Tuesday, Jul 17, 2012    Text size: 

PHOENIX — If you believe the bulk of Arizona’s Republican political candidates, they want to stymie strippers and send hardcore pornographers to jail.

At least that’s what a questionnaire from the conservative lobbyists at the Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) revealed.

A New Times report said that more than 80 state-level candidates opposed touching or tipping fully nude strippers in sexually oriented businesses — virtually handcuffing their livelihoods.

Only two legislators who responded to the questionnaires (Representatives Russ Jones and Chester Crandell) said they opposed it. Three of the lawmakers — Senator Frank Antenori, and Representatives Michelle Ugenti and David Gowan — opted out.

More disturbing was the Washington bunch of federal legislators. When asked if they were for "[e]nforcing federal laws vigorously against obscene hardcore pornography," every major Republican candidate for Congress was on board with doling out prison sentences.

The penalties would include five years jail time for sending obscene content through the mail [18 USC § 1461 - Mailing obscene or crime-inciting matter] and 10 years for second offenders.

New Times writer Matthew Hendley pointed out that CAP was pushing its own agenda with the questionnaire. 

"The lobbyists at the Center for Arizona Policy released the candidates' answers to their questionnaires for this year's elections, which is not only a good indication of the CAP morality cops' agenda, but also of how much CAP ass-kissing the Republicans are willing to do," Hendley wrote.