Editor's Notes: Democrats feel at home

All you Republicans out there aren’t going to like this. Not one bit.

You might want to hold your nose — as some of you conservatives did Tuesday when you voted for Sen. John McCain in the GOP presidential primary — when I tell you the hard truth.

As blasphemous as this might sound, the Democratic Party is on a roll in Arizona. The momentum — gasp! — has carried into your back yard, where the Santa Rita Democrats had the audacity Saturday to open a campaign headquarters.

Green Valley, the last bastion of pure conservatism in Arizona, has vanished in the last two years. The proof sits in suite No. 70 of the Green Valley Mall.

Gov. Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Terry Goodard won every Green Valley precinct in 2006 in winning re-election. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords lost only four of 14 in beating Green Valley Republican Randy Graf. Of course, those races were not competitive, but that's merely a detail.

Since then, state Democrats have been raising more money from contributions and have been outflanking the GOP in voter registrations. They have hired one of the best political minds in the country, a congenial, sharp and motivated state executive director named Maria Weeg, to keep them focused on the prize — winning elections.

These upstart Democrats were giddier than Hillary Clinton after a good cry Saturday afternoon as they cut the ribbon to open their local headquarters.

Giffords, who spoke in person, and Napolitano, who congratulated the crowd of more than 200 by speakerphone, seemed like they were channeling Barack Obama with their fiery campaign rhetoric. To be honest, these Democrats are no longer satisfied with a couple of congressional seats or minority status in the Legislature.

“This is all about changing the direction of our country,” said Giffords, who faces a tough re-election campaign against State Senate President Tim Bee, R-Corona de Tucson. “What Republicans have done in the past is not right, and it is not right for the future.”

Giffords and Bee have tried to stay above the politics of personal destruction in their race. Both have said they will not engage in negative campaigning. Behind the scenes, operatives are keeping track of every move and are more than willing to wear brass knuckles.

Bee was in Washington, D.C., on Thursday and Friday, for example, for a campaign fundraiser and was criticized unmercifully. Because he decided to remain in the Senate, instead of resigning last year, he’s going to be hammered every time he misses a committee meeting, vote or budget negotiation. That’s how motivated Democrats are to keep Giffords in office.

Giffords, meanwhile, sent out a brochure to her congressional district, using her franking privilege. Republicans pointed out that if Giffords had been in the U.S. Senate instead of the House, ethics rules would have prohibited her to mentioning herself more than eight times and would have prevented her from including her picture. The fact is, Giffords followed the rules, but the GOP scrutiny underscored the volatility out there.

Napolitano, who’s wrestling with the GOP to cut $1 billion from the state budget, supported Obama in the primary. She will be on a short list of possible vice presidential candidates if Obama wins the nomination. But she put aside her preference in complimenting local Democrats on their achievement.

“What you have done is amazing,” she said of the volunteers' efforts to open the headquarters. “The important thing to remember is that we have two great candidates, and one of them is going to win the White House.”

I was on “Arizona Illustrated” on Channel 6 Friday night and mentioned Napolitano high profile. If Clinton loses to Obama, women will be disenfranchised and upset about the setback. What better way to re-energize them, I reasoned, than to pick Napolitano for the ticket. Napolitano’s great line, “Washington is a place where good ideas go to die,” is perfect for Obama’s campaign.

Arizona became the center of the political universe when McCain essentially wrapped up the GOP nomination. If Napolitano is added to the Democratic ticket, we'll be eating, living and breathing politics 24/7.

For now, Democrats are enjoying their moment in the sunshine. They are active. They are happy. They are not blasting their own candidates, as conservatives have done in undercutting McCain.

The truth must hurt.

Contact Editor James Bennett at jbennett@gvnews.com or 547-9770. Respond by e-mailing letters@gvnews.com.