Face The State Blog Wrangler Feed

Buescher's app for SoS sparks a buzz

katemelvin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:38:24 -0700

"If case you hadn’t heard, outgoing state Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, has thrown his hat into the ring to succeed Congressman-elect Mike Coffman, R-Colo., as the next secretary of state.

Progressives targeted state Senate, left House for GOP

katemelvin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:35:59 -0700

"About a week ago, I blogged about the improvement that the state Republicans had shown in the state House of Representatives races. That's the good news.

The bad news is in the state Senate. Aside from the probable loss of Lori Clapp's seat, the aggregate vote also took a turn for the worse, and for many of the same reasons the Republicans did better in the House.

RMA blog talk radio debuts tonight

katemelvin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:35:12 -0700

"Reminder: Tonight at 9 PM local Mountain time is the inaugural broadcast of the Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio show. Joshua Sharf has the details on the show’s first guest - Seeme Hasan."

It's curious how close the Dems are with the teachers unions

katemelvin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:33:01 -0700

"Sometimes, the interests of the Democratic Party and teachers union officials align closely. The Colorado Education Association and Colorado Federation of Teachers together give Democrats about $50 in contributions for every $1 they give Republicans.

Props to Wayne Allard

katemelvin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:30:26 -0700

"When the 111th Congress of the United States is sworn in next January, it will be without one of Colorado’s finest public servants. Wayne Allard is retiring from public life after a quarter century of service to his native Colorado.

Denver Post opposes card check

katemelvin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:33:07 -0700

"The Denver Post comes out against card check this morning... This, coming from a paper whose editorial page never mentioned card check as an issue, and whose campaign coverage rarely mentioned it at all. From an editorial page that repeatedly blamed business for instigating this year's ballot initiatives fight,

Now that Right to Work is safely dead and buried, and now that their candidate - candidates, if one includes Mark Udall - are safely elected, they tell us that it would be in the Democrats' best interests not to reward their largest, most organized constituency."

Ward Churchill heads to Canada for Native Awareness Day

katemelvin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:31:17 -0700

"In Canada again, where they seem to have more tolerance not only for "diversity," but for frauds as well. The Daily Gleaner:

St. Thomas University's native student council hopes to attract a crowd on the campus for Native Awareness Days.

The "blueing" of Arapahoe

katemelvin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:29:35 -0700

"There were hints in October that Arapahoe Republicans were in for another bad year. My precinct in Centennial, once as red as they come, blossomed with Obama yard signs.

Then County Clerk Nancy Doty announced at the weekly GOP breakfast that voter registration in the county, which had tilted heavily our way until recently, now showed an edge of about 400 for the Dems.

How will parents react to SB 08-160?

katemelvin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:28:27 -0700

"Last June Governor Ritter signed Colorado Senate Bill 08-160, which expanded eligibility for the the Colorado Children’s Health Program Plus (SCHIP in Colorado) to 225% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), “adjusted for family size.” Now check out the following graphic from the Heritage Foundation. It shows Congressional Budget Office data of the percentage of children with private health insurance for different levels of household income. The figure is 50% for household income between one and two times the FPL and 70% for houshold income two to three times the FPL.

Governor's SOS pick nonpartisan? LOL!

katemelvin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:26:57 -0700

"I like Governor Ritter, even though he once said I am like a spider who eats her young. We disagreed over Hillary-care in l993 as Leadership Denver participants.

But, PL....EASE!

"Gov. Bill Ritter will not consider a candidate's party affiliation when determining whom to appoint as the next secretary of state, Ritter's spokesman said."

Both rumoured candidates Rosemary Rodriguez and Ken Gordon could only be described as uber partisan activists. Which is not necessarily a criticism if you are partisan. I'm criticizing the pretense. "

Wadhams vs. Smith for State Chairman

katemelvin — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:58:44 -0700

"Speculation has already started on the subject of who will succeed Dick Wadhams.

I like Dick Wadhams. Anyone running against him in El Paso County loses my vote from the outset. Dick Wadhams took a party that was $500,000 in the hole and made it solvent at a time when too many people with money dislike Republicans.

Independence Institute Founder's Night recap

katemelvin — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:57:10 -0700

"Ben DeGrow, Mr. Bob, and Face the State have more photos, recaps, and reflections on the message of the evening--no retreat, no rebranding, no reflexive excommunication of the GOP/conservative/libertarian coalition.

Michelle Malkin graciously identified the Peoples Press Collective as one of the cyber-roots organizations coalescing around limited government, free markets, and liberty in general and promoting the message online."

A "Progressive" party in CO?

katemelvin — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:51:47 -0700

"Are you up for a little distracting whimsy? A former elected official, Boulder attorney and self-proclaimed “former Republican” (one of the more popular descriptors being bandied about these days) offers this (over) dose of elitist smugness, painful self-indulgence, overwrought rhetoric, and selective historical knowledge:

Activist group looking to buy back guns, curb violence

katemelvin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:48:31 -0700

"The Denver Post reports:

A group of community activists has raised $1,000 to buy guns from owners in order to trim gun violence in Denver. ...

The group will pay $50 per gun at an anti-violence and gun-buyback rally scheduled for noon Dec. 6, at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Denver City Park.

The guns will be turned over to the police, said Denver police spokeswoman Sharon Hahn."

This is a great way to pay people for junked out, nonfunctional guns worth less than $50.

Golden's war on Hannukkah

katemelvin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:35:27 -0700

"Last night the Golden City Council nixed Rabbi Levi Brackman's request for a menorah to be included alongside a Christmas tree (come get me, you "holiday tree" P.C. police!) in the city's holiday-season display. But jolly St. Nick is fine, because he has historical significance. Never mind the menorah's historical significance that goes to, oh, 600 B.C., right?

Penry holds off on appointments until SD 26 is decided

katemelvin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:50:22 -0700

"Interesting in finding out which GOP state senators are appointed to various legislative committees? Well, you’re going to have wait a little while longer.

With the exception of Sen.-elect Al White, R-Hayden, remaining on the Joint Budget Committee, the GOP’s incoming Senate minority leader, Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, is waiting to see how the undecided Senate District 26 race plays out to make his appointments."

Group-think and voter fraud

katemelvin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:47:37 -0700

" It is believed that deadlines for registration, stringent ID requirements and other restrictions protect Americans from crimes like "voter identity fraud," in which the malefactor impersonates a real voter, risking a prison sentence in order to add a single vote to the tally. Fortunately, everyone agrees that this impractical crime does not exist.

A good example of group-think and received opinion. An inconvenient truth - everyone doesn't agree and the crime does exist.

Pensions frozen for Denver Newspaper Agency managers

katemelvin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:00:58 -0700

"Yesterday, multiple sources confirm, managers at the Denver Post and the Denver Newspaper Agency learned that their pensions would be frozen beginning on January 1.

Salazar under attack by the Dems

katemelvin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:56:06 -0700

"Less than two weeks after the election, left-wing activists and bloggers have already turned their attention towards Sen. Ken Salazar. Seeking to punish Salazar for brief moments of lucidity such as helping to push through President Bush's judicial and cabinet appointees; Salazar is being targeted for a primary challenge in 2010. Liberal blogs SquareState and ColoradoPols are buzzing with talk of sacking Salazar. ProgressivePartner.org seems to be dedicated solely to taking on Ken Salazar and alludes to being backed by an as-yet unknown candidate waiting in the wings."

DMYR holiday party and toy drive

katemelvin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:46:41 -0700