Ex-Arizona Gov. Mecham Dies at 83

[Pab Sungenis]

Source: Associated Press

Evan Mecham, a firebrand conservative who served 15 months as Arizona's governor before a dramatic impeachment trial removed him from office in 1988, died Thursday, a former aide said. He was 83.

Mecham, who always blamed his downfall on political enemies, had been in deteriorating health with Alzheimer's disease for years and was at the Arizona State Veteran Home in Phoenix until recent weeks, when he went into hospice care, said state Sen. Karen Johnson, who was Mecham's aide while he was governor.

(snip)

Some said Mecham, a Republican, brought out the worst in Arizonans — racism, bigotry, intolerance. After taking office in January 1987, Mecham rescinded a Martin Luther King Jr. state holiday, saying its creation had been illegal.

In addition to canceling the holiday, Mecham said working women cause divorce and that he saw nothing wrong with calling black children "pickaninnies."

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hzWxtOyMwj_stygocrlohCoe5htQD8UVL6T80

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Always sad to note a passing, but it's hard to shed tears on this one.

[joeybee12]

1. I'll have sympathy for anyone who had Alzheimer's...went through it

with my mother, two aunts, and my roommate's mother. It is a brutal disease.

[Pab Sungenis]

11. I have sympathy for the families of those who suffer

more than I do for the patients themselves. Once the disease advances far enough, many patients actually seem very happy and contented.

It's the caretakers and the families who suffer when Alzheimer's strikes, and they have my sympathies.

[slackmaster]

2. Worst. Governor. Ever.

In any state, at any time.

[rosetta627]

3. A fitting epitaph

Nicely said slackmaster.

[TechBear_Seattle]

7. First AZ governor and third governor in the US to be impeached

In less than a year in office, he managed to leave quite the legacy.

[bluestateguy]

4. He was a racist, depicable human being.

Dying does not earn you the right to have nice things said about you.

[dawniedarling]

5. agreed

I lived in AZ then.
We SLAMMED him!

Well-deserved slam to a vulgar human

[Hissyspit]

6. Welcome to DU!

:toast:

:patriot:

Sorry you had to have him as a governor.

[Der Blaue Engel]

8. I was proud to be a member of the "band of homosexuals and dissident Democrats"

who worked to recall that despicable racist, mysogynistic homophobe.

The world is a better place for his passing.

[ChazII]

9. He did and said many incredibly stupid things

however, one little fact that many folks forget. After the primary elections the Attorney General Bob Corbin called in all 3 candidates and told them that Governor Babbitt had violated the Constitution of Arizona. A governor could not create a state paid holiday for gov't workers. No matter who won that year, Corbin was going to have to have the sitting gov. rescind the holiday for Dr. King.

[lonestarnot]

10. the "pickaninny" dude. Now he can hunt eggs with raygun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Mecham

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickaninny

[byronius]

12. I confess I hated this man, I went through the whole thing, and voted in the impeachment.

He was a nightmare for Arizona. His comment about the 'little pickaninnies' on statewide TV was incredible to watch in real time.

I doubt he ever grew or changed. I trust he will now.

[Preston120]

13. I don't know

Remember he was a used car salesman. Mecham Pontiac and Rambler. "If You can't deal with Mecham, You just can't deal."

[gratuitous]

15. At long last, did he ever blink?

The guy had the creepiest, beadiest eyes, and never blinked.

[LiberalFighter]

14. If only there was a Hell or Purgatory.