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An official from the aptly-named group By Any Means Necessary is quoted today in the Omaha World-Herald, on why her group is trying to disrupt the signature-gathering efforts of Ward Connerly, who is leading an effort in Nebraska (and Colorado and Arizona) to pass a ballot initiative that would ban preferences based on race, ethnicity, and sex: "The key to defeating the initiative is to keep it off the ballot in the first place. That's the only way we're going to win.” The Left, as you know, favors democracy, power to the people, and nondiscrimination, except when it doesn’t.

Democrat State Rep. Mark DeSimone was arrested outside his home after police found evidence that his wife had been assaulted.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Two medical helicopters collided in mid-air Sunday afternoon in Flagstaff less than a mile from a medical center, killing seven people, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said. All three people on one of the helicopters were killed, including a patient and the pilot, said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. Four others were killed and three critically injured in the midair collision, Gregor said. Tom Boughner with the Flagstaff Police Department said he wasn't sure if they were all on the second helicopter or whether some were on the ground. The FAA said one of the helicopters was operated...

It is a steel and concrete corridor that will run right through the Old Pueblo, connecting Mexico City to Edmonton, Alberta. Its purpose is to facilitate trade among the three countries and minimize traffic and congestion for residents. Or is it evidence of a move afoot to intertwine the three North American countries and blur the lines of sovereignty? That's a matter of opinion.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- McCain appealed to Hispanic voters Saturday with a message against raising taxes and highlighting his patriotism alongside Latinos during the Vietnam War. McCain told the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials it is a “terrible mistake to raise taxes during an economic downturn” and said increasing business and individual tax rates could hurt Latino businesses.

Police documents show that at least one of the suspects involved in a home invasion and homicide were active members of the Mexican Army. View Police Documents: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 A top member of a Phoenix police union is standing by reports that at least one of the men involved in a Monday morning home invasion and homicide was an active member in the Mexican Army. Click Here for the update. "Even if you put aside the Mexican military, you have illegals in the country...they're protected with tactical gear using tactical strategies in police uniforms willing to...

 PHOENIX, AZ, June 26, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On Tuesday, the State of Arizona passed a bill known as "Jesse's Law", which will help protect incapacitated patients from being euthanized.  The new law, inspired by the ordeal of Jesse Ramirez, closed a loophole in the decision-making process for patients who are physically unable to communicate their wishes regarding medical care.House Bill 2823 establishes a court process to obtain an emergency order to prevent a surrogate decision-maker from withdrawing the administration of food or fluid from an incapacitated patient.Jesse Ramirez was seriously injured in a May 30, 2007, car accident. Barely 10...

Six men in police tactical clothing are suspected of shooting a man to death, firing more than 100 rounds into his Phoenix home in what some are calling a Mexican drug cartel hit. Special Assignments Units heard shots coming from a nearby neighborhood and began to drive toward the noise Sunday. Detectives said once police gained entry into the home, they found the body of Andrew Williams, 30, shot numerous times, according to Arizona Daily News. "We have seen an increasing amount of these type of violent crimes in the past five months," Phoenix Police Sgt. Joel Tranter said. "We...

If you have a moment, please email Ben at Border Stories and let know what you think. ben@borderstories.org (Note the close up on the "Free Ramos and Compean" and "Duncan Hunter for President" signs.) THANKS!!

Police reports show that three men arrested in a Phoenix home invasion and homicide Monday may have been active members of the Mexican Army. While on the J.D. Hayworth show, Phoenix Law Enforcement Association President Mark Spencer said that the men involved were hired by drug cartels to perform home invasions and assassinations. The Monday morning incident at 8329 W. Cypress St. resulted in the death of the homeowner. Between 50 and 100 rounds were fired at the house. Spencer said a police officer told him that one of the men captured said they were completely prepared to ambush Phoenix...

The woman who wants to be the next Republican First Lady pledged today to expand her humanitarian work if she makes it into the White House, taking inspiration from the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Speaking ahead of a political fundraiser in London tonight, Cindy McCain said that she felt "very honoured" to serve on the boad of the Halo Trust, the Anglo-American anti-landmine charity endorsed by Diana and which organised her controversial walk through an Angolan minefield in 1997, the year of her death. Speaking to The Times, Mrs McCain said of Diana: "She was (a) great inspiration to...

Vest, shirt, badge - check. Pants, boots, gun belt - check. About 800 Phoenix police officers and up to 400 Mesa officers believe changing into and out of their uniforms each day is doing work, so they've sued in federal court to be paid for their time. U.S. District Judge Neil V. Wake ruled in April that the Mesa Police Association shouldn't receive any money, according to court records, but the union has recently appealed the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The lawsuit has cost Mesa more than $187,600 to fight so far, according to public...

The number of illegal immigrants dying in the deserts of Yuma County have decreased because they are trickling through other sectors to cross the border, the Border Patrol says. The increased manpower along the border, with the help of of the National Guard and the new 52-mile border fence, are prime reasons that illegal immigrants are being deterred from crossing through the sector, said Eric Anderson, border patrol agent at the Yuma Sector.  Four bodies were found in the Yuma sector between Oct. 1 and May 31, the first eight months of the current 2008 fiscal year that ends Sept. 30....

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Flagstaff) and Bob Lord (D-Phoenix) to its Red to Blue program. Kirkpatrick is running against Sydney Hay (R-Munds Park) in the 1st Congressional District for the seat being vacated by Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Flagstaff). Lord is competing against current congressman John Shadegg (R-Phoenix) in the 3rd Congressional District. The Red to Blue program will provide candidates with economic and strategic assistance, including increased exposure. In the 2006 election cycle, the program raised nearly $22.6 million for Democratic candidates. Chris Van Hollen, Chairman of the DCCC, said in a statement, "The candidates...

Frustrated by a steady flow of illegal Mexican immigrants into Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has decided to take matters into his own hands. He has drawn support and opposition in equal measure for his treatment of prisoners, which includes re-introducing chain gangs and making prisoners wear pink underwear. Now he's under fire for dispatching teams of sheriff's deputies into Hispanic communities where they stop people and arrest anyone who cannot prove he or she is a legal U.S. resident. It has brought an onslaught of criticism from Hispanic activists, local lawmakers and the Phoenix mayor, who call his crackdown on...

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2008 – A congressman from Arizona has recognized a group from his state for its continued dedication to supporting the troops. U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell honored Packages From Home on June 14 for its efforts and continued support for the nation’s servicemembers and for their dedication in providing care packages to U.S. troops. Packages From Home is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad. Mitchell recognized Kathleen Lewis and Lisa Benson -- president and executive director, respectively, of Packages...

Toughest sheriff in US vows no let up in immigration fight      He's been described as Hitler and a member of the Klu Klux Klan by Hispanic critics and immigrant rights groups, but Sheriff Joe Arpaio prefers to see himself as an equal opportunities advocate. "We lock everybody up," he says. Arpaio, the self-styled "toughest sheriff in America" has ruled his fifedom in Arizona's Maricopa County with a steely, zero-tolerance that has enraged human rights activists but delighted headline-writers the world over. Demonstrations and picket lines follow his sweeps of largely Hispanic neighborhoods. He's been criticized by mayors...

Last week was tempestuous among defenders of the embattled school choice programs for disabled and foster children. Following an East Valley Tribune report and an article published here by Tim Keller of the Institute for Justice reporting that Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne had decided not to award vouchers next year, Horne responded with a memorandum provocatively entitled “Lies from the Goldwater Institute” denying that he had done so. The Arizona Republic weighed in for Horne, blasting Keller and the Goldwater Institute for assertions that were “insulting” and untrue. Horne and the Republic simply are wrong. Though the Court...

FORT HUACHUCA — For more than two centuries, the U.S. Army has fought and won the nation’s wars. But during the 233 years, America’s senior service also has saved lives, delivered clean food and water to refugees, and upheld “democracy in Iraq and ensuring peace in Afghanistan,” the fort’s senior officer said on Friday. “Whatever the mission, America turns to her Army for help during times of crises, and the Army always delivers success,” said Maj. Gen. John Custer, looking across Chaffee Parade Field with a large representation of soldiers from a number of units in front of him. Those...

*Unconfirmed Reports of three killed* 1:02 a.m. June 14, 2008 CAMPO – At least three people were hit by gunfire Friday night on the Mexican side of the border near Campo, authorities said. The California Highway Patrol said several shooting victims came across the border. The shootings occurred some time after 10 p.m. A Heartland fire dispatcher said he knew of three victims, but that the Border Patrol had said there were more. The dispatcher said he did not know if anyone was killed. Border Patrol officials were unavailable to comment on what occurred. Ambulances were sent to state Route...

The father of four children, two found walking on a freeway on-ramp and two found home alone Thursday morning, has been arrested. The mother's whereabouts remain unknown. Detective Reuben Gonzales said the father was taken into custody just moments after he came home. "What possible excuse he could have for leaving his children alone since eight o'clock last night - that will all be determined," said Gonzales. Authorities said a morning commuter found the 1- and 3-year-old siblings on the southbound I-17 freeway on-ramp at Glendale Avenue, called 911 and stayed with them until police arrived. "All things considered, time...

Two political rivals have united behind the idea of putting more information in the hands of taxpayers. John McCain and Barack Obama have joined with two other senators to introduce S 3077, the Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008. This follows on the heels of a law passed in 2006 that created the website, USASpending.gov, up and running right now and full of good information, as the Arizona Republic has pointed out. Among other pieces of information is that Arizona benefitted from $5 billion in federal contracts in 2000. By 2007, that had doubled to more...

This summer, the Olympic Games in Beijing will highlight the best athletes in the world. Some Olympic sports, like basketball, will feature professional superstars in a modern day “dream team.� But most sports, true to the Olympic tradition, will highlight the best amateur athletes in the world. Colleges have long served as a training ground for elite amateur athletes, but, unfortunately, several Olympic sports have been under attack on colleges across the country. Sports — especially those like men’s gymnastics and wrestling — are endangered species on campuses where few programs remain and more get cut each year. Athletes at...

ONLY SHERIFF CAN SET JAIL VISITATION HOURS Phoenix, AZ - The Arizona Supreme Court handed Sheriff Joe Arpaio a sweet and presumably final victory today in a bitterly fought battle between himself, the county public defender’s office and Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Anna Baca.At issue: who really runs the Maricopa County jail system? The Sheriff? The Superior Court Judges? Or defense attorneys? The legal question arose when inmate attorneys, probation officers and psychologists filed numerous complaints against the Sheriff after Arpaio adjusted inmate visitation hours last November in response to budget shortfalls. Attorneys and others claimed the cutback in...

Every 26 seconds, a student drops out of high school in the United States. National test scores reveal that half of all low-income fourth graders cannot read. Given such alarming statistics, you’d think that helping at-risk kids would be the top education-related priority on Capitol Hill. Apparently not. As far as Congress is concerned, the real problem with public education in America is that it’s not environmentally friendly enough. Last Wednesday, the House passed the “21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act.” The Congressional Budget Office projects the program would cost $20.3 billion over five years. For years, the...

Arizona's scholarship programs for children with disabilities and children in foster care have given hope to hundreds of children. Hope for a good education. Hope for a better future. For hundreds of children receiving scholarships this hope has become reality. Sadly, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne told the East Valley Tribune that their hopes are coming to an end: No new scholarships will issue for next school year. This comes on the heels of a May 15, 2008, decision from the Arizona Court of Appeals saying that the scholarship programs violate the Arizona Constitution. But the Court of Appeals...

I got a note Wednesday evening from the HuffPo PR gang about Sam Stein’s discovery that John McCain had launched a redesigned website that had some similarities to Barack Obama’s. Or, as it was put in the inimitable HuffPo style, “McCain Rips Off Obama’s Slogan And Logo.” As to the first: On Tuesday, the Senator co-opted the slogan that has come to personify Obama’s candidacy, taking the Illinois Democrat’s “Change You Can Believe In” and altering it into “A Leader You Can Believe In.” The similarity is too close to be an accident. My guess is that this is a...

Ward Connerly's critics often blame the success of the millionaire businessman's anti-affirmative-action campaign on some dubious political sleight of hand. Now they'd like to make the former UC regent's controversial initiative disappear before it reaches the ballot in five states. Connerly's measure won handily in his home state of California and in Washington and Michigan, affecting race- or gender-based programs in public employment, education and contracting. Connerly spearheaded California's Proposition 209 in 1996, which amended the state constitution to outlaw race and gender-based preferences in state hiring and state university admissions. His twelve-year tenure on the Board of Regents ended...

Our view: Hispanic Institute's boycott of CNN over Lou Dobbs puts networks on notice public won't tolerate hateful lies Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.08.2008 advertisementThe Hispanic Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group, last week launched a national boycott of CNN, the cable news channel, to highlight unrelenting and erroneous attacks against Latino immigrants by talk-show host Lou Dobbs.

BISBEE — An employee of American Border Patrol, a non-governmental organization, was threatened on Thursday by a suspected smuggler near the U.S.-Mexico border near Palominas. At about 2:15 p.m. Thursday, Mike Christie was driving a quad on the group’s ranch toward Border Monument Road on his way to Highway 92. Christie saw a white pickup truck heading north and he suspected the driver was involved in nefarious activity. “As he approached it, the fellow turned around and went back to the border,” said Glenn Spencer, president of American Border Patrol. A short time later, the man revved the engine of...

Arizona is awash in federal money. In fiscal year (FY) 2007, Arizona received close to $8.5 billion in federal funds. This money funds programs that most Arizonans are familiar with, such as Medicaid and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Even though the inflow of federal dollars appears attractive, there is a catch: As federal dollars flow in, state dollars are fixed to ever-growing demands connected to these programs. In 2000, the State of Arizona used general funds at close to $463 million for Medicaid alone. By 2005, that figure had risen to $914 million, and it is projected...

PHOENIX -- Two men opened fire on a marked patrol car Tuesday night, Phoenix police said. Police said the men fired at the two-man patrol car from a maroon Chevrolet Tahoe around 10:40 p.m. in west Phoenix. The officers followed the Tahoe about 5 miles before the men stopped the SUV and fled on foot into an apartment complex, police said. Officers set up a perimeter in the area and used K-9 units to search for the men. Police said both men were taken into custody, though one was bitten by a police dog. The men initally gave police false...

PHOENIX -- A Phoenix homeowner shot and killed a home invader who had kicked in the front door of the house and was attempting to break into the bedroom where he and his family were sleeping, Phoenix police said. The victim died at the scene near 59th Avenue and Thomas Road, investigators said. The unidentified 38-year-old homeowner awoke and found the man was carrying a weapon, police said. The resident pulled out a rifle and opened fire, killing the intruder, officers said.

The Arizona State Bar is on a rampage to suppress free-speech rights.  It is inherently dangerous to confer the coercive powers of government upon a guild. Exhibit A: the Arizona State Bar, which is on a rampage to suppress free-speech rights.The Bar has initiated several complaints against Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas in regard to his critical comments about Superior Court judges and his office's efforts to recuse a judge for allegedly failing to enforce a voter initiative. Wise and temperate or not, such criticisms are at the core of constitutionally protected speech, and the Bar's campaign against Thomas is...

It is inherently dangerous to confer the coercive powers of government upon a guild. Exhibit A: the Arizona State Bar, which is on a rampage to suppress free-speech rights. The Bar has initiated several complaints against Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas in regard to his critical comments about Superior Court judges and his office’s efforts to recuse a judge for allegedly failing to enforce a voter initiative. Wise and temperate or not, such criticisms are at the core of constitutionally protected speech, and the Bar’s campaign against Thomas is sure to chill the exercise of those rights. Thomas enlisted several...

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer assigned to the San Luis, Ariz., port of entry and four others face various immigrant smuggling charges in a 22-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury. The officer, Jose Carmelo Magana of Yuma, is accused of accepting bribes from four others to allow illegal immigrants to be smuggled through the port of entry from October 2007 through May of this year. Also charged are Ana Calderon, 28, of San Luis, Ariz., and four residents of neighboring San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., identified in the indictment as Jesus Gastelum-Rodriguez, 41, Guadalupe Milan de...

A recent editorial in the Arizona Daily Star takes the view that payday loans should be outlawed in Arizona, as scheduled, in 2010. Payday loans are very small loans that accept future paychecks as collateral and charge high fees and rates of interest. . While I agree with the Star that it's not good for people to be using payday loans on a regular basis, I think the choice should be left to individuals, not government. Generally, it's a bad idea to finance a business startup with credit cards. But I know a millionaire who did exactly that to get...

Arizona's scholarship programs for children with disabilities and children in foster care have given hope to hundreds of children. Hope for a good education. Hope for a better future. For hundreds of children receiving scholarships, this hope has become reality. Sadly, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has decided to take away their hope. Tom Horne has decided to put the programs "on hold." He says he does not intend to issue scholarships to any families next year. Horne's justification is a May 15, 2008 decision from the Arizona Court of Appeals, which ruled that the scholarship programs violate the...

Sunday’s Arizona Republic had a cover story on Phoenix-area traffic congestion that reaffirmed my belief that we’re stuck in traffic because we’re stuck in some very limiting ways of thinking. The article described four major traffic bottlenecks and the improvements that are planned to alleviate them. Funding for each project, or lack thereof, was shown. The article was so depressing that desperate readers (and commuters) could easily reach the wrong conclusion that a tax increase to fund transportation improvements is a good idea. By focusing on the trees--four very real bottlenecks--The Arizona Republic missed the forest, which is that Phoenix...

The Bar retaliates by removing its own former Bar President from leadership, and state legislators call for restructuring the Bar to eliminate much of its power.    After several legal ethics experts issued opinions declaring that the AZ State Bar's investigation of Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas was meritless, the Bar took swift action against one of those experts - its own former Bar president Ernest Calderon. Calderon's opinion was issued on Wednesday, May 28. The Bar retaliated against him by removing him from his position representing the Bar nationally the next day.The state legislature jumped into the fray...

AIMS has suffered what ought to be its final indignity. The legislature passed "AIMS Augmentation" in order to allow 6,000 high school seniors to graduate despite an inability to pass what at most amounts to a test of basic skills. If you can't pass a tenth grade level test, the original thinking went, you don't deserve to graduate from high school. A diploma should mean something, and students need an incentive to work hard. After delaying the graduation requirement several times, the legislature has effectively killed it through easily obtained bonus points. Using AIMS as an exit exam was never...

WASHINGTON – President Bush was the headliner last week at three fundraisers for Sen. John McCain. But as happy as he was to accept the help to raise badly needed money, McCain did everything he could to push the unpopular president out of the headlines. Events in Arizona and Utah were moved out of big public arenas and into private homes. The only public sighting of the two men together was the briefest of handshakes at an Arizona airport, timed late in the day after the network news broadcasts. For Bush, it reflects his status as a lame duck with...

This morning at around 7:30 a.m. on CNN it was reported that Mr. McCain spent 2 hours at a hospital yesterday. No reason given for the visit. I believe the report was that he was at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Has anyone heard anything more about this??? There is no link on Google or Drudge as to this visit but it was seen on CNN this morning.

RIP – DancesWithCats Freeper DancesWithCats (Peiggi Clemens). Returned to her maker May 1, 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona. She had suffered for many years with scleroderma, an autoimmune deficiency problem & was hospitalized under the care of an oncologist & receiving chemotherapy at the time of her death. She was 55 years old. She leaves behind her son, mother and sister and her furry friends (both dogs & cats) and Freepers who got to know her at the Singles’ thread among other places at Free Republic. Her wit, concern for others & kind spirit will be her legacy for us...

Ernest Calderón A prominent Valley attorney says he is facing retaliation by the State Bar of Arizona for speaking out against the organization’s wide-ranging ethics probe of Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. Ernest Calderón learned on Friday the State Bar plans to remove him from a position he has held since 2004 representing the organization on the national stage. Thomas to seek another term as county attorney Ethics investigations target Thomas office The reason? “Because I said something positive about Andy Thomas,” Calderón said. The lawyer was one of several who went on record with the Arizona Supreme Court this...

U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords says she's just as excited and nervous as family members of other astronauts. Never mind that she's making a little history as the wife of 6 months to Mark Kelly, commander of space shuttle Discovery. The shuttle is supposed to launch this afternoon. Giffords wanted to make it clear she wasn't there as a member of Congress. She was there as the anxious wife. The Arizona politician says she couldn't be prouder of her husband. She had no connection to NASA before meeting Kelly. But she is a member of the House Science and Technology Committee,...

There were moments when John McCain had no idea if his friend even knew he was there. For eight long years, at least once a month, McCain would drive to the veterans' hospital in Washington, D.C., to sit for hours at the bedside of his political mentor, Morris Udall. The legendary liberal Democrat had been first admitted in 1990 suffering from the effects of Parkinson's. By the end, the debilitating disease had taken away Udall's ability to speak and to recognize visitors. But McCain still went, bringing newspaper clippings about subjects that Udall loved most, like the environment and Native...

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe's top casino executive encouraged tribal members to vote early last week by offering free meals at Casino del Sol worth up to $20 per vote. Like laws governing Arizona and federal elections, the tribe's code makes it unlawful to give anything of value to someone as an incentive to vote or to refrain from voting. CEO Wendell Long issued a memo on the eve of early voting for the Tribal Council that urged tribal gaming enterprise employees to clear it with supervisors and then "leave their work post to cast their vote." "As a small token...

05/30/2008 The day McCain showed his colors By: Jo Baeza , The Independent WHITERIVER - It's been nearly 20 years since I sat next to Sen. John McCain in a helicopter flying over the White Mountains, but I remember my impression of the man: a steady gaze, keen intellect and a passion to do what is right. On March 29, 1989, the White Mountain Apache Tribe honored McCain as a warrior and as a United States senator. At the time, I was editor of the tribal newspaper, the Fort Apache Scout. Photographer Bennett Cosay, Stewart Nicholas and I were invited...

Come November, voters will decide on more than half a million federal, state and local officeholders and ballot initiatives. Ninety-nine percent of these decisions will matter less than will the five civil rights initiatives that might be on the ballots in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri. If the initiatives qualify for those states' ballots, all probably will pass. But the initiatives must surmount ferocious opposition from defenders of racial preferences, such as the politicians who administer and benefit from Missouri's racial spoils system. The crux of the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative (MoCRI) would amend that state's constitution to say:...