Next week Congress goes back into session. The public passion and heat of the townhall meetings goes away, and attention once again drifts back to Washington, DC. As that happens, though, Coloradans still need to remain engaged and informed. As the Patient Power blog explains, a new report published by the Independence Institute (my employer) highlights one major downside of the current Obama Care proposal:The study concludes that President Obama’s health care reform agenda will cost $4,156 per Colorado resident in additional federal and state expenditures over the next 10 years. In addition, the proposed government health care expansion will reduce economic growth in Colorado by 4.3% through 2019. In other words, an economic … [Read more...]
Announcing Straw Poll Evasion Another Strange Scott McInnis Campaign Turn
What's the deal with Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis skipping out on this month's state party candidate forum and straw poll? And then making a big deal out of it? Apparently, the strange interviews weren't enough. The candidate touting broader polls he commissioned showing his own name recognition advantage won't stand next to Josh Penry (whom I support) and Dan Maes (whom I respect) to gauge the support of the party faithful. Who does he hope is going to elect him? In search of satisfactory answers, read Westword's account of an interview with McInnis campaign spokesman Sean Duffy. If the trajectory of this race continues to any extent in the direction it's going, it's not a long matter of time before Josh … [Read more...]
I Hope the Rumors of Premature NRSC Colorado Endorsement Are Unfounded
Update, 5:00 PM: Complete Colorado has uncovered evidence of the NRSC registering web domains for Jane Norton, which unfortunately would seem to confirm the rumors. Writing at the People's Press Collective, El Presidente echoes my sentiments and notes that the popular outrage from grassroots Colorado conservatives is starting to build. A well-placed rumor is circulating that the National Republican Senatorial Committee is planning to endorse former lieutenant governor Jane Norton upon her official entry into Colorado's Republican U.S. Senate primary in the next few weeks. I sincerely hope the rumors are unfounded. The NRSC has no business coming into this race so early in the process to endorse anyone. It wouldn't matter if they … [Read more...]
Your Family (and Mine) Can’t Afford Barack Obama’s Policies
Hold on to your shirt (and your wallet), as you read new Heritage Foundation research by Brian Riedl:The Office of Management and Budget has released its annual mid-session review that updates the budget projections from this past May.[1] They show that this year, Washington will spend $30,958 per household, tax $17,576 per household, and borrow $13,392 per household. The federal government will increase spending 22 percent this year to a peacetime-record 26 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This spending is not just temporary: President Obama would permanently keep annual spending between $5,000 and $8,000 per household higher than it had been under President George W. Bush.[2] Driven by this spending, America will run its … [Read more...]
National GOP, Don’t Be the Pandering Stupid Party in Health Care Debate
I've been a member of the Stupid Party for most of my adult life. And when I say the Stupid Party, I mean the Republican Party. Has the Republican National Committee learned anything from the recent election disasters? If anything, the wrong lessons. I'm talking about today's Washington Post op-ed by RNC chairman Michael Steele that actually pits the GOP as the pandering "Party of the Entitlement Status Quo" (H/T Jon Henke). The tide has turned against Obama Care's government health care takeover, and what do we get? The Democrat-light "seniors' health care bill of rights," rather than a serious proposal that injects more freedom and portability into the debate. … [Read more...]
Denver Post Editorial Sunday: The Good, The Good, and The Far-Fetched
I can only imagine very few readers of Sunday's Denver Post opinion page shrugged their shoulders with a ho-hum. All stacked together on good old page 3D of the Perspective section, the collection of pieces had to evoke some wholehearted assent, some serious disagreement, or both. Let's go with the bad news first, the lead fantasy-ridden editorial "Public option is critical to reform":Opponents also say the public option is a ruse meant to facilitate a government takeover of health care. On the contrary, we think it will give the insurance industry every incentive to innovate and find efficiencies, best treatment practices and ways to make their rates more attractive to businesses and policy holders. Based on what, the wishful … [Read more...]
The Continuing Scott McInnis Interview Chronicles: Statesman Edition
First there was Caplis & Silverman. Then there was Colorado's Morning News. Now we have a couple of strange Scott McInnis gems in writing (no transcripts, no audio) from his recent "InnerView" with the Colorado Statesman. First, in regards to closing the budget gap:You need to say, “Okay, here’s what we have.†The state Senator up there, Dan Marostica. He’s got some ideas, and he’s a numbers guy. That’s what you need. Frankly, the governor should have hired that guy the first day he was in office. Those are the kind of people that I’m going to put in place. No doubt gubernatorial candidate McInnis meant Representative (until recently) Don Marostica. Hey, mistakes on details like title and first name happen. But why … [Read more...]
Sources: Jane Norton Is In
Yes, it appears that Colorado's former lieutenant governor won't need the full 30 days to make up her mind. I have received word from a reliable source or two that Jane Norton is definitely going to announce her candidacy for U.S. Senate. My guess is this will mean Bob Beauprez opts to stay out of a crowded phone booth field. Initial reactions? Norton doesn't bring Beauprez's baggage of the disastrous 2006 campaign or firsthand experience with the fiscally profligate Republican Congress of the early-to-mid 2000s. She brings administrative experience in state government, whereas the current two frontrunners in the race Ryan Frazier and Ken Buck have experience in municipal or other local government. … [Read more...]
Strange Scott McInnis Interviews Part of a Trend, Building a Narrative?
After I posted earlier this week about Scott McInnis' bizarre interview with Caplis and Silverman, an anonymous source dropped me an email that read in part:FYI, a week or so earlier McInnis had a similarly goofy, albeit not quite so bizarre, encounter with Stephen [sic] Tubbs on Colorado's Morning News. I haven't been able to chase down the audio, but thought you might be interested. Special thanks to 850 KOA for providing this audio from a recent episode of Colorado's Morning News as co-host Steffan Tubbs interviews Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis. Click the play button to hear the two-minute clip: "Goofy, albeit not quite so bizarre." I believe that's a fair characterization. Every time he goes off a bit … [Read more...]
Josh Penry for Governor
Earlier this week I was privileged to sit down in a one-on-one meeting with state senate minority leader and Republican gubernatorial candidate Josh Penry. I have to admit it's a bit surreal to be in close contact with someone running for governor who is in my age bracket -- Josh is less than a year older than I am. But the political times, they are a-changin' ... and many signs suggest the pro-liberty youth movement promises to better serve the GOP and its fiscally conservative wing in 2010. At our 40-minute enclave Penry and I discussed policy issues, most specifically education, while he afforded me the opportunity to assess his strengths and weaknesses, and offer my 2.5 cents (inflation) worth of advice. As I told Josh directly, I … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- …
- 54
- Next Page »