September 29, 2011 OPINIONS

Who is 'candidate' trying to fool?

Sept. 29, 2011 12:00 AM - The Arizona Republic

Zealots backing recall target Russell Pearce have a word for you, the voters of District 18. Contempt Supporters - indeed, relatives - of Pearce are attempting to game the Senate president's recall election by cynically propping up a ghost candidate, Olivia Cortes, to draw away voters from Jerry Lewis, a conservative Republican who is running a genuine effort to unseat Pearce. The depths to which they have sunk would leave a conventional libertine speechless. Cortes, a registered Republican and allegedly an avid supporter of Pearce himself, has never spoken or appeared in public. Virtually every media organization in the Valley has made multiple pilgrimages to her doorstep, to no avail. The door has never opened. There is no indication she has made any effort to raise or spend campaign funds. She has no campaign headquarters. Yet, campaign signs touting her Hispanic lineage - prominently displaying the phrase "S, se puede!" made famous by Cesar Chavez - are mysteriously proliferating in the district. If Pearce opponents are right in their objections - and we have seen nothing proving them wrong - Cortes is a "candidate" only in the sense that her presence on the ballot is intended to draw Hispanic voters away from Lewis, thus saving the Senate president from ignominious recall defeat that his cynical posse are proving he so richly deserves. They are contemptuous of the law that expressly states it is illegal to "directly or indirectly" deceive voters. They are contemptuous of the recall process and of the right of voters to determine, in a fair contest, who should represent them in the state Senate. And, most brazen of all, the supporters of the author of Senate Bill 1070 are displaying their absolute contempt for the Hispanic citizens of District 18 - dare we say legal voters all - by shilling for a non-campaigning Hispanic candidate, in the obvious hope of drawing away their anti-Pearce votes from Lewis. The chairman of the East Valley Tea Party, an enthusiastic supporter of Pearce, actually turned in Cortes' signature petitions to qualify her for the ballot. Two of Pearce's own nieces have collected signatures on Cortes' behalf, as have numerous other Pearce enthusiasts. Pearce himself has denied knowing Cortes or having done anything to get her on the ballot. Of course not. Practically every Russell Pearce supporter in east Mesa is racing around declaring "S, se puede!" on Cortes' behalf. But that doesn't mean the beneficiary of their rabid, cynical efforts has a clue.

This sham campaign is all about contempt for you, the voter. And these are the clever folks who think they can fool you.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2011/09/29/20110929thur1-29-whocandidate-trying-fool.html#comments#ixzz1ZMiLFIL6

SusanRastella Sep-29 @ 10:45 AM An open message to "Candidate Cortes: Olivia Cortes why are you allowing yourself to be used in such an insulting way? Why will you not give the voters some information about yourself? Your "candidacy" is a sham. Your have a 1 page commentary as yourself campaign platform. Your page offers us to follow you on a Facebook page that doesn't exist. Who are you Olivia Cortes? Why the hell should anyone vote for you? Can't your buddy Russell make it through this without using you? Are you ever going to speak up about your plans and ideas for making Mesa and Arizona a better place to live and work. Like you say, "Truth, Justice and the American Way" is your ideals. Let me tell you dear, you are NOT Superman (woman). Get out of the race gracefully and stop being used. I am ashamed of you as a woman and as a resident of Arizona. Shame on you Olivia.