Stafford's "Threatmaker" -- Rep. Dave Balmer

I told you so......

Didn't I predict it would turn out to be David Balmer in one of my postings yesterday?

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by: One Queer Dude @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 09:52:56 AM CDT

You Got it Right

Yep, I conceed that my analysis of the players in this debacle was clouded.  I expected more from my former colleague in uniform.

We may have to hold a personal discussion on the Army Values - Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless-Service, honor, Integrity and Personal Courage.  I hope, really, that his conscience is clear in this matter.

RalphT

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by: RalphT @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 10:06:22 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Conscience?

Do you know Rep. Balmer? I do not know him personally, but from what Ive heard about his past, his actions in the House and the way he campaigns, Im not sure how clear his conscience is.

Maybe you know him, more about him that I don't, and I would like to hear your thoughts, but my personal view is that this is typical of Rep. Balmer. He has on thing on his mind; power.

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

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by: Go Blue @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 10:20:04 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Military Service

We had occassional contact when he first put on the US Army uniform as a member of the Colorado National Guard.  We talked briefly about military/veterans issues in the House hallway when I participated in the Healthcare Day of Action.

I have not closely followed his political career. Several former soldier-colleagues continue to speak highly of him.  Perhaps I should now consider that as only praise for a partisan Republican.

RalphT

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by: RalphT @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 10:48:52 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Ethical Dilemma

What a mess...now it's getting harder to decide this as a coercion/intimidation/reprisal case, exaggeration by Rep. Stafford, or even clumsiness by the unnamed assailant.  Naming David Balmer is pushing me more towards the latter two scenarios.  Regardless, the Colorado House Republican leadership has handled this very badly.

RalphT

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by: RalphT @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 09:56:20 AM CDT

TWO REPUBLICAN Colleagues, and a FORMER REPUBLICAN Legislator

From the previous thread, I posted that Rep. Stafford was strong-armed by two Republican Colleagues, House Minority Leader May and David Balmer.  She was also bullied by a FORMER Legislator, whom Im going to point out again, was Laurie Clapp.

These people are shameless and will do anything for money to win an election. The republic party is a sinking ship. Some scurrying around like RATS, while others are jumping ship.

http://www.coloradop...

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

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by: Go Blue @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 09:56:33 AM CDT

which is odd because.....

....Lauri Clapp and Debbie Stafford were Arapahoe County GOP wing nut sorority sisters when Clapp was still in the House with Stafford.
  They engaged in all the traditional college pranks like trying to impeach Judge John Coughlin, sponsoring kooky right wing bills destined to be PI'd, and occasionally swallowing goldfish.
  Funny how a lucrative lobbying job will make one sorority sister turn on another..... 

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by: One Queer Dude @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 10:06:52 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

What's RATS?

Republican Assholes That Swim?

OK, that was a tad harsh.  There have to be a few decent Pubs in the chambers.......

I guess this is an example of why they are conservative, meaning keeping the old values.  They think that they are still in a position of power, but they are not.  Regardless of the merits of this or ther bills, the public is fed up with this attitude and the often accompanying corruption. 

PS, Amendment 41 is working.  Here is is past the midpoint of the session and in the leg office I volunteer in, there isn't one damn cookie!  Last year we also had a box of "wonderful" things like inscribed paper weights, calendars, stuff animals, etc.  Nothing this year. I guess I won't volunteer next year, why else would I?

"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." -Bertrand Russell

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by: parsingreality @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 10:08:23 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Gecko aint gonna like that nickname

He took issue with my calling them "Repugs." How do you think he'll react to Republican Assholes That Swim?

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by: One Queer Dude @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 10:14:44 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

My limited intellect

I just couldn't come up with an A word that was more, um, kindly. More coffee?

Besides, I don't think of Gecko as one of them.  AFAIK, G-Dog is not on the take or abusive of power.  I strongly disagree with him so often, but we never have to worry that he is coming from any place other than his heart. 

"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." -Bertrand Russell

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by: parsingreality @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 10:57:12 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Can I send cookies?

If I send cookies once to each office - will that be under the limit and ok? I'd be happy to do that one day just for all the volunteers.

- dave

Tom Tancredo Interview

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by: DavidThi808 @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 21:45:44 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Just idle curiosity

Is Dave Balmer's father's name "Bob"? In my youth, I knew a Bob Balmer.

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by: BaldJim @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 12:42:46 PM CDT

Not sure

But, did you grow in North Carolina? He's a Tarheel transplant.

David Balmer, if I remember correctly, served in the NC legislature and was run out of town after several scandals surrounding his congressional campaign in that state.

The Colorado GOP recruited him rather quickly when he moved out here. They must have been enticed by his strong arm politics. You are what you eat!

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

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by: Go Blue @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 12:51:26 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

if Stafford-gate turns into something significant, we may be seeing the budding of his next Congressional campaign scandal

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by: One Queer Dude @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 15:13:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thanks, but no thanks.

I knew a Bob Balmer while I was in Littleton HS ~ 1950.

"Tarheel transplant" - damn, we'd be better off as a nuclear waste dump.

We some how attract lots of wonderfully good people, but none of them go into politics. Instead we get political rejects from across the country who somehow get elected here at the drop of a hat. If the S&L business had not crashed, we would have had Neil Bush as governor. Instead we got Texas formed and educated Owens.

It's hard to hold a public hearing on a political issue without a half a dozen non-Hispanic, non-Native Americans jumping up and proclaiming "I am an upteenth generation Coloradoan." Yet such "natives" seem in very short supply when elective jobs need to be filled.

They might not be any better than the transplants, but at least they would give some evidence about OUR education system.

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by: BaldJim @ Fri Mar 30, 2007 at 10:12:20 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Balmer and????

Balmer was obvious. I'm not sure about Clapp though - what influence does she have? Does she even have any clients?

Seems more like Stengel's style but again, what influence does he have?

How about Fairbank? He's still skulking around the Capitol and he has some actual influence.

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by: Steve Balboni @ Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 23:30:13 PM CDT