August 23, 2006 - Local Republicans and Democrats react differently to rogue Congressional candidates. In CD8, Democrats shun "Bill" Johnson, refusing to give him the minimum Democrat candidates are granted in a contested primary. In CD7, Republican leaders once again ignore racist wacko Joe Sweeney, as does his opponent, Avondale Mayor Ron Drake.

Democrats are reacting to a perceived problem. Republicans are unable to publicly perceive one exists.

Johnson and Sweeney are both hardliners on illegal immigration and each has some overlapping supporters, but comparison stops there. Democrat party leaders are convinced Johnson is a shill for GOP CD 8 candidate Randy Graf, which Johnson denies. Johnson comes down as a reasonably mainstream Democrat otherwise, but many local Democrat party types are so enamored with State Senator Gabby Giffords that they find a primary annoying in the first place.

"Shut up and go with your party leaders" has become standard Democrat policy here and elsewhere - try Ohio and Illinois. Both former newscaster Patti Weiss and airline pilot/war hero Jeff Latas were pressured to drop and let Giffords run without opposition.

Republicans do better in CD8. Both Graf and former GOP State Chair Mike Hellon have large interparty bases while the "chosen one" of the big bucks people, state Rep. Steve Huffman, has only the money folks. Certain big check writers tried similar muscle jobs. Fortunately for mere voters, they failed, too.

The biggest problem with rogue candidates like Johnson and Sweeney and those with glaring inadequacies like Giffords and Huffman is the failure of the mainstream media - and even the alternative press - to report about them. Huffman and Giffords both exhibit a paucity of performance. Huffman sponsored the Rio Nuevo funding extension, lost control of it and became an onlooker. His attendance record this session indicates over 30 percent absences for which he not only collects his pay but $65 per diem.

Giffords was so desperate to find an accomplishment for a TV spot that she padded a simple three-year-old request for a quorum call and got nailed for it by Arizona Daily Star political reporter Daniel Scarpinato. Some excused Giffords' lack of substantive accomplishment because she's a minority Democrat.

The Tucson Citizen and the Tucson Weekly have now endorsed both Huffman and Giffords claiming that as legislators they have a record. Some time they might tell us what that record really was.

With Joe Sweeney there's no excuse. The terms "racist" and "anti-Semite" have been overused and falsely applied to some people too often, but Sweeney - unlike Democrat Johnson - leaves no question.

I threw Sweeney off the air 10 years ago when he went into a rant about Jews owning the newspapers. He's been chucked out several more times elsewhere for similar behavior.

But Sweeney outdid himself in 2004. He told co-host Tom Danehy and me that illegal Mexican immigrants were "apprentice Jews." We even featured that as a show promo and the GOP in Yuma and Pinal counties renounced his candidacy. The Pima County GOP declined because then-chairman John Munger worried about Sweeney suing. Strange, a heavyweight GOP lawyer like Munger was concerned about the legal options of a crackpot who gave himself a law degree from a spurious college? Like Drake, the GOP is ignoring him again.

Regardless of party, we should all hope for Joe Sweeney's defeat. His avowed racism pollutes the process and the lack of condemnation and exposure of him borders on moral bankruptcy. He deserves shunning by all party and media outlets with a simple explanation of why. Sure, he's got First Amendment rights. So do we.

The Weekly wouldn't endorse Drake because he's "too chicken" to debate Sweeney. Drake needs to explain why - there's good reason. The last two GOP candidates facing Sweeney, both, like Drake, good men, also ignored him and lost Pima County.

GOP CD7 voters should support Drake as a rejection of Sweeney's views. Those few racists left can always write-in somebody with more class.

Like Mel Gibson.

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EMIL FRANZI

EMAIL FRANZI

BUT WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!

About Emil Franzi

Emil Franzi is the owner and host of "Inside Track" on KVOI - 690AM and KAPR - 930AM in Douglas. The program airs on Saturdays from 12 pm till 5 pm.

Franzi currently writes a weekly column for the EXPLORER (formerly the NORTHWEST EXPLORER). He filled the TUCSON WEEKLY with close to a million relevant words from 1993 to 2004 and was an OpEd regular with the Az Daily Star from 1994 to 1998. His writing has also appeared in PHOENIX Magazine, ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, and the late CITY MAGAZINE in Tucson.

But then, Franzi is an iconoclast.

This website is Franzi's baby, put together with work, faith, and a little help from his friends, like Tom Danehy, Joyce Downey and Mike Tully. The concept -- politics, books, humor, the Old West, movies, "Pet Talk" and letters -- is Emil's. This unique brew seems to work. This website averages more than a thousand "hits" a day and keeps growing.

You can read Emil Franzi's views on all things political and cultural, as well as opposing views, on our "Politics and More" page.