President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Biden*

(R) Donald Trump

80%

20%↓

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

90%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

90%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(D) Adam Frisch

(R) Jeff Hurd

(R) Ron Hanks

40%

30%

20%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert

(R) J. Sonnenberg

(R) Ted Harvey

20%↑

15%↑

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Dave Williams

(R) Jeff Crank

(R) Doug Bruce

20%

20%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

90%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) Brittany Pettersen

85%↑

 

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(R) Gabe Evans

(R) Janak Joshi

60%↑

40%↑

20%↑

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
April 22, 2014 06:14 AM UTC

Tuesday Open Thread

  • 80 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

"Subtlety may deceive you; integrity never will."

–Oliver Cromwell

Comments

80 thoughts on “Tuesday Open Thread

      1. I love the substantiation of Rothenbergs' claim.  He really goes into detail as to the reasons why Udall is going to lose.  Very strong argument.

      2. You should have seen what he said at the end, he said h would be surprised of Udall loses to Gardner. the fact remains that Gardner is a right wing extremist out of touch with the majority of Coloradans. Colorado is trending blue and it's likely never going back red

          1. That's Mr. Dustpuppy to you, pal.

            And yes, Udall will easily defeat Gardner. In fact, the ad he released has already destroyed Gardner in one facet. 

            All Udall has to keep doing is airing the truth about Gardner and exactly what little he accomplishes for Coloradans.

    1. You do understand that Keystone XL is bad for Colorado oil producers. Increased amounts of Canadian (damn foreigners) oil will lower WTI priices overall.

      I say this even though I am a supporter of KXL for one reason only: it will hurt Maduro.

      1. Republicans are lying. A total of FIFTY jobs will be created on a long-term basis if XL is created. No. Koch needs to spend all of their billions of dollars serving their time in prison and their billions seized to be placed into the collective. Koch can eat their tar sands for dinner if they want. Complements of the govenment.

    2. Are you on drugs or something? The pipeline will create 35 PERMANENT JOBS. That's it. The majority of Americans oppose the pipeline and more importantly, those actually will be affected by the pipeline oppose the pipeline. You have many ranchers in states like South Dakota and Nebraska who are against this pipeline and don't want it to get built. If Obama approves this pipeline, he is going to piss a lot of Americans off and a lot of people from his base. I hope Obama does not approve this pipeline as I want him to give the finger to the radical right.

       

      http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/05/1282364/-Nebraska-rancher-fighting-Keystone-XL-to-protect-land-water-and-property-rights

      1. Gee, between Dustypuppy's anti Keystone rant and yours, it went from 50 permanent jobs to 35.  Why don't you have the guts to tell the truth — it will cost 4 billiiin jobs and make two million kittens cry helplessly into the night.  And it will lead to a growth in ratings for Fox News.   And it will mean the Broncos lose the superbowl by a humiliating margin.   

        1. I'm sure the kittens won't go crying into the night; they'll be drowned in oil long before then.

          Seriously, though – how many jobs does a pipeline generate once it's operational? The US State Department says 35 – nota33 wins.

          1. The test is not the number of permanent pipeline jobs.   The test is how many jobs are saved in the Gulf Coast because refineries have adequate supplies of crude, thus avoiding layoffs.   And don't diss those temporary construction jobs.   Whole careers are made from them, including my bricklayer father-in-laws.  But I agree with you that the state Department report is definitive — and presume you thus share its favorable view of the pipeline?

    3. "…DUMP".  Appropriately named.

      There is one man in this race that represents the best of what Colorado has to offer.  As a then-Congressman, Udall co-chaired the bipartisan 'Amendment 37' in 2004 – at the time a proposed, unpopular constitutional amendment within our fossil-drenched political scene in Colorado.  With the pushback came dire predictions of destroying our state economy and ever-rising energy costs. 

      Shockingly, none of their predictions came true.  In fact, the exact opposite happened. 

      The passage of Amendment 37 (as a then-DC staffer to Senator Allard, Gardner was against this initiative) set in motion Colorado's "New Energy Economy" under Governor Ritter; from its birth in 2004, which set a 10% standard in place, it is now the second most-aggressive standard in the nation: 30% by 2020.  And with it, a wind-industy sector that today employs over 1,300 people at Vestas alone.  We are one of the top ten solar states in the US, with employment north of 2,500 Coloradans.  Thousands of Coloradans are, today, employed by the second-tier industries that support the clean energy sector.

      Then-Congressman Udall arrived on the DC scene bringing within him his vision and Colorado pragmitism – and established himself as a leader in the clean energy transition.  Congressman Gardner arrived in DC, and with it one of his first bills – an effort to open up oil reserves in ….. Alaska.  Now there's some good ol' Colorado job creation for you.

      Senator Udall (and the vast majority of Coloradans) understand the challenges of climate change.  Cory and his donors, not so much.  Congressman Udall understands the value of our solar resources; Cory and his donors work not-so-quietly behind the scenes to decimate the industry.  Senator Udall led the Congressional effort to extend the wind production tax credit.  Cory's donors?  Not so much.

      In fact, Cory's donors are so far out-of-step with even "What's a Matter With Kansas" Kansans that they even failed in their attempts to rollback the Kansas renewable standards – their home state.

      KXL is unnecessary – it represents the equivalent of heroin to a junkie.  Just give me one more hit.  I promise I'll change my ways.  The fact of the matter is, we are in a global economy.  Which is the good news in this case: for every barrel of liquid fuel we conserve or produce  here at home creates an available barrel somewhere else in the world.  DOE studies confirm the US produces 1.2 billion tons of biomass waste annually that could be converted to fuel.  Converting just 17% of that known waste to advanced biofuels would produce 3x the fuel schduled to flow down the KXL, and it would produce 100's of thousands of American jobs, trapping the wealth creation of new tax base in our economy. It would create a network of biorefineries that would create massive, distributed wealth across our countryside – not in the hands of a select few.

      There is clearly one candidate in this race that embodies the best of Colorado values: Senator Udall.  He understands our role in demonstrating leadership on issues critical to our national well-being.  He supports the unique interdependency between our environment, our human resources and our vast instituional and research capactities – resources that will collectively fashion a 21st-century blueprint of how to create a robust, resilient economy.  A blueprint that won't perpetuate our reliance on extracting prehistoric fossil energy resources – it will capitalize on a "best of the above".  A blueprint that won't exasperate our current economic and climate challenges.

      The "best" will be those that are infinite and clean.

      We didn't leave the Stone Age because we ran out of stones. We'll transition to an energy world of 'abundance' because we reject the continuation of a 20th-century model built upon 'scarcity'.

      It's time for new, big Ideas. 

  1. I have a legitimate question.  The right wing media-radio and internet blogs- are alleging that the Brady ranch stand-off was really about a US plan to allow the Chinese to use their US debt to buy US land and create Chinese empowerment zones.  One such Zone was land adjacent to the Brady Ranch.  The “freedom fighters” were protecting US soil from foreign takeover.

    I can not find one reputable news source to confirm or debunk this allegation. Does anyone know of such a source?

    1. Yeah, and Obama was born in Kenya.  Jeezus, dwyer, just because right-wing radio repeats the talking point du jour over and over does not make it true.  Debunking that silly assertion would just give it credibility.  Look what happened with the birth certificate.

    2. That's an evolving line. The other day the Chinese were only going to build a solar farm there; now it's an empowerment zone?

      As with all lies, there's a grain of truth. At one point, a Chinese company had acquired rights to some BLM land about 20 miles away from the closest spot to where Bundy (not Brady) was grazing his cattle. Harry Reid's son was apparently involved in the deal, and to my understanding it was for solar energy development (that being one of the few ways to acquire development rights to BLM land…). However, it is my understanding that the Chinese have since backed off of the deal (before Bundy started using them as a scapegoat).

      This was in the Breitbart article I believe you (or someone else on this board) posted the other day.

      So far as I know that's as close as the Chinese have ever gotten to the Bundy property. Given that this is a new version of the tale, it's not surprising that you can't find an article debunking it.

    3. Geez, something else to consider! I'm still looking for the codes on U.S. highway signs that are meant for the armed U.N. troops that will be occupying our country in the near future.

    1. The Wikipedia article on the standoff has some pretty good family history, too.

      In short, the Bundy family bought the farm in 1948 as open range land, started improving it in 1951, and didn't start grazing cattle in BLM rangeland until 1954, stopping again a few years later and not resuming until 1974 (this time under Cliven's stewardship instead of his father's).

      His ancestors weren't cattle ranchers, either, so his family never had "historical grazing and water rights" on the surrounding Federal land. For the most part, his ancestors who claimed the area as their own travelled for a living – one was a mail carrier, another a salt merchant, and yet another a missionary.

      Bundy is a rich freeloader, just like so many of the Sovereign Citizen movement.

        1. Maybe we should create a private-public corporation like the USPS to hold all use rights on public lands and have them charge market rates for grazing.

          Grazing is $1.35/head/month on BLM lands – less than half the cheapest, crappiest private grazing rate and less than 1/10th the highest in the area. Perhaps the government should bow to free market pressure and charge the true value of their land.

  2. Of all the problems associated with the "Funnel of Death", the least discussed, and probably the most important, is Eminate Domain…this is a powerful government action that has been given to a foreign corporation, by a gop governor…If one is not knowlegable about ED, go look it up and I hope it changes the way all you baggers look at this boondoggle for the kochs…the Bundy affair is nothing more than a thief and a "taker" by a republican…

  3. "Awesome. Just got handed a bill before my IV has even been taken out. $8000 as my share on a $5000 deductible plan for which I've already paid out over $10,000 this year. I never thought I'd say that I miss my old insurance, but I do. "Thanks Obamacare, for all the big fat lies," I told the billing rep. "You're the third person in a row to tell me this exact same thing," she said. For those on both sides of the debate: it might make sense to listen to those actually impacted by the ACA. The sick and chronically ill. What a joke."

    https://www.facebook.com/jessicakpeck/posts/10152339161426113?stream_ref=10

    1. So we're supposed to argue with a facebook post? Seriously? 

      Just like your post yesterday where you made some assertions and offered no documentation. For a lawyer who splits hairs at the first sign of push-back, why do you think anybody would find this convincing?

        1. In other words, she made the story up and is getting heat.

          Never trust a Facebook page as gospel, Flaken.

          I question right-wing idiocy on a daily basis, then I push the thumbtacks in harder.

           

            1. I'm sorry Flaken, that I cannot just take your word for it. As it stands, you have very, very little credibility with me. As my dearly departed dad always liked to say: Trust, but verify.  

              You could not even possibly verify the story, and the fact that she is a staffer in a right-wing trash bucket tells me that she will sell out. She probably even haven't even tried getting the actual help she really needs, and that's what's in her head.

              If she does have medical issues, then I'm truly sorry that she has problems, but she put it all on herself not to do a complete and thorough research on PPACA, or she would have gotten the right benefits and would have no reason to stay in a very ignorant organization any longer. 

              With that said, I'm done with you, Flaken.

        2. Since you're a friend, maybe you can help then.  I spent X for healthcare is really meaningless without more information.  She spent $18,000 so far this year.  Her deductible (chosen by her) is $5,000.  So $13,000 is some combination of premium and uncovered cost.

          None of this can be considered a fault of the ACA unless we know what her premiums were on her old plan and new, what maximum out of pocket costs are under both plans, and what cost sharing looks like under both plans.

          Yelling "big scary number" isn't a very profound argument.

              1. I could understand him being reluctant to share details from someone else's health issue (using her as an example of how ACA is failing anyway). But Elliot also never answered my questions in yesterday's open thread about just what the changes were to HIS health plan…

                1. I gave you the information I have yesterday.  I am not going to do further research at your request when I have a mountain of paid work to get done

                    1. Funny how Elliott always has "work to be done" when challenged, but up until then, has all kinds of time to post.  

                    2. Because I comment usually when I wake up, am working out on the elliptical, am travelling to/from work, or when I need a break. 

            1. I understand her position.  From the fact that you posted a private message here, however, it's reasonable to infer that you had some other point in mind.  If it's that there's a problem with the ACA, you;ve failed to give any evidence of that.  If it's that you have friends who irrationally blame the ACA for our horrifying health care system, then I agree.

                1. Her, as you noted, restricted to friends wall.  Her posting was not made to the public at large, ergo it was private.  I'm not attacking your character, just your argument.

    2. Fortunately for her, the Affordable Care Act defines simple procedures by which she can challenge those charges and have them overturned.

      Of course, since she doesn't want anything to do with the ACA and hasn't since the start, her ego might prevent her from taking advantage of the law's protections.

  4. Things are looking up for the Dems in the House

    I thought the Dems had no chance to take over the House.  Seems I overstated things.  They have run the numbers at the Washngton Post.  The Dems have a 1% chance.  Nancy Pelosi is thrilled.  So is Debbie Wasserman Shultz.  The Daft one knew it all along.  Here is the chart:

    Image courtesy of Monkey Cage

    1. How about a Democratic House? You Republicans are just paving the way for ideas for progressives to GOTV and more reasons for sane Republicans to question their loyalities to the Party and sit at home in November. 

      Say hello to Speaker Grayson – (in other words, Pelosi will never get her gavel back because we need GUTS, not a spineless third wayer)

       

        1. I'd rather work with a Congressman who has provided reasonable amendments that has been passed through the Republican House of Monkeys than Pelosi, who has no idea what the heck she is doing.

          I still have not forgiven her for taking impeachment proceedings off the table. The impeachment of Chimp and Darth would have been legal in the eyes of the public for misleading about the Iraq War (that was unnecessary) and the stupid War on Terra that has accomplished nothing.

           

      1. Pull your head out of your ass, DP.   Pelosi was a great speaker.   The lady is the personification of guts and the only — only — reason we have the affordable care act.  

        1. Puppy is either an idiot or a self created parody of a silly lefty. Pelosi was a fine, stong speaker and if enough miracles could happen to make the House Dem majority again in 2014, I'd be happy to see her take back the gavel. 

          Do hope his little boy is getting the best treatment for his scary injury.

        2. I've long mused over the attacks on Nancy by the pro-life pro-birth movement and the Church.  If there is anything that screams "life", it's this picture of she and her husband celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, surrounded by their children and grandchildren.  She lives her faith in her own personal way – and she fights so that everyone else is free to choose theirs.

          She's has more "pro-life" bona fides in her little finger than entirety of the legions of old white men who have made an industry out of villifying her.

           

          1. And she was an at home mom while her kids were growing up. Unfortunately polls show the right has had some success making her the personification of evil. In my book, she's a force of nature and we should be very proud of her, the very first female Speaker of the House and a damned good one. 

            Most will consider first female President a greater achievement but, if it's HRC, it will be a direct result of being married to the right man, no matter what her other qualifications. We all know that had her name been Smith, she would never be in the position she's in today and certainly never would have been elected Senator of a power house state in which she'd never lived in her very first stab at elected office. In my book, no matter what happens in 2016 with HRC , Pelosi's achievement is greater.

            1. I have nothing against Pelosi. She was ineffective when she was a Majority Leader.

              I am basing this on her inability to push the impeachment proceeding through, and taking a chance on challenging the Unitary Executive.

              In other words, I want someone else who knows what is wrong, and how to challenge it. Congressman Alan Grayson is a perfect example of what Pelosi is not for a Majority Leader.  Do a little bit of research, and you'd be surprised on his history and the effectiveness of his abilities.

               

              1. Grayson has been voted out of office once for being a loose cannon that fires off without terribly much thought. And while he has some excellent lines for the press, he also has more baggage than a loaded 747. He's currently in a messy divorce with a wife who says he cheated on her without remorse and has abused her physically; and while I'm generally inclined toward innocent until proven guilty, I'm also not interested in having someone under that kind of a cloud leading a party that claims to stand for womens' rights and a kinder society.

                 

                1. Agreed.  Grayson is only potentially available as the least of several evils.  Certainly nobody you can count on, and unlike what's necessary for a Speaker, nobody you can predict.  Personally, I like him.  But I wouldn't use him to take a hill.

                2. I agree with PR's assessment. I've always liked Grayson, but my own bias and personal experiences would lead me to believe the woman in a domestic violence  case.

                  Grayson is brilliant, has a hell of a resume, and I cheered his firebrand style in Congress. But these personal issues make him unelectable. See: Wiener, Anthony, another firebrand who self-destructed.

                  Whatever we think about Pelosi's more moderate policies (and I was no fan of her backing down on the impeachment issue, nor the single payer option on the PPACA), she was definitely one Woman Who Got Shit Done.

    2. Dems aren't going to win the house.  R ideas about tax cuts for the rich and stripping social security and medicare will be sold and packaged next session as entirely new, groundbreaking plans, and nothing will actually happen. Sun will rise tomorrow.

      1. If you're referring to Voyageur's comment, I believe that DP stands for "dustpuppy."  From the few comments in this thread, it seems you might assume in the future that a construction like "DP <profane vilification>" probably refers to that other poster.

          1. That's why I usually use daft and puppy. You should have first dibs on DP. If I slip up and use DP for puppy, you'll know I don't mean you if the comment is about the DP in question being either an idiot or a self created parody. 

  5. According to the New York Times, we've got a middlin' middle class…

    While the wealthiest Americans are outpacing many of their global peers, a New York Times analysis shows that across the lower- and middle-income tiers, citizens of other advanced countries have received considerably larger raises over the last three decades.

    After-tax middle-class incomes in Canada — substantially behind in 2000 — now appear to be higher than in the United States. The poor in much of Europe earn more than poor Americans.

    1. This should not even be news by now – except that middle income Canada is now more affluent than middle income America. That should be doubly embarassing to those who spend their time deriding Canada.

      Over those three decades, only the top 1% in this country have gained appreciably in income. Comparing income to a theoretical "what would it look like if all peoples' income increased at the same percentage rate", the top 1% outperformed the average and took home an average extra $481,000 per year in pay. The top 20% (minus that top sliver) took home an extra $5,800 per year. Everyone else lost money, and the middle class took it the hardest.

    2. Same article notes poor make better money in a variety of other countries too. And of course the Canadian middle class has universal healthcare at a much lower cost. That's got to leave more disposable income for more enjoyable, quality of life expenditures.

      Point is we are increasingly no longer number one in any category that translates into a better life for the average person. We can definitely blow more stuff up and go after more suspects with drones but we aren't number one in middle class prosperity, upward mobility, happiness, access to quality healthcare, access to quality education just right off the top of my head. 

      Oh yeah. Plenty of people are just as free as we are too. We also are no longer a country that doesn't use arbitrary secret imprisonment or torture and doesn't spy on its own people on a large scale as a matter of routine. So much for good ol' American Exceptionalism. Exceptional compared to what?

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Yadira Caraveo
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

100 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!