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November 21, 2015 01:04 AM UTC

Weekend Open Thread

  • 62 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death.”

–Anne Frank

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62 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”

    1. I've always felt a little sorry for Hillary (and other women who struggled with the name thing when they married). She kept Rodham and no Clinton in the late '70's, and that was allegedly one of the reasons Bill lost his first bid for re-election in 1980. (There were other reasons.) Then she became Hillary Clinton. Bill regained the governorship. When he made it to the White House, she put the Rodham back in. Now the Rodham is gone.

      That's unfortunate. She's running the risk of looking like JEB! sans the exclamation mark. If she thinks that adopting her husband's last name as her only name is going to help her in some quarters, it won't. People who believe that a married woman must take her husband's name were, and are, never going to vote for her. Hell, she'd be better off running as Hillary Rodham and reverting back to 1970's Hillary than this attempt to win over "traditional" voters.

      1. The Rodham thing is nothing new. It's been in and out, mostly out, in recent years and is of course preserved in "HRC", unless her middle name is Rhonda or something. Are they tired of talking about her hair? Please note I'm speaking as someone who can barely tolerate her but come on.

    1. And it's not even Black Friday yet. That's when the Christmas spirit really comes through with road rage incidents and retail mall shootings. 

      Christmas for some, Festivus for the rest of us!

    2. Quick. Let's register all southern white mails! Let's have a special watch list  identifying all those attempting to purchase confederate flags!  Northern states need to close borders with southern and border states! All southerners must carry special ID, perhaps a confederate flag badge or arm band! Round up and deport to the south all southerners in the north! Call your Senators and Congress Rep now! Hurry!!!!!

    1. When I was a child, growing up in the segregated south, and even after integration was legally, but not culturally, accomplished, one of the most popular catch phrases we would hear was "save your confederate money, boys, the South is going to rise again…"

      Hasn't changed all that much, really….

      1. I wish they would offer to leave again. Obama could tell Greg Abbott, Rick Scott, Trey Gowdy, Ted Yoho, Jefferson (Davis?) Session and the rest of them, "Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out."

  5. Well, here is Jared Polis' defense of his vote on Syrian refugee bill:

    Some of the Syrian refugees are gay. Others are Christian. Others are Muslim. It shouldn't matter. They are all human beings. My own family history, as is true for so many Americans, also includes fleeing from oppression and persecution to the promise of freedom here in America. I have worked with and gotten to know so many wonderful refugee families in Colorado and founded a school whose mission includes serving displaced young people. It is that personal background that makes me so passionate about this issue and ensuring that America can provide a safe new start for some of those who have lost everything.

    I’ve received plenty of calls, tweets, letters and Facebook messages about my vote yesterday on the SAFE Act and I wanted to use this forum to further explain my position. Many people unfortunately interpreted my vote yesterday as a vote against refugees. Such an interpretation is very painful to me, and nothing could be further from the truth. Without reservation, I’m a staunch supporter of accepting refugees from all countries and faiths who are fleeing violence and persecution. For months, I have been pushing the Obama administration to increase the amount of refugees we are accepting from Syria. As recently as September, I sent letter to the Administration urging them to accept 100,000 Syrians over the next year.

    The civil war in Syria has displaced over nine million people to date; we MUST do more than simply accepting an additional 10,000 refugees when we have the capacity to help so many more and our European allies are so strained. In light of the ever-evolving threat of violent extremism, however, I believe that we must also be willing to collectively reexamine our screening procedures in order to help ensure the safety of our communities. We don’t have to choose between providing refuge to displaced peoples and keeping our own citizens safe – these goals are not mutually exclusive. That’s why I voted for the SAFE Act yesterday. After careful review, and after speaking with the White House, I understood that the SAFE Act would NOT prevent us from accepting refugees in the future, nor would it cause delays. It’s unfortunate that the current debate over the SAFE Act has become so polarized – on both sides.

    Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve forcefully advocated for enabling children and families whose lives have been torn apart by violence to take refuge in the United States. I don’t believe we have to choose between a robust vetting process and accepting refugees, I believe we can and must –do both.

    Well, folks on on his Facebook page aren't buying it.

          1. That's pretty much the extent of my fondness for Polis. He's better than any Republican. And that's good enough at this juncuture, the GOP having gone completely bat shit crazy. En masse.

        2. If Polis was a Dem who came from a very competitive district, I could understand him voting out of fear that come next election, he'd be targeted and this vote be used to portray him as putting the country at risk. But he doesn't and we can expect more from him than this kind of thing. Perlmutter, who comes from a district which is theoretically more competitive (hell, 11 years ago Both Ways Bob was able to get elected in CD 7), did the right thing on this.

          1. Probably because Perlmutter really cares about people. I know someone who was a paralegal in the office where he was in a private practice partnership. She said he treated everyone with courtesy and kindness and the other lawyers in the office were pretty much dicks to the little people. Everybody loved him.

            1. My favorite Perlmutter memory was during the 2008 campaign. He arranged for a fire truck to come by the Jeffco Dems HQ, and all of the burned-out volunteers got to climb on it and ride around the parking lot. Plus, his office has the best constituent service anywhere. It's a lot why he keeps getting elected. Voters in his district know that he listens.

    3. Such an interpretation is very painful to me,

      Hey..leave him alone you dang libs…he's a victim here….can't you see that??   (you're welcome, modster)

    4. I'm starting to worry about Mr. Polis and some of his thought processes . . .  

      Only a couple of months ago he had to walk back his announced mens-collective-guilt-vs-Club-Med-campus-for-rapists plan. 

      W

      T

      F

      ?

        3. The trouble with such a safe district, either R or D, is that the Rep doesn't have to do much to keep getting reelected. According to many of my CD1 political aquaintances that's what DeGette does for her constituents….. not much. On the plus side, that leaves them with free time to volunteer for the annual CD 6 Dem attempt to take our district. It's why I have so many CD1 poltical aquaintances going back over the years. They come to help us in CD6, thankless job though that's been.  Most of us are really jealous of you CD7 folks, BTW.

    6. Yeah – an "I was wrong" is about what I'll accept from Polis on this issue. We already make refugees undergo a lengthy process of screening. It takes the average refugee 18-24 months to be cleared to resettle here, which is why we've taken in fewer than 2000 Syrian refugees since the conflict began three (four?) years ago.

  7. It's election day in the Bayou and the big question is whether Diaper Dave Vitter can come from behind to claim the governorship. If he should, one of his first tasks will be to select his replacement in the U.S. Senate. No easy task since he can't pick a Dem and he's pissed off most of the Republicans in Louisiana. If he loses the governor's race, he may still run for re-election but will have to face both Republican and a Democratic opponent.

    As for the DINO running against Vitter, all polls show him ahead although the numbers vary. I'm wondering if there is a version of the Tom Bradley effect in Louisiana:  people polled say they will vote for John Bel Edwards because they're too embarrassed to say they will vote for Vitter, but in the privacy of the voting booth, they will stick with the right wing perv over a Democrat.

      1. Our former HD38 Rep, Col. Joe Rice, who also served with distinction in Iraq as a much decorated soldier/diplomat also worked like crazy to get his translator and his family to the states years ago and succeeded. 

    1. Interesting site you link to there, denverco. some pretty good writing ( though unapologetically one-sided…kinda like here).

      another story caught my attention…The "War on Christmas” has been joined by Papa Frank….surprise..he isn't on the side you expected…

      Pope Francis has come out railing against society for embracing Christmas and holding it in such a supposedly sacred regard while completely ignoring everything it stands for.

       

      “We should ask for the grace to weep for this world, which does not recognize the path to peace. To weep for those who live for war and have the cynicism to deny it.

      Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade. “

       “Jesus once said: ‘You cannot serve two masters, either God or riches.’ The men who work war, who make war, are cursed—they are criminals.”

      Mankind needs to follow this man…everyone needs to read this story…

      http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/republicans-are-about-to-lose-their-sht-pope-francis-called-christmas-a-charade-read-why/

        1. Yeah, you are right… that comment should have been more clearly aimed at Moddy and the PissAnt ( which might have been a great name for a 70s rock band or a modern kids cartoon).

          I am guessing they think Papa Frank ain't even a "real" Christian…even though his Church was kinda the original Christian church..

  10. The early results from Louisiana are not looking good for the prospects of David "Infantilism" Vitter. According to LA Sec of State's website, w/ 8% of results in, the DINO John Bel Edwards is leading Pampers Boy, 57% to 43%

    .

      1. Besides losing, he also announced last night that he would not seek re-election to his Senate seat next year. That's sad. Ours is a representative form of government. Who now will be the spokesperson for those with a fetish for infantilism?

        I was  reading some of the comments posted on the New Orleans Times Picayune in response to its coverage of the election. My favorite:  "So I guess legalized prostitution is now off the table."

        There were a number of comments (pro and con) about Edwards' campaign promise to expand Medicaid – you know, that part of Obamacare designed to help poor people get health care access – on his first day in office.

        3. Don't know about that fetishist caucus, but no doubt the Republican Party will maintain it's solid lock on all their whining infantalists, with or without Vitter . . .

  11. Bipartisan group of Coloradans submitted text of an amendment to the state constitution today which would establish an "independent" redistricting commission. It now needs to be certified by the SoS and collect just short of 100k signatures to get on next year’s ballot.  

    http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2015/11/17/bipartisan-group-proposes-major-change-to-how.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article

    Eight members would be chosen equally by House and Senate leadership (minority and majority), with the remaining four to be chosen unanimously by the first eight. The Commission would choose maps drawn by nonpartisan legislative staff to be submitted to the courts for approval. If they can't come to an 8-vote majority in time, the court picks. 

    Could be better then the current system (which technically hasn't worked since 1970) but it still could just go to the courts a fifth time in a row even if passed. 

    Submitted text: http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2015/11/17/bipartisan-group-proposes-major-change-to-how.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article

    1. this is total BS.  First, like all other commissions, it allows the politicians to control the system.  There should be a prohibition on anyone who has served in elected office which was chosen according to political party should be banned.  Second the 4 unaffiliates will just be 2 Republicans who switch to unaffiliated and 2 Dems who do the same thing.  There needs to be a prohibition on switching parties.  Even this won't make a difference.  It'll be a six to six vote and we'll just be back to judge shopping like we are now.  The only thing to do is to define the parameters for districts.  Compact, politically even to the extent possible, keeping counties and cities in tact, ignoring current sitting legislator's residences.  This won't work either.  With today's computer systems and the ability to predict which voters will vote which way, these commissions are just fool's gold.  The people proposing this are just rooted in the past.  The only way to make these things work is to have a lottery of an even number of Dems, Reps and Unaffiliates and the winners picked out of a hat so that we get a commission made up of normal humans.  Besides whosays any staff of the legislature is going to be "non-partisan."  Just not the case.  Finally, another way to do it is appoint one dem and one rep and sentence them to life in prison if they don't come up with a plan.

      1. Besides who says any staff of the legislature is going to be "non-partisan."

        Just what I was thinking. Something needs to be done but this strikes me as a lot of trouble to go to for pretty much the same kind of outcomes in a state where like ours.

  14. Anniversary of Kennedy's Assassination. Guess it's no big deal anymore judging from lack of media attention. But I bet everyone old enough still remembers exactly where they were, what they were doing and who they were with.

    2. As with much of the 50's, 60's and 70's.  We are on the downside of the bell curve of life and there be fewer of us each day.  I am enjoying what my grandchildren are doing though, and if you tune in to KBCO once a week, and once a week only, you will enjoy your life.

  16. Watching "The Campaign", which is supposed to be a satirical, over-the-top movie about politicians doing ridiculous and humiliating things, blurring the lines between entertainment and politicking, all in the service of corporate greed.

    It's supposed to be fiction.

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