Of course, longtime C&L readers are well aware that Arizona's new Senate president, state Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, has a long and colorful history of associating with and endorsing neo-Nazis, particularly noted Arizona Nazi J.T. Ready.
Now that Pearce is leading the national effort to undermine the 14th Amedment and end birthright citizenship, he's eager to put all that behind him. Indeed, for the past couple of years, whenever anyone has brought up the old Pearce connections has been met with scornful and adamant denials.
Right. So it's a little harder for Pearce to explain as Stephen Lemons at Phoenix New Times reports, Pearce ordained Ready as an elder in the Mormon church they both attend.
Or why, as Dennis Gilman demonstrates in the video above, Pearce applauded Ready's speech at an anti-immigrant event in 2007, and gladly posed for pictures with him that same year. And then heartily endorsed Ready as an upstanding soldier in the fight against immigration.
Gilman has been making important and brave videos from Arizona for the past several years now, and his HumanLeague002 channel at YouTube is one of the most important sources of information and insights on the immigration issue available. Here's how he describes the above piece:
This video shows State Senator Russell Pearce endorsing JT Ready (AZ’s most famous White Supremacist) in 2006 for Mesa City Council. The footage has never been seen by the public until now. The footage and the Mormon Document and picture was given to Steve Lemons (Phoenix New Times) by a confidential source. He gave me a copy. You can get more info here: http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2010-1…
The video also shows Pearce deny knowing Ready in 2007 as well as an exclusive interview with JT Ready telling his side of the story. It’s interesting.
According to Ready, they used to hang on his porch and tell Mexican jokes. I asked Ready if Pearce ever told him to “cool it” as JT Ready openly supports NSM and other white supremacist ideals. Ready stated that he never did but his wife, Lu Ann had as she was concerned of Russell’s career.
Probably the most interesting thing is Ready explaining his relationship and role with Pearce’s long-time political crusade against Mexicans. It’s also important to note that while JT Ready seems to be telling the truth-I have no way of verifying everything he says. I will give him credit as so far he seems to show more integrity and honesty then Senator Pearce. Ready is not happy with Pearce’s recent activities with Lobbyists, his public disapproval of the NSM march on Nov 13, 2010 and his repeated denial of their long time friendship and political alliance on the immigration issue.
Andrea Nill adds some follow-up:
Though Pearce has tamed his rhetoric in front of the public eye, the information provided in Lemons’ video doesn’t come as a surprise. Last month, at an event hosted by Judicial Watch, Pearce compared undocumented immigrants to an enemy invasion, Hurricane Katrina, and mad cow disease. He also joked that President Obama “may not be visiting Arizona because we actually require papers now.”
Pearce responded to the video posted by Lemons stating, “That is a complete LIE. No such swapping of jokes and I never knew about any of his [Ready's] dealing until you exposed them. I do not understand his motives for such statements.”
Actually, all you have to do is watch the video to see who's lying here: Russell Pearce. Time after time.
