Yes, there are violent assholes who have had a (D) after their names, too:

Arizona Lawmakers Say They’re Afraid Of Their Colleague

If what his colleagues in the Arizona statehouse say is true, Rep. Daniel Patterson might be the most feared politician in the state.

But it’s not his politics they say they fear. It’s his angry, threat-filled outbursts that they say are becoming all too normal. One such outburst managed to rattle a fellow lawmaker enough that she says she now sleeps with a weapon at her bedside — just in case.

This week, those same lawmakers said they are now considering throwing Patterson out of office after an ethics investigation uncovered a series of similar outbursts, along with other allegations, including that he once offered to give a lobbyist his vote in exchange for sex and that he regularly smokes marijuana.

The investigation came after prosecutors in Tucson charged Patterson with four misdemeanor counts of domestic violence. The charges, which he has pleaded not guilty to, stemmed from fights with his live-in girlfriend, who also happened to be his campaign manager at the time.

Here’s the kicker. You’d think that the GOP in Arizona would want to toss Patterson to the wolves, using him as an example of out of control Democrats and/or liberals or something. Er… not so much:

GOP blocks effort to oust Patterson

Saying they want to let the process to play out according to rules, House Republicans on Tuesday rejected a Democratic effort to immediately expel Rep. Daniel Patterson.

The GOP majority used procedural moves to thwart two separate motions by Democratic leaders to immediately adopt the findings of an independent counsel who investigated the actions of the Tucson lawmaker. Rep. Cecil Ash, R-Mesa, said he had not even had time to review the 33-page report released Monday, much less the more than 200 pages of exhibits that were just made public on Tuesday.

Only Rep. Terri Proud, R-Tucson, broke ranks with her party, saying she believes Patterson should no longer be allowed to serve.

Patterson was not present at Tuesday’s session but instead was in city court in Tucson where a judge was deciding whether to extend an order of protection against him obtained by his former wife. The judge denied her request.