Welcome to Arizona!

I Do Not Think That Word Means What You Think It Means

The word is "recuse," which apparently means "excuse" or "take a powder on a controversial issue" as in this use of the term:

The new law is controversial even within Arizona. Its critics include the attorney general, Terry Goddard, a Democrat running for governor. Mr. Goddard called the law a “tragic mistake” that “does nothing to make us safer.”

Mr. Goddard, however, has the obligation to defend it in court as the state’s chief lawyer. He said he would probably recuse himself, and enlist Mr. Kobach for the defense, as he did in the case involving the 2007 law.

"Mr. Kobach" is a law professor at University of Missouri-Kansas City, and an author of SB 1070, and an Ashcroft guy who helped, in some small way, to prepare the U.S. Department of Justice for the Alberto Gonzales era. So we elect a Democrat as Attorney General so he can avoid representing the state in this case, and instead turn over the litigation to the guy the wingnuts would have picked if left to their own devices (but with public funds)? That certainly makes me delighted that elections have consequences.

UPDATE: More on Prof. Kobach here. After all, it's well known that it's illegal immigrants who put cars up on blocks in the front yard. Like the entire state of Alaska.

Just Wondering

If there hadn't been a boycott, if the NFL hadn't pulled the 1993 Super Bowl--then today, would Arizona have an official MLK holiday?

UPDATE: The Major League Baseball Players Association connects the dots.

Gov. Brewer Signs Immigration Bill

Hey Arizona, No Salsa For You!

Congress to Campus Trip to Vancouver

Here's my article from the spring newsletter of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress regarding my March visit to Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia.

Legal Self-Promotion

On May 25th, I am lecturing on Land Use Law: Current Issues in Subdivision, Annexation and Zoning for NBI-National Business Institute. The program brochure is available here. My topic is "Analyze the Land Subdivision Process." If you really, really want to know about the legal foundation of the land development process in Arizona, here's your chance.

El Tour de Phoenix 2010

3:35:22 (gun time only). 386/993 overall, they don't do age group results. I was 4 minutes slower than last year, but still comfortably within the "gold" category, and I averaged 20.1 mph. A good day. No photos yet.

Doug MacEachern is a Plagiarist

Read this. Then read this. Even when he unethically truncates quotes, MacEachern can't do it originally. Apparently, the Arizona Republic has no trouble following the lead of the Weekly Standard and countenances outright lying. We'll see if they're also tolerant of politically-compatible plagiarism.