Newly-elected chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee, A.J. LaFaro, appears to have sent out a email to the Arizona Tea Party asking for their help in getting out the 'troops' to harass the recall effort against Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Joe Arpaio's Teabagger Pals Muster "Shadow Army" Against Recall Effort with Help from Chad Willems (w/Update)
Here is the email in question:
The Teabagger call to arms:
From: "Tempe Tea Party"
Date: Feb 11, 2013 9:10 AM
Subject: "CALL TO ARMS" MEETING
SHERIFF JOE NEEDS OUR HELP!
I've been contacted by Sheriff Joe and his campaign team requesting our help.
I am calling a "call to arms" volunteer meeting of the MCRC EGC and Tea Parties* throughout Maricopa County for Saturday, 02/16, at 1:30pm at AZGOP HQ located at 3501 North 24th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016.
* Please forward to all Tea Parties in Maricopa County and Arizona if needed.
The purpose of the meeting is to muster and organize a "shadow army" of "shadow warriors" that are willing to volunteer their time to stand toe-to-toe at the majority of the locations here in Maricopa County where the paid progressive socialists are collecting petition signatures to recall Sheriff Joe. For example: libraries, community college campuses, university campuses, swap meets, special events etc.
It's estimated the "shadow army" will need to be at least 400 people in order to man all the locations that have been identified here in Maricopa County.
We need to make sure this abusive and egregious attempt attacking Arizona's Constitution, voter sovereignty and the will of the people here in Arizona and around the Country fails in getting enough signatures.
Randy Parraz, Chad Snow and the special interest groups that are behind this recall effort are nothing more than domestic terrorists who are attempting to turn Arizona dark blue so they can further their liberal agenda. These are the same thugs who wrongfully recalled Russell Pearce. We need to stop these people now.
There is no need to RSVP! Just rally the "troops" to be at the meeting on Saturday, 02/16, to get their marching orders and assignments from Sheriff Joe's campaign team field general - John DeCarlo.
A. J. LaFaro
Chairman, Maricopa County Republican Committee
Lafaro is an employee of Chad Willems' Summit Consulting Group, which is a big campaign money raiser for Arpaio.
From Summit Consulting Group's web page:
In addition to managing and recruiting clients at the Summit Consulting Group, Chad continues to raise campaign funds for Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, as well as several other political candidates in Arizona.
So Stephen Lemons, writing for the Phoenix New Times decided to ask Willems what he knew about the email. His response is a denial that it came from his office, but he goes on to say in his reply
Some Arpaio supporters have taken it upon themselves to actively engage
voters who are being asked to sign this recall petition. It is their right
to do so and we are happy to assist them in their efforts. [bolded text by me]
But the problem is, as Chad Snow points out, - the contact e-mail is john@summitgroupnet.com, Willems' own consulting firm.
The recall effort against Arpaio is in part because of abuse of power. How is this email from the chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee not also an abuse of power?
But the point is that Sheriff Arpaio and his minions will stop at nothing to maintain power, even to the point of physically intimidating citizens who would sign a petition. I hope there is no violence from the "shadow army" of 400. As Lemons says:
So the pro-Joe goobers are holding a meetin' come Saturday to figure out how to organize a "`shadow army' of `shadow warriors'" willing to "stand toe-to-toe" with the "paid progressive socialists...collecting petition signatures."
And you know what this means: Ornery, white geriatrics, Glocks strapped to their pear-shaped hips, ready to do battle with unarmed signature gatherers. What's next, drive-bys? Gangland-style shootouts? Chemical warfare? Shuffleboard playoffs?
