Somewhere in a lonely hotel room there's a guy starting to realize that eternal fate has turned its back on him.

Three major races have undergone bone crunching events in the last week and it's going to be interesting to see if the revelations have hit early enough in the voting cycle to make a difference.

I'm sure that you are familiar with two of the events.  Politico's revelation that Ben Quayle is one of the founders and early contributors of the Dirty Scottsdale site--together with Quayle's initial denial and eventual confirmation of the report--are casting serious doubts about his fitness as a candidate. 

Next, the release of the records in the Grand Jury proceeding demonstrates that Andrew Thomas was on a complete witch hunt against the County Supervisors.  Not only has his case completely fallen apart, but it was also clear that there was no case to begin with.  Grand Juries are designed to be able to indict a Ham Sandwich yet in this case, they told Thomas to pound sand and despite the rebuke, he continued his Captain Ahab-type pursuit of those refused to bow to his political will.

Then we have CD 8.  Tucson Tea Party Co-Founder Robert Mayer has sent out this extraordinary email to his 10,000 person distribution list and the initial distribution has been magnified many times as the original ricochets around Southern Arizona.  I first heard of it on the national site "Instapundit" and I've talked to several people who say that it's had a devastating effect on the Kelly campaign.

Click on the link above and read the whole letter, but here are the first four questions.

1) Why won't Jesse Kelly release his full military performance evaluation? Jesse Kelly says that he was a squad leader in the Marines, but his campaign has lied about releasing his full evaluation, and then only released his discharge papers. Brian Miller and Jonathan Paton have both released their full performance evaluations to the Pima County GOP, but Jesse Kelly either has not or will not. What is Jesse Kelly hiding?
 
2) Why won't Jesse Kelly release his high school transcripts? Jesse Kelly failed his classes and dropped out of college during his freshman year. Therefore, we know that he has a high school level education. Even back then, how well did he do in U.S. History and Government?
 
3) Why does a man who just registered as a Republican, and has never voted in a primary or municipal election in his life, think that he should be a United States Republican Congressman? Jesse Kelly became politically active for the first time in his life the day that he filed to run for Congress. This suggests that he never paid attention to the issues atall until Obama became president. His campaign manager and policy advisor, Adam Kwasman, is the person who crafts all of Jesse Kelly's positions. (Just ask him an in-depth policy question and see if he can fully answer it without rhetoric and one-liners).
 
4) How can Jesse Kelly possibly oppose earmarks and stimulus funds when his father's company receives tens of millions of dollars in stimulus funds? Don Kelly Construction, the company of Jesse Kelly's father, bids on and lobbies for projects that receive earmarks and stimulus funds. Just one of their projects alone, the Pima County sewer pipeline project, received $2 million in stimulus funds. While many construction companies bid on public works projects, it is safe to say that Don Kelly Construction may not even be in business if it weren't for stimulus funds propping up the company's projects. How can we trust that Jesse Kelly will actually fight against earmarks and stimulus funds if his family's business relies on them?

Comments

[JackL]

Ben Quayle is a complete embarrassment.

What's troubling is this joke would have probably won had the DirtyScottsdale revelations not come out.

How lazy are CD3 voters that they never vetted him until a few weeks before the election? The website doesn't trouble me nearly as much as the fact he's never had a real job or done anything in his life.

[Steve Calabrese]

This is why I hate early voting. So much stuff changes and we learn more about candidates as time goes on.

[Laura & Brandon]

Steve - - you have an excellent point, but that's why we never vote for a candidate that just arrives on scene and asks for a vote. We always pick the candidate that has with a proven record we can trust. None of this "I promise" garbage.

[Dewey]

#1. Not sure I care. Should I?

#2. Couldn't care less.

#3. This one does matter.

#4. Are we voting for the parents now?

I prefer Paton, and I live in CD5 so I'm just a spectator. But this seems more like desperate straw-grabbing than groundbreaking revelations.

[Karl]

Greg, you are a week behind on the CD 8 story. Here is the real story from RedState.
http://bit.ly/9hlNrf

[Bothered]

Greg, your not the only one trouble by the Thomas allegations. Barry Young this morning on his radio show called for Andy Thomas to pull out of the AG's race because of his ethical issues. He said if Thomas didn't withdraw, he hope the primary voters would withdraw Thomas from the race.

[Brian]

I love the picture of Thomas and his pornstache. A nice touch to your post.

[Mindy]

Jesse Kelly uploaded his service record on his web site a while ago. I really don't see what the issue is. Combat action ribbon, good conduct medal, etc. Looks good to me.
https://www.votejessekelly.com/files/images/DD-214_form.pdf

[Hank]

I'm not that concerned about the investigation into Thomas or his alleged misconduct. What I am concerned about is (a) he decided to grow a pornstahce, and (b) after he grew it, he looked in the mirror and thought, "Damn, that looks fantastic," and decided to distribute pictures of himself with said pornstache to the public. What does that say about his judgment and decision-making ability?

[Don't want Thomas to know my name]

He is using the distraction technique. If you get hypnotized by the pornstache, you'll never see who's hiding behind it.

The guy seriously looks like a hardcore West Hollywood leather clubber or worse. Oh, well. We can't all be beautiful like me.

[Matt]

A DD-214 is not the same as an efficiency report. An efficiency report is your superior's evaluation on your fitness as an officer or Non-Commissioned Officer.

If I was Jesse Kelly I would not want to be defended by a red state riposte of such little substance. The responses to it did a better job than the red state blurb.

I live in CD 8 and am not interested in a candidate that seems to have come politically aware just in time for an election cycle. That was one of the problems I had with Giffords, never heard of her until she was given Kilbe's seat. Never heard of Jesse Kelly until about January.

Jonathon Paton has a true record in the state legislature as a rep and a senator and as a U.S. Army Officer. Paton's recored can be examined for good, or ill, Kelly's can't.

[onehorsetown]

Robert Mayer must have been corrupted by John McCain and his minions ( like Grant Woods). They are experts in attacking people.
They've come out so viciously against Jesse Kelly. Sounds like a GREAT reason to VOTE FOR JESSE!

[PatonisaRINO]

"it's had a devastating effect on the Kelly campaign." Oh doesn't Paton wish after having Mayer do his dirty business for him. The only devastating thing I'm seeing here is for Paton - polls have Kelly anywhere from 8 to 19 points ahead of him.

[Allen]

Ben Quayle story is very damaging. May cost him. Parker the beneficiary?

The Thomas vs Horne is tougher to sort out. A lot of mudslinging and dirt on both sides.

The Jesse Kelly story is almost laughable. Its an obvious desperate attempt to distort the facts to try and save the fledgling Paton camp.

[Motivated Voter]

Man, if this is the best Arizona can do, we are all doomed.

Time to sweep aside all of the drama queens and perhaps elect some boring types who won't be indicted, caught on some elicit videotape or gain consensus through intimidation. Maybe even a few who prefer facts over ideological chest-thumping. I'll bet that there are some folks out there who can actually use a calculator and balance the budget as well.

Yo GOP & Dems - let me know if you have anyone that fits this description, and your candidate will get my vote. Anyone...anyone??

[Steve Calabrese]

Motivated voter:

Thayer Vershoor fits that description pretty well. Great guy, and wouldn't actually be ALLOWED to "balance the budget" as State Treasurer (that's a legislative job), but he would be very, very good at communicating where the money is actually going, and he'd also invest the State's financial holdings in a responsible manner.

[jack london]

This is why I like early voting, you vote for the guy who you most agree with, BEFORE all the mudslinging starts.

[Keri]

Greg I think you are calling it wrong in CD 8. Paton ignored Kelly for too long and not even last minute attack ads from Nathan Sproul can save Jonathan.

Kelly has been hammering Paton for his “Friend of Big Government” 2007 rating from Arizona Federation of Taxpayers. Ouch.

http://www.aztaxpayers.org/2007ScorecardChart.pdf

[Angelo]

The only thing "devestating" is how Robert Mayer sold his soul.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THROWING OUT THE BUMS?

WHAT HAPPENED TO MAYER AND HIS "SUPPORT OF CONSERVATIVES"?

isn't that what the Tea Party is/was all about?

Paton is a career politician looking for a "promotion". He cleaned up his act last year in anticipation of a run. Here are some facts put out by the JESSE KELLY campaign. review it here:

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.votejessekelly.com%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2FPatonReport.pdf&h=7b8f8-oLko80uLrmVHAQtc4axDg

I can not support moderate, RINO career politicians any longer. We need a TRUE conservative in Washington.

[Steve F.]

Giffords will beat Kelly like a drum in the general, and we'll be stuck with her for an eon afterwards because she'll essentially be unbeatable.

He was running first, but everybody smart knew the odds, and knew not to bother. That changed after she voted for the health care bill.

I want an effective representative for CD8. and Paton is it. He knows the political system, and likes to fight.

Need proof? Ask Janet. Paton was a painful thorn in her side, and I expect him to be a thorn in Obama's side, too.

Kelly wouldn't be effective, and I fully expect him to choose family interests (more construction stimulus) over what the voters desire.

A vote for Kelly is a vote for Giffords. PERIOD.

"True conservative" my a$$.

[AZVicki]

Didn't Paton lose to Gabby last time? What makes him different this time around?

[Nick]

AZVicki,

The difference is Obama throwing Arizona under the Bus.

Obama yes 41%
Obama no over 50%

[Nick]

AZVicki,

Informed Arizanyians know that TIM BEE ran against Gabby and was defeated in the Obama mass delusion of 2008!

Fool me once
Shame on you
Fool me twice
Shame on me!

Look for the crashed Gabby Giffords at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, a boneyard for obsolescence.

She may be parked in the B36 area or the TFX 111 area.

Whatever the area most readers will have no
clue about the described aircraft in the boneyard at Davis Monthan.

Just for interest Travis AFB museum in Kalifornia has the great C124 Globemaster
on display.

Unlike politicans The GlobeMaster engines never left a doubt about what was in the sky.

A proud Airman that was awakened many times by the engine sound of the C124 and B36 at Travis AFB.

[Nick]

AZVicki,

You might also tour of the WW2 aircraft Carrier Hornet at Alameda NAS and listen to
the narration about how the crew spent 15 months never leaving the duty station they were assigned to.

I assure you that is an experiance you do
not wish to have knowledge of.

Gabby Giffords might even applaud the devotion of the carrier crew instead of her membership in the soft underbelly of Liberal America!