No More Mr. Nice Guy!

Bend it like Mecham

The Arid Zone has a long and colorful history of corrupt and/or clueless governors who couldn't seem to complete a term because their shenanigans eventually became too brazen to ignore. Used-car salesman, unabashed racist and ethical pygmy Ev Mecham was the most bombastic, but the state has also had to endure the bank fraudster Fife Symington and the arrogant, remote and ineffectual Jane Hull (burn, baby, burn) among others.

Finally in 2002, Arizona got a competent governor in Janet Napolitano, whose pragmatic, no-nonsense leadership has been a breath of fresh air and has made her a rarity in the state - a Democratic politician with enormous popularity. So much so that, rather astoundingly, the GOP has had a hard time coming up with a candidate to challenge her when she runs for re-election this year. A veritable who's who of Arizona (and carpetbagger) Republicans have been courted by the party, floated their names as a candidate, and suddenly bowed out with some feeble excuse after taking one look at Janet's ratings. It's been quite entertaining for those of us in the sanity-based community.

Finally, the rethugs remembered their most basic strategy: when in doubt, lurch further to the right. Get the neanderthal base riled up over divisive wedge issues so they will march in lockstep to the polls and commit economic suicide by voting for a small, privileged clique of insiders and crony corporatists who loot and plunder the treasury to gorge themselves on tax cuts, handouts and pork. Rinse and repeat. That's why ultra-conservative rabble-rouser Len Munsil is emerging as the 'thug candidate to challenge Napolitano.

Munsil has a national high profile among the anti-sex christian right for his epic prudishness and his leadership of a like-minded clique of blue-nosed busybodies determined to police every bedroom in the land. (As late as 2001, it was a crime in Arizona for any couple, even if married, to have sex without intent to procreate!)

The groundwork for Munsil's campaign was laid years ago, in conjunction with the former speaker of the Arizona House, Jeff Groscost, a blatantly corrupt buffoon who single-handedly almost bankrupted the state with his alt-fuels boondoggle (though his friends and cronies made out like bandits, buying expensive, gas-guzzling SUV's and having the taxpayer pick up the tab). Also involved was Nathan Sproul, a Phoenix GOP consultant who, evidence suggests, was the central coordinator of the Republican dirty tricks and voter suppression operations in the 2004 presidential election.

The Holy Trinity of Munsil, Groscost and Sproul have been cosy for some time. Groscost, no doubt itching to return to power and seeing Munsil as his meal ticket, recently wrote an editorial in the Arizona Repulsive that was a self-parody of lunatic right paranoia: Munsil is going to rescue real Arizonans from a "wave of ultraliberalism", "union thugs" and Democratic voters who live in "bars and alleys". Ultraliberalism in Arizona? That's hysterical!

But it's not such a laughing matter when Groscost makes his agenda clear. He is going to spend millions playing the gay marriage card, whipping up hatred and bigotry, trying to convince everyone that if Napolitano is re-elected, Camelback Mountain will become Brokeback Mountain. Needless to say, Groscost and Sproul are both key backers of the "Protect Marriage" initiative, a pointless, petty and mean-spirited campaign which will hurt gays and straights alike and is designed purely to inflame the passions of the unthinking fundagelical vote. If Groscost succeeds in whipping up enough bigotry and hatred, his boy will sail into the governor's office, and appoint Groscost himself to some plum position where he once again gets his grubby paws on our tax dollars. Already school vouchers are being set up as the next alt-fuel gravy train.

Arizona is a microcosm of red-state America and an object lesson in how the extreme right seizes and maintains power. They are despicable in their naked greed, cynicism, corruption, hypocrisy and all-round sleaziness. How long are they going to get away with it?