Tag: Bob Lord

Cue the “Dems are doomed! Wave of retirements! Rats jumping ship!” narrative! Another retirement! Oh, wait… another Republican?

Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.), who briefly announced his retirement last cycle but then opted to seek another term, will not run for reelection in 2010, a GOP source confirms.

Shadegg becomes the third Republican to announce his retirement in recent weeks. He joins Reps. Henry Brown (R-S.C.) and George Radanovich (R-Calif.).

Shadegg, as you might recall, attempted to retire in 2008 but thought better of it (or was made to think better of it); he faced a solid challenge from Democrat Bob Lord, although he won by double digits in the end. Looks like he decided 2010 was a safer year, in terms of helping the party retain the seat, for him to hit the exit.

Right now, all the Dems seem to have on the plate is attorney and former Gary Hart staffer Jon Hulburd, although maybe an open seat will generate some interest higher up on the totem pole (this R+9 seat in middle-class and mostly white northern Phoenix, Republican as long as it has existed, doesn’t seem to have much Democratic bench though). As for a candidate on the GOP side, Shadegg’s Chief of Staff, Sean Noble, may be interested in succeeding his boss.

UPDATE: OK, it sounds like the Dem establishment will be happy to have Jon Hulburd stay in the race: he’s about to report $300,000 raised last quarter, and that’s from donors, not from his own wallet (although apparently he can self-fund too if need be). That might change the assumptions about Shadegg’s motivations, too — not wanting to face another tough race, rather than departing out of confidence. This race will be worth keeping an eye on.

RaceTracker Wiki: AZ-03

To my surprise, it looks like John Shadegg has been busy observing the Day of Atonement:

U.S. Rep. John Shadegg (R-Phoenix) has sent a letter of apology to a veteran upset over the use of his image in a Shadegg campaign ad.

“I have never supported you and I never will,” said Constantine O’Neill, a World War II veteran and former POW, at a press conference from the campaign headquarters of  Bob Lord, Shadegg’s Democratic opponent in the 3rd Congressional District. “I could never support someone who doesn’t represent my values or the values of veterans.”

O’Neill said the same in a letter to Shadegg, in which he demanded the ad be pulled and an apology be issued.

Here’s an excerpt from O’Neill’s letter (PDF):

I’m writing to you to demand that you take down your most recent TV commercial in which you use a photo of me and several other World War II POWs cropped together with a photo of you depicting that we support you.

The opposite couldn’t be more true.

At age 20, I joined the National Guard in 1939. then fought in the Army Infantry during five separate beach landings in World War II. I was captured in Italy as a war prisoner and taken to spend 22 months in a German prison camp. When they finally left me 10 fend for myself and find my American troops, at 87 lbs., I staggered my way for days and found a French hospital where I spent months recuperating.

Now I’m 89 years old and my wife Mary and I have been married for 63 years. We’ve lived through a lot. But when I saw a picture of myself in one of your ads, Mr. Shadegg, I began to cry because I was so angry.

I never have supported you and I never will – I could never support someone who doesn’t represent my values or the values of veterans. I have fought all my life but you never once have fought for me. Now you are exploiting me and my fellow POWs. You never asked my permission to use me in a photo, nor would I have given it to you.

To say this was a well-deserved laceration doesn’t begin to describe it. You know, if this were a few years ago, you almost wonder whether the GOP troglodytes would have descended into Swift Boat mode. Now it seems that they’re too scared to use such odious tactics. Good.

If you’ve been following SSP’s Independent Expenditure Tracker over the past couple of months, you’re well aware that most of the DCCC’s expenditures have been made in some of the more obviously top tier races. Starting to break that trend, the DCCC has just posted a $91,500 media buy against GOP Rep. John Shadegg in Arizona:

Shadegg, an ultra-conservative congresscritter representing an R+6 northern Phoenix district, announced his retirement back in February only to reverse course after his GOP colleagues begged him to stay. Still, it’s been pretty clear that his heart just isn’t in it anymore. With a tougher race than he perhaps had anticipated back in February, perhaps Shadegg will regret going through the hassle and not taking that swanky private sector job.