Death threats close Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva's offices

By GottaLaff

UPDATE via an New York Times e-mail alert:

Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona signed a bill that would require
the police to ask people about their immigration status if
officers have any reason to suspect that they are in the
country illegally.

Let's see now... Combine a Democratic congressman who looks like this

with the current political climate in Arizona, plus legalizing racial profiling. What could possibly go wrong?

An unidentified person made two phone calls and threatened to blow up Rep. Raul Grijalva's Tucson, Arizona office and kill his staff members, forcing the Democratic congressman to close his two district offices late Friday morning local time.

Just a wild guess, but I'm betting the caller wasn't a Dem.

Grijalva's communications director Adam Sarvana:

"He threatened to blow everyone's brains out in the Tucson office."

Are the Rushpublics going to say it was a Democratic "plant"? Or that it didn't happen at all? You know, the way they did when Congress members were spat on and slurs were shouted.

The caller also said he was going to be "exercising my civil liberties and I'm shooting Mexicans at the border".

How patriotic of him. I wonder if he owns a musket.

The pace of threats and violence has picked up. Let's hope more Congress members act responsibly and continue to call for an end to this, daily, repeatedly, constantly. It may calm a few tempers, but sadly, the real crazies are still out there.

Thank you Sarah Palin, a few Tea Baggers, and a select bunch of stellar public officials ::coughBachmanncough:: for inciting an already frenzied bunch of extremists to action.

Key House Liberal “Leaning” Towards No On Health Reform

By GottaLaff

Say it with me, Rep. Grijalva: "U-ni-ty".

Doing nothing is worse, okay?

Another looming problem:

“As I weigh it, I think — for me — a ‘no’ vote is something that I continue to lean toward,” Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., the co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told Salon in a brief interview off the House floor Wednesday. “Especially the last additions — that was kind of a slap in the face for all of us who fought for the public option.”

If you’re trying to rescue the public option, this actually seems pretty counterproductive.

Um, yeah. What Greg said. Times 51.

Harkin, Grijalva push Dean for HHS

By GottaLaff

Health care we can believe in, snerk!

For all you Howard Dean fans out there:

Two prominent Democrats are urging President Obama to nominate former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D) as secretary of Health and Human Services.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over HHS and sits on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said Thursday that tapping Dean - the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and a presidential contender in 2004 - would be "a very good move."

Meanwhile, Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), an emerging ally of the president, penned a letter to the White House Wednesday urging the same pick. [...]

"While most of the public have only known Howard as a ground-breaking candidate for president and one of the most successful leaders of our party, I have also known him as [a] champion for universal healthcare," Grijalva wrote Obama. "It has been the cause of his life."

Grijalva has been close to Obama, endorsing him in January 2008 after his initial pick, former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), dropped out of the race. He was rumored to be on Obama's short list to head the Department of the Interior, and was one of two Arizonans to catch the Super Bowl alongside Obama at the White House. [...]

Though Dean has not actively campaigned for the position, many see his biggest obstacle as White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. As chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Emanuel and then-DNC chief Dean clashed over budget priorities during the 2006 election cycle, sometimes ending meetings with profanity-laced tirades.

Rahm, Howie! Stop that fighting or I'll be forced to turn this blog around! Now behave, or no cable air time for either of you.