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March 17, 2018 12:22 AM UTC

Weekend Open Thread

  • 43 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“The past is an old armchair in the attic, the present an ominous ticking sound, and the future is anybody’s guess.”

–James Thurber

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43 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”

    1. Whew!  For a minute I thought I'd gotten my dates wrong — I wasn't aware other counties were holding theirs today.  I'm going to Denver's next week.

      BTW — V'ger — do you need a ride next week?

          1. The Jeffco Assembly was today. A good time was had by all except it was hot as hell in the SD and HD break out sessions. Kennedy, Polis, Johnson, and Underwood addressed the assembly. If applause means anything, Kennedy walks away with the biggest block of delegates.

            1. Our  County assembly was also fun and productive. I learned a lot from the platform discussions.

              Winners: Cary Kennedy, universal health care, keeping ADA law as is, and industrial hemp.  Losers: fracking ban, statewide free college, and term limits. Onward to state!

              1. I'm completely not surprised Cary is running away with the delegates.  The activists in the party have long memories and she's been a favorite for a long time.

                I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if only three names wind up on the primary ballot — Cary, Mike and Jared.  Cary could capture most of the delegates, leaving Jared just enough to qualify, while the petitioners other than Jared could find themselves coming up short since Mike Johnston has already soaked up most of those signatures.

                1. Mike Johnston is not getting much love out in the sticks. In fact, the only Gov candidates getting traction are those who showed up or at least sent surrogates. Hence, Noel Ginsburg, who came to our little sparsely-delegated gatherings twice, emerged with a delegate.

                  Polis and Kennedy ended up with equal delegates.

                  Jared Polis is respected, and if he's the nominee, he'll get the Dem votes,  but people resent that he didn't show up on the eastern plains (other than Longmont).

                  I myself am still torn between Polis and Kennedy, but in the end voted my bread and butter, which as a teacher is Kennedy.

                  1. Johnston didn´t get much love in Jeffco either. Haven´t seen the results from today but the total he got in the caucuses was 152 votes to Kennedy´s 1,326 and Polis´806. He gave a nice speech today.

                    1. I wonder if Johnston will make the 10% cutoff, even if he gets enough valid signatures from the petitions?

                      He's got to be a little worried.  Jared's team is working very hard to ensure his delegates will show up and be counted.

                    1. Oh- setting the bar low is the right  idea.

                      To also state what I think is obvious – I hate the Colorado caucus. 

                      As a method for choosing candidates – it sux
                      As a method of community organizing – sux
                      How about spreading the message and platform – SUX

                      The only things its good for are to claim the party did something – no doubt it's a lot of work and I respect those who do it

                      And it frustrates newcomers and excludes those who cannot attend.

  2. Couple days ago, mailed off another small check ($35) to Randy Bryce.

    Visit randybryceforcongress.org  . He's running against Paul Ryan. It's likely that a ton of money will pour into the race for Ryan from the Koch brothers and their various front groups (Americans for Prosperity, Concerned Veterans of America, etc.). Yes, there are important races here in Colorado, with Dems. and common sense conservatives needing support. But I encourage everyone to cough up at least a little cash for this race. A strong grass roots effort is needed to offset the cash from the bloated plutocrats. 

    1. Thanks for the reminder, CHB. The Koch Bros have funded yet another group to keep an eye on: “Fueling U.S. Forward”

      This is a good read on the group:

      The Koch Brothers Vs. God

      The billionaire Koch brothers are one of the driving forces behind right-wing campaigns throughout the country. One of their primary activities is promoting fossil fuel production. According to Virginia environmental groups, that involves efforts to deny the existence of climate change and stifle renewable energy policies.

      1. I find it interesting that the new Secretary of State will be a Koch boy. As I understand it, he is a long time Koch acolyte and political employee. Looks like everyone is trying to manipulate der Dumbkopf in Chief. Now Chuck and Dave will be the first ones to have his ear each day. 

        I wonder if Pompeos' rise has anything to do with all the infighting for oil deals currently going on in the world. Tillerson couldn't get rid of the sanctions for the Rosneft/Exxon deal. I'm thinking the Kochs may be covertly doing stuff we know nothing about.

        1. "may be covertly doing….."   More like, "are doing," I would think. Pompeo has been getting Koch money since the late 1990s. when he got venture capital support to set up a business. Pompeo ran for Congress four times beginning in 2010 and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in Koch money, either direct or from Koch front groups. I'll offer that Pompeo; despite being a decorated military veteran; is bought and paid for by the Kochs.

          1. '…despite being a decorated military veteran; is bought and paid for by the Kochs."

            I doubt Pompeo would see it that way.
            He – and like-minded others – would see ideologically aligned supporters $howing support. Exactly as the founders and Citizens United wanted.

  4. Former CIA Director tries to come up with the nicest things he can say about Donald Trump:

    Former CIA chief John Brennan did not mince his words when taking aim at President Donald Trump on Saturday morning.

    In a blistering tweet, Brennan blasted Trump for celebrating the dismissal of former FBI deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

    Trump would take his “rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history” once “the full extent” of his “venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known,” Brennan wrote.

    “You may scapegoat Andy McCabe,” he added. “But you will not destroy America… America will triumph over you.”

    Trump, no doubt, is pleased that his name is getting all the attention he craves.

    1. Strategery — this story’s gonna last for the remainder of  Donnie’s sadministration now. Needlessly firing McCabe and publicly celebrating it, just one day before he takes retirement is only going to add layers of new Drümpfenführer enemies . . .

      I guess we now know the limits of Session’s specious integrity?  The gnome is finally beaten down. 

  5. NYT article today about the machinations of Cambridge Analytica:

    How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions

    "In summer and fall 2014, Cambridge Analytica dived into the American midterm elections, mobilizing SCL contractors and employees around the country. Few Americans were involved in the work, which included polling, focus groups and message development for the John Bolton Super PAC, conservative groups in Colorado"

    Who were the "conservative groups in Colorado"?

     

    PS. I am still wondering how Carter page knew, 3 months in advance, that Paul Ryan would green light the Nunes memo's release.

    1. Obviously, responding to Zappy every time he has his head up his ass would be a full time job.  But it is particularly stupid to attack Bennet for voting for the defense budget while praising FDR, JFK and Truman.

      Fdr led us into World War Ii.  Truman built NATO, contained Communism, and fought the Korean War.

      JFK assailed Ike for cutting defense, warned of a "missile gap" pledged to "pay any price, bear any burden" in the struggle against communism, led us to the brink of nuclear war over Cuba and planted the seeds of our Vietnam involvement.

      Just once Zappy, read a book before blowing a dumb ass opinion out of your dumb ass.  Start with Michael Beschloss, "Mayday."

  8. In his eight years as secretary of state, he has secured a total of nine convictions, only one of which was for illegal voting by a noncitizen; most were for double-voting by older Republican men.

    . . . 

    How does it feel to have your papers out of order, Mr. Kobach?

    . . . 

    It all seems like a big joke until you remember that laws like these have already had their intended effect. In Kansas, more than 22,000 people who tried to register had their applications suspended or canceled for not having proof of citizenship.

    Kris Kobach’s Voting Sham Gets Exposed in Court

    https://nyti.ms/2GCuaEq

     

    The KKK* rides (backwards) again . . . 

    (Kansas Kris Kobach)

    1. "But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial offi cers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, [being twenty-one years of age,]* and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State."

      1. MADCO — since there are no more Reply links to your caucus comment above, please allow me to hijack this subthread.

        It seems to me that as long as we have major political parties (despite George Washington's warnings), they need a mechanism to engage, organize, motivate and develop agendas, volunteers and candidates to support a generally accepted range of values and goals.

        I'm no political scientist, but I believe the caucuses are a lot more inclusive and small "d" democratic than the smoke-filled backroom political machines that anointed most of the candidates we voted for in the past.

        I would truly like to know what is your preferred alternative?

        1. Darts.

          I grew up in Cook County. Yeah – the fix was in, and an honest politician was one who stayed bought.  But it worked. Same for less well known fixed cities- Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York,  Newark , etc, etc

          "…mechanism to engage, organize, motivate and develop agendas, volunteers and candidates to support a generally accepted range of values and goals."

          Sure. And if Colorado caucuses did any of that, I'd be chearing. Apparently, it has worked in Iowa. 

          Instant run off voting primary.
          I would prefer non-partisan ballot – but baby steps. 

           

           

           

          1. I bow to your greater experience!

            The practice of politics will always be a mix of deep cynicism and fresh-faced idealism, with a dose of pragmatism thrown in for good measure.  That's in the best interpretation of the bright side of power.

            Fighting corruption, perverted ideology, megalomania, cronyism, etc. — the dark side of power — is why the founding fathers gave us the democratic republic in the first place.

            But I get your point that making elections more open with wider participation (and the instant runoff leading to faster/less costly campaigns) could lubricate the gears of democracy.

            I'm not up to speed on all the various primary schemes, but I recall an article recently where the California system could cause an open district with multiple Democratic candidates knocking each other out, resulting in a Republican winner.

            Under a new voting system in California, the top two vote-getters in the June primary — no matter their party — will face off in the general election in November. In a year of remarkable political energy stirred by opposition to President Trump, so many Democrats want to run for Congress that they could end up dividing the vote in districts like this one, producing a November runoff between two Republicans and in the process upending any hope of a House takeover.

            1. My experience is irrelevant.

              Colorado caucus is exclusionary and does not achieve the desired goals.  
              But we cling to it because the two parties in Colorado need it to preserve their dominance.  

              Parties should be free to select their nominees however they want. But the parties should not be free to dominate the electoral process.  

              As a forward leaning progressive American, I believe we will get better candidates if we eliminate the Colroado caucus.

               

              1. Your experience is relevant.  I've only been politically outspoken for the last 10 years.  I suspect you've been at this for much longer (and especially being from Chicago which I consider a force-multiplier 🙂

  9. Advice Trump is least likely to follow:

    Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) urged President Donald Trump and his lawyer on Sunday to stop flailing at special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and to let the probe continue unimpeded.

    "When you are innocent … act like it," Gowdy said on “Fox News Sunday“ when asked about Trump's repeated Twitter attacks on Mueller, whose probe has become increasingly perilous to the president and his inner circle. "If you’ve done nothing wrong, you should want the investigation to be as fulsome and thorough as possible."

    Gowdy's comments came a day after Trump's attorney John Dowd called for Mueller's investigation to be shut down. Gowdy issued the same exhortation to Dowd: "If you have an innocent client, Mr. Dowd, act like it.”

    1. Alva would probably know exactly, but off the top of my head, I think it's 30% if you go to caucus, or only 10% if you also petition.  Caveat: if you get less than 10% at caucus, then I believe your petitions are irrelevant, so you're out.

      I just found this note

      Candidates who receive 30+% support make the June ballot.  Candidates who receive 10-29% are ballot eligible but MUST have turned in sufficient petitions by March 20.  Candidates who receive under 10% are denied ballot access (unless they did not declare for the caucus process in the first place).

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