Charlie Cook's Colorado Politics Malfunction

At least they corrected the Gail thing.

Quietly.  The Wellington slip isn't really material to this, it just looks dumb, but saying Gail Norton seems like a big enough deal to stop and loudly correct.

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

12/15/11 - RIP squeaky duck. You were plush, loved and finally ripped apart after over a year.

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by: droll @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 15:52:35 PM UTC

Cool, Bennet is channeling his inner Tea Party principles

When your #3 on the top 5 endangered senator list these yearnings begin to develop in your loins as you realize the principles that got you to the party are all warped.

What Bennet doesn't get is people think he's an out of state, east coast political climbing elitist.  That's hard to change.

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by: Libertad @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 16:24:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

My #3 on the top 5?

That's not the way I would've ordered it and those aren't the main reasons I would've picked.  I am flattered that you think I get to write these lists.

Grammatical error aside, Bennet didn't get to "get" anything here.  I guess what you mean, correct me if I'm wrong (I can't pretend to understand you), is that the good people at Hardball don't understand that Bennet is "an out of state, east coast political climbing elitist."

You confuse me.

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

12/15/11 - RIP squeaky duck. You were plush, loved and finally ripped apart after over a year.

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by: droll @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 16:48:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Of course Turd confuses you

So would monkeys at a keyboard.

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by: BlueCat @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 16:59:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Cool, Bennet is channeling his inner Tea Party principles

Freaking public school English again....

When you're #3 on the top 5 endangered senator list [MSNBC promoted list] these yearnings [conservative principles] begin to develop in your loins as you realize the principles that got you to the party are all warped.

What Team Bennet doesn't get is that people think he's an out of state, east coast political climbing elitist.  That's hard to change.

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by: Libertad @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 19:39:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not people, you.

n/t

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 19:41:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What do you have against monkeys?

That was mean.  Monkeys are great.

Libertad, nice re-write, but it still doesn't actually make sense in this thread.

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

12/15/11 - RIP squeaky duck. You were plush, loved and finally ripped apart after over a year.

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by: droll @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 20:31:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

People that get to know him

People that get to know him think quite differently.

He's actually very modest. The Speaker may well receive a boost from the caacus, though. I would not count him out as yet.

Norton is either swinging way right, or always has been to the right of GWB. I find it disturbing.

I'm surprised that violence hasn't broken out at the eventsthat tea baggers attend. They come armed and in a mood to use their weapons.

The vigilante border guards have committed violence in the last year. It's nothing compared to the US demand for illegal narcotics driven violence raging at the border. It crosses over to the US side.
a recent cable television documentary focussed on the danger to the Mexican press (some seek political asylum), and extortion based kidnappings which in Pheonix are not uncommon. Since 2005, the Mexican government has emplyed the military for police duty in at least 5 states. this has lead to a resurgence of PRI in elections. PAN has been the pro business party and the last rpesidential election was mroe contestd than Bush/Gore.

The reach of the cartels carries social consequences for every US urban population including Denver. Shootings and the sound of gunfire are not rare in the inner city.

This, in my mind, is the key difference betwen Sen.bennet and Speaker Romanoff. Sen. Bennet gets the immigration issue. The Speaker seems diconnected to the issue as his reason for not backing tuition equality has demonstrated.

Many liberal suburbanites don't get it, either. It's ironic, as a large part of the
demand for powder cocaine comes from those households.  

judge elected officials by their actions, not by their rhetoric

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by: Ray Springfield @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 17:44:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Spot on Ray

People that get to know him

Its good to hear you're an insider at Club Bennet, maybe you can answer this question.

If Bennet feels the Reidcare bill is such a corrupt and misguided cluster, why does he continue to vote for it?

What's your upside for Bennet committing you to finance the Cornhusker Kickback?

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by: Libertad @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 19:45:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Did you read his speech, Libby?

Or just the excerpts over at Free Republic?

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 19:47:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What's your upside for Bennet committing you to finance the Cornhusker Kickback?

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by: Libertad @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 00:15:23 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Your framing, not mine

Personally, I want to get this piece of shit to a conference committee where it can be fixed.

You want it killed so that the insurance companies can keep bleeding people until they die.

So why do you want people to die?

Note to Libby--don't try to play the framing game with me.  You're not smart enough to win.


Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 02:00:41 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

He thinks it will be revisted

Primarily to insure that costs are contained for mandated coverages.

He does feel that the non-profits permitted to take part in the insurance exchange will put pressure on the for profit companies to compete.

The Nebraska deal he had nothing to do with.

It will be interesting to see if the conference committee can get a bill that both houses will support.

I know the Speaker ,too.
I like him personally and have felt bad about going after some of his supporters.
I told him that I wouldn't atack him, and guess that I've broken that promise as I expected his campaign to be run clean.

They've gone after me, and more importantly spread false information about the Senator since the Speaker announced.

I've kept most my powder dry. I need to get better at not letting myself get drawwn into arguments for arguments sake.

I can get you a copy of the managers' "idiots guide." to the bill.
You can send a request to r_springfield@msn.com if you want.

The "idiots guuide" for what comes out of the conference obviusly won't be available until January.

judge elected officials by their actions, not by their rhetoric

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by: Ray Springfield @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 20:21:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Since you and the truth have a rocky relationship at best,

I'm going to need details.  You're no longer entitled to the benefit of the doubt.

I told him that I wouldn't atack him, and guess that I've broken that promise as I expected his campaign to be run clean.

Where's Romanoff's dirt?

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

12/15/11 - RIP squeaky duck. You were plush, loved and finally ripped apart after over a year.

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by: droll @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 20:28:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not controlling his inside supporters

1.They've spread that Sen Bennet didn't support the public option until Romanoff entered. That's a lie.
2. Wade Norris, insider if there ever was one, tried to suggest that the Senator  was soft of clean energy. He's not. I clearly refuted that with Susan Daggett.
3. Denver Dems "unplanned" fundraiser at the same time, place and date as the normal district meeting.
4. The attempt to smear Sen Bennet for his Wall St contributions, which totals less than 10% of his funds raised, and were raised before the Speaker ever announced.
and by impplication that it influences his decisions. This was magnified by the effort to suggest that the Speaker can't be bought with PAC money. Well, I don't think either of them can be bought. The Speaker has taken
PAC money over his political career.
6. If the Speaker cannot control the people in his inner circle, then that's not leadership.
5. The smearing of John Wren.

I have other examples of people that are very close to him, but this is enough.

If you think that I've used the stuff that the Republicans will use then you are wrong.

Your calling me a liar, when you don't even acknowledge who you are is taken as consider the source.

If you haven't lied, then I have a pretty good idea of who you are, and once again, consider the source.  

judge elected officials by their actions, not by their rhetoric

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by: Ray Springfield @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 20:46:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You know exactly who I am.

Which is how I know you can't be trusted.  You called me a liar, I proved you wrong.  Apologize.

As for running a dirty campaign, I see inconvenient points made that you don't like.  If you can link Romanoff directly to any of your claims, please do it.  If you're really insisting that all candidates should be held accountable for what their supporters randomly do, then Bennet has to be held to the same standards.

So, what does Bennet believe?  That having made millions automatically makes you a good elected official, that Udall can't or won't read bills, and that it's OK to slander people.  There's more, but this is enough.

You really do a helluva job for your guy.  I'm sure he appreciates it.

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

12/15/11 - RIP squeaky duck. You were plush, loved and finally ripped apart after over a year.

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by: droll @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 21:03:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Droll is right

While there may be a lot of things that are not on the up-and-up with Romanoff's supporters--especially people in the Denver Democratic Party--there's nothing coming from Romanoff's campaign directly that has been anything but positive. Everything that Romanoff has hit Bennet on indirectly has been fair game as far as I'm concerned.

I think it would be a huge mistake for Bennet supporters to start down the same path as some of the Romanoff supporters have taken.

As far as I'm concerned, both campaigns have done a great job trying to keep the race about the issues. I wish I could say the same for the bloggers and activists.

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by: redstateblues @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 21:07:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

There you go again, RSB

Facts.  Logic.  Reason.  Is there NOTHING to which you won't stoop!  You're a disgrace to the blogosmear!

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by: Voyageur @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 22:05:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks Voyaguer

And may I say, merry christmas and a happy new year to you and your family.

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by: redstateblues @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 01:29:02 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Very well said

I also think both campaigns have been very professional and positive. If anything, more so than they should be - because both do need to bring up the distinctions between them.

The supporters of both candidates would do well to follow the example of both campaigns.

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

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by: DavidThi808 @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 22:08:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Don't encourage him, David.

He'll just go on making sense.  Then where will we be?  Back to reading Steve Harvey, that's where!    

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by: Voyageur @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 22:46:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Peace on Earth, dammit!

Ray, quit trying to help Senator Bennet.  It's a boon to his opponents.

I'm not as sweet as I used to be.

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by: Jambalaya @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 23:32:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

like I said yesterday

Charlie Cook only gets cred in DC because people in DC have no fucking clue what's going on in the rest of the country, and for some strange reason they've glommed on to him as somebody who does.  

I think he got himself into that position because he was doing political handicapping before the internet, before the data was easily available to everybody.  That, and he's done a very good job of marketing his "intelligence" all throughout the Hill information structure.  

In fact, I just registered
www.veryliberalagitatedpissedoffpeoplewithnoorganization.com
-Laughing Boy

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by: indipol @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 16:36:13 PM UTC

Brownstein is spot on.

Again.

He got Colorado mostly right in a 2008 piece.

http://www.nationaljournal.com...

And yet the lesson of all this apparent D success seems not to have been learned by all the D's. At least not in my community.

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by: MADCO @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 17:03:47 PM UTC

That article is great

I remember reading it when it came out.

Demographics, my friends, is master to us all.

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by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 17:29:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I serve many masters,

including MOTR

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by: MADCO @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 18:08:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

At least he didn't mention

our Governor Owens while they ran a picture of New York's new D Rep, Bill Owens.  Not that they really care much about getting it right when they're talking about us bumpkins in the fly-over states.  

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by: BlueCat @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 17:15:57 PM UTC

I'm not going down thaat path

I've kept my the vast majority of my powder dry.

Dispelling falsehoods has been the major task.

I can say that John Wren has been a friend of mine longer than the Speaker has been living in Denver.

This is the last post that I'll put up here as I am trying to not get drawn into arguments for arguments sake.

judge elected officials by their actions, not by their rhetoric

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by: Ray Springfield @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 21:28:04 PM UTC

You're making less sense all the time

...so, it's probably best that you rest now

I'm not as sweet as I used to be.

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by: Jambalaya @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 00:45:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

If you'd like me to explian to you the John Wren reference

All you have to do is read the Statesman's article on him.

Officers of Hd5 are part of the Speaker's inner circle. Others in the community in his inner circle have put out flat lies about Sen Bennet so much so that I had to point a recent congressional candidate to the data that refutes some of it.

It' not been a clean campaign.
If you'd like a less public explanation then I'd be happy to oblige.    

judge elected officials by their actions, not by their rhetoric

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by: Ray Springfield @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 07:52:17 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I read the diary about it.

...and your comment in this thread is still from left field.  Maybe ask Santa for clarity of expression.

I'm not as sweet as I used to be.

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by: Jambalaya @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 14:48:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well, I was included in all the e-mail exchanges.

I didn't ask John to CC me. He did so to have someone that isn't afraid to say that emperors wear no clothes be a part of it.
I won't publish them as a courtesy to Pat Waak.

If you think that the article did not smear him, then you need to develop some social skills. He is not a troublemaker and it's plain as day that infractions occurred.
He's a man that cares about democracy which is more than I cam say for many of the Romaoff backers. Hd5 officials basically are saying to Romanoff backers come on in. To Bennet backers it's sorry no meeting tonight. There's the door.


judge elected officials by their actions, not by their rhetoric

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by: Ray Springfield @ Fri Dec 25, 2009 at 06:38:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yo CP, don't you guys ever read your own blog?

This is what I posted last night:

Colorado Senate Race makes Hardball?
Here is the link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30...
Charlie Cook on Hardball, tonight, said Bennet is one of the top five most endangered Senators.  Why? Cook said that the governnor appointed him and party regulars wanted him to appoint the mayor of Denver, Wellington.  Then, Cook said, "Bennet will have a tough opponent in Gail Norton."

by: dwyer @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 18:51:37 PM MST

 For politics, geezers are golden.
by: BlueCat @ Tue Aug 16, 2011 at 19:19:14 PM MDT

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by: dwyer @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 02:36:38 AM UTC

If it's any consolation

I read what you posted.

I also saw the original on Hardball and thought, "what has this guy been smoking?"


Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 02:47:34 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I bet he also thinks

that Scoyt McGinnis has a good shot at beating Bill Romer.

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by: redstateblues @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 02:51:06 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Maybe

Although I thought he was thinking about Chris Romer.

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 02:54:37 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Depends on what he's smoking

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by: redstateblues @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 02:57:15 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thank you, Ralphie.

god am I desperate for attention or what...

 For politics, geezers are golden.
by: BlueCat @ Tue Aug 16, 2011 at 19:19:14 PM MDT

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by: dwyer @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 02:59:22 AM UTC

[ Parent ]