Pity poor Joe. His routine has gotten painfully stale. His latest "birther" news conference didn't provide much entertainment value. His sleight of hand was too clumsy. The attempt at distraction too transparent.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's chickens are coming home to roost and he's hoping nobody notices the deeply disturbing charges of discrimination and racial profiling he faces in one trial that begins today and another later when he faces the Justice Department.

Obama's birth certificate? It isn't even a side show anymore. Not even a fringe issue. It's the fuzz at the end of the fringe. A desperate tactic from those who would rather discredit President Barack Obama than debate him.

The so-called "evidence" Joe Arpaio and his birther team revealed Tuesday wasn't just thin, it was anorexic.

The only news out of the event was that there was no news. Just an aging hoofer trotting out his act one more time.

But he's really not the one who deserves sympathy.

Arizona didn't elect Joe Arpaio, but the state has to endure the derisive laughter his antics bring our way. It's like a bad case of boils on the state's image.

Maricopa County did elect him, but county residents don't get the benefit of a sheriff who focuses on local law enforcement issues. He's a showman, not a lawman.

While Arpaio was honing his national image as immigration tough guy, hundreds of reports of sex crimes were not properly investigated by the Sheriff's Office. Who scares you more? A maid or a sexual predator?

Illegal immigration is a serious concern in Arizona and Maricopa County. You could argue that Arpaio's focus was appropriate, albeit myopic. His methods, which included using minor traffic violations as a pretext to stop Latinos, were not.

But at least he was addressing a local issue.

Obama's birth certificate? There is no good reason for the sheriff of Maricopa County to spend tax money, public resources and energy looking for evidence to back up a ridiculous, discredited fantasy.

Unless, of course, the sheriff believes that feeding his unhealthy dependence on the media spotlight will keep people from seeing the very real problems closing in on him.

Joe looks pathetic.

But Maricopa County and Arizona are the ones suffering.