From Rasmussen Reports

If Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio decides to seek the Republican nomination for governor of Arizona, he will enter the race as the clear favorite. Incumbent Governor Jan Brewer places third in an early look at the 2010 GOP gubernatorial race.

The first Rasmussen Reports telephone poll of next year's GOP Primary in Arizona shows Arpaio, known nationally for his tough efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, attracting 47 percent of the vote while four other candidates split another 44 percent.

Among all Arizona voters, Arpaio leads likely Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry Goddard by 12 points – 51 percent to 39 percent.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio will kick off a crime-suppression sweep Monday at 5 p.m., according to his office.

This two-day sweep, which the sheriff says will be county-wide and will include his posse helicopter, will focus on locating human smuggling operations.

From the Phoenix New Times:

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's criminal investigation into potential misdeeds by county leaders includes Governor Jan Brewer, a source close to the investigation tells New Times.

The source, who did not want to want to be identified, did not want to elaborate on the subject of the inquiry, saying only that it related to Brewer's time on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Brewer was elected to the Board in 1996 and served as its chair until 2002. She rose from Secretary of State to the state's highest office when former Governor Janet Napolitano abandoned her post in January to become President Barack Obama's Homeland Security Secretary.

A recent internal audit found that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office violated procurement procedures when it purchased a $465,000 inmate transport bus using jail enhancement funds.

Since the bus was purchased in May, the Board of Supervisors has refused to authorize its use, something that Arpaio has called a political ploy:

In an August news release, Arpaio claim county management is withholding authorization of the bus as retribution for his investigations into county elected officials and administrators.

"This bus was purchased with money from the Jail Enhancement Fund, not from the county budget," he said. "As Sheriff, I have sole discretion on how this particular fund is used. We determined this vehicle was critical to enhance our jail operations. It's time the board and its county manager, David Smith, put public safety above their own political agendas and egos and stop interfering with my mandated duties."

On Tuesday, the sheriff's office posted a YouTube video and two letters to the county on its "Truth Behind The Headlines" blog.

Here's the video:

On Thursday and Friday, Arpaio tweeted a few thoughts about protesters following him to California, where he's campaigning on behalf of two sheriff's office candidates.

Tweet No. 1 | Tweet No. 2 | Tweet No. 3 | Tweet No. 4