Arizona's Axis of Hysteria

John Dougherty.
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Arizona
Posted: July 14, 2010 01:29 PM
Huffington Post

Maricopa County (AZ) Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Arizona state Senator Russell Pearce have teamed up to create a parasitic fund-raising web site, BanAmnestyNow.com.

This is a cynical attempt to boost their political careers and enrich their Republican cronies by whipping up still more division and fear-mongering in Arizona.

I dub their latest bid for money and power as the Arpaio/Pearce Axis of Hysteria.

Arpaio shamelessly bills himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff." He's also currently under federal grand jury investigation for abuse of power.

Pearce, who introduced the infamous Arizona Senate Bill 1070, which would make the state safe for racial profiling, was once a Maricopa County sheriff's deputy. Today, when he isn't plotting to make life miserable for brown-skinned people, Pearce pals around with avowed neo-Nazis.

With Arizona families suffering through one of the worst economic declines in generations, the Arpaio/Pearce Axis of Hysteria responds not by rallying Americans to help others in need, but by fomenting more resentment and pursuing a policy that will only exacerbate the Great Recession.

How did we get SB1070? Sen. John McCain and other congressional leaders failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform in 2007. McCain, a big proponent of that federal bill, instead wound up forsaking a golden opportunity so he could salvage his Republican bid for the presidency.

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