Category Archives: Economy

The GOP’s False Claim of ‘Significant Strides’ with Hispanic Voters

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  by: Michael Lund Fri August 31, 2012 at 6:21 PM MDT

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)



by Michael Lund

Ryan Call appeared on an ABC interview Wednesday from the Republican National Convention in Tampa, commenting on Colorado’s status as a swing state in this November’s general election, and highlighting Hispanic, women, and young voters’ key role in deciding who gets the nine electoral votes at stake.

Call acknowledges that candidate Mitt Romney needs to do “appreciably better among Latinos” than McCain in 2008 in order to win Colorado.  He said:

“We are making significant strides within those members of our community. The issues of entrepreneurship, about creating opportunities for education, and especially as it relates to the current status of the economy and jobs, that’s the contrast that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan bring to the table versus the failed record of Barak Obama.”

The question that immediately springs to mind is, “Is the GOP making ‘significant strides’ among Hispanic voters?”

And if, as I suspected, he might be wrong, why didn’t the journalists interviewing call him on the inaccuracy?

My analysis of polling among Hispanics suggests that Call might be a little overly optimistic.  While McCain garnered 31 percent of the Latino vote in 2008 (Obama came in with 67 percent), a Gallup poll from June 24, 2012 shows Romney with only 25 percent of the registered Hispanic vote (Obama with 66 percent) – a drop of 6 points from four years ago.  That’s a drop of 6 percent, hardly “significant strides”.  In an even more recent survey from NBC/Wall Street Journal/Telemundo (August 22, 2012), 65 percent of Latino voters plan to back Obama compared to 25 percent for Romney.  That’s not good news for Call or Romney, no matter how you try and spin it.

If ABC News didn’t know that polling data contradicted Ryan Call’s contention, they could have asked him to substantiate his claim.

If they had, Call would have had a hard time reconciling his efforts to attract Hispanics with the polling data available to him and everyone else with access to Google.

Back in April of this year, in an article from The Denver Post, Call acknowledged the uphill battle, saying, “We will work to do much better.” He qualified this by saying that, typically, the GOP party ‘s real efforts to recruit Hispanic voters come later in the election cycle.

So now, with 65 days left until the election, I’m wondering about a couple of things.  First, how “late in the cycle” is too late in the cycle for the GOP’s Latino surge to materialize and show substantive results in the measure everyone’s watching, namely, the polls.

Second, where has the GOP gone wrong?  What does the polling data suggest about each party’s successes and failures in securing Hispanic support and votes, especially here in Colorado?

Maybe I can shed a little light for ABC News journalists covering the RNC convention and reporters everywhere.

In the past six months, Colorado’s GOP chairman Ryan Call has appeared on Spanish-language radio, Solomon Martinez and Pauline Olvera from Colorado Hispanic Republicans have made their pitches on the talk radio circuit, and celebrity Hispanic politicians from both sides have been paraded and promoted in front of cheering partisans at public events, most notably and recently at the GOP convention. The GOP has deployed Latino outreach directors in many states and implemented social media strategies.

In those efforts, the generalized GOP message has been coordinated and consistent: Hispanic voters are actually Republicans who are not yet enlightened enough to know it (see Susana Martinez’s speech to the GOP convention), jobs and the economy are the basket in which to place all your eggs, and that the Republican platform promoting values such as faith, family, freedom and free market is all that is needed to convert traditionally Democratic Hispanics and recruit them to the big tent of the GOP.

Call, in his ABC interview from the convention, offered only a slightly enhanced version of that message, by acknowledging “opportunities for education” as part of the GOP pitch to Hispanic voters.

Hispanic voters have consistently rated jobs and the economy as the most important issue affecting their decision as voters in this election, over other issues such as education and immigration.

But the spiel on the campaign trail doesn’t get much more nuanced than calls for unchaining the private sector and reducing the regulatory burden.  Apparently, that generalized message hasn’t paid off.

In addition to the overriding jobs issue, education is clearly an issue Hispanics care about, but the Republicans haven’t been able to capitalize. Besides being co-opted on many K-12 policy innovations involving accountability, choice, and charters, the Colorado GOP has acquired an obstructionist image in their handling of policies which directly engage sectors of the Hispanic community.

One example of “education policy as political opportunity” was the ASSET tuition bill in Colorado (as well as the previous five similar bills presented to legislatures over the past decade, which would have made college more affordable for undocumented students who qualify).

Call told FOX31 Denver last April that he was “disappointed” that House Republicans killed the bill in committee.  I’d be disapointed, too, considering the opportunity it presented for engaging the Hispanic community.  And remember, this was a measure that had broad support. Seven newspapers, seven school boards, six chambers of commerce, ten organizations that represent k-12, eight institutions of higher education, five local governments, twelve faith based organizations and tens of thousands of individuals and organizations endorsed ASSET.

Then, earlier this summer, when media attention was piqued around Metropolitan State University of Denver’s decision to institute a new tuition rate for undocumented students, Republicans missed another opportunity. Instead of engaging Hispanics by debating merits and implications of the bill, Colorado Republican legislators challenged the move by Metro’s Board of Regents, and called on Governor Hickenlooper to block the measure.  They grumbled about collusion among Democrats, perhaps justifiably so, but in doing so lost the opportunity portray themselves as proactive problem solvers and representatives of the broader Hispanic community.

Immigration, another issue rated as less important than jobs and the economy to Hispanic voters in polling has proven to be similar lesson in lost opportunity for Republicans.  Obama’s executive order of Deferred Action for the deportation of qualified minor children of undocumented immigrants engaged the media and boldly addressed an issue undeniably important to Hispanics.  It’s not that all in the Hispanic community universally agree with Obama’s mandate, but it was an acknowledgement and a proactive action to a problem which has long demanded bipartisan solutions.

The Deferred Action mandate could turn out to be a liability to Democrats and a net loss in their electability standings, but it was a vehicle for Obama (and Democrats by proxy) to gain visibility in the Hispanic community and affirm their presence, participation, and importance in America.  Lawmakers who are viewed as obstructionists, along with their supporters, were the losers in this window of opportunity, at least in the short term.

Hispanics’ view of the GOP as obstructionists might also extend to the GOP’s response to another issue important to Hispanic Voters – Healthcare.

Add in the selection of Ryan for Romney’s vice-presidential running mate, and you might be able to make a case charging the GOP with playing to their base of extremists at the expense drawing Hispanic votes. Ryan has voted against the DREAM act and is hostile to other issues Hispanics care about.  Another lost opportunity.

So, with all this behind him, Ryan Call goes on ABC is able to say with a straight face that the GOP is making significant progress convincing Democratic Hispanics that they’re actually Republicans. And he’s not asked to justify it? He’s not asked to explain why his lack of success reflects the lost opportunities?


Full story: The GOP’s False Claim of ‘Significant Strides’ with Hispanic Voters

Workers Rally Against Romney Economy

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  by: ColoradoFairShare Fri August 31, 2012 at 2:31 AM MDT

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)



romneyeconomyprotest

A diverse group of Coloradans, including students, seniors on Medicare, and working families rallied and marched through downtown Denver on Thursday to protest the

Romney Economy, the same day former governor will accept the GOP nomination. Across the country, activists now calling themselves “99% voters” – low-wage workers, seniors, community activists, students and faith leaders – roundly rejected the 1%-focused Romney Economy in favor of an economy that works for all of us.

You can see photos from today’s Denver march & rally here:

http://on.fb.me/PuYe2N

The rally included speakers in both English and Spanish. Marchers heard from Wanda Ramey, a senior on Medicare who just returned from protesting in Tampa.  ”I’m Grandma Wanda & I’m concerned about my grandchildren and what they will earn,” Ramey said. “We need to protect Medicare and raise the minimum wage.”

Elise Donelson, 26, also spoke to the group. She just got an Associates’ Degree in Culinary Arts from the Arts School of Denver and wants to eventually open her own restaurant, but right now she’s struggling with $26,000 in student loans.  ”We need a break when we get out of school,” Donelson said. “Working people like me need a break, and decent wages. Tax cuts to the rich are unfair when you’re cutting health care and the things real people need to survive.”

The rally today was a clear message for Mitt Romney and Rep. Coffman: stop outsourcing jobs, stop tax breaks for the rich coupled with tax hikes for the middle class, stop cuts to education and healthcare funding and stop refusing to raise the minimum wage.

As David Bouchey, an unemployed father of 3 puts it: “We marched all through Tampa and the Republican cocktail parties and did everything we could to get our message heard. We’re going to keep our voices loud until they hear us.”  


Full story: Workers Rally Against Romney Economy

The details of Gardner’s love for Ryan are left unexplained in radio interview

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  by: Jason Salzman Tue August 28, 2012 at 9:20 PM MDT

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)



If you’ve been soaking up the sound waves from talk radio the past month, you know that Rep. Cory Gardner has been talking a lot about the horribleness of President Obama and the greatness of Romney vice presidential selection Paul Ryan.

For example, here’s Gardner on KFKA’s AM Colorado Aug. 23:

HOST TOM LUCERO:  So, Cory, give us your thoughts on the selection of your colleague, Paul Ryan-vice presidential pick by Mitt Romney.

GARDNER:  I think it’s a brilliant selection.  This is a guy who understands the budget and the economy perhaps better than anybody other than Mitt Romney. This is a person who actually knows the numbers.  He has -I’ve seen him personally, I’ve witnessed him personally explain to the president of the United States why his policies have been such a disaster, and why the policies we have pushed forward would actually get this country back on track, [and] do so in a way that was simple for everybody to understand across the country.  I’m not sure the president understood it because he continues with his failed policies.  But the fact is, Paul Ryan adds a level of excitement and certainly a level of solutions that we were missing.

Listen to the audio here.

It would be nice if AM Colorado’s co-hosts, Lucero and Devon Lentz, aired out a couple of the controversial issues dogging Ryan.

A good one for Gardner would be personhood, because Gardner, like Ryan, supports it, and has left no doubt about it in the past.

Gardner didn’t co-sponsor federal personhood legislation, like Ryan did, but he’s been a full-on endorser of personhood amendments in Colorado.

This means both Gardner and Ryan oppose common forms of birth control, as well as all abortion, even in the case of rape and incest.

So, is this part of the reason Gardner thinks Ryan is a brilliant selection?

Or does the brilliance emanate from Ryan’s proposal to partially privatize Medicare? Is Gardner worried that  a disproportionate number of healthy retirees would use their Medicare vouchers to buy health insurance from private companies, leaving Medicare to serve the less healthy population, which, in turn, could cause Medicare costs and Medicare premiums to rise, sending even more of the healthier retirees to the private sector as Medicare costs spiral out of control?

A report from the liberal Center on Policy and Budget Priorities concluded in March:

The budget resolution developed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) would make significant changes to Medicare.  It would replace Medicare’s current guarantee of coverage with a premium-support voucher, raise the age of eligibility from 65 to 67, and reopen the “doughnut hole” in Medicare’s coverage of prescription drugs.  Together, these changes would shift substantial costs to Medicare beneficiaries and (with the simultaneous repeal of health reform) leave many 65- and 66-year olds without any health coverage at all.  The plan also would likely lead to the gradual demise of traditional Medicare by making its pool of beneficiaries smaller, older, and sicker – and increasingly costly to cover.

How about Ryan’s votes against the Dream Act, which would allow the best and brightest undocumented teenagers, brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents, to become productive members of our society?

Why is that so brilliant?

The list of interesting topics goes on and on, and it’s more interesting to debate it than to hear Gardner’s platitudes about Ryan.

As it happens, I’ll be discussing “media bias” tomorrow morning at 7:40 on KFKA’s “AM Colorado,” with Lucero and Lentz.

Maybe I’ll be able to convince them to bring in more viewpoints on their show more often, or at least bring back Lynn Bartels, who was on their program weekly during the legislative session.


Full story: The details of Gardner’s love for Ryan are left unexplained in radio interview

Coffman campaign laughs at middle-class Aurora residents

13
  by: ColoradoFairShare Fri August 24, 2012 at 9:40 PM MDT

(How many ways can one spell “unsurprising?” – promoted by ProgressiveCowgirl)



Tampa or bust

It’s bad enough the Mike Coffman has been in hiding and won’t talk to middle class people in Aurora. Now the Coffman campaign is openly making fun of them.

As reported in the Aurora Sentinel & the Colorado Statesman, a group of 99% Aurora residents are headed to Tampa to voice their concerns at the Republican National Convention. The group includes a unemployed mother of a Navy veteran, an unemployed PhD who lost his job as a financial analyst when Wall Street crashed, and a 65 year old woman on Medicare.

Coffman didn’t publicly announce he wasn’t going until Thursday  - and his campaign used the opportunity to be openly contemptuous of an unemployed father of 3 and a Senior on Medicare.

As reported in the Statesman: “Hahahahaha,” wrote campaign spokesman Owen Loftus. “Don’t tell them that he’s not going to be there!”

So the Coffman campaign apparently thinks it’s funny to laugh at people who are asking for help. They think it’s funny that people who need jobs and health care would like to talk to the person who wants to represent them.

Coffman supports the Ryan budget, which turns Medicare into a voucher program. He supports more tax cuts for the rich at the expense of the middle class. He opposes raising the minimum wage to improve the economy for workers and everyone else.

So maybe it’s not a surprise that Coffman’s campaign looks down on working families in Aurora. And he’s also looking down on his potential employers.


Full story: Coffman campaign laughs at middle-class Aurora residents

Bubba Cuts Ad for Obama

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  by: Arvadonian Thu August 23, 2012 at 6:54 PM MDT

(Nostalgic for the Big Dog years? – promoted by Colorado Pols)



Former President Clinton is coming to a television near you…soon!

The last president to have run a surplus, President Clinton has cut a new ad strongly endorsing President Obama’s approach to the economy.  In addition to Colorado, the ad is slated to run in New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Iowa and Nevada.  While Clinton has appeared in campaign videos and raised money for President Obama, this is the first time Obama has tapped him for a political ad.


Full story: Bubba Cuts Ad for Obama

Trying Too Hard With Rep. Jason Chaffetz

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  by: Colorado Pols Fri August 10, 2012 at 11:24 PM MDT

UPDATE: We’re seeing a number of stories about these remarks by President Barack Obama in Colorado yesterday, and they can be divided into two categories: right wing blogs going absolutely nuts, and mainstream media outlets correcting the record. It looks to us like a concerted attempt was made by Mitt Romney campaign surrogates to twist this into something that could be used politically against Obama–and based on what we see, they’ve failed pretty spectacularly convincing media outlets to take the bait.

ABC News reports:

It’s no secret President Obama is proud of the taxpayer-funded government intervention that rescued U.S. automakers GM and Chrysler back in 2009. He regularly takes credit for the companies’ resurgent profitability and hiring as one of his top achievements.

Now, Republicans say Obama is suggesting on the campaign trail that he wants to do it again, this time in other sectors of the economy, in order to “get the hand of government driving every industry in America.”

…The Obama campaign refuted the notion as political spin that does not reflect the president’s sentiment or intention, pointing to full context of the quote as evidence. [Pols emphasis]

And like good journalists, ABC posts the full clip for readers to decide for themselves:

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

Perhaps even more revealing, Politico put up a story originally titled “Obama: Let’s repeat auto rescue with every manufacturing industry” yesterday afternoon. Today this story was revised with a new title, “Obama: Let’s repeat auto industry success.” And this clarification:

Clarification: This post was updated to reflect the president’s intent to express his support for manufacturing success. An earlier version was unclear about his intent.

Not so much unclear as it was absurd. But we’re pleased to see Politico had the integrity to fix this after sleeping on it–or whatever persuaded them to revisit their prior reporting.

—–

Something we’ve noticed in our years of blogging on Colorado politics: often, folks who are trying really, really hard to stay on offense try too hard, and wind up convincing you of something else entirely–that they’re determined to criticize everything, no matter how silly they look.

Today’s case in point comes from a Colorado right-wing blog site we’ve discussed in this space a few times, the always-entertaining Colorado Observer. Breathlessly reporting President Barack Obama’s “latest gaffe” on the campaign trail, supposedly committed in Pueblo yesterday:

President Obama made another economic policy gaffe Thursday in Pueblo when he suggested that he wants to bail out a host of other corporations as he already did with the auto industry.

“I believe in American workers, I believe in this American industry, and now the American auto industry has come roaring back,” Obama said. “Now I want to do the same thing with manufacturing jobs, not just in the auto industry, but in every industry.”

Critics wasted no time pouncing on the president’s statement. Hours later, Republicans traveling the state on the Romney bus ripped the remark at a rally at Acacia Park in Colorado Springs.

“Just a couple of hours ago, Barack Obama said he wanted government to get involved in every industry,” Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz said… [Pols emphasis]

So, uh, is that even remotely close to what President Obama actually said? Because we read this statement to mean the president wants manufacturing jobs in every industry to “come roaring back” like the auto industry has. An independent report released yesterday says that the auto industry has recovered some 236,000 jobs since 2009. Should those workers apologize?

It’s plain to us that Obama was simply talking about bringing manufacturing jobs back, not getting government “involved in every industry.” That’s a ridiculous “death panel”-style leap. To jump to such a wild conclusion based on an innocuous statement like this speaks more to the unhinged (or unprincipled) person drawing the conclusion. In this case, a sitting member of Congress.

As for the Colorado Observer, we wish them the same success that we do “every” blog.


Full story: Trying Too Hard With Rep. Jason Chaffetz

Quinnipiac/NYT in Colorado: Romney 50%, Obama 45%

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  by: Colorado Pols Wed August 8, 2012 at 4:50 PM MDT

UPDATE: We’re hearing a bit more than the usual pushback on the sampling for today’s Quinnipiac/NYT poll, with criticism focusing on two things: oversampling of older voters, and assumptions about Republican enthusiasm affecting the weight of their “likely voter” sample. We don’t want to neglect the possibility that these are valid concerns, but we’re really not interested in getting into the weeds here. We never treat a single poll as gospel, and the total picture from all the polling that’s been done doesn’t change dramatically with this poll in the mix.

The fact is, the New York Times has credibility, and arguing against that credibility is an uphill battle with average voters. In the end, the solution to any uncertainty about polling is more polling. Whether this poll was authoritative or an outlier is a picture that will become clear.

—–

Today’s swing-state polling from Quinnipiac University and the New York Times tells a different story than yesterday’s Public Policy Polling survey of Colorado voters:

Far more than national polls, which can track the mood of the electorate only as a whole, the results in the state-by-state polls provide a detailed snapshot of the race where it matters most, in geography and demography. They also help explain why both the Obama and Romney campaigns are focusing so much of their time and money on messages intended to resonate with such specific groups in such specific places.

The latest polls underscore just how tight the race continues to be, with the candidates running closely in Virginia and Colorado and Mr. Obama leading in Wisconsin, though not by his double-digit margin of victory in 2008. Mr. Obama won all three states in 2008.

Mr. Obama is struggling because of the economy and facing new challenges in Colorado, where his support among white men has fallen considerably from where it was in exit polls there in 2008…

Mr. Romney holds a five-point advantage in Colorado, within the poll’s margin of sampling error. Mr. Obama’s lead in Wisconsin of 6 percentage points was statistically significant, though he won the state by roughly 14 percentage points in 2008.

Here’s the full memo. Areas of strength in the poll for President Barack Obama continue to include support from women (over 50%), though that number is softer than other polls. Obama also has support among incomes under $50,000 per year and unmarried voters. Among Latino voters in Colorado, Obama enjoys a commanding 68-28% lead.

Mitt Romney, on the other hand, is leading solidly among white men, and has a smaller lead among higher income voters in Colorado. Romney leads among Colorado independent voters 47-45%–well within the margin of error and a clear sign of where this battle is headed.

Bottom line: Colorado Democrats would be fools to not take this poll seriously, even if the results are superficially less encouraging than other recent polls. We see no reason to pick at the methodology or sampling, though it’s a fact that no two samples are ever alike–that’s why we look at trends in polling as much as individual polls.

The results continue to show a race within the margin of error in Colorado, winnable by either candidate, and that’s consistent with every poll being taken in our state. A few points this way or that won’t change the narrative of a very tight race, except for bragging rights until the next poll.

Or an undeniable trajectory emerges.


Full story: Quinnipiac/NYT in Colorado: Romney 50%, Obama 45%

Pay No Attention To Our Glaring Contradiction

40
  by: Colorado Pols Tue August 7, 2012 at 5:39 PM MDT

Some bang-up reporting from FOX 31′s Eli Stokols yesterday:

In Denver Monday, the Romney campaign held a “Strengthening our Middle Class” event at the Rio Grande Company that featured Colorado Congressman Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, and Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, whose name had been mentioned as a potential running mate…

Gardner and Thune agree on Romney, who they argued would be able to fix the country’s still sputtering economy.

But they also agree on something else – the need to extend the wind energy Production Tax Credit, which Romney said last week he opposes…

“I think Gov. Romney is right to say that the government should not be in the position of picking winners and losers,” Thune told FOX31 Denver. “We need to look at what we can do to phase out federal support.”

When reminded that the CEO of Vestas has stated that Congress’s failure to extend the wind PTC would likely force him to lay off roughly 1,000 Colorado employees, Thune acknowledged that the tax credit has supported jobs here and in his home state.

“Colorado benefits from wind, South Dakota benefits from wind,” Thune said. [Pols emphasis] “I’ve supported the wind energy tax credit because it’s been good in terms of my state’s economy and some of the jobs that come with it.”

Stokols points to a letter signed by Sen. John Thune this past February with other Senators strongly in favor of renewal of the wind production tax credit. As we’ve discussed, renewal of this tax credit enjoys near-unanimous bipartisan support from Colorado’s congressional delegation. The reason is simple: thousands of real, high-paying Colorado jobs, and all of the secondary and tertiary economic growth that comes along with them, are directly on the line.

“The future of the American wind industry requires a stable tax environment in which to operate,” the letter began.

But in the end, this weak, contradictory, and above all inconclusive nonanswer is all you’ll get from Sen. Thune or Colorado Republicans who support both Romney and the wind power tax credit. GOP CD-7 candidate Joe Coors isn’t foolish enough to come out against this as a candidate in the district which includes the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), but he still appeared with Romney at his rally at Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

In all of these cases, including Reps. Scott Tipton, Mike Coffman, and Cory Gardner, they’ll say they support Romney’s “principle” on some hypothetical level, just not where it would kill thousands of jobs in their home states. And they would like change the subject.

To, you know, jobs!

If it looks to you like they’ve got a major political problem here, folks, it’s because they do.


Full story: Pay No Attention To Our Glaring Contradiction

The Politics of Slow, Steady Recovery

32
  by: Colorado Pols Fri August 3, 2012 at 7:19 PM MDT

The Los Angeles Times looks at today’s incrementally better jobs report:

For partisans on either side looking for a knockout blow, Friday’s jobs report was a letdown — at 163,000 net new jobs for July, the figure largely confirms the status quo.

For the next 24 hours, political figures of both parties will do their best to spin that status quo figure into a talking point for their side. But beyond the spin, it’s clear that economic news — barring something very dramatic — has started to decline in its power to shape the race.

If you’re of the school that says sooner or later, a sluggish economy will drag President Obama to defeat, much as it has done to governing figures in other countries since the 2008 financial crisis, then Friday’s report was confirmation. The economy shows no sign of sudden acceleration, and the unemployment rate, now 8.3%, seems very likely to remain above 8% by election day.

But if you look at opinion polls, most of which have shown Obama holding at least a small lead nationally and in key states, the jobs report would do nothing to change your view that the president is on track for a close reelection victory.

On the Barack Obama campaign blog, they’re leading with a familiar graphic today:

Responding statement from Mitt Romney:

“Today’s increase in the unemployment rate is a hammer blow to struggling middle-class families. Yesterday I launched my Plan for a Stronger Middle Class that will bring more jobs and more take home pay. My plan will turn things around and bring the economy roaring back, with twelve million new jobs created by the end of my first term. President Obama doesn’t have a plan and believes that the private sector is ‘doing fine.’ Obviously, that is not the case. We’ve now gone 42 consecutive months with the unemployment rate above eight percent. Middle class Americans deserve better, and I believe America can do better.”




Full story: The Politics of Slow, Steady Recovery

Get Your Tickets For Romney At Jeffco Fairgrounds Thursday

38
  by: Colorado Pols Tue July 31, 2012 at 11:31 PM MDT

THURSDAY UPDATE #2: FOX 31′s Eli Stokols:

At a press conference in a Lakewood teacher’s backyard, state Rep. Max Tyler and DNC Vice Chairman R.T. Rybak laughed at the Romney campaign’s refined slogan, “Strengthening the Middle Class”, and argued that the GOP challenger’s policies would do anything but.

“They’re putting up signs that say ‘Strengthening the Middle Class’ because of that study has shown that they will raise taxes on the middle class by $2,000 apiece,” Rybak said. “I don’t think it’s standing up for the middle class to have a whole bunch of us pay $2,000 more to Mitt Romney so we can help pay for another car elevator in one of his five or six or seven mansions.”

…Romney chose not to directly address his recently announced position against the renewal of a Production Tax Credit for wind energy providers.

At least six protestors greeted Romney in the parking lot with signs that read: “We work in wind”, “PTC = Jobs” and “Don’t kill wind jobs.”

—–

THURSDAY UPDATE: The Washington Post reports from Jefferson County Fairgrounds:

Mitt Romney sought to refocus the presidential campaign on the American economy on Thursday, outlining plans to help the middle class in his first rally after a difficult overseas tour.

Before an enthusiastic, mostly older crowd of about 2,000 supporters — with several hundred more gathered outside in the late-morning sun in the hope of catching a glimpse of the presumptive GOP nominee — Romney described a five-point program he called the “Romney Plan for a Stronger Middle Class.”

…Romney’s events Thursday are part of a coordinated effort by Romney’s campaign staff: they organized 24 events across 13 states to tout “Mitt Romney’s plan for a stronger middle class.”

The ideas were a repackaging of broad goals that Romney has talked about for months. They include increasing energy independence, improving education and job training, increasing trade, reducing the deficit and helping small businesses.

What was new was the urgency.

A few points we’ll make about the event today. It does appear that the crowd outside the hall at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds was even larger than the crowd inside the building. Far from being a sign of “overwhelming support,” this is more indicative of poor advance work. Romney’s campaign appears to have distributed many more tickets than the venue could accommodate, and those who didn’t get in line early were out of luck. The tickets were distributed electronically–Romney’s campaign knew how many people had gotten them. We’ve heard that despite the fact that Romney briefly spoke with the crowd outside, many of them were upset.

It’s a balance: you always want it to look like you’ve got overflow crowds, but not so much that those crowds get the impression your campaign is incompetent. Today trended toward the latter.

Romney’s speech did seem to be more energetic and focused than prior events in Colorado we’ve seen. There was no opportunity for the press or attendees to ask any questions; had there been, it’s possible Romney would have been put on the spot over his opposition to the wind power tax credit supported by his Republican colleagues representing Colorado in Congress. Romney also got much applause from the debunked claim that President Obama “cut $500 billion from Medicare.” But there was apparently nobody in this crowd who reads Politifact.

We’ll update further with additional press coverage as it comes in.

—–

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is making his first trip into the Denver metro area this week since losing the Colorado caucuses to Rick Santorum in February. We’ll be there:

This authentic Romney ticket (we’ve covered up the identifying marks) was delivered to us as quickly as we could fill out this RSVP page from Romney’s campaign. Which means you too can see Romney this coming Thursday at 10:45AM at Jefferson County Fairgrounds (doors at 9:45AM)–no four-hour early morning drive to the middle of nowhere necessary. So get yours, and tell your boss you’ve got plans for Thursday morning!

If you know anybody in the wind power industry, maybe they should make it a point to go.


Full story: Get Your Tickets For Romney At Jeffco Fairgrounds Thursday

Romney Shafts Colorado GOP Delegation (And Colorado)

31
  by: Colorado Pols Tue July 31, 2012 at 6:13 AM MDT

TUESDAY UPDATE #3: In a release moments ago, Colorado Democratic Party spokesman Matt Inzeo seeks answers from Republicans who have supported the wind power tax credit:

Romney’s opposition to the PTC is all the more out of touch given that it supports as many as 5,000 jobs in Colorado and 75,000 nationwide. And failing to extend the tax credit could cost up to 37,000 jobs across the country in the next year. That’s why a bipartisan group from Colorado’s Congressional Delegation supports its extension, including U.S. Representatives Cory Gardner, Scott Tipton and Mike Coffman, who said a failure to extend the PTC would “hurt a lot of jobs.”

So given Romney’s out-of-touch opposition to the wind production tax credit and the 4,000 to 5,000 Colorado jobs it supports, the question now is: Will Cory Gardner, Scott Tipton and Mike Coffman stand up to the leader of the Republican Party and tell him to do the right thing?

Full text after the jump.

—–

TUESDAY UPDATE #2: The Quad City Times with reaction from Iowa:

Already, at least one Republican lawmaker reacted to Romney’s statement. Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa, said Monday afternoon the position showed a misunderstanding of the importance of the credit. “It’s the wrong decision,” he said, urging Romney to re-evaluate the statement issued by the campaign.

Nothing yet from our Colorado GOP proponents of the tax credit, but we’re watching for it.

—–

TUESDAY UPDATE: The Pueblo Chieftain’s Peter Roper reports:

[Former Denver Mayor Federico] Pena quoted from Romney’s economic plan, “Plans for Jobs and Economic Growth,” as proof that the former Massachusetts governor doesn’t support wind power. The plan calls wind and solar power two of “the most ballyhooed” forms of energy that can’t survive without subsidies. “At current prices, these technologies make little sense,” the Romney plan states. Pena said Vestas workers would disagree.

“We have 18 manufacturing facilities for wind power, with the largest in Pueblo,” he said. “These aren’t imaginary jobs.”

Brent Aldefer, a wind power manufacturer in Pennsylvania, said the tax credit was established during the administration of former President George H.W. Bush.

“These are goodpaying jobs and they won’t go overseas to China unless we pack ‘em up and send ‘em,” Aldefer said.

Folks, we need to hear from the GOP members of Congress who have been pushed for the renewal of this tax credit at this point. We know how Federico Pena and the Obama campaign feel. What about Scott Tipton? Mike Coffman? Cory Gardner? Where are they on this issue now that their presidential nominee has left them to (pardon the pun) twist in the wind?

There is precedent for what may happen here: you’ll recall in June of 2011 when the same three Colorado congressman, Tipton, Coffman, and Gardner, all suddenly pulled their names from a bill they had sponsored to incentivize natural gas truck fleets. Despite the obvious benefits this bill would have had for Colorado’s natural gas industry, they succumbed to pressure from Grover Norquist, the Club for Growth and the Heritage Foundation.

We didn’t say it was a good precedent.

—–

Late breaking today from FOX 31′s Eli Stokols:

“He will allow the wind credit to expire, [Pols emphasis] end the stimulus boondoggles, and create a level playing field on which all sources of energy can compete on their merits,” Shawn McCoy, a spokesman for Romney’s Iowa campaign, said in the statement. “Wind energy will thrive wherever it is economically competitive, and wherever private sector competitors with far more experience than the president believe the investment will produce results.”

That position could hurt Romney in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Colorado, a group of swing states home to wind energy manufacturers who could be forced to lay off thousands of workers.

“This is proof positive Mitt Romney does not understand the Centennial state,” said Pete Maysmith, executive director of Colorado Conservation Voters. “Colorado voters have consistently endorsed wind energy and voted for candidates who support renewable energy.  His head in the sand stance is even more baffling given this is a jobs issue.”

…Of Colorado’s Republicans in Congress, Reps. Cory Gardner, Scott Tipton and Mike Coffman all support extending the wind PTC; Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, is the only GOP member who opposes it. [Pols emphasis]

Folks, this is an astounding development–the fact that so many conservative Republicans in our state are pushing for the renewal of the wind power tax credit, in the headlines here like it is everywhere the industry has a presence, makes this a foolish and strategically inexplicable move for Mitt Romney. There’s just no way you can add up the gains vs. losses here and say Romney is helping himself politically by running to the right of our conservative GOP congressional delegation. Romney invites the wrath of editorial boards who have tried mightily not to say anything negative about him (this means you, Pueblo Chieftain).

To come out against something that has such overwhelming bipartisan support seems sure to complicate Romney’s relations with his fellow GOP candidates here at least. Or they’re all about to flip-flop on extending the wind power tax credit? Either way, much like when John McCain told the Chieftain that the Colorado River Compact needs to be “renegotiated,” this could go down in the as-yet unwritten history of the 2012 presidential race as a major unforced error.

This is not how you treat a state you want to win.


WILL COLORADO REPUBLICANS STAND UP TO MITT ROMNEY ON WIND PTC, COLORADO JOBS?

COLORADO – Yesterday, Mitt Romney’s campaign announced his unequivocal opposition to the PTC, saying, “he will allow the wind tax credit to expire” and called it a “boondoggle.” And in Romney’s own “Plan for Jobs and Economic Growth,” he calls wind an “uncompetitive” and “ballyhooed” form of energy.

Romney’s opposition to the PTC is all the more out of touch given that it supports as many as 5,000 jobs in Colorado and 75,000 nationwide. And failing to extend the tax credit could cost up to 37,000 jobs across the country in the next year. That’s why a bipartisan group from Colorado’s Congressional Delegation supports its extension, including U.S. Representatives Cory Gardner, Scott Tipton and Mike Coffman, who said a failure to extend the PTC would “hurt a lot of jobs.”

So given Romney’s out-of-touch opposition to the wind production tax credit and the 4,000 to 5,000 Colorado jobs it supports, the question now is: Will Cory Gardner, Scott Tipton and Mike Coffman stand up to the leader of the Republican Party and tell him to do the right thing?

COLORADO REPUBLICANS CORY GARDNER, SCOTT TIPTON AND MIKE COFFMAN HAVE BACKED WIND PTC

Eight Members of Colorado’s Congressional Delegation, Including Three Republicans, Say Delaying Extension Would Do Enormous Damage. Eight members of Colorado’s Congressional Delegation, including Republican Reps. Scott Tipton, Cory Gardner and Mike Coffman, wrote, “The PTC has been very effective in facilitating new market penetration of wind energy and moving us toward a more diversified and cleaner energy portfolio. A delay in this extension would do enormous damage to that progress. Since its inception, the wind PTC has driven economic growth across the nation, including substantial growth in Colorado.” [Colorado Congressional Delegation Press Release, 2/7/12]

U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton Endorses “All-of-the-Above” Energy Strategy at Committee Hearing, Discusses Importance of Wind PTC for Small Business. A press release headline from Tipton’s office reads, “Tipton Touts Wind Energy Innovation as Part of All-of-the-Above Energy Solution in Committee Hearing.” In his opening statement at the committee hearing, Tipton said, “Colorado is a national wind energy leader and has lots of small businesses who are finding innovative ways to be successful. …Wind is critical to the all-of-the-above energy approach, and I believe Congress must provide the certainty necessary so this industry can continue to have economic growth and protect American jobs. I will continue to support these jobs and push for this timely solution. The advancement of new technologies moves us towards an all-of-the-above energy policy and greater energy independence, that grows our economy and creates jobs.” [Tipton Press Release, 4/26/12]

At a Public Appearance in Sterling, CO this Past March, Gardner Cited the Importance of Renewing the PTC. Gardner explained to an audience in Sterling that it is important “to make sure that we find ways to continue the production tax credits and do what we can to promote wind energy, renewable energy in the state of Colorado.” [Sterling Journal-Advocate, 3/16/2012]

U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman said a failure to act to extend the wind PTC would “hurt a lot of jobs”: In an article published by the Denver Post, Coffman said the wind energy industry “seems to be built with the continuation of these subsidies, and so I think if you pull the rug out from under them right now, you’re going to hurt a lot of jobs.” [Denver Post, 4/2/12]

# # #


Full story: Romney Shafts Colorado GOP Delegation (And Colorado)

Scott Tipton Promises Everybody Everything

24
  by: Colorado Pols Tue July 31, 2012 at 12:43 AM MDT

The Pueblo Chieftain’s Peter Roper reported yesterday on this weekend’s town hall with Rep. Scott Tipton–who seems to have trouble telling voters anything they don’t want to hear.

The Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 and unwanted federal regulations are crippling the U.S. economy – according to U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton – and one needed remedy is to make permanent the decade-old package of tax cuts that Congress approved during President George W. Bush’s administration…

Currently, Senate Democrats have approved a plan to extend those tax cuts except for people who earn more than $200,000 a year, or $250,000 as a couple. House Republicans have refused that and will be approving a full extension for all income categories next week. It’s a legislative deadlock that both sides apparently believe will appeal to their respective supporters.

Letting the Bush tax rates expire this year will amount to “the highest tax increase” in the nation’s history, according to Tipton.

What is different this year is that Tipton now supports features of the Democratic health care legislation, but has voted to repeal it several times. Specifically, he supports the new ban that blocks insurance companies from rejecting a person for coverage because of prior conditions.

He also supports the feature that lets parents keep adult children on their insurance until age 26.

But Republicans can do better in improving health care, he told the Pueblo audience. And they will repeal the new law’s central requirement that everyone be required to purchase some kind of insurance.

Once again, you’ve got to marvel at the contradictions that Tipton manages to string together here without blinking. Letting the Bush tax cuts expire would cause “the highest tax increase” in history, even though he and his House colleagues are happy to risk just that to preserve the tax cuts for income over $250,000 per year. Tipton wants to keep the popular parts of Obamacare, like the requirement to cover pre-existing conditions and insure children through age 26, but wants to repeal the individual mandate that would allow the system to function.

And remember, he’s going to do this with “no cuts, no privatization” of Medicare (never mind that Ryan budget), while managing to “cut the government in half” at the same time. “Unrealistic” doesn’t quite do Tipton’s campaign promises justice. More like “incoherent.”

Now, if Tipton promised unicorns and rainbows for all, we’d have to consider it.

Everyone has their price, folks.


Full story: Scott Tipton Promises Everybody Everything

The Audacity of Mike Coffman: 5 Lies, One Mailpiece

3
  by: nancycronk Thu July 19, 2012 at 6:14 PM MDT

My husband received a flier in the mail yesterday from Congressman Mike Coffman. My husband is a died-in-the-wool Democrat and would sooner eat a box full of living ladybugs than vote for a Tea Party Congressman (and he’s a vegetarian!). Our home has four registered Dems — me, my husband, and our two college age sons (our high school aged son is too young to vote). Clearly the Coffman campaign is targeting Democratic men in his age group — no one else in the family received the hilarious mail piece which reads:

While you were out, Mike Coffman tried to call you…

“I regularly hold tele-townhall meetings in order to know what’s important to you and to better represent you i Washington.”

It then goes on to say, “Mike Coffman / More Transparency in Washington”. The only other things on the simplistic mailpiece are a photo of the Tea Partier , and an enormous red telephone — the kind Batman used to call the Commissioner — minus the flashing button.

On the back, there is a photo of Mike Coffman talking to four business women in black suits, who all look like they just attended a funeral (nice grab at the women’s vote, Mike). The caption reads that they are talking about Anthem College (Anthem what?). Next to the photo is a fake letter listing his bogus top four issues, including, “Saving Medicare and Social Security, Reforming Congress, Cutting Congressional Spending, and Improving Job Growth and the Economy”.  

No, I did not wet my pants laughing, nor did I choke on my dinner as we read the mail, although I certainly could have done so.

To Mike:

1. No, Mike Coffman, you didn’t try to call me. I have Caller ID. We have 5 people living in our house, each with a different schedule. If you tried to call, we’d know it. If you tried to call every one of your constituents, surely you would have reached some. Why would you then need to do a mass mailing with a computerized address field? Do you think voters in S. Aurora are stupid? Lie #1

2. What is a Tele-town hall? Oh, you mean those things where the Robo-dialer calls us and tells us if we want to hear you speak, we should pick up the phone and be talked at?  That is not a town hall. That is phone spam.

How about a real town hall? You know, the kind with real flesh-and-blood human beings who breathe, walk, talk, and have an opportunity to ask you pointed questions? I know Republicans have a hard time understanding the concept of human (eggs and corporations are not human), but surely someone can help you figure it out.

In all fairness, you do a great job of chasing cameras on right-leaning television and radio programs — propping yourself and your talking points in places completely void of real (human) constituents. Lie #2

3. “Transparency”. If you believe in transparency, why do you run every time your constituents approach you in public? Lie #3

http://www.youtube.com/channel…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

4. “Saving Medicare and Social Security”. Sir, you called Social Security a “Ponzi Scheme”. Lie #4

5. “Reforming Congress”. On your website, you mutilate the intent of the DISCLOSE Act, a bill designed to make Congress transparent, into some kind of vague “free speech” issue, and come out against it. Sir, you wouldn’t know transparency if it were a 200 foot mirror that fell on your head. Lie #5.

I could go on, Sir, but I won’t. Mr. Coffman — stop lying to your constituents. Have a real town hall, open it up to the public, and post it on your website weeks in advance. Your constituents deserve better. Your constituents deserve the truth.


Full story: The Audacity of Mike Coffman: 5 Lies, One Mailpiece

Salazar, Udall: What The ACA Means For Colorado

2
  by: nancycronk Wed July 11, 2012 at 6:24 PM MDT

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)



Obama Administration Regional Director in Health and Human Services, Marguerite Salazar, was in Denver Monday to discuss the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”) and what it means for people living in Colorado. Hosted by Senator Mark Udall, she held a press conference with the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative’s Executive Director, Dede De Percin. Salazar applauded the recent Supreme Court Decision to uphold the Constitutionality of the ACA, and promised it will bring a multitude of benefits to Colorado’s citizens, and to our local economy.

As Udall introduced Salazar, a native of Alamosa, he added he “proudly voted for the Affordable Care Act”, and shared that in his travels around Colorado, many citizens had expressed frustration over their lack of quality healthcare insurance due to pre-existing conditions clauses, as well as caps on coverage.  

“Those problems will be gone under the Affordable Care Act. In addition, families like my own with young adults in them will benefit from the feature that ensures people ages 22-26 will still be able to join their parent’s health insurance plans while getting their careers off the ground.”

Salazar outlined the scope of the problem in Colorado:

“Until now, there have been 700,000 people uninsured in Colorado. Over the last ten years, insurance rated had doubled. Nationally, more than 50 million Americans were uninsured, and tens of millions of people were underinsured”.





No More Abuses, Better Care for Colorado



The Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act means Coloradans will be protected from insurance company abuses, Medicare will be strengthened, families will experience more financial security, and Coloradans across the state will have better access to healthcare overall.

Under the ACA, it is illegal for insurance companies to deny anyone for pre-existing conditions, to provide coverage caps to families or individuals who experience major medical tragedies, to discriminate against girls and women on the basis of their gender, and to cancel policies after a person has been diagnosed with a chronic illness or disease.

80/20 Rule

Many Coloradans will receive cash back from their insurance companies if the insurance companies fail to provide enough coverage in proportion to the rates they are charging in premiums. (An older man at the press conference stated he had already received a rebate check for more than $260.)  The rebate is called the “80/20 rule” – insurance companies are mandated to spend eighty percent of the payments they collect on health care for their policy holders. If they don’t, they must refund it to their contracted customers. In 2012, 12.8 million Americans will receive more than 1 billion dollars in rebates. The ACA also prevents unfair rate increases — premium rate hikes greater than 10% will automatically trigger an audit.

Better for Small Businesses, Better for Non-profits



The Affordable Care Act will make doing business in Colorado more affordable. Small businesses, as well as non-profits, which make up 96% of the employing businesses in Colorado, used to pay 18% more in premiums for the same coverage compared to large corporations. Small businesses that choose to provide health insurance premiums for their employees will receive tax credits of 25% to help them do it. In 2011, 360,000 employers received a tax credit nationally. Any small business in Colorado that was not aware of this benefit can go back as far as 2010 to amend their tax return to qualify for their credit. Non-profit businesses (including many churches)  that do not pay taxes are still eligible for the credit, allowing them to receive cash payments for providing healthcare insurance to their employees.

Young People Will Be Insured

Families with young adult children in Colorado are already enjoying the “22-26 feature” of the Affordable Care Act. Previously, premiums were too high for young adults just starting out on their own, so many of them were uninsured, putting them at long-lasting financial risk if they had an accident or debilitating illness. Under the ACA, more than 50,000 families in Colorado are already enjoying peace of mind from this benefit. Nationally, the number is 3.1 million families.

Access to Health Care

As Udall traveled Colorado, he saw first-hand how rural areas are often underserved medically. Physicians and other health care providers have preferred doing business in large, urban areas over smaller, rural communities. Under the Affordable Care Act, the number of healthcare providers employed through the National Health Services Corps has tripled, adding 6000 new providers. The NHSC now has more than 10,000 doctors, nurses, physical therapists, dentists, etc., on its’ staff. Since 2010, Colorado has received $17 million from the ACA to fund 170 existing health centers in CO, and $78.8 million to create new health centers.

Preventing Illnesses and Promoting Health

Since 2010, Colorado has received $17.2 million in grants from the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the ACA. Free, routine health maintenance and preventative services are available through at “Getting Us Covered.” Services include:

• Adult routine examinations

• Immunizations  

• Smoking cessation programs and patches

• Pelvic exams

• Pap smears

• Mammograms

• Colonoscopies

• Prostate exams

• Flu shots

No More “Lockouts” or Caps

Families and individuals facing major medical tragedies and chronic illnesses such as cancer will no longer be “locked out” of health insurance. Nationally, 67,500 people were locked out of the insurance market because their expenses were too high, causing them to be rejected for insurance. In Colorado, families like Nathan and Sonji Wilkes and their young son Thomas finally have access to the life-saving medical care, under the ACA.

Medicare Strengthened

Medicare is strengthened under the Affordable Care Act, meaning more recipients will benefit from preventative care, while efficiencies will bring down costs, saving the government more money. Fewer people will use expensive emergency room visits for routine care.

Donut Hole To Close

For Senior Coloradans in the “Donut Hole” – the income bracket where they do not qualify for Medicare prescription coverage, yet they also cannot afford paying for their own prescriptions,  the ACA offers a 50% discount on brand-named drugs. In the first five months of 2012, more than 7000 people in Colorado used this benefit, resulting in an average benefit of nearly $700 per person. In addition, more than 42,000 Colorado Seniors have already received a $250 rebate check to help cover the cost of their prescriptions. The donut hole will be closed by the year 2020 under the plan. 5.2 million Senior Citizens have already saved a total of 3.7 billion dollars.

How is the Affordable Care Act paid for?

The cost savings of efficiencies built into the ACA nationally has been estimated at approximately $500 billion, which more than covers the cost of the Affordable Care Act. Those efficiencies include the addition of new anti-fraud measures, and the strengthening of enforcement to anti-fraud measures that already exist. Health service providers will also be given tools to help them cut costs to patient care. Under the ACA, patients will receive fewer unnecessary and repetitive tests, and more access to preventative education and well-checks.

Health Exchanges

The Affordable Care Act sets up a system of private sector “Health Exchanges” to make health insurance more affordable to those who do not get it through their employers, or for people who wish to supplement their coverage (the exchanges are not to be confused with a government run-program like Medicare). The Health Exchanges in the ACA utilize and encourage private businesses, allowing them to flourish locally, providing more jobs. Beginning in 2014, Coloradans will be able to purchase their insurance directly through these exchanges. Under the law, the exchanges will not be allowed to discriminate against anyone on the basis of gender or pre-existing conditions. Under Colorado law, tax credits will be available to those who wish to buy their own insurance.

Colorado was originally given a grant of $1 million to plan for the improved health insurance marketplace, and then received a $17.9 million grant to build it. Coloradans can expect it to be launched to the general public sometime in late 2013 or early 2014.

Myths, Lies and Distortions

Religious organizations will not have to provide, endorse, or subsidize the delivery of contraceptives, contraceptive counseling, or abortions, to qualify for the tax credit.

Exorbitant Capital gains taxes have not been built into the Affordable Health Care Act. There is a small feature that affects a very tiny percentage of Americans. Under the ACA, if a couple making more than $250,000/year sells a home and makes a profit in excess of $100,000 on the sale, there is an approximately 3% tax on the gains over $100,000. The resulting small tax increase affects a small fraction of one percent of Coloradans in any given year.

Future Changes to the Affordable Care Act

Senator Udall commented that the Affordable Care Act “is not perfect” but it is a great start to raising the bar in quality health care. When asked, he said he would like to see continuing innovations in alternatives in health care, at times quoting T.R. Reid’s book, The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care.

Udall: “Healthcare is a human right. The Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act was the right one. If the United States is going to lead the world, we need to have the best health care in the world.”

More Information

For more information about the U.S. Affordable Care Act, visit Healthcare.gov.  In Colorado, check out Getting Us Covered.org.


Full story: Salazar, Udall: What The ACA Means For Colorado

What Planet Does Colorado GOP Chairman Ryan Call Live On?

2
  by: Colorado Pols Mon July 2, 2012 at 9:38 PM MDT

From an absurd fluff piece in the Durango Herald Saturday, we must conclude…not this planet:

Social issues won’t be winning elections this year, and Colorado’s Republican Party chairman knows that…

The Hispanic vote will play a major role in the election this year, especially in swing states such as Colorado and Nevada where that demographic is booming, according to national news reports…[b]eyond grass-roots engagement, the party will push more Spanish language radio and television, he said.

The Republicans are also broaching the subject of immigration reform, Call said. The president has “failed to deliver” on his promises in that realm, creating an opportunity for Republicans to step in, Call said. [Pols emphasis]

President Obama’s executive action to hold off on deportations of illegal immigrants who came to the country as children takes a “piecemeal approach,” the state chairman said.

Instead, Republicans are advocating permanent guest worker permits and the use of higher education and military service as pathways to citizenship. [Pols emphasis]

Folks, we don’t know any other way to say this: Colorado GOP chairman Ryan Call has entered into a state of clinical denial. This is the same Ryan Call who denounced his fellow Republicans for their failure to pass the ASSET bill this year, which would have allowed undocumented students to pursue higher education in Colorado at affordable rates:

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in the vote,” Call told FOX31 Denver. “I am. It does make it more difficult for Republicans to talk about issues that are important to the Hispanic community when a bill like that can’t get through the legislature.” [Pols emphasis]

Are you aware of anything that has happened since the end of April, when Call said this, to make his point less valid? If not, can you explain to us why Call is acting like the legislative battle over ASSET, and its defeat at the hands of Colorado House Republicans, never happened?

Furthermore, President Barack Obama’s recent immigration policy changes do use military service as a criteria, like Ryan Call says he wants. The idea that anything resembling comprehensive immigration reform palatable to Hispanic voters could pass the current Republican Congress is nonsensical. Does Call really think Hispanics don’t know this?

Because the polls say they do.

With apologies to the Herald’s Emery Cowan, the author of this story, the only way Mr. Call gets away with misrepresenting his party’s agenda to this laughable extent is when the interviewer is as ignorant about what the GOP actually stands for as their state chairman pretends to be.


Full story: What Planet Does Colorado GOP Chairman Ryan Call Live On?