Barack Obama at Arizona State University in October

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is likely to make an appearance in Arizona sometime next week. At least that’s what aides at his Phoenix campaign headquarters are telling anyone who calls to inquire.

Obama’s campaign schedule is booked only about two days in advance, so it’s difficult to forecast for certain beyond that, according to people who answer the phones at 22 E. Mitchell Drive, in Phoenix. Still, campaign workers are hopeful the senator from Illinois will land in Arizona before the state’s presidential preference election on Feb. 5.

One of the campaign’s media spokesmen declined to discuss Obama’s potential campaign stop with me when I told him I was seeking on-the-record sources on the matter.

And no, I can’t possibly begin to explain any strategic advantage to discussing Obama’s potential appearance in Arizona to anyone and everyone who calls – except reporters who can reach thousands and thousands of voters at once.

In the meantime, time is running out for Obama. Arizona’s presidential preference election is in 13 days, and Obama is way behind Hillary Clinton in the latest nonpartisan statewide poll.

Rep. Harry Mitchell today asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to include his legislation that blocks Congress’ automatic pay raise in a broader economic stimulus package.

Mitchell, a Democrat from Arizona, and presidential hopeful Rep. Ron Paul, a Republican from
Texas, introduced legislation Tuesday that would quash a scheduled automatic pay increase of nearly $4,400 that every member will receive in 2009.

Every member of Congress will be paid $169,300 this year – a $4,100 increase from last year pay.

Mitchell tried to block the $4,100 pay increase last year, and found 29 co-sponsors to support it, but the legislation never made it to the House floor. Mitchell pledged to donate his pay raise to charity. (No word yet on which charities will get the bonanza.)

Mitchell said the timing is wrong to accept another pay raise. Here’s the text of his letter to Pelosi:

January 23, 2008 

The Honorable Nancy PelosiSpeaker
United States House of Representatives

U.S. Capitol Building, H-232
Washington, DC 20510 

Madam Speaker: 

Yesterday our colleague Dr. Ron Paul and I introduced H.R. 5087, a bill to block the automatic pay raise Members of Congress are scheduled to receive next year. 

I hope you will agree that this is the wrong time for Congress to raise its own pay and that doing so sends the wrong message to the American people.  I urge you to support H.R. 5087 and include it as a part of the upcoming economic stimulus package. 

As you work with the President and Republican leadership to build a bipartisan economic stimulus package to strengthen the nation’s weakening economy, I know you are familiar with the statistics: nationwide inflation shot up 6 percent in 2007 and the same gallon of gas that cost $2.20 a year ago costs more than $3 today. New home construction dropped 25 percent, the largest decrease in 27 years.  Fears of a recession have sent the stock market into a tailspin. Unemployment is up; home sales are down; and markets around the world are on shaky ground. 

Even in my home state of Arizona, which for so long seemed immune to economic woes that plagued other parts of the country, is feeling the effects of the Bush recession. Unemployment in my state rose 42 percent between September and December alone, and now 143,800 Arizonans are unemployed. In the East Valley, which I represent, foreclosures increased more than 500 percent in 2007 and in metro Phoenix, 10,000 homes were foreclosed – an 88 percent increase over 2006. Home prices fell 11 percent. 

The American people didn’t get a pay raise this year.  I do not know how in good conscience, we, as their representatives in Congress can not only accept one, but insist on another one for next year.  When I campaigned for Congress nearly two years ago, I heard from the people in my District that they were disappointed that Members of Congress approved their own pay raise, but cut critical services that made a significant impact on the lives of everyday Americans.  Americans are suffering right now and I hope this Congress has the courage to change course. 

Thank you, as always, for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Harry E. Mitchell

Member of Congress

Actress Kate Walsh

TV hottie Kate Walsh and Gov. Janet Napolitano are set to appear together to talk up Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama at Arizona State University at 11:45 a.m. today, Wednesday, Jan. 23.

Walsh, who stars as Dr. Addison Montgomery in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice,” apparently has a bit of time to burn as the Hollywood writers’ strike lingers on. She’s scheduled to make several campaign stops around the state for Obama. 

She grew up partly in Tucson where she attended Catalina High School. She later attended the University of Arizona. If she really wants to help Obama, she probably ought to gloss over that little UA aspect of her bio while she’s stumping at ASU.

She also appears in Cadillac commercials to purr the line, “When you turn your car on, does it return the favor?” Let’s see if she can work that line into a campaign speech for Obama. 

The event is set for the ASU Memorial Union Stage, 1290 S. Normal Ave., in Tempe.

Napolitano also has been doing a bit of campaigning for Obama. She appeared in Nevada before that state’s Jan. 19 primary election. Obama finished second to Hillary Clinton there. 

Arizona’s presidential primary election is Feb. 5.

National Republican Committee spokesman Paul Lindsay offered this observation about the event, “
Hollywood stars and establishment Democrats like Janet Napolitano cannot mask Barack Obama’s paper thin record of accomplishment.  Aside from his lofty political rhetoric, Obama has given voters in
Arizona little reason to be convinced that he is qualified to serve as our nation’s commander-in-chief.” 

Well, that settles that. Obama definitely does not turn on Lindsay.

Republican state Rep. Andy Tobin is forming an exploratory committee as he considers running for incumbent Republican Rick Renzi’s seat in the U.S. House.

Renzi is under federal investigation for possible public corruption and has announced that he will not seek re-election in Arizona’s 1^st Congressional District. The vast district takes in huge regions northern, central and eastern Arizona, including most of booming Pinal County.Republican state Rep. Bill Konopnicki was widely expected to join the federal race, but last week announced that he’ll take a pass. That left a huge void on the Republican side of that race.

Enter Tobin.

“By the end of the week, we’re going to open an exploratory committee and see what our opportunities are, see if our supporters are there,” Tobin told me.

“It’s a huge district. It’s almost the size of the state of Illinois,” he said.

 Um, not to get all technical and everything, but Illinois is 57,918 square miles in size, while Arizona’s 1^st Congressional District is 58,608 square miles. So, the congressional district that includes Arizona’s portion of Four Corners actually is 690 square miles larger than Illinois, which by the way, ranks as the 25^th largest state in the country.

“It’s bigger? That big?” Tobin asked. “That’s huge.”

The job is huge as well. It would require Tobin to be away in Washington most of the year. That’s a serious consideration. Tobin, 49, has five children – two adult sons, plus two high schoolers and a middle schooler.

“Basically, I’ve got a yellow light from the family, because we’re still in the thought process as well. My business partner gave me a green light. I don’t know if that means he wants to keep me away from my office or not,” he said.

Tobin, a resident of Paulden, has an employee benefits company, TLC Employee Benefits, in the
Prescott area.

Tobin said he has been thinking about entering the race for the past month or so, but considered Konopnicki to be the front-runner.

“When Mr. Konopnicki got out, we thought we had better open an exploratory committee right away. I’m going to guess that we have about 30 days to get a good shot at it, to get our information together. We won’t wait long,” Tobin said.

He likely will make a decision about whether to run by March 1, he said.

Meanwhile, the lone Republican who’s in the race is radio talk show host Sydney Hay.

On the Democrat side, former state Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, environmental attorney Howard Shanker and former TV reporter Mary Kim Titla all are in.

Bill Clinton and Jim Pederson in 2006

Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign announced the formation of a state steering committee, a panel of nearly 50 political, business and community leaders on Wednesday.

State campaign co-chairwoman Mary Rose Wilcox also said the campaign will open a Tucson office this week. Clinton already has an office in Phoenix. She said the campaign also is expanding its door-to-door campaign and phone banking operations.

The state’s presidential preference election is Feb. 5, one 22 states that will conduct their elections or caucuses on the day that has been dubbed Super Duper Tuesday.

Clinton steering committee member Jim Pederson said, “We’ve got a lot of work to do in terms of our direct mail and our phones. Hopefully, we’ll have a slice of TV coming in here.”

Pederson, a shopping center developer, ran an unsuccessful campaign against Republican incumbent Sen. Jon Kyl in 2006. Bill Clinton made two appearances in Arizona to support Pederson’s bid.

Wilcox, a Maricopa County Supervisor, said she expects Hillary Clinton to campaign in Arizona sometime later this month.

She said the campaign got a boost last week when Gov. Janet Napolitano endorsed Hillary Clinton’s opponent Barack Obama last week. “It’s energized our campaign. I think people were so surprised. Now we’re getting people coming in saying, ‘I’m coming in because I want her to win. The governor supported somebody else, but I’m supporting her because I want her to win.’”

Fellow steering committee member and state Rep. Robert Meza said Clinton campaign leaders will be happy to welcome Napolitano aboard as soon as Clinton secures the Democratic nomination.

For more about Clinton’s and Obama’s efforts in Arizona, check out a longer article I wrote for the Tribune a few days ago.

Jon Kyl

Traveling man Jon Kyl offered an interesting assessment of political endorsements during an hourlong interview on KTAR (92.3-FM) while on a stopover in Arizona on Friday, Jan. 11.
The topic came up just hours before Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano endorsed presidential contender Barack Obama, an announcement that received heavy news coverage.
Kyl was asked how much influence political endorsements carry.
“Not very much, but some,” he said. “I will say, when people in the media endorse, like big newspapers in a state, I think that can have a little bit of an influence with undecided voters.”
The Republican U.S. senator from Arizona told KTAR that endorsements tend to play to the party faithful. Kyl said, “Really important people who do endorsements are looked at by their supporters for some guidance, and that can make a difference in a close race where people are just really unsure.”
So overall, according to Kyl, political endorsements don’t carry much weight. OK, we’ll take his word for it.
Now for a little context – a few days before Kyl gave that interview, he was in New Hampshire campaigning for presidential candidate John McCain, who happens to be his personal friend. And today, Monday, Jan. 14, Kyl was scheduled to appeare at Doc’s Gumbo Grill in Columbia, S.C., to stump for McCain again. It just begs the question: Will the gumbo-eating residents of Columbia care whom Kyl likes in the presidential race?

Mark Anderson

State Rep. Mark Anderson today announced a press conference for 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, at the State Capitol regarding his political future. Specifically, on Wednesday he will formally announce that he is entering the race for the Republican nomination to face incumbent U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell, a Democrat, in the fall.

“I am nearing a final decision,” said Anderson, who represents west Mesa. “By Wednesday, I should have all the information I need to inform the public.”

Also by Wednesday, he won’t have that pesky resign-to-run law to deal with, but I digress…

Anderson is in his seventh term in the state Legislature, where he has concerned himself largely with education issues. He currently serves as chairman of the House K-12 Education Committee.

Among legislation he has sponsored or co-sponsored: Creation of tuition tax credits; establishment of a transition program for offenders released from prison; protection against children accessing pornography in schools and libraries; jettisoning junk food from elementary and middle schools; creation of a marriage skills course; and development of an abstinence program for teens.

Four other Republicans already are in the race: Arizona Corporation Commissioner Jeff Hatch-Miller, former state Rep. Laura Knaperek, former lobbyist Jim Ogsbury, and former county treasurer David Schweikert.Former Scottsdale City Councilwoman Susan Bitter Smith is waiting in the wings.Arizona’s 5^th Congressional District includes Scottsdale, Tempe, Fountain Hills, Ahwatukee Foothills, plus Anderson’s turf, west Mesa. Mitchell, a Tempe resident, is mid-way through his first two-year term in the U.S. House.

Ron Paul

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has surged to a devastating lead in Arizona, far outdistancing John McCain and all other challengers, just three weeks before the state’s presidential preference election, according to a straw poll of GOP yuppies conducted in a Scottsdale bar during happy Thursday night.

Seasoned political analysts associated with the Republican Professional Club noted their straw poll was something less than perfectly scientific – and only partly because they sold the 515 ballots used in the poll for $5 each.

Nonetheless, here are the, ahem, official results:

– Ron Paul, 80 percent.

– John McCain, 12 percent.

– Mitt Romney, 3 percent.

– Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and blank ballots, 1 percent each.

– Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter and two people whose driver’s licences reveal them to be Charles Jensen and John Galt, 0.5 percent each. 

The only definitive aspect of the pay-per-skew poll is that it raised $2,575 for the club. 

No. 6, Susan Bitter Smith

There’s been plenty of action this week in Arizona’s 5^th Congressional District.

The stars are aligning for a six-person race for the Republican nomination featuring former state Rep. Laura Knaperek, former lobbyist Jim Ogsbury, former Maricopa County treasurer David Schweikert, state Rep. Mark Anderson, former Scottsdale City Councilwoman Susan Bitter Smith and Arizona Corporation Commissioner Jeff Hatch-Miller.

Knaperek, Ogsbury and Schweikert already are in.

The others will join the fray shortly. Hatch-Miller told me he will enter the race Friday, Jan. 11. Anderson will go on Wednesday, Jan. 16. Bitter Smith said she will make a decision as early as the beginning of February, but she is leaning toward entering.

I have the latest details in a story in the Tribune today, Thursday, Jan. 10.

Anderson told me he expects a big, positive and clean campaign. “I think there’s going to be six people and they’re all good people,” he said.

However, the race has extremely limited appeal at the moment, according to Bitter Smith.

“Voters are not paying any attention to congressional politics at this point. I mean, all the people in the race are talking to each other. It doesn’t make sense, and frankly it’s not fiscally responsible, to be spending money at this point,” she said.

A candidate, such as, oh say Bitter Smith herself, could hold off another month or two before jumping in and no one would notice, she said.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell is the Democratic incumbent. The district takes in Scottsdale, Tempe, Fountain Hills, Ahwatukee Foothills and west Mesa.

Jon Kyl

Jon Kyl is set to discuss presidential politics and the coming 2008 congressional session during a couple of radio interviews Friday, Jan. 11.

Expect Kyl to give extra attention to the presidential prospects of his friend and fellow senator from
Arizona John McCain. Kyl holds a top spot on McCain’s campaign and traveled to New Hampshire to stump for him before that state’s primary election on Tuesday.

Kyl will be a guest on the John C. Scott show at 7:33 a.m. on KVOI 690 AM in Tucson.

Then Kyl will talk for an hour on the Darrell Ankarlo show at 10 a.m. on KTAR 92.3 FM in the Valley.