First Colorado Redistricting Maps Are Released

by PerlStalker | 9:38 pm, April 15, 2011

The Redistricting Committee has released their first drafts of the congressional maps. The Republican maps have only relatively minor changes. Most of them bring Chaffee county into the CO-3. Given the testimony shared at the committee meeting in Alamo…

House Republicans Set to Stealthly Pass Patriot Act

by Lesley Hollywood | 4:34 pm, February 11, 2011

After massive sweeps across the nation in the 2010 election, Republicans are being watched like hawks – especially those whose victories can be credited to the Tea Party.  Yet, after an initial failure passing the Patriot Act extensions in the House of Representatives earlier this week, Republican leadership quietly called for another vote on Thursday, February [...]

Congressman Mike Coffman Endorses Amendment 63

by Jon Caldara | 12:11 pm, October 15, 2010

Media Release:
Golden, Colorado – Colorado Congressman Mike Coffman has formally endorsed a yes vote on Amendment 63, the “Right to Health Care Choice” citizens’ initiative.
“I was there firsthand to fight the gross federal overreach of Obama Care, and the unseemly tactics and procedures used to pass it,” said Coffman. “While we may have lost the [...]

Breaking: Coffman Withdraws Support for Maes

by T.L. James | 1:14 pm, September 3, 2010

Hot on the heels of Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck’s announcement, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CD6) will announce shortly that he is also withdrawing his support for Colorado Governor candidate Dan Maes. Time is running out for Maes to make a decision — SoS Buescher is looking to certify the ballot by close of business today. [...]

Video: R Block Party March Candidate Forum

by T.L. James | 11:24 pm, March 28, 2010

Video is now available from last Thursday’s R Block Party March candidate forum [YouTube playlist]:

Rob McNealy Kicks Off Campaign for Colorado Congressional District 6

by Live Free | 7:12 pm, December 4, 2009

Rob McNealy kicked off his campaign for United State Congress to represent Colorado Congressional District 6 this week a the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce.  Rob McNealy will be challenging Republican incumbent Mike Coffman for the 2010 election.
Here’s the interesting part: Rob McNealy is running as a Libertarian candidate for Congress.
Yes, a Libertarian.
I attended [...]

How Republicans Can Win On Health Reform

by Ari Armstrong | 11:35 am, September 2, 2009

“Republicans suck.” I had heard that Jon Caldara began his July talk to the Denver Metro Young Republicans (DMYR) with that line, so I figured I’d repeat it when I addressed the group on August 25 about health policy.

I really like the DMYRs. It is a vibrant and passionate group on the whole truly committed to liberty. If the Republican Party of Colorado is to have a future, it needs to start with people like this.

I explained that Republicans have advocated bad policies in areas of insurance controls and health welfare.

It was Republican Mitt Romney, for example, who passed insurance mandates in Massachusetts, which the Democrats have now worked into their “reform” bill. I drew on the article by Dr. Paul Hsieh for The Objective Standard on the matter.

Michael Cannon has also written about the failures of the Romney model.

I explained that mandated insurance is inherently tied to tighter insurance controls and expanded subsidies. Moreover, Romney’s plan didn’t address the underlying problems, particularly the high costs of employer-paid insurance (driven by tax distortions) and capricious insurance controls.

The result of this GOP scheme? Skyrocketing tax costs and premiums, a damaged insurance industry, more political meddling, and doctor shortages.

Next I criticized Bob Beauprez’s endorsement of mandated insurance and Mike Coffman’s endorsement of insurance controls.

With respect to health welfare, I discussed Bush’s costly Medicare prescription drug program, Jim DeMint’s plan to expand welfare, and Michael Steele’s endorsment of health welfare as a “right.”

Then I turned to the positive portion of my talk. How can Republicans win on health reform?

First and foremost, Republicans must make liberty in medicine a moral issue. People have the right to control their own lives and resources, free from political interference. Republicans must answer the Democrats’ challenge to address the moral argument. Republicans who try to make the debate all about budgets and cost are destined to lose.

Republicans must articulate the harms of decades of political controls in medicine. They must explain how tax distortions created the expensive, non-portable, employer-paid system. They must talk about how insurance controls drive up premiums and undermine a competitive, consumer-responsive insurance industry. And they must talk about all the ways that forced wealth transfers, via taxation and politically-controlled insurance premiums, drive up costs and reduce responsibility.

Finally, Republicans must advocate true free-market reforms. Expanded Health Savings Accounts would help offset the tax distortions driving employer-paid insurance. Rolling back insurance controls will restore competitiveness and bring down insurance rates. Tort reform will weed out frivolous law suits. And welfare reform will rein in expansions of various programs, control costs, and ultimately begin to move back in the direction of voluntary charity.

Many Republicans are trying to “me too” the Democrats on health reform by advocating more insurance controls and more health welfare. But is it not now abundantly obvious that Republicans cannot win on a Democrat-lite platform?

If Republicans wish to win on health policy and other issues — and if they want to deserve to win — they should start with DMYR’s five principles:

* “The best government is a small, Constitutionally-constrained one.”

* “A strong national defense is… vital to the preservation of our liberty.”

* “Capitalism is the only moral philosophical system.”

* Individual rights and personal responsibility.

* The Rule of law.

Health Reform Astroturfing

by wesley | 11:32 pm, August 12, 2009

Earlier today, I got a hold of an SEIU email instructing the union thugs on how they were going to ambush Congressman Mike Coffman’s town hall meeting on health reform this evening. Let me share that email with you before we get into some of the pictures I was able to take outside the town [...]

« go back

Featured Posts

• ProgressNow Colorado and ALEC

  Oooh, looky what our friends at ProgressNow have been up to lately – ALEC And The Left’s War On Free Speech: If you want an insight into today’s left, look at its multifront war against the American Legislative Exchange Council for committing the grave sin of pushing free-market bills in state legislatures. At a recent [...]

• Hostess to Unions: No More Sugar for You
• Buffett Rule Foolishness
• Romney Expected to “Reassure” NRA on Second Amendment
• Tea Party Accepts IRS Tax Exemption, Then Complains of IRS Intrusion
• The Budget Battle: Entitlements Staying, Taxes Going Up
• $5 Trillion Tax Hike Coming