Go Diana, go!

I've asked questions. Soapblox has asked questions. The Democratic CD7 candidates have asked questions. And now, CD1 Democratic congresswoman Diana DeGette is asking questions.

We all want to know why Republican CD7 candidate Rubber Stamp Rick O'Donnell has been able to give small groups of rich donors access to decision makers inside the Bush administration.

Contact DeGette. Thank her for standing up for her constituents. And tell her to keep asking questions.

Bill Ritter, healthcare, and an aside about Shawn Mitchell

What do Singapore, Slovenia, Taiwan and Cuba all have in common? According to the CIA, they all have lower infant mortality rates than the United States. Ditto for Sweden, France, Germany, Switzerland, about 30 other countries, and Macau, which is a special administrative region of China.

Point being, healthcare in America is not what it should be. And Colorado's system is in even worse shape. In fact, 17% of the people in our state don't even have basics like healthcare insurance.

Welcome to reason number 4,329 to vote for Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter.

Today's Rocky Mountain News reports that Ritter has set out the ambitious goal of securing healthcare coverage for the 770,000 Coloradans who live without it.

Republican gubernatorial candidates Marc Holtzman and Both Ways Bob Beauprez refused to join Ritter at yesterday's healthcare forum, which was sponsored by the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved. Instead the Republicans sent Shawn Mitchell. And what a mistake that was. Mitchell claimed governmental health insurance was a mistake because the Republican administration "that bungled the response to Hurricane Katrina would screw up health care."

You have to be kidding me. Basically Mitchell said, "We don't know how to govern. Please don't make us!"

Don't worry, Mitchell. We won't. We're throwing you all out in November.

Gordon ad Denver's best

Ken Gordon's newsletter points out that Westword gave his campaign an award for having the best political ad of the year. You can see the ad on Ken's website.

O'Donnell [heart] the White House

For bald-faced politicking, you just can't top Republican CD7 candidate Rubber Stamp Rick O'Donnell. First he claims he's a rebel who'll clean up the cesspool on the Potomac. Then he promptly turns around and goes fundraising with DC insiders like Vice President Dick Cheney, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, and EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson.

Now the Rocky reports O'Donnell is bringing in Ken Mehlman. Ken Mehlman? Will someone please tell me how fundraising with Bush's campaign manager and the chair of the RNC helps O'Donnell position himself as an outsider?

A.B.W.

I contacted the Larimer County Dems to see what they were planning to do about e-spammer Republican Jim Welker. I was informed that two Democrats have jumped into the race to remove him from his HD51 seat. Their names are Becky Jay and Jodi Radke.

Neither Jay or Radke has a website up. But I'm officially endorsing Anybody But Welker.

Tancredo depressed. Me, not so much.

A Senate committee passed a bill that includes a guest worker program yesterday, according to the Rocky. In response, Mad Tom Tancredo lashed out at everybody from Ted Kennedy to Wayne Allard.

Allard said, "Right now, a lot of our basic industries exist - particularly in Colorado - because of new immigrants. They support the tourism industry, agriculture, construction, not to mention the restaurant industry."

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go call my shrink. Agreeing with Wayne Allard on something has me all weirded out.

Winter is netroots' choice for progressive patriot

From Senator Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots Fund:

"I'm proud to congratulate [Democratic CD6 candidate] Bill Winter as being the netroots' choice for our second Pick a Progressive Patriot event. Bill received thousands of votes from members of the Progressive Patriots Fund community, and we'll be sending him a contribution of $5,000 today to help his efforts."

No, five grand won't be enough to unseat Mad Tom. But it's inspiring to see the rush of support Winter has received from the netroots. And it's exciting to think that this could be the year we turn CD6 blue.

If the wingnuts didn't hear the footsteps before, they do now.

Extra money in the Colorado House?

Colorado's proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 should be introduced in the House today. The Rocky reports, "Lawmakers have to decide the best way to spend the extra money voters approved in Referendum C." (Emphasis added by me.)

I'm sure I'm not the only voter under the impression that the Ref C money is already tied up in various essential state programs. If so, the Rocky's usage of the word extra either exposes rightwing bias or journalistic expediency. Or both. Or I'm missing something. Which happens. Lots.

Winter closes in on PPF win?

Friday's stats from the Progressive Patriots Fund show Democratic CD6 candidate Bill Winter leading the race for a $5,000 PPF contribution. Voting closes at midnight central time. So go support Bill if you haven't already.

Mad Tom: The world's best alarm clock

This morning I woke up, flipped on George Stephanopoulus, and was greeted by a rambling Tom Tancredo.

Talk about a wake up call.

Mad Tom was brought down to earth by Republican Senator Arlen Specter and conservative pundit George Will, who said something like, "Tancredo wants to deport 11 million workers. Is he totally out of his mind?"

Stop the madness, people.

Fortunately, the next segment featured Naomi Wolf, who is considerably easier on both the eyes and mind.

Happy Sunday morning.

Jim Welker: Addicted to hate speech?

Republican state representative Jim Welker has been under fire for emailing out an essay that claimed that the main victims of Hurricaine Katrina were "immoral, welfare-pampered blacks that stayed behind and waited for the government to bail them out." A statement that manages to be false and racist simultaneously.

Today the Rocky Mountain News reports that this isn't the first time Welker has spammed the legislature with hate speech. In fact, his own party told him to cut it out three years ago, after he forwarded around an email that claimed (brace yourself, because this gets icky), "gay men regularly ingest the urine and feces of their partners, leading to massive outbreaks of various diseases." The forwarded email questioned why gays and lesbians were allowed to work with children, the elderly and in the food industry.

And a couple days ago, the Rocky pointed out that Welker has forwarded emails claiming immigrants are "illiterate Third World mothers who, like birds to a feeder, know a good deal when they see or hear about it."

Democratic New York state attorney general Eliot Spitzer told Business 2.0 one of his golden rules for success is, "Never put anything in an e-mail." Welker should've paid attention.

Now it's too late. Welker's gotta go.

Be the Change endorsement all wrong

Two seconds ago, I wrote a post that claimed Be the Change had taken the odd step of endorsing two Democratic candidates in CD7 - Herb Rubenstein and Ed Perlmutter.

One second ago, I got a phone call from the Peggy Lamm campaign informing me that BTC had not endorsed any candidates, much less two candidates. The people at BTC confirmed this for them.

So I appreciate Peggy Lamm's folks pointing out my error. And I'd be real interested to know who is feeding Coloradopols false info.

UPDATE: Or, of course, this could all be a big misunderstanding. I'd like to know, either way.

Colorado caucuses demand censure

Be the Change reports that resolutions to support Senator Russ Feingold's censure of the President failed in only 1% of precincts. Eighty-four percent passed the measure unanimously. Think about that. Ninety-nine percent of Colorado Democratic activists support censure. And one survey indicates that they are joined by a plurality of Americans.

Be the Change also offered a dual endorsement of Herb Rubenstein and Ed Perlmutter in the CD7 Democratic primary. Herb actually won the support of a plurality of BTC members, but didn't have the majority he needed to carry the endorsement all by his lonesome.

Hat-tip to Coloradopols.

The company Mad Tom keeps

Conservative Denver Post columnist David Harsanyi nails it:

"Tancredo also claimed he was opposed to illegal immigration and not immigration. Until, that is, a couple of minutes later when he called for a moratorium on all immigration... Whatever his critics may say, Tancredo's populist rhetoric is free of rancor. The problem, however, is that Tancredo attracts too many nativists and extremists."

Tancredo's flip-flops are designed to court the fringe. And you're judged by the company you keep.

The 2008 Presidential race. What does Matt think?

Inspired by the National Journals race rankings, I am going to take an early stab at the 2008 Presidential field.

The Republicans

The right side of the field breaks down like this. You have the moderates, like McCain and Rice. The intelligent conservatives, like Romney and Gingrich. (Oh man, I know I am going to hear it from the left on Gingrich!) The professional politicians, like Frist and Allen. And the cultural wingnuts, like Santorum and Brownback.

I'm torn about who I want the Republicans to nominate. I love my country, so I sort of want them to nominate someone from the first two categories. But I also love politics, so I sort of want them to nominate someone I'll be happy about mashing into a fine pulp.

The Democrats

I like Senators John Edwards and Russ Feingold. And I have high hopes for Mark Warner.

Hillary would be a great President. But I have this pet theory about voters and careerism. I think a lot of people voted against Kerry because they were turned off by his sheer ambition. The guy lived his whole life like he wanted to be President. War hero. Prosecutor. Senator. People don't like relentless achievers. They're more comfortable with the guy who ambled into history.

If you grant me this (wacky) theory for two seconds, you'll see the biggest problem Hillary really has. It's not the liberalism. It's the political calculation. The fundraising. The move to New York. The staying-with-the-cheating-husband thing. Biden has the same problem. So does Bayh. Their resumes are almost too good to be trusted.

It's early.

I'm not saying Tom Vilsack couldn't get me out waving signs on street corners. I'm just saying that I can't see myself getting fired up over a Biden vs. McCain race. But if it's Edwards vs. Brownback, I'm quitting my job and working full-time to save my country.

Goodbye to Colorado Luis

Colorado Luis has long been one of my blog's top referrers. His musings and beer-bloggings were always well-written and insightful. Today he decided to close up shop to pursue other projects. So long, Colorado Luis. The blogosphere is less interesting without you.

This DL is brought to you by the letter P

P is for "podcast."

There was no speaker at last night's Drinking Liberally. But we were visited by some representatives from Good Politics Radio. The non-partisan Internet radio station has seven state-specific feeds, including one for Colorado. You can listen to their interview with CD7 Democratic candidate Herb Rubenstein at goodpoliticsradio.com/colorado.

P is for "petition."

Someone was there passing around a petition that would have stopped the government from seizing the property of private citizens and then turning it over to corporations. Just about everybody supported the petition in theory. But there was some discussion about its wording, which called for a Constitutional amendment instead of a ballot initiative.

DL organizer and Soapblox poster Johne also asked us to sign this petition demanding an investigation of the Trailhead Group.

P is for "probably too much whiskey."

I vaguely remember discussing pregnancy and parenting with my acupuncturist friend Tovah Dancer. And seeing Kathryn Poindexter from the Peggy Lamm campaign. And ordering a Jack Daniels from a waitress who looked a bit like Jessica Alba. And then then night was over. And then I woke up. And now P is for "publish this post."

Drinking Liberally tonight

There is no speaker tonight at Drinking Liberally. Which means you have no excuse not to drink. Liberally. People show up at seven-thirty or eight. You can follow this map to Double Daughters in Denver.

Laugh along with Coloradolib

I'm gonna lump the two wacky stories of the day into one laugh-a-minute post.

First, according to the Denver Post, Tom Tancredo has spent more taxpayer dollars on car leases than all but five members of the U.S. House. He actually tripled the amount spent by Both Ways Bob Beauprez or Diana DeGette. Tancredo insists he needs two trucks to cruise around Centennial. But I'm probably not the only person who is wondering if Mad Tom found a way to attach a gun turret to the roof of a Chevy Avalanche and then went on a tour of southern Arizona.

Second, according to the Rocky Mountain News, Republican "Attorney General John Suthers' office on Tuesday declined to prosecute a Republican group for sending out mass, pre-recorded phone calls" despite the fact the the recklessly false calls violated Colorado law.

Did I promise a laugh-a-minute post? I'm sorry. I meant rage-a-minute. Here's how to contact Suthers.

A caucus of yours truly

My caucus was insanely easy. No contested races. And I was the only person from my precinct who stayed for the entire event. So I basically elected myself to the county assembly, decided on the various resolutions however I wanted, and unanimously voted for Bill Ritter.

Here is a photo of HD5 legislator Joel Judd, who spoke last night.

The biggest news seems to be how most Democratic caucuses demanded that AG Suthers investigate the Trailhead Group for knowingly making false statements about Democratic candidates in violation of section 1-13-109 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. One version of the idea started with johne at Soapblox. CDP chair Pat Waak and AM760 DJ Jay Marvin are also asking for an investigation. And even the Rocky Mountain News has picked up the story.

Off to the caucuses

I'll post about the Denver caucuses tomorrow. In the meantime, this thread is open for anyone who wants to say anything about their caucus. I would love to hear from CD7.

Vote for Winter at Progressive Patriots Fund

This came up in a thread yesterday. But I want to frontpage it. Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots Fund is going to donate money to one of eight candidates. Bill Winter is in the running. You can cast your vote for Bill at this link.

"Most targeted ad ever" works

Remember my post about the most targeted ad ever? Maybe it hit its mark after all. Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter picked up the endorsement of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Service Employees International Union. And in doing so, he highlighted his commitment to providing healthcare for Colorado.

Both unions made clear that healthcare was a major factor in their decision process. A press release quotes Ritter, "It is simply unacceptable that nearly 770,000 Coloradans lack health insurance. Many of them are children. Many of them are working men and women. Fixing Colorado's broken healthcare system is one of this campaign's highest priorities."

Who captures your imagination?

I'm not going to blog today. Partially because I'm a bit exhausted. And partially because I have to focus on some other stuff. So I wanted to throw out a question that I've been mulling over recently.

There's a divide between the candidates we like and the candidates we actually vote for. I want to know who out there gets you excited about politics. I don't care if your choice is actually a viable candidate. I don't care if you name a Republican or Democrat. And I don't care if you name a state-level politician, a congressional candidate, or a potential '08 Presidential nominee.

I just want to know, what candidate captures your imagination?

Some good stuff about Ken Salazar

I have written some glowingly positive stuff about Colorado Democratic Senator Ken Salazar. (This post, for instance.) But recently I have been pretty disappointed in our junior senator. Especially his refusal to support censure, even though a majority of his constituents think President Bush broke the law. But just as I was about to abandon Salazar all together, I read this post at Soapblox, which points out that Salazar is better than Pete Coors. Which, of course, he is.

Most targeted advertisement ever

I saw an ad on the side of a bus today that said, "Running for governor? Healthcare should be your priority." I could have sworn it was an ad for healthcarevoter.org/co. But apparently I am remembering that URL wrongly, because it doesn't resolve anywhere. Maybe it was coforhealthcare.org. Anyway, I sincerely hope the ad reaches all three people in its target audience.

Mark Udall endorses Bill Ritter

Just a follow up to an earlier post. Congressman Mark Udall did indeed endorse Democrat Bill Ritter for governor today. A press release states:

"One of the nation's leading energy-policy experts, Congressman Mark Udall, today endorsed Bill Ritter for governor of Colorado, declaring that Ritter will lead the state toward a New Energy Economy. 'I'm proud to endorse Bill Ritter today because he truly embraces the new energy technology we have right here in Colorado,' Udall said. 'The potential is limitless. And with Bill Ritter as governor, Colorado will be at the forefront of this national movement.'"

Plurality of Americans support censure

America is behind Senator Russ Feingold's call for censure 46% to 44% according to this poll. Somebody ought to tell Allard and Salazar. As Molly Ivins once wrote, "That is the center, you fools. Who are you afraid of?"

Beauprez, Holtzman vie for anti-immigrant vote

According to Republican candidate for governor Both Ways Bob Beauprez, he totally whupped Marc Holtzman in yesterday's GOP debate. And according to me, I'm totally better looking than Brad Pitt.

I wasn't at the debate. But I did find it interesting that Both Ways Bob's press release takes a moment off from patting him on the back to zero in on the issue of immigration. "Holtzman spent much of the debate hurling desperate and baseless attacks on immigration, ignoring Beauprez's proven reform record and his backing from immigration stalwart Tom Tancredo."

Beauprez's blog also highlights his cuddly relationship with Mad Tom. Meanwhile, Holtzman's own website is currently headlined, "Click here to join Marc's campaign against illegal immigration."

From the attitude of the GOP, you'd think that we'd found Osama, reconstructed Iraq, fixed healthcare, and found an efficient way to run our cars on a blend of soybeans and gorgonzola. You'd also think we all lived in Arizona.

There's a classic scene in The Simpsons where Mayor Quimby quiets a mob by telling them, "People your taxes are too high because of illegal immigrants!" Apparently the GOP is basing its entire strategy in 2006 off this single moment.

Oh well. At least I know Karl Rove and I watch the same cartoons.

Hat-tip to a poster at Coloradopols for pointing to Beauprez's press release.

It ain't easy being sleazy: Part 2

I see Herb Rubenstein quite a bit. Typically at progressive rallies and meetings. And I have met Ed Perlmutter three times now. Always at Democratic party events. But I have never really spent any time with the third CD7 Democratic candidate, Peggy Lamm. I've judged her almost solely based on my relationship with her staffers. So one reason I agreed to act in Peggy's podcast was that I hoped it might give me the chance to get to know her a little.

The problem is that politicians are tough people to know. They meet thousands of people. They give the same speeches over and over. And they tend to watch what they say when they know they're talking to a blogger. A five minute conversation with a politician almost always leaves me shrugging my shoulders.

But watching Peggy play with a two year old child? That told me all I need to know.

Like a lot of guys, I am sort of in awe of babies. But since I have one of my own on the way, I've started paying more attention to how people treat their children. Peggy spent a big chunk of time on the set playing with a couple's two-year-old child. Trying to get it to laugh. That sort of thing.

Does that mean she's qualified to be the CD7 nominee? No. But as I have written before, all of the CD7 Democratic candidates have the right qualifications. And none of them are as ethically-challenged as Republican Rubber Stamp Rick O'Donnell.

What I was looking for was a reason to disqualify one of the Democrats to make the field a little narrower. But it's just not there. Whoever is doing candidate recruitment for the Democrats deserves a gold star. And CD7 has a tough choice to make.

Udall to endorse Bill Ritter

Seeing as how Bill Ritter is the Democratic Party's only candidate for governor, it's not really news anymore when he gets the endorsement of high profile Dems. Still, congressman Mark Udall is a big name to have behind you. A press release from the Ritter campaign confirms that Udall will endorse Ritter at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

Udall co-chairs the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, so it is fitting that the endorsement will take place at the Solar Harvest House in Boulder. The home is 100% solar. It recently received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's highest Energy Star rating among 30,000 new Colorado homes.

Speaking of sleazy, here comes Rubber Stamp Rick!

Republican CD7 candidate Rick O'Donnell hasn't even been elected. And yet he has already managed to prompt an ethics investigation.

Rubber Stamp Rick is refusing to turn over the list of attendees at a recent campaign event. The O'Donnell campaign had illegally used the federal title of the featured speaker, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, to publicize the event

I know of at least two people who have filed FOIA requests to force O'Donnell to turn over the list so they can see if anyone at the event had business before the EPA. One of those people is CD7 Democratic candidate Herb Rubenstein. The other is super blogger and Ed Perlmutter volunteer TBTH .

It ain't easy being sleazy: Part 1

Kathryn Poindexter of the Peggy Lamm for CD7 campaign called me the other day. She said, "We're filming this podcast thing. And we need someone to play a sleazy lobbyist. So I was wondering..."

Little did Kathryn know she'd just said my two favorite words. "Play" and "sleazy."

Peggy's spot will be available by podcast and email in a couple weeks. One segment features me with my hair slicked back, which is pretty funny looking. In the meantime, I'll post a few photos from the set. Here's one of Peggy telling someone something while something happens in the background. Future photos should be less blurry.

If you want video now, Check out this link for a Fighting Dems video featuring Jay Fawcett and Bill Winter.

Tancredo gets in knockdown brawl

I am exaggerating. Slightly.

Anyway, mentioning Mad Tom is a convenient lead-in to a post about a new study by the Bell Policy Center. The study shows that "immigrants - legal and undocumented - use less subsidized healthcare than U.S. citizens... Immigrants are not driving up the costs of healthcare."

So why are Republicans planning "to ask Colorado voters to approve a constitutional amendment to prevent these immigrants from receiving state and local government services"? Hm.

I become a sleazy DC lobbyist

Stay tuned for pics and video.

Keep hassling Allard and Salazar!

Everyone I know who emailed Democratic Senator Ken Salazar to ask him to support the censure of President Bush got the same response. "I believe that warrantless spying on Americans is extremely serious. I also believe that Congress must insist on collecting all of the facts about any warrantless spying program and thoroughly accounting for precisely what actions were taken by the Administration before considering other action. Censure of an American president has occurred only once in our history, back in the early days of our Republic, when Andrew Jackson was President."

And everyone I know who contacted Republican Senator Wayne Allard also got the same response. "Eat my shorts." (OK, maybe he didn't say it. But I swear I heard him say it under his breath.)

Don't stop calling! Ask Salazar exactly what information he is waiting for. And point out that censure is actually a pretty mild punishment for someone who breaks the law.

Colorado Division of Wilddeath, revisited

I sent another email to the Colorado Wildlife Commission to ask them if they'd approved the Colorado Trapper Association's request to let them keep species off the protected list by killing them. The commission responded:

"The Wildlife Commission has a three-step process for considering changes to regulations: Issue, Draft and Final. The CTA petition was presented at the March 9th meeting at the 'Issue' stage - since the Commission voted to move the petition forward it will proceed to 'Draft' stage in May. So, in sum, the petition is going through the process and has not yet been approved or denied."

If you have an opinion on this (I know I do), contact the commission at this link or at wildlife.comm@state.co.us.

O'Donnell to Colorado: "Just trust me, OK?"

Republican Rubber Stamp Rick O'Donnell is still refusing to turn over the list of names of those who attendended his recent event. The O'Donnell campaign "accidentally" violated the Hatch Act by using the featured guest's official government title in the event invitation.

Cleland campaigning for Jay Fawcett

War hero and former Democratic senator Max Cleland is still making the rounds to help out Fighting Dem Jay Fawcett. The Fawcett campaign says Cleland and Fawcett "will be available for comments and questions about the Iraq war, the $1 billion shortfall at the Veteran's Administration, and the continued challenges of rehabilitation for our vets returning home." The event will be Saturday, March 18 at the Antlers Hilton Hotel in Colorado Springs. Want to know more? Contact the Fawcett campaign.

Sorry for any typos in this post. I am typing this as I listen to the complete 760AM CD7 debate. You can download the mp3s here.

People speak. Elected Dems clam up.

I have to hand it to Senator Allard. When I emailed him to tell him to apologize to Russ Feingold, his office at least sent me a form email.

What did I get from Ken Salazar's office? Nothing. And apparently U.S. Senate Democrats aren't exactly tripping over themselves to support Feingold's call for censure.

But the people of Colorado are behind Feingold. Thousands of people have signed Progress Now Action's petition to demand an apology from Allard. Have you?

Hernandez kicks off campaign. Last week.

Things are busy. I had to skip the Alfredo Hernandez for HD1 campaign kickoff last week. Fortunately, Hernandez was nice enough to shoot me an email:

"The party was a great success in spite of the weather. It was a real tribute to the spirit that people have shared with me throughout this campaign. We had a packed house and I was introduced by my treasurer Michael Carrigan and Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey."

Allard to U.S. Constitution: "Bite me."

In an interview yesterday, the most conservative Senator in America, Colorado's Wayne Allard, accused Senator Russ Feingold of siding with the terrorists. No word on whether Allard feels the same way about the plurality of Coloradans who agree that our President's wiretapping program broke the law.

I can't believe that we live in a country in which adhering to the law is considered unpatriotic. Bush should be censured, if not impeached. Feingold should be given a medal for bravery. And you should go to Progress Now Action immediately to sign the petition demanding that Allard apologize to Feingold. And to me, while he's at it. Then call Allard's office at (202) 224-5941 and demand he start behaving like a real, live Senator instead of a walking rubber stamp.

If Allard wants to live in a monarchy, he should move to Brunei. In fact, he should move to Brunei anyway. Just get him out of America.

Larimer County Dems Dinner invite

You (yes, that means you) are invited to the Larimer County Democrats Presidents' Day Dinner this Saturday, March 18th, at the Fort Collins Hilton. Ambassador Joe Wilson, author of The Politics of Truth and husband of exposed CIA agent Valerie Plame, will present the keynote address. Other speakers include CD4 candidate Angie Paccione, CD6 candidate Bill Winter, and gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter. Tickets can be purchased at larimerdems.org or by calling 970-980-5911.

Nov. '06: Winter wins 96% of the vote!

A recent poll of CD6 confirms that 3.82% of the district thinks immigration is "the most important issue facing Colorado." Those folks have permission to vote for Mad Tom Tancredo. I fully expect the other 96.18% of CD6 to vote for Bill Winter.

Colorado Division of Wilddeath?

A few days ago, I wrote about the Colorado Trappers Association's screwy new plan to keep species off the endangered species list by trapping them, killing them, and selling their fur to wealthy dowagers. According to a poster on Coloradopols, the Colorado Wildlife Commission actually approved the request. The commission's website, however, says that the request was "referred to staff for further consideration."

I emailed the Colorado Division of Wildlife for clarification. I'll keep you posted.

Cheney knows nothing about Colorado

Vice President Dick Cheney thinks Senator Russ Feingold's resolution to censure the President is silly. In the New York Times, Cheney said, "The American people already made their decision. They agree with the president."

Mr. Cheney, you haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about.

In fact, only 31% of Coloradoans believe that Bush's wiretapping scheme "obeyed the law."

Contact Senators Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard. Tell them how Colorado really feels.

Tancredo, Allard demand more flip-flops

Both Ways Bob Beauprez has been endorsed for governor by both Mad Tom Tancredo and Wayne "Too Dull For A Nickname" Allard.

House bill 1149 needs your support

I'm coming to you this morning not as the partisan hack I usually am, but as a citizen of Colorado. The good news is that Democratic Representative Morgan Carroll's HB1149 is still alive. It has been moved out of appropriations to the judiciary committee. That bad news is that just about every greedy hack in the Colorado government is trying to kill it.

The only way to make sure HB 1149 is passed is for every citizen of Colorado to contact his or her house representative and makes clear that we, the people, expect support for HB 1149. And then call the people on the judiciary committee and tell them to remove the poison pills from the bill so that the legislature has no excuse for voting it down.

If you don't, don't ever complain about how money is ruining our government again.

House bill 1149 will:

1. Bring more transparency in the clients lobbyists work for.

2. Require disclosure of bill numbers worked by lobbyists.

3. Require lobbyists to disclose the positions their clients have, if any, on every bill.

4. Require disclosure of direct financial relationships with lobbyists and lawmakers.

5. Require disclosure of contributions to elected officials and candidates over $100.

BTC likes Rubenstein

Results of the Be The Change endorsement vote are at btc-usa.org. Discuss.

Last day to vote at Be The Change

If Be The Change members want to weigh in on the CD7 primary, today's the day to do it.

Roy Romer braves weather to endorse Ritter

Most state Democrats have endorsed Bill Ritter for governor. Few have endured cold temperatures to do it. But today's chill won't stop former governor Roy Romer. According to a press release, Romer will endorse Ritter today at 2 p.m. at an outdoor event.

I'm going to hit the "publish" button quickly, before I make some 1986-style pun about fair-weather fans.

Tell Allard, Salazar to support censure

On This Week With George Stephanopoulos, Senator Russ Feingold stated he will introduce "a bill to censure Bush on illegal spying."

There is no doubt that our President broke the law. There is also no doubt that an impeachment proceeding would be bad for the country. Censuring the President is the best option. Contact Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard and tell them to support Feingold's bill.

Joe Rice kickoff event

"This doesn't feel like a kickoff, it feels like a victory party!" shouted Democratic House Speaker Andrew Romanoff. He had to shout. The room was packed with about 300 people who had come out to support Democratic HD38 candidate Lt. Col. Joe Rice.

Several state-level politicians were there, including HD39 candidate Mollie Cullom, CU regent Michael Carrigan, Board of Education representative Karen Middleton, and Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter. There were also many national-level politicians, like CD7 candidate Ed Perlmutter and CD6 candidate Bill Winter.

But more important to Rice was the number of veterans who came out to cheer him on. I couldn't catch all their names, but it seemed like a couple dozen men and women in the audience had served in the armed forces. Some of them had even spent time with Rice in Iraq.

Maybe part of the reason so many folks came out was their disgust with the current HD38 representative, Republican per-diem connoisseur Joe Stengel. Or maybe the Democrats in Littleton are just happy to have such a good candidate. Or maybe everyone was just relieved that Rice got back from his second tour in one piece. Whatever the reason, it was a good kickoff. And it'll be a better victory party.

Where will I be this afternoon?

Now you know.

O'Donnell kicks off campaign, stubs toe

The nascent Rubber Stamp Rick O'Donnell for CD7 campaign isn't going so well. First he flies his buddy Dick Cheney in to do some fundraising under a hail of criticism. Now he flies EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson in and sparks an ethics complaint. The guy just can't get this campaigning thing down.

The latest dustup comes because the O'Donnell campaign used Johnson's title to publicize his visit. That's a violation of the Hatch Act. Democratic party chair Pat Waak has filed a complaint stating, "By exploiting Mr. Johnson's role as EPA administrator, Mr. Johnson and the O'Donnell campaign have jeopardized what should be a distinct separation between public policy and partisan politicking."

Memo to the GOP: Cool it. Between Marilyn Musgrave's misuse of the armed forces and O'Donnell's ethics issues and Both Ways Bob Beauprez's affinity for flight suits and Jim Welker's racist emails and Joe Stengel's fondness for taxpayer dollars, I am having a hard time tracking all the corruption. Could a few of you perhaps behave ethically for awhile so I can catch up?

Peggy the Petitioner

Not quite sure what to do with this little tidbit. But it's true, so I'm going to pass it on.

A little birdy - a blue jay, I think - told me that CD7 candidate Peggy Lamm has decided to petition onto the Democratic primary ballot instead of going through the caucuses. I called Kathryn Poindexter, Lamm's field director, and she confirmed the rumor, which makes it no longer a rumor, but the truth.

In fact, Kathryn seemed extremely happy about Lamm's choice. Kathryn's background is in collecting signatures and rallying ground troops. She spoke confidently about the idea of taking the Lamm campaign to the people. At one point, she even blurted out, "I love petitions!" And I shouted back, "I love petitions, too!" It was a very strange conversation.

What does all this mean? Well, Wash Park Prophet wrote that "Peggy Lamm is likely to either get on the primary ballot in [the caucus] process, or at least get the 10% support she needs to get on the ballot by petition, which shouldn't be much of an obstacle for her." So Lamm probably could have gotten onto the ballot either way. I think the bottom line is that none of the three Democratic CD7 candidates is backing down. And the primary will be an exciting one.

Let's keep it clean out there, candidates.

More speedlinking

I don't need to blog too much today. The Republicans are doing a fine job of exposing their own racism. I don't think they need my help just now. Commentary at Soapblox and Coloradopols.

UPDATE: I dashed this post off too quickly. I didn't mean to write that all Republicans are racist. Just the ones in question. I apologize to my Republican friends. (Yes, I do have some.)

Preaching to the choir?

I've heard accusations that liberal bloggers are just preaching to the choir. But I never took it literally until now. The James Dobson crew has descended on Progress Now Action. Here's a good place to start reading.

Citizen initiatives in Colorado

Tired of Colorado's "All Jay Bennish, All The Time" media? Wondering what issues might pop up on the ballot in November? Check out Wash Park Prophet's post on "Pending Initiatives In Colorado."

About halfway down the list, you'll notice former Governor Dick Lamm's anti-illegal immigration bill. I actually got a robo-call from Lamm last night. The rebel in me took great pleasure in hanging up on a governor.

Be The Change hosts straw poll

Every day, hundreds of thousands of people email me and ask, "Hey, Matt, how can I be a better Democrat?" Normally, I say, "Walk your precinct" or "Write a letter to your local newspaper." But today, I have an even better idea. Go to Be The Change and "vote to endorse" your favorite Democratic CD7 candidate.

Yes, your vote is sort of meaningless, because BTC doesn't have a say in the CD7 primaries. (At least, not yet...) But the backing of BTC members would be a boon to any of the three candidates. And BTC also has the candidates' 25-word (ahem) responses to a variety of questions. You have to be a BTC member to vote, but you can read the 25-word (ahem) responses for free. Voting is open until March 12.

Rubber Stamp Rick kicks off campaign

The Democrats have three strong challengers for Both Ways Bob Beauprez's now-vacant CD7 seat. Peggy Lamm. Ed Perlmutter. And Herb Rubenstein. The Republicans only have one candidate, Rick O'Donnell. And he can barely speak without stumbling.

O'Donnell officially kicked off his campaign yesterday, which is barely news since he's been campaigning and fundraising for months. The Rocky Mountain News reports that O'Donnell is trying to position himself as an outsider who will "work against corruption and the influence of special interests and 'set aside the tired, petty, nasty, stale partisanship that divides Washington.'"

This is ludicrous stuff. O'Donnell is the consumate GOP insider. His resume includes gigs as a "staffer for former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Gov. Bill Owens." And I've written before about O'Donnell's fondness for Dick Cheney.

All of the Democratic candidates took shots at O'Donnell. Maybe the best line belonged to Perlmutter, who said, "It's going to be Rubber Stamp Rick. It's going to be more of the same."

I don't know who coined the nickname Rubber Stamp Rick. But I like it.

George Orwell visits the CTA

I've been reading and re-reading this article in today's Rocky Mountain News trying to figure out what I'm missing. Apparently the Colorado Trappers Association has a plan to prevent certain animals from being listed on the endangered species list. Trap and kill them. Huh?

I really mean that. Huh?

Tancredo abuses taxpayer dollars

From the Rocky Mountain News:

"Until Wednesday, the campaign Web site www.Tancredo.org included a link to the Littleton Republican's official, taxpayer-funded congressional site, www.house.gov/tancredo. The link to the government site was removed after Democratic opponent Bill Winter cited congressional ethics rules banning the use of taxpayer resources in a campaign. 'Tancredo's use of taxpayer dollars to finance his partisan political campaign is a violation of the voters' trust,' Winter said in news release."

Drinking with Morgan Carroll

Here's what you need to know about Democratic HD 36 representative Morgan Carroll:

1. She's a smart, brave progressive. Last night at Drinking Liberally, she talked about the ways in which the system is rigged to keep lobbyists happy and regular people ignorant. She has taken principled stands on healthcare and immigration reform. And she's even spoken out against popular bills based on idealism.

2. She kicks Republican butt. HD36 overlaps Tancredo and Beauprez's congressional districts. Yet she still managed to win 55% of the vote in her last election. The Republicans would love to unseat her this year. But to date, they haven't found a decent challenger.

3. She looks a bit like Angie Everhart. Except Carroll was happy to spend part of last night sitting on the floor of Double Daughters. While Everhart becomes irate when hair salons shampoo her hair wrongly.

If this doesn't satisfy your urge to know more about Carroll (and I can't say I blame you), I suggest you check out TBTH's story on Soapblox. Or GRAPEVINE. DYD dude Mike Weissman was also taking notes last night, but I'm not entirely sure where he will post them.

Coloradolib on One America blog

No, it's not really news that the One America blog would mention my reaction to my luncheon with former Senator John Edwards. But I am still giddy about it.

Republicans vs. Holtzman?

There's not much I like about Republican candidate for governor Marc Holtzman. But I am starting to feel sorry for the guy. It seems like Both Ways Bob Beauprez and the rest of the Republican establishment are dedicated to smearing the former Denver University president.

Senator Deanna Hanna resigns

I just got a release from Senate Majority Leader and Secretary of State candidate Ken Gordon that states:

"Senator Hanna distributed a letter to the Senate today saying that she is resigning as of March 22nd. 'No single member's tenure is more significant than the continuing role of the Senate. While it is with personal sadness that I have reached my decision, I cannot let my personal feelings distract from the important work to be accomplished,' she wrote."

The Colorado Democratic party owes a debt both to Hanna for making the right decision and to Gordon, who originally called for the investigation against Hanna.

Dobson focus of ad campaign

Progress Now Action is linking to an ad that the Campaign to Defend the Constitution ran in today's New York Times.

Drinking Liberally with Morgan Carroll

At Drinking Liberally tonight, you can meet HD36 Representative Morgan Carroll. And, less importantly, me.

Republicans derail legislature

An article in today's Denver Post is headlined "Dems' bold plans turn timid." If that paper had a shred of journalistic integrity, the headline would be more like, "Republicans ruin session out of spite."

The article reports that "Special committees that were going to highlight key issues on the Democratic agenda - renewable energy, state contracts and homeland security - have rarely met and have failed to offer substantive proposals. Key bills on health insurance and drug purchasing are dead or idling." The reason? "Ethics probes, hot-button social issues and GOP tactics have sidetracked an ambitious agenda."

Winter: E-mail John Kerry

An email from Winter for Congress says, "Senator John Kerry is helping raise money for congressional candidates around the country. Let him know you want Bill Winter in CO-CD 6 to be part of the program. E-mail John Kerry at info@johnkerry.com with subject line 'Bill Winter CO-6' and message 'Please make Bill Winter a priority in your next e-mail fundraising appeal. Bill is a veteran and Bill will unseat Tom Tancredo in November.'"

Money talks. And it's time we made it talk on our behalf.

Ritter wins friends and influences people: 2

Marc Sobel sent me his photos of Bill Ritter's stop in Boulder.

Here's one of Ritter making a point with Democratic candidate for Secretary of State Ken Gordon standing behind him. Literally and figuratively.

Senator Salazar responds. Eventually.

On November 10th, I emailed Democratic Senator Ken Salazar regarding disturbing reports in army publications that seemed to indicate white phosphorus was being used as a weapon, not just a battlefield illuminant. I got an email from the senator's office today, four months later, that thanks me for my concern and states that "According to the State Department, 'U.S. forces are not using any illegal weapons in Fallujah or anywhere else in Iraq.' I trust that the State Department is being truthful in this statement and will be supportive of any investigation if evidence of illegal use of chemical weapons should come to light."

Ritter wins friends and influences people: 1

Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter is an outsider. The Democratic party establishment didn't rally around him until recently. And his ability to fire up the netroots has been in question. But he's slowly winning over Colorado bloggers. You can see an example at Soapblox.

Photo courtesy of Andrew Hyde.

Beauprez backer files complaint against Holtzman

If there's one thing I love, it's Republican slapfights.

MusgraveMustGo.blogspot.com

Big props to whoever is writing MusgraveMustGo. The blog there is the three F's: funny, factual and frequently updated. And it occasionally links to my site, which is always nice. Keep it going, folks!

Daschle, Cleland visit Colorado

It's cool that former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle "appeared at a small fundraiser this morning for Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter." But I think it's even cooler that former Democratic Senator Max Cleland is visiting Colorado tomorrow to fundraise for Fighting Dem Jay Fawcett.

Cleland is a symbol of everything that's wrong with the Republican party, which actually ran a smear campaign against him in 2002, even though Cleland is a decorated veteran who lost three of his limbs in Vietnam. It's inspiring just to have him in the state.

CDP logo: Politics by Design

Congratulations to Politics by Design on the logo for the Colorado Democratic Party. It's, uh, kicky and modern. Unlike my pun, which was boring and very 1987.

2006: Make or break year?

Sorry for the light blogging today. I think the Edwards luncheon and the Jefferson-Jackson dinner have me a bit worn out.

But this is no time to take a break.

The Colorado Republicans nominate the corrupt, the crazy, the wishy-washy and the unpleasant. (That's Musgrave, Tancredo, Beauprez and Hefley, in order.) And in the past they've won. But this year is going to be different.

The Democrats have found appealing, centrist candidates. They've developed a strong agenda. And the voters are overwhelmingly sending the message that they don't trust Republicans with their money, their privacy or their healthcare.

This is the year we turn Colorado blue. Not purple. I'm talking navy blue.

Two things I find interesting

1. "Of all the states that voted for Bush in 2004, Colorado has the highest percentage who believe Bush broke the law" with his wiretapping scheme.

2. CD4 Republican Marilyn Musgrave is as corrupt as hell.

J-J: Me, not breaking the law

Last night, I sat between two Fighting Dems. HD38 candidate Joe Rice and CD6 candidate Bill Winter. Neither was in uniform. Which means I didn't break the law. Unlike Republican Marilyn Musgrave.

J-J: Schweitzer, part 2

I took notes during Schweitzer's speech. And rather than write a tedious post about it, I think I'll just sort of blast out my thoughts and hope they make sense.

1. How come I'm wearing a suit and our featured speaker is wearing a jean jacket?

2. In Montana, the press can attend any meeting the governor has with anyone at any time. Hm, Cheney needs the same policy.

3. Schweitzer is a big fan of hunting. Not the shoot-a caged-quail variety. The real thing.

4. "The treasure isn't in the mountains. The treasure is the mountains." That's a good line.

5. Schweitzer begged everyone in the audience to have more children to help pay off the deficit that the Republicans have racked up. Funny stuff.

6. Americas must be challenged to become self-sufficient in food and energy.

7. Technology equals leadership and innovation equals profits.

8. Where's my drink?

8. Montana is currently generating power from wind for a lower price per megawatt than coal.

9. In one year, Schweitzer lowered taxes on small businesses and created a huge fiscal surplus.

10. Is it 2008 yet?

There. That sort of makes sense. Sort of.

J-J: Schweitzer, part 1

One message Schweitzer drove home was that we can't trust Republicans with money. (Or with a shotgun, but that's another story.) There is evidence of that in the Denver Post this morning. Republican candidate for governor Both Ways Bob Beauprez is advocating spending $4 million computer system to block services to illegal immigrants, even though it will only save our state $460,000 the first year.

Republican Marc Holtzman's spokesperson stated "Both Ways Bob has come to this issue as usual from two directions. He voted three times in Congress not to tighten our immigration laws. Now that he's running for governor, he's trying to cast himself as the champion of anti-immigration policies."

J-J: The Post bites

The Denver Post's article about the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner came with that paper's typical rightward spin. It described the Democrats as victory starved, despite the fact that the Democrats captured the state house and the state senate in 2004. It focused not on featured speaker Democratic Montana governor Brian Schweitzer's progressive principles, but on his strip mining of low-sulfur coal. And it parroted the Republican line about how the Democratic Party is "still more defined by what it's against than what it's for."

J-J: Go, Karen. Go.

Along with Damon Barry, Karen Middleton was given a Rising Star Award.

Karen got up, told us all we better be walking our precincts, and sat back down. Good stuff.

J-J: Netroots

It was a little disappointing to see only a couple members of the Colorado netroots at the 2006 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. And only a few at the Colorado Young Dems afterparty. Considering how many people are reached by, say, Soapblox, it seems like it would have been nice for the party to offer the frontpage bloggers there free tickets to the dinner. How many of them would have accepted the tickets? That I do not know.

Musgrave: Breaks law, smiles, claps

It is illegal for active duty members of the military in uniform to speak on behalf of the president's policies at political events. But when was the last Republican Marilyn Musgrave cared about the laws of our country?

There is some discussion about who in the blogosphere broke this story first. But I know I saw at Soapblox. You can, too.

Ken Gordon steps up

I haven't mentioned the name of Democratic state senator Deanna Hanna for fear of the frustration that might flow from my keyboard. But I have to commend Democratic state senator and candidate for Secretary of State Ken Gordon for making a formal complaint against Hanna. Thanks, Ken. You showed Colorado that the Democratic party has its ethics intact. Unlike another party whose name I'm not going to mention right now.

The promise of politics. And the reality.

Yesterday was amazing for me. I got to see two people I admire: John Edwards and Bill Winter. And the best thing about it was that I was so busy that I totally ignored the fact that state Republicans are stalling debate by demanding the paperwork of Research and Democracy, which (as they must know) is not required to file paperwork because it doesn't give money to election campaigns.

Winter at All American Vogue, part 2

Bill Winter confirmed something I had been wondering about. People do indeed confuse him with Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter. It's pretty understandable. They're both tall, white men of about the same age. They're both Democrats in high-profile Colorado elections. And their names sound alike if you're not really paying attention.

Winter joked that he is sick of answering Ritter's abortion questions, while Ritter is sick of getting Winter's immigration questions.

I wish I had some handy mnemonic device to help voters tell them apart. But I don't. So I'll make this easy. Vote for both of them.

Winter at All American Vogue, part 1

Democratic CD6 candidate Bill Winter was at All American Vogue last night, where the owner was having a fundraiser.

I told him my impressions of John Edwards. Winter replied, "Well, imagine that. A politician who actually cares about people. Who isn't using his office to further his own fame. That's one thing I see in me and Angie and a lot of Democrats who are running this year. We're doing it to serve our country. We're doing it because we care."

Edwards: Post 5 of probably a lot

Here's another quote that rang in my mind as Edwards spoke. It's something I read in The Baffler a few years ago.

"Saying the lottery is a way to screw the poor misses the fundamental truth about poverty, which is that when you're poor, you get screwed all the time."

Edwards: Post 4 of probably a lot

Since I had a central seat, I got to shake Edwards' hand as he made his way to the podium. Normally, I don't get along with anyone who could be described as a good ol' boy. But when he began to speak, any negative reactions I had to his aw-shucks manner were wiped away. Especially as he spoke about his conviction that Washington could not be trusted to take on the issue of poverty. He closed with a line that he said he had cribbed from a social activist. "The leaders we have been looking for are us."

Edwards: Post 3 of probably a lot

After the 2004 election, one liberal columnist wrote something like, "With Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, I felt like my vision of America was the same as theirs. We just disagreed on the best route to get there. But with George W. Bush, I don't feel that way. Bush wants to create a daddy state in which strict cultural standards drastically limit freedom at home and the government is free to borrow and spend and torture and conquer as it pleases. That is may be what the people have chosen. But it's not my America."

"It's not my America." That's a phrase that John Edwards used as well.

Most of his speech focused on poverty. He talked about the immorality of a culture that subsidizes oil companies while cancelling school lunch programs. And he talked about the face of poverty that he has seen traveling across the country over the last year.

He also offered several concrete proposals on how to end poverty, like mixed-income communities and easier access to financial aid. I kept thinking, "This doesn't sound like someone who is running for President in 2008. This sounds like someone who has found his life's calling and who has dedicated himself to it. It sounds like someone who understands the promise of self-determination and is terrified to see it slipping away."

Edwards: Post 2 of probably a lot

There were candidates everywhere at the luncheon. Including Angie Paccione, Herb Rubenstein, Ken Gordon and Bill Ritter.

I was seated at a central table next to CD5 Democratic candidate Jay Fawcett. We were able to talk quite a bit about his service in the air force and army, his impressions of the ways in which Colorado Springs has changed over the years, and his experiences on the campaign trail.

Halfway through the luncheon, I noticed a crack in my glass. I picked it up and said something brilliant like, "Hey, there's a crack in my glass." Jay could see the other side of my glass, which wasn't just cracked. It had splintered and was about to shatter in my hand. He grabbed the glass and took it from me. So the arteries in my hand owe him a big thanks.

Edwards: Post 1 of probably a lot

Short of Jessica Simpson, the person I most want to have lunch with is former Senator John Edwards. And guess what? I just did. Me, Edwards, and 180 of our closest friends.

I will blog the heck out of this when I have time tonight. Stay tuned.

Winter event at All American Vogue

Before I forget, I wanted to make sure to remind people that there is a fundraiser for Democratic CD6 candidate Bill Winter tonight at All American Vogue.

Stengel resigns post

HD38 Republican Joe Stengel just resigned his post as House Minority Leader. Read about it in the Rocky.

UPDATE: I have written quite a few posts on this story over the past month, all of which lead you to other sites around the Internet. Here's where FOX31 originally messed with Stengel. And here's where the Rocky followed up. And here's where the Democrats requested Stengel's records. And here's me selling the story just for kicks. And here's Stengel working from Hawaii. And here's Stengel's constituents calling for an ethics investigation. And here's Stengel stepping down. Which is this post, so you probably shouldn't really click the link.

And here's my happy face. Can't you see it?

Progress Now Action is still asking for a full investigation. People should consider dropping by the March 11 campaign kickoff party for Lt. Col. Joe Rice, who is the only Democrat in the race for the seat Stengel will vacate in November.

How fast can I support Ken Gordon for Sec. of State?

This fast.

Hat-tip to Coloradopols for the link.

Common sense wins in immigration

It's not that illegal immigration isn't a problem. It is. But it's not such a big problem that it should trump education, healthcare and the war on terror.

It's also the sort of divisive issue that attracts nutballs. Of course there are people debating the issue who are perfectly normal, concerned Americans. But some of the rhetoric appeals to the type of person that would just love to try out their new shotgun on a moving target.

Fortunately, the Colorado state legislature falls in the former camp.

The Rocky Mountain News reports that Republicans proposed a bill that would have "required both police officers and other local officials to turn in anyone they suspected were illegal immigrants, whether they had committed a crime or not." That's crazy. But the resulting, bipartisan bill makes perfect sense. "Police officers would have to report any illegal immigrant they arrest to federal immigration authorities."

Bipartisanship works. Who woulda thought?

ActBlue page up for the 7th

CD7 is the most confusing district in the universe. On one hand, it is one of the Democrats best chances to pick up a seat in the U.S. House. On the other hand, there are three good candidates, which makes it hard to decide who to support. Kudos to TBTH for setting up a page where you can give to (in alphabetical order) Peggy Lamm, Ed Perlmutter, Herb Rubenstein or a general election fund. You can check it out at ActBlue.

Incidentally, it looks like Lamm finally has her new site up. I look forward to pilfering it for images.

Send a message in 2006

Musgrave flies Bush in for fundraisers. Beauprez votes with him 95% of the time. Heck, even Democrats like Ken Salazar shake his hand. But read this story in the Rocky Mountain News:

"In dramatic and sometimes agonizing terms, federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees, put lives at risk in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers, according to confidential video footage. Bush didn't ask a single question... Bush declared four days after the storm, 'I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees' that gushed deadly flood waters into New Orleans."

Right now, we're stuck with this liar. But we can send a message in 2006. Vote Angie. Vote Winter. Vote Ritter. Vote Fawcett. Vote, vote, vote.

Speed rally: 3 of 3

After Ritter wrapped up, I dashed down the steps of the capitol to see how Mason Tvert of SAFER was doing. He said it was coincidental that he was hosting his rally on the same day as Ritter. But he seemed happy with the extra interest he was drawing.

SAFER was kicking off its signature drive to get marijuana legalization on the ballot. Yeah, I signed the petition. That doesn't mean I support the issue. It just means I'm not afraid of the debate.

Speed rally: 2 of 3

Barbara O'Brien, Ritter's running mate, spoke for a few minutes, focusing on her background in education. She said, "We're all here today because we feel that the country is off track and that Colorado is adrift. Our schools are crumbling around our kids and children are getting diseases that could be prevented with a simple shot. That's why we need Bill Ritter."

Speed rally: 1 of 3

Democratic candidate for governor Rill Ritter spoke today on the steps of the state capitol. Overall, I would say the theme of his speech was unity. Ritter was flanked by House Speaker Andrew Romanoff and a dozen or more Colorado legislators who came out to show their support for our party's best chance to capture the governor's mansion in November. Ritter also spoke about renewable energy and promised - he accentuated the word promise - to make it a focus of his tenure in office.

In the crowd, I spoke with CD7 candidate Herb Rubenstein, who just seems to keep popping up in the same places I do. He has endorsed the Ritter campaign. Various staffers and reporters were also milling about.

UPDATE: A press release I just got from the Ritter camp quotes Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald: "What you see behind me is a unified Democratic Party that is unified behind Bill Ritter and Barbara O'Brien."

Pick your party

According to the Rocky Mountain News, there will be a rally for Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter at noon today on the steps of the state capitol.

Now, this is the same date, time and location as a SAFER rally I was told about yesterday. And I haven't gotten a press release from the Ritter people about this event. What does that mean? Maybe nothing.

Republican candidate for governor Marc Holtzman will formally kick off his campaign in Aurora tonight. No word on if black helicopters will be circling the event.

UPDATE: I emailed with the Ritter folks and they assured me their rally is real. Noon today. Be there or be Republican.