Tucson City Councilman Who Held Gun Buyback Leaving Republican Party

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM



DAVID TAINTOR 8:42 AM EST, MONDAY JANUARY 14, 2013

Tucson City Council member Steve Kozachik, who held a gun buyback on the second anniversary of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, has decided to switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. In a Tucson Sentinel op-ed, Kozachick wrote that Arizona's Republican party is "being driven by a small, but vocal faction that has taken it far to the political right."

Kozachik added:

The Arizona Republican Party is an ideological outlier. I am not, and I see nothing that indicates that leadership is inclined to move in any direction but further away from what I believe are the values of this community. I appreciate the support I have been given by those in the party who share these feelings. I also appreciate the support I have been given by both independents and Democrats who have openly recognized my efforts to craft common sense public policy, untethered from an extreme ideological position. But the Republican Party leadership cannot expect those of us whose purpose it is to reach common ground across varying political interests to continue to wear a label that rejects that core principle.

Outgoing Republican state Sen. Frank Antenori (R), who held a rival buyback in Tucson on Jan. 8 to keep guns from being turned into police and destroyed, called Kozachik an "imposter Republican" who "finally found what shred of integrity he had left and came out as a liberal Democrat," according to the Arizona Daily Star.

Kozachik and Antenori have reportedly butted heads for some time.

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Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/tucson-city-councilman-who-held-gun-buyback-leaving

[vlyons]

1. Just watch! More and more Republicans will walk away from the extremeists

It's not that Republicans are leaving the party, so much as the party has left the people.

[NorthCarolina]

2. Just what the Dems need, more far right Republicans

in their ranks, as if third-way Dems wasn't already bad enough. Come on PCCC, lets hurry on up with that Progressive Party that is reflective of what Dems USED to be, before the advent of the DLC.

[geek tragedy]

3. Does a majority of Congress belong to the Progressive Caucus?

Those who are uninterested in winning elections find purity a much more plausible alternative.

[Ptah]

4. Kozachik is not far right.

[NorthCarolina]

5. As compared to what?

[Ptah]

6. As compared to Frank Antenori.

[frylock]

16. most modern-day democrats?

[1StrongBlackMan]

8. That's what I was going to post ...

Last edited Mon Jan 14, 2013, 12:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Living here in Tucson, and having watched/listened to Kozachik, I think he is a blow-hard that is far too impressed by his own voice. He confuses his council seat for a post to micro-manage city governance and get himself on the 5:00 news.

But that said, he has shown to be a non-ideological (socially or fiscally), problem-solver ... even if his approach is heavy handed.

[Ptah]

9. Well said, 1StrongBlackMan.

But that said, he has show to be a non-ideological (socially or fiscally), problem-solver ... even if his approach is heavy handed.

[Kali]

11. good post

I have been kind of surprised at his actual positions when compared to his persona too.

there are other "republicans" in Pima county who are essentially centrist Dems.

[1StrongBlackMan]

12. Yes ...

much to the despair of the Pima County Tea-partiers and "libertarians." But I wouldn't term them centrist "democrats" ... they just appear that way because the Pima County gop has swung so far to the right. I just refer to them as sane republicans.

Just this past weekend, I was at a social engagement with several "high profile" Pima County (non-politician) republicans. The common thread, through my many conversations, was "We (the non-politician gop) needs to communicate to our base and our elected officials that we are willing to put partisanship in its place ... far behind what is good and necessary for Pima County." I suppose that is as close as they will ever come to acknowledging that much of their base and elected representatives are too far out there; but the business community is planning(?) to draw them back to the center.

[winterpark]

7. All this gun buy back stuff is great. But here in Central Florida, we've got a radio

station that's been doing it for 13years already. And it gets larger each year. It started out with just Orange county and has stretched to Lake, Volusia and Brevard counties. That's pretty huge and I don't see anyone covering this. Just my 2 cents. If you want to know more, try googling Monsters in the morning kicks for guns. Law enforcement in these counties have embraced it and say they get hundreds if not thousands of weapons off the streets at these annual events.

[Ptah]

10. I Googled, as you suggested. Looks like a success story.

http://www.realradio.fm/pages/kicksforguns.html

Last year, Kicks for Guns had its biggest year ever with 2,230 guns taken off the street!

Now in 14th year, Real Radio 104.1's Kicks for Guns has grown to 13 locations all around Central Florida…involving law enforcement in 6 counties. Kicks for Guns will take place on August 16, 2012.

Granting amnesty to citizens who want to get rid of weapons NO questions asked - participants received Sneakers or Gift Cards in the exchange.

[Joer138]

14. Awesome!

Keep it going!

[Joer138]

13. I think we will see a lot more of this

As more and more people and politicians realize the Republican Party has no room for rational thought and or Ideas We are going to see a lot of people leave the radical Republican party. As this happens we the people will be responsible for pushing and tugging them further and further to the center left

[HuckleB]

15. Hopefully, this is just a start.