(D) Kamala Harris
(R) Donald Trump
80%
20%
(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) V. Archuleta
98%
2%
(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Marshall Dawson
95%
5%
(D) Adam Frisch
(R) Jeff Hurd
50%
50%
(R) Lauren Boebert
(D) Trisha Calvarese
90%
10%
(R) Jeff Crank
(D) River Gassen
80%
20%
(D) Jason Crow*
(R) John Fabbricatore
90%
10%
(D) B. Pettersen
(R) Sergei Matveyuk
90%
10%
(D) Yadira Caraveo
(R) Gabe Evans
70%↑
30%
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
You think OUR Republican legislators have introduced some clunkers this session? At least we're not living in the Volunteer State. A failed Tennessee "Don't Say Gay" bill that helped to propel George Takei to surprising social media fame is back, and it's worse than before.
UPDATE: Irony not lost on Wonkette: We are assuming this will be the first case of the NRA and Gun Owners of America agreeing that this law-abiding citizen should not have access to a gun! It should be an easy call, being a Democrat. —– As the Las Vegas SunВ reported yesterday: A Democratic assemblyman is […]
John Obringer sent out a letter to his tenants at the Casa Adobe Apartments on Wednesday. The letter was addressing cutbacks on staff and maintenance issues.
“Due to the stupidity of the U.S. electorate, the Obama-administration’s continued assault on small business is resulting in increased taxes, regulations and mandates that are forcing the management company (B&J Enterprises, Inc.) for Casa Adobe Apartments to modify its operation to survive. This has resulted in layoffs, work-time reductions and decreased pay for workers. Consequently, the business hours are now Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Please plan accordingly … We are working hard to maintain the field, cleaning and maintenance personnel in place without raising rents, but that too is inevitable due to the upcoming inflation and market forces,” writes Obringer…
Then he added, “BTW: If you voted “Democrat” on Nov. 6, please notify me ASAP so I can raise your rent first to help pay for what you asked for.”
We’re pretty sure that no law is violated unless the landlord in question actually raises rents on tenants who voted for Barack Obama, which implies that he would know who they are–not the easiest thing to do with a secret ballot. So this likely gets filed with other such mindless ventings of hot air after last month’s tough election for Republicans: harmless, unless you count the source of the “threat” himself, who comes off looking kind of stupid.
We’d suggest John Obringer move to Canada, but he might not like the housing code.
We read a story today by political reporter Kurtis Lee of the Denver Post that left us with many more questions than answers. It’s not about an issue we spend much time on, but the claims made in this story seemed so outlandish that we found it necessary to ask more questions.
And yes, it’s pretty much as bad as we thought.
Today’s story concerns a national group, founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, called Mayors Against Illegal Guns. At least 13 Colorado mayors have joined this organization, including Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Golden Mayor Marjorie Sloan, Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy, and Northglenn Mayor Joyce Downing, among some 720 nationwide. Notably not on this list, however, is Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan. After the shooting at an Aurora movie theater this summer, obviously Hogan’s non-participation in this campaign is worth noting.
Mayor Hogan says that he has “ideological problems” with the group, and that gun control policy is a local issue, not a national one. This arguably ignores the facts around interstate trafficking in guns (see: Golyansky, Greg), but it’s within the realm of opinion–not a false statement per se.
The false statements come when Lee quotes Dave Kopel of the right-wing Independence Institute, and lets Kopel make several totally absurd claims about Mayors Against Illegal Guns without bothering to check any of them out. Kopel tells Lee that “Bloomberg’s group supports a lifetime ban on gun possession for anyone who has ever been arrested for a drug offense–even if that person was later found innocent. … The group likewise promotes a lifetime ban for anyone who has ever been ordered to receive counseling for any mental problem.” Lee says Kopel’s comments are based on “proposed legislation supported by Bloomberg in Washington.”
We sent a request to a staffer at Mayors Against Illegal Guns at New York City Hall for more information, and here’s what they had to say about Kopel’s accusations as uncritically reported by Kurtis Lee. If this is right, Lee’s story is so far off the mark it’s really quite irresponsible.
The most blatant error in his statement is regarding the drug abuser claim–the Fix Gun Checks bill DOES NOT support a lifetime ban for a drug arrest: (1) the fix gun checks bill extends the window that drug arrests makes a person prohibited from one to five years (not lifetime) and (2) the language of the bill is that an inference of drug abuse “may be drawn” from an arrest within the past five years–it does not require that the inference be drawn.
Current federal law prohibits “unlawful user” of any controlled substance and federal regulations allow an inference of unlawful use to be drawn if the person has “multiple arrests for such offenses within the past 5 years if the most recent arrest occurred within the past year.” 27 CFR 478.11. The original Senate fix gun checks bill modifies that definition to allow an inference of unlawful use for a drug arrest within the past five years. The House version of the bill does not include this provision.
As for Kopel’s claims regarding psychological counseling and guns:
Regarding the mental health claim, the Fix Gun Checks bill does not promote a lifetime ban for “anyone who has ever been ordered to receive counseling for any mental problem.” Instead, the bill classifies a person as prohibited if they are ordered by a court, board or other lawful authority, “in response to marked subnormal intelligence, mental illness or incompetency,” to receive counseling.
Current federal law prohibits anyone who has been involuntarily committed to a mental hospital or “adjudicated as a mental defective,” which includes people who have been found incompetent to stand trial. 27 CFR 478.11. The Fix Gun Checks bill extends that definition to include anyone who has been ordered by a court or other lawful authority to receive mental health treatment “in response to marked subnormal intelligence, mental illness or incompetency.” Also, it does not apply to anyone who voluntarily seeks mental health treatment.
So what does this all mean, gentle reader?
It’s simple: if this is right, Kopel is lying, and the Denver Post, through negligence or complicity, is helping. The response we easily obtained from Bloomberg’s group appears nowhere in Lee’s story. In fact, there’s nothing whatsoever to give readers an indication Kopel may not be telling the truth–Lee actually validates Kopel’s nonsense by asserting it is “referring to proposed legislation supported by Bloomberg in Washington.” That’s just not true, folks.
Anyway, we assume Mayor Bloomberg knows how to ask for a correction. We just wanted to point out for our record how silly and one-sided Kurtis Lee’s “journalism” is in this case. And we’re obligated to note that this is not the first such incident with him.
Like a scene from Blazing Saddles, Think Progress:
The head of the Republican Party in Maine thinks there might have been voter fraud in his state because “nobody in town knows anyone who’s black,” but black voters came in to vote on election day…
In an interview with an NBC affiliate, [Charlie] Webster said he was astounded by the “dozens, dozens of black people” who voted, and thought it was odd because he personally doesn’t know anyone who knows a black person in town:
“In some parts of rural Maine, there were dozens, dozens of black people who came in and voted on Election Day. Everybody has a right to vote, but nobody in town knows anyone who’s black. How did that happen? I don’t know. We’re going to find out.” [Pols emphasis]
According to the Census Bureau, the population of Maine is 1.3% African-American. Not exactly a high percentage, but 1.3% is appreciably more than, you know, zero.
But, for the record, nobody the chairman of the Maine Republican Party knows is aware of this.
That is, unless you live in Jefferson County.
From CBS4:
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- The woman named “Democrat of The Year” this year by the Jefferson County Democratic Party has been convicted of felony theft by a Jefferson County jury for stealing from a developmentally disabled 71-year-old woman.
It’s standard practice, of course, for political parties to award “people of the year” honors to volunteers who have given time to the party. It makes volunteers feel appreciated and, better yet, the party can fundraise by selling tickets to awards dinners.
There’s never any reason for the parties handing out these awards to suspect one of their volunteers is involved in something shady, either. Honoring someone with a cheap plaque and some second-rate spaghetti doesn’t warrant a criminal background check. If criminal allegations — or any other unsavory pieces of information — come out after someone is named an “x of the year” the best course of action is to probably cut off all ties and, perhaps, revoke the award. There’s not much more you could do.
It’s a totally different story, however, to give an award to someone after you know they’re under criminal investigation. Unfortunately, in the case of this “Democrat of the Year,” that’s a lesson the Jefferson County Democratic Party has to learn the hard way.
More from CBS:
[T]hree days before the January 8 gala, advocates for the victim contacted the party via email and phone informing them of the criminal investigation.
But Chris Kennedy, chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic party, dismissed the concerns saying there was not a conviction and bestowed the “Democrat Of The Year” honor on Carson.
In an email following the event, Kennedy wrote, “After much consideration, my decision was that the award being presented by my organization and the alleged financial exploitation need to be compartmentalized, one having no bearing on the other. Thus I decided to present the award to Estelle.”
Seriously? The “alleged financial exploitation” needs to be compartmentalized? This is an award for “Democrat of the Year.” As much as the title is a commonplace honorific, the award itself is a bold declaration that its recipient is one of the party’s all-around most valuable members. If someone is accused of a crime, there’s no question that lessens the value of their profile and contributions as a Democrat.
Kennedy defended his decision to CBS by saying that the woman in question had been “accused, not convicted” and that he “did not have reason to believe it was true.” That shouldn’t have mattered. As the county’s Democratic chair, Kennedy has the responsibility to earn his party the best possible optics and, more importantly, to make sure it avoids embarrassing stories like these. That there was even an investigation was cause to cancel the presentation of the award — in case things turned out exactly like they did here.
Had Kennedy resisted presenting the award, the volunteer-in-question’s feelings would’ve been hurt and others, perhaps, would’ve been offended. But, had she been exonerated, the award could’ve been given at a later date. Instead, the Jefferson County Democratic Party is now plagued by headlines directly showcasing its official approval of a someone who stole from a developmentally disabled septuagenerian.
This is a major lapse in judgement at best and incompetence at worst.
That is, unless you live in Jefferson County.
From CBS4:
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- The woman named “Democrat of The Year” this year by the Jefferson County Democratic Party has been convicted of felony theft by a Jefferson County jury for stealing from a developmentally disabled 71-year-old woman.
It’s standard practice, of course, for political parties to award “people of the year” honors to members who have given time or money. It makes volunteers feel appreciated and, better yet, the party can fundraise by selling tickets to awards dinners.
There’s never any reason for the parties handing out these awards to suspect one of their volunteers is involved in something shady, either. Honoring someone with a cheap plaque and some second-rate spaghetti doesn’t warrant a criminal background check. If criminal allegations — or any other unsavory pieces of information — come out after someone is named an “x of the year,” the best course of action is cut off all ties and, perhaps, revoke the award. There’s not much more you can do.
It’s a totally different story, however, to give an award to someone after you know they’re under criminal investigation. Unfortunately, in the case of this “Democrat of the Year,” that’s a lesson the Jefferson County Democratic Party has to learn the hard way.
More from CBS:
[T]hree days before the January 8 gala, advocates for the victim contacted the party via email and phone informing them of the criminal investigation.
But Chris Kennedy, chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic party, dismissed the concerns saying there was not a conviction and bestowed the “Democrat Of The Year” honor on Carson.
In an email following the event, Kennedy wrote, “After much consideration, my decision was that the award being presented by my organization and the alleged financial exploitation need to be compartmentalized, one having no bearing on the other. Thus I decided to present the award…”
Seriously? The “alleged financial exploitation” needs to be compartmentalized? This is an award for “Democrat of the Year.” As much as the title is a commonplace honorific, the award itself is a bold declaration that its recipient is one of the party’s all-around most valuable members. Being accused of a crime lessens the value of a person’s profile and contributions as a Democrat. Unless, of course, you’re trying to send the message that your organization welcomes and even celebrates those who steal from the elderly.
Kennedy defended his decision to CBS by saying that the woman in question had been “accused, not convicted” and that he “did not have reason to believe it was true.” That shouldn’t have mattered. As the county’s Democratic chair, Kennedy has a responsibility to earn his party the best possible optics and, more importantly, to make sure it avoids embarrassing stories like these. That there was even an investigation was cause to cancel the presentation of the award — just in case that investigation led to a conviction, as it did here.
Why Kennedy failed to realize the potential implications of offering this award to someone accused of a crime is perplexing. Perhaps he didn’t want to upset a loyal volunteer or hurt anybody’s feelings. Still, hurt feelings can’t justify the mess he’s created as a result. Kennedy should’ve canceled the presentation of this award the very second he was informed of the criminal charges. Sure, he might’ve stepped on some toes, but the honors could’ve been offered anew if the volunteer in question was exonerated.
Because Kennedy didn’t think this through, however, the Jefferson County Democratic Party is now plagued by headlines showcasing its official approval of a someone who stole from a developmentally disabled septuagenerian.
This is a serious lapse in judgement at best and incompetence at worst.
(At least he’s not my doctor! – promoted by ProgressiveCowgirl) The latest example of the Republican Party’s, um, problem with women: freshman Rep. Dr. Scott DesJarlais from Tennessee, who is now facing an audio tape that HE HIMSELF recorded in which he argues with a patient whom he impregnated while cheating on his then wife. […]
NBC News reports from the great state of Maine: Colleen Lachowicz is a Democratic candidate running for State Senate in Maine. She’s also a level 85 orc in the massively popular online game “World of Warcraft.” And for that, the Republican party says she is unfit for office. Maine’s GOP has accused Lachowicz of living […]
Pols Update: According to a report from Lynn Bartels at the Denver newspaper, Watson claims to have paid back a portion of his outstanding taxes and disputes the number and amount of liens levied against him.
That certainly changes the story, but unfortunately for Watson, it won’t change the potency of the attack.
—-
Bad news for Republicans in the race against Democrat Dan Kagan and what many consider their best House pickup opportunity statewide.
From Fox31’s Eli Stokols:
DENVER – The Republican candidate looking to unseat a Democratic state representative, in a race that could determine which party controls the statehouse, owes nearly $280,000 in unpaid property taxes, FOX31 Denver has confirmed.
Brian Watson, a businessman who is running to unseat Rep. Daniel Kagan, D-Denver, has Republicans excited about their chances to win a Denver district that was re-drawn in their favor during reapportionment earlier this year; and state GOP chairman Ryan Call considers Watson a possible rising star in the party.
But FOX31 Denver has found that there are nine tax liens pending against Watson for unpaid taxes on various properties that add up to $279,657.
An outside political action committee supporting Kagan, the Colorado Accountable Government Alliance, is now highlighting Watson’s unpaid property taxes in a new mailer.
Kagan himself told FOX31 Denver he has had nothing to do with the mailer and hasn’t been raising the issue when he talks with constituents.
Three of the liens, for a total of $147,506, are on Aspen Moving and Storage, which Watson explains in a 2010 letter to investors, “suffered approximately a 70 percent decline in income between 2008 and 2009.”
The timing of this particular revelation is going to hurt. Ballots go out in a few weeks, and you better believe the “Colorado Accountable Government Alliance” and other independent expenditure groups are going to hit Watson hard on this issue — even if Kagan doesn’t touch it himself.
This is one of those issues that’s precisely as bad as it looks. Watson has been so successful in his bid thus far because he’s been able to frame his campaign around his business record. This tax issue, then, calls his number one qualification into question. On his website, Watson discusses his desire, if elected, to create “predictable and reasonable regulation and fair taxation.” Seems like the Republican isn’t really the best guy to be discussing what’s fair, is he?
Even worse, as Stokols points out in his article, Watson defends the debts as resulting from the economic downturn and “mismanagement” in the company that his firm, Northstar Commercial Investments, acquired. Fair enough. That doesn’t change the fact that Northstar contributed $500 to the Colorado Republican Party. The investment firm, it would seem, has money enough to facilitate Watson’s candidacy but not enough for taxes. Hell, Watson himself wrote a check to a small donor committee “supporting Republican candidates and Republican members of the Colorado House of Representatives for election and reelection.”
If you’re a candidate for public office, and you owe back taxes, it’s probably not a good idea to be writing checks to anyone or anything other than the IRS.
At the top of the ticket, Mitt Romney has already driven the issue of tax responsibilities into the national spotlight. With this development, Watson’s going to have to defend his own background down ballot as well.
Dan Kagan couldn’t have gotten better optics if he had asked for them.
BY: ParkHill
IN: Weekend Open Thread
BY: ParkHill
IN: Dave Williams Maybe But Not Definitely Fired As Colorado GOP Chairman
BY: Conserv. Head Banger
IN: Dave Williams Maybe But Not Definitely Fired As Colorado GOP Chairman
BY: Conserv. Head Banger
IN: Weekend Open Thread
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Dave Williams Maybe But Not Definitely Fired As Colorado GOP Chairman
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Dave Williams Maybe But Not Definitely Fired As Colorado GOP Chairman
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Weekend Open Thread
BY: harrydoby
IN: Weekend Open Thread
BY: JohnNorthofDenver
IN: Dave Williams Maybe But Not Definitely Fired As Colorado GOP Chairman
BY: Phoenix Rising
IN: Dave Williams Maybe But Not Definitely Fired As Colorado GOP Chairman
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!