September 11, 2024 11:51 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Wednesday (Sept. 11)

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• by: Colorado Pols

You’ll always remember where you were when you first heard about the great immigrant pet eating conspiracy from a guy who was an actual President of the United States. 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 the website formerly known as Twitter.

FIRST UP…

► Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off in a much-anticipated Presidential candidate debate on Tuesday in Pennsylvania. There’s not much argument this morning that Harris thoroughly dismantled the Big Orange Guy.

From NPR:

Trump’s team ahead of the debate equated the Republican standard-bearer to boxing great Muhammad Ali. If he was a boxer, Trump was cut and bleeding in the middle of the fight, and by the end, was TKO’d. Or as a Democratic strategist texted afterward, it was more like Ali vs. Berbick, Ali’s last fight, decided unanimously — for Berbick. [Pols emphasis]

Trump made the unusual move for a presidential candidate to go into the spin room after the debate and talk to reporters. That’s not something that’s normally done when someone has a good debate. That’s usually reserved for low-polling primary candidates, who felt they didn’t get enough time or attention during the debate.

Via The Washington Post:

Vice President Kamala Harris turned in one of the more resounding debate performances in recent decades on Tuesday night — to the point where Donald Trump’s allies have struggled to locate a silver lining…[Pols emphasis]

…We’ve so far seen two instant polls — one from CNN and another from YouGov.

The CNN poll showed Harris winning the debate 63 percent to 37 percent among debate-watchers, while the YouGov poll showed her winning 54-31 among registered voters who watched at least some of the debate, with 14 percent unsure.

The New York Times:

Kamala Harris commanded the first debate against Donald J. Trump, flashing her prosecutorial skills to leverage every chance to get under the former president’s skin in a 90-minute clash of visions and style.

They disagreed fiercely on abortion and the economy, immigration and the war in Ukraine. But throughout the night, Mr. Trump found himself in a defensive crouch, relitigating his record rather than picking apart hers.

The contrast was apparent even on mute. She smiled. He glowered. He spoke more, but she dictated the terms of the evening.

From a roundup via The New York Times:

Liam Donovan, Republican strategist: Harris stopped short of closing the deal with the audience at home, but she successfully baited Trump into self-indulgent, spittle-flecked tangents that squandered a prime opportunity to sow doubts about his opponent…

…David French, Times columnist Harris won, and it wasn’t close. That doesn’t mean this debate will be decisive (the nation is too closely divided, and we’re too far from Election Day to make that judgment), but Harris accomplished everything she wanted to accomplish. She was poised, confident and passionate. By contrast, Trump grew steadily angrier and more conspiratorial as the night went on. It was as if Harris had been debating an avatar for MAGA Twitter and not a former president of the United States.

And from POLITICO:

Harris made it Trump’s night — in the worst possible way. The campaign armed Harris with a series of trip wires hoping that Trump would be unable to resist setting them off. Not only did Trump take the bait, he brought a couple of his own, which he tripped over again and again. It was as if Lucy showed up with half a dozen footballs for Charlie Brown to kick, and Charlie himself brought a few more for good measure…

…Harris knew exactly what she was looking for when she taunted Trump about crowds leaving his rallies “out of boredom and exhaustion.” She knew he could not resist claiming that his crowds were bigger, that she had to pay her followers to attend. But even the Harris team could not have expected that Trump would pivot immediately back to the “millions and millions” of undocumented immigrants and claims that they’re “eating the dogs! They’re eating the cats!” (As sportscaster Warner Wolf might have said, “You could’ve turned your sets off right there.”

► One of the defining moments of Tuesday’s debate led to a meme that is likely to last in the public consciousness for a LONG time:

As The Associated Press explains:

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were abducting and eating pets, repeating during a televised debate the type of inflammatory and anti-immigrant rhetoric he has promoted throughout his campaigns.

There is no evidence that Haitian immigrants in an Ohio community are doing that, officials say. But during the debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump specifically mentioned Springfield, Ohio, the town at the center of the claims, saying that immigrants were taking over the city.

“They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” he said. [Pols emphasis]

Harris called Trump “extreme” and laughed after his comment. Debate moderators pointed out that city officials have said the claims are not true.

Trump’s comments echoed claims made by his campaign, including his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and other Republicans. The claims attracted attention this week when Vance posted on social media that his office has “received many inquiries” about Haitian migrants abducting pets. Vance acknowledged Tuesday it was possible “all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”

Here’s that moment from the debate:

For Trump, this was reminiscent of former Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl’s “furry panic” period from 2022.

► Following the debate, pop superstar Taylor Swift poured salt in Trump’s wounds by publicly endorsing Kamala Harris for President. As CNN reports:

Taylor Swift said Tuesday she is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for president, ending speculation about whether the superstar singer would share her political views ahead of November’s election.

“Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country,” Swift wrote on Instagram, shortly after the conclusion of Harris’ debate with former President Donald Trump, her Republican rival, on ABC News.

“Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth. I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.”

► Republican Congressional candidate Gabe-ish Evans (CO-08) has an anti-semitism problem in his campaign. As Erik Maulbetsch reports for the Colorado Times Recorder, Evans’s Political Director and top adviser, Jessica Spindle, is apparently a pretty disgusting human being:

[Spindle has] been on staff as Evans’ political director for his congressional campaign since April, but she’s been a relentless sharer of antisemitism, conspiracy theories, and calls for political violence for much, much longer. [Pols emphasis]

She made her most egregious antisemitic post just three months ago, while on Evans’ payroll. On June 14, Spindle publicly posted the infamous “Freedom for Humanity” mural, which depicts antisemitic stereotypes of Jewish bankers playing Monopoly on the backs of naked figures. Spindle shared the post from a conspiracy account called Anonymous, which included a single “Okay” hand sign emoji, a symbol that has been co-opted by the alt-right to indicate white power, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

During the first summer of the pandemic Spindle shared another antisemitic cartoon depicting a puppeteer’s hand controlling marionette strings attached to a mask-wearing man.

Gah! Spindle is also a member of the Weld County RE-8 School District Board of Education, which is another problem on its own.

Stefanie Clarke, co-founder of Stop Antisemitism Colorado, called for Evans to fire Spindle and urged her school board colleagues to launch an investigation. [Pols emphasis]

“It is beyond appalling for an elected official and high-level political campaign staff member to share such blatant antisemitic imagery — and to include the caption “the most powerful pic I’ve ever seen,”’ is nothing short of outrageously inflammatory, offensive, and dangerous,” said Clarke. “The ‘Freedom for Humanity’ mural is one of the most notorious examples of modern antisemitic propaganda, perpetuating harmful stereotypes that have fueled hatred and violence against the Jewish people for generations.

“We will not stand by and allow antisemitism to be normalized in our political discourse. Congressional candidate Gabe Evans must not only condemn Jessica Spindle and her post, but also immediately terminate her from his campaign. Anything less would signal to the Jewish community that he believes this to be acceptable rhetoric. Further, we urge the Weld Re-8 School Board to launch an investigation into Board Member Spindle’s history of antisemitic posts, including propagating the blood libel and minimizing the universally recognized evil of Adolf Hitler. Someone who harbors such deep-seated venom toward any group of people has no place overseeing the education of Colorado’s children. This incident highlights the urgent need for accountability and education at every level of public service to ensure hate of any kind is never tolerated in our state or our democracy.”

Evans has plenty of other problems as he tries to unseat incumbent Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo in CO-08. Lots of them.

Click below to keep learning things…

Check Out All This Other Stuff To Know…

► House Speaker Mike Johnson has been forced to delay a vote on a short-term government funding proposal because his plan is dumb. As POLITICO explains:

 House GOP leaders pulled their six-month stopgap funding plan on Wednesday, hours before a scheduled floor vote.

Facing a number of Republican holdouts, Speaker Mike Johnson said they’ll delay the vote until next week as they work to quell Republican opposition and “build consensus.” …

…The measure has crumbled amid mounting criticism from conservatives, defense hawks and other Republican factions, and it’s unclear that more time will help save the bill unless leaders make drastic changes. House GOP leaders have been already been whipping the bill, and nearly a dozen Republicans have publicly said they plan to vote against it. The package would fund the government through March 28 and is combined with legislation that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, known as the SAVE Act.

While a government shutdown at month’s end is still unlikely and unwanted by congressional leaders, it’s the latest episode of Johnson’s repeated struggles this year to muster enough support to pass GOP spending bills, thanks to many of the same problems currently plaguing his conference.

► Happy Beetlebert anniversary!

► Axios looks at the inclusion in Tuesday’s debate of the rumormongering about a Venezuelan gang taking over Aurora.

► Members of Colorado’s Congressional delegation are pushing a handful of new water-related bills, as Caitlyn Kim reports for Colorado Public Radio:

Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Rep. Lauren Boebert have introduced a bill that removes interest payments that municipalities are required to pay back to the federal government as part of a 2009 cost-sharing agreement for the Arkansas Valley Conduit. It would also extend the repayment period to 100 years, up from 50.

The estimated price tag for the project has doubled due to inflation and increased labor costs, hence the bicameral Finish the AVC Act…

…A second new bill, this one led by Hickenlooper, also aims to ensure states, tribes and water districts have access to federal funding. He’s leading a bipartisan, bicameral bill with GOP Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran and Reps. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado and Juan Ciscomani of Arizona to create a “navigator” position within the Bureau of Reclamation to boost their ability to develop, get funding for and then implement water management and conservation projects.

Hickenlooper said he’s pushing the idea because “rural and tribal communities deserve their fair share of federal funds to address drought, but all too often are left out.”..

…Also on the schedule for Wednesday’s hearing is the Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act, led by Hickenlooper and Ranking Member Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming. The bill, introduced this spring and backed by a bipartisan group of Western senators, extends a pilot program to test voluntary water conservation measures in the Colorado River Basin through 2026.

► Colorado Newsline catches up on the latest on the “Game of Groans” involving the Colorado Republican Party:

A Colorado judge wants the lawsuit over control of the state Republican Party to wrap up before the 2024 election.

A trial in the case between Eli Bremer and Dave Williams, who both claim to be head of the state party, will start on Oct. 14, the same week voters should get their ballots in the mail and three weeks before Election Day itself.

“It is evident to the court that the issues before it need an expedited resolution,” Judge Eric Bentley of the 4th Judicial District said in court on Tuesday morning. “Two separate individuals and leadership teams claim to lead the Colorado Republican Committee. They represent separate factions of the party. They point the party in very different directions and have different sets of supporters.”

“As everyone knows, an important national election is pending inside two months from now, and based on the limited information to the court at this time, it appears self-evident that the Republican State Committee cannot function as intended without its leadership issue resolved,” he said.

Bremer sued Williams and his party leadership team late last month, asking the court to declare actions at an Aug. 24 meeting valid. At that meeting, members of the state GOP central committee voted to remove Williams, vice chair Hope Scheppelman and secretary Anna Ferguson from leadership, and then installed Bremer as chair and named a new vice chair and secretary.

Williams and his supporters, however, claim that the meeting was invalid and held a separate meeting a week later, where his position as chair was affirmed by the party members who attended.

October 14th is before the November 5 election, but ballots will be on their way to mailboxes that week.

► Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubenstein talks with Colorado Public Radio about the long, strange legal road that resulted in convictions for former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters. 

► State lawmakers are trying to figure out how to improve cell phone service in and around some of Colorado’s most popular tourist destinations. 

► Jaclyn Allen of Denver7 reports on grassroots efforts to push lawmakers to overhaul regulations for problematic HOAs around the state. 

► Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump is already laying the groundwork for his eventual refusal to again debate Vice President Kamala Harris. Can’t say we blame him.

► Xcel energy is facing new complaints about power outages that may result in a state investigation.

Say What, Now?

Some Colorado Republicans are really grasping at straws trying to explain how Vice President Kamala Harris so thoroughly dismantled Donald Trump in Tuesday evening’s debate:

Your Daily Dose Of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

► Weird rich guy Elon Musk had a bizarre reaction to Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. From HuffPost:

Elon Musk offered to impregnate Taylor Swift after she endorsed Kamala Harris for president following Tuesday night’s debate.

There’s really not much else we can add.

► It’s okay to poop at work.

ICYMI

► The 2024 General Election ballot has been certified by the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. Click here to see the official list of candidates whose names will appear on the ballot. Here’s a look at the statewide ballot measures that have officially qualified, via the SOS:

The following amendments and propositions were referred by the legislature:

♦ Amendment G – “Modify Property Tax Exemption for Veterans With a Disability” (HCR23-1002) proposes to change the Colorado Constitution.
♦ Amendment H – “Judicial Discipline Procedures and Confidentiality” (HCR23-1001) proposes to change the Colorado Constitution.
♦ Amendment I – “Constitutional Bail Exemption for First Degree Murder” (HCR24-1002) proposes to change the Colorado Constitution.
♦ Amendment J – “Repealing the Constitutional Definition of Marriage” (SCR24-003) proposes to change the Colorado Constitution.
♦ Amendment K – “Modify Constitutional Election Deadlines” (SCR24-002) proposes to change the Colorado Constitution.
♦ Proposition JJ – “Retain Additional Sports Betting Tax Revenue” (HB24-1436) proposes a statutory change.
♦ Proposition KK – “Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax” (HB24-1349) proposes a statutory change.

The following amendments and propositions were citizen-initiated:

♦ Amendment 79, “Right to Abortion,” proposes to change the Colorado Constitution.
♦ Amendment 80, “School Choice in K-12 Education,” proposes to change the Colorado Constitution.
♦ Proposition 127, “Prohibit Trophy Hunting,” proposes a statutory change.
♦ Proposition 128, “Concerning Eligibility for Parole,” proposes a statutory change.
♦ Proposition 129, “Establish Qualifications and Registration for Veterinary Professional Associate,” proposes a statutory change.
♦ Proposition 130, “Funding for Law Enforcement,” proposes a statutory change.
♦ Proposition 131, “Concerning the Conduct of Elections,” proposes a statutory change.

In addition to the 14 statewide measures, local initiatives will be considered by some voters. County Clerks have the most complete information on local ballot contests.

► The Harris-Walz campaign is trolling Donald Trump with this excellent ad running on Fox News:

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