Sad Memorial

Today is the 40th anniversary of Colorado passing the first pro-abortion law in the country.

On April 25, 1967 abortions were made legal in the state of Colorado.

John McCain dissed on The Daily Show

Not sure if anyone caught The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night, if you did you would have seen John McCain looking somewhat foolish on national television. Though John had his heart in the right place in trying to court a young audience on a national medium, The Daily Show is not the place to do it.

I think Jon Stewart is utterly hilarious and his quick wit makes watching him grill anyone a pleasure. However if I am a campaign manager or a general consultant for any Republican, be it county coroner or POTUS contender, I am not putting my candidate on that show. John with an “H” had good answers for all of Jon with no “H”s questions, however he was giving those answers to an audience that is already predisposed not to like what he is going to say. He could have said he wanted to raise taxes, open the border for illegal immigrants and have the U.S. go to a one world government with the United Nations presiding over it and he would still get cackled at. In the end it is a no win situation for any Republican to go on a program like The Daily Show.

That being said here are the Top 10 Things a Republican POTUS contender should not do to court young voters.

10. Get a MYSPACE page
9. Have a “serious” conversation with Stephen Colbert
8. Talk about Global Warming unless you understand that a “carbon footprint” has nothing to do with footwear
7. Get yet another divorce and start dating that now single hottie Sheryl Crow
6. Be a backup dancer for a Christina Aguilera video
5. Do a cameo for the next Michael Moore epic
4. Rap at the Radio-Television Correspondents Association Dinner
3. Let MTV “Pimp your ride”
2. Ever use the acronym BFF
1. Get interviewed by that seemingly nice reporter from Kazakhstan

That IS exciting...

I missed this tidbit from yesterday...

Lobbyists have been banned from using the men's bathroom just outside the Senate. A sign outside the loo now says it's for senators and staffers only.

"There was a sentiment that there should be a place a senator can go without being lobbied," said Karen Goldman, secretary of the Senate.

"It's exciting," said Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo. "Not even the House members can use it."

I'm with Abel, that IS exciting stuff. I got so excited that I put a sign on my own bathroom banning the homeless from using it.

Senate Passes Bill to Fine Mortgage Brokers

Yesterday, the Senate passed Senate Bill 216 which will fine mortgage brokers for making loans to people who might not be able to pay them back.

Quoting the Rocky:

Senate Bill 216, by Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, is meant to reduce skyrocketing foreclosure rates in Colorado and crack down on those who take advantage of homeowners who can barely afford their house payments.

Veiga said the bill requires mortgage brokers to act in "good faith" when determining a borrower's ability to repay what are commonly known as subprime, nontraditional home loans.

The bill is meant to protect homeowners? How exactly? By preventing them from becoming homeowners in the first place?

Maybe there is something in the bill language that could clear all of this up, but terms like "acting in good faith" make the enforcement of this issue seem awfully subjective.

More from the Rocky...

Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, and Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, a mortgage broker, said the measure forces brokers to act as "judge and jury" by requiring them to determine a borrower's "personal circumstances" and credit worthiness before processing a loan application.

Harvey warned the measure will cripple the state's mortgage lending and home-building industry if it becomes law.

The article also made mention that Steve Johnson, R-Loveland switched to vote with Democrats in support of the bill. Frankly, if Johnson ever did something conservative it would be a lot more newsworthy.

My favorite quote is bill sponsor Sen. Veiga, D-Denver, saying "We should have a higher standard for mortgage brokers." A higher standard indeed. A higher standard for Ministers, Public Officials, Judges, and of course that missing segment of people we trust... our mortgage brokers.


Edit: Apparently Steve Johnson has a wikipedia entry. I'm really at a loss for words as to how pointless that seems to me.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Josh Lyman and John Galt always have such insightful posts about actual issues that I thought it was time for something less important.

To that end, I was perusing the various presidential candidate websites out there, looking at all the fancy pictures and what not when I came across the presidential myspace pages.

If you're not familiar with myspace from a political standpoint, it is basically a place where you too can waste vast amounts of time and money trying to talk to a group of people that don't care and half of whom are too young to vote.

The greatest part of these web pages is the attempts for old, balding, white guys to try to reach out to young hipsters with colorful songs. By far the best is Rudy Giuliani's song. It's some sort of dance mix thing named "We got Rudy." If you want to listen to this toe-tapper yourself be sure to head over there.

If you're ready for more after that you should also listen to Romney's Elvis tune and Sam Brownback has Carry On My Wayward Son from Kansas playing.

Denver Post misses point on guns

Today's Denver Post has a poorly masked screed against Americans "gun culture" which they're trying to pass off as an objective "news story".

From the low-lights:

Handguns account for much of this growth, and semiautomatic pistols - the type of gun Cho used in the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history - have replaced six-shot revolvers as the handgun of choice.

Semi-auto means you pull the trigger and one shot is fired. Why is this such a hard concept for the press to understand. Cho's pistol was NOT outlawed under the Clinton 2nd Amendment Infringement act of 1994.

The worst senatence in the whole article:

From 1999 through 2004, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, guns killed an average of 80 people a day. Gun homicides averaged 31 a day. [emphasis added]

Excuse me, but I thought a gun was a combination piece of metal, plastic and rubber. Apparently the Denver Post believes that the gun itself kills people and not psychopathic murderers.

I know it's a cliche, but guns don't kill people, people do.

Quote of the week

From James "The Ragin' Cajun" Carville (via a Drudge link):

"Gore will run again because, quoting George Will, running for president is like sex: "You don't do it once and forget about it."

Runner(s) up from Carville:

"Rudy Giuliani has been married more times than Mitt Romney's been hunting."

On HR Clinton and Obama: "Mama needs more spice, and Obama needs more seasoning."

Why divorce and liberals make bad parents

Alec Baldwin is happy to spout-off about political, but can't bring himself to treat his 11 year-old daughter or ex-wife with respect.

An enraged Alec Baldwin unleashed a volcanic tirade of threwats and insults on his 11-year-old daughter, Ireland, calling her a "thoughtless little pig," and bashing her mother Kim Basinger -- and TMZ has obtained the whole thing unfiltered and raw. And we've learned, a family law judge was so alarmed after hearing the tape, she has temporarily barred Baldwin from having any contact with his child.

After Ireland failed to answer her father's scheduled morning phone call from New York on April 11, Alec went berserk on her voice mail, saying "Once again, I have made an ass of myself trying to get to a phone," adding, "you have insulted me for the last time."

Switching his train of thought, Baldwin then exercised his incredible parenting skills and took a shot at his ex-wife, declaring, "I don't give a damn that you're 12-years-old or 11-years-old, or a child, or that your mother is a thoughtless pain in the ass who doesn't care about what you do." The irate Baldwin went on to say, "You've made me feel like s**t" and threatened to "straighten your ass out."

He called his daughter a "thoughtless little pig", and still thinks that the world should listen to his communist rants?

Noonan on Cho

From the WSJ:

Money Quotes:

I thought of Thoreau. He said he didn't have to read newspapers because if you're familiar with a principle you don't have to be familiar with its numerous applications. If you know lightning hits trees, you don't have to know every time a tree is struck by lightning.

In terms of school shootings, we are now familiar with the principle.

Dennis Miller the other night said something compassionate and sensible on TV. Invited to criticize some famous person's stupid response to a past tragedy, he said he sort of applied a 48 hour grace period after a tragedy and didn't hold anyone to the things they'd said. People get rattled and say things that are extreme. But more than 48 hours have passed.

So: some impressions.

and:

The school officials I saw, especially the head of the campus psychological services, seemed to me endearing losers. But endearing is too strong. I mean "not obviously and vividly offensive." The school officials who gave all the highly competent, almost smooth and practiced news conferences seemed to me like white, bearded people who were educated in softness. Cho was "troubled"; he clearly had "issues"; it would have been good if someone had "reached out"; it's too bad America doesn't have better "support services." They don't use direct, clear words, because if they're blunt, they're implicated.

The literally white-bearded academic who was head of the campus counseling center was on Paula Zahn Wednesday night suggesting the utter incompetence of officials to stop a man who had stalked two women, set a fire in his room, written morbid and violent plays and poems, been expelled from one class, and been declared by a judge to be "mentally ill" was due to the lack of a government "safety net." In a news conference, he decried inadequate "funding for mental health services in the United States." Way to take responsibility. Way to show the kids how to dodge.

Paccione Blames Former Staff For Loss

From The Political Pale Horse

Angie Paccione is running again. According to a source by liberal insider Jason Bain, her former congressional campaign staffers aren’t welcome back.

Originally reported at Colorado Confidential. This Democratic source, who wished to remain anonymous speaking about potential candidates in CD-4, says that Paccione would start over fresh and has already decided that if she runs, "About 90 percent of the people who were involved with her last campaign will not be back."

Well, it’s either this or admit your message was bad. Prepare for another loss Angie.

Broken Crystal Ball

After being taunted by friends for my failed prediction of a huge announcement that was to come April 15th, I am now ready to eat crow. Nostradamus I am not, though the announcement is still coming...just at a later date. I have been told the exact date it is to come, though after my first failed attempt at fortune telling I am hesitant to give it another shot.

Good news is on the way.

UPDATE on Giuliani Protest

This is the latest Email alert from Rocky Mountain Gun Owners concerning last night's conservative protest of Giuliani's fundraiser:

Yesterday, Republican Presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani held a fundraiser in Denver.

Hosted at the mansion/home of former Denver Nuggets star Kiki Van DeWeghe, the event was meant as a strict money gatherer for Giuliani's frontrunner campaign.

Only one problem: Giuliani is adamantly anti-gun, with a record to prove it.

Being the first in a series of collaborative efforts between Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and the National Association for Gun Rights, we wanted this one to be a surprise (to both the organizers of the event and the attendees). Rest assured we'll let you know when there is another event.

A small number of hardcore RMGO activists met outside the Cheeseman Park mansion, where valet attendants waited for the rich (tickets were $4000+ apiece for the personal discussion) to meet with the former New York mayor.

Dressed in nice clothes, with smiles on our faces, we handed out this flyer (http://www.nagr.org/Giuliani.pdf) to the fatcats as they walked in.

Thinking we were part of the event staff, they happily took the flyer as we said "If you care about your right to own firearms you'll want to see the incredible anti-gun record of Mayor Giuliani's."

Responses always vary, but few refused the flyer. Even John Elway read it, and seemed to be shocked by the label of "Liberal" on a Republican.

Friends, this kind of thing hurts politicians. It's extremely demoralizing to a politician and their staff when people aren't fawning all over them, trying to shake their hand, get a picture with them, and "get access" to someone with the kind of star power a frontrunner for president generates.

Even more effective is the affect this kind of activity has on politicians and political operatives who attend these events. They see an organized group going after someone who could become the next President of the United States. If a group has the guts to go after someone with that kind of power, they certainly will go after a State Legislator who votes wrong. It can do nothing but improve their behavior.

I like to call these events "Accountability Activities". Hold politicians accountable, and it's remarkable what we can accomplish.

Undoubtedly, this pressure (remember, they are in a battle to secure the Republican nomination, where being a conservative is the only thing that counts) will make them lie. Hours after the Virginia Tech shooting, Sen. John McCain (who may be more anti-gun than Giuliani) issued a statement saying this tragedy had not changed his mind on guns. Clearly, his campaign people saw the tragedy as a way to position McCain closer to gun owners, who can have an inordinate sway over who becomes the GOP nominee. But it's all a farce, as McCains long record on guns reveals.

Of course, there are groups out there who will provide cover for these politicians. We'll try to tell you when that happens, but you'll need to apply a lot of your own discernment.

This election season you're going to be told a lot of things that simply aren't true.

One thing you're sure to hear from every Republican candidate is "I support the Second Amendment." Don't let that statement stand on face value.

Conservatives protest Giuliani

From the Rocky Mountain News:

Dudley Brown, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, said Giuliani’s stance on guns was out of step with the Republican Party and agreed with fellow protestor Aaron Brown’s assessment that the presidential hopeful had grown too comfortable relying on bodyguards instead of carrying a weapon himself.

"Most people I know can’t afford bodyguards," Brown said. "He seems to have lost sight of that."

Another protestor bellowed out his opposition to Giuliani as a handful of guests arrived about 30 minutes prior to the cancellation of the event. The protestor, carrying large poster size pictures of aborted children, yelled, "God will not be mocked."

Additionally it looks like House Minority Leader Mike May (R-Highlands Ranch) is trying to distance himself from his endorsement of Giuliani.

Colorado House Minority Leader Mike May, who was listed on the host committee, balked at attending because he worried about Amendment 41, an ethics measure passed by Colorado voters last November, and being at an event that charged a fee.

"I don’t want to be in the middle of an Amendment 41 test," May said.

But he also worried about Giuliani’s stances on abortion and guns — liabilities that two protestors handing out leaflets outside the Van De Weghe home said were crippling to the former mayor.

Some perspective on Virginia Tech

From the AP Wire:

"All the school shootings that have ended abruptly in the last 10 years were stopped because a law-abiding citizen -- a potential victim -- had a gun," said Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America.

"The latest school shooting at Virginia Tech demands an immediate end to the gun-free zone law which leaves the nation's schools at the mercy of madmen."

Extra-constitutional rights granted to transsexuals

SB07-25, Jennifer Veiga and Alice Madden's bill to allow transgendered people to cross-dress at work passed the Colorado Senate on 2nd reading today.

Allard endorses Romney, conservatives weep

According to The Hill, Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) has announced his endorsement of former Taxacusettes Governor Mitt Romney's campaign for President.

Until very recently, Romney has been a proponent of gun control, state funded abortion, gay-rights, and higher taxes. His ill-fated campaign for MA Senate in 1994 and his run for Governor were liberal love-fests. Romney has a history of saying what is politically expedient in order to get elected. Conservatives should not trust his recent so-called conversion to conservative politics.

It is a shame that Colorado's Senior Republican Senator would hitch himself to Romney's wagon.

Read the Romney press release here.

Angry Angie Paccione Strikes Again

Political Pale Horse has more fodder about our favorite angry New Yorker.

In her latest episode, Angry Angie partook in a series of email exchanges with our friends over at LiberalExtremist.Com in what can only be summed up as FREAKING HILARIOUS! LiberalExtremist dedicated itself to exposing Angry Angie, as the extreme liberal she really is, through a series of YouTube videos in the last election. I can only guess that Angie never bothered to check out who LiberalExtremist was before going on a rant with them. This comes on the heels of news that Angie has been going to listening sessions sponsored by Congresswoman Musgrave and she is bringing some of her old staff with her. How Angie is paying for her staff is any ones guess. She has the financial acumen of a 3rd grader so it’s possible that she took out a loan to pay for her fictitious Congressional aides, or her staff is as delusional as she is and thinks that perhaps Angie really won the last election. Click here to read Angry Angie’s latest antics.

Paccione & Eidsness Delusional

Hilarious post from our friends over at Political Pale Horse. Click here to read more.

Harsanyi on "Mother may I?"

The Denver Post's David Harsanyi has a great piece on the nanny government disease that infects Republican and Democrats legislators alike.

Money Quote:

If all you need is a Jesus Complex and a seat in the legislature to ban unhealthy activity, what stops [Betty] Boyd, [Steve] Johnson et al. from banning hazardous activities like eating at fast-food restaurants, rock climbing or getting married?

Me: Priceless.
(h/t: FaceTheState.com)

Homosexual Adoption passes Senate

HB07-1330, which would allow homosexual adoption in Colorado, passed the state senate on a party line vote this morning.

Governor Ritter is expected to sign the bill.

Quotes on HB07-1330: Homosexual Adpotion

From the Rocky Mountain News:

"This is a remake of the homosexual agenda. It’s not about protecting children. It is an attack on the traditional family. It undermines traditional marriage structure that we need to keep strong and sacred." - Senator Scott Renfroe (R-Evans)

From the Denver Post:

But several Republicans argued that voters already have spoken on the issue - when they rejected Referendum I in the last election.

The referendum would have recognized same-sex unions and granted couples the same legal rights as married couples.

"That's not a policy that they want in the state of Colorado," said Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch.

Sen. David Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, said he was "appalled" lawmakers would try to push the legislation after Referendum I failed. The bill ignores "what is in the best interest of a child, which to me is a mother and a dad," he said.

But Veiga countered that her legislation is not about "whether you should have gay relationships" but about protecting children.

Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, kicked up another round of debate when he said the bill was about "unconditional love and people joining together to raise children."

"Children do well when they are loved," he said.

Romer's comments prompted Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, to tell him his "eloquent argument turned around and bit itself in the behind."

Mitchell called it "nonsense" that lawmakers could legislate love. "That's beyond the power of the legislature," he said.

Wednesday's Whimp

At the advice of some of our loyal readers, we're going to alternate between nominating Warriors and Whimps each wednesday, as the news allows.

Today's Wednesday's Whimp is State Senator Steve Ward (R-Centennial) for vote in favor of HB07-1347. The bill mandates a government tracking database of health immunizations of all Coloradans.

HB07-1347 is a bill that greatly advances the sort of big-bother, nanny-ist, government program that all Republicans, not just conservatives, should be opposed to.

HB07-1347 - State Database Tracking

My libertarian hackles are up!

HB07-1347, a bill that would require adults be added to the state's child immunization database was just passed by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

Senator Steve Ward (R-Centennial) was the only Republican to vote in favor of this needless expansion of a big-brother style government registry.

HB07-1347 is a bad, bad bill, and there is no reason any Republican should be voting for it.

One Step Closer to Homosexual Adpotion

This morning the Colorado State Senate voted on a 2nd reading voice vote to pass HB07-1330, a bill that would allow homosexual adoption in the state of Colorado.

HB07-1330 is a direct attack upon the will of the people of Colorado, who overwhelmingly voted against Ref. I. This is typical Democrat pay back to the liberal money bags that put them in power, Tim Gill and Jared Polis.


The recorded, 3rd reading vote in the Senate will come later this week.

The Wall of Shame
House Republicans who voted for HB07-1330:
Rep. Rob Witwer
Rep. Al White
Rep. Tom Massey
Rep. Ellen Roberts

Marilyn on Main Street

The Fort Collins Coloradoan follows up on Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave's (R-CO4) new district outreach program, that I wrote about yesterday.

The Coloradoan's editors lay down their normally poison pens to comment favorably on Marilyn's walk down main street:

Musgrave has been criticized in the past, including on this page, for opting for scripted meetings with selected constituents rather than opting for genuine outreach efforts. Musgrave appears to have gotten the message and is to be commended for adopting a new approach, never an easy step for a politician.

"In order to do my job as a representative, I am recommitting myself to reaching out and listening more to individuals' concerns," Musgrave said in announcing her schedule for the week."I was recently reminded of a lesson I learned early on as an elected official.The most effective public servants aren't those who are quick to speak but those who commit to listening, and I want to do a better job listening to my constituents."

Whether you support Musgrave or not, you have a chance this week to engage her in respectful conversation. Northern Colorado residents should take advantage of the opportunity, which will encourage Musgrave to continue the practice during future congressional breaks.

On the lighter side: AB has a new beer

Anheuseur-Busch has announced the release of a very limited, and delicious sounding new beer, Ascent 54.

From the Greeley Tribune:

Anheuser-Busch introduced Ascent 54, a German-style dunkel weisse (dark wheat) beer and made it available in select Colorado-only taverns and restaurants Tuesday. It also is available in liquor stores in kegs, but not yet available in bottles.

Along with Presley, the regional beer was crafted by nine beer lovers at the brewery, brewed with imported hops and specialty malts, and named after Colorado's 54 14,000-foot mountain peaks.

More:

In October, Presley and his team started researching, sampling, looking at the different beer styles and thought Colorado was missing a dunkel weisse. In January, they started brewing their first batch and a month later they were ready to taste it.

Ascent 54 is brewed with German Hallertau-Hallertau and Hallertau-Terrnang hops, 50 percent of wheat, Munich, chocolate and caramel malts and contains 5.5 percent of alcohol by volume.

...

"It explodes in your mouth," he said. "It's not full, it's not satiating, it's just soft and subtle because of the wheat that is in there and those flavors come in with the all-malt brew," he said.

To quote Homer Simpson, "Yay beer!!!"

Conservatives slap Schwartz

Yesterday, the now infamous HB07-1174 (We're coming for your guns and we'll be back for you Bible later) passed the Senate on Third Reading.

The Republican Caucus, who stood up in support of the right to keep and bear arms, were joined by Sen. Lois Tochtrop and Sen. Jim Isgar.

However there was some funny business with the bill, as reported by the Republican Study Committee of Colorado (RSCC) and ColoradoSenateNews.Com.

From the RSCC:

Senate observers believed HB07-1174 to be dead when it failed on a 2nd reading vote in the Senate. However Democrat leadership strong-armed the deciding vote, Democrat Senator Gail Schwartz (Snowmass Village) into flip-flopping and voting against the interests of her rural constituents.

“Party politics has taken center stage in the Senate, over the interests of the people of Colorado,” stated Senator Scott Renfroe (R – Eaton), a member of the Republican Study Committee of Colorado (RSCC). “It’s sad that Senator Schwartz would put the priorities of the gun-grabbing Democrat leadership ahead of representing the rural values of her district.”

Gail Schwartz better be looking over her shoulder come election time in 2010.

Money Quotes:

From ColoradoSenateNews.Com, Senator Greg Brophy (R-Wray) on Gail Schwartz flip-flop:

In comments after the debate, Brophy added, “At least Sen. Morse has been consistent and honest in his contempt for gun-owners. I'm disappointed in Sen. Schwartz for actually voting for the bill after she voted against it."

It is note worthy that the Colorado Springs Gazette, the paper of record for Morse' district called him out in an editorial on Sunday for his backward stance on gun rights.

We also urge Morse to stop thinking and acting as if he’s still on the police force, take a refresher course on the Constitution and try to see the world through the eyes of his non-cop constituents, who have civil liberties that need to be protected.

From the RSCC:

“The true irony of this session is that the Democrats accuse conservatives of only caring about God, gays and guns. Yet one hallmark of this session has been a stream of bills introduced by prominent Democrats with an anti-God, anti-gun, and pro-gay slant,” concluded Lambert.

Musgrave walks

Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (R - CO4) is out walking Colorado's 4th Congressional District. Yesterday Musgrave was in Greeley, with walks in Loveland, Fort Collins and Estes Park still to come.

From the Greeley Tribune:

Monday morning's stroll was part of a week's worth of events around the 4th Congressional District, which Musgrave's staff dubbed, "Marilyn on Main Street."

The idea is to reach out to residents and business people who might be out and about in pedestrian areas of northern Colorado municipalities. Later this week, Musgrave will walk in Old Town in Fort Collins and similar areas in Loveland and Longmont.

Money Quote:

Larson, at the Ice Haus, compared Musgrave to a hockey player.

"I was thinking when they said you would be coming by, hockey players are tough -- but during your last campaign, wow! Hockey players got nothing on her," he said. "This is a tough lady." [Emphasis added]

[Eds. Note: Marilyn is a tough lady. She is a hero of Colorado's conservative movement, and an all around nice person.]

Initially I was pretty skeptical about the "Marilyn on Main Stream" program. However it seems to me that this program can only help her image, which has unfairly suffered under the unskilled pen of the Fort Collins Coloradoan and the Greeley Tribune.

PoliticalPaleHorse has a fine bio of Musgrave.

Elizabeth Edwards hates guns, Republicans and the poor

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Presidential hopeful John Edwards (D- South Carolina), hates guns, Republicans and the poor (not necessarily in that order).

From Drudge, Mrs. Edwards refering to her gun-toting, Republican neighbor:

"I wouldn't be nice to him, anyway," Edwards said in an interview. "I don't want my kids anywhere near some guy who, when he doesn't like somebody, the first thing he does is pull a gun out. It scares the business out of me."

In response the neighbor questions Edwards' ability to walk the populist walk:

"I thought he was supposed to be for the poor people," Johnson said. "But does he ever socialize with any poor people? He doesn't speak to me."

Freed Britons Say Confessions Coerced

From the AP-
British sailors and marines freed by Iran said Friday they were blindfolded, isolated in cold stone cells and tricked into fearing execution while being coerced into falsely saying they had entered Iranian waters.

They said there was no doubt the 15 crew members were in Iraq's territorial waters when they were seized by heavily armed boats of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. They also said their jailers had singled out the only woman among the captives for use in propaganda.

Iran, which has been celebrating the incident as a victory, quickly rejected the charges, dismissing a news conference held by six of the freed personnel as "propaganda" and "a show." Iranian state TV accused British leaders of "dictating" the crew's statements.

Appearing a day after being flown home to reunions with their families, the eight sailors and seven marines reported undergoing constant psychological pressure and being threatened with seven years in prison if they did not say they intruded into Iranian waters.

They said their captors also lined them up against a wall one night to the ominous sound of weapons cocking behind their heads.

"At some points I did have fears that we would not survive," Operator Maintainer Arthur Batchelor, 20, the youngest sailor among the captives, told The Associated Press in an interview.

Speaking at the news conference with five colleagues, the boat team's commander, Royal Navy Lt. Felix Carman, said the prisoners were harshly interrogated during 13 days in custody and slept in stone cells on piles of blankets.

"All of us were kept in isolation. We were interrogated most nights and presented with two options: If we admitted that we'd strayed, we'd be on a plane to (Britain) pretty soon. If we didn't, we faced up to seven years in prison," he said.

Carman, who was one of the captives who appeared in Iranian videos seeming to admit being in Iran's waters, disavowed his earlier comment.

"Let me make this clear — irrespective of what was said in the past — when we were detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard we were inside internationally recognized Iraqi territorial waters," he said.

Royal Marine Joe Tindell said he came to believe one of his colleagues had been executed on the second day of their ordeal.

The 21-year-old said the crew had believed they were being taken to the British Embassy in Tehran to be released, but were instead dumped in a holding facility.

"We had a blindfold and plastic cuffs, hands behind our backs, heads against the wall. ... There were weapons cocking," Tindell told British Broadcasting Corp. radio. "Someone said, I quote: 'Lads, lads, I think we're going to get executed.' ... Someone was sick and as far as I was concerned he had just had his throat cut."

Royal Marine Capt. Chris Air said the crew, operating in two inflatable boats in the Persian Gulf on March 23 checking vessels for smuggled goods, was confronted by two Revolutionary Guard boats.

"They rammed our boats and trained their heavy machine guns, RPGs and weapons on us. Another six boats were closing in on us," Air said.

He said the team quickly decided that a gunbattle would risk a major escalation of tensions with Iran and that they were too lightly armed to resist anyway.

"From the outset it was very apparent that fighting back was simply not an option," Air said. "Had we chosen to do so, then many of us would not be standing here today. Of that I have no doubts."

While much of Britain rallied behind the returning crew, some critics complained about the prisoners appearing in videos in which they appeared to admit entering Iranian waters and offered regrets.

Military commanders have stood behind the crew. They didn't break rules by complying with the Iranian demands, the head of the Royal Navy, Adm. Jonathon Band, told the BBC. "I think, in the end, they were a credit to us," he said.

The most visible of the seized sailors during their captivity was Leading Seaman Faye Turney, a 26-year-old mother of a young girl and the first crew member to be interviewed on Iranian television. Turney did not attend the news conference.

Air said Turney was singled out by the Iranians, who put her in solitary confinement and told her all the men had been released. "She was under the impression for about four days that she was the only one there," he told reporters.

In an interview with AP, Air said there were a "few incidents when our safety was at risk," citing occasions when the sailors were held separately, making them more vulnerable.
He said the crew faced a difficult task when complying with their captors' requests for them to admit publicly they were in Iranian territory — a fact they knew to be untrue. "We were very careful about what we said and what we didn't say," he told AP.

In a clip shown on Iranian television, for instance, Air — pointing to a map — said that "we were seized apparently at this point here on their maps and on the GPS they've shown us, which is inside Iranian territorial waters."

Prime Minister Tony Blair's office refused to comment on the crew's description of their treatment in Iran, but the White House said the reports of ill-treatment were disappointing.
"If what they described is accurate, then that would not seem to be appropriate behavior and action," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. "It's unfortunate that the Iranians ever detained the sailors to begin with."

Iran's state television showed parts of the news conference, but with no sound. Without revealing their specific comments, a newscaster said the Britons "retreated from their confessions," while an unidentified analyst charged their statements were "dictated" by British officials.

Mohammad Ali Hosseini, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, also criticized the British statements, the TV report said. "Propaganda actions and shows can't cover up actions by the British military men and their repeated violation in illegal entry into Iran's territorial waters," he said.
Earlier, during Friday sermons at mosques around Iran, government clerics touted the end of the standoff with Britain as a victory for Iran.

Some told worshippers the British government apologized for the crews' entry into Iranian waters. The British government says it never apologized, and even Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad acknowledged before the crew's release that Britain stuck to its stance that the crew was seized in Iraqi waters.

HB07-1296 Update

More on the HB07-1296 Senate floor debate...

From the Rocky Mountain News:

Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, cited lessons that include placing condoms on cucumbers, calling them "disgusting classes."

Sen. Josh Penry, R-Fruita, called the measure a "top-down, heavy-handed bill" in a state that leaves most curriculum decisions to local school boards.

Windels said a stronger curriculum is needed to stem teen pregnancies, which are occurring at a rate of one every hour in Colorado. She said the bill will be an ice-breaker for communities that have difficulty discussing sex.

Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, said students need help in dealing with the pervasive sexual messages in popular culture.

Romer said his father, former Gov. Roy Romer, learned what the female body looked like from the bra section of the Sears, Roebuck catalog.

Now, Romer said, "We have a girls-gone-wild culture."

E-mail unmasks left's education chasm

Conservative hero Mark Hillman wrote a great article about the recent email exchange between Michael Merrifield and Sue Windels.
From MarkHillman.Com

Longtime teachers union boss Albert Shanker infamously remarked, "When school children start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of school children."

The recent dustup between Democrats at the State Capitol over public school choice revealed that, on certain issues, even those who seem to share common political ideologies can be miles apart.

In case you missed it, FaceTheState.com discovered a recent e-mail exchange between Rep. Michael Merrifield (D-Manitou Springs) and Sen. Sue Windels (D-Arvada), who respectively chair the education committees in the Colorado House and Senate.

Discussing how they could dismantle the Colorado Charter School Institute, which has the authority to license public charter schools when parents and school districts are deadlocked, Merrifield wrote to Windels that if Governor Ritter is on board, they should abolish the institute – despite objections from key Democrats who support public charter schools.

Merrifield then rants about a local school board recall election in Colorado Springs, calling board members with whom he disagrees "evil twins," and concludes with this gem:

"There must be a special place in Hell for these Privatizers, Charterizers and Voucherizers! (sic) They deserve it!"

Sadly, too many Colorado children live in neighborhoods served by truly rotten schools. Many of these children – who are disproportionately poor or dark-skinned – are likely doomed to futures filled with ignorance, poverty and, too often, prison if they are denied the opportunity of a good education.

Whether those opportunities come from government-funded alternatives or a growing cadre of generous Coloradans who pay for private school alternatives, Merrifield says those who back these alternatives deserve damnation.

That didn’t sit too well with innercity Democrats who don’t want to see their children’s futures decided by the fickle hand of fate.

Although Windels didn’t stick her foot in her mouth, her record on education is just as odious as Merrifield’s putrid comment. She opposed giving parents a meaningful report card on their local school’s performance, and in 2003, she fought again to keep kids from low-income families locked inside failing schools.

Rep. Terrance Carroll and Sen. Peter Groff, both Denver Democrats and both solidly left-of-center, have been among the strongest proponents of giving more public school options to urban parents and their children.

Their 2004 bill to create the Charter School Institute passed narrowly but with bipartisan support. Democrats supported it because they wouldn’t stand still and allow their children to be condemned to a future of lost opportunities. Republicans rallied around the belief that public education exists to serve students — not bureaucrats and teachers unions.

So, what explains this gaping chasm among liberal lawmakers on such a critical issue? Values and experience.

Groff and Carroll may be liberal, but they are not "limousine liberals" who live cloistered in subdivisions that insulate them from the people they represent. And they are not slaves to the teachers union.

Only 13 percent of Denver Public School sophomores score proficient or advanced in math; 27 percent reach the mark in writing; 40 percent in reading. DPS claims a graduation rate of 76.9 percent, but recent surveys have shown that only one-third of DPS students who finish eighth grade also complete high school.

If that were your kids’ school, you would demand improvement and alternatives, too. Why can’t Merrifield and Windels understand that?

In the last two election cycles, Merrifield raised more than $10,000 from teachers unions, plus another $24,800 from their big labor cousins. That’s bush league compared to Windels, who raked in $64,563 from union bosses in her last campaign.

After the e-mail was exposed, Merrifield issued a boilerplate apology and stepped down as House Education Committee chairman. Or did he?

Two days later, The Denver Post reported that Merrifield’s "resignation" is effective only through the end of the legislative session on May 9 and correctly observed that it’s purely cosmetic since he remains on the committee.

Cosmetic changes merely patronize those who truly want all Colorado students to have access to a quality education. What’s far more important is that more Democrats and Republicans stand together to make student opportunity and achievement the top consideration in education.

Wednesday's Warrior(s)

We're going to do something a little different today....

Cheers go to Senator Greg Brophy (R - Yuma), Sen. Mike Kopp (R - Littleton), Sen. Scott Renfroe (R - Eaton), Sen. Ted Harvey (R - Highlands Ranch) and Sen. Josh Penry (R -Fruita) for being leaders agaist HB07-1292, which requires liberal sex-education be taught in Colorado Schools.

Today these distinguished Senators lead the floor fight, complete with amendments, against HB07-1292.

Collectively they are today's Wednesday Warriors.

City of Fort Collins advances gay agenda...

...at least it looks that way to me.

One of my many internet sources shared an email he received from a group that is part of the homosexual lobby.

The interesting part is that the email was sent by an employee of the City of Fort Collins' Recreation Department.

Does the City of Fort Collins allow it's employees to use their taxpayer funded email to advance their own personal, liberal agendas or is the City paying someone to advance an anti-family agenda?

Call the City of Fort Collins to complain: (970) 221-6500 .

The email:

Katie Stieber to LCCshow details 9:15 am (45 minutes ago)
FYI

Katie Stieber
Recreation Supervisor
City of Fort Collins Recreation
1200 Raintree Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80526
(970)224-6029

>>> "Lewis, Emily" 04/04/07 9:12 AM >>>
Hi All
This is a reminder of some important dates for the Rainbow Elders.
* The Writers Group meets Wednesdays, April 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 9:30 to -11:30 a.m. Boulder County Courthouse, Commissioner's Room, Third Floor, Pearl Street Mall and 14th Street. Parking Validations available.
* April 9-12 59th Annual Conference on World Affairs. You can get a schedule at http://www.colorado.edu/cwa/
Many workshops and activities of interest on writing and poetry, movies and literature, global warming and other environmental problems/solutions, gay rights, current affairs, sex (of course) and current economic and political issues.
Those interested in going to an event as a group contact Emily at elewis@co.boulder.co.us. One possibility would be to attend "Gay Rights: We the People Means Everyone from 4:30-5:50 pm on Thursday April 12 at Old Main Chapel.
* April 16, 4-5 p.m. in the Sundquist Conference Room at Aging Services, 3482 N. Broadway, Rainbow Elder Program & Newsletter Committee Meeting. All are welcome.
* April 17 Rainbow Elders meet at the Longmont Senior Center from 4-6 and discuss "The Book of Salt".
* April 20th 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. at the Radisson Conference Center, 2850 Industrial Circle, Longmont, "Aging in Good Company" complimentary breakfast and fund raiser hosted by the Aging Services Foundation. RSVP by April 10 to Emily at 303-442-3583.

Colorado's Own 3rd Batt. 4th CAG Returns Today

Welcome home Marines. We're proud of you!

The Right on Dobson

Conservative pundit Dr. Chuck Baldwin recently weighed in on Dr. James Dobson's recent comments about Fred Thompson's apparent lack of Christian faith.

I think Baldwin's analysis is spot on.

Please know that I cut my eyeteeth as a political activist with the so-called Religious Right. I was the Florida Moral Majority Executive Director and participated in numerous local and national meetings that featured the Religious Right's most eminent spokesmen. My personal history with the Religious Right goes back more than thirty years.

That said, it is my studied opinion that many, if not most, of our national conservative Christian leaders have lost touch with the reality of our nation's ills and how to cure them. I hate to say it, but it seems to me that they have become either perilously shallow and unthinking or myopically focused upon their own success. Either way, the leadership being provided by this once-great group of champions seems to be seriously deficient in both discernment and resolve.

For example, just last week, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson laid an egg of gigantic proportions when he brazenly proclaimed to U.S. News & World Report senior editor Dan Gilgoff that Republican presidential aspirant Fred Thompson was not "a Christian."

In an attempt to smooth over Dobson's gaffe, Focus on the Family spokesman Gary Schneeberger said that Dobson "has never known Thompson to be a committed Christian-someone who openly talks about his faith."

This debacle might seem like an insignificant misstatement by the Christian radio guru, but it's not. It represents the kind of shallowness and naïveté that has come to dominate the Religious Right.

Schneeberger accurately articulated the thinking of James Dobson and many conservative Christians today: In order for a politician to be acceptable, he must be someone who "openly talks about his faith."

Understand, too, that shortly after the moral recklessness of President Bill Clinton, it would have been necessary to include another requirement: an acceptable candidate must be one who keeps his pants zipped up. However, this is no longer a litmus test for the Religious Right, as I will demonstrate in a moment.

How is it that Christian conservatives have come to put so much stock in the religious rhetoric of a politician on the campaign trail? How is it that they expect a candidate, especially a presidential candidate, to "openly talk about his faith?"

Please recall that it did not do Jimmy Carter much good to openly talk about his faith. The Religious Right was almost unified in its opposition to Carter. However, the ultimate hero of the Religious Right, Ronald Reagan, was never known to carry his religion on his sleeve. He was not one who "openly talked about his faith."

It has been the George W. Bush presidency that has helped turn the minds of Christian conservatives away from a politician's actions and policies to his or her rhetoric. Bush has been given a free pass (by Christian
conservatives) on his unconstitutional, liberal, big-spending, socialistic, and imperialistic policies, because he "openly talks about his faith."

Never mind that President Bush's presidency more resembles Bill Clinton's than it does Ronald Reagan's. Never mind that if George W. Bush did not have an "R" behind his name, one would assume that he was a protégé of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson. Because Bush "openly talks about his faith," he is accepted, defended, and lauded by the Religious Right.

If that is not shallow, I don't know what is.

Illustrating further the depth of Dobson's shallowness is the way he and other leaders of the Religious Right are treating the philanderer Newt Gingrich. Dobson told Gilgoff that the former House Speaker was "the brightest guy out there" and "the most articulate politician on the scene today." Jerry Falwell added his praise for Gingrich, saying in his Liberty Journal, "He is a true American statesman and a brilliant political innovator." Falwell has also invited Gingrich to be the commencement speaker at the graduating ceremonies at Liberty University this year.

This about a man who has a history as a serial adulterer. A man who used the occasion of his wife's hospitalization for cancer treatments to tell her he was leaving her for another woman with whom he had been having an affair.
This about a man who had to be taken to court to pay what was due his abandoned wife. This about a man who was a major culprit in the House Banking Scandal, having written 22 bad checks at taxpayers' expense. This about a man who, just five months ago, brazenly called for the curtailment of free speech. This about a man who, after having orchestrated the GOP revolution of 1994, used the power of the Speaker's office to try and intimidate the conservative House freshmen into compromising their conservative commitment, including trying to force them to support tax increases. This about a man who is a long-standing member of the Council on Foreign Relations, which is a think-tank of internationalists working toward global government.

But now Dobson, Falwell, et al. apparently hold Newt Gingrich in the highest regard, with Dobson gushing over him during the very interview when Gingrich admitted his adultery, and Falwell saying that Gingrich has made a "fresh commitment to God." Just in time for the presidential campaign. How convenient!

However, poor Fred Thompson now has the "smell of death" put on him by James Dobson with what is sure to be a ubiquitous moniker, "He is not a Christian." Does James Dobson really believe that it is better to be an admitted adulterer who "openly talks about his faith," than to be a faithful husband who doesn't?

When will conservative Christians wake up? When will they come to understand that when it comes to political office, we are not electing Sunday School teachers? We are electing men and women to do one thing: faithfully discharge their duties to the Constitution of the United States.

What matters more than religious rhetoric is whether or not our elected representatives fulfill their oath of office and obey the Constitution. (Of course, it should be obvious that we cannot be expected to trust a man who has no fidelity to his marriage commitment to be faithful to his commitments to the American people.)

America is in serious trouble, because our political leaders (from both
parties) are continually ignoring and overtly disobeying constitutional government. They treat the Constitution (and their loyalty to it) as a pile of dung. This irresponsibility has brought our nation to the brink of the abyss.

We are almost ready to lose our national identity, our culture, our standard of living, and even our military superiority.
Our education system is in the toilet. Our manufacturing jobs have almost vanished, our nation is being systematically merged into a "North American Community," and James Dobson's focus seems to be merely that our future president is a man who "openly talks about his faith?"

Obviously, James Dobson just doesn't get it. It would be far better to have an honest, God-fearing man in the White House who is more concerned about faithfully following the Constitution than he is about giving a bunch of religious lip service.
And that means we need to pay far more attention to his record than to his rhetoric. The day that our conservative Christian leaders and pastors wake up to that truth is the day that we can begin to restore this constitutional republic.

Gubernatorial Predictions '07

What’s the name of the guy who spilled beer on John Hickenlooper? Yeah I don’t know either, but he’s running for mayor too. That being said, there are no major Colorado elections coming for another year and a half and you folks need some races to predict right now.

In 2007 there will be three Gubernatorial elections in the U.S. Two of the three seats are currently being held by Republicans, only one of which is popular with the voters. These races may dictate the way strategists lay down the foundation for the ’08 elections or they may just be a way to impress your friends with your freaky grasp of all things political!

Read on to see CCP’s analysis and predictions for the ’07 Gov. races.

Mississippi, barring any glaring mistakes, should remain safely in GOP hands after the ‘07 election. Current Governor Haley Barbour (R) showed good leadership in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and has benefited from high approval ratings despite long ties to President Bush. All the legitimate contenders from the liberal side of the aisle somehow managed to miss the filing deadline to run, leaving the Dems with extremely bleak prospects of taking back the Governors mansion.
Advantage Republicans

Kentucky looks to get back to its Republican roots with a heated primary between current governor Ernie Fletcher and former Congresswoman Anne Northup. Fletcher currently leads Northup by 2 points (31%-33%) as well as having a commanding cash advantage. But at this point Northup has the momentum on her side with current Lieutenant Governor Steve Pence endorsing Northup over his current boss, and Fletcher being upside down in his approval-disapproval ratings. Northup’s message of not being Ernie Fletcher should resonate with a base that has seen the current Governor mired in a myriad of scandals. I see Northup being the candidate to make it out of the primary May 22nd (slight possibility that there will be a run off if 2nd tier candidate Billy Harper can make enough of a stink to prevent Fletcher or Northup from getting 40%).

The real question is if Kentucky will elect a Republican in the general election after the current governor has been such a disaster. Northup’s message of not being Ernie Fletcher will take her as far as the primary, after which it will be hard to convince voters of the difference between any two Republicans. If Northup is to be successful in the general she will have to have a strong message of lower taxes and less government but most importantly less corruption.

With Fletcher being the first Republican elected to governor of Kentucky in ages, it is going to be hard for the voters not to go back to the scandal free times they had when a Democrat was in charge.
Advantage Dems

Louisiana seems to be in the same type of boat that Kentucky is, though they are sailing in different waters. Current Democrat Governor Kathleen Blanco has managed to skirt the national tidal wave of liberal mania and is giving Louisiana Republicans a real reason to think they have a chance to win in this longtime Dem state. Poll numbers put out at the tail end of 2006 show Republican and former Congressman Bobby Jindal beating Blanco by over 30%. This may or may not have caused Blanco to not seek re-election, but either way the Dems have to be happy that they have a chance to recruit a candidate without Blanco’s baggage or negatives.

While Jindal has it in the bag for the Republicans, things are far more complicated for the Dems. Current front runner for the bad guys has to go to former Senator John Breaux. Breaux has a small problem in the fact that he currently is not a resident of Louisiana and is not allowed to run for a state wide office unless he resides in the state for five years immediately preceding the election. How he is still considered by insiders to ultimately be their nominee, despite the fact that their state constitution would have to be violated to do so, is beyond me. Option two if Breaux decides not to break any laws would go to current Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu. Blanco’s baggage would come with Landrieu, if he liked it or not, and should be enough to handicap him against Jindal. My guess is that the moral compass, known as Louisiana’s government, finds a way for Breaux to make the ballot.

If Breaux is able to get in the Dems can be competitive, but they will be hard pressed to get rid of the negative connotations that Blanco has brought to the left side of the spectrum.
Slight Advantage Republicans

Despite not gaining a net advantage in seats, two out of three still ain’t bad and is hopefully enough to raise our hopes for ’08.

Fun Thoughts

Is everyone familiar with Shad Planking? If not, I've included that handy-dandy link to the tenuously reliable wikipedia for a quick review.

The growing number of political people that show up at the machine gun shoot every year has given me a funny glimpse into the future. What if the machine gun shoot became a political function on a grand scale? What if Tom Tancredo had used the shoot to announce his campaign instead?

Heh... Funny thoughts...

Fun With Guns

Whew, this weekend was a pretty good time other than the snow and wind that showed up to bother us a couple times. I'm of course referring to the machine gun shoot that took place this weekend.

All the usual trappings were there. Dynamite... the smell of napalm... well at least the smell of smoke in general. Even the unmistakable laugh of RMGO director Dudley Brown could be heard through the cacophony of gun fire.

There were a few friends from the golden dome there too. My favorite moment was when three senators were standing together watching the fun when some fourth person starts a conversation about how stupid the members of the state legislature are. Apparently our concerned voter friend is unaware that he is speaking to three of them.

When the concerned voter says "Sometimes they act so dumb it just makes me want to give them a good slap!" One of our senators replied "Oh believe me, I know the feeling."

The Holocaust is not politically correct

According to The Times of London, teachers in England are no longer teaching students about the Holocaust or the crusades for fear of offending racial sensibilities.

This is political correctness run amok!!

Teachers are dropping controversial subjects such as the Holocaust and the Crusades from history lessons because they do not want to cause offence to children from certain races or religions, a report claims.

Was Dan Caplis Serious About Senate '08?

Speculation has arose about the motives behind radio personality Dan Caplis running for Senate. Did he ever intend to get in or was this all a publicity stunt for his radio show?

Short answer: Yes, at one time.

Long and boring answer: Caplis was absolutely going to make a run for Senate when the GOP environment had McInnis being the front runner and rumors were afloat that Bob Schaffer would not run after all. Caplis felt that the GOP needed a stronger conservative to run than Scooter and that he was the conservative to do so. Now that McInnis has bowed out, so has the motivation behind Caplis running for the seat. If Mr. Caplis really thought he could beat a veteran like McInnis, that I am not sure of, but he definately would have moved things to the right if he faced Scott in a primary.

At this point I have no clue if Dan is still talking about running for the seat, I don't listen to his show. If he is talking about running, that talk will stop if and when Bob Schaffer announces he is in. In the meantime I say keep the talk up, you might get a northern plains guy like myself to start tuning in.

Reasons to vote for Ron Paul

From today's National Journal Hotline:

Ron Paul "blazed through" Scottsdale, AZ, for "one of his first stops" on the WH campaign trail. After attending a "higher cost" fundraiser on 3/30, Paul met supporters on 3/31 at an $8/person breakfast at Hometown Buffet. Paul discussed his "opposition to the war in Iraq," his backing of "gun rights" and how "big" gov't "should be eliminated" (Muench, Arizona Republic, 4/1).

Going Dr. "No"-To-Toe With Maher

Paul appeared on "Real Time" 3/30.

On being a libertarian: "I believe in limited government. I believe in individual liberty. There were some Republicans at one time that actually believed that."

Asked if the U.S. should eliminate the CIA: "I think we could do without the CIA murdering leaders in other countries. I think there's room for intelligence gathering, but I don't like the secret activity of the CIA where they go about getting rid of people ... and installing governments."

On global warming: "I think it's been around for a long time and it's probably going to be with us a while longer. ... Our foreign policy contributes to global warming by subsidizing a policy that is deeply flawed. That's why we're in the Middle East ... to protect oil interests."

Bill Maher: "Haven't we learned from Walter Reed and so many other scandals that actually private enterprise does worse? Corporations are actually worse than the government because they have absolutely no conscience?"

Paul: "What makes you think the Veterans Association is private? This is a demonstration of what government-run medicine would be like. ... We need to allow every veteran to have decent health care, but we should permit them and pay for it to allow them to go to the doctor they want" (HBO, 3/30).

Tanc: I'm In

This morning Congressman Tom "Tanc" Tancredo (CO-6) formally announced his campaign to run for President. Tanc has been testing the waters over the last several months with an exploratory committee, today's announcement puts Tanc firmly officially in the process.

Speculation is still strong that regardless of the outcome of his dark-horse Presidential campaign, Tanc will still give up his house seat.

Aprils Fool's Humor... Late

PPH has an awesome break down of the state of Colorado politics...

...my favorite "revelation":

Rep. Garnder and Sen. Brophy are having a dual to figure out who is more pro-gun. The dual is scheduled at high noon.

Romney and Clinton Leading The Field

Romney and Clinton are ahead of the pack in terms of raising that green. According to the AP, Mitt Romney raised $23 million while queen of the Dems Hillary Clinton raised an unprecedented $26 million in the first quarter.

Rudy “The Poll Topper” Giulliani is reporting $17 million raised despite what he called a “late start”, (Rudy actually was one of the first ones out of the gate in terms of fundraising).

John McCain has not released his fundraising numbers as of yet.

Other Democrat numbers are as follows: John Edwards raised a paltry $14 million, Bill Richardson raised $6 million, Chris Dodd raised a total of $9 million with $5 million coming from his Senate campaign coffers, and Joe Biden bringing in the rear with $4 million raised. FEC reports are not due til April 15th and you may not know some POTUS contenders numbers until then. April 15th will be telling in that you will see cash on hand for all contenders as well, which is a more significant number than amount raised in that if a candidate is raising $15 million but only has $7 million COH he is not spending his moolah wisely.

Like McCain, Obama has not released his numbers yet either. Some easy assumptions to make as to why neither candidate have put out a press release is that their fundraising totals were not as good as they had hoped for or they were as good as they had hoped but the staggering numbers presented by Romney and Clinton makes them want to avoid a story comparing the war chests or they were still totaling their receipts (pretty unlikely).

Don’t put too much stock into these numbers. Though impressive, most of these campaigns are just getting their feet underneath them.