Republican Kid "Brooms" Fellow Campers

Nice listening to the Hammer brag about how he's giving up his seat for a chance at a Republican victory in his district. Ha!! Whatta guy!! Geeze Louise, we all thought he was a crook. Wait a minute. He IS a crook!!

However, the Dems are right in saying he's not necessarily the poster child for Republican crookedness. Not even close. King George holds that seat, but there are enough other Repubo blackhearts to go around - from the Bush administration, to Congress, and even down to state senators and congressmen.

For instance the Arizona Republic and local talk radio stations are now having a field day discussing an unknown perk of being a Republican state senator.

Last June, a group of 11-14 year old kids were on an Arizona Association of Junior High Student Council camp out at Chapel Rock Camp in Prescott. Two 18 year old boys, one of them the son of Ken Bennett, Republican president of the Arizona State Senate, decided to discipline 18 young boys for some offense by sticking flash lights and broomsticks up their anuses. The boys were told that if they complained, they would e severely punished and if they resisted they would be held down. The acts were committed on the children with their clothing on, swimsuites and underwear at any rate.

The boys were surprised to find out they had committed an assault under Arizona law. Fortune was to shine on them at their trial. Prosecutors decided they couldn't prove sexual intent, so they offered the boys a plea bargain that was readily accepted. All but one of the 36 original charges against Clifton Bennett and all but two against 19 year old Kyle Wheeler (he choked three of the boys until they passed out) were dropped. The Judge might further reduce the charges to misdemeanors with no jail time, but as it stands they could get from probation to 2 years in the poakey.

Needless to say, the parents of the 18 kids are in an uproar over the plea bargain. Prosecutors said the outcome would have been different if the victims had been girls or the two young men were proven to be homosexuals. Imagine that.

One wonders what the outcome would have been had the two boys been Hispanic or black? Consider that Arizona Law says:

"A person commits molestation of a child by intentionally or knowingly engaging
in or causing a person to engage in sexual contact . . . with a child under
15 years of age."

As for the definition of sexual contact, ARS 13-1401 says:

" 'Sexual contact' means any direct or indirect touching, fondling or
manipulating of any part of the genitals, anus or female breast by any part of
the body or by any object or causing a person to engage in such contact."

In all fairness, the County Attorney has posted their side of the story on the County's Web Site. Their claim of it all being a poor choice and a hazing incident leaves a bit to be desired, however. No matter how you spin this, it comes off as a political favor.

I guess it's still good fortune to be the son of a Republican fat cat in a Red State these days.

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