Harry Mitchell

Though passed by the U.S. House today, the Webb-Mitchell Post-9/11 GI Bill, introduced in the House by Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5), fell short of the 288 votes necessary to secure the override of veto by Pres. George W. Bush.

Bush has threatened to veto the bill, which seeks to bolster educational benefits for returning veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, if it comes to his desk.

Though the bill bears his name, Mitchell rose on the floor of the House today to express serious concerns about provisions the Democratic leadership has put in it, specifically the addition of a surtax of .05 percent that would affect the richest Americans.

CD5 Republican candidate Laura Knaperek today announced former Arizona House Majority Leaders Ernie Baird, Lori Daniels and Steve Tully have all endorsed her primary campaign today. Knaperek us seeking the nomination for the right to take on Harry Mitchell.

L to R: Joe Arpaio, Susan Bitter Smith, Ed PhillipsAt her Scottsdale home Friday evening, Susan Bitter Smith at last officially entered the six-person Republican primary field in CD5. Though some have questioned the soundness of her last-in-the-water strategy, Bitter Smith sought to belay any doubts by beginning her campaign surrounded by political supporters, including Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and replete with an oversized Taxpayer Protection Pledge that the campaign claims is "the biggest of any candidate."

Today U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5) became Sen. Barack Obama's 275th superdelegate, according to the Obama campaign. Mitchell had, like fellow freshman Democrat Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, refrained from backing either Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton, but today came down in favor of the Illinois senator, who is looking increasingly likely to win the Democratic nomination for president.

Democratic Congressman Harry Mitchell has announced he will be supporting Barack Obama with his superdelegate vote.  Obama beat Hillary Clinton by 1500 votes in CD5.

Last night's CD5 Republican candidate forum offered a different take on the contenders from last month's event in Scottsdale. While the candidates fielded questions on earmark spending, border security and cuts in government programs, what emerged spoke less to individual policies as the sense that whoever emerges as the nominee will shoulder a heavy burden for the Party.

The field acknowledged a profound dissatisfaction with the Republican Party among voters and a need to reconnect with conservative principles in action, not just as a campaign ploy. They also pledged not to let the primary get so heated as to destroy the victor's chances of beating Rep. Harry Mitchell, and that, once the ticket was set, the others would unite behind the effort of unseating Mitchell in the general.

While Arizona's congressional delegation may often split along ideological divides, yesterday marked a rare occasion in which Democrats and Republicans united behind a common cause.

In a letter sent to President George W. Bush, four Republican and two Democratic members of Congress from Arizona urged the federal government to renew Operation Jump Start, the 2006 initiative to place National Guard troops along the U.S.-Mexico border. The mandate is set to expire in just over two months, which, the legislators argue, would severely compromise anti-illegal immigration efforts.

Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5) is playing up the drama of his re-election fight. Though he enjoys a commanding money lead over the field of Republicans vying to face him in November, his razor-thin margin of victory in 2006 and the vulnerability inherent to most freshmen in Congress is seen as a cause for concern.

He and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-8) are assessed to be early favorites to retain their seats, but there's a lot of time left in an election season that has yet to kick off in earnest.

Today, U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5) secured two victories in battles he's been waging since the beginning of the year. The first came when Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, James Peake, capitulated on Rep. Mitchell's request to turn over documents related to suicides among veterans.

The second was acheived when the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which Mitchell introduced with three other congressmen and which has become a centerpiece of his work on the Hill, was officially included in the war spending supplemental. Its inclusion presents the best opportunity for its passage.