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Harper’s Senate floor personal blasts must cease
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The boorish flippancy of a state senator from the West Valley reached the bottom of the cesspool Monday when he tried to to taint federal office candidate Jim Pederson with the alleged sins of Pederson’s 24-year-old son.
Since Sen. Jack Harper, R-Surprise, came into office in 2003, he has routinely lashed out at perceived enemies of his party during speeches on the Senate floor. The media, Democrats and even Republicans who don’t uniformly share Harper’s ideology have all been his targets for blunt, and sometimes brutish, attacks that have trampled on traditional Senate etiquette.
But Harper completely shredded that decorum Monday while commenting on the recent arrest of James Robert Pederson on drug charges.
“I think that if this accusation is true, it points to a culture of corruption inside the Pederson household,” Harper said.
Never mind that James Robert Pederson has been an adult for years and lives in a different home than his father, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate. Harper used precious time that should be reserved for conducting the people’s business to offer a hyperbolic partisan smear.
Sen. Carolyn Allen, R-Scottsdale, led a group of colleagues who chastised Harper. Senate President Ken Bennett even called Pederson to apologize for Harper’s senseless statement, the Associated Press reported.
‘‘This kind of attack has got to stop on this floor,’’ Allen said. ‘‘It is one thing to discuss and attack a candidate. We’re talking about a son.’’
Harper claimed Monday he wouldn’t show any contrition, saying Pederson is a “big boy.” That changed Tuesday, when Harper returned to the Senate floor to apologize to Pederson’s family, although his words in a written statement subtly continued to malign Pederson.
“Often times, families bear the weight of the problems of the candidate and I apologize that I have added to them,” Harper’s statement said.
What on earth is Harper talking about? Even Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., has shown only respect for his likely opponent’s personal integrity.
A few years ago, the Legislature adopted a law promoting character education in our public schools. Perhaps, Harper should spend some time in those classes to learn the proper conduct for any Arizonan, much less one of our elected leaders.
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