November 08, 2021 10:56 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Monday (Nov. 8)

• 4 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

Happy International Day of Radiology. Please celebrate responsibly. Let’s Get More Smarter. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example). If you are more of an audio learner, check out The Get More Smarter Podcast. And don’t forget to find us on Facebook and Twitter. 

CORONAVIRUS INFO…

*Colorado Coronavirus info:
CDPHE Coronavirus website 

*Daily Coronavirus numbers in Colorado:
http://covid19.colorado.gov

*How you can help in Colorado:
COVRN.com

*Locate a COVID-19 testing site in Colorado:
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment 

► It’s infrastructure week! For real, this time! As Olivier Knox writes for The Washington Post:

Get ready to hear a lot more about roads, bridges, ports, rail, broadband Internet access and the potential new jobs that come from upgrading and expanding them.

President Biden is planning a national communications blitz to sell Americans on his most consequential legislative achievement to date, a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package — a bipartisan investment that eluded his two immediate predecessors.

White House officials know the traditional knock on Democrats is they can’t ever seem to take credit for their achievements, failing to win over voters even with policies that are broadly popular.

Democrats also know they can’t let that happen this time: Heading into the 2022 midterm elections, Biden’s job approval ratings have sagged below 50 percent as he has struggled to fulfill his campaign promises to tame the pandemic and revive the economy. Independents are running away from him in dramatic numbers. Disappointed Democrats risk staying home.

We wrote over the weekend about the big infrastructure vote and how Colorado’s delegation voted on the matter. Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Boulderish) is getting a lot of love for his role in finalizing the deal, including this re-tweet from White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain:

💯 https://t.co/vZNPhMBVww

— Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) November 6, 2021

Meanwhile, many right-wing Republicans are REALLY mad at some of their colleagues for daring to vote for something that might help the American people. Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert wants to name names! As Ernest Luning reports for the publication formerly known as the Colorado Statesman, only one Republican U.S. Senate candidate is in agreement with the infrastructure passage: Joe O’Dea.

► For more on what the big infrastructure bill will mean for Colorado, check out Axios Denver; Fox 31 news; and The Denver Channel. Michael Booth of The Colorado Sun has more details on what the bill will mean for climate and water projects in the West.

► Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is now publicly attacking Big Bird, because of course he is.

Click below to keep learning stuff…

And Now, More Words…

► Republican Hiedi Heidi Ganahl took a break from running the worst gubernatorial campaign in America to attend to some of her duties as a CU Regent…sort of. As Bruce Finley reports for The Denver Post:

A resolution that would have prevented the University of Colorado from considering race, ethnicity and gender in its decision making was rejected 6-3 Friday by regents

“I’m not opposed to critical race theory being taught on college campuses as part of the larger curriculum and debate,” the resolution’s sponsor, Republican Regent Heidi Ganahl, said. “However, I do not believe CRT should be a guiding principle in any of our hiring, training and administrative policies.”

CU interim president Todd Saliman and CU-Boulder chancellor Phil Distefano said academic freedom and non-discrimination already are part of regent laws and policies.

“What I am proposing would protect our teachers and students from discrimination for any reason,” Ganahl, who is running for governor, told the Denver Post. Describing herself as “a defender of freedom of thought,” Ganahl said, “We need to teach our CU students how to think and not what to think.” She said her “free exchange of ideas and prohibition of certain mandatory training” measure would prevent “discriminatory policies.”

A skeptic would say that Ganahl is just trying to generate some headlines that she can use for fundraising purposes in her campaign for Governor. A non-skeptic would…probably say the same thing.

► The big annual fundraising dinner for Colorado Republicans did NOT feature an appearance from Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert. 

► As The Associated Press reports, a Colorado man sentenced for his participation in the Jan. 6 insurrection has come to terms with his own poor decisions:

A Colorado man who told a judge that he is “guilty of being an idiot” for twice entering the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot was sentenced on Friday to 90 days of home detention.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell also ordered Glenn Wes Lee Croy to spend 14 days in a “community correctional facility,” which is a less restrictive alternative to a jail or prison term.

Croy said he foolishly “followed the crowd” into the Capitol and now realizes he shouldn’t have entered the building…

…In a letter to the judge before his sentencing hearing, Croy said he is “guilty of being an idiot and walking into that building” and has no excuse for joining the mob that stormed the Capitol.

► Former State Rep. Joe Salazar will seek the Democratic nomination for State Senate in SD-24.

► As Jon Murray reports for The Denver Post, Colorado Republicans issued a strongly-worded letter complaining about transportation policies being promoted by Democrats in Colorado. Writing angry letters is just about all that Republicans can do in Colorado because of Democratic majorities across-the-board.

► Governor Jared Polis is pushing a program to create more psychiatric beds for at-risk youth in Colorado to help address what is being described as a “mental health crisis.”

► Colorado Public Radio reports on the dedication of the newly-completed Colorado Fallen Heroes Memorial near the State Capitol in Denver.

► The United States reopened its borders for fully-vaccinated travelers from foreign countries on Monday.

► The Washington Post profiles Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and comes to the conclusion that many have already reached: McConnell ONLY cares about power — not about policy goals.

► As POLITICO reports, the widow of longtime Republican donor Sheldon Adelson is pledging to donate tens of millions of dollars to Republican causes ahead of the next election cycle.

► As The New York Times reports, winter heating bills could be the next big problem for many Americans as inflation rises.

Say What, Now?

Marvel at Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert, a full-grown adult person and an actual Member of Congress:

Your Daily Dose Of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

► A California man wanted by authorities for his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection has apparently fled to Belarus. 

► An effort is underway in Florida to remove the northern mockingbird from its status as the official state bird.

ICYMI

► Former visiting CU professor John Eastman reportedly yelled at Vice President Mike Pence over the latter’s refusal to blow up American democracy in order to keep Donald Trump in the White House.

► Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters probably does not have magical powers.

► Are you anti-mask? Anti-vaccine? A believer in the “Big Lie”? Then the majority of Colorado voters are not very happy with you.

► This week on The Get More Smarter Podcast, hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii talk with Erik Maulbetsch of The Colorado Times Recorder and try to understand the new trend of conspiracy-believing Colorado Republican candidates:

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