I opened up the Republic this morning and what gift did the LTTE section bear for me? Unbelievably, a petulant missive from none other than Barnett Lotstein!.

Praise of Rick Romley is unmerited

The Editorial Board’s praise of Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley as a peacemaker illustrates how selective memory can distort the truth (“Can Rick Romley ‘calm the waters’?” Tuesday).

As one who, for 15 years, served as one of Romley’s closest aides, I had a bird’s-eye view of his volatile temper, his disdain for the Board of Supervisors and members of the judiciary, his ridicule of civic leaders, his overblown sense of self-importance and his blatant self-promotion at taxpayer expense.

The editors conveniently ignore Romley’s many faults, which at the time were the subject of many news stories, during his previous tenure as county attorney in their continuing campaign to vilify Andrew Thomas.

Focusing on his adversarial relationship with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, how soon they forget Romley’s public feuds with then-Attorney General Grant Woods, then-Gov. Fife Symington, legislative leaders, judges and then-Phoenix Police Chief Harold Hurtt, among others.

Rick Romley, a peacemaker?

Hardly. – Barnett Lotstein,Phoenix

The writer served as special assistant county attorney to former County Attorney Andrew Thomas and, before that, to then-County Attorney Rick Romley. He was let go by Romley last Friday when Romley was appointed county attorney.

Love the editor’s note. And from what I understand about Romley, Lotstein is not entirely off-base in his description of him. But still, does someone need a waaaah-mbulance?