While early and mail-in voting continues, I once again have made a couple small updates to Ben’s Colorado Ballot Guide 2008 - including a new link. Check it out, and share the word with any voters still uninformed or undecided about the 14 issues on the statewide ballot.
Denise at Colorado Charters has shared information on three candidates officially backed by Parents for School Choice, a group that puts its support into races that make a real difference on behalf of charter school families. In other words, these three candidates are strong supporters of charter schools, while their opponents have an anti-charter school record: Libby Szabo, Holly Hansen, and Shawn Mitchell.
Speaking of Shawn, here’s a creative video highlighting his record and candidacy:
Joanne Kelley reports on the Rocky Mountain News Stump blog:
Supporters of Amendment 49 filed a campaign finance complaint over $2,800 of “in-kind” contributions a teachers union committee made to a group fighting the ballot measure.
The complaint alleges the Colorado Springs Education Association’s issue committee made contributions to a group created to address statewide ballot issues when the teachers’ committee was created to promote issues in its own district.
“I find it disturbing to see the teachers union funnel resources earmarked for local education issues into a fight against statewide political issues they don’t happen to like,” said Colorado Springs resident and former school board candidate Reginald Perry, who was named on the complaint filed with the Secretary of State’s office.
But a spokeswoman for the Colorado Education Association said the law allows the teachers union committee to support or oppose both state and local ballot issues.
“The (teachers) committee has the same purpose as Protect Colorado’s Future,” said Deborah Fallin of the Colorado Education Association.
The same purpose. Really? The purpose of the teachers union committee? “Promote ballot issues in School District 11.”
The purpose of Protect Colorado’s Culture of Corruption Future? “Support initiatives #57; #62; #73; #74; #75 and #76. Oppose Amendments 47, 49 and 54.”
They sound different to me. It’s sad that words cease to have plain meaning to the likes of the Colorado Education Association. And it’s sad (but not surprising) that the group fighting Ethical Standards would break campaign finance laws to get out its deceptive messages.
Update: Gene Kinsey provides photos and first-hand reporting of Sarah Palin’s Monday rally in Grand Junction.
Short on time for in-depth blogging this morning, I’d point you to Slapstick Politics’ coverage of unfolding national campaign events here in our fair state:
Don’t buy the lies from the Left or the media hype. The race isn’t over in Colorado. Mid-October polling in this state traditionally tilts slightly to the Democratic side. It did for Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004. Last time I checked, neither of them won the Centennial State or the national election.
There’s something you ought to know about my boss Jon Caldara: He is perfectly comfortable with shameless attention-grabbing. Did you see the “Amendment 49 - Ivory Tower Explanation” sock puppet video? Well, now the sock puppets make an encore appearance:
A bid for the used socks (ew!) on Ebay goes to fund the Amendment 49 campaign. You all can do better than $14.08 (the current bid).
For the sakes of the poor sock puppets, please….
Update: Blue Collar Muse answers more liberal efforts to shift blame from ACORN, and provides a boatload more evidence. And Palestra documents more sinister voting activity connected with the Obama campaign in Ohio.
It’s hard to keep up with all the evidence pouring forth.
A liberal denizen of my comments section likes to repeat the claim that ACORN’s repeated acts of voter registration fraud are harmless, that I shouldn’t waste my time writing about it, and that he is so bored by the topic that he just has to keep commenting on it. Yes, the same ACORN under FBI investigation that prominently endorsed the deceptive issue campaign Protect Colorado’s Culture of Corruption Future.
But then you look at New Mexico, and you see where voter fraud - so hard-to-prove - resulted directly from ACORN voter registration fraud…in the very closely decided Democratic primary:
The GOP’s review was conducted in House District 13 and only included 92 ballots. That means roughly a third of the ballots examined found by the GOP were fraudulent. The New Mexico GOP released 10 of their suspect ballots. They ballots did not contain required identification information such as Social Security numbers, drivers license numbers or birthdates.
“This is a bombshell. We now have undeniable proof that a significant number of fraudulent voters were cast in Democrat primary races for the New Mexico state legislature as a result of ACORN’s voter registration fraud,” said State Representative Justine Fox Young (R.-Albuquerque). “No longer can ACORN argue that their phony voter registration forms don’t translate into fraudulent votes. They do and today we can prove it.”
The Virtus household are casting our ballots today, finally getting it over with. If you live in Colorado and still need insights and/or suggestions on the statewide ballot issues, please check out my updated Colorado ballot guide 2008. And now a joint message from a group of local bloggers:
AN URGENT MESSAGE TO ALL COLORADO REPUBLICAN VOTERS
From the Colorado Coalition of Conservative Bloggers
As you know, Colorado has been labeled a “swing”state in this year’s elections, and will be one of the states that will determine the direction of our nation for the next four or eight years. Historically, the voters in Colorado elected Republican candidates, largely because of the higher numbers of registered Republican voters. This Republican majority no longer exists. Today, “independent” or “unaffiliated” are more numerous than Republicans, and that is one of the primary reasons why Republicans were so unsuccessful in the 2006 elections. This year could be worse, but it is entirely up to you. We are urging each and every Republican voter in Colorado to exercise his or her right to vote to send Republican candidates to Washington and Denver to restore responsible government at both the federal and state levels.
Remember, it is up to each and every one of us. Together we can do it. For the good of Colorado, and for the good of America, we must stop the leftward trend that has come to monopolize our governments. But we cannot do it if we sit back on November 4 and fail to let our voices be heard. EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE!
CLEARCOMMENTARY.COM
MOUNT VIRTUS
NIGHT TWISTER
ROSSPUTIN.COM
SCHAFFER V. UDALL: 2008 COLORADO SENATE BATTLE
SLAPSTICK POLITICS
THE DRUM AND CANNON
The Denver Post gave its complete endorsement round-up for Colorado state house races today. It’s impossible for us mere mortals to divine the rhyme or reason behind the Post’s endorsements. As expected, the center-left editorial board has backed more Democrats than Republicans, and nearly every incumbent.
But interestingly, the Post threw its lot behind two Republican challengers over Democrat officeholders. One of them is here in Arvada, where a hard-working, truly grassroots, common-sense candidate has emerged:
HD 27 (Jefferson) — First-term incumbent Democrat Sara Gagliardi, a nurse, has focused primarily on health care. But we’re more impressed with Republican challenger John Bodnar because of his balanced views on energy and environmental issues. Bodner [sic] also has realistic and affordable ideas about expanding health care options….
While the Post’s method for making these state legislative endorsements carries some aura of mystery, the expectation is that in many of the closer contests the editors are essentially betting on who they think will win. If so, that’s good news for the taxpaying citizens of Arvada. The Post also has endorsed Libby Szabo for Senate District 19.
In less heartening endorsement news:
HD 6 (Arapahoe, Denver) — Democrat Lois Court, a former legislative staffer, is our choice to replace term-limited Andrew Romanoff. She faces Republican Joshua Sharf, a star of the conservative blogosphere.
A “star of the conservative blogosphere”? I am now officially contemplating a run for office so I too can be called “a star of the conservative blogosphere” by the Denver Post. Let the rumors swirl.
Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate Joe Biden is reportedly on his way to Colorado for campaign stops on Tuesday and Wednesday (H/T Slapstick Politics).
In honor of his arrival, which gaffe do you think Slow Joe Biden is most likely to make? Please vote in the poll below:
Vote early, but since we’re not a Democratic site, you can’t vote often. Sorry.
Colorado U.S. Senator Ken Salazar made the mistake of letting his name appear on a letter recently published in the Fort Morgan Times, a letter that repeats at least one special interest group lie:
Amendment 49 targets public employees, including law enforcement officials, fire fighters and teachers, who provide vital services for all of us. Amendment 49 will interfere with the personal choice of working Coloradans over how they want to spend their hard-earned paychecks.
This echoes the deceptive flyers distributed by the well-heeled committee Protect Colorado’s Culture of Corruption Future (the issue committee known for its perpetual deception), in which they falsely state that Amendment 49 dictates how firefighters and other public employees can spend their paychecks.
In his recent appearance on 850 KOA’s Mike Rosen Show, though, former U.S. Senator Hank Brown set the record straight:
Here’s the transcript:
I notice some of the negative ads that want a vote against 49 claimed that it somehow restricts various public employees. Not the case at all. Simply, absolutely wrong. I think as the Rocky Mountain News said in its editorial, “Such claims are nonsense”. And they are nonsense. There’s no restriction on employees here, only restrictions on government.
It’s not just Hank Brown and the Rocky Mountain News who have cleared the air with the truth. Similar observations have been made by editors at the Grand Junction Sentinel and Boulder Daily Camera, too. A look at the ballot language confirms that Amendment 49 provides only “restrictions on government,” and doesn’t in any way restrict how government workers can spend their money. (In some cases, it actually gives workers more freedom of choice in this regard.)
What a shame to see Senator Ken Salazar regurgitating a discredited talking point pushed by special interest groups that thrive off our taxpayer-funded government payroll systems. Just a little more reason why we need Amendment 49 to provide ethical standards for our state and local governments.
I ran across this satire site someone created, called Lobbyists against Amendment 49. But seriously, why would many of Colorado’s political lobbying groups be against Amendment 49, the Ethical Standards initiative? Likely because they have grown quite accustomed to the special privilege of the government serving as their banker, collection agent, and bookkeeper for free. That’s a gig I wouldn’t want to end either.
Unfortunately, I think the people of Colorado may be of a different opinion. While appearing recently on 850 KOA’s Mike Rosen Show, former U.S. Senator Hank Brown explained the problem pretty concisely:
Here’s the transcript:
Taxpayers have to pay for the cost of transferring the money, collecting the money, accounting for the money, and reporting it. So they [lobbying groups] love to have government pick up their costs for it, and I think the biggest factor here is they know that if it’s done through the payroll system people have a much more difficult time being able to reclaim their money, if they don’t want to pay.
Lobbyists against 49: not exactly a good way to build a broad coalition. I’ll stick with good government, thank you very much.
Update: Audio embedded
The campaign for Amendment 49, the Ethical Standards initiative, has released a new 30-second radio ad featuring former U.S. Senator Hank Brown:
Here’s the text of the ad:
Both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post urge you to vote Yes on Amendment 49. 49 stops government from being the bagman for special interests and lobbyists. This is Hank Brown, and I’m thrilled that nearly every newspaper across Colorado agrees: Yes on 49. The Pueblo Chieftain, the Grand Junction Sentinel, the Colorado Springs Gazette, and yes, the Boulder Camera, just to name a few. Join me and Bill Owens in voting Yes on 49. 49 keeps lobbyists in line. Paid for by EthicalStandardsNow.com.
I’m not sure if there is any other initiative on this year’s Colorado ballot that has received such a wide range of major newspaper endorsements.
(Full disclosure: I also happen to work for the Independence Institute, which has backed the Ethical Standards Now campaign.)
We may never know just how authentic the “Educate the Idiots” document is (it’s the word of a young, independent man with nothing to lose vs. a web of heavily-funded, Left-leaning organizations with their power and credibility at stake). But, as Jessica Fender’s article in today’s Denver Post demonstrates, the Colorado Democracy Alliance provides a teachable moment about the Left’s sophisticated political organization, and how the conservative side has waited too long to wake up and get it.
I am on the same page with Alan Philp on this one:
A dearth of lasting conservative infrastructure and more limited resources mean Republicans won’t see anything as sophisticated or coordinated for “some time to come,” said Alan Philp, who led the state GOP’s failed 2006 attempt to synchronize electioneering efforts.
“We believe people should be able to give freely . . . with full disclosure,” he said. “That mindset is challenged by the reality of how the Democratic apparatus works.”
The Denver Post’s center-Left editor Dan Haley is in agreement, too. Transparency is the issue of the future. If Republicans in Colorado have half a brain, they will latch onto it and ride it as far as it will go. At least that’s my humble two cents’ worth.
Dave Ohmart, the unofficial “non-union rep” for Colorado state government, finally has his Colorado Loses website up and running. Look for newsletters, events, and relevant legal information pertaining to employee rights in state government.
Colorado Loses is the clever foil to the Colorado WINS union organizing coalition:
Colorado WINS, the big state employee union, recently held a convention. Union loyalists were shown a video depicting flood and famine – images from the Gulf Coast of slums, Hurricane-ravaged homes and the like. The moral of the story: state employees are the only line of defense Colorado has against, uh, Hurricanes. No, floods. Wait, I’m confused.
Hurricane Katrina was a tragedy, but it has nothing to do with our state government. Nor does the healthy dose of Bush-bashing members partook in, either. It’s OK for Colorado WINS to acknowledge openly that it exists to play politics. What’s another word for “representation” before government? Oh, right, “lobbying.”
Invoking real tragedy as a cover for raw politicking stoops pretty low.
Kind of makes you want to support the good government initiatives Amendment 49 and Amendment 54, doesn’t it?
Anyway, I’ll stick with Dave Ohmart and Colorado Loses.
Nick Kliebenstein is one of the more impressive candidates I’ve seen this year. Running for the Colorado State House in District 33, which includes Broomfield and surrounding areas, Nick came up with this creative piece of Web advertising:
At least I don’t have to pronounce his name as I’m writing this post, but I am looking forward to hearing more about Nick Kliebenstein’s independent conservative leadership in the state legislature for years to come.
Veterans of Colorado, visit The Mortgage Center.com to use your Veteran Benefits and for help in obtaining an affordable Colorado Veteran Loan.
You are currently browsing the archives for the Colorado Politics category.
To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com
