And a Democrat Enters the Race

The McCain vs. Hayworth saga is only beginning but tonight Democrat Tucson City Council member Rodney Glassman officially resigned his council seat to finally begin his run for the U.S. Senate.

Glassman has been running "an exploratory campaign" for several months, asking for donations of $20 to "test the waters." Really, the "exploratory campaign" was more like pretending he wasn't running so he wouldn't have to give up his seat as an elected official, raising enough money to know if he had a shot, and then once he did raise enough money, he decided to give up his position and announce his run for national office, conveniently bypassing election laws.

Here are some of Glassman's platform issues from his website:

Putting Arizona First – As a former City Councilman, I know firsthand the need for our U.S. Senators to be advocates for the working families, seniors, veterans, and young people of our State as well as a friend to our cities and towns.

Veterans – We all owe a special debt to our veterans — those who have given so much to our country. As a U.S. Air Force JAG Reserve, I know about the sacrifices our service people and their families are making everyday. We need a Senator committed to making sure they get the best health care, disability, and pension benefits we can offer.

Economy - For America’s economy to be strong and grow, we need to makesure all of our children get the high quality education they deserve. I know firsthand the value and importance of good teachers and schools to making it in today’s world. We need a Senator to fight for an education system that meets the challenges of the 21st Century by attracting and rewarding the great teachers who will make the difference in the classroom

Health Care – Our health care system is holding back innovation, entrepreneurs, and our economy in general. We need to fix our health care system so that everyone who wants health insurance can afford it. We need to control costs so that individuals and companies are not forced into bankruptcy or out of business due to health care costs.

Corporate Taxes – It’s wrong that over half of corporations pay NO income taxes. We need a Senator committed on working to make sure the super-rich and big corporations pay their fair share of taxes — and that working families do not end up footing the bill and seeing their tax burden increase.

Economic Growth – Economic growth in the 21st Century requires that more of our children graduate from high school and go to 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities. I believe we must find ways to make college more affordable for students and their families. We have to increase student aid and lower student loan costs so that everyone — whether they are a recent high school graduate or an older worker going back to school for new training — can afford to go to college.

Clean Energy – America cannot afford to wait any longer to get behind clean renewable energy. We need a Senator committed to investing in a new green economy here in Arizona. By doing so, we can break our dependence on foreign oil, while at the same time creating new jobs that get Arizonans back to work.

Glassman has compared his experience as a city council member to Joe Biden's service as a city council member before becoming a U.S. Senator....I wonder if Rodney knows when the television was invented, or whether he thinks paying taxes is patriotic.

Whether Glassman has any chance at beating McCain or Hayworth is very questionable, but at the least it will make things more interesting.