What makes a grassroots protest authentically "grassroots"? When is a political rally a genuine expression of citizen concern and not a thinly-veiled front for evil out-of-state interests?
COLORADO'S FRONTPAGE
Face the State
Content Index: Barack Obama
Follow this topic by RSS9/8: Teachers should past on activist Obama curriculum
Will your kids hear from the President today?
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8/17: Obama losing his lustre
In case you missed it: Coloradans are growing skeptical of President Barack Obama.
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8/5: Obamacare's huge cost
Obamacare isn't just for Washington to worry about. Coloradans are also concerned about its costs.
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Huttner: Conservative protesters are lemmings
July 29, 2009Slideshow: 'Patients First' rally at the state capitol
A Face the State Staff Report
July 28, 2009
Hundreds rallied on the state Capitol steps Tuesday to protest a massive overhaul of the nation’s health care system they say will only make it worse.
No prompt action on foreclosure relief
A Face the State Staff Report
July 16, 2009Though foreclosure relief was a major selling point for the federal stimulus package, Colorado might not spend money on that purpose for up to two years, and then with a focus on buying up and reselling homes already foreclosed upon.
Ritter plays up Obama connection
July 16, 2009
While Republican candidates play up conservative political ideology over partisan affiliation, Democrat incumbent Gov. Bill Ritter is proudly touting his connections to Pres. Barack Obama.
7/15: Say 'no' to make-work train project
Watch out! The federal gravy train is heading straight for Colorado.
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7/9: Habas deserves seat on federal bench
One of Colorado's best judges is up for a federal appointment.
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Udall and Bennet name Habas to short list for federal bench
A Face the State Staff Report
July 2, 2009U.S. Senators Mark Udall, D-Boulder, and Michael Bennet, D-Denver, have forwarded to Pres. Barack Obama their list of recommendations for two federal judicial vacancies in Colorado. Among the six names is Denver District Judge Christina Habas, known recently for her ruling that Ritter's mill levy freeze amounted to an unconstitutional property tax increase.
When is a job created? Obama team ventures a guess
June 30, 2009
The White House is responding to requests from state agencies struggling with how to accurately track and report jobs that have been "created or sustained" as a result of the federal stimulus. As reported last week by Face The State, the Colorado Department of Transportation has claimed only 65 jobs - most of them "sustained" - a small drop in the bucket toward Obama's goal of 3.5 million nationwide.
Is the federal stimulus creating jobs?
Is the federal stimulus package, passed earlier this year to jump-start the economy, having its intended effect? As FTS staff writer Kate Melvin discovered, state data indicates few jobs, if any, are truly "created" by upping transportation spending.
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Segment 2 - Sean Gallagher on the Sonia Sotomayor nomination
FTS visits with Sean Gallagher of the Denver law firm Hogan and Hartson, representing the Republican National Lawyers Association. What does the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor say about President Barack Obama's judicial philosophy, and what can Americans expect from her upcoming Senate confirmation hearings? Also, how does the federal judicial appointment system differ from Colorado's "merit" selection process?
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Ritter's $1,237 thank you card
May 22, 2009
This week Gov. Bill Ritter commemorated the start of Colorado’s first highway project funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known the Obama stimulus plan.
As part of the groundbreaking ceremony, Ritter unveiled the highway signs that will mark each stimulus-funded project.
School choice not just for conservatives anymore
May 20, 2009While USA Today is mocked by beltway insiders as an intellectual featherweight and by conservatives for its left-leaning tendencies, a Tuesday editorial makes an articulate and unexpected case for school choice.
Overheard at the Capitol: Rice fears loss of 'Obama bump'
May 5, 2009Rep. Joe Rice, D-Littleton, was recently overheard saying he's worried that his seat is vulnerable in 2010 and attributed his victory last year in part to what he called the “Obama bump.”
4/27: Obama's 'listening tour'
The president's "listening tour" was in Colorado yesterday, but who's he listening to?
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Fishy endangered species endanger progress
FTS Opinion
April 20, 2009
While we consider ourselves animal lovers here at Face The State, we have to take issue with Endangered Species Act - the most powerful tool environmentalists have at their disposal. Created with the best intentions, the law too often unfairly harms private property owners who find their land infiltrated by a rare bug or weed. Once an obscure plant or animal makes it on to that list, there is little chance it will ever be removed.
"The Buzz" on 1310 KFKA, 4/20/09 - Saddling our kids with debt, Jack Pommer misses a deadline
FTS managing editor Brad Jones visits with 1310 KFKA talk show host Amy Oliver. This week's topics: parents would never willingly saddle their own kids with tens of thousands in debt, but Washington ensures every American starts life with a massive liability to the government. Also, state Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, just can't get his campaign finance reporting right. Also, is he taking illegal contributions during the legislative session?
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Slideshow: Tax Day rally draws thousands
A Face the State Staff Report
April 15, 2009
Anti-tax protesters rallied on the steps of the state Capitol in Denver this afternoon as members of the House were simultaneously debating this year’s contentious budget bill.
4/3: Green energy, highly subsidized
Is green energy really as affordable as proponents claim?
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"The Buzz" on 1310 KFKA, 3/30/09
FTS managing editor Brad Jones visits with Amy Oliver, talk show host with 1310 KFKA in Greeley, for a review of recent stories on FaceTheState.com.
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The Obama deficit: the RNC's best friend
March 30, 2009
It feels like every time we turn around, the government is spending more of our hard earned money. The "stimulus" from the recent deluge of spending has yet to be seen, but one thing is clear: President Barack Obama is putting this country into debt much quicker then Bush ever did, and his promise to cut the debt in half is starting to look a lot like a dream.
FTS Humor: Follow The Governor On Tritter
Face The State Humor
March 26, 2009By Andrew Ripemoff
This Twitter craze is sure sweeping the country. But to people like me who are really old, (over 30), it seems sort of cold and mechanical. My generation prefers to communicate with our friends the good old fashioned way, through more personal, intimate means, such as e-mail.
Colorado experts respond to Obama education plan
A Face the State Staff Report
March 11, 2009President Barack Obama outlined his plans for education reform Tuesday by embracing stricter standards, merit pay for teachers and charter schools. While Colorado’s conservative education leaders were glad to see Obama embrace ideas that have long been espoused by the center-right, they still welcomed his plan with skeptical optimism.
Political Cartoon for 2/27: Hey big spender
A Face the State Staff Report
February 27, 2009
A Rocky Mountain News analysis of the federal stimulus spending package found that Colorado ranks 49th among the 50 states in line for "federal aid and tax relief." With Pres. Barack Obama spending so much time in our state over the last year, including a bill signing in Denver, what went wrong?
Polis status updates reflect his sycophantic love for Obama
February 25, 2009
Is it tacky to ask the President for his autograph if you are a member of Congress?
Time for state to finally "just say yes" to medical marijuana
FTS Opinion
February 25, 2009Early next month, state health department officials will seek to limit the number of patients to which a licensed medical marijuana caregiver can provide care. The move, sold as a way to protect patients, could actually provoke devastating consequences, including forcing many patients into the back alleys of the black market to obtain their marijuana.
Segment 4 - Protesting the federal stimulus package
Opponents of President Barack Obama's nearly $800 billion "stimulus" package gathered at the state capitol Tuesday. FTS brings you audio from state lawmakers who spoke at the event, plus analysis of the ensuing political fallout.
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Night(Mare) at the Museum
Face The State Humor
February 19, 2009By Andrew Ripemoff
So you woke up in the morning, placed your baby in the high chair, almost tripped over the dog, and picked up the newspaper, where you read about the $787 billion stimulus bill that was signed right here in Colorado.