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May 27, 2012 08:11 PM UTC

Romney Coming To Craig To Attack...Bill Ritter?

  • 76 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

TUESDAY UPDATE #4: FOX 31’s Eli Stokols, in a story titled “Romney attacks fall flat in Colorado coal country.”

An area coal mine, Peabody Energy’s Twenty Mile, stopped production and bused in 148 miners to attend Romney’s event. Men wearing the trademark mining uniform of blue overalls with crisscrossing reflective neon stripes stood in clumps among the audience.

The general manager of Peabody’s Colorado operations, Pat Sollars, said the miners would be compensated for the time they spent at the event.

Sollars told reporters Romney understood how important coal production was to the nation’s economic security and growth, and said the president “doesn’t view coal as an essential element” in the nation’s energy future.

But he could not point to any Obama-era decisions that had affected the coal business here. [Pols emphasis] Instead, he said he was worried about what the president could do if re-elected.

And National Journal’s Sarah Huisenga:

Craig’s recent economic situation has been largely positive, said the town’s mayor, Terry Carwile. “Nobody’s been laying people off or anything like that,” said Carwile, a retired coal miner. “As a matter a fact, they’ve been hiring.”

Coal production in Colorado and Utah rose 25 percent in the third quarter of 2011, compared with the same period a year earlier, according to a November 2011 Denver Post article.

The political website ColoradoPols.com also indicated that the problems Craig and other coal-producing communities have suffered are due to state and not federal issues. It said the biggest perceived threat to Craig’s coal production is not Environmental Protection Agency regulations, but a bipartisan law signed in 2010 that aims to convert some of Colorado coal energy production to natural gas by 2017.

—–

TUESDAY UPDATE #3: This is getting ridiculous, folks. ABC News:

Romney tweaked President Obama on his energy policies, asking the crowd, “He said he was going to create some 5 million green energy jobs. Have you seen those around here anywhere?”

Well, if Mitt Romney were to watch FOX Business, he might have seen:

Ten States Where Green Jobs Thrive

Colorado’s clean economy has grown at nearly twice the rate of the nation’s between 2003 and 2010. [Pols emphasis] Now, more than 72,000 state residents have green jobs. Conservation is the largest segment for green jobs, although companies like Ball Aerospace & Technologies have helped make fuel cells the fastest growing green sector. The Colorado Springs metropolitan area has among the country’s highest rates of clean economy jobs that are green collar…

Next up: Romney says California should get our water, and makes a joke about your mother.

Because this really can’t get much worse.

—–

TUESDAY UPDATE #2: The desired message for Mitt Romney’s campaign seems to be kind of epically running aground here, as the New York Times now reports from Craig:

“The economy here in Craig and in Moffat County does seem stronger than a lot of our Western Slope communities,” said Ryan Call, the chairman of the state Republican Party. “And that’s good. That’s a good thing.” [Pols emphasis]

…Terry Carwile, the mayor of Craig and a retired coal miner, went further, saying that the economy was “getting better” in the town of 9,500 as oil speculation intensified. He played down the suggestion that federal regulations had wounded the local coal industry.

“The policies of the federal government really aren’t that impactful to us so far,” he said. [Pols emphasis] He acknowledged that they were “a concern,” though, and that residents were ever wary of government meddling in their biggest industry.

That was not the message from Mr. Romney, who spoke to about 1,000 residents in a park near the town’s center…

—–

TUESDAY UPDATE: Politico’s Reid Epstein with the early story from Craig:

Romney was introduced by local hotel owner Frank Moe, who with his wife Kerrie, starred in the film titled “The Perfect Storm over Craig, Colorado,” that was produced by Energy for America, a joint project of the American Energy Alliance and Americans for Prosperity. Both groups are funded primarily by the Koch brothers.

“When Kerrie and I cried out for help and relief from Obama’s overregulation of the energy industry and his failed economic policies that are hurting out community, Mitt Romney is the one who answered the call,” Frank Moe told the crowd.

But the regulations about which Moe – whose hotel, where Romney and the traveling press stayed Monday night, largely caters to employees of oil, gas and coal companies – complained were implemented by state officials, particularly former Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter. [Pols emphasis]

That’s pretty much what we’re saying, yes.

—–

As the Craig Daily Press alluded to yesterday, there’s a little more to the upcoming visit by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney to this remote northwest Colorado town than meets the eye:

Frank Moe, owner of Deer Park Inn and Suites in Craig, sent Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign a video earlier this year produced by Energy America.

The video, titled “The Perfect Storm Over Craig, Colorado,” highlighted the community’s economic dependence on the energy industry.

Along with the video was an invitation from Moe to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to visit Craig.

“We (thought) this would be a good place for him to make the point that he is (in favor of) all forms of energy,” Moe said.

Now, “Energy America’s” correct name is Energy for America, a joint project of the American Energy Alliance and Americans for Prosperity–two very active political groups largely funded by the oil and gas industry, including the Koch brothers. And here’s where it gets kind of interesting–from the press release for the video, The Perfect Storm Over Craig, Colorado:

The American Energy Alliance released Tuesday a video telling the story of Craig, Colo., a small town of approximately 10,000 people and home to the Centennial State’s largest coal-fired power generating plant.  But due to Colorado’s energy mandate that requires 30 percent of the state’s electricity generation come from wind, solar, and other renewable sources by the year 2020, and an increasingly hostile regulatory regime at the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Craig is facing tremendous economic uncertainty…

And of course, these groups are spending millions attacking Barack Obama over gas prices. Mitt Romney is making a campaign stop in a town that serves as the subject of a propaganda film from the same organization running millions of ads against President Obama. This might seem a little, you know, squirrely all by itself, but there’s a bigger issue that needs addressing.

The biggest problem is there are local issues playing out in Craig that national audiences are not going to understand in advance of Tuesday’s visit. To start with, Colorado’s biggest electric utility, Xcel Energy, has said that the 2010 30% state renewable energy standard is not a problem–in fact, Xcel expects to meet that standard several years ahead of schedule.

And we really don’t get the logic: is Mitt Romney running against Bill Ritter?

Next: the biggest perceived threat to Craig’s coal production is not the 30% renewable standard, or even EPA regulations–it’s the historic, bipartisan “Clean Air, Clean Jobs” plan, signed in 2010 by Gov. Ritter, that aims to convert some of Colorado coal energy production to natural gas by 2017. That’s what Craig coal miners are in court fighting, even though the deal includes upgrades for coal power plants to help them comply with EPA “mandates!”

And the bottom line? Coal production in Colorado is going up, not down. Any reduction in local coal consumption is expected to be made up by increasing exports of our cleaner coal eastward, to help their plants comply with emission standards. And Kinder-Morgan, who for all we know may have helped fund the production of The Perfect Storm Over Craig, is now exporting millions of tons of Colorado coal to international markets through Houston.

With all of this in mind, what will Romney talk about on Tuesday? Will he attack Colorado’s renewable energy standard, which appears to be working–and Romney’s opponent had nothing to do with? Will he attack “Clean Air, Clean Jobs,” another state-based deal and the shining achievement of fellow Republicans like former Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry?

One way or another, it’s going to take some major factual abridgments to turn this stuff into a usable sound bite for Romney’s campaign. It’s either the wrong message, or the wrong target.

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76 thoughts on “Romney Coming To Craig To Attack…Bill Ritter?”

  1. I almost wrote in the original diary that he was going to Craig to do the Kochs brothers dirty work. But I did not because that seemed too far fetched.

    Lesson learned. Nothing, absolutely nothing is too far fetched when it comes to the Republicans.

    1. passed along to me by a Moffat County employee.  Apparently the County Commissioners are stirring up fears that their revered coal-fired power plant is threatened.  Would be good if journalists beyond the local ones covered the event on Tuesday.  

      1. Kyle Clark got kudos for manning up to the green zoner.

        Any journalist that queries mittens past his carefully scripted jabs, puts him in the uncomfortable position of defending attacks about “decreased production” or “over regulation” will provoke a pissy retort by the former Vietnam era draft dodging presumptive red nominee.

        It’ll be good TV and it’ll get whomever has the stones to do it noticed.

        The tactic at any rally for the cowardly waffler should be to expose his ignorance, his incompetence, and his lack of principles and inner core.

        Getting Romney off script, showing him to be even less qualified for President than Palin was for VP, will energize the Democratic base and flatten the enthusiasm of the republicans that can read and comprehend simple facts.

        As for the red base, nothing will abate their anger over a President not completely white.        

  2. Be sure to arrange a photo-op with Mitt wearing a historic train engineer’s outfit, smiling and waving from the front of a coal-burning steam engine with black smoke and cinders billowing from the engine!

    What better advertisement for coal power, and the GOP’s commitment to forever looking back to preserve our nation’s past?

    1. It really sums up what’s wrong with Romneyism.  So many good nicknames for him – Mint Rawmoney, the Etch-A-Sketch candidate, etc.  How about Loot Romney?!

  4. but nary a word will be said about renewable energy.  Kind of weird to advocate for continued dependence on fossil fuels while proclaiming it a pathway to energy independence.

      1. We’re a D-R house and we’ve had seven robocalls. Craig is not in our immediate future.

        They should draw several hundred, at least. I’ll bet it’s been many years, if ever, that a presidential candidate has darkened Craig’s door. Even candidates for governor seldom make it there.

        In little towns, lots of people will show up just to be able to say that they saw a possible president one time.

  7. Romney is brilliant; that how he made all that money.

    He is a excellent strategist, has consolidated the republican base, and will probably demolish Obama in the fall.

    Obama has a lot of worker bees (“don’t be negative or the little people will lose their motivation to register voters)” but he does not have independent thinkers and he does not have good feedback from the field.  He also does not have Frank Lutz….who spent March a year ago in Colorado working with focus groups and perfecting the republican talking points….that we have been hearing 24/7 on both local and national airwaves.

    Where the hell is Howard Dean and are there any brains left in the democratic party?   I have had it up to here with the whiners….”oooooo the republicans are so mean….” and the apologists…..

        1. I think you are right. The problem is once one understands what the arguments are and talking points….then what do you do???  There is no place to go with any counterarguments except to post here…but that has the negative effect of reassuring everyone that the repubs are dumb.  They are not.

          “Coast to Coast” all night radio has been running repeats from 1999…..somehow, it soothes the soul.

          1. I think one reason you think that Republican arguments are brilliant and Democratic arguments are weak and moronic is because that’s what you are constantly hearing from right-wing radio. You may think this stuff goes right through you and doesn’t affect your opinions, but of course that’s what we also say about silly beer commercials and people still buy Coors (and would never admit that advertising told them to).

            And you come on here and tell us how nobody will ever support Democrats like Bennet and Hickenlooper, and all one can conclude is that you’ve bought into the hype that Caplis and Boyles keep selling you.

            Oh, and your comment about the Democratic “little people” trying to actually register voters is telling.

            1. Poor dwyer believes the Republican spinners when they tell him that independents hate Obama.  He really really believes it because of his self imposed conditioning.

              dwyer.  Chill out man.  I don’t think you are a concern troll but your Eeyore attitude sure gets annoying.

              Romney is the lesser man and the Bain ads will be followed up with ads about the record of this one-term governor of Massachusetts.  You really think that someone with Obama’s depth of character doesn’t have a few things going for him that the Republicans won’t see coming.  Republicans might not be dumb but the Obama campaign has been preparing for Romney to be their nominee since last year.  They know their opposition as well as you know Rush Limbaugh’s voice.

              1. it’s the Stockholm syndrome.  People are getting used to people/corporations holding them upside-down and dumping the change out of their pockets, and they’re struggling to remember that there was ever another way to live.  Every Democratic candidate has to work very hard to ensure the beaten down people don’t forget.

      2. That verb comes right from Dick Morris. You remember Dict Morris, gim.  He was the political wizard that helped Clinton win in 1976 and then had a falling out and went republican…….

        Demolish is his prediction……you remember, gim, the book he wrote back in 2009….”How the Republicans can win big in 2010″  But, I digress.

        1. would try looking at his actual record, and not just when he was right. Dick Morris is like the you of Fox News personalities. Always predicting huge Democratic defeats and occasionally right by accident, like a person who predicts the two of clubs every time he sees a magician with a deck of cards.

          Another awesome Dick Morris prediction book? Condi vs. Hillary, his prediction about the 2008 election. Available for $0.01 from these sellers!

    3. I mean, if I were a right-wing tool like Libertad, and my goal were to troll by just saying the most colossally condescending stupidities to drum up irate responses, I couldn’t do better than:

      1) Romney must be brilliant because he made a lot of money

      2) Obama loyalists are just “little people” and “worker bees”

      3) Howard Dean (the guy who tried Obama’s playbook and failed four years earlier) is the last guy with brains in the Dem party

      1. here are two more suggestions for losers Obama should learn from (like Dean and Morris) that, I can only hope, are almost as insightful as the above three by dwyer:

        4) Obama should take Joe Trippi out for hoagies to beg him to hop aboard the now-doomed Obama-Biden train, to make it as successful as the fantastic campaigns that President Dean and Senator Romanoff enjoyed.

        5) Obama should dump Joe Biden in favor of Joe Lieberman, the last Democrat wily enough to win his state’s and America’s hearts by learning how to be just like the Republicans.

        1. Those are actual suggestions, even if they’re silly, so it’s a long way from dwyer advice. Let me try:

          Why are you people such mindless DNC sheep? You limousine liberal tools…haven’t had a decent campaigner since Dick Morris and Pat Caddell…

          Why don’t you try listening to what the guy at the end of the bar is actually saying… instead of talking about stupid things like policy and how the guy at the end of the bar is maybe a little drunk?  

          I’ve been saying since 1962 that Republicans are going to win in 2010 and there’s nothing you can do about it, so why do you little people keep trying?

          I heard on right-wing radio that Mitt Romney is a genius. Now I’m not saying Mitt Romney is a genius, but people are hearing that Mitt Romney is a genius, and you can’t keep hearing that Mitt Romney is a genius without starting to believe that Mitt Romney is a genius, because he’s got a lot of money and the Silver Bullet won’t slow you down.

          Why do you stupid lazy elite morons keep acting so mean to little old me?

        1. I was beginning to worry about you getting fair and balanced coverage.

          I like Ed and Lawrence O’Donnell but find Maddow to be another fear monger.  She goes on and on about this outrage or that and they all constantly post up negative segments that feature video of Republicans.

          I think they would all be better shows if they talked more about the positive things that Democrats are doing and dialed down the Limbaugh wannabe fear mongering.

          1. This trio is part of the “eastern elites” that only talk to each other. But, I listen because there is literally no other place to get news that at least says what is going on with democrats….and the country.

            I think that Ed Schultz almost singlehandedly brought

            the Wisconsin dems to national attention and continues to fight for them.

            Every once in a while, Maddow gets a good interview.

            Matthew is aging poorly.  I like to listen to him and his philly accent…but he is an east coast snob….like when Obama came to Boulder and Matthews called the SINK, that venerable CU landmark,

            a “dive bar.”

              1. Al Sharpton is one funny, intelligent, man.  He gets the rap for being an agitator because it suits the right wing to wave the specter of urban riots around whenever an African-American stands up for justice.

                he is on at four o’clock in Denver and we rarely get to see him….a loss.

                The way he responded to the Trey Martin case was measured, deliberate, and successful.  He constantly cautioned against civil disorder.  I should have mentioned him.

    5. You’ve hit upon one of my concerns: Who provides the Left’s media talking points?  Answer: They’ve been kicked out of the media.

      Consider:

      –The New York Times kicked off Frank Rich and Bob Herbert, two brilliant progressive analysts.  We’re left with Paul Krugman (thankfully) and Maureen Dowd (huh??).

      –The Denver Post terminated Mike Litwin.  I wish we had his perspective during the civil unions and the pot DUI special session.

      –MSNBC kicked off Keith Olbermann and Cenk Ugyer.  At least they still have Rachel Maddow.

      Rich, Herbert, Litwin, Olbermann, Ugyer.  Firing them is as effective as a political assassination, and we’re left struggling to find talented replacements.

      Yet another piece of the puzzle of why the Dems don’t have an effective media message.

      1. You are right, and those outlets are supposedly the heart of the “left wing biased media”….I don’t know why they let those talented writers go….with the exception of Olbermann…who evidently is difficult to work with…

        But, I think that Olbermann  should be handled with kid gloves…I think he is invaluable….I keep thinking maybe someone would syndicate him for 15 minutes daily for his special commentary…

    6. It was brilliant how he was born into wealth and power.  It was brilliant how he grew up knowing only privilege — cushioned from the vagaries of want & need brought on by the daily struggle.

      Romney’s every move thru life has always had the insurance of a CYA out.  He is an excellent selfish strategist whereby every move assured his immediate and long term benefit at the expense of anyone else.

      And now Romney will use his wealth, influence & privilege to its furthest advantage playing off the nascent nefarious affects of Citizens United.  This will be the most expensive presidential campaign in anyone’s lifetime (on the heels of the most expensive GOP primary ever imagined) and our republic will be worse for experience.  

  8. 1) The first is that they assumed that Hillary would be the candidate right until the spring and so they were geared up to fight against her…..

    2) More importantly, in September, after the conventions, the economy was near collapse and their “heart” was not in the fight…..I agree the only one not scared spit less was Obama…

    This all is sadly, to me, too much like the 1980 race…

    In 1976, Carter came from “outside of Washington” and he had a good record as governor of Georgia; plus, he was a moral man with a “clean record.”  Nixon had made a mess and Ford had done his best to caretaker the government, but when he pardoned Nixon, he looked like “more of the same.”

    The repubs made a big smelling mess.  The country elected a sober, intelligent, honest, decent man to clear up the mess.  Carter did his best, but the very qualities that made him the man to clean up the mess, made it difficult for him to deal with the economic aftermath of the energy crisis and the debt of the Vietnam war to the satisfaction of the voters.  

    1. I suppose your advice would be that Dems don’t even need to bother to vote, much less write checks or volunteer, since we’re absolutely, positively doomed.

      Please don’t take it personally if many of us fail to take that advice.  You know how clueless and naive we all are. And if Obama does win, in spite of all Dems and Dem leaning indies and really all voters in general being such morons, please don’t take it too hard.

      It won’t necessarily disprove your theories about how hopelessly dense all Dems are compared to those all powerful brilliant Repugs.  You can chalk it up to even a blind squirrel finding a nut once in a while and  keep the faith that all your dire predictions will surely be fully realized next time. It’s all good. Or bad. Whatever.

      1. Is that when people like dwyer bring up legitimate concerns, the response is to sing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and insist that Democrats will win because our policies are so clearly superior.

        The thing is, in ’10 even as most everyone here insisted that the only logical way to vote was Democratic, the Republicans won most every contested race.

        2. and “Don’t Bother, We’re Doomed”.  I’ve never advocated the former but the extent to which Dwyer preaches certain and complete doom and you, Dave, whine continually about anything short of perfection does strike me as the not-so-fun-house mirror image of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, not the antidote.

          Besides, you are engaging in a blatant straw man argument as I also can’t recall seeing the happy talk comments you allege.

          Even 2010 wasn’t entirely gloom and doom. Notable here in Colorado was the failure of the GOP to win the extremely important Gubernatorial and Senate races which I’m pretty sure were contested. On the national level, due to the GOP failure to control the the TPers enough Senate seats were won by Dems to prevent losing it after all due  to chaos in the GOP and the ability of Dems in those cases to take advantage. Remember Harry Reid pulling through?  I think that was pretty seriously contested too.  

          I’ve been highly critical of Dem leadership,  messaging and failure to match GOP aggression ever since I started commenting on this blog but it hasn’t been all failure all the time (electing the first mixed race President when a year or two before that was still widely viewed as not yet possible for one) and there have been important instances of improvement worth noting. I don’t think acknowledging that makes me a naive happy talker. SXP certainly isn’t. I really can’t imagine who you have in mind.

          1. You may call it whining. I dislike how our side is also owned by Wall St and ignored the job crisis for 2½ years. Yes our candidates suck a lot less. But I think we should aspire to candidates who are good, not just ones who are less sucky.

            If all we do is talk up our side, then we leave them free to continue with business as usual. If we support our side, but make it clear we’re not happy with their focus, then we can possibly improve our side.

            1. If all we do is talk up our side, then we leave them free to continue with business as usual. If we support our side, but make it clear we’re not happy with their focus, then we can possibly improve our side.

              ruffled feathers are not life threatening.

            2. I can afford a number 4 today to call bullshit, Dave. More straw man arguments. Just talking up our side is so clearly not what I or anyone else besides the GOP shills do here.  You can repeat that all you want.  It won’t make it true or relevant. And while certainly not enough has been done to address jobs, you’re statement that nothing has been done in 2 1/2 years is another straw man.

              You’re arguing with me over things I haven’t said with blanket assertions you can’t back up. That’s my problem with your views and dwyer’s.

              I have no problem at all with wanting to pressure those who ask for our votes to do a better job of serving us. I would respect your arguments and dwyer’s more if they weren’t such sloppy, straw man messes. And that’s the last of my banked comments I’m going to spend today debating with someone who can’t stick to addressing real statements that real people have actually made and real things that have actually happened.

              I presented a few facts about a few non-negative realities.  In response, the only fact based assertion from you is that I have been pissy to dwyer. Here’s how you address things real people have actually said… Yes, Dave, you are correct. I have been pissy to dwyer. I’ll probably be pissy to dwyer again some time in the future. I think I have adequately explained my reasons for being pissy to dwyer. See how easy that is?

  9. 1) I do think that Romney is brilliant. It takes brains to take over companies….he is first and foremost a strategist.  Underestimating him is dangerous.  

    2) Howard Dean’s “50 State strategy” was not his presidential campaign, it is how he ran the 2008 DNC during their “successful” 2008 election campaign.

    Now, I don’t know who misquoted me….I do not think that the republican talking points are brilliant…but they are brilliantly executed….every day, radio and TV…governors, commentators, senators, congresspeople….all on message, repeating the same thing…..the democrats??????

    Finally, I am not alone in this rant….In addition to Bill Mahrer and Chris “where are the democrats” Matthews,

    Tom Friedman wrote a column in the NYTIMes about the failure of the Obama campaign to get their message out…(I will post the link).

    This is the democratic response team……Debbie

    Wasserman Schmidt, that gallant woman, who in addition to having three small children, and who still hasn’t reached the critical five year mark in her cancer recovery, and is a sitting Congresswoman with constituent and committee responsibilities…..and in her spare time, she is running the DNC…..

    Matthews to Wasserman-Schmidt….after commenting on the lack of adequate democratic “answer” to a variety of issues, asked her “Where have you been?”

    And she said, “One of my children had a birthday party.”   God love the woman……she is doing a terrific job….but she sure as hell is not getting much help…

    as for the “worker bees”….you guys are not running the party and washington is not listening to you….and you know it and that’s your problem…not me.  

        1. I should do more than thank you for the correction, I should apologize for not getting her name right.

          So help me god, I wrote the name down the last time she was on the Matthews show because I do admire her so and wanted to put her in a post, and didn’t want to get it wrong.

          I wrote it down wrong.

    2. as there have been many cases recently of the Dems doing a much better job of getting messages out than previously, as well.   Once again, if Obama wins after all and all of your glooom and doom doesn’t pan out, I hope you’ll be able to get over it.

    3. No, he did not have the resources to actually carry out his presidential primary campaign in 50 states, but the roots of the “campaign anywhere and everywhere” thinking that he took to the DNC came from his campaign.

    1. Your post made me wonder so I called Jim Baptist, Dir. of Transportation for the Moffat County School District and he kindly provided the background.

      Public safety official requested that the buses be parked around the perimeter of the event so security officers had an area of focus.  The buses provided no transportation to & from event and acted more as a back drop or a convenient barrier to manage the crowd.  The photo isn’t any kind of endorsement and unfortunately shows the extent to which looks can deceive.

      School term just completed last week so this didn’t impact normal operations — it was much more innocent than what’s suggested.    

      1. the photo of the school buses:

        Buses carrying area coal miners, who are wearing their work clothes, have arrived at Alice Pleasant Park in downtown Craig, awaiting the arrival of presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

        So apparently someone is either confused, or not telling the truth.

          1. it would be very interesting if we could find a report from anyone on-site — or if a reporter with any mettle could ask the right people just what was the story.  

            Mr. Baptist said his buses were driven to Craig — not used for any kind of transportation.  It would seem his story should be easy enough to verify if someone knew who to ask.  

            Signs on the bus coulda/shoulda been removed for the sake of optics but with Craig celebrating their ass-warts day in the sun maybe ripping down signs woulda caused a bigger kerfuffle than it was worth.  Didn’t sound to me like Mr. Baptist was on hand to know/not know what was happening with his buses.  Craig is pretty red so who’s got a loud enough voice to raise these flags with the school district or county gov’t?    

        1. paid for the use of the buses…no issue, just a profit center for the school district. If they are donated or lent…someones’ ass needs to be in the fire.

          1. doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist any didn’t ask Mr. Baptist about it when we spoke.  School finished in Moffat last Thursday.

            I know that some towns/districts do make their buses available to rent to school sanctioned groups and for the occasional civil functions (like parade transportation).  I agree 100% that public buses shouldn’t be used for partisan events so hopefully some parent or interested party has the wherewithal to ask the right questions.  But then I’m sure Dems or liberals are pretty lonely folk out in Craig.

          3. Peabody rented the buses.  That in itself ain’t a big deal, having photos strewn all over the web with pro-Mitt messages next to “Moffat County School District” is another story.  Even the locals, who all support the mines, ain’t exactly pleased with that.  

            Overall, I was surprised by the turnout, no more than 500 people showed up, and considering 200+ of them were paid or given the day off of work to attend, that seems paltry.  I also thinks that downtown merchants and other taxpayers aren’t all that pleased with shutting down Main St. for a 15 minute stump speech that said nothing pertinent to the area.

            1. The following are quotes from local residents who attended Mitt Romney’s rally Tuesday morning in downtown Craig. About 2,000 people, or more by some estimates, attended the event to hear the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

              Such as…


              “It just strengthened my position that Romney’s not a Communist, he’s for the free market … and small business,” said Alan Switzler, 45, of Craig.

              http://www.craigdailypress.com…

              Commish 1

              “…Right now, he is our salvation for Moffat County.

              “He didn’t say anything specific about what he is going to do for energy…”

              Commish 2

              “…I don’t know exactly what he will do in regards to regulations, but I do believe he will give us a level playing field and that’s really all we ask.”

              http://www.craigdailypress.com…

  12. NYT says “… Mr. Romney, who spoke to about 1,000 residents in a park near the town’s center…”

    I’ve seen DP and others pegging attendance at 500ppl

    regardless, best is a photo coming out with a “Obama killing Craig” poster in the background but ya got Craig mayor and others all feeling pretty good about jobs available in Moffat.  Lies always make for great posters.  

    1. Mittens defeated an opponent he doesn’t have two years after the guy stepped aside quietly. Romney is one scary son-of-a-bitch. RESPECT.

      Or like a BOSS.

    1. Per Twitty’s link:

      In an interview with Colorado radio station KRAI, Romney elaborated on his energy-related plans if he’s elected. He said energy industries deserve credit for proactively taking steps to reduce pollution and other problems.

      “Our extracting industries have become so effective in remediating lands after they have been mined for coal, for instance, as well as making sure that we’re not polluting the air,” he said.

      Let’s check in with OVEC (Organized Voices & Empowered Communities) to see how that remediation is doing:  



      There’s a little West VA town at the bottom of that fill pile and below those sludge ponds that doesn’t quite think remediation is working for them.  But don’t worry, Mittens has it all figured out …

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