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April 12, 2010 10:35 PM UTC

CO-Sen: Yeah, Jane Norton is That Radically Right-Wing

  • 32 Comments
  • by: Senate Guru

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

{Originally posted at my blog Senate Guru.}

As Senator Michael Bennet and former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff square off for the Democratic nomination, the Republican primary appears to be a battle over who can most appeal to the furthest right-wing elements of an already hyper-conservative Republican Party.  While the Democrats are running largely centrist campaigns, despite being amid a Democratic primary, the Republican establishment pick and primary front-runner, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, is doing nothing to cater to a general election electorate.  Rather, Norton is joining her primary competition in far-right-wing revelry, espousing radical rhetoric and featuring a right-wing background that would make any sensible moderate shudder.  Here are some of Jane Norton’s greatest hits.

First, Jane Norton would completely eliminate the Department of Education.  Discussion of eliminating the Department of Education was a popular topic of far-right-wing conservatives during the Reagan 80’s and Gingrich early-to-mid 90’s.  One of the key traits of teabaggers has been ignorance – ignorance at the Obama Administration’s tax cuts for middle- and lower-income families, ignorance at President Obama’s birthplace and religion, and so on.  Since she’s part of a movement marked by turning ignorance into a virtue, why not eliminate the federal department committed to improving the education of Americans.

Second, after we’ve all spent the last year watching the tumultuous health care reform debates, I think we can all agree that we’re not big fans of health care lobbyists.  Well, for five years, Jane Norton was a health care lobbyist.  She lobbied for the Medical Group Management Association, first as Executive Director in their Office of Strategic Relationship, then as Director of their Office of State Government Relations.  On top of that, she subsequently lied about having been a lobbyist, given that lobbyist is one of the dirtiest words in politics nowadays.

Third, going full Palin, Jane Norton chooses not to correct misinformation spouted by supporters at her events, misinformation designed to prey on individuals’ basest instincts, fear and hate.  At a small coffee shop visit, a Norton supporter repeatedly said of President Obama, “He’s a Muslim!”  Rather than politely correct the misinformed supporter about the President’s religion (notwithstanding the fact that, to this individual, “Muslim” is tantamount to a hateful slur), Norton rather put a positive spin on it, praising the “passion around what is happening in our own country.”  Perhaps Norton doesn’t realize the mistake and actually is under the impression that President Obama is a member of the Muslim faith.  If that’s the case, perhaps Norton also believes that President Obama was actually born in Kenya.  It’d be swell if someone in the Colorado media maybe asked her.

Fourth, it sounds like Liz Cheney drafted her stump speech:

And what I believe is happening… is the fact that the rights of terrorists are more important in this administration that the lives of American citizens.

This is an ignorant and hypocritical response to the Obama Administration trying underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in criminal court rather than military tribunal.  Why is it ignorant and hypocritical?  Because the George W. Bush Administration successfully tried shoe bomber Richard Reid in criminal court rather than military tribunal.  Basically, according to Jane Norton, President Obama is siding with terrorists over Americans because he did something exactly the same as George W. Bush.  Interesting.  This ignorance and hypocrisy not too dissimilar from Norton calling on President Obama to balance the budget in his first term or not run for re-election, even though he was handed record deficits by George W. Bush (who, you might recall, was handed recorded surpluses by President Bill Clinton but squandered them).

Fifth, Jane Norton sounds like she’s supportive of either privatizing or abolishing Social Security:

With regard to Social Security, it has turned into a Ponzi scheme. The money that people pay into it should be there for when they are ready to retire.

Taken literally, that individuals’ money “should be there” waiting for them specifically when they retire, Norton seems to clearly support privatizing Social Security into personal accounts.  Taken more broadly, that Norton believes Social Security is best likened to a Ponzi scheme, an illegal and fraudulent financial structure, one could reasonably surmise that she’d be willing to rid the country of Social Security altogether.  Again, it might be helpful for a member of the Colorado media to press her on the topic.  If she wants to privatize or eliminate Social Security, perhaps Colorado’s hundreds of thousands of seniors receiving Social Security ought to know.

When all of this is assembled, it paints a picture of Jane Norton that is so far out of the political mainstream, she can no longer see it from her house.  Taken together, Jane Norton is a fear-mongering, misinformation-spreading, ignorance-championing, Social Security-privatizing former lobbyist who would be happy to weaken education, health care and the rule of law in America.  So, yeah, Jane Norton is that radically right-wing.

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32 thoughts on “CO-Sen: Yeah, Jane Norton is That Radically Right-Wing”

  1. Big.

    Let me know when you guys are done shooting yourselves in the crotch with your silly primary.

    Jane’s not far right-wing.  I’m sure it makes you feel better to say it, and might make a few folks listen to you when you try to demonize her, but it’s just not true.  She’s a decent, kind, nice woman who’s going to do a great job as Senator.

    2. Based on her campaign, though she’s afraid to admit it to the general public, she’s gone full Tea Party and is spouting nonsense the likes of which should instantly disqualify her in the minds of any sane voter.

      That’s she’s leading in even one poll is IMHO a sad commentary on today’s society.

      1. To suit the audience who’s going to be at the party.

        Next party, different audience, different song list.

        I used to do it all the time.  Takes about 48 songs to do a 4-hour gig, we used to keep about 70 fresh and rehearsed and rotate them in depending on who we were playing for.

        I guess that’s a nice way of calling her a chameleon.

        1. she’s just as stark raving looney as you are if you’re a teabagger, and she’s just a sensible Ref C supporting centrist/pragmatist if you happen to be in the middle of the spectrum.  If you hate Washington insiders and lobbyists, she’s an outsider just like you and has never been a “registered” lobbyist.

          Jane Norton.  She’s your buddy whomever you are.

          1. Because when moderate Republicans like Snowe and Collins can be bullied into toeing the radical nihilist Republican party line, there is no doubt that Norton would just be another footsoldier in the GOP zombie army.

            She’ll do whatever she’s told.  If she makes it to Washington, all she’ll have to do is press the “NO” button.

            Bennet has firmly established over the last 15 months that he’s not just a follower, but a leader.

            1. I also feel very badly for the sanity-based holdouts of the party like Collins and Snowe, who get thrown under the bus every day by lockstep ideologues.

              1. Lieberman

                Dorgan

                Bayh

                And the list keeps going on and on…

                Not all of the Senate Dems are Limosine Liberals like Boxer. Sorry to burst your bubble.

              2. …because they’re soft and close to the Dem ideology.  Most R’s despise them.

                Not ‘hate’ despise, but like ‘Ranch dressing’ despise.

    4. Is crazy and should be demonized! Especially if they are a woman!

      She has more decency in her little finger than the whole Colorado Pols readership. Douchebags.

      1. Or, maybe you couldn’t afford to see a doctor to get them prescribed?

        No, doofus, America is NOT afraid of Obama.  His ratings are fairly decent considering the kind of lying scumbags that populate the right wing nowadays.  

        1. An economic system characterized by moderate regulation and free enterprise principals that is characterized by demagogues as communism.

          2. Seriously???

            I’m not saying the health care system is anything near where it should be, but seriously “MODERATE regulation”???

            That’s like shooting your horse is “moderate treatment” when he throws a shoe 10 miles up from camp.

            oh, and BTW… Moderate Progressive regulation and free enterprise are antithetical. (Look it up, I know its a big word.)

            1. Doesn’t change the basic health insurance delivery model.

              Similar to the program instituted in Massachusetts by a Republican governor.

              Comparable to mandates in auto insurance.

              Most comparable foreign system:  Switzerland,  widely known as a low regulation country.  Look up Federal Health Insurance Act of 1994.

              Now as to your more general insult: I have forgotten more about free enterprise than you could hope to learn going back to my days working on post soviet free enterprise transformation and in particular privatization and currency stabilization on through my brief sojourn studying for my economics PhD and 11 years making real money investing Billions (yes with a B) of dollars for an asset manager.  

              I know one thing for certain an appropriate level of regulation is good for the economy and the insurance and financial industries are waaay under regulated.  Some industries are over regulated in my opinion (cabs in Denver would be an example), but that is not the general problem.  I think we were over regulated in the 70’s (with some notable areas of under regulation-environmental for instance), but deregulation became a fetish that drove us get rid of rules without fully appreciating why they existed.

              1. You can’t – with a straight face – say that the State FORCING every company to buy health insurance is “moderate regulation”.

                “appropriate” is a term based on perspective. When the nurse shoves her finger somewhere I don’t like, I’m sure she could say she used the appropriate force and went the appropriate depth.

                I would have a different opinion.

                As usual, its all in the perspective. If you don’t think we’re well on the way to a Carter-like level of regulatory avalanche, I will simply ask you for your opinion in 6 months. I’m betting you have a different perspective then.

                1. I am not allowed to have an opinion yet you are? This despite the fact mine is based on years on training and experience and yours is based on clear misinformation.  

                  No one is forcing companies to offer health insurance.  There is a penalty of $750 per employee for businesses of more than 50 employees.  If you choose not to offer health insurance that amounts to about 35 cents an hour, certainly not coercive.

                  And while your bitching please note for buisnesses employing less than 25 people there are no requirements to provide health insurance (remember the $750 penalty kicks in at 50 employees), but there are strong tax incentives, the generally conservative favored business tax cuts for those that offer insurance.

                  As to Carter, apparently you are unaware that Carter and Ted Kennedy began the process of deregulation in trucking and airlines.  Look it up.

                  I am not worried that President Obama will over regulate the financial and insurance industry, the lobby is too powerful, I am concerned that he won’t go/can’t go far enough.  

      3. I thought he was the guy who broke Muhammad Ali’s jaw in 1973, traded the title back in the rematch and then was robbed in 1976 of the title in the final round.

        I love Norton.  

  2. It’s always helpful to have all of this info in a summarized format. Based on the points made in this post, this race should be a cakewalk.

    It’s truly sad that Dem’s coffers aren’t being leveraged against Norton and highlighting what the media has failed to do. This is why primaries in a tough election year is always a bad idea.  

    1. Have you bothered going to this guy’s website?? He’s one pot leaf shy of being DailyKos!

      Balanced? Not even close. C’mon, I actually thought you were “devilishly moderate”.

      1. Norton is a winger, plain and simple. The Tea Party has brought her ever further right. That’s a fact SL. Maybe if all of the Republican candidate weren’t crazy loonies i’d give them credit more often

  3. FAMILY OF HONOR, INTEGRITY  “Bus” Bergman, war hero and prominent Colorado athlete, dead at 89

    Decorated World War II hero and hall-of-fame athlete and coach Walter “Bus” Bergman of Grand Junction died. He was 89 years old.

    He is the father of former Colorado lieutenant governor and U.S. Senate candidate Jane Norton of Denver.

    “There was just something about him. He always had this smile that made people feel like they knew him.”

    Bus Bergman was a star athlete at Denver’s North High School and Colorado A&M (later renamed Colorado State University) and a legendary coach at Mesa State College 1950 through 1980, according to Mesa State.

    The athletic fields at Mesa State are named in his honor. Bergman also is credited with helping bring the National Junior College Athletic Association baseball tournament to Grand Junction in 1959, where it is still played each year.

    A star halfback at Colorado A&M, he rejected a professional football from the Philadelphia Eagles to enlist in the Marines.

    During World War II, he was a major in the 229th Sixth Marine Division and received the Bronze Star for heroism during the bloody battles at Okinawa and Sugar Loaf Hill,

    In a 2004 article in the Denver Post, Norton said her father never boasted of his heroism in the war, and when pressed by his children to discuss it, he told them, “The heroes are the guys who never came back.”

    A three-sport athlete at North High, Bergman hit the winning basket that gave his team the state hoops championship in 1938, while earning all-city and all-state honors.

    At Colorado A&M, he earned varsity letters in baseball, basketball and football, as well as serving as student body president.

    At Mesa State, his coaching record in football was 102-63-9, with three conference championships. His baseball teams were 378-201, with 20 conference championships. He coached from 1947 to 1950 at Fort Lewis College in Durango, while he played semi-pro football for the .

    He is a member of six athletic halls of fame, including his induction into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Colorado State University Hall of fame in 1993.

    He is the father of former lieutenant governor Jane Norton of Denver.

    He will be buried in the Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

    In lieu of flowers, the family asked for contributions to either First Baptist Church of Grand Junction, Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado or the Bus Bergman Baseball Endowment Fund at Mesa State.

    Jane is the daughter of Elinor Pitman Bergman, a retired Grand Junction public school teacher and native of Pueblo, and Walter F. “Bus” Bergman, a native of Denver and retired Mesa College coach.

    Jane’s father, Major Walter “Bus” Bergman, United States Marine Corps, Retired, served in the 229th- 6th Marine Division during World War II. Bergman was awarded the Bronze Star for extraordinary heroism during the capture of Okinawa and the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill.

    On October 25, 1945, he participated in the ceremony at the surrender of Japanese military forces in Tsingtao, China. Bergman is a member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.

    Daughter, Jane, is married to MIKE NORTON, former US Attorney of Colorado. She is the mother of two grown children two step-children, and enjoys seven grandchildren, one of whom is serving in the US Army.

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