President (To Win Colorado)
See Full Big Line
(D) Kamala Harris
(R) Donald Trump
80%↑
20%
CO-01 (Denver)
See Full Big Line
(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) V. Archuleta
98%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
See Full Big Line
(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Marshall Dawson
95%
5%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
See Full Big Line
(R) Jeff Hurd
(D) Adam Frisch
50%
50%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
See Full Big Line
(R) Lauren Boebert
(D) Trisha Calvarese
90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
See Full Big Line
(R) Jeff Crank
(D) River Gassen
80%
20%
CO-06 (Aurora)
See Full Big Line
(D) Jason Crow*
(R) John Fabbricatore
90%
10%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
See Full Big Line
(D) B. Pettersen
(R) Sergei Matveyuk
90%
10%
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
See Full Big Line
(D) Yadira Caraveo
(R) Gabe Evans
52%↑
48%↓
State Senate Majority
See Full Big Line
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
See Full Big Line
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
July 26, 2017 10:32 AM UTC
17 Comments
Wow, is Ken Buck evolving on LGBT issues?
Who would have thought he's be channeling the late Barry Goldwater on this!
A tweet is not a policy. Anyone know the next step?
So our draft-dodging POTUS can't support transgender soldiers?
Pols has it right….it's a distraction. Maybe there's something in the defense budget that he wants to cut out – but I read Tweeterdumb's latest splats, and it's hard to see what he wants the military to be focused on in Syria, in Lebanon, in Afghanistan:
What is this "decisive and overwhelming victory" he speaks of, for which he wants to sacrifice the rights of transgender soldiers? We don't even have an authorization for use of military force (Ryan took out Barbara Lee's AUMG amendment) and we have no mission statement. Yet we keep sending more and more troops there.
Did you see how much more they spend on Viagra refills for limp-dicked male officers than they expect to spend on gender reassignment? Something like five times the amount.
Either there are not many transgendered GI's needing medical benefits, or a hell of a lot of GI's with ED.
http://www.denverpost.com/2017/07/26/us-military-viagra-transgender-medical-care/
The estimate from OutServe is 15000 transfolk on active duty.
Rand puts the estimate as between 1320 and 6,620 on active duty.
. Their midrange estimate was just 2,450.
"This is how we celebrate ‘American Heroes Week,’ cub scouts!"
https://www.gop.gov/american-heroes-week1/
Politico has what seems the most believable explanation for the decision. Just a matter of political expediency to get his wall funded. Nothing to do with military readiness or performance, and well beyond even what the House
bigotsconservatives were asking for.http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/26/trump-transgender-military-ban-behind-the-scenes-240990
Michelangelo Signorile provides more background and additional motivation.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trumps-cruel-military-ban-on-transgender-people-is-an-attempt-to-save-his-base_us_5978905ae4b0a8a40e8417f3?5mp&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
But the Senate will never go along with funding the wall. I mean, even many Republican senators have said no to that.
The Politico article made sense of a sort. They were going to stop funding military gender reassignment surgery in the defense budget, in exchange for supporting funding for the stupid wall.
Then our chaotic, erratic President , without consulting with generals or military experts (he lied when he said that he had), tweeted out a ban on transgendered people serving in the military.
It's not policy; it was a statement of intent to change policy. Per Maddow's show, the thousands of transgendered soldiers on the ground are being supported by their units. Unit cohesion requires people to have each other's backs, and, until there is an official policy, which requires a very specific procedure, the existing policies should be followed. This is really bad for the military, as well as for TG soldiers.
This video is an interview with the head of OutServe, an organization for LGBT military people, and the director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America,with their take on the impact of the"transgender ban tweet".
Closer to home, this is what Rep. Esgar and the Colorado Legislative LGBT caucus had to say:
House Democrats
‘You Are Not a Burden; You Are True American Heroes’
July 26, 2017
(July 26) – The Colorado General Assembly’s LGBT caucus reacted with outrage after President Trump sent out a tweet this morning saying transgender people would be banned from the United States armed forces.
“President Trump’s tweet this morning is a betrayal of the thousands of transgender Americans who are already serving honorably in our armed forces, defending our cherished values and freedoms,” the caucus said in a joint statement. “One of those freedoms is living our own lives, whether in religious belief, political expression or gender identity. We stand with our transgender service members and will do all we can to fight for their right to defend our country’s freedoms. You are not a burden; you are true American heroes.”
The Colorado Legislative LGBT Caucus includes co-chairs Sen. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, and Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, as well as Sen. Lucia Guzman, D-Denver, and Reps. Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins, Leslie Herod, D-Denver, and Paul Rosenthal, D-Denver.
Pols said: "……but it's also a distraction." Indeed, we really need to be talking about Hillary's e-mails, right Andrew, Moderatus, PP?
And Benghazi, too.
Whitewater!
The blowback on this is incredible…
Ken Buck is not the only right winger to criticize trump. Mattis is PO'd. Even the House free dumb caucus is saying that they just didn't want to pay for surgery or hormones, not a complete ban.
Hell, even Con Man Cory criticized trump. This must be one of the things he's done that Moldy says is not evil.
He's getting his ass handed to him from some incredibly conservative corners. This is being interesting. People who railed about President Obama ending DADT are screaming about Trump's tweet. Orrin Hatch laid into him about it. That made me choke on my soda when I read it this morning.