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Gloves Come Off as Lefties Press Schaffer Attacks

by: Colorado Pols

Tue Aug 07, 2007 at 13:21:09 PM MDT

The Colorado Statesman reports (no link available):

A vote that Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer cast in his role as a member of the State Board of Education (SBOE) has come back to haunt him. Politically, at least.
Last week, the self-described "progressive" group known as ProgressNowAction attacked Schaffer for accepting campaign contributions from a charter school proprietor they say benefited financially from Schaffer's vote on May 9.
Schaffer insists the charges are nothing but nonsense emanating from an "extremist" group...
"Schaffer conveniently disregarded the notion of 'local control' and voted for huge profits for [donor David] Brennan on the backs on Colorado taxpayers," ProgressNowAction Executive Director Michael Huttner charged. "Colorado needs to hold Schaffer accountable for selling his vote to the highest donor."
Schaffer replied mockingly that Huttner must be attacking his "clairvoyance" because the contributions were given after the vote was cast...
One person delighted with Huttner's attack on Schaffer is Colorado Republican Party Chair Dick Wadhams, who said gleefully, "What, you mean the blank shot that [ProgressNowAction] took? I can't wait to engage in this discussion now that they've brought up selling votes, since we know that Mark Udall has taken almost $1 million from unions. Udall is bought and paid for. Bring it on."
Wadhams added, "In taking a shot a Bob Schaffer, they might as well have pointed the gun right at their own face. They have now set the standard (for the senate campaign)."

According to a press advisory, Progress Now is holding a "Government Grant Making, Corruption and Colorado State Board of Education Member Bob Schaffer" press conference outside the BOE offices tomorrow. Maybe Wadhams will crash the thing "your boss is a chickenshit" style, and off we go. Maybe by then he'll also have a better talking point, since comparing Union donations to what Schaffer is accused of doing isn't even sort of the same.

Colorado Pols :: Gloves Come Off as Lefties Press Schaffer Attacks

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Gloves Come Off as Lefties Press Schaffer Attacks | 16 comments

yeah, Dick

Macaca Wadhams is one of the Very Serious People in politics. He's been right every time, so Mark better watch out!

The "Liberalism is a Sickness" user is an Ignorant Asshole

by: Zappatero @ Tue Aug 07, 2007 at 19:24:11 PM UTC

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damn...

way to go ProgressNow. If not for your attack on Shaffer Wadhams would never bring up Udall's union contributions. The whole race would have been one big kumbaya. But you had to go and "set the tone" and force Wadhams hand.

/snark

Seriously, the Wadhams schtick is priceless - it's so over the top ridiculous. He's become a caricature of himself.

by: Steve Balboni @ Tue Aug 07, 2007 at 19:37:58 PM UTC

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Bring it on?

And apparently, DICK is following the Bush talking points as if his political opponents are his real life enemies by saying "bring it on!" http://www.cnn.com/2... Get a clue DICK, we are Americans!

To the point, Schaffer is paid off for a vote, and all the DICK can think of is Udall is supported by hard working Americans? This Pee Wee Herman mentality is really disturbing. How can any republican justify paying this clown $160,000 a year?

And let us remember that while Wadhams is known for his vicious attack to vilify his opponents, that when he (or one of his candidates) gets kicked in the face by reality, he cries foul like a little school girl.
http://www.washingto...

"Suddenly, it may be cool to be American again" - William J. Kole

by: Go Blue @ Tue Aug 07, 2007 at 20:16:37 PM UTC

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that's very unfair

...to schoolgirls

"There are a lot of reasons not to elect me." Mitt Romney in a moment of clarity

"I'm Mitt Romney and yes, Wolf, that's also my first name," Willard Mitt Romney demonstrating 'policy flexibility.'

by: ClubTwitty @ Tue Aug 07, 2007 at 21:13:20 PM UTC

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ProgressNow is aiming too low.

Schaffer is employed by the biggest school voucher/charter school advocate of them all, Alex Cranberg, as he serves on the State Board of Education. Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

by: puddin @ Tue Aug 07, 2007 at 21:39:33 PM UTC

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Long hanging fruit

I'm not sure why they didn't pick that off first.

BS works for one of Colorado largest oil & gas companies, which is owned by the states largest advocate of privatizing education. It seems to be the largest conflict of interest there could be for him; his paycheck!

"Suddenly, it may be cool to be American again" - William J. Kole

by: Go Blue @ Tue Aug 07, 2007 at 22:30:37 PM UTC

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Give him a break,

at least Bob Schaffer finally stopped lying on his web page about his activities at Aspect Energy LLC involving "renewable energy." Cranberg runs a pure gas-and-oil drilling operation, but Schaffer tried to make it sound more Colorado-friendly by resorting to the age-old tactic of Making Shit Up.

(BTW, who did Aspect Energy's website at http://www.aspectene...? A company called DreamSoft, LLC, whose President is Bob Schaffer. Schaffer founded DreamSoft Colorado in 1996, the same year he created AMDG LLC to provide network consulting to rich churches. I recall somehow Cranberg was involved at that level, like helping start the DreamSoft franchise here, but I don't recall the details any longer...)

"But every Republican in the world is a lobbyist…" -- Bill O'Reilly

by: OscarTheCouch @ Tue Aug 07, 2007 at 23:06:21 PM UTC

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As they said during Watergate, follow the money

"Schaffer founded DreamSoft Colorado in 1996, the same year he created AMDG LLC to provide network consulting to rich churches."

I wonder if the New Life Church one of his clients?

by: One Queer Dude @ Tue Aug 07, 2007 at 23:23:11 PM UTC

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Timing is off.

I copied that from the Wikipedia article, but actually Schaffer founded DreamSoft Colorado LLC in 2006, according to their site:
http://www.dreamsoft...

AMDG LLC is a mystery, though.

"But every Republican in the world is a lobbyist…" -- Bill O'Reilly

by: OscarTheCouch @ Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 21:25:37 PM UTC

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age old tactic

"of making shit up" LOL Oscar !

"To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead". - Thomas Paine

by: Fidel's dirt nap @ Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 15:24:13 PM UTC

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Comparing Apples and Bacon

What about education?

Here's an interesting site: http://www.csapscore...

It shows how schools performed. Charter schools in the Ft. Collins area performed much better than the schools run by Bob Bacon's Best.

Denver schools suck. Look it up.

Which schools performed best in the Fort Collins area? The schools that scored best were the schools that the Schaffers and their ilk built and supported.

As for the Bacon part of this post? Guilty of misuse of PSD email, staff, and who knows what else?

by: Taxosaurus @ Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 00:43:50 AM UTC

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I did that...

And I found that the charter schools were "in the pack" of the upper tier of PSD schools - and, if you know anything about Fort Collins, that upper tier is pretty much the wealthier area of town, showing once again that CSAP scores correlate to economic well-being rather than almost anything else. I looked at 3rd grade reading, and found (numbers are proficient + advanced):

Charter:
Liberty: 100
Ridgeview: 87

Non-Charter:
Traut: 100
Zach: 94
Dunn: 92
Werner: 90
McGraw: 87
Kruse: 85
Riffenburgh: 84
Johnson: 82
Lab: 81
Shepardson: 80

Yes, there are some PSD schools with scores lower than that. But if you believe that charter schools magically raise *actual student learning* I have a bridge in Minnesota you might be interested in buying.

by: G Pulviczek @ Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 14:53:28 PM UTC

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"Maybe by then he'll also have a better talking point, since comparing Union donations to what Schaffer is accused of doing isn't even sort of the same."

CoPols with the Dem response. Paging Pat Waak....

by: Lauren Bacall @ Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 13:18:45 PM UTC

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Don't bother paging her....

....she's worthless.

Recent dem gains have been in spite of...not because of, her.

"I've learned a lot of lessons being involved in politics. I also believe that when you are attacked, you have to deck your opponents." -- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)

by: Coloradem1 @ Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 13:58:03 PM UTC

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Mike Huttner is important...

Just ask him!

by: mtnpublius @ Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 14:11:43 PM UTC

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Take a look in the mirror

Dick Wadhams is worth $160,000 year, just ask the Republicans who pay for this kind of moronic chairman

"Suddenly, it may be cool to be American again" - William J. Kole

by: Go Blue @ Thu Aug 09, 2007 at 17:17:41 PM UTC

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Gloves Come Off as Lefties Press Schaffer Attacks | 16 comments