Add Democrat Bill Richardson to the list of past and potential future presidents campaigning in the Valley this week.Republican candidate Mitt Romney is speaking in Gilbert today and former President Bill Clinton is set to appear in Scottsdale on Monday. He is expected to speak in support of his wife, Democrat Hillary Clinton, a senator from New York. Richardson, the Democrat governor of New Mexico is scheduled to speak in Phoenix at a town hall-style meeting sponsored by the AFL-CIO on Wednesday.Richardson is expected to be quizzed on a variety of labor-related issues such as healthcare, retirement security, job development, trade policy and union rights. He also is expected to field questions on the war in Iraq and immigration reform, among other national issues.His appearance is part of the AFL-CIO

This is bad news for the donkey crowd.The latest Rocky Mountain Poll of Arizona voters shows that Republicans would win just about any possible head-to-head competition between the Republicans

Appearances by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and potential first gentleman Bill Clinton in Arizona within a week illustrate the state

Former President Bill Clinton will serve as the keynote speaker at the Arizona Democratic Party

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is slated to make two public appearances in the Valley today.The U.S. representative from Texas is scheduled to be the guest of honor at a rally the moment he steps off a US Airways flight from Austin at Terminal 4 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport around 9:15 a.m.His supporters will have to be nible, because as of Friday evening, the plane’s arrival gate had yet to be announced. Supporters thought probably would arrive at a gate on the A Concourse. Or maybe the B Concourse. Wherever the rally ends up, it’s free.More information may be available at www.ronpaul2008.com.The candidate, whom supporters call the

Rep. John Shadegg scolded Democrats concerning earmarks during a floor speech late Tuesday night.Earmarks are funds provided by the Congress for particular projects or programs. Language in the legislation that authorizes the projects specifically circumvents the usual merit-based or competitive allocation process, or specifies the location or recipient of the funds.An ample number of Congressmen use earmarks to bring federal projects to their districts to appease constituents. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget noted that in fiscal 2005, Congress funded 13,492 earmark projects totaling $18.9 billion. During the fall elections, Democrats across the country promised voters they intended to curtail earmarks, or at least be more open about the process.According to Shadegg, they

Imagine the surprise when Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio appeared on

This question was submitted by phone this morning.

Question: Why wasn’t Republican Ron Paul included in the East Valley Tribune’s story today about the Rocky Mountain Poll on presidential candidates?

Answer: Paul, a U.S. representative from Texas, didn’t make the paper because Behavior Research Center, the Phoenix-based firm that conducted the survey, didn’t include him in its research.

Survey director Earl de Berge said the surveys feature the candidates he concludes are the most serious contenders. Alas, Paul didn’t meet his qualifications. The lists are works in progress, de Berge said. For instance, he dropped Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and added former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee for the May survey.

De Berge said he’ll reconsider whether to add Paul before the next Rocky Mountain Poll.

Got a question? Post it in the “Add a comment” section below or e-mail it to pgiblin@evtrib.com.

The latest Rocky Mountain Poll raises more questions than it answers, according to Alan Smith, president of Glendale-based political consulting firm Get Momentum Now!The poll, which was conducted by Phoenix-based Behavior Research Center from May 24 to 29, measured Arizona voters

An East Valley Tribune reader called to comment about Wednesday