US Attorney for AZ Burke tiptoes around Arpaio

NEXT WEEK

December 15: Fifth Special Legislative Session Begins

December 17: International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers (Tucson Memorial Service).

December 18: SWOP-USA Demonstration at the Arizona Department of Corrections, Phoenix.

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Here you go, in the meantime, is a recent post by Stephen Lemons at the Phx New Times - follow it back to the source and dig arond the stuff on Arpaio and Wilcox if I don't get to it tonight. Stephen's calling shit what it is - I know he's got a bunch of people watching his back, but you don't have to commit a crime to go to prison in thist place - which is pretty much what he says below. I haven't been making all this stuff up. This Sheriff really is nuts and he's going to try to take as many of us down with him as he goes.

Hmm. Burke is lacking something here...

                                   Stephen, however, rocks.  

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Dennis Burke Admits There's "a Problem" with Joe Arpaio's Rampage; Source Says the U.S. Attorney's Office Will Act in a Matter of Weeks

By Stephen Lemons in Feathered Bastard

Fri., Dec. 11 2009 @ 1:30PM

Though I didn't make Dennis Burke's swearing in as the new U.S. Attorney for Arizona yesterday, I did make the after-party -- a reception at the University of Arizona's College of Medicine in downtown Phoenix.

The reception, sponsored by Congressman Ed Pastor and Phoenix political consultant Ronnie Lopez, was attended by over 100 political movers-and-shakers, as well as lawyers and judges. Before remarks by Lopez and Burke, I spotted Burke mingling with the crowd, and approached him to ask about the two-ton purple gorilla in our county --

Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- and whether Burke's office was going to do anything about Arpaio's rampage against his political enemies, the judiciary, and so on.

I mentioned the MCSO's recent raid on the offices of Chicanos por la Causa, and the climate of fear and intimidation that's dominant in Maricopa County as Arpaio and his willing henchman, County Attorney Andrew Thomas, harass judges, file racketeering complaints on their foes, and arrest practically anyone who opposes their rule of terror.

"People are afraid," I told him. "They're waiting for your office to do something about this man."

Burke replied that he could "neither confirm nor deny" any investigation under way by his office into the sheriff, but invited me to "read into what I just said."

I pressed him, pointing out that he had made statements to the press listing what the priorities of his office will be mortgage fraud and border violence, laudable efforts to be sure, but what about political corruption and intimidation...?

                                                              (follow back for the rest...)