Wake-Up Call: Tuesday, August 12, 2008

With the PolitickerAZ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Arizona's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerAZ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Arizona's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Arizona is one of most electorally competitive states this fall

Nearly half of the state's eight congressional districts are listed as being among the most competitive in the country this fall, a new Politicker.com analysis shows.

The Pindell Report, which launched today, shows that only much larger states like Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois and Florida have more competitive House elections. Even California just has two races that are competitive. (PolitickerAZ.com, Staff)

Link: http://www.politickeraz.com/editoraz/1859/arizona-one-most-electorally-c...

Democrats like chances in Renzi's 1st District

You want a wide-open race? Try Arizona's 1st Congressional District, where no fewer than eight candidates are making a bid to claim their parties' nomination in the Sept. 2 primary election.

How about intrigue? The seat is considered one of the nation's most competitive, with Democrats making perhaps their boldest run yet at a district they haven't represented since it was redrawn earlier this decade. (Arizona Republic, Matthew Benson)

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/08/12/20080812CD1intro0812.h...

Chalk one up for the taxpayers

In Monday’s edition, the Tribune reported that Arizona ranks 41st out of the 50 states in the amount of their incomes that go to support state and local governments. Good news I thought when I read the story.

Later in the day even more good news. The effort by the governor and development interests to raise the state sales tax 18 percent through the initiative process apparently won’t make the November ballot. Not enough valid signatures, according to the secretary of state. (East Valley Tribune, Jim Ripley)

Link: http://jimripley.freedomblogging.com/2008/08/11/chalk-one-up-for-the-tax...

Transit-tax ballot drive comes up short

PHOENIX — Backers of a proposal to increase state sales taxes for transit projects, including a Tucson-Phoenix rail link, did not submit enough valid signatures to get the plan on the ballot, Secretary of State Jan Brewer said Monday. (Daily Star, Howard Fischer)

Link: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/politics/252311.php

Giffords, Bee stake out center turf in Tucson battle

Call it a game of guilt by association. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson) wants to paint her challenger as a slave to the Republican Party, and Arizona Senate President Tim Bee (R-Tucson) wants to flip the accusation back on Giffords and the Democrats. (PolitickerAZ.com, Alex Isenstadt)

Link: http://www.politickeraz.com/alexisenstadt/1853/giffords-bee-stake-out-ce...

'1 man, 1 woman' measure reveals many hypocrites

Just about everyone involved in the fight over the one-man, one-woman marriage amendment that you'll vote on in November has been unfaithful . . . to the truth.

We'll get a hint of it today at the state Capitol, where a hearing is scheduled to explore whether senators placed the amendment on the ballot in a way that was honest and fair. (Arizona Republic, E.J. Montini)

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2008/08/12/200808...

With the PolitickerAZ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Arizona's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.