Barbecue Fundraiser for Congressman Paul Gosar

I recently went to a barbecue fundraiser for Congressman Gosar out in Chino Valley.  I was invited by the hostess, Sue Goodchild, whom I met at the Congressional field hearing on abuses by the IRS and EPA.  The main reason that I wanted to go was because I have never been to a fundraiser for a Congressman, and I did not know what to expect.  I was imagining those $1000 plate dinners.  Instead, it was a nice, old-fashioned backyard barbecue type of thing with a mix of casual and business suits.

I danced with my sisters while a live band played old Johnny Cash songs.  They had a potluck and crafts for kids.

I led the pledge of allegiance and the prayer.

I was among the speakers there, including candidate for AZ State Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas and several State Congress Representatives.  I spoke about why I am a conservative.

I met several state Congress Representatives and several candidates for various state positions.

Unfortunately, Congressman Gosar was unable to come, as he was working in D.C. and his flight was bumped but I met his wife Maude Gosar .  We stayed for a couple hours mingling.  Shortly before we left, my sister and I retired the colors (U.S. flag).  I am happy that I was able to meet new people and talk with them about the state of our country.

Attorney General Tom Horne

Arizona's current Attorney General (A.G.) is Tom Horne.  He graduated from Harvard Collage in 1967 and then Harvard Law school in 1970.  He has practiced law for over 30 years.  Throughout those years, he has served as a Special Assistant Attorney General, and Judge Pro Tem ( temporary) in the Maricopa County Superior Court and the Maricopa Court of Appeals.

Mr. Horne is peer-rated by Martindale-Hubbell at a 5/5.0 AV Preeminent.  This mode of measure meant is used to help people looking for legal aid.  Here are some stats from Martindale-Hubbell peer review ratings: 

Legal Ability ratings are based on performance in five key areas, rated on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest). These areas are:

• Legal Knowledge - Lawyer's familiarity with the laws governing his/her specific area of practice(s)
• Analytical Capabilities - Lawyer's creativity in analyzing legal issues and applying technical knowledge
• Judgment - Lawyer's demonstration of the salient factors that drive the outcome of a given case or issue.
• Communication Ability - Lawyer's capability to communicate persuasively and credibly
• Legal Experience - Lawyer's degree of experience in his/her specific area of practice(s)

The numeric ratings range may coincide with the appropriate Certification Mark:

• AV Preeminent® (4.5-5.0) - AV Preeminent® is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.
• BV Distinguished® (3.0-4.4) - BV Distinguished® is an excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. A widely respected mark of achievement, it differentiates a lawyer from his or her competition.
• Rated (1.0-2.9) - The Peer Review Rated designation demonstrates that the lawyer has met the very high criteria of General Ethical Standing.

In 1997 Tom Horne was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives, where he served as the Chairman for the Academic Accountability Committee and Vice-Chair on the Education Committee.  After his term in the legislature expired, he was elected as the State Superintendent of  Public Instruction.  During his eight year term, he was instrumental in implementing AIMS testing and a Greco-Roman history curriculum.  He stated that he is not a fan of progressive history.  In his final act as Superintendent, he found the Tucson district's ethnic studies curriculum, specifically the la raza studies, out of compliance with state law.

He assumed the office of Attorney General in January 2011.  In September of that same year, he partnered with the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations), ICE ( Immigration and Customs Enforcement), U.S. Marshal Service, U.S. Border Patrol, DPS (Department of Public Safety), Phoenix Police Department (PD), Oro Valley PD, Tucson PD, Marana PD, and Sahuarita PD to arrest 17 members of a complex drug smuggling operation, which had illegally trafficked between 25-33 million dollars of cocaine into the United States.  With the arrests, the operation was dismantled.  There are more successful operations against the cartels, but this was just an example.  He filed an action in federal court calling on the Obama administration to drop is challenge of S.B. 1070 (Senate Bill #1070).  He then joined a multi state effort to challenge the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obama care.

"I think I've sued the federal government more than any other Attorney General," Mr. Horne declared.  

Still sitting on his desk, where it has followed him throughout his career is this (just so we're clear, at no time did Mr. Horne ever call anyone in the federal government a "bastard")....

It's nice to find a little politically-incorrect humor in the office of a dignified professional.