I'm a conservative and a partisan Republican. I offer up a lot of criticism here of Democrats - most of it well-deserved. But as this article that appeared yesterday in Colorado Senate News shows, if the Democrats have to be in charge, our state is well-blessed to have Peter Groff as senate president:"When the chips are down on issues like this one, you close ranks and move ahead with a common purpose," said Senate GOP leader Josh Penry. "I've found Peter's vision goes way beyond the usual partisanship, and his openness to some of our ideas on tax relief has made all the difference," Penry said of the Denver Democrat.... "Even though the distinction between the two parties has never been sharper on a wide range of policy issues, we also … [Read more...]
On Best Behavior, Patriotic Opposition Rejects Obama-Lincoln Analogy
I don't have time to put down much original thought this morning, so here are three pieces I commend to readers on the Morning After the inauguration. First, the Denver Post's David Harsanyi eloquently asks the rhetorical question many of us have wanted to ask:Do all Americans truly have a yearning to fundamentally "remake" our nation? There must be a subversive minority out there that still believes the United States — even with its imperfections and sporadic recessions — is, in context, still a wildly prosperous and free country worth preserving. Some of you must still believe that politicians are meant to serve rather than be worshiped. And there must be someone out there who considers partisanship a healthy, organic reflection … [Read more...]
Barack Obama and Democrats’ Role in Failing to Avert Financial Crisis
Writing at Bloomberg News, economic analyst Kevin Hassett unravels the story behind the recent financial meltdown (H/T Rossputin). An opportunity to avert the crisis came in 2005 with the introduction of legislation to provide a "world-class regulator" of government-sponsored mortgage loan institutions Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Then-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan noted that failure to address the problem was "placing the total financial system of the future at a substantial risk.'" Here's the key passage from Hassett's article (though you should really read the whole thing - it's not terribly long):If that bill had become law, then the world today would be different. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, a blizzard of terrible mortgage … [Read more...]
Bill Ritter’s Judicial Hubris Continues As Anti-Taxpayer Case Proceeds
Three months ago I asked the question: "What does Bill Ritter know about the Supreme Court to gamble taxpayer dollars?" Yesterday, the same sort of hubris was on display, following the oral arguments that were held before the state's highest court to hear Gov. Ritter's appeal in defense of his unconstitutional property tax hike. The Denver Post reports:Ritter's office has downplayed the need for any contingency plans in the event the high court throws out the mill-levy freeze. Evan Dreyer, a spokesman for Ritter, gave a low-key response. "This is a complex case, and it is now in the hands of the court," Dreyer said. "We appreciate that the court heard oral arguments so quickly, and we look forward to the court's decision so we can … [Read more...]