Rep. Steve Farley unpacks the problems with the budget proposals from the GOP leadership and Gov. Jan Brewer in his latest dispatch from the Capitol:

Howdy, Friends O'Farley…

The budget drama at the Capitol continues, but it's looking more like a comedic farce right now. If only the consequences were not so severe.

The Republican Governor is suing the Republican Senate President and the Republican Speaker of the House to make the Supreme Court send her the passed Republican Legislative Budget so she can veto it. Each player is calling dueling press conferences to contradict each other's stories, and claim the higher ground. Democrats, who actually hold the highest ground, are being refused entry to the negotiating table.

Meanwhile the Legislature is drowning in hundreds of non-budget bills flying randomly in and out of committees and

Arizona Sen. John McCain said on the Today show this morning that President Barack Obama should be more forceful in his comments on the Iranian situation.

The Associated Press reports:

Sen. John McCain charged Tuesday that President Barack Obama is not talking tough enough on the disputed presidential election in Iran.

McCain, who lost to Obama in last year's presidential election, said the president "should speak out that this is a corrupt, flawed, sham of an election and that the Iranian people have been deprived of their rights."

Obama has spoken more cautiously, reiterating Monday that he is concerned about how the process went there and is worried about the unrest in the Persian Gulf nation. Obama said he believes all Iranians should have their voices heard in the election.

But McCain, interviewed on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday, said the United States should support the Iranian people "in their struggle against an oppressive, repressive regime." The Arizona Republican said they "should not be subjected to four more years of (President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad and the radical Muslim clerics."

That would be exactly the wrong thing to do. Interjecting the U.S. into the dispute would just give the current regime a distraction to delegitimize the opposition.

Even Pat Buchanan has figured that one out.

I was furious on Sunday when the Arizona Daily Star reported that the Pima County Sheriff's Department was getting ready to station deputies at drive-through restaurants in an attempt to sniff out late-night drunk drivers. Check out the article for yourself.

The operation—named Operation Would U Like Fries, or Operation WULF for short—seemed ridiculous, and the name of it was so childish and goofy that it sort of insulted me. I mean, go ahead and bust me in a Los Betos drive through at 3 a.m., but please don't make me live in a world where cops are allowed to use smart-ass acronyms for programs that are about as close as I'm willing to get to the big brother brand of police action.

I thought about heading down to the next Board of Supervisors meeting to voice my concerns over all this, but the Star is reporting today that the article was in error, which is unfortunate, because the story was picked up by The Associated Press wire and distributed nationally before anyone was the wiser.

Apparently the idea was never more than just that, an idea, and the Star has done a good job of retelling the tale of this odd enforcement action here.

And to all you late-night drive through workers: Keep up the good work. I'll see you around 3 a.m. sometime this weekend.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts are on their way back to Southern Arizona.

Now I know a lot of you are still a little pissed off about the untimely bankruptcy filing that closed both of our Krispy Kreme locations back in 2006, but this time, Doughnut Dan is at the helm, and he's apparently one well-rounded doughnut dude.

Dan Brinton says he'll open the doors to his new Krispy Kreme location in Marana at 8260 N. Cortaro Road, Suite 112, on the morning of Tuesday, June 23. It should go flawlessly, considering that all Brinton's done over the past year has seemingly involved opening Krispy Kreme locations.

Brinton has been up to his elbows in glaze and sprinkles, opening seven stores in Arizona in 13 months. Opening any business takes dedication—and opening seven stores during a recession, well that's just plain, ahem, dough-nuts.

As for that grand opening: The first 100 lobby customers who have added Doughnut Dan as a Facebook friend (bring a printout as proof) will get a free doughnut and 12-ounce coffee every day for a year. The first 24 people in line will also get a chance to dig through a heap of sprinkles in an attempt to win a year's supply of doughnuts.

Last night, I cringed when I watched David Letterman apologize for the now-overly analyzed and debated joke about Gov. Sarah Palin and her daughter—Bristol. Reaction to this mess reminds me of the human stupidity that led to Bill Maher being fired from ABC post-Sept. 11, or when Air America's Randi Rhodes was let go for calling Hillary Clinton a whore during the presidential campaign.

Letterman's apology, however, isn't as sad as the discussions claiming that this bullshit has helped us usher in a new feminism. Palin's attack is political opportunism and nothing more. To make it part of a true discussion on feminism just adds more to this stinky heap.

Everyone knows that garlic and onions make the world a better place, especially the folks at Agua Linda Farm in Amado. Those good foodie folks at the farm are helping to spread the garlic and onion gospel with their second Garlic and Onion Festival this weekend. It starts Friday, June 19, at 5 p.m., and ends Saturday, June 20 at 9 p.m. To get to the farm from Tucson, head south on Interstate 19 and get off at Exit 42. Agua Linda Farm is located just north of Tubac off the interstate at this exit in Amado. From the news release:

Farmer Stewart Loew has been growing alliums for years and last fall he increased his crop to about 3 acres. In celebration of this savory harvest, the farm will have live music and scenic hayrides—free of charge! There will also be food venders offering up some tasty treats and the farm store will be well stocked with tear jerking-onions and pungent garlic!

Attorney Michael Crawford, president of the Rialto Theatre Foundation, is urging the Tucson City Council to delay voting on the downtown development deal that is scheduled for a decision at tomorrow evening's council session.

The deal, which would give downtown developers Scott Stiteler and Don Martin roughly $4 million in city land in exchange for certain investments downtown, has been in the works for months. Dave Devine has done extensive reporting on the proposal in the pages of TW. (His most recent story can be found here.)

One key element: Stiteler and Martin own property surrounding the city-owned Rialto Theatre. The operators of the Rialto, including former TW owner/publisher/editor Doug Biggers, are trying to ensure that the deal includes two "bays" either side of the Rialto lobby and a green room/office behind the theatre. In the most recent version of the development agreement, Stiteler and Martin have agreed to sign over the bays to the city and are offering to rent the back building to the Rialto Foundation. The rent would be free for the first five years and then at market rate thereafter.

With many points in the deal changing in recent days, Crawford is urging the council to delay a vote on the deal until details can be ironed out.

Here's Crawford's letter to the mayor and council:

Hon. Mayor and Council,

On behalf of the Board of the Rialto Theatre Foundation, I respectfully request that you to delay voting on the proposed Development Agreement (“DA”) with the Downtown Tucson Development Company LLC (“DTDC”) currently on the Mayor and Council agenda for June 16, 2009, because it does NOT protect the Rialto Theatre (“Theatre”).

As the Arizona Daily Star stated in a major opinion piece in Sunday’s paper: “The City Council must protect its asset. It must not approve any deal unless the Rialto Foundation’s board of directors agrees that it is acceptable.” As of today, the Foundation has not been afforded the opportunity to come to an acceptable agreement with DTDC.

Neither the Mayor and Council, nor the public at large, has had a chance to properly review the final version of the DA, which involves $4.3 million of taxpayer property. The current version of the DA has completely changed from

We reported last month on The Range about the unfortunate cloure of the UA's Flandrau Science Center, which was to cease operations on Monday, June 1, because of budget cuts.

Well, it appears that a number of extraordinarily dedicated astronomy volunteers have taken it upon themselves to keep one key activity alive at the observatory: viewings through the 16-inch telescope.

The telescope is open for viewings from 7 to 10 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, year-round, according to a press release released by the folks at Flandrau. Poor weather will botch viewing attempts, so check with your local weatherman before heading down to the observatory, which is located on the UA campus on the northeast corner of University Boulevard and Cherry Avenue.

You can even find out about significant heavenly events to look for during your visit at http://www.uasciencecenter.org/astronomy/skywatchers-guide/. Expert astronomers will also be on hand to help guide you through your heavenly tour.

Visit www.UAsciencecenter.org for more info.

And make sure to say thanks to those volunteers for keeping this local treasure alive.

The Internet offers us a personal window into the current post-election rage sweeping through Iran, from personal blogs, like Tehran24 and The Huffington Post, to of all things,Twitter.

Last week, two bills, SB 1206 and SB 1138, received approval from the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee that would require a 24-hour waiting period for abortions and increase penalties for performing late-term abortions. Unlike the previous nine anti-abortion bills that came from our state lawmakers that Guv Napolitano vetoed, chances are these will pass with complete approval from Guv Brewer.

When the bills went through the House first, we were lucky Rep. Matt Heinz brought up a few important points. He wondered, since the Legislature has destroyed social-service funding, how parts of the bills could require that women interested in abortion be told about public medical assistance benefits available for prenatal care, childbirth and postnatal care in case she decides not to have an abortion. Or that public and private agencies can assist the woman before and after the birth, whether she chooses to keep the child or put it up for adoption.

Thanks, Doc.