Russell Pearce should go away — for a while

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m a staunch conservative, and I appreciate much of the work that Russell Pearce did while serving in the Arizona House and Senate.  But having said that, he also was caught lying to Arizonans about his Fiesta Bowl tickets and other perks, may have been associated with that whole Olivia Cortes debacle, and was soundly defeated in a recall election in his own district.

Now, Republican state party Chairman Tom Morrissey has seen fit to put Pearce on his slate of candidates for the upcoming state party elections, as 1st vice chairman. Morrissey, or whoever is advising him, must be tone deaf. Pearce needs to go away for a while, heal up, let Arizonans forget about him and then look at his options.  To run for a non-paying position with the state party so soon after his defeat, in order to try and block the best candidate for that position, Diane Ortiz-Parsons — whom Morrissey doesn’t like — is stupid.

Pearce should not allow himself to be used this way. Shame on the state GOP leadership for doing such a thing.

— Ray Spitzer, Glendale