Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik has never lost an election, but that was before his remarks assigning blame for the deadly Tucson, Ariz., shooting to political "vitriol" and calling Arizona "a mecca for prejudice and bigotry."
Now it's Sheriff Dupnik who finds himself on the public-opinion hot seat. A group opposed to illegal immigration has begun an effort to recall the sheriff in a special election. Meanwhile, a Pima County tea party group is planning on holding a "Dump Dupnik" rally next week outside his office.
"I haven't been a fan of Dupnik's for a long time, but this really was the straw that broke the camel's back," said Tom Rompel, co-owner of Black Weapons Armory in Tucson. "He's law enforcement. We expect 'the facts, ma'am,' not his opinion. He leans far left, always has, and frankly, people have had enough."
You know, what strikes me most about this is that this effort to rid themselves of this troublesome person not on the Tea Party approved politician list is the fact that these are the same folks screaming that Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin and El Rushbo have every right to free speech to say whatever they want about their political opponents, and that we can't criminalize rhetoric.
These are the same folks who in turn now want to recall Sheriff Dupnik for exercising that same right, and are demanding a special election to vote him out of office now, before his term is up, for the crime of...expressing his opinion.
Funny how that works. For that offense, he must be recalled from office. You know, I honestly don't know why any Democrat is allowed to hold office under this logic. Shouldn't the Tea Party be trying to force recalls for as many Democrats as they can at all levels of government if the bar for recall is "disagree with the Tea Party"?
Shouldn't the Tea Party be trying to force recalls for as many Democrats as they can at all levels of government if the bar for recall is "disagree with the Tea Party"?
ReplyDeleteThey aren't? Well you either just gave them the go ahead, or ZCP a new mission in life (which I think was your intent).
I'm sorry, but the mission in life ICP is in dire need of is one to get a life.
ReplyDelete"These are the same folks who in turn now want to recall Sheriff Dupnik for exercising that same right, and are demanding a special election to vote him out of office now, before his term is up, for the crime of...expressing his opinion."
ReplyDeleteSo in Zandar's mind, politicizing justice in the middle of a murder investigation, which Zandar calls expressing his opinion, is ok when done by a Democrat, right? I would suppose Zandar thinks Democrat Mike Nifong was a "victim", right?
You all might remember Nifong; he was going to get those white Duke lacrosse players for raping a black girl when in fact no crime had actually been committed. The facts didn't matter to Nifong; politics drove him, just as politics has driven Dupnik.
Dupnik can now join Nifong as the picture of Democratic justice, that politics and ideology matter more than the law.
Funny how that works. For that offense, he must be recalled from office. You know, I honestly don't know why any Democrat is allowed to hold office under this logic.
Dupnik's job isn't as a Democratic legislator, responsible for creating laws; Dupnik's job is as Pima County's top cop, someone who is a part of the justice system to enforce the law. Dupnik was elected to do his job professionally and without politicization. He didn't do that; he let his mouth do the talking before any facts were in, and has done so repeatedly after facts showing the opposite of his opinion have come to light. That's why there are some who want him recalled.