We’re one week out from the opening day of the Colorado legislature. We’re downright giddy with anticipation. That’s right, giddy. 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).
► State Sen. Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora) is bringing the national gun safety issue back to Colorado, where we have dealt with more than our share of mass shootings in recent years. Meanwhile, Congressman Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) — and Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma) — has been spouting off nonsense about the legality of President Obama’s Executive Order to close some background check loopholes for gun sales.
In short, Carroll has wisely re-focused a national story back on her home city of Aurora, in effect “out-Auroraing” Coffman as they both campaign for the CD-6 seat in 2016.
► This feels like it is worth repeating after so many Republican officials went out of their way in an attempt to make President Obama’s Executive Order on guns sound more extreme than it really was; every single President, including George Washington, has issued “executive orders.” There’s no serious question about whether or not this is legal.
Get even more smarter after the jump…
► North Korea claims to have tested a hydrogen bomb, but the United States says there is little evidence to suggest that this actually happened.
► Colorado Springs Republican Peggy Littleton continues to threaten to run for U.S. Senate in 2016. If she does run, Littleton has the support (apparently) of onetime HD-23 candidate Nate Marshall. If you were drawing up a list of endorsements to seek out, let’s just say that most people would put Marshall’s name near the very bottom of the last page.
► Colorado Springs Rep. Gordon “Dr. Chaps” Klingenschmitt, who is running in a very competitive Republican Primary for state senate in 2016, continues to find ways to flank himself on the right. Dr. Chaps is apparently joining up with #YallQaeda and believes that a judge who ruled against two militiamen who broke federal laws should be hanged. Ugh.
► Thorton Rep. Joe Salazar thinks that oil and gas companies should be paying for damage from earthquakes that may be caused by fracking.
► The Colorado Springs Independent takes a look at the questionable resume of Colorado’s new Education Commissioner, Richard Crandall:
Interestingly, Crandall was previously the Director of the Wyoming Department of Education before he was booted out of office by the Wyoming Supreme Court. Crandall was appointed in summer of 2013, following state legislation that took oversight of the education department from an elected superintendent (Cindy Hill) and gave it to an appointed director (Crandall).
But when she found herself stripped of her powers, Hill sued and won. Hill got her job back and Crandall was sent packing in summer 2014.
Crandall, a moderate Republican, also served as an Arizona state legislator from 2007-2013, where he was the education chairman in both the state Senate and House.
We don’t know enough about Crandall’s past to really question his bonafides for this gig, but how in the hell was he the sole finalist for a job that pays $255k a year?
► Governor John Hickenlooper appointed Denver attorney Frances Koncilja to the Colorado Public Utility Commission.
► Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump is mad at Texas Sen. Ted Cruz for “stealing his idea” to build a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Yeah, that was your idea, Hairlord. Trump is going on the offensive against Cruz by questioning the Texas Senator’s dual-citizenship in Canada.
► Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew was in Denver on Tuesday to talk about Treasury stuff.
► Florida Atlantic University has finally fired James Tracy, the professor who called the Sandy Hook school shootings a “hoax” and openly feuded with family members of the victims.
► Emma Salazar has died at the age of 94. Emma was the matriarch of the Colorado political family that produced Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and former Congressman John Salazar.
► Several Colorado lawmakers, past and present, were on hand in Washington D.C. on Tuesday for an event surrounding President Obama’s Executive Order expanding background checks for some gun purchases. Kudos to those Colorado officials who have worked hard over the years to advance the cause of gun safety.
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WTF? North Korea tested a thermonuclear weapon yesterday. Obama is not keeping us safe. How can you ignore this???
Because we enjoy hearing you squeal like a pig?
Tell us all what YOU would do, oh dickless cowardly one!
You right-wing pusses are all talk, ZERO action; hairy-ass keyboard commandos, one and all. Get some skin in the game, Nancy, then come whine to us. Wuss.
Not entirely — George Bush did start two wars and bungled them both, while North Korea gained their first nuke under his watch in 2006. So you can't say Republicans didn't do *anything*
How do we know Moderatus is not female? I am dickless, I confess. Some might even call me a "pussy", although not a "wuss". What does his/her gender, sexual equipment or lack thereof have to do with his / her laughably non-fact-based opinions?
Maybe we could just stipulate that regardless of his or her gender, he's dickless? …
Anyway, women being way smarter then men, that pretty much guarantees that one's certain level of X-Y dumbassery …
… but, then again, I suppose he could be AC's wife?
Not sure how we know. We just do.
We're too busy restocking your diaper supply. (Read the linked article, you know, for comprehension.)
North Korea SAID they successfully tested a thermonuclear (hydrogen) bomb yesterday, but initial analysis I've seen suggests it's simply another fission bomb – the sort they gained while your boy President George W. Bush was distracted by his misguided invasion of Iraq. The implied yield based on the seismic data is an order of magnitude too low for a hydrogen bomb.
From Kim Jong Un's mouth to Moderatus's ear………….it becomes the truth.
Channeled by Cory Gardner's office.
Phoenix — quick note — the US's first hydrogen bomb test yielded over 10 Megatons in 1952 (the day after I was born 😉
So the 6 Kiloton yield from N. Korea's so-called hydrogen bomb (maybe they thought putting a decal on it proclaiming "Hydrogen fueled" was all they needed to do) is actually 3 orders of magnitude less!
So yeah, this is just another cobbled-together fisson device for display purposes only.
I think they've managed to get yield down to the 100s of Kilotons range, which is why I said one order. But first attempts would probably look more like the 10 Megaton blast that our initial try yielded, so the expectation is more what you suggest.
The White House has issued its own sceptical response at this point.
And so far nobody seems to believe this was an H bomb at all. Except moderatus and his peer group.
And BTW, Davie, I'm a 1952 model myself. Just like my husband's Lionel train set.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the United States Constitution, sometimes referred to as the War Powers Clause, vests in the Congress the power to declare war, in the following wording:
[The Congress shall have Power…] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
Tell your boys (the Republicans in Congress that have a majority in both houses) to get going and do their job.
Chill, Moddy……I thought you were crapping in your pants over those 5-year old Syrian refugee kids you're convinced are planning to slit your throat.
Wtf? You're probably still 10,000,000 times more likely to get shot in the ass by some Home Depot
gun totershopper your next trip. How do you ignore that?Sincerest condolences to the entire Salazar family.
+1…RIP
Hearfelt sympathy to one of Colorado's oldest and greatest families.
Heartfelt.
Koch political group AFP wants lawmakers to sign TABOR pledge
Effort seeks to stop Hickenlooper effort to exempt hospital provider fee from TABOR
You down with AFP (yeah, you know me)
And they call him the smart one http://www.rawstory.com/2016/01/jeb-bush-says-brother-george-may-join-campaign-to-help-save-candidacy-he-is-very-popular/