"Surely it won’t be long before Brewer does something to offend the liberals, and all will again be right with the world."

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Political Insider: Running the numbers in SB 1062’s aftermath
By Republic reporters Mary Jo Pitzl, Alia Beard Rau and Rebekah L. Sanders, March 1, 2014

Senate Bill 1062! How do we love thee? ... Let us count the ways.

The controversial right-to-refuse-service bill, relegated to the scrap heap by Gov. Jan Brewer’s veto, unleashed a torrent of comment, protest, letters, e-mails and mentions in national media.

A few metrics from this flashpoint in Arizona political history:

745,100: Number of YouTube views (as of the end of the workweek) of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper’s interview with Sen. Al Melvin.

$5,000: The estimated out-of-pocket contribution from Fastsigns owner Scott Koehler, who printed “Open for Business to Everyone” signs, as well as banners and placards thanking Brewer for her veto. The figure excludes labor costs.

10: Number of national- and international-media interviews done by the Insider team.

65: Number of amendments Rep. Mark Cardenas said he wanted to introduce to derail House Bill 2153, the House version of SB 1062. Staff members talked him down to 15.

0: Number of cases cited of Arizonans who have been sued for refusing service based on “sincerely held” religious beliefs.

Navigating choppy waters ... Rep. Justin Pierce, on the stump for the GOP nomination for Arizona secretary of state, was happy to announce to a group of Prescott Republican women that he has been selected to speak at this month’s Conservative Political Action Conference meeting. Turns out, Pierce takes the podium a few minutes before New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

How, an audience member asked, would Pierce handle the somewhat delicate issue of serving as Christie’s warmup act without drawing unwanted attention to the governor’s political troubles?

“We’ll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it,” Pierce quipped. Rimshot!

It’s all gone topsy-turvy ... Two years ago, Gov. Jan Brewer was deemed the devil incarnate by Democrats for her finger-wag at President Barack Obama over immigration issues. This week, our Republican governor has become the darling of Democrats for her veto of SB 1062.

Hillary Clinton praised her during a speech at the University of Miami, according to the Associated Press, saying Brewer’s veto showed that “inclusive leadership is really what the 21st century is all about.”

Surely it won’t be long before Brewer does something to offend the liberals, and all will again be right with the world.

Whoopsie ... When everyone and their mother is looking to jump into the race for retiring U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor’s seat, skepticism apparently goes out the window.

Democratic political consultant Israel Torres, who ran in 2006 for secretary of state, fooled his Facebook friends by posting, “I’m in.”

“I’ve talked to my family, my clients and received many calls to run for Congress. After much consideration and prayer, I’m proud to be endorsed by UFCW 99 and UA Pipefitters 469,” he wrote.

The “announcement” spread like wildfire.

Problem was, Torres was being sarcastic, and he had to apologize.

“Thanks for your support but was just playing around ... sorry ... gulp,” he wrote.

Womp! Womp!
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