Raising Arizona: Gabrielle Giffords(D) and the race for the 8th district(Jesse Kelly (R))

Washington Post ^ | 03/15/2010 | Chris Cillizza

[CanadianYankee]

Raising Arizona: Gabrielle Giffords(D) and the race for the 8th district(Jesse Kelly(R)).

Due to posting rules i.e. Washington Post, please click on link.

[CanadianYankee]

The Fix is an appropriate name for this column. The fix here is the republican and media establishment attempting to select our candidates for us. This is the race in which my son-in-law, Jesse Kelly, is a congressional candidate in Arizona.

I believe it is a bit premature for the Washington Post to label State Senator Paton as the favorite in the Republican primary. First, Jesse had raised over $300,000 as of the December reporting deadline, not $179,000 as Mr. Cillizza reported, and secondly, in straw poll taken of the over 600 attendees at the most recent Republican primary debate in February, Jesse received 51.8 percent of the vote. Mr. Paton was a distant second with 20 percent.

Paton only entered the race in January, long after the water had been warmed by Jesse, and did so at the behest of John McCain who runs the "Republican" machine in Arizona. In fact, a number of Jesse's supporters have been pressured by the McCain campaign to withdraw their support and his the campaign has received at least three calls asking him to drop out of the race. Jesse has flatly refused because he knows that he is the TRUE conservative in the race and feels strongly that the country needs conservative values, especially in times like these. In other words, he is running for America and not personal advancement. I do not know Mr. Paton personally so I cannot say the same for him. While he may be a fine man and, like Jesse, has served his country in the military, I have researched his voting record in the Arizona Senate and have concluded that we simply cannot afford another McCain RINO in congress.

In the interest of time and bandwidth I will not list the remaining smears and tactics being thrown at Jesse from "our side" to date. Actually, they are not important since he has handled everything so far with grace, dignity, and honor. This is more than I could say if it were I in his shoes. His experience, though, has shown me first hand why it is often difficult to find good people willing to stand for elected office.

I invite anyone wishing to find out more about, or to support Jesse Kelly, to visit: votejessekelly.com

[MountainWoman]

Can’t wait to cast my vote for your son in law...I don’t know why I’m suprised freaking McLame has called him several times asking him to drop out of the race...unbelievable.

Vote for Jesse and JD!!

[prairiebreeze]

Giffords is one whom I haven’t been able to contact to vote NO on Obamacare. Lines always busy, mail box full etc.

[CanadianYankee]

Thank you MountainWoman! He has some Great supporters and 700 plus volunteers.

[SoConPubbie]

Hey CY,

Post his campaign site link, please!

[SoConPubbie]

Campaign Site: Jesse Kelly for U.S. Congress - Limited Government. Fiscal Sanity. Free Market Solutions

[Recon Dad]

Send Jesse some money we did. Every dime helps. What can I say he’s a Marine!

[freekitty]

AZ, stand up and vote for Jesse Kelly.

[SoConPubbie]

Given that the Goldwater Institute gave State Senator Paton a grade of C, it is easy to see why McCain is supporting him.

[CanadianYankee]

SoCon,
Thanks! You did it for me. I thought I had posted it at the end of my comments. The PREVIEW button is a good thing if you use it huh. Sorry about that.

[Frantzie]

McCain is a disgusting RINO.

[Outlaw Woman]

No contest (at least in my mind). Wish I lived in AZ. You know they’re good if McCain hates them. Hayworth & Kelly 2010.

[AuH2ORepublican]

What are Paton’s legislative votes that convinced you to label him a RINO? I ask because I know nothing about Paton.

[SoConPubbie]

See the link in post #9.

If the Goldwater Institute is giving you a grade of C, there is something wrong with how you are voting.

[FlyVet]

Giffords is one whom I haven’t been able to contact to vote NO on Obamacare. Lines always busy, mail box full etc.

I don't think she listens anyway. I don't think that she thinks she needs to listen, due to the large amount of mindless "Vote for the one with the (D) next to their name" voters in the district.

This morning I heard on the radio news that she won't be swayed by the health care "distortions" coming from the right. Of course the utterly useless reporter couldn't ask her for an example of a distortion, could she. Nope. Just an open-ended statement that we're supposed to swallow without question.

I remember her last town hall, she pledged to work on tort reform. To my knowledge, she's neither sponsored nor co-sponsored any bill concerning tort reform, otherwise it would have been big news. More smoke-blowing from Gabby.

[MountainWoman]

“Disgusting RINO” doesn’t do him justice...but I’m sure what you REALLY want to say will get you banned, huh? :)

[CanadianYankee]

Try these:

here

here

here

There is lots more but this will give you an idea.

[CanadianYankee]

The best evidence however was his vote for Napolitano’s 2007 AZ budget.

[SunkenCiv]

The Fix is an appropriate name for this column. The fix here is the republican and media establishment attempting to select our candidates for us. This is the race in which my son-in-law, Jesse Kelly, is a congressional candidate in Arizona. I believe it is a bit premature for the Washington Post to label State Senator Paton as the favorite in the Republican primary. First, Jesse had raised over $300,000 as of the December reporting deadline, not $179,000 as Mr. Cillizza reported, and secondly, in straw poll taken of the over 600 attendees at the most recent Republican primary debate in February, Jesse received 51.8 percent of the vote. Mr. Paton was a distant second with 20 percent. Paton only entered the race in January...

Thanks CanadianYankee.

[Tucson_AZ]

Paton = Establishment RINO

"Following the retirement of longtime Rep. Jim Kolbe (R) in 2006, Giffords cruised to a 54 percent primary victory (in a six-way race) and then benefited from a bit of luck in the general election when former state Rep. Randy Graf, who was about five ticks too conservative for the district, won a contested primary. National Republicans walked away from the race as soon as Graf won and Giffords cruised to a 54 percent victory in the fall."

The National GOP did, in fact, sabotage Randy Graf.


Too bad Jesse followed some bad advice from a political hack wannabe and purged his campaign staff of those who actually helped him raise that $300,000. He's now got some big internal problems. And it looks like he may be starting to believe his own press releases. Come back to earth, Jesse! I really do want to vote for you, but not if you sell out even before you are elected.


If Paton wins the primary, I certainly won't be able to vote for him, as he is a Democrat with an 'R' after his name and would just be more of the same constitutional sell-out, "only slower" self-serving, big government, lesser of two evils - but still evil choice.


I hope Jesse starts getting better advice...