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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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Boulder Teachers Prepare to Walk Over Strike Precipice … For What Now?

Update, 1:40 PM: Westword's Michael Roberts notes that the Boulder Valley Education Association president is sending different messages about the possibility of a strike to members and the media. (H/T Complete Colorado) The Daily Camera reports today that the Boulder Valley Education Association has filed official notice of the intent to strike. Which doesn't necessarily mean a strike will happen or will happen imminently, but raises the specter of crossing picket lines to get to classrooms. Colorado's Labor Peace Act (PDF) requires a 40-day notice in the filing of intent to strike. That puts us right into early November. In the meantime, the director of the state's Department of Labor is obligated to issue a ruling whether he … [Read more...]

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Candidate Luke Korkowski to Bike through Mountains, Sets Himself Apart

When you are in the bottom tier of candidates in the crowded primary field for Colorado's Republican U.S. Senate primary nomination, you have to do what you can to attract attention. Enter the physically fit and environmentally responsible grassroots candidate Luke Korkowski, who today announces: … [Read more...]

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The Incoherence of Obama Care

When Wolf Blitzer from liberal CNN grasps the simple concept of health care competition and deregulation and White House adviser trips all over himself trying to explain how up is down, isn't it clear that Obama Care is incoherent? And isn't it obvious why the President's program to add more political controls to medicine is encountering such loud and widespread opposition? (H/T Michelle Malkin) … [Read more...]

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Survey Results: Penry Surges Ahead, 3-Way Struggle in U.S. Senate Primary

Introducing the top-line results from the 2nd edition of the survey of Colorado's political temperature. Exactly 500 people participated in the project. Thanks to those of you who took the time to help out! Coming later in the week will be an analysis of some key crosstabs and correlations. But for now here's a quick rundown of the survey's top-line results: The biggest winner, making significant gains in both support and perceived strength since our July survey, is gubernatorial candidate Josh Penry The larger shifting field of the U.S. Senate race gives a less clear picture, with Ryan Frazier edging out Ken Buck for most support, and Jane Norton beating Frazier by a similarly narrow margin for perceived strength The heavily … [Read more...]

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R.I.P. Patrick Swayze, Defender of Colorado from the Red Army Invasion

News came down this evening that Patrick Swayze succumbed to his battle with pancreatic cancer and died at the age of 57. We Coloradans especially can be grateful for his heroic vigilante service in the early years of World War Three. The 30-something high schooler and his brave band just may have provided the morale needed to ultimately turn the tide in our favor. Then again, the Red Army's decision to dedicate so much resources to taking over a rural town and school may have factored in somewhere as well: … [Read more...]

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Beneath Surface of Sept. Survey: Josh Penry’s Biggest Gains with Older Voters

For those who wish to dig a little deeper, today (at the end of this post) we release some more analysis of the results of our September survey of Colorado's political temperature. A few highlights -- in no particular order: The biggest gains fueling Josh Penry's surge in the latest poll come among those in the over-50 age group Of the eight candidates in the governor's and U.S. Senate races who received at least 10 votes of support, five are favored most often because of agreement on key issues, while three were primarily chosen for their past record -- none of the other five options registered as the main factor for support No surprises: Significantly more Ryan Frazier and Ken Buck backers think primaries are good and that national … [Read more...]

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5280, Meet Denver Post (and PPC, Too)

Trying to build on Lefty hitman David Sirota's smear that the anti-Obama Care movement is characterized by "racist undertones" leading to rampant death threats, the 5280 blog recounts:He isn’t the only public figure in Colorado to be threatened for digging into the intricacies of the health care debate. Last month, Congressman John Salazar received a death threat during a protest in Grand Junction, leading his office to contact Capitol police and the FBI, according to The Pueblo Chieftain. Umm, does 5280 not read the Denver Post? … [Read more...]

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Colorado GOP Straw Poll Analysis: Depends on the Definition of “Clobber”

From the Department of Bad Headlines comes yesterday's Grand Junction Sentinel piece: "Penry, Norton clobber field in GOP straw poll". Yes, by winning nearly 80 percent of the vote, Josh Penry clobbered Evergreen businessman Dan Maes and no-show Scott McInnis -- earning nearly 8 times as many votes as his nearest competitor. But Jane Norton -- backed by Washington, D.C., powerbrokers and touted by the Denver Post as a campaign "game-changer" -- flexed her high-powered campaign machine to win just 34 percent of the vote and best her rivals Ryan Frazier and Ken Buck by only 25 votes. Clobbered? Hmmm, not exactly. Another example that new media often is more on top of its game, better understanding and interpreting political news than … [Read more...]