Independence Day is almost upon us, but it appears about half of Americans couldn't care less about the real reason for the celebration. The results of a new survey from Zogby are disappointing - albeit not terribly surprising - and a bit enlightening as well. The pollster asked 1,884 American adults what the #1 reason for celebrating the coming holiday is (a holiday that just happens to be named Independence Day): Just 48% of those surveyed say that they specifically mark the Fourth of July as a time to celebrate America’s independence. Another 33% say they see the holiday as an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, while much smaller percentages look at the Fourth as just a day off from work (6%), or as a break from … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2006
Ritter’s Campaign Manager for Beauprez
Here's a fun story totally ignored by Colorado's favorite purveyors of the political grapevine (aka, The Dead Guvs), from the Rocky Mountain News: "Ritter Aide Backed Beauprez in 2004." [Bill Ritter's campaign manager Greg] Kolomitz and his wife, Carla Lucero, both joined a group named Democrats for Beauprez. The congressman was facing Democrat Dave Thomas as Beauprez sought a second term in Congress. "He's a good guy and so we decided to support him," said Kolomitz. At the time, Kolomitz was president of CRL Associates, a Denver lobbying firm known for its clout at city hall. He says Maria Garcia Berry, the CEO of the firm and a prominent Republican, asked him to join the group supporting Beauprez. "Politics is all about … [Read more...]
Look Up There in the ‘Sphere… It’s a Blogger… No, It’s…
Your results:You are Superman Superman 65% Spider-Man 50% The Flash 50% Hulk 50% Green Lantern 45% Robin 35% Supergirl 33% Catwoman 25% Wonder Woman 23% Batman 20% Iron Man 20% You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others. Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz... Well, you've never seen me and Superman in the same place at the same time, have you? Well... have you? Have you ever thought the whole Clark Kent connection could just be a ruse? Nah, neither have I. HT: Joshua … [Read more...]
Fair and Balanced… Right
Here's a fair and balanced idea for a "news" article for today's Denver Post - 1) Have Karen Crummy interview a Democrat state legislator from Georgia (the state on which the recent Colorado Democrat "compromise" on immigration was based), Sam Zamarripa; 2) Use Zamarripa's quotes to express the futility and questionable motives of a Republican governors' efforts to address illegal immigration (congratulations to the Post for not using the term "undocumented workers") because: Zamarripa said he believes immigration should be handled by the federal government. 3) Fail to identify Zamarripa as a recent board member of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), a group that recently applauded the original … [Read more...]
The Teachers Union and Child Sex Trafficking
Say what? That's the typical response to a story highlighted at GOPUSA today: The Washington Education Association recently denied a Christian teacher's request to have her dues diverted to a charity that opposes sex trafficking. The teacher objected to funding the WEA's support for abortion and same-sex "marriage" with her dues. The controversial group that the union didn't want the teacher's money diverted to? Shared Hope International. As you can see here, Shared Hope's War Against Trafficking Alliance is hardly some sort of a narrow, right-wing project. In states where public school teachers are required to pay union dues in order to work, federal law allows legitimate religious objectors to divert their dues money to a … [Read more...]
Teachers Union Complaint Appeal Hearing Today
On a Colorado day when the insider political buzz revolves around Governor Owen's impending call of a special session to address illegal immigration and a last-minute brokered deal between Democrats once on the opposite side of the question, there is another story to keep your eye on. The appeal of a well-documented but inexplicably dismissed complaint against the teachers union is scheduled to be heard in the Colorado Court of Appeals this afternoon. At this point, I haven't a clue about what will transpire. But there is a small potential for a decision that would have a significant impact on the conduct of Colorado's elections. Stay tuned. I will be following whatever developments there may be. … [Read more...]
Owens, GOP Hold “All the High Cards”
To Colorado Democrat legislative leaders Joan Fitz-Gerald and Andrew Romanoff, "Nice try." The "Wish away the immigration issue, Supreme Court decision, and Special Session" card just wasn't available, so they made the next best possible political move: threatening to call their own special legislative session. Unfortunately for them, the analysts quoted in the Rocky Mountain News are right on: "It's completely an idle bluff," said Eric Sondermann, a political consultant. "In this particular poker game, the governor holds all the high cards. "The Democrats are trying to exert any leverage they have in how the call for the special session is crafted so that the governor doesn't craft it too narrowly," Sondermann said. "At the end of … [Read more...]
Way to go, Marc
Marc Holtzman deserves a round applause for choosing the high road today. He has poured a lot of his life and energy and resources into this race, and things certainly did not proceed as he had hoped. No doubt, when he really started pushing his candidacy a couple years ago, this is not how he foresaw it all coming to an end. To do what he did today was difficult, but honorable: "Let’s have no tears," he said at his campaign headquarters, "only memories of great experiences together." Holtzman said he called Congressman Bob Beauprez, his GOP rival, this morning after learning of the supreme court’s decision. Holtzman said he is endorsing Beauprez. Give Marc some time to get away, get some R & R, get married, etc. Then let's … [Read more...]
Ambition “On Steroids”
Once in awhile I read Rocky Mountain News editor Vince Carroll's "On Point" column and just have to say "Ditto." Today is such a day: No one who runs for governor is unambitious, and everyone who runs is a risk-taker willing to throw the dice. But in Holtzman's case, ambition and risk-taking seem to have been on steroids the past few months. They've propelled him into scorched-earth tactics that now conclude with a clever legal argument for why the high court should ignore the plain language of the law. Ronald Reagan, Holtzman's hero, believed "it was the role of the judge to interpret the law, not to pre-empt the rights of the people and their legislatures by making the law" (October 1987). Holtzman no doubt believed this, too - … [Read more...]
Next Time, Just Answer: “The Republicans”
From an April 2006 online forum to publicize his new book Painting the Map Red: Cleveland, Ohio: Who has a better chance of winning in 2006, the Republicans or the Cleveland Indians? Hugh Hewitt: I am not even sure why we are playing the 2006 season given the Tribe's overwhelming talent. Perhaps it is just for the joy of embarrassing the Yankees and Red Sox. Mr. Hewitt's baseball braggadocio certainly has abated in the past two months, both on air and on the blog. While I have no love lost for the AL East powerhouses, perhaps it's time to compare how the Indians are faring thus far with their division rivals, the Detroit Tigers. Tiger fans like myself have long awaited a season such as the way this one has unfolded so far, coming … [Read more...]
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