This doesn't seem to have been discussed, but the Democratic Party has a new member in Tucson - City Council Member Steve Kozachik.
He was elected to the City Council as a Republican in 2008. For reasons explained below the orange thingy, this is a rarity in Tucson politics.
Apparently there is something in the water here (fluoride?) that gives epiphanies to people who think they are Republicans.
Tucson has city-wide elections for City Council Members, but each Council Member represents a specific area/ward in the city. This has been a source of outrage for the good ol' boys in the Arizona State Legislature in Phoenix, which has been (at least in the past - better times ahead?) the Republican soul of Arizona. They have tried to legislate the city-wide elections out of existence, but so far Tucson has been able to hold off the work of the devil, as it were.
Tucson is the Democratic soul of Arizona. We are proud of our diversity and especially our Hispanic heritage. The community has numerous ties with Mexico, both private and public. It is actually fairly remarkable for a Republican to be elected to the City Council, but even more remarkable has been the acceptance of Mr. Kozachik in his time as a Council Member. It turns out that he has a mind of his own AND he can explain his thought process in terms that people can understand - odd abilities for an Arizona Republican.
It looks like his popularity will continue. Mr. Kozachik, unlike most of the slavering hordes of zombie-like Republicans in this state, apparently has decided that he can think for himself, thank you very much.
After decades of Republican Arizona Legislatures meddling in Tucson Democratic politics and attempting to pass state laws to thwart every Democratic Tucson City Council policy (whatever happened to "local" control?), it looked like the Republican Party might gain a toe-hold in Tucson when Mr. Kozachik took office in 2009. Many of us were worried that in a year that saw President Obama overwhelmingly elected in Tucson, how could a (gasp!) Republican get elected to our precious City Council?
As it turned out, we need not have worried.
Despite some predictable, somewhat Libertarian actually, rhetoric from Mr. Kozachik, he actually didn't raise too much of a ruckus. And when he did, he actually was able to give cogent reasons for his views rather than the standard Republican crap like, you know, patriotism and stuff.
As time went on, Mr. Kozachik began to spout some main-stream Arizona Democratic themes like wondering why in the hell did the Republican legislature have to keep sticking their nose in Tucson city business. He actually expressed outrage once or twice - certainly odd for a state characterized by the usual idiotic Republican lock-step approach to governance.
And then, Newtown.
Mr. Kozachik, in the grip of some kind of "logical" thinking, decided to hold a gun buy-back, funded privately and in cooperation with the Tucson Police Department. He started with $2,000 in private pledges and it quickly grew to over $10,000. As has been chronicled elsewhere, the NRA and Republicans in Arizona went apoplectic. Local electorally defeated asshat Republican Frank Antenori vowed to hold his own event at the same time on the other side of the parking lot, seeking to purchase any really good guns for his own private collection by offering more money than the $50 Safeway gift cards the Tucson Police Department was offering - but only for really good guns - he even offered as much as $200 for guns that have been selling lately for $500 or more. Let me repeat - Frank Antenori is an ASSHAT! But of course, it is a free country and anybody can be an ASSHAT that wants to. He was joined by other "gun collectors", eager to augment their "collections" ( I don't know about you, but I'm "absolutely sure" that none of these guns would have ended up in the hands of criminals or human-smugglers or drug-smugglers (we're 60 miles from Mexico) despite the fact that these were private transactions and thus not subject to any regulations or review - call me "trusting"). But, all in all, the buyback was successful. Some unwanted guns were collected. Maybe some suicides and crimes of passion were prevented. Who knows? The Tucson Police were certainly glad to help. But what would they know about gun violence??
Republicans threatened and heaped loads of crap on Mr. Kozachik.
Apparently that was the last straw, because 2 days ago, Mr Kozachik joined the Democratic Party.
To me, this is something new. Not because someone left their registered party, but because an Arizona politician actually chose the Democratic Party instead of becoming an independent.
I've personally had my fill of independents in Arizona. Much was made of the fact that Richard Carmona, a "proud" independent, ran on the Democratic Party ticket for the Senate seat vacated by Jon Kyl. He lost, but it was "close" by Arizona standards. Of course he made sure to let everybody know that he could work with anybody in any party and he had been a proud independent forever and he would not let the Democratic Party tell him what to do if he was elected - "psst, sure I'm standing with the Democrats to get elected but I don't like those damn Democrats anymore than you do" - that sort of thing.
(Take it easy, Carmona-lovers. He's a decent human being and might have made a good Senator for Arizona. I just don't like fence-sitters.)
It seems the conventional wisdom in Arizona politics is that the Democratic Party is taboo. Democratic candidates in this state often emphasize that they are only "soft" Democrats; that they are "traditional" Democrats or "fiscally responsible" Democrats. Anything to avoid the "taint" of being a Democrat in this state that is so proud of its misogynistic racist near-sighted idiotic paranoid Republican heritage.
So, kudos to you, Mr. Kozachik. I may not agree with every position you take, but I applaud the courage of your convictions and I will listen when you speak.
Oh yeah, the obligatory ending statement: I own guns...
... but I am not paranoid about the gummint' taking them away. Reasonable regulation is a sign of a healthy society.