| NEWS | Vets from p 9 Masters, “What do you think gives you the right to attack our military and insult veterans like us? What about my service was embar- rassing? What about my parents’ sacrifice was inadequate? Tell me that, Mr. Masters.” When Luis Cardenas Camacho, a Marine and Operation Iraqi Freedom combat veteran, first heard that Masters defended conspiracy theories about the 9/11 attacks, he didn’t believe it. Then, the Independent voter from Goodyear did some research for himself. What he found astonished him, he said. “How dare he. How dare he utter those words,” Cardenas Camacho said at the October 17 event. “With his words, Blake Masters dishonored the memory and disgraced the sacrifice of the brave men and women and their families who, unlike him, answered the call to serve in the conflicts that followed the 9/11 attacks. His comments are shameful and nothing short of disqualifying.” If elected, Masters wants to push for firing all active generals and admirals and replacing them with “MAGA Patriots,” a diametric depar- ture from the civilian-led nonpartisan military that is a hallmark of American democracy. He called U.S. generals “woke, corrupt bozos.” “You want to destroy a modern, profes- sional military?” Gallego asked. When you politicize the armed forces, he said, “That’s what happens. We become Russia.” Kate Smith, one of the first female U.S. Air Force Academy graduates, called the move unconstitutional. Since her deployment in the Cold War, the Tempe resident has carried a miniature copy of the U.S. Constitution with her as a reminder of the promise she made to herself at age 18: “Service before self.” “When you defame the military, when you spread conspiracy theories that are false, it’s just wrong and it’s dangerous,” Smith said. A apokesperson for Masters did not respond to requests for comment from New Times. ‘It’s Insulting’ Smith and Lucier also joined dozens of other Arizona veterans on October 18 at the Luke- Greenway American Legion Post in Phoenix to voice their support of Kelly. They championed him as a moderate, no-nonsense Democrat with military credentials. The venue was packed, and the audience cheered as veteran Tom McCanna, a former aide to Republican U.S. Senator John McCain, read aloud the list of pro-veteran legislation Kelly has helped pass in the Senate during his first 21 months in office. “We veterans need to get it right,” McCanna said. “Senator Kelly is committed to supporting Arizona veterans.” Among the legislation Kelly sponsored is the Brandon Act, which addresses how service Elias Weiss members receive mental health treatment. The bill was named for Brandon Caserta, a soldier from Peoria who died by suicide in 2018 at age 21. His parents, local residents Patrick and Teri Caserta, made the 35-hour drive to Washington, D.C., last year in search of a primary sponsor for the bill, which passed in December after it was folded into a defense spending authorization bill. They found one in Kelly. “Brandon was killed by toxic abuse of lead- ership and abuse of power,” Patrick Caserta said on October 18. “We decided to do some- thing about it. He asked us to ensure that this U.S. Senator Mark Kelly rallied with veterans on October 18 in Phoenix. does not happen again and to put a stop to it. It was apparent to us that his legacy was to save lives.” Kelly asked voters to grant him a full six- year term so he can continue to sponsor and pass similar legislation. “I find Blake’s comments about the U.S. military pretty insulting,” Kelly told New Times. “We’ve got about half a million veterans here in the state of Arizona. It’s insulting to them and their families.” Fired from p 9 the commission. In Maricopa County, five judges out of 47 received votes against them, including Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Stephen Hopkins, who has been chided before for miscon- duct in the courtroom. It’s not totally clear why Montgomery received the votes in opposition. The commission said it reviews a variety of information, including an anonymous survey sent to attorneys and judges, to make its decisions. “It really is a bit opaque,” Sigmon said. For Montgomery, the commission sent surveys to 112 attorneys and 12 judges. Some 12 attorneys and five judges completed the survey, and Montgomery’s conduct was rated significantly lower than the two other Supreme Court justices up for retention election this year. Four of the attorneys who responded to the survey rated his temperament as poor, and some flagged issues with his communication style and legal ability. Montgomery emphasized that his fellow justices rated him highly in their surveys. “Given that this first review occurred during a period of change — from being an advocate to a jurist and during a pandemic — I am grateful that my fellow justices also noted my success during the transition in the surveys they provided,” he said. Montgomery added that the surveys pointed out areas where he could improve his performance. “While approximately three of the 112 surveys sent out noted particular areas where I could do better, the small number of anonymous surveys actually returned makes it difficult to identify anything systemic in my performance. Nevertheless, I acknowledge the feedback and I look forward to improving my service to the people of Arizona as a Justice on the Arizona Supreme Court,” he said. Montgomery faces strong odds to be retained. “Normally, these things are routine. It’s very rare that there’s a serious challenge to anyone who’s been appointed, especially to the Supreme Court,” Bender said. “I don’t ever remember a Supreme Court justice being close to being turned down.” If voters do reject Montgomery, he would be removed from office. “It’s a system that has not been tested, to my knowledge,” Sigmon said. She added that she expected that the usual steps for replacing a Supreme Court justice would then commence. “I’m just as curious as everyone else to know how that would play out,” Sigmon said. 11 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES NOV 3RD–NOV 9TH, 2022
