Editor's Notes: Bee vs. Giffords, Paton vs. Valle really intrigue me

Two political races in Arizona intrigue me as much as the presidential campaign between Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

I suspect they will capture your imagination between now and November, too, and predict a record 95 percent of Green Valley voters will cast ballots in the general election.

Besides having a favorite son on the ballot, McCain, two other contests are intoxicating — Republican Tim Bee versus Democrat Gabrielle Giffords for the U.S. House in Congressional District 8 and Republican Jonathan Paton versus Democrat Georgette Valle for the State Senate in Legislative District 30.

Bee’s decision to challenge Giffords for her congressional seat has entranced me since the State Senate president announced his intentions in January. It will be one of the most closely watched races in the country because it’s one of the few where a GOP challenger might unseat an incumbent Democrat.

With Bee leaving the State Senate because of term-limit restrictions, Paton decided to run for the seat. Paton has been passionate about open government and has been honored for serving a tour of duty in Iraq. I thought it would be impossible to find a candidate to compete with those credentials, but the Democrats found one on Green Valley’s Georgette Valle, an 83-year-old former Washington state legislator.

President Bush came to Southern Arizona on Friday morning to campaign for Bee. A $1,000-a-plate breakfast raised more than $500,000 for Bee, giving his campaign an infusion of cash and local interest. The cash and interest would have been impossible to match without Bush, but Bee’s reaction to it all has been fascinating.

Interestingly, Bee and the president stayed behind closed doors. The campaign did not release a photo of them together. There’s no mention of the event on Bee’s Web site. There’s still a photo on the site of the Corona de Tucson resident with former Congressman Jim Kolbe, who announced he was no longer involved in the Bee campaign, but nothing with Bush.

In interviews, Bee said he appreciated the president’s interest but reminded everyone he was running on his State Senate record, not Bush’s record.

“There’s always going to be efforts to put events like this one in a negative light,” Bee told the Arizona Daily Star. “I don’t want to undervalue at all what it means to have the president here.

“Coming from humble beginnings, and to have the opportunity for the president of the United States to come and speak positively is a tremendous honor,” Bee told the newspaper.

Giffords’ campaign and the state party took advantage of the Bush visit to pounce on the president’s unpopularity and to chide Bee for not spelling out differences with the administration.

State Democratic Party Executive Director Maria Weeg, a rising star in party circles for her fundraising ability and organizational skills, said: “We’ve been waiting all week. Voters are ready for Bee to come clean on his supposed differences with Bush. We’re all ears.”

At a appearance Friday in Tucson to promote her bill to cut the federal tax on diesel fuel, Giffords made it clear what she thinks of Bush. She did not mince words.

“The president has taken this country in a terrible direction,” she said.

I met Paton, 37, for the first time in September, when he accepted a Freedom of Information Award from the Arizona Newspapers Association. I have been impressed by his push to shed light on Child Protective Services in the state. His bill to open access to CPS records will make public inspection of the agency easier.

Because of his service in Iraq and his belief in openness in government, folks will gravitate to him. In his campaign, though, he faces a wily veteran in Valle. He’s 46 years younger than Valle, putting him at somewhat of a disadvantage in connecting with the voters in Green Valley, where the average resident is 72.

“I’m no spring chicken,” Valle told Tucson Weekly, our sister newspaper, “but people seem trusting and happy to support me.”

I am interested in how Paton’s campaign will treat Valle. Will it assume she’s too old and disregard her as a threat? That would be a mistake. Valle knows how to campaign and raise enough money to be competitive.

When they debate, Paton has to be respectful without being condescending. He’s trained to attack as a soldier. And Republicans have taken the art of negative campaigning to incredible heights in recent elections. But in this race, the gloves better stay on if Paton wants a future in state politics.

McCain and Obama will be factors in both races. McCain will inspire independents to vote, bringing them to the polls for Bee and Paton as well. Obama will continue to resonate with voters whose lives have been destroyed by Bush’s presidency, pushing them in Giffords’ and Valle’s direction en masse.

Politics is most riveting with a lively cast of characters. In Southern Arizona races, calling the candidates — and their strategies — merely interesting would be a massive understatement.

James Bennett is editor of the Green Valley News. See him interview Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano with host Bill Buckmaster on KUAT-TV, Channel 6’s “Arizona Illustrated,” at 6:30 p.m. Monday. Contact him at 547-9770 or jbennett@gvnews.com. Respond with a Letter to the Editor by e-mailing letters@gvnews.com. Comment online at www.gvnews.com.