NONPOLITICAL? MORE LIKE HYPERPOLITICAL

posted by Michael Chihak

Give rural Arizona two congressional districts ... Maintain minority communities of interest ... Don't put Oro Valley in with the Navajo Nation ... Keep Pinal County in a single congressional district ... "Leave us alone; we're retired."

And many more admonitions, pieces of advice and aphorisms ("You cannot force people to speak to one another civilly") were offered to members of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission this week as it continued its public hearings.

The commission is workin toward production of its first draft maps of how to divide the state into nine congressional districts and 30 legislative districts.

Under the state constitution, it must consider six criteria, led by adherence to the U.S. Voting Rights Act and the one-person, one-vote rule.

Commissioner Scott Freeman and commission Executive Director Ray Bladine say they think draft maps will be produced within two weeks. Then the real fun begins.

As Freeman puts it: "People will then be able to tell us the error of our ways."

Following release of the draft maps will come a 30-day comment period, including more public hearings. Then the commission makes adjustments and submits the maps to the U.S. Justice Department for "preclearance" under the Voting Rights Act, a process that can take 60 days.

Assuming Justice Department approval, the maps will be put into use next spring by county officials who will begin setting up the 2012 elections.

That's a significant assumption; the Justice Department sent the maps back 10 years ago for adjustments.

Even if they are approved, lawsuits by parties claiming to have been wronged are likely to ensue. Last time out, it took nearly the whole decade for the last of the suits to be settled.

FRANKS INTRODUCES BILL TO BLOCK GAMING ON NEWLY ACQUIRED RESERVATION LANDS

posted by Andrea Kelly

Several members of Arizona’s Congressional delegation are weighing in on a bill that could restrict the Tohono O’odham from building a casino near Glendale.

Arizona Congressman Trent Franks is sponsoring a bill to prevent tribes from building casinos on any land they’ve purchased in the past two decades to make up for land lost to federal flood areas. Read the bill here.

The bill is aimed at the Tohono O’odham Nation, which purchased land near Glendale, and wants to build a casino there. It would not be the only Indian casino in the Phoenix Metro area, there are already others.

In addition to Franks, the primary sponsor, four other Arizona House Republicans have signed up as cosponsors: they are Jeff Flake, Paul Gosar, Ben Quayle and David Schweikert.

Southern Arizona Democratic Congressman Raúl Grijalva said in a statement he opposes the bill because he said it opens the door to the federal government breaking other commitments and reneging on a promise to the tribes. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ office is not commenting on this legislation. Giffords' office spokesman Mark Kimble said the office is only commenting on legislation Giffords introduced in previous sessions, and this is a new bill.

Congressman Franks did not return attempts to contact him about the bill.

ARIZONA GOP DEBATE

posted by Christopher Conover

The debate is scheduled for Phoenix and will focus on so-called new federalism. In recent years, the topic of federalism has gotten plenty of attention in Arizona as the state has challenged the federal government on health care, immigration, and the environment.

Republican Nation Committeeman Bruce Ash told Arizona Public Media that the top level candidates have agreed to participate in the debate. He also said hosting a primary debate does not necessarily keep the Grand Canyon State out of the running for a general election debate next year.

Last week, Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Michelle Bachman both made stops in Arizona.

WHAT'S AN ENDORSEMENT WORTH?

posted by Michael Chihak

Colleague Andrea Kelly's blog posting on the endorsement by U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona of Mitt Romney for the GOP presidential nomination leads me to ask:

What's an endorsement worth?

For starters, Romney didn't return the favor by endorsing Flake in the U.S. Senate race in Arizona. Not yet.

Endorsement seekings are under way. To wit, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann was in the state last week to meet with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to ask for his support.

Here are a couple of samples from recent history of the relative value of big-name political endorsements.

-- President Obama endorsed many a fellow Democrat who lost in last fall's mid-term elections, and he endorsed the Democrats who ultimately lost in a special U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts and last week's special U.S. House election in New York.

-- Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin endorsed more than three dozen "tea party" candidates in last fall's mid-term elections. Half of them won and half lost, including a U.S. Senate candidate in her home state of Alaska.

JEFF FLAKE WEIGHS IN ON PRESIDENTIAL RACE

posted by Andrea Kelly

U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake has endorsed Mitt Romney in the Republican race for the presidential nomination.

The news broke this morning, and Romney sent a message on Twitter announcing the endorsement.

Flake is running for the open U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, so Romney and the other Republican candidates will be campaigning at the same time as Flake in 2012.

Given the fact that Romney is now in second place in the race, according to recent polls, will Romney's campaign affect Flake's (for better or worse)?

ANOTHER US SENATE CANDIDATE

posted by Christopher Conover

Don Bivens, the former chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, is throwing his hat in the ring for US Senate. In an email to supporters Bivens writes that Arizona is losing the spirit that attracted him to the state 40 years ago.

Bivens officially filed his candidacy in July with the Federal Elections Commission. The email to supporters is the first major move he has made in his run to replace the retiring Sen. Jon Kyl.