Like the judges on American Idol, our local politicians have people talkin' in prime time of late. It's been muy bullicioso between snowstorms.

Our local leadership, LD1 Rep. Andy Tobin (R-Paulden) and LD1 Rep. Lucy Mason (R-Prescott), among others, got things rolling by supporting a bill in the Arizona Legislature challenging the citizenship of President Obama.

On Local legislators sponsor bill seeking Obama proof of citizenship:

Elizabeth C: Here's a bit of advice from a very active voter. I have voted for Republicans, I have voted for Democrats. I never vote party line, but I certainly will never vote for anyone who avoids doing the work we hired them for in order to score cheap party points.

Kurt Olsen: You've got to be kidding me!!! The majority party in the State house is unable to do something constructive on the budget but they have time to push this spiteful, useless bill? It might be funny if it wasn't so stupid.

RIGHT ON: They are stating that anyone running for president on OUR ballot will be born here. No debate....just DE BALLOT. That's the way we want it. That is where we stand. They are listening to what the people want. I want An American running my country. If you don't then go to Austrailia and see how far you get with your ideas there.

What's the Problem?: How could anybody think that protecting the integrity of our nation's top elected position is a waste of time? If it were such a waste of time, shouldn't Obama be partially (if not wholly) to blame for not putting a stop to it.

Parker Anderson: Large numbers of the American people have gone completely insane.

Some Republicans supporting this bill are endorsing the belief that President Obama is an illegitimate president. Others say privately that their heart isn't really in this one, and that they are maintaining an allied front for the party, pulling from the deepest grass roots possible.

In technical terms, that's a lot of baloney.

Tobin, for one, has been active, you have to give him that. I believe he brought a genuine agenda to HB 2060, to help save state parks from closure. But supporting the Birth of A Nation, er ... pardon me, the Birther Nation, for the sake of political winnings is sicker than Tiger Woods going cold turkey.

Supporters of the bill are banking that it gives them a short-term bump for something with little long-term risk in an election year. I get it. I don't like it, but I get it. It's loud and it's divisive. It trades clarity for frenzy. It's enterprising, not enlightening. It gets pockets of voters to follow but it ain't leading.

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SIGNS, SIGNS, EVERYWHERE A SIGN

Anyhoo, it's been charming downtown this week. There was a big sign stretched across Gurley Street, and then there wasn't. And the beef went beyond just the sign blocking the view of Thumb Butte.

City councilmen Steve Blair and John Hanna took charge of an effort to remove a Spanish-language Census sign posted downtown. Not because they oppose the Census (we're told). Not because they oppose diversity in our community ("I have nothing against Spanish people," Blair said, reaching out, apparently, to visitors from Barcelona and Madrid). Seriously ... 'Spanish people'?

On Spanish Census banner comes down after complaints:

disgusted native Prescottonian: Nice job giving Prescott a black eye for bigotry and racism, Blair and Hanna.

Mike Cannone: Just another racist policy that pervades Arizona. Two states I will NEVER move to: Arizona and Texas. Hope you all like living in your hatred.

Frito Baggins: I understand exactly how these Arizona rednecks feel. I'd be willing to bet that Arizona's original inhabitants didn't want to census people who couldn't speak Navajo or Apache or Tohono either, but wanted to send them home where they came from. See how that worked out?

Craig Howson: As a former resident of Prescott, I'm embarrassed and dismayed at the blatant racism and small-mindedness shown by elected officials. It's 2010 guys - grow up!

Blair and Hanna have certainly brought reality-show exposure to city government since taking office in November. They first became target practice for tomatoes by suggesting a fee for the public library. And somewhere in there, John Hanna found time to share his "common sense" approach to minimizing wildlife hazards at the Prescott airport. "There are a lot of rednecks in Prescott," Hanna offered, "who would be willing to go out there and whack a few coyotes."

As we wait for these two to voice a constructive idea on anything, then came - can I be the first? - Signgate.

Whatever the intent - to keep the sign up or remove it - nothing is served when half the City of Prescott is calling the other half racist. Prescott has certainly had better weeks, like the Whiskey Row Fire for starters.

Look, this is the Southwest. Arizona is one Gadsen Purchase away from having Spanish-language signs across the landscape. This state's culture and history dwarf one temporary sign with a couple sentences written in Spanish. Don't take my word for it, ask state historian Marshall Trimble, who reminds us that Arizona "has been called a land of anomalies and tamales, referring to the many different people and diverse landscapes."

The area's culture is also rich in Native American language, down to the "Yavapai" scrawled across the Roughrider baseball team's jerseys. This sudden quake at the presence of a Spanish-language sign about a block away from one of downtown's main arteries, Cortez, is off-the-charts-cuckoo's nest-kind-of-stuff.

Here's what I'd like to see - I'd like to see a group of Spanish-speaking Prescott citizens flood city hall with complaints about an English-worded defunct drive-in movie sign that, in a bizarre twist of irony, was resurrected after a group of citizens joined WITH the city to put the sign back UP after others had taken it DOWN.

Now THAT would be Prescott-style theater worth popping some corn over.

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TUNES

It's been a long time between posts. Glad to be back.

I've been involved with our print product's arts & entertainment redesign this month and have had one eye on my blog from afar.

Here's a shameless plug to fellow music zealots: Check out my recent AZ Edge music reviews and chime in. Share anything, from your recent musical discoveries to your 10 best albums to your five most overrated guitarists or your two most influential Beatles. If you want to run for temporary cover from politic-El Nino, meet me in the basement and bring some 45s (vinyl, not Colt).

On MUSIC REVIEW: An over-rated Stevie Wonder classic:

What The?: It's hard to imagine where all this is coming from. I mean, the album is 34 years old and it occupies 56th place on Rolling Stones list. Did you just close your eyes, point, and decide to write on what ever album your finger landed on?

Left field: Are you kidding? I agree with "what the". Did you just wake up from a cyber-freeze or something?

OK, let me explain.

To contribute to our expanded A&E content, I revived an album review blog I did with dCourier a while back. Yep, just like that. Did I close my eyes and point? Yeah, pretty much. More specifically, I often close my eyes and point at an album or mp3 file and gooooooooo. That's a scientific formula I've perfected.

It wasn't bad but it wasn't great: Innervisions and Talking Book were masterpieces IMO.

I admit, I had to - with every indication that we're in the 21st century - Google IMO. Definitely an album endorsement from the International Maritime Organization.

Jessica Everett: Sorry, I loved this SW album. Literally wore it out.