Mar 26
McCain gets stiffed by Arizona Republican Big-Wigs
I read about the problems John McCain is having raising money. I figured that I could look at the Arizona Republican Party Big-Wigs and get a feeling for what is going on here on Senator McCain’s home turf. Randy Pullen, the GOP Chair, according to Federal Election Commission database, has not given a penny to John McCain. He has pumped $7100 into the state party, and $500 each to Randy Graf, Jon Kyl, Susan Collins (US Senator from Maine) and good old Rick Renzi.
Wow… he has given more to Susan Collins from Maine than his own US Senator running for President. Ouch.
Now, the FEC files are fickle. If a name is incorrectly entered, they will not show up on the database. However, based on the FEC database this is what I found.
I then decided to look at all the state party officials. John McCain has a problem. The first Vice-Chairman (John Rutledge) gave nothing to McCain. The Second Vice-Chair (Bill Bridwell), nothing (he does, however, support Renzi whom he has given $1350). The third Vice-Chair (Parralee Schneider) has helped McCain with a $625 donation. So the top four GOP Big-Wigs have given John McCain a total of $625.
Sadly for McCain, the bad news just keeps on coming. State GOP Secretary Linda White stiffed him. the State GOP Treasurer Tim Lee never sent a check (to McCain– he sent Renzi $750). Sergent-At-Arms Alberto Gutier too a pass as well, but he did write a $300 check to the Arizona State Democratic Central Executive Committee.
The State GOP Assistant Secretary (Marne Haney), Assistant Sergent-at-Arms (Carl Seel) and Assistant Treasurer (Larry Pickard) both passed on helping McCain.
The big supporter from the party is National Committeeman Bruce Ash. In fairness to Committeeman Ash, he has maxed out for McCain with $4600. This guy has bucks. He wrote the state party $29,960 in donations, the Desert Cactus Caucus $8,400 and $1,000 or more to Trent Frank, Jim Kolbe, Mike Hellon, Jon Kyl, Rick Renzi, John Shadegg, Mike Pence, Tim Bee, Randy Graf, George Bush and Jeff Flake.
The other Arizona Committeeperson (Sharon Giese) did not send McCain money.
Okay, so the state party folks are lukewarm on McCain (take out Bruce Ash and I would say they state party abhors their candidate). I suspected that the folks out in the counties probably are more behind their leader. I looked up the fifteen county chairs and Legislative District 11 chair (McCain’s home district). The total of the chairs was…. drum roll… $500.
Madeline Coil, Yuma…. $0
Gary Watson, Mohave…. $0
John Echols, Coconino… $300 to Jon Kyl
Tom Ross, Navajo…. $0
Apache has no chair
Jan Smith, Yavapai…. $1000 to Republican Party and $200 to Rick Renzi
Mark Schifo, La Paz…. $0
Tom Husband, Maricopa… $0
LD 11 Chair (McCain’s district) Rob Haney…. $275 Republican Party, $700 for Trent Franks and $700 for Randy Graf
Charlotte Mortensen, Gila… $0
Marshall Hagan, Greenlee… $585 to the Republican National Committee
Duane Rhodes, Graham… $0
David Stevens, Cochise… $1000 to Randy Graf
Gina Romero, Santa Cruz… $400 for Ron Drake for Congress and $500 for Jon Kyl
Judi White, Pima… McCain $500 in 2000 and $250 in 2007, George Bush $2000, Wish List $260, $ Jon Kyl $1,250, Jim Kolbe $500, Pima GOP $3300, $AZ GOP $500, Ron Drake $400, Randy Graf $1000, Mike Pence $250, Ross Hieb $350 and Tim bee $2300
Dave West, Pinal… McCain $250 in 2007 and John Shadegg $1500
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Thank God you aren’t a real journalist because you suck at doing research. If you were to call all of these officials and ask them whom they supported in the primary, most if not all would say JOHN MCCAIN. Just because people don’t give money does not mean they don’t support a given candidate.
Maybe these people know McCain better than the media.
Who wants to donate to a sure loser. Some Republicans are dumb but not that dumb.
Ron is only part right. Yes, some Republicans are dumb, it just happens that most of the dumb Republicans are in the party leadership in this state. I keep hoping that they will tap into the pool of very qualified candidates that they have and that I could feel good about voting for. Instead, we get what we’ve got and that needs to change. If there is a party ready for a revo/evolution in this state, it is the Republicans.
Randy Pullen is no friend of McCains. He beat out McCain’s chosen boy for AZ Chair by 4 votes. But he has said the GOP must rally behind him as the presumptive Presidential nominee.
McCain is well know, and not well liked in AZ. Unfortunately the rest of the nation thinks him a saint, a hero ,,, when he is a decrepit, senile, mean SOB who is a heartbeat away from imploding in front of a camera. He always turns on his friends and loves his enemies. Kinda Jesus like.