Senators Strike a Blow for Arizona

BLOG / Arizona Republic: Republican Party go after the GOP senators who had the nerve (some might call it courage) to vote against at least one of a series of illegal immigration bills last week. Apparently, if a bill in Arizona contains the words "illegal immigration" and you're a Republican, you're supposed to march in lockstep with the right wing or get out of line at your peril. After Thursday's vote, the right-wing blog Sonoran Alliance immediately labeled the 11 senators as "turncoat Republicans" and asked people to demand that they change their votes should the bills come up for reconsideration this week. On Friday, Sen. Ron Gould, sponsor of the bills challenging birthright citizenship, fired this warning shot on Twitter: "I hope that the wayward Republicans are pleased Democrats are happy with them. I wonder what Republican primary voters think?" I do, too. I further wonder what Arizona's one million independents who could vote in primaries but don't - yet - think. I already know what the state's business leaders think. They finally awakened from their too-long slumber last week, hand delivering a letter calling on the Legislature to refrain from throwing yet another stick of dynamite at the state's economy.