Last week, the Arizona Republican Party started airing vicious TV attack ads claiming his Democratic opponent, Dan Saban, raped his stepmother in his youth. Saban said the ad dredges up refuted allegations and "twists the facts about my experiences as a victim of child abuse."

By Thursday, state Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen was publicly apologizing for the ad and saying it would immediately stop airing. It's still airing, which provides some more insight into the character of Arpaio and the people behind his campaign.

Among the lawsuits he's lost was one filed by the West Valley View for his failure to make available to this newspaper the same press releases he made available to other newspapers across the country. Incredibly, his attorneys argued that a press release, which is a document created solely to be distributed to the press and the general public, is not a public document. Three courts disagreed.

When he raids businesses suspected of hiring illegal workers, he detains everyone who works for that business. As Saban asks, "Would they [Arpaio supporters] condone holding every shopper at a local mall for hours as Arpaio orders his deputies to determine individual identities while they sift through belongings because a shoplifter had been reported in the store?"