Do You Suffer from Political Breath?

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 10:41 pm, April 14, 2010

Of course you do; it’s endemic to the trade.  But minty-fresh help is here, with Retsin.  We have no idea what Retsin is, what we’ve now got more of it than ever! PPC is proud to launch a new project.  Political Breath will offer hints on etiquette in activism.  For every misspelled sign, for every [...]

Jim DeMint Endorsement Big Boost for Buck Campaign: Is It Enough?

by Ben DeGrow | 5:18 pm, April 14, 2010

As Don Johnson has noted, U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck earned an important endorsement today from Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) and the Senate Conservative Fund:
“There are certainly other good Republicans in this race,” said Senator DeMint, “but I believe Ken Buck is a conservative standout who will fight the establishment in both parties when he [...]

Tea Party Live Blogging at the PPC

by Mr. Bob | 4:02 pm, April 14, 2010

#teaparty #peoplespress #tcot #redco
You can follow the latest Colorado are Tax Day Tea Parties at the People’s Press Collective and Denver Tea Party, both sites are providing livestreaming coverage of tomorrow’s Denver Tea Party.

Denver Tea Party 2010: PPC Livestreaming Coverage

by elpresidente | 3:08 pm, April 14, 2010

You can follow the latest Colorado are Tax Day Tea Parties at People’s Press Collective and Denver Tea Party, both of which will be providing gavel-to-gavel livestreaming coverage of tomorrow’s Denver Tea Party.

Clear The Bench Colorado appearing at Tax Day Tea Party rallies

by CTBC Director | 3:03 pm, April 14, 2010

Clear The Bench Colorado will be appearing as a featured speaker at several of the Tax Day Tea Party rallies around the state on Thursday, April 15th (Tax Day!) as grassroots groups and citizens of all stripes come together to reassert their voice in Colorado Politics…
Clear The Bench Colorado Director Matt Arnold will be speaking [...]

Michelle Malkin: Dems are the party of Not Taxed Enough

by Rossputin | 1:40 pm, April 14, 2010

It still amazes me that the Democrats bet that people would like Obamacare more as they learned more about it.  How could that ever have seemed true, even to a partisan Dem?

Michelle Malkin (along with others she quotes) lays out the tax tsunami about to crash into America:

http://michellemalkin.com/2010/04/13/democrats-the-party-of-not-taxed-enough/

It all looks good if you only look at the credit side of the ledger

by David K. Williams, Jr. | 1:37 pm, April 14, 2010

The headline story in today’s Denver Post (“Orion rockets back to life“) claims that the federally-funded Orion spacecraft project “produces about $300 million in annual revenue.”

Ken Buck officially endorsed by Senate Conservatives Fund

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 1:34 pm, April 14, 2010

Republican U.S. Senate candidate, Ken Buck, today officially became the fifth Senate candidate endorsed by Senator Jim DeMint’s (R-SC) Senate Conservatives Fund.

Which Tea Party Are You Going to Tomorrow?

by Jon Caldara | 12:54 pm, April 14, 2010

Tomorrow is tax day and you know what that means… Tea Party Day! Whether you’re in Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, or Grand Junction, there is a Tea Party near you. I will speaking at 10am at the Denver Tea Party, then driving as quickly as I can to Grand Junction to speak [...]

Speech is Free, As Long As We Agree

by Jon Caldara | 12:14 pm, April 14, 2010

You know those bastions of free speech, political discourse, and opposing viewpoints? Those physical locations spread throughout our great country that are welcoming of all opinions and have an undying love for diversity of thought? You know what I’m talking about right?
Of course I’m referring to college campuses. In theory, our college [...]

Choice AND Tenure Reform: But Could I Skip School with Reformer’s Disease?

by Eddie | 11:06 am, April 14, 2010

The always smart Dr. Jay Greene makes an important observation today about the tendency of some to catch “Reformer’s Disease”:
Yes, schools need to get rid of bad teachers and the tenure that protects them. Yes, schools need solid standards and curricula. But people need to avoid Reformer’s Disease and remember that they can’t [...]

America Needs to Sacrifice to Get the Budget Under Control – Unions aren’t up for it

by Mr. Bob | 11:03 am, April 14, 2010

#tcot #glennbeck #unions #socialism

Clear The Bench Colorado discusses Colorado Supreme Court role in Colorado legislative redistricting and reapportionment on Amy Oliver Show (1310 KFKA)

by CTBC Director | 9:12 am, April 14, 2010

Need another reason why voting “NO” on the four Colorado Supreme Court justices up for re-election this year is the MOST important vote you can cast in this very important year for Colorado Politics?
Clear The Bench Colorado Director Matt Arnold discusses the dominant role of the Colorado Supreme Court in determining the boundaries of our [...]

Star Trek or Amtrak?

by Jon Caldara | 6:12 am, April 14, 2010

If you were able to attend Randal O’Toole’s incredible transportation event a couple months ago, or you watched the event in this 5 part YouTube playlist, you might be interested in this follow up article written by Randal for the Wall Street Journal titled, “Taking the Driver Out of the Car.”
You’ll remember from Randal’s presentation [...]

Sen. Mark Udall begins public involvement in Cory Voorhis case

by Rossputin | 5:17 am, April 14, 2010

From the “better late than never” files, I am pleased to be able to break the news that Colorado Senator Mark Udall is getting involved in the Cory Voorhis case.

Specifically, Sen. Udall has sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, informing her that the Senator is “still interested in knowing whether the Department of Homeland Security initiated any further inquiries in response to questions posed to you by Ranking Member Jeff Sessions, at the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing held on December 9, 2009.”

(Letter embedded at the end of this note.)

As if to reinforce his concerns, Udall reiterates almost the same statement later in his letter but adds “From my understanding, there has not been a response to Senator Sessions’ question but I look forward to the results of your review of this matter.”

I’ve long believed that the best path to justice for Cory Voorhis would be through federal channels and that the corruption at the state level, even with the blurred federal-state line created by the now-dead nomination of Stephanie Villafuerte to be US Attorney, was essentially a dead end.

Given that view, it does not concern me (nor does it concern Mr. Voorhis) that Senator Udall did not address the subject of Villafuerte in his note to Napolitano.  Indeed, bringing up  the subject could only serve to distract from the main purpose of making sure there is an investigation into the manifest corruption and incompetence within the Denver ICE office and higher up in the ICE management chain, and the ultimate goal of professional redemption and financial compensation for Cory Voorhis.

Now with bipartisan pressure from members of the Senate Judiciary committee, it will be hard for Napolitano to stonewall – or to allow her employees who have much to fear to stonewall.

I don’t blame Udall for getting involved, though I do blame him for staying silent so long.  He must know that the Denver ICE (and ICE OPR) office stinks with corruption, aided and abetted by certain ICE employees in Washington, DC., not least a particular ICE attorney who suborned perjury by the former head of the Denver office.  Udall knows that his continued silence risks his drifting into becoming a co-conspirator (ethically speaking, and in terms of political risk) with so much evidence about malfeasance in a federal office in his state.

I continue to believe that Cory Voorhis’ most likely path to justice is through the federal government – a statement not generally likely to cause optimism in someone seeking justice.  I hope that the addition of Mark Udall’s voice to the discussion will begin to break down walls blocking that path.

 

UdallDHS

When will Scott McInnis, Dan Maes release their tax returns?

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 4:52 am, April 14, 2010

Denver Democrat Mayor John Hickenlooper’s gubernatorial campaign says it will release his income tax returns for the last 10 years by the end of next week, but Republican gubernatorial candidates, Scott McInnis and Dan Maes, have refused to publish their returns, reports Karen E. Crummy.
Hickenlooper’s tax returns most likely will prove that

No matter how you ask the question…

by Rossputin | 4:30 am, April 14, 2010

Polls are consistently pointing toward the Democrats being trounced in November elections. More than that, however, the anti-big-government mood of the people is palpable despite all efforts by the lamestream media to cover a once-simmering and now boiling-over pot of citizen anger.

Let’s look at the mounting pile of evidence, starting with some poll numbers:

First, for only the third time in almost 50 years, Republicans lead the generic preference polling done by Gallup, with a 4% margin (48% – 44%):

As Gallup notes, 1994 was an enormous electoral year for Republicans and 2002 represented one of the few times that the party which held the White House (Republicans and Bush) gained seats during a mid-term election.

Rasmussen has an even wider lead for Republicans because they poll likely voters rather than all adults, whom Gallup questions.  The question of who is likely to vote leads to the question of voter enthusiasm, another huge problem for the Democrats:

According to Gallup, Republican enthusiasm to get out and vote is an astonishing 18% higher than among Democrats.  Enthusiasm is a critical predictor of likely election results.

Two days ago, Gallup reported that Obama’s weekly job approval was at 47%, the lowest of his presidency:

As of yesterday (4/13), his daily job approval number was even worse, at a new-low 45%:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/Gallup-Daily-Obama-Job-Approval.aspx

The distaste for Democrats and Obama is being fueled by Obamacare which, strangely, Nancy Pelosi seemed to think Americans would like better as they got to understand it.

Instead, Rasmussen Reports shows that 47% of voters believe the repeal of Obamacare would be good for the economy, with only 33% saying it would be bad for the economy.  This translates directly into similar results that support (among likely voters) for repealing Obamacare has reached a new high at 58%, with support for keeing Obamacare at a new low at 38%.

In another Rasmussen poll, 2/3 of respondents said that Americans are overtaxed, hardly a good sign for the party whose only answer to budget deficits is higher taxes to fund ever-higher spending.

In political betting at InTrade.com, Democrats are 55% to still have the majority in the House after the next election, having given up almost all of the brief gain after the passage of Obamacare.  Betting on the Dem’s prospects to keep the Senate shows more dramatic improvement, standing around 77%, up from the low-60’s a few weeks ago. And Democrats are trading about 59% to keep the White House in 2012, only a few points off its low and hardly an impressive number for an incumbent president elected less than a year and a half ago to such “hope”.

I think that given the odds, the GOP is a good bet in each of these cases.  Indeed, I have bet on the GOP taking back the House and the Senate because I like the odds. I’m not betting on 2012 because I don’t want to tie up money for so long.

Obama, Pelosi, and Reid bet far too much on far too weak a hand.  They bluffed Democrats in the House into supporting a bill on the argument that passing something would be better than passing nothing.  That will turn out to be a disastrous calculation for many “Blue Dogs” and, in my view, stands a strong chance of costing Pelosi her gavel in less than a year and Obama his office two years later.

Health information technology: benefits and problems

by Brian Schwartz | 1:30 am, April 14, 2010

For those interested in Colorado politics ( Colorado HB 1330) and medical privacy, check out this summary of a recent study by published by the National Center for Policy Analysis.
Although many proponents discuss the perceived benefits of health information technology (HIT), missing from the debate is an honest discussion of experiences with [...]

“Progressive” Tea Party Infiltrators: What You Can Do to Thwart Them

by T.L. James | 12:03 am, April 14, 2010

**Welcome Michelle Malkin readers! **Update 2: Stay up-to-date with Colorado Tea Party developments at #coteaparty **Update: The last time we saw the Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Movement-Denver folks was during the Democratic National Convention. They’re back to “greet” the Denver Tea Party tomorrow: The Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Movement is calling on all radicals – anarchists and communists, Mexican [...]

Scott Gessler: Bernie Buescher’s new regs for independent contributors don’t affect candidates

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 9:42 pm, April 13, 2010

Bernie Buescher’s new regulations that say unions and corporations can give to independent political organizations for political electioneering communications don’t directly affect candidates, according to Scott Gessler. He specializes in election law and is running against Buescher for secretary of state. As a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Buescher didn’t have much of a choice but to publish the new temporary regulations, which were released April 4.
“I may have tweaked them here or there, but, generally, I would have done the same,” Gessler said in a phone interview today.
Under state and federal election laws, 

Civic Pride in Colorado Springs

by Al Maurer | 9:33 pm, April 13, 2010

First it was Diane Sawyer and ABC news who, on February 2nd, reported on Colorado Springs’ Extreme Budget Cut. She highlighted the news that the city was selling a police helicopter and turning off 1/3 of the street lights. The next day on the radio I heard a city spokesman say he’d had three calls–two [...]

Tom Lucero thinks he can beat Cory Gardner, Betsy Markey

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 8:57 pm, April 13, 2010

Ryan Dawkins interviews Tom Lucero, a Republican candidate who wants his party’s nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey in Colorado’s fourth congressional district. Despite poor fundraising, he says he thinks he can beat his GOP opponent, Cory Gardner, as well as Markey.

Ken Buck on a roll?

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 8:28 pm, April 13, 2010

U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck appears to be on a roll. His campaign says a conservative group, Americans for Job Security, will start a $300,000 ad campaign for Buck this week through April 23, reports Allison Sherry. And South Carolina’s conservative Senator Jim DeMent will hold a conference call with Buck and reporters Wednesday to announce his Senate Conservatives Fund will support Buck in his primary contest with Jane Norton and Tom Wiens. DeMent is raising funds to support the conservative candidates he endorses. Earlier in the campaign, Taxpayers for Liberty poured money into another controversial ad campaign for Buck that attacked Norton.
Do the new endorsements by AJS and DeMint mean that he had a strong first quarter of fundraising? He told me last week that he’ll announce his results Thursday. Don’t be surprised if the announcement is made tomorrow.

Sen. Michael Bennet raised $1.4 million in first quarter

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 8:15 pm, April 13, 2010

Appointed Democrat Senator Michael Bennet continues to astound Colorado politicians. In the first quarter, he raised $1.4 million, compared with the $816,000 raised by his leading Republican challenger, Jane Norton. This will make it even harder for Andrew Romanoff to beat Bennet in the Democrats’ August 10 primary. Curtis Hubbard reports that at the end of the quarter, Bennet had $3.5 million in cash on hand. So far, he’s raised $6.1 million.

Peter Hitchens: China’s “Gendercide”

by Rossputin | 2:29 pm, April 13, 2010

H/T Christopher Sanders

[Update: It has come to my attention that the Economist did a similar report, also with the heading “Gendercide", though it was not focused only on China.  That article can be found HERE.  So, Hitchens’ article, linked below, is not entirely original, but it remains a must-read.]

The following article by Peter Hitchens for the UK Daily Mail newspaper is so intense that I am unable to say anything more than “please read this…”

See “Gendercide: China’s shameful massacre of unborn girls means there will soon be 30m more men than women“, Peter Hitchens, UK Daily Mail, 4/10/2010
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1265068/China-The-worlds-new-superpower-beginning-century-supremacy-alarming-surplus-males.html

It’s tax day: Let’s (Tea) Party!

by Amy Oliver | 1:39 pm, April 13, 2010

So how much did you pay in taxes?  Want to send government a message besides just your check?  Then find a Tea Party near you.  Check out the list below and join in the fun.  I hope to visit Greeley, Loveland and Fort Collins so I can be among friends and promote the Independence Institute’s [...]

Ali Hasan stung by the return of an old complaint by a former girlfriend; problem for Mark Hurlbert?

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 1:28 pm, April 13, 2010

Old PR problems and court cases that have been vacated should disappear, but in the Internet age, that won’t happen, as Ali Hasan is learning this week.  Politics is not fair. And if you have a skeleton in your closet, even one that has been dismissed, you’ve got to think twice about running for office. Hasan is running for the GOP’s nomination for state Treasurer against J.J. Ament and Walker Stapleton. (WARNING: Another long post that probably won’t be read.)
One story about how Hasan was the subject of a complaint by a former girl friend who was his publicist during his 2008 run for the Colorado House is here. Be sure to read the comments that followed the article, which are interesting. Then read the comments that follow Ben DeGrow’s blog on a county assembly. The accusations begin in the comment thread. While the accuser obviously doesn’t like Hasan, her attack is documented by a former defense lawyer who has researched the story and brought up the role of Mark Hurlbert, the 5th District DA who is running for the state senate in the 16th district. 
So Hasan replies to the thread, saying he doesn’t know whether DA Hurlbert investigated him and that Hurlbert is the best DA in the state world. He also says Hurlbert helped him in his 2003 2008 House race, which he lost.
That claim probably won’t be believed my many folks, I think. He needs to ask his lawyer and the DA and answer the question. The Denver Post story suggests he might have been. 
Hasan hired the expensive law firm that defended LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant in his sexual abuse case a few years ago. Hiring a high-priced, high-profile law firm can stop a case in its tracks, especially in civil cases. The potential plaintiff told the Post that under pressure from Republicans, she decided not to pursue the case. She obviously didn’t have the resources to go up against the wealthy Hasan. 
Meanwhile, Ex-Pat Ex-Lawyer is on the story, questioning whether Hurlbert handled the case appropriately and whether he’s coming clean about how he handled it. Will this be a problem for Hurlbert in his run against Tim Leonard for the GOP’s nomination or, if he’s nominated, during his campaign in the general election?
While bringing this story back to life will seem unfair to Hasan and Hurlbert, the fact that it’s showing up this early in the campaign should give them a chance to deal with it now so it won’t be a problem later. Think how this would hurt Hasan and Hurlbert if the story suddenly came up a few days before the primary or the general election and they didn’t have time to respond. Hasan and Hurlbert are smart guys. They should be able to deal with the story now so it won’t be a problem down the road.
On balance, I think that Hasan is handling the new PR  problem pretty well in his replies on Ben DeGrow’s web site. He just needs to clear up the question of whether Hurlbert investigated him before a judge vacated the case.
I’m sure Hasan’s and Hurlbert’s primary opponents are sitting back, enjoying the show.

Don’t Delay: Find a 2010 Colorado Tax Day Tea Party Near You

by Ben DeGrow | 12:39 pm, April 13, 2010

Update: If you can’t make it in person, you also can follow the Denver Tea Party online.
Do you live in Colorado? Are you sick of out-of-control government spending and encroachment on our liberties? The Tea Party of Northern Colorado has posted the most comprehensive roundup of this Thursday’s Tax Day Tea Party events I’ve seen. [...]

Dave Kopel to Debate Former CO Supreme Court Justice

by Jon Caldara | 12:26 pm, April 13, 2010

In two weeks time, our Research Director Dave Kopel will be debating former Colorado Supreme Court Justice Jean Dubofsky on AG Suthers’ Obama Care lawsuit. Dave will be taking the pro-lawsuit, state’s rights side of course. Jean’s thoughts on the issue were picked up by the Denver Post last week, stirring a nice [...]

Jane Norton will petition on August 10 primary ballot; joins Michael Bennet, Tom Wiens

by Donald E. L. Johnson | 11:36 am, April 13, 2010

Jane Norton obviously expects that Ken Buck and Tom Wiens will be on the August 10 primary ballot with her and has begun her primary campaign by broadening her campaign to reach all primary voters, not just the few activists who will vote at the May 22 GOP state assembly in Loveland.
Buck’s supporters will use Norton’s decision against her at the state assembly. But unless he reports a strong fourth quarter of fundraising, say $500,000-plus, his chances of winning the nomination in the primary will be very remote. A surprisingly strong quarter could give his campaign a real boost and attract support from independent 527s. If he had a bad quarter of fundraising, it’s hard to see why outside groups would spend money in independent efforts to support him.If Buck had a weak first quarter of fundraising, Norton’s decision to go the petition route may force him to drop out. Buck told me last week that he will report his first quarter fundraising results Thursday.
Walker Stapleton also is going the petition route in the GOP’s state treasurer race against Ali Hasan and J.J. Ament. 
I think Rep. Mike Coffman went the petition route and beat his opponents in the primary rather than take them on in an assembly.Will her decision along with those of Michael Bennet and Tom Wiens to go the petition route make the Republicans’ and Democrats’ assemblies even more irrelevant than than they already were?
Will gubernatorial Scott McInnis attempt to keep Dan Maes off the ballot at the GOP’s state convention or go the petition route knowing he can win that with ease because Maes doesn’t have the money to wage a winning primary contest?
Are the well-funded Norton, Wiens and Bennet raising new financial hurdles for the less well funded Buck and Bennet’s Democrat opponent, Andrew Romanoff?
Campaigning for the votes of convention delegates can be time consuming and expensive. The return on investment is very low when the convention puts more than one candidate on the primary ballot. So going the petition route looks smart. Holding state assemblies doesn’t look like a good use of resources for the state Republican and Democrat parties.

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