ColoradoPols.com - Recommended Diaries

David Sirota: Paid Shill for the Anti-Tax Crowd

PERA hopeful — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:44:36 GMT

"How can you tell the virulent anti-tax fervor still dominates American politics in genuinely a bipartisan way? Look no further than..." David Sirota.

My sense of irony is getting a workout today. I got home and pulled up the predictable Sirota CoPols rant about "the anti-tax, anti-government ideology is alive and well in both parties." Why do I find this ironic? Because as I was driving home, I was listening to AM760 and heard David Sirota doing a commercial for a brokerage that went something like this:
"What if you died and all your retirement was eaten up by taxes? Go to XXX Brokerage to learn how you can protect your assets from the tax man! You want to make sure your family is cared for after you die, and XXX Brokerage will show you ways to structure your retirement accounts to keep the IRS away from your family's inheritance!"

I'm waiting to see Sirota walking around with a sign that says, "End the Death Tax!"

Seriously, am I the only one who sees a disconnect here? Sirota's newest toot is badgering Hickenlooper for saying he's going to cut spending and taxes, while at the same time Sirota is cutting commercials for a brokerage that will help people can avoid taxes on their inheritances.

Fox 21 news director says "Buck's people are throwing us under the bus"

Jason Salzman — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:53:41 GMT

UPDATED with comment from Buck campaign.

I was rushing out of town last week, and unfortunately I just missed a phone call from Joe Cole, News Director and weekday anchor at Fox 21 in Colorado Springs.

I had called Cole for a comment on a piece I was writing, alleging that Fox 21 had erred in reporting that U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck held a "U.S. Senate unity rally" in the Springs Aug. 23.

It seemed strange that Buck would stage a "unity rally" without Buck's GOP primary opponent, Jane Norton, and no unity rally has been held between Buck and Norton to date.

Buck spokesperson Owen Loftus told me Norton supporters were present, but it was not a unity rally, which his campaign would have made a "big deal" of. He said Fox 21 had made a mistake.

I'm grateful that Fox 21's Cole gave me his side of the story yesterday, and I probably shouldn't have rushed to publish my blog post of last week until I had given Cole a bit more time to respond.

In any case, Cole said that Andy Merritt, the GOP Chair for El Paso County, had sent him an email describing the Aug. 23 Buck event as a "'U.S. Senate unity rally.'"

"Buck's people are saying it's not a unity rally but the people hosting it are saying it is," Cole told me. "We certainly don't want to report an error or call it something it's not, but if your folks there are calling it a unity rally, that's what we're going to go with."

"Buck's people are throwing us under the bus here," he said.

Cole also told me he reviewed segments of video that were not used in the station's story about the Buck event. Buck said he was there "to connect with Jane Norton's people," Cole said.

He added that usually Colorado Republicans are "all on the same page" in dealing with his station.

Asked for a comment on the unity-rally issue, Loftus told me it was a non-issue.

"It was a Republican event," he said. "We were happy with the turnout. We had a great turnout. Ken did meet with a lot of Norton supporters, so we were happy with it either way."

The Great Collapse: All Dems are behind in statewide races (except Hick)

H-man — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:14:55 GMT

Earlier this week, polling was released in some Federal office races. Rasmussen has the Republican Ken Buck up over the Democrat Michael Bennet 49 to 45. Magellan has Republican Ryan Frazier over Democrat Ed Perlmutter in CD-7, 40 to 39. Scott Tipton released a Magellan poll he commissioned showing him up over John Salazar in CD-3, 49 to 43. Cory Gradner's race against Betsy Markey in CD-4 has been moved from toss- up to leans Republican by Real Clear Politics. Obama's governing from the far left seems to have come at a cost.

In the State office races, Magellan polling is now available, which seem to indicate the same trending, except for the Governor's race.
http://www.magellanstrategies....
The Results are as follows:
Governor: Hick 46, Maes 27, Tank 17
Treasurer: Stapelton 42, Kennedy 38
Atty. Gen.: Suthers 47, Garnett 32
Sec of State: Gessler 37, Buescher 31
Blogger Ben DeGrow over at PPC has a funny, and much more accurate, take on the various races than the big line to the left. http://www.peoplespresscollect...
Some of his more memorable picks are:

Senate Line
(R) Ken Buck (3-1): Being called "extreme" by the NY Times is a shining badge of honor in Colorado, don't you know?
(D) Michael Bennet (7-1): Wearing Obama like a pair of cement shoes in the East River, and "nothing to show for it"

S.O.S. Line
(R) Scott Gessler (4-1): In the best of years to run as a Republican, his smart campaign advertising affords him some positive momentum heading into November
(D) Bernie Buescher (6-1): Can we have the Ritter appointee explain again why it's just so hard to send military ballots out on time?

D) Ed Perlmutter (4-1): Having drifted steadily Leftward since he took his seat in Congress, he's beginning to find it's a bad year to wear the label "Pelosi-mutter"
(R) Ryan Frazier (5-1): Joe Biden can tell you how hard it is to run against a "mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy"

There is an interesting piece over at Investors Business Daily by Charles Krauthammer which is on point http://www.investors.com/NewsA... . He concludes with the following:

The Democrats are going to get beaten badly in November. Not just because the economy is ailing. And not just because Obama over-read his mandate in governing too far left. But because a comeuppance is due the arrogant elites whose undisguised contempt for the great unwashed prevents them from conceding a modicum of serious thought to those who dare oppose them.

Perhaps, some of the Dems will start talking what they are for and how they will turn things around, instead of demonizing their opponents or calling them names, before it is too late. The unwashed masses deserved no less and will respond in the absence, en mass, no more.