Immoral Arizona Legislative Leader -- This is why we fight!

Andy Biggshot, in floor debate on House budget HB2703 waxed eloquent, philosophical and incredibly arrogant. In this clip, he invokes George Washington, saying,

Government is raw power. Government is raw power. Government is not compassionate or merciful. That is left to individuals, but government is raw power where it imposes its will on people.

In a sense, if the quote is true and correct, Biggs is right. Put in perspective however, Washington was not trying to maintain civil society in the 21st Century. He was declaring that a new nation was born and by his use of the power vested in him BY THE PEOPLE, he was letting all the world know that the new nation would not be destroyed by force, from without or within.

But Andy Biggshot isn't the Father of a New Nation. His charge is much different.

By the way, here are a couple of other George Washington quotes for you to chew on:

I have no other view than to promote the public good, and am unambitious of honors not founded in the approbation of my Country.

In less than a minute and a half, Biggshot makes it very clear that he is NOT interested in promoting the public good. In fact, he used Washington to justify quite the opposite of public good. He clearly espouses neoliberalism and no doubt was jumping for joy at yesterday's McCutcheon ruling by the Supreme Court. Washington also said,

Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.

Might he have been intending to warn US (you and me) against scoundrels like Biggs? One more,

Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience.

Clearly having betrayed the trust the people of Arizona have put in him as Senate President, Biggs has snuffed out whatever spark of conscience he may once (if ever) have had. It is important to recognize that government IS raw power, and we need, now more than ever, for those lawmakers who do recognize they are charged with serving the public good to Represent.Us more forcefully and vigorously than ever.

In light of McCutcheon, I give you a snippet of what that ruling may mean for us in the near term.



Consider Arizona Republic columnist EJ Montini's reflection, just after Charles Keating died,

I was in the room full of reporters years ago when Charlie Keating, then accused of racketeering, fraud and conspiracy, as well as influence-peddling, was asked by a reporter if his political donations to five U.S. senators, including our own Sen. John McCain and then-Sen. Dennis DeConcini, had spurred the politicians to intervene on his behalf.

"I want to say in the most forceful way I can, I certainly hope so," Keating said.

So, Arizona Democrats and anyone ready to end the immoral journey Biggs and his GOP cronies have set us to, RISE UP! 

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By the way, I have another post begging to get written, about redistricting and the AP news story that showed up on Sunday out of the blue. But it's too late tonight for me to do another one. So, be on the lookout for it Thursday evening.