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Latest Democrat Travesty: Stuffing Hate Crimes into Defense Appropriation

Reason #2,637 why Democrat one-party rule in Washington has proven itself a travesty: sneaking an unconstitutional, politically-correct hate crimes legislation into the military appropriations bill. Opposition to the hate-crimes bill is by no means a socially conservative preoccupation -- it's common sense and good policy all around. Tim Lynch from the libertarian Cato Institute explains the problems with it. Republicans may be doing well now at starting to make the case why they would be less of a travesty in Congress, but many of us out here long for something better -- and are willing to work and sacrifice to make it happen. I'm talking about a large cadre of truly fiscally responsible reformers, devotees of liberty and limited … [Read more...]

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Algore Shuts Down Climate Debate as Denver Endures Record Freeze

Update, 10/12: Here's the video of Phelim McAleer's question, with a little more context. Yesterday I told you about the important October 18 premiere of the movie "Not Evil But Wrong". The movie's producer and co-director Phelim McAleer yesterday confronted Al Gore at a public forum with inconvenient questions about the errors in his movie "An Inconvenient Truth". After Gore failed to answer his question, McAleer's microphone was turned off. Listen: Meanwhile, here in the metro Denver area, record cold temperatures have forced the postponement of a first-round Major League Baseball playoff game. May ironies never cease. … [Read more...]

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Savoring Silver Anniversary of Detroit Tigers’ Last World Championship

A quick walk down Detroit Tigers memory lane: Today is the 3rd anniversary of Magglio Ordonez' walk-off 3-run homer that won the ALCS and launched the Tigers into the World Series (also the first epic late-inning playoff loss for Huston Street, then of the Oakland A's). Which also means it was exactly 25 years ago today that the Detroit Tigers last celebrated World Series triumph, with an 8-5 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 5 down at the Corner (and my childhood hero Alan Trammell named Series MVP). Sadly, the stadium is gone now. But the memory lives on. Here's hoping that Detroit repeats the feat sometime before that anniversary turns golden and my hair turns (completely) gray. … [Read more...]

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McInnis-Norton Think Tank Comes to Life with Bizarre, Irony-Rich Poll

Update, 9/25: From this morning's Denver Post: Sean Tonner said CPI "is not for elections" and "is going to be here long past 2010." However, Tonner has a long track record of working on elections, and CPI has absolutely no track record as an independent organization. So despite the obvious explanation that there's no formal relationship between CPI and these campaigns, the claim is dubious. Gulp -- I even agree with the Dead Guvs on this one. I'd been wondering when the new Colorado Policy Institute (CPI) would come to life and do something. So what did they finally do today? Publish a white paper? None of those yet. Post an item or two on their "Issues" page? Nope, still waiting for that to happen. One more guess, readers.... CPI … [Read more...]

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Jon Caldara Groupies of the World, Unite on October 8 at Golden Hotel

Pay attention, all you Jon Caldara groupies. Next Thursday is your big chance to schmooze with Jon and "the good folks behind our TV show Independent Thinking." A $10 donation to KBDI gets you into the Golden Hotel on October 8 from 6-9 PM for this special event. Come if you can (it won't be Friday night, so no need to be stuck in front of your TV set watching medium-brow local PBS public affairs broadcasting), and spread the word. … [Read more...]

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Friday Quick Hits: Two Coloradans Address the Perils of Obama Care

It's October, and the health care debate presses on. Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee joined Republicans to vote down the so-called "public option"; meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has adamantly come out stating that health care reform indeed will take the big step toward a government takeover. Against this backdrop of events are two great new columns you should read: My Independence Institute colleague Jessica Corry writes for Human Events on the human cost of Canadian socialized medicine Dr. Paul Hsieh eloquently explains "the real stakes" of the national health care debate in a new Denver Post piece Just two of the many Coloradans speaking up loudly and clearly for individual rights and medical sanity -- … [Read more...]

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Just How Hard for Scott McInnis to Find His Way to the Governor’s Office?

Update, 10/5: At least one person has informed me they received a message with the incorrect address, followed more than a day later by a message with the correct address. As long as everyone can find the shining golden dome downtown.... Did anyone else out there get a robocall this weekend from the Scott McInnis for Governor campaign, announcing a Monday event kicking off a statewide tour? A friend who received the call told me that the voice on the message was from McInnis' wife: "Twice she stated that Scott will be speaking at the State Capitol located at 20th and Broadway." Say what? That would be only about five blocks off. I know that the early success of primary rival Josh Penry may have thrown McInnis off track a bit, but … [Read more...]

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Is Obama Striving to Make Jimmy Carter Look Good on Foreign Policy?

I spend very little time on this page analyzing foreign affairs, but I just want to take the chance to go on the record now before returning to my regularly scheduled blogging on state and national domestic policy and politics.... For those who believe America primarily has been a force for evil in the world and should kowtow to foreign dictators, leave no doubt Barack Obama is your man. It's hard to find any rationale for yesterday's pathetic U.N. speech, other than Obama might be trying to build up former president Jimmy Carter's self-esteem or that possibly he's trying to rewrite history to make Woodrow Wilson look like a foreign policy realist. If Obama believes what he said, it's scary about where he wants to take our nation. If … [Read more...]

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A Little Different Take on Ryan Frazier from Liberal Blogger David Thielen

About 5 months ago El Presidente and I interviewed Republican U.S. Senate primary candidate Ryan Frazier. I left the interview with the theme of Frazier as a "principled" candidate focused on a solutions-oriented message. On Friday, liberal blogger David Thielen posted his favorable observations after a sit-down with Ryan Frazier. A few key passages jumped out at me: … [Read more...]