Extremism

The Arizona Guardian outlines why it is so hard to craft a bipartisan budget.

In a word, retaliation.

Some speculate the governor will reach across the aisle and cut a deal with Democrats. But Brewer will be hard-pressed to strike that kind of an agreement given both the political and mathematical realities of the Capitol.

Democrats find themselves in the deep minority, meaning the governor would have to successfully carry both Democratic caucuses – 12 in the Senate and 25 in the House – while convincing four GOP senators and six GOP House members to turn on their party and risk their political futures.

That scenario appears unlikely, particularly in the more conservative Senate. So far this year, only two Republican senators have shown they’re willing to break ranks – Carolyn Allen and Jay Tibshraeny.

As one official in the governor’s office put it, “Where do you get the other two votes?”

After Allen and Tibshraeny, there are no moderate Republicans in the Senate. And it’s the same story in the House; true moderate Republicans have become targeted for extinction.

During the last election cycle, the Legislature lost those voices through either term limits of voter rebellion. Tom O’Halleran, a Republican from Sedona, and Pete Hershberger, a Republican from Tucson, for example, were two key swing votes who lost their Senate primary races to more conservative candidates.

Both had worked closely last year with former Gov. Janet Napolitano to craft a budget. Had they won their races, it’s reasonable to think Brewer’s job of finding a coalition of voters to adopt a budget would be a lot easier.

And what happened at the polls to O’Halleran and Hershberger will most likely weigh heavily on the minds of any Republican that considers breaking from the conservative political flock.