The Republic has been pounding the Fiesta Bowl story for months, and in today's Republic editorial, the paper made a major admission....well actually three admissions. Check out these few sentences:
Many of the legislators on the receiving end of the Fiesta Bowl cornucopia -- with both parties amply represented -- argue that they did nothing wrong and simply got caught up in murky rules and reporting requirements.
Exactly. Arizonans don't need a game of "gotcha" at the Legislature.
What? Let's start with the last sentence. Arizonans don't need a game of "gotcha" at the Legislature? The Republic has written scores of "gotcha" pieces aimed at Legislators. Have they suddenly decided that these pieces were not appropriate?
Now let's move up to the parenthetical in the first sentence: "with both parties amply represented". Really? BOTH parties were involved? Even Democrats? The stories that I read ignored Paula Aboud, Robert Meza and Ed Pastor and focused almost exclusively on Republicans...and by "Republicans" I mean Russell Pearce.
Finally, let's look at the first sentence and the Republic's response to it.
Many of the legislators on the receiving end of the Fiesta Bowl cornucopia argue that they did nothing wrong and simply got caught up in murky rules and reporting requirements.
Exactly.
Exactly? The Republic is conceding that what the Legislators have been saying all along is CORRECT. They did nothing wrong and simply got caught up in murky rules and reporting requirements.
I could show you dozens of examples, but check out this editorial in which the Republic plays "gotcha" and mocks Russell Pearce for his attempts to explain his trips...under rules that the Republic now concedes are "murky".
So if the Legislators have been right all along, why has the Republic ridiculed and mocked them for months? If the public doesn't need a game of "gotcha", why has the Republic been playing gotcha with with legislators? If the Republic is conceding that what legislators have been saying all along is actually correct and at the same time arguing that the "gotcha" game is inappropriate, then where is the Republic's apology?
My guess is that the management waiting to run the apology story on Sunday so it has a bigger audience....ha, I slay me.
The story was more fun when the Republic could blast Russell Pearce, the left's latest bogeyman (and he's baaaaccckkk). But now as we approach the election season and there were--gasp!--Democrats in the mix as well, the Republic has to give them cover. So their attempt to take this "scandal" out of the discussion. Clever; deceptive, but clever.
Posted by: RonJ | March 20, 2012 at 01:27 PM
"The stories that I read ignored Paula Aboud, Robert Meza and Ed Pastor and focused almost exclusively on Republicans...and by "Republicans" I mean Russell Pearce."
Are there Green Party members or Independents in the Legislature? What does "almost exclusively" mean? Is that like being "almost pregnant"?
Posted by: westsider | March 20, 2012 at 03:03 PM
Breaking news: after an exhaustive 10 month long search, the Arizona Republic is about to break the news. Russell Pearce found the cancelled checks!! He paid for those football tickets, just like he said. He paid for the hotel rooms, the meals, and even the limosine rides to the games right out of his own pocket, just like he told us. The Republic will be running the story and issuing a full front page article begging Pearce for forgiveness in tomorrow's paper.
"I paid for those football tickets."
You can make all the excuses you want. Murky rules. (Who wrote the murky rules, anyway? The legislature?) Democrats did it too. None of it explains or justifies a lie.
"I paid for those football tickets."
He's baaaack, all right. Just as big a liar as ever. Facing at least one if not two very strong primary opponents. He'll lose. Big time. He's earned it.
Character counts.
Posted by: Brother Lester | March 20, 2012 at 08:39 PM
..."He's baaaack, all right. Just as big a liar as ever. Facing at least one if not two very strong primary opponents. He'll lose. Big time. He's earned it."
Shouldn't you welcome the effort BL?
Doesn't Russell's decision give the Democrats an oppertunity to prove the public is moving their way?
Isn't all the ballyhoo'd shilling for bi-partisanship, open primaries, support for the IRC, and in general the repudiation of our current historic conservative numbers in the state house - a narrative (including defining public corruption by the Republic exemplified with the Fiesta B) best represented by 'taking down' the already recalled Pearce?
One would think, given Obama's insistance (and his minions here) that ARIZONA is in 'play' you folks should be estatic.
Posted by: Phoenix48 | March 20, 2012 at 09:47 PM
Interesting. I don't think any of the articles I read during the Fiesta Bowl fiasco mentioned any Democrats. I'm glad it helped bring Pearce down but the Republic's blatant bias is disturbing not to mention unprofessional and is why I canceled my subscription.
Posted by: Oranje Mike | March 20, 2012 at 10:06 PM
Ms Lopez, out of Tucson, she of "Tucson shooter is an Iraq vet" fame, was one of those leggies partaking. Had to look real hard in the rag's "reporting" to find it.
Posted by: chick | March 20, 2012 at 10:22 PM
It didn't take the Republic (the Arizona Democratic Party's and moderate Republicans' Super PAC) long to give Russell Pearce's opponent a flowery piece. Laurie Roberts (Wed 3/21) gave this unknown, until now, thousands of dollars worth of unpaid campaign propoganda. Nice touch, Laurie, claiming Pearce "burned a fair number of bridges with the Mormon Church." Really? The Mormon Church (or at least a fair number) opposes Pearce? I assume she means a fair number of the members of the Church in his former district. The Church stays out of endorsing or opposing candidates for office. They do reserve the right to comment on and be involved in issues of morality, but do not weigh in on candidates. Ironically, the new district Pearce is in may be more Pearce-friendly. But we can count on the Republic giving any Pearce opponent plenty of free advertising while blasting a true patriot. After all, Worsley is--ready for it?--a conservative entrepreneur, LDS, and an Eagle Scout. He couldn't get his anti-SB1070 rants on his blog down fast enough. They've been captured and are sure to be used against him by Pearce supporters. It's tough to fight against 70% of the state, isn't it Laurie?
Posted by: RonJ | March 21, 2012 at 03:09 PM
Ok, Westsider... I'm glad you acknowledge that the "almost" probably shouldn't be there, that the Republic focused exclusively (not 'almost' exclusively) on Republicans although there were Democrats also involved, and that, by extension, the Republic is highly biased toward the left.
No, strike "highly"... they're just flat out a propaganda provider for the Democrats.
Posted by: PaulS | March 21, 2012 at 03:23 PM
Damn, ePundit, you "slay" us all!
Posted by: Mike Rowley | March 21, 2012 at 03:44 PM
"Arizonans don't need a game of "gotcha" at the Legislature."
What the Republic is saying is that Arizonans don't need gotcha games among the legislators, because that's the job of the Republic. And yes, even tho the paper's reporters have focused exclusively on Republicans so far, they're sure to go after Dems any time now -- soon, very soon. I'm sure of it.
Posted by: George | March 21, 2012 at 06:20 PM
PaulS, You write, "No, strike "highly"... they're just flat out a propaganda provider for the Democrats."
If this is true, why do they endorse as many or more Republicans than Democrats each election cycle?
Posted by: westsider | March 22, 2012 at 10:55 AM
Pearce wasn'[t brought down by the Fiesta Bowl "scandal." He was brought down by overstepping with the bigoted legislation he pushed through the legislature.
Surely, he will get elected again. But at least we were rid of him for a few months.
As for blaming the "murky" rules .... that may mean they didn't break any laws, but who's to deny that the FB wasn't trying to buy their favors/votes.
Posted by: Grover | March 22, 2012 at 01:17 PM
westsider: The Republic endorses "many or more Republicans than Democrats" for several reasons, the most obvious being there are more safe Republican districts (and positions available) so the Republic, playing politics and at least occasionally using common sense, will endorse a sure winner. Another reason is there are so few qualified Democrats. ;-)
Posted by: RonJ | March 22, 2012 at 01:50 PM
Ron J: if 70 percent of the state supports SB 1070, how did Pearce wind up with 43 percent in a recall election in which he outspent his opponent by something like 10 to 1?
Posted by: Jeff Campbell | March 22, 2012 at 01:53 PM
Jeff Campbell; if SB1070 ISN'T supported overwhelmingly by Arizonians - why do Democrates have the tinyest minority since we were still a Territory?
Posted by: Phoenix48 | March 22, 2012 at 05:54 PM
Jeff Campbell: Russell Pearce and his supporters didn't outspend Jerry Lewis and his supporters 10-1 (I've told you a million times not to exaggerate). In fact, if you add in all the tens of thousands of dollars from the Arizona Republic and other media opposing Pearce, he was far outspent by Lewis/supporters. The anti-Pearce forces also included national unions, the Democratic Party and squishy Republicans. It was unique, unprecedented. The election hasn't changed support for SB1070, so what's your point? Nice try, though. Thanks for playing.
Posted by: RonJ | March 23, 2012 at 01:19 PM
Mr. Pearce will be back, thanks to the obvious BS and games his opponents are and have played.the left has always believed that people are stupid, trouble is that alwaysleads to sloppy work on their part.
Posted by: Joe Stalin | March 24, 2012 at 11:09 AM