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Blake Masters’ ugly attack on Abe Hamadeh is clear for what it is

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Opinion: Blake Masters upped the ante on nasty in his attack on Abe Hamadeh during a debate for Arizona’s Congressional District 8 seat.

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I just attended this week’s candidate debate in Arizona’s liveliest congressional race, and the award for the slimiest, nastiest attack of the evening goes to:

Blake Masters.

That’s not to say there weren’t other blows in Tuesday’s debate over the Republican candidates in the northwest Valley’s 8th Congressional District.

After all, this is a race involving a few carpetbaggers (Masters and Abe Hamadeh), an indicted fake voter (Anthony Kern), a creepy and remorseful ex-congressman (Trent Franks), and Speaker of the House Ben Toma.

Most of the debate was unsurprising

There were few surprises in the debate, as they are all virtually in agreement on issues other than a federal abortion ban. (Only Hamadeh opposed it, saying it should be left to the states.)

And oh yes, the $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. (Franks supports it, Hamadeh and Masters do not, and Toma and Kern said they should read the bill.)

Franks acknowledged his mistake by asking his female congressional staffers to serve as surrogate mothers and carry his baby.

Kern denounced the Democrats and the “uniparty” and the Democrats and the media and the Democrats and his “sham” indictment.

Toma touted his conservative record, including his bill that cut income taxes and created a universal school voucher program.

Hamadeh grumbled about losing the 2022 attorney general election and announced that he has testosterone — a fact that should apparently worry election officials.

“I know who the fakes are,” he said. “I know who the crooks are, and believe me, they messed with the wrong person. I’m a young man with a lot of testosterone, and I’m going after them because I know what they’ve done to the American people. And it is unacceptable.”

Well okay then.

Then Masters took this swipe at Hamadeh

Masters, meanwhile, took aim at his former America First running mate, insinuating that Hamadeh…well, I’ll let you decide what he was insinuating. But it almost sounded like he wanted to deport his opponent.

Here’s what Masters said in his closing statement about why he should be elected — and beyond posted on social mediaand says it “explains the difference” between him and Hamadeh.

“My family. I have a wonderful wife. I have four beautiful boys,” Masters said. “Now that’s called skin in the game. OK? I’m trying to protect these boys and your children and grandchildren from illegal immigration as well. So what we what you don’t need is someone without a wife and children and without any involvement.

“We don’t need someone who has supported amnesty in the past, like Chuck Schumer’s Gang of 8 bill. We don’t need someone who owes his entire existence in this country to illegal immigration. We need a hard core on illegal immigration, and that is me.”

So Hamadeh is not suitable for Congress because he has no wife and children? Is that what Masters tells us?

Or is he telling us that Hamadeh isn’t qualified for Congress because he doesn’t fit Masters’ image of what it means to be an all-American man?

Hamadeh has a lot of skin in the game

In fact, Hamadeh was born in Illinois to two Syrian immigrants who were here illegally at the time, having overstayed their visas the year before.

His parents became American citizens and ran a successful business and raised their children, including a son, Abe, who served his country in the military.

Yet we are told by Masters – a man who has never put on a uniform – that Hamadeh is somehow unfit for Congress because… he has no wife and children?

Because… he doesn’t have “four nice boys” and “skin in the game”?

CD8 is: Change in the ‘Hunger Games’

Because…he doesn’t look like what Blake Masters thinks a congressman should look like?

I have my problems with Abe Hamadeh.

But it seems to me that his skin came into play the day he was born, a U.S. citizen, and the day he put on a uniform and was deployed to serve as a U.S. Army intelligence officer.

Masters’ offense says a lot more about him

Yet here is Masters, insinuating that he is us, a true blue American, and that Hamadeh is them – whoever they are.

I don’t know what point Masters was trying to make in this, one of the most conservative congressional districts in the state.

Okay, I actually have a sneaking suspicion that I know.

But this is what I also know. That swipe says a lot more about Blake Masters than it does about Abe Hamadeh.

For once, I agree with the self-proclaimed “lucky warrior.”

“Blake Masters,” Hamadeh said this on Thursday“is an annoying guy.”

Reach Roberts at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @LaurieRoberts or on Threads on laurierobertsaz.

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