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May 18, 2015 11:21 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Monday (May 18)

  • 10 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

MoreSmarter-RainJust in case you needed any more of a reason to stay away from motorcycle gangs. It’s time to Get More Smarter with Colorado Pols. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example).

 

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► Republican State Treasurer Walker “Wasn’t Me” Stapleton continues to show the political agility of a blind skiier. As John Frank reports for the Denver Post, Stapleton has turned a minor controversy into a major avalanche:

Days after the legislative session closed, Republican State Treasurer Walker Stapleton is trying to distance himself from a controversial effort to issue billions of dollars of pension bonds to bolster the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association fund.

The two-term treasurer told a conservative talk radio host that he didn’t support the move, despite the fact that records show he signed up twice to testify in support of legislation that would give him authority to issue the bonds…

…Stapleton’s shift is an attempt to quell friendly fire from conservatives taking aim at him for supporting a debt venture they consider too risky. The attack threatens to undermine the 41-year-old treasurer’s conservative fiscal reputation, one that has boosted his political prospects for higher office.

We noted Stapleton’s ridiculous claims last week, which adds more evidence to our analysis from last fall that Stapleton would be an absolute disaster for Republicans if he seeks higher office.

 

Agriculture and business groups from around the state are pushing Republicans to do something on immigration reform. Congressman Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) is promising more grandstanding, if that helps (hint: it doesn’t).


Get even more smarter after the jump…

 

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► Congressional Republicans haven’t been able to accomplish much of anything with their majorities in Washington D.C., so they’ve found a new foil: They’re now accusing business lobbyists of being ineffective when it comes to trade discussions. The U.S. Senate, meanwhile, is rushing to complete several important pieces of legislation before the Memorial Day recess. 

► The Denver Post has made its endorsements for the runoff elections in Denver.

► Defense Attorneys for James Holmes are concerned that graphic testimony at the Aurora Theater Shooting Trial is not going to be helpful for their client’s case. You think?

► Governor John Hickenlooper signed an Executive Order on Friday to increase protections for the greater sage grouse.

► Hickenlooper is standing behind Department of Human Services Director Reggie Bicha, and some lawmakers who had been critical of the DHS head seem to be backing off a bit on their criticism.

► Republican Presidential candidate Carly Fiorina made a stop in Colorado Springs on Saturday.

► Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has officially squeezed into the clown car of Republican candidates for President in 2016. Elsewhere, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham plans to make his Presidential campaign announcement on June 1. At this rate, 1 out of every 3 Republicans in America will be running for President by Halloween.

 

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► Former Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney tussled with former Heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield in a charity boxing match on Friday. Maybe this wouldn’t have been perceived as well while Romney was a candidate for President, but this is exactly the kind of lighthearted image that Romney could have used once in awhile in 2012. 

► President Obama wants to restrict the use of military-style equipment by local police forces.

► Governor Hickenlooper is expected to sign legislation to make some changes for medical marijuana prescribers.

 

ICYMI

► Take that, Utah! A Colorado museum curator says completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 should be celebrated in Aurora, Colorado.

► Former lawmaker and now candidate for SD-12 Bob Gardner isn’t very good with social media.

 

Get More Smarter by liking Colorado Pols on Facebook!

Comments

10 thoughts on “Get More Smarter on Monday (May 18)

  1. Add:

    JeffCo superintendent won’t host governor, cites ‘security risk

    http://www.coloradoindependent.com/153404/jeffco-superintendent-wont-host-security-risk-hickenlooper-bill-signing

    Jefferson County public schools Superintendent Dan McMinimee told Governor John Hickenlooper’s office and Colorado lawmakers that they’re a security risk and unwelcome to conduct bill signings in the district’s schools, says the governor’s Chief Strategy Officer Alan Salazar, who posted the news to his Facebook feed in a state of disbelief.

    Still trying to get my head around learning last week that the Superintendent of Jeffco Schools informed legislators and our office that the Governor of Colorado could not do a bill signing at any district schools because his presence at such an event presented a “security risk” to students. Really? Seems to me that any school would welcome a governor and legislators for a real life example of our democracy in action. Apparently not in Jeffco.

    1. BC, you can belittle critics of Bennet by calling us the "Bennet is Satan crowd", but it really doesn't make Bennet's catering to oil and banking/finance interests go away, nor does it make such catering less harmful to long term health of the planet and middle/working class wallets. . Most of us have also said that we will reluctantly vote for Bennet – for lack of a better alternative, and thinking about future Supreme Court nominees. 

      Michael Bennet, of course, has this all figured out, and knows to the millimeter how much he can pacify his progressive base, while his votes keep that financial wheeler-dealer donations rolling in. That is cognitive dissonance, if you like, FrankU.

      As far as Obama goes, the same applies – Obama's critics are adults, we can hold nuanced opinions, and more than one thought in our head at a time. We know that voting for O in the last two elections was the right thing to do, but that we absolutely do not support the TPP deal, nor increased government surveillance, or some of his other centrist policies.

      We care about policy, more than politics, to repeat a Zapaterro meme. And we also get that Bennet's got progressives trapped into supporting him from the politics angle. Sucks.

      1. I just find the difference between the attitude of vehement Bennet haters towards him as opposed to their attitude towards Obama completely irrational. I have no objection to criticism of either and have criticized both but by any objective standard you should be every bit as anti-Obama as you are anti-Bennet yet you aren't.

        Once again, at least 99% of the time their stands on issues, including the ones you hold against Bennet with such intense bitterness, are as alike as if they were two peas in a pod. They're both Wall Street friendly, both centrists. In fact I can think of few, if any, Democratic Senators more often on exactly the same page as President Obama than Senator Bennet. I'm sorry but the enormous disparity in the way you view these two highly similar Democrats makes no sense. None. Maybe you should ask yourself why that might be.

        1. I admit that it's personal with Bennet – I'm a former DPS teacher. As Superintendant, Bennet brought in corporate curricula, personnel policies which undermined union negotiations, and screwed up my retirement with his big, borrowed exotic funding of the PERA/DPS retlirement fund merger deal.

          But I don't actually hate Bennet, or anyone. From your position as a fellow anonymous Polster, what is this great insight you have into my mind and heart that you claim to know anything about what I feel or understand?

          Maybe you should ask yourself why you claim to be a mind reader.

          1. While "hate" may be a subjective judgement, the irrational disproportion and level of vitriol is apparent. No mind reading required. If some very strong emotion were not involved, there would be little disparity between your view of Obama and your view of the almost entirely similar Bennet.

            And BTW, since team Obama's admiration for Bennet's work as Superintendent, which you deplore, was a large part of the reason for Bennet having come to their notice as a favorite, leading to his getting the appointment in the first place, that just reinforces my assessment of your completely different attitudes toward the two as profoundly irrational.

            Sorry I used the word 'hate" but see no reason to apologize for noting the obvious, that your attitude makes no logical sense,

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