanza que todos buscamos.
"George Bush promised to be a compassionate President…promising a gentle touch to policy and politics—to be a uniter.
"Now is the time to ask WHERE IS THE COMPASSION?
"Our health is jeopardized by the environmental policies of George Bush. Our public lands are being traded away to commercial interests. Mr. President—WHERE IS THE COMPASSION?
"We have been led into a war based on deception and manipulation—a war in which our brave men and women risk their lives daily. Mr. Bush, where is your moral imperative to the truth and to make the world a better place for all humanity? WHERE IS THE COMPASSION?
"The investment in our people and our future has been mortgaged so that we can give huge tax cuts to millionaires and corporations. Our children, our schools, our elders, working families and our communities go without so that a few become richer. We ask President Bush WHERE IS THE COMPASSION?
"We cannot and will not allow you, Mr. Bush, to turn back the clock. This country must strive to judge and reward people on what they do—not:
What they look like, Where they came from, Who they love and commit to, whether male or female.
"With John Edwards' leadership, we can recapture true American ideals: out of many different cultures, backgrounds, beliefs, and religions, comes one strong and united America. The current Administration has successfully divided our country and this is one division too many.
One broken promise is one too many. One Child Left behind is one too many. One Senior Citizen without support and comfort is one too many.
"John Edwards is a man who understands that two Americas is one too many… and there is no better man I know to unite us once again.
"As Vice President, John Edwards will provide our nation new leadership, with optimism and direction—it is time to rid ourselves of the narrow self-serving view of our country that George Bush has created and replace it with common sense---a common ground view of America--where the "AMERICAN DREAM" lives on. A dream that says the lives of our children and grandchildren will be better than ours. This election is, above all, about that dream.
"It is my great honor and privilege to place before this convention the name of my friend Senator John Edwards as our candidate for Vice President of the United States. A good and solid family man, a man of conviction and principles, a man who loves this country deeply, a man who works until the job is done.
"We have endured the George Bush way and that is the wrong way. Come November 2nd it will be the start of the Kerry/Edwards way, a better way—a more DEMOCRATIC Way. Thank you and on to victory."
Call this a report from the front lines of democracy in action.
A few Southern Arizonans attending the Democratic National Convention in Boston have kindly consented to share some of their experiences, via e-mail. They're kind of like the embedded reporters covering the Iraq war, only they don't pretend to be objective.
Here's what they had to say.
Ted Prezelski, delegate
I went to a "veterans salute" headlined by Gen. Wesley Clark and Rep. Charlie Rangel. I wasn't able to meet Clark, but I rode the bus back to the hotel with a fellow named Lethnicki. This man served in the unit on which the movie "Band of Brothers" was based. I was very honored to meet him and shake his hand. He enjoyed the "Polish-Americans for Kerry" button that I was wearing, and I gave it to him. He seemed tickled to death to have it, I didn't think it was that big of a deal. He seemed as excited to get the button as I was to meet him.
Ben Afleck spoke to the delegation, he got mobbed. Terry Goddard had the task of trying to get us to move on with the program...he didn't succeed.
Erik Trevino, delegate
The weekend was great. Enjoyed the sights and sounds of Boston. Had lunch in the famed North End, best Italian food I've ever had. The Arizona Delegation also had a reception hosted by Congressman Pastor & Grijalva Sunday evening in the North End. It was a great event sponsored by General Dynamics, which brings lots of high-tech high paying jobs to our great state of Arizona.
The town of Lexington had a reenactment of the Battle of Lexington on the battleground. This was pretty historic as they only have it once a year, in April at 5 a.m. But they had a special event for the DNC. Weather has been beautiful.
I have some friends who went to the University of Arizona with me who grew up in Phoenix. Two months ago, they moved to Boston for graduate school. They have been showing me around town a bit. They will be attending the event Gov. Napolitano is hosting. Arizona's Tribute to Native Americans.
Well what a first night on the floor. Absolutely incredible. No other way to describe it. Being up on stage, looking out into the audience. Massive amounts of exuberant Democrats celebrating in our party's unity and nominee.
Senator Clinton and President Clinton rocked the house last night. The crowd on the floor was pumped, feeding off the Clintons' energy.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus had an after hours reception. It was a blast. The leaders of the Latino community were all present celebrating the diversity of the delegation.
I had a chance to meet up with Wesley Clark, it had been a while since I've been able to talk with him since the Arizona Primary. He is one true patriot who knows what it means to serve our country.
Incredible time out here. Weather is perfect. Never thought I would be wearing a coat on July 26th in the summer. Its a cool 70 degrees at night and a mild 80 or so during the day. Can't ask for much more.
Ben Afleck along with Former HUD Secretary and San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros were our guest speakers Tuesday. Wesley Clark is speaking Wednesday.
Action packed day here. INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE! Time of my life.
Diane Call, alternate delegate
I arrived and immediately feel the grit and grime of a Northeastern city. So this is John Kerry’s home town...
On the subway are soldiers with backpacks and what looks like machine guns. Other police are dressed in black with all kinds of crowd control gear. Helicopters fly over head, policing the area while we delegates eat hors d'oeuvres on the waterfront of elegant hotels.
Walking back to the hotel there was street theatre. Five women in garish Red White and Blue (like Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders), and a large puppet head mask of Bush dancing to their song "Shop in the name of War," sung to the tune of "Stop in the name of Love," All about corporations using government to wage wars to keep them rich and us consuming oil. The crowd (was) shocked but supportive. Art always gets the message across.
Speakers for breakfast, lunch,and dinner. People in suits feeling important, passing through the barriers of security, wearing your delegation credentials around your neck. I climb to the seventh floor of the convention hall showing my credentials at every point... It feels more like a football game.
As for speeches, Al Gore was really funny, relaxed and solidly intelligent. And Clinton, as usual an incredible, brilliant speaker. The crowd went crazy for the Clinton's and Al Gore.
(By) Tuesday, delegates begin to look a little weary from late night parties, which only last night did I go to... a swing era band made me feel like a scene from the Great Gatsby. The Tohono O'odham sang the Star Spangled banner...
The political landscape has many surreal elements here, and I'm beginning to believe a healthier democracy is being planted in this funky soil. Barack Obama in giving the key note address spoke about how we are not a liberal or conservative America, but a United States of America. For the crowd to embrace this man whose father was from Kenya and mother from the U.S., so thoroughly, gave me hope that we may be finally healing from our past history of slavery.
Janet Napolitano also stressed the plight of the "have nots"... She was able to captivate the crowd to some degree as they schmoozed and hunted for celebrities.
Judy Nagle, observer
Wonderful cool weather and more delicious food than you can imagine. The best was the fresh steamed shrimp!
Gov Richardson spoke to us at breakfast and brought a bottle of New Mexico salsa for each person attending. Friends of Hillary were selling her Marc Jacob designed t-shirts. I'm sharing a room with delegates Esther Sharif and Laura Elias de la Torre, a family doctor at El Pueblo Clinic.
I have walked to Fanueil Hall market area - learning to pronounce it the most difficult - harder than walking there. It's like Daniel. There is more construction on the streets than in Tucson, making it more difficult for anyone driving to get anywhere especially with all of the street closings. Three of us shared a taxi to an event yesterday afternoon at an art gallery. Going there in the taxi cost $10, but coming back cost twice that - they charge for the time! - because the traffic was horrid. Big buses everywhere. There was a huge RV from New Mexico painted all over to look like the land in NM - and then a large fire truck had to blaze thru town making all of the blocked traffic move over even more to get thru. That may be the last taxi we take. It's quicker to walk than ride.
This is my first visit ever to Boston so I am thoroughly enjoying the cool, moist air. It's completely overcast and breezy. We are all having minor problems with the humidity. Nothing dries automatically like in Tucson. It's just great waking up to look out over the bay first thing in the morning.
Tim Sultan, observer
The convention was kicked off with a breakfast at the Marriott Long Wharf hotel, where the entire Arizona is staying. Jim Pederson, Governor Napolitano, Raul Grijalva, Ed Pastor, local officials, delegates, and a congressional candidate in district 8 (me!).
My main purpose here is to energize national support for my general election. I believe that, for the first time in 20 years, district 8 will be targeted as a swing district at the national level.
The greatest part to me about the convention is that it has brought together the hard-working, committed Democrats from all parts of Arizona to plan and collaborate together. Since Arizona is showcased with speeches by Gov. Napolitano and Congressman Grijalva, I can see our delegates shining with pride.
Security is high. Helicopters are constantly hovering over the Convention Center at about 3,000 feet. We can hear helicopters pass through our hotel and through downtown every 15 minutes or so.
Janet didn't exactly bomb at the Democratic National Convention. But she was bombed out of the water by Obama.
Janet Napolitano made her national political debut at the convention on Tuesday evening with a speech on health care. Unfortunately for the first-term Arizona governor, Tuesday was also the debut of Barack Obama.
If you don't yet know who Obama is, just wait. You will. The Senate candidate from Illinois punched out a keynote speech that was so smooth and so polished that even the conservative talking heads on Fox were taken aback.
As a result, Obama sucked up most of the ink that Napolitano was swimming in only a few days ago. It didn't help that Tuesday night's line-up also included the feisty wanna-be First Lady, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and that famous Republican apostate, Ron Reagan.
In the national press, the only references to Napolitano were fleeting. And as far as we could tell, none were about her eight-minute address.
Wednesday's New York Times ran excerpts of the speech by Obama, as well as the juicy tidbits of speeches by Heinz Kerry, Reagan, Howard Dean, and Sen. Edward Kennedy. No Janet.
USA Today on Wednesday plastered a big picture of Obama on its front page, next to smaller shots of Heinz Kerry, Kennedy and Dean. Those speakers also all had more pictures and their own stories inside the nation’s largest circulation daily. Again, no Janet.
Napolitano did get an eyedropper of ink in another USA Today story - about Michael Dukakis. That article noted that the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee attended a "literacy event" hosted by Napolitano.
She was also mentioned in a Washington Post piece on Thursday about Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic Party chairman. That story quotes McAuliffe as saying Napolitano is "certainly the best governor serving in the United States...Bar none." McAuliffe makes similarly effusive comments about other governors, but hey, that’s the guy's job.
Just so the governor doesn't feel bad, she should know that The Arizona Daily Star did in fact put her picture on the front page. Of course, the story about her speech ran inside the paper.
Janet Napolitano is awash in ink.
USA Today, The Christian Science Monitor, The Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Toledo Blade — those are some of the newspapers that have written about the first-term Arizona governor in the run-up to her Tuesday night speech at the Democratic National Convention.
The speech is a sort of a political coming out party for Napolitano, a coveted turn in the national spotlight for an up-and-comer from a key swing state.
That, at least, is how Arizona Democrats see it. Janet is the one to watch, they tell us. She's going places.
You can't blame them, really. A prime time speaking slot is a prime time speaking slot. If John Kerry thinks Janet is good enough for the big time, then that’s all that matters. It's his show.
Clearly, some of the reporters covering the Boston convention are buying into the spin.
"Governor Napolitano has garnered plenty of press, landing on many lists as a vice presidential possibility," The Christian Science Monitor wrote on Tuesday. "Energetic and smart, she won a tough 2002 race by less than 12,000 votes, and has helped increase the Democrats' profile in the state."
Napolitano "is part of small coterie of Democratic governors on the rise," the paper wrote.
Not all the clips have been so effusive. Often, it's the governor’s words of wisdom that seem to drive the coverage.
"I stand here as a Democratic governor of Arizona," she was quoted as saying in the Blade on Tuesday. "I know what can be done."
The Blade called Arizona a "right-leaning state." On Monday, USA Today columnist Walter Shapiro referred to it as "Republican-leaning." Both assessments, of course, aren’t wrong. And that is yet another reason why Napolitano might be attracting such attention. Don't forget, this new Democratic star hails from the same state that gave the world Barry Goldwater.
Napolitano's hopes for what she wants swing voters to say about Kerry by the end of the convention were grist for Shapiro. "I know this man," Napolitano said. "I like this man."
An Associated Press round-up of convention news that appeared on the Web site of New York Newsday on Monday noted that Napolitano — a New York City native — paid a morning visit to the New York delegation.
"I bring you greeting from a swing state state which we are going to carry for Kerry," she said, and then urged the delegates to visit Arizona.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch, covering a luncheon hosted by the Democratic Leadership Council, reported on Monday that Napolitano, like Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, believes Kerry needs to stress fiscal discipline — "much as the two governors did when they won election in Republican-leaning states."
How much the Democratic Party plans to lean on Napolitano could well depend on her speech. We're anxiously waiting for those write-ups.
Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe joined his two Democratic colleagues in voting against a bill to strip federal courts of jurisdiction over same-sex marriage cases.
The vote put Kolbe at odds with the five other GOP members of the Arizona congressional delegation — and Randy Graf, the state lawmaker who covets Kolbe’s job.
Graf, who has made "defending the sanctity of marriage" a central plank of primary campaign against Kolbe, is accusing the ten-term congressman of "playing both sides of the fence" on the hot-button gay marriage issue.
In 1996, Kolbe voted for the Defense of Marriage of Act, a federal law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
But on Thursday, Kolbe was among 17 Republicans who gave a thumbs down to the Marriage Protection Act. The measure was backed by the Bush administration and won House approval in a 233 to 194 vote.
"The divide between Jim and us has grown too wide for too long," Graf said in a statement. "Congressman Kolbe has gotten out of touch with the voters in the 8th District."
Graf, a former golf pro from Green Valley, faces Kolbe in the district’s Sept. 7 primary. Kolbe is the only openly gay Republican member of Congress. He could not be reached for comment on Friday.
Twenty-seven Democrats joined 206 Republicans - including Reps. Jeff Flake, Trent Franks, J.D. Hayworth, Rick Renzi and John Shadegg of Arizona - to pass the Marriage Protection Act.
Reps. Ed Pastor of Phoenix and Raul Grijlava of Tucson were among 176 Democrats to vote against it.
Last week, the Senate defeated a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. That vote also split Arizona lawmakers: Sen. Jon Kyl supported it while Sen. John McCain did not.
“We need a Goldwater-Nichols reform for the intelligence community.”
— Lee Hamilton, vice-chairman of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Arizonans who heard those words Thursday morning might have recognized the familiar name. Even those with a feeble grasp of political history probably realized that Hamilton, speaking at the release of the commission report on the attacks, was talking about their Goldwater.
The reform Hamilton was referring to is the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. Sponsored by Sen. Barry Goldwater and Rep. Bill Nichols of Alabama, the act led to the most significant defense reorganization since 1947 and is credited with vastly improving military cooperation.
Among those who now believe the nation’s intelligence gathering agencies are in need of an overhaul, what Goldwater did 18 years ago is considered a model.
In his biography of the Arizona Republican, Robert Alan Goldberg wrote that after the act became law, Goldwater was particularly proud that it brought about reform without adding “a single layer of bureaucracy to government.”
“It’s the only goddamn thing I’ve done in the Senate that’s worth a damn,” the crusty conservative said. “I can go home happy.”
And so he did. Goldwater retired from the Senate in 1986. He died at 89 in 1998.
Gov. Janet Napolitano won’t make her national prime time television debut until Tuesday, when she is set to address the Democratic National Convention. But the Volvo-driving, venti latte-sipping listeners of National Public Radio got a chance to hear the first-term Democrat on Thursday morning.
Napolitano was interviewed with Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the Republican leader of Minnesota. The quick conversation centered mostly on economic issues, but the two governors also offered their predictions on the November election. Surprise, surprise — they were split right down party lines. Pawlenty said President Bush will prevail in his state. Napolitano put her money on John Kerry.
"We are a state in transition from what has been a very conservative Republican state to a very moderate, what I would call pragmatic state," she said. "Over time, as people continue to pay high prices for gas and figure out how to buy health insurance, I think they’re going to say we need a change in the White House and Arizona will be in the Kerry column."
Speaking of NPR, the local outpost laudably carried Thursday morning's live press conference of the commission investigating the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Network TV did too — for a while.
The press conference began at 8:30 a.m., Tucson time. NPR carried it until 10. Local television had better things to do. By 9:30, viewers of the CBS affiliate were deep into a probe of paternity tests on "Maury." ABC gave viewers the mindless banter of “Live with Regis and Kelly.” NBC continued with the "Today Show," where someone was teaching the weatherman how to cook.
Foolish to think that the unveiling of a report into the most horriffic attack on the United States is anywhere near as important as any of that. So much for the plea of commission member Bob Kerrey. He spoke at the press conference of regaining “the unity of purpose” the country had on Sept. 11.
You know the old joke.
Question: Do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall?
Answer: Practice.
Ask Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry the way to the nominating convention in Boston and the answer will be just as obvious, if not quite so droll.
Kerry's campaign announced Monday that he will travel "from his birthplace to the birthplace of America" next week in the run-up to the love-fest in Bean Town.
The seven-day trip will take Kerry to "cities that symbolize America's spirit and values." Actually, it's an itinerary of picture-perfect backdrops that will look good on television.
Kerry kicks off the journey in Aurora, Colo., where he was born in 1943. Next stop is Sioux City, Iowa. Here, according to the campaign, Lewis and Clark stopped on their journey West, "overcoming adversity to reach their goal every step of the way."
Gee, think there's a message the campaign is trying to send? You bet. Each subsequent city on the journey gets the same treatment. Each, in other words, becomes Spin City.
This is straight from the campaign press release:
Columbus, Ohio - "In the 1860s, Ohio had the largest railroad system in the nation, linking Ohio to a growing nation and world. But now, that promise of opportunity has been undermined by shipping not just the products we make but our very jobs overseas."
Cape Canaveral, Fla. - "America has always been about planning for the future by finding new solutions and better ways of doing things. We have launched men into space and pushed the boundaries of science and innovation."
Norfolk, Va. - "Home to a Navy base, Norfolk symbolizes America's strong military and Kerry's service to our country."
Philadelphia - "A national symbol of freedom, Philadelphia is well-rooted in our history and our early fight for freedom and strength."
Boston - "Boston is the birthplace of American freedom and democracy. The country began here; the story of America started here. Boston is also Kerry's home and the city where he will accept his party's nomination, marking the beginning of his campaign to build a stronger America."
What's interesting about this trip is just how Republican some of these places are.
President Bush won Colorado in 2000 by nearly 8 percentage points and Aurora is represented in Congress by two Republicans.
Al Gore carried Iowa by 4,144 votes four years ago, but Sioux City's man in D.C. is Republican.
Ohio belonged to Bush in 2000, albeit by a relatively slim 7 percentage points. That margin is small enough to give Kerry reason to hope - and Bush cause for concern. Ohio might be the battleground of all battleground states. Columbus' congressional delegation, though, is Republican.
We all know about Florida. It went to Bush - with maybe a little help from the Supreme Court - by 537 votes. As for Cape Canaveral, its congressman is also a Republican.
Bush prevailed in Virginia by 8 percentage points, but in Norfolk, at least, Kerry will be able to stand with a local congressman from the same party.
Kerry won't be on solid Democratic ground until he gets to Philly and Boston, where the convention starts on July 26.