My New Hero Is Keith Wagner: High School Journalist

From the Phoenix New Times:

By Stephen Lemons, Monday, Jun. 14 2010 @ 8:22AM



Huppenthal spanked hard by a student journalist. Is this sweet or what?

No one's ever accused Republican state Senator John Huppenthal of being the brightest bulb in the state GOP's closet. You might think Huppenthal's lowest moment came when he scuffled with a 78 year-old Democratic activist on election day 2008 over a yard sign. He was ultimately found not guilty of sign tampering and theft, but he ended up looking like a sneaky, aggro dolt nonetheless.

In fact, the hapless Huppenthal actually stated in court that he was afraid the senior citizen lady was going to carjack him.

But local student journalist Keith Wagner of Tempe's Corona del Sol High School has done Huppenthal's septuagenarian combatant one better by interviewing Huppenthal and politely, quietly skewering him, confronting the smarmy state Senator with his vote to gut funding to the state's Career and Technical Education programs. This, after Huppenthal bemoans such cuts.

The long form of Wagner's report, which gives more context to the interview:



The result is freaking hilarious, with Huppenthal so flummoxed that he has to get up and walk away. Keep in mind, Huppenthal is currently campaigning for the GOP nod for Arizona schools superintendent.

Ironically, that position has a rich tradition of being held by class-A boobs such as Tom Horne, so it should surprise no one if Huppenthal eventually wins the gig.

Huppenthal's also a toady of state Senator Russell Pearce, and has spat bogus stats in the past regarding the state's undocumented population. When challenged, he was unable to supply the source of his false factoid. Classic.

Wagner's video is getting heavy play locally by liberals on Facebook and other sites, and deservedly so. If more journalists were to follow Wagner's lead, maybe there'd be fewer clowns like Huppenthal in office.

Okay, that's wishful thinking. This is Arizona after all, the Land Time Forgot for a Reason. But still, it's worth a shot...


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I used to live about 2 blocks down the street from that school. Fucking FIERCE.

I think they should make this Keith Wagner kid AZ Schools Superintendent. They should make Huppenthal give up his Senate seat to him, too. that would be rad. This kid just wrote his own fucking ticket in a field that is hemorrhaging jobs.