On April 2, 2013, a veteran, who had served his country and the state of Arizona’s veterans with honor and commitment, was allegedly forced out of his job by Governor Jan Brewer due to an article published by a University of Arizona journalism student.
Arizona veterans lost Joey Strickland; their biggest champion. The public was to lead to believe that Strickland lost his job because he had selected a candidate for an administrative assistant position who said she had concerns for and about women on the front lines. That administrative assistant position would not have included any policy making power.
Almost a year before that date, AP reporter Howie Fischer exchanged emails regarding “any possible bill signings” with Governor Jan Brewer’s spokesperson Matt Benson. In the exchange, Benson tells Fischer, “Nothing yesterday. Nothing planned today. You can knock off early…,” according to documents from Brewer’s office. (To view email, click here.)
Fischer responds, “nah, have to tape mcmahon group and then do horizon, say outrageous things about terri proud and frank antenori, etc.”
In the Horizon episode to which Fischer refers, he and his fellow panelists, Jim Small of the Capitol Times and Mary Jo Pitzl, discuss everything from the Russell Pearce recall and reelection bid to abortion services. Fischer must have run out of time because in the final cut, no mention of Antenori can be found.
Fischer does act affirmatively to take on Proud for her email to a constituent, in which she wrote that if women want an abortion they should be made to watch one first. When the host points out that the statement was not policy and merely an email exchange, Fischer says with emphasis, “but the email went viral.”
The AP and every other news organization sent out Brewer’s version of the story, including the AZDI. Most included “facts” such as Governor Brewer was angry with comments made by Terri Proud about menstrual cycles and the front line, the Governor had a grudge against Proud, and the most damaging of all; that Strickland had disobeyed a direct order.
None of them included the search-and-destroy campaign by the Secretary of the Cochise County Democrat Party, Terrie Gent.
In a column entitled, Give Joey Strickland his job back, Gov. Brewer, by Laurie Roberts with the Arizona Republic, Strickland’s accomplishments are laid out in full. According to Roberts:
• Strickland not only cleaned up the agency and the Veterans Home but secured the funding to open a second home in Tucson.
• He brought Native Americans in from remote areas and expanded services to Arizona military families.
• It was with Strickland’s help that the Madison Street Veterans Association was able to open an outreach center for homeless veterans and MANA House, believed to be the nation’s first homeless shelter for veterans run by formerly homeless veterans.
Strickland was not reinstated.
Back on April 2, Gent wrote Strickland that she was “flying top cover for you on this.” She advised him that she had “alerted Bill Hess at the Sierra Vista Herald” about a letter to the editor she was “circulating now for edits.”
Whether it was to put the final nail in the coffin or to put the baby to bed, in a screed published on April 14, Gent’s buddy, Bill Hess at the Sierra Vista Herald, told the public to move on.
Hess took his shots at Proud (Gent’s real target) and defended Brewer’s hatchet man, Chief of Staff Scott Smith, in a piece entitled As I see it: Honor Strickland, and move on.” He actually used the words “move on.” As in, “there is nothing here but some droids… move along… move along.”
And so the media and public did so… dutifully.
Related articles:
Part I: Brewer “betrayal” consistent pattern
Part II: Brewer builds new narrative to appease democrat activists
Part III: Brewer brews up concoction, media serves it up
Cozy relationship between politicians and press leaves public out of policy