SEND MONEY: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner To Help Get The State GOP's Money Pipes Flowing Again?

The Arizona Republican Party is still operating in the red, but is hoping that action movie/reality TV star Steven Seagal and political reality TV star "Joe the Plumber" will get the money pipes flowing into positive territory.

GOP Chair Tom Morrissey just sent out an e-mail touting that Maricopa County Sheriff Posse member Seagal was now confirmed as the special guest at next Tuesday's "Freedom Festival" fundraiser.  Seagal will be introduced by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has not yet ruled out running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jon Kyl.  Joe the Plumber became a political icon near the end of the 2008 presidential campaign of Arizona's other Senator, John McCain.

The fundraiser takes place July 26, 6:30pm, at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. 

Morrissey is also billing it as the "Restoration of the Republic", although it is also designed to restore the Arizona Republican Party to a positive balance sheet.  As of June 30, the AZ GOP was nearly $35,000 in the hole.  Disagreements among Arizona Republicans have prompted some to bypass the state party, funneling money in the 2010 campaign through the Yuma County Republican Party.

Full text of the e-mail following the jump.

FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS: Arizona's Most Expensive State Legislative Race, Proxy (i.e. IE) Version; Coincidence That Candidate Is/Was Roommate of AZ GOP Exec. Director?

Well, the campaign is almost finished, and it is almost assured that more independent expenditure ("IE")money will be put into one State House race than into any other legislative contest.  Nearly $150,000 from outside groups - evenly split between the Republicans and the Democrat.

 

The Republicans are attempting to defeat first-term Democratic Rep. Rae Waters in LD20 (SE Valley).  The two Republicans vying for the two House seats are former Rep. Bob Robson and third-time candidate Jeff Dial.

 

The Arizona Republican Party has jumped into this race in a BIG way during the past week, spending approximately $42,000 in the past week alone.  Interestingly, in the BIG SIGN kerfuffle that blew up last week, it was alleged that Dial is/was roommates with the Executive Director for the Arizona GOP Party, Brett Mecum.

 

Here is how the IE money has come down:

Against Waters:
Arizona Business Development Coalition approx. $8,600
Arizonans for a Sound Economy (Yuma Republicans) "" $12,000
AZ Republican Party "" $42,500
For Dial/Robson:
AZ Republican Party "" $5,400
United Dairymen & AZ Farm Bureau "" $7,200
TOTAL: $75,700


For Waters:
Voters for Jobs and Education (AEA) "" $5,600
East Valley Education Council (Arizona List) "" $24,800
Against Dial/Robson:
East Valley Education Council "" $43,700
TOTAL: $74,100

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