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September 12, 2009 03:11 PM UTC

Weekend Open Thread

  • 56 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“To vilify a great man is the readiest way in which a little man can himself attain greatness.”

–Edgar Allan Poe

Comments

56 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread

  1. Thanks to TPM It was a hard decision involving in-depth discussions that culminated with…

    Newt Gingrich’s 527 group sent a letter to porn exec Allison Vivas Wednesday telling her she’d won their “Entrepreneur of the Year” award and inviting her to an “intimate event” with Gingrich.

    I guess Newt figured why should Sanford, Duvall, etc. have all the fun.  

    1. Maybe Newt’s trying to recruit her (and her money) to produce new films for Citizens United.

      If the SCOTUS arguments last Wednesday (Citizens United v FEC) are any indication, Citizen’s United (and others of their ilk) are going to be extremely busy making movies and spending money in upcoming elections.  And a visit to the Citizen’s United website will give you an idea of how much they love them some Newt.

      And, the even bigger story could very well be the hoops that Chief Justice John Roberts had to jump through to make it all happen in time for the 2010 elections (see NY Times editorial last Tuesday, “A Threat to Fair Elections”).

    2.    Or is he still married to the last one?  I lost count.

        And speaking of porn and Republicans, Stormy Daniels, a former adult film writer, director and actress who was considering a primary challenge to David Vitter is reportedly having second thoughts about running.

  2. *Rep. Wilson- PLEASE learn some manners.  Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!  Is that how you taught your kids?  

    *Actually that goes for everyone!  Liberal, conservative, elected or just an ordinary citizen on this blog.  PLEASE strive for decorum!  We need to hear AND listen to each other now more than ever!  When times get tough and the answers to our social ills are not easy to come by, THAT is when you stop shouting and start talking.  Our country has that process currently in reverse.  It is ALL our responsibility!  Let us once again set the standard for the rest of the world- let alone our children.

    *And texting during the President’s address?  Seriously, the Penguin needs to come down and met out some parochial school justice!

    *Interesting governing method Obama is using.  He is actually promoting letting the legislators legislate.  Apparently his philosophy is that the legislators are closest to their citizens and should have the best read on their concerns.  That is great until he (and we) are finding they are not up to the actual task of the Peoples business.  Over the years we have chased away our best and brightest citizens from wanting to serve their country because of how ugly and personally destructive campaigns have become. I mean, would YOU want Michael Sluttner or Tricky Dick Wadhams sending out mailers about YOU that your kids are going to find in the mail?  Now we are stuck with the current second-string citizen representatives who are more concerned with appeasing special interests to get that easy money for their next campaign.  I ask again- where are the profiles in courage?  If I hear one more elected representative admit publically they haven’t read a bill they are discussing or voting on I’m going to freak!  We have truly gotten the government we deserve.

    *Do you think it would ever be possible to get Limbaugh, Hannity, Mathews and Olbermann on the same stage at one time and actually have them speak to each other instead of at their own base?  I would love to see that!  Force them to debate each other rather than spew to their choir!

    *I like Romanoff, but is there actually a reason to get rid of Bennet?  I think Bennet is showing himself to be a thoughtful free-thinker and I appreciate that.  I know Romanoff is smart, but perhaps his background as Speaker of the Colorado House is more appropriate background for Governor?  I just feel Romanoff would be too tied to the special interests of the left and at this point in time in the history of our country, I’m not sure that is helpful.  The United States NEEDS to get back to the MIDDLE!  I think that is where Bennett currently stands!

    *As an ardent CSU fan I would like to say: GO BUFFS!!!  I am loving what I’m seeing out of you!  Thank you for helping the Green and Gold get the best in-state recruits for years to come!  See you in Denver next year!   😉

    *Go Rockies!  Damn are you guy’s fun to watch!

    *Broncos…  Um, GO ROCKIES!!!  LOL!!!

    *Medical marijuana.  For God sake just freaking completely LEGALIZE it!  Let me buy it at 7-Eleven where I will find it between the Marlboro’s and Budweiser (and the other healthy items like Ding Dongs and Pepsi.)  Tax the HELL out of it!  Build me some good roads with it!!!

    *The colors are changing up here in the mountains.  Nothing to see.  Please do not clog our roads trying to get up here.  Again, nothing to see…..

  3. Yesterday I burned in on my bike (damn hybrid cars are too quiet) smashing my wrist and splitting my chin. Since it was about as far from life-threatening as it gets, so I decided to try an urgent care center instead of waiting 6+ hours at the hospital ER.

    So, off to the Concentra Urgent Care Clinic on 17th & Blake. 5 minute wait to see a nurse, 15 min wait to see a doc, got an xray in under 30 minutes, 8 stitches in the chin in  under an hour, and out within 2 hours, with scripts in hand for antibiotics and Ranger Candy (800mg motrin.)

    Total Cost? $20 copay for my health ins, but if I had wanted to $175 on my Visa or MasterCard. That included the xray and stitches.

    Now, I wouldn’t be going here if I had a compound fracture or a concussion  but that’s the point. I went to a care facility that had just enough medical stuff to deal with my minor (and I do mean MINOR) injury. No need for an MRI, CAT scan, ortho specialist, radiologist, and 8 depts of infrastructure.

    Why is it that the Health Care industry has to build a 2-story Ikea for every facility, when a 7-11 will do?

    1. I was injured on my truck driving job, but I could get there.  They took great care of me including follow up physical therapy. No complaints at all (except that fine PT was lesbian.  Dang!)  

      As much as I hate Wart-Mart, I tip the hat to their idea of putting small clinics in the stores.  Coming soon?  

      Cuba has a clinic in every village, I hear.  Mexico has them in many places, one I know of on a highway in the middle of no where, but a number of people live down the long roads that sort of spoke out from there.  

    1. we’d have been hearing them all along instead of seeing Obama as Hitler, Obama as Joker, lies about plug pulling, racism, birther hysteria and now signs like this.  The last thing they want to do is to debate the actual proposals. Their only solution is to make things up and debate those instead.  

    2. Not only are these people hateful, they lie about everything. They’re little event yesterday was claimed by their organizers to have been bigger than Obama’s inauguration! Unfortunately, facts get in the way of the bizarro world these liars live in.

      Conservative activists, who organized a march on the U.S. Capitol today in protest of the Obama administration’s health care agenda and government spending, erroneously attributed reports on the size of the crowds to ABC News.

      Matt Kibbe, president of FreedomWorks, the group that organized the event, said on stage at the rally that ABC News was reporting that 1 million to 1.5 million people were in attendance.

      At no time did ABC News, or its affiliates, report a number anywhere near as large. ABCNews.com reported an approximate figure of 60,000 to 70,000 protesters, attributed to the Washington, D.C., fire department. In its reports, ABC News Radio described the crowd as “tens of thousands.”

      Brendan Steinhauser, spokesman for FreedomWorks, said he did not know why Kibbe cited ABC News as a source.

      As a result of Kibbe’s erroneous attribution, several bloggers and commenters repeated the misinformation.

       

      Facts don’t stand in the way of their (boul) movement.  

    1. Since the City Council election is non-partisan I’ll just say I have one good, sensible and highly qualified centrist  among my three choices for two at large seats. For my district, my choices are a not too terrible conservative and a crazy libertarian, name of Nicks, who would just as soon we stop funding our library, museum and pretty much everything else, you know, the whole drown it in a bathtub thing.  

      He’ll probably win, too. He has access to lots of money. We are already having big problems attracting new businesses and development ops that we need to appeal to families with children for our schools and pissing off the police and fire fighters because of perceived hostilty from our conservative/libertarian dominated City Council.

      Wish I could laugh, too.  

    1. And in the middle of Saturday night, no less! Mom told you to be quiet in the basement, huh?

      Unlike my previous followup posts, I’ll reply to “teh crazie” directly.

      These faux undercover investigators had to go to FIVE other ACORN Offices before they could get someone to tell them what they wanted to hear.It especially doesn’t mention that SEVERAL ACORN staffers called the cops on these asswads after they told them what they were after.

      And no transactions took place. ACORN didn’t file any loan documents or other financial instruments. And both of these idiots have been fired.

      And most sadly, this video did not directly issue the allegation that Glenn Beck raped and murdered a girl in 1990.

  4. Post-Independent is reporting this morning on the GarCo BOCC’s decision to consider the FRAC Act:

    According to one county staff member, county manager Ed Green recently directed her to seek the advice of an industry lobbyist concerning the language of a resolution to explain the county’s position.

    Judy Jordan, the county’s oil and gas liaison, said that, per Green’s instructions, she contacted Kathy Hall of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, a lobbying organization, and that Hall sent her three versions of a resolution on the DeGette bill that would be acceptable to COGA. Hall could not be reached for comment on Friday.

    Green, who has been away on vacation, said at one point on Friday that he is unaware of any proposed resolutions that are up for discussion at the Sept. 14 meeting. Later attempts to recontact Green to corroborate Jordan’s comments were not successful, and other county officials said they knew nothing of a frac’ing resolution.

    The BOCC’s agenda for Sept. 14 contains an item titled “Resolution on Frac’ing – Mike Samson” but no documents were included in the commissioners’ packet with details of a resolution, and commissioner Mike Samson could not be reached for comment on Friday. (all emphasis Twitty)

    http://www.postindependent.com…  

  5. I like:

    “Obama Get Rid of the Czars!  Russia did”

    Of course that was Lenin who did that and the Commies…but history is clearly not these folks strong suit, another sign pictured says:

    “Obama More Czars than the USSR”…

    Maybe they think Gorbachev was the last Czar? And that drunken Boris rode in on his tank and sent the royalty packing?

    You can follow the fun here.

    There is the “Obamacare is Eugenics” sign.  I guess that’s the secret part of the legislation to kill vets, old people, and Republicans (I do not exaggerate–all these have been put forward, by ‘mainstream’ GOP as ulterior motives in reforming health care).  

    Constitutionalists, ’10thers’ and the like they may be, but that doesn’t mean they know much about civics, either:

    “Impeach Obama and all his socialists comrads in Congress.”  (Or spelling).

    Irony is not short on display, including a picture of Terri Shiavo as an apparent reference to the dangers of heavy-handed government intervention in personal health care choices…on the “Obama Lies, Grandma Dies, Remember 9/11” float…

    1. I hate the term “czar” for a US government official, myself. But, for the life of me, I can’t remember any of these wingnuts protesting the term “czar” during the Bush administration.

  6. Never Deployed ‘Colonel’ Wilson Missed Vietnam

    Gordon Duff Salem-News.com

    Deferments Through 1972 then “Shepherded” into Reserve Billet to Avoid Vietnam.

    Joe Wilson

    (CINCINNATI, Ohio) – Joe Wilson, real name “Addison” presents himself as a hard boiled combat veteran, retired Army colonel and all around tough guy.

    He belongs to “white supremacist” organizations, fought hard to keep the Confederate flag in South Carolina and, when an aide to the notorious racist Strom Thurmond admitted Thurmond had a half African-American daughter, Wilson abused and threatened the woman in an attempt to shut her up.

    His real record is Vietnam. Born in 1947, Wilson was prime material for the Vietnam War. After taking deferment after deferment for college and law school, in 1972, Wilson was glided into a coveted Army Reserve billet, protecting him from service in Vietnam.

    He quit in 1975 with the fall of Saigon and transferred to the National Guard where he was a Judge Advocate, a “lawyer.”

    Wilson has one of the worst records in Congress, having voted against Veteran funding 11 times. The only “veteran” Wilson has helped is himself.

    Though ending up with full health insurance and a fat military retirement, Joe Wilson, like Senator Lindsay Graham, both passed more qualified serving officers who were deployed to combat and moved into high paying positions as full Colonels, all done using political clout.

    This gives both Wilson and his good friend and reportedly highest ranking gay officer in the US military, Lindsay Graham, substantial “double dip” retirements without ever having to actually serve in the real military and, especially, not during the Vietnam War.

    Wilson’s opponent in the upcoming election is Rob Miller, 13 year US Marine with 2 combat tours in Iraq. Wilson missed his chance at combat due to more important considerations involving “personal skin.”

    Wilson, close friend and confidant of Fox Entertainment reality show host Glenn Beck is a strong advocate of private health care.

    In fact he received over $ 400,000 in political donations from the health care industry in support of his position.

    Insiders say that Beck helped stage the Wilson “impromptu theater” during the Presidents address to Congress, offering full support from Fox News in exchange for Wilson’s violation of traditional Southern good manners, something Wilson has little familiarity with.

    Wilson has spent a lifetime on the public payroll running his mouth while others have done the fighting.

    Much has been made of late about Wilson’s ties to White Supremest and neo-Klan groups. As one of the 7 legislators who stood against all others to keep the secessionist flag as the state frag of South Carolina and as former staffer to the former anti-civil rights activist Strom Thurmond, Wilson’s racist views are well known and well established.

    What some of us would like to have seen established is a biography that included military service during the Vietnam War instead of deferment after deferment then hiding out in an “undeployable” Army Reserve unit until the second the Communists moved into Saigon.

    This tells me all I need to know.

    ================================================

    Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran and a regular contributor to Veterans Today. He specializes in political and social issues. You can see a large collection of Gordon’s published articles at this link: VeteransToday.com.

    1. .

      I want to offer a different view on two points.  

      First, going into the Reserves after graduation in May 1972 didn’t really do much to keep folks out of Vietnam.  I enlisted at the beginning of April 1972, and in June half my BCT Company got orders for an all-expense-paid tour of Southeast Asia, courtesy of our Uncle.  I think I was spared because I was scheduled for jump school.  

      But by the time I reported to the 82nd Airborne in September, the only way someone in a permanent assignment could get orders to sunny RVN was to reenlist for it.  And several who were considering a military career did just that, extending their service commitment by several years just to be able to get a chest full of medals.  

      So if Addison got a commission in May, it would have been October before he could have got orders for his first permanent assignment (officers get longer training when they join.)  At that point, officers were competing for the few slots available.  All one had to do to avoid going to war was to not volunteer.  

      The other point I challenge is the assertion that Colonel (Senator) Graham is the highest ranking gay in the Army.  While not true in a de facto sense, technically speaking, any general outranks him.  

      I was detailed to carry an attache case one day while stationed with the Old Guard in DC for a visiting 2-star who later retired as a 4-star.  I believe this fella died of AIDS.  Neither he nor his 3-star brother ever married.  

      Nowadays, despite the acceptance in the general population, gay/ bisexual generals are all married.  Some even rape the wives of subordinates to prove their manhood (anytime a senior officer has sexual relations with the wife of a direct-report subordinate, I think the power of the position makes consent impossible.)  

      .

      1. AIDS does not equal Gay..esp in the US Military in the 70s and 80s. There was enough risky behavior at many many places just outside the front gate.

        One fun thing I got to do a G3 at Fort Hood was be part of the Garrison Commander brief. The Texas State Patrol would brief us that 3-5000 prostitutes would commute to the Ft Hood area  on payday weekends, 80% of which were suspected of being HIV positive.

    1. Love the comments on George Washington:

      Greatest Display of Badassedry:

      Making America.

      Most Badass Quote:

      After another tough battle where Washington was miraculously not wounded, he wrote a letter to his brother detailing his experiences. He described being surrounded by bullets and death and concluded by saying “I heard the bullets whistle and, believe me, there is something charming to the sound of bullets.” When he caught news of this, King George III reportedly remarked that Washington’s attitude would change if he’d heard a few more. But King George III didn’t win the war, so fuck him.

       

    2. on the evil bastard scale considering the Trail of Tears and all.  Heard a Native American in a doc on the guy explaining why he’s pretty much their Hitler and how it had been a long standing tradition for Native Americans not to accept 20 dollar bills.  Tougher to stick with that in the  era of ATMs and casinos.

    1. and looking so pleased with herself as if she’s holding up a sign thanking the troops or something. Even scarier than the fierce looking scowlers.  This looks a lady who could cheerfully teach hatred in Sunday school and think she was helping to raise good little Christians.  

    1. The Nugs went deep in the playoffs.  The Rocks are four and a half up in their playoff bid, The Gentlemen of Aspen are USA Rugby champs.  And the Broncos are leading the division.  If only the Buffs knew how to play defense…..

    2. to assist with that last pass!  If this was the best they can do against a team that won only four games last season, I think I can find other things to do on Sundays than watch what will be a very painful season for fans.

  7. This has probably been posted and dissected beyond all recognition on this blog.  But I can’t be bothered to research such things.

    So, anyway, Post says….Udall, J. Salazar, Markey, and Polis support Bennet.  Permutter and DeJJJette will sit on the side.  If memory serves, Ken Salazar and Bill Ritter (ha!) have already backed Bennet.

    So, who’s counting noses?

      1. Wednesday, starting in Pueblo, with stops in Colorado Springs and Denver later that day:

        WHAT:          OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

        WHERE:       LAKE ELIZABETH PAVILION AT THE HISTORIC ARKANSAS RIVERWALK OF PUEBLO (Intersection of Greenwood and Victoria)

                               PUEBLO, CO

        WHEN:          10:00 AM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

        WHAT:          COMMUNITY CONVERSATION

        WHERE:       PENROSE LIBRARY – CARNEGIE ROOM

                               20 NORTH CASCADE AVENUE

                               COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

        WHEN:          1:00 PM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

        WHAT:          CAMPAIGN LAUNCH CELEBRATION

        WHERE:       VOLUNTEERS FOR OUTDOOR COLORADO

                               WASHINGTON PARK

                               600 SOUTH MARION PARKWAY

                               DENVER, CO

        WHEN:          5:00 PM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

         

  8. Fox31 KDVR is reporting:

    DENVER – Thousands of Coloradans turned out for a tea party that offered politics and patriotism but no crumpets.

    …Metro state professor Norm Provizer says the Tea Party demonstrations against big goverment, forget that Obama campaigned and won on reforming health care. “‘There’s this terrible government trying to take over.’ …

    “There a lot of people who feel passionate about not pay other people’s mortages, their neighbor’s health care. So much so, they’re out here in our crowd,” says Jenny Hatch, with the Colorado Tea Party.

    Why care about our neighbor?

    “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.” (Luke 14:13)

    The news article continues:

    A crowd that says just because the election is over, doesn’t mean their movement is. “The pitchfork is a sign of revolution and i think that’s what happening,” says Jeanne Judge, who carried a pitchfork to the event.

    “I believe you are experiencing and seeing the beginning of a revolt in America by the common people against the government, in terms of its spending,” says Al Davidson, who drove down from Grand Junction.

    http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-…  

    1. .

      Jesus the Christ was recommending individual charity.  If a person makes a personal sacrifice to benefit someone less fortunate, they accrue Graces.  They get blessed.  

      But if Herod, or Caesar, extorts taxes against a person’s will, and uses part of the increase for government “charity,” no Graces accrue to the wage earner who is paying the freight.  

      Caring for one’s neighbor is an individual responsibility, NOT a collective responsibility.  

      Using the brutal force of Government to compel contributions to what is rationalized as for the benefit of the dispossessed, nobody receives any spiritual increase, not the Government official who threatens to put me in jail if I don’t pay, and not me since I did not give as an act of volition.  

      In other words, your “charity” with my money isn’t charity at all.

      .

      1. That assert these things

        But if Herod, or Caesar, extorts taxes against a person’s will, and uses part of the increase for government “charity,” no Graces accrue to the wage earner who is paying the freight.  

        Caring for one’s neighbor is an individual responsibility, NOT a collective responsibility.

         

      2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C

        Christian democracy can trace its philosophical roots back to Thomas Aquinas and his thoughts about Aristotelian ontology and the Christian tradition. According to him, human rights are defined as the things that humans need to function properly. For example, food is a human right because without food humans cannot function properly…

      3. that a government of, by, and for the people

        is no such thing.

        Since, in this country, we have no Herod or Caesar to “extort” taxes, your argument is moot.

        In this country, policies put in place by “the government” are an expression of the will of the people.

        Finally, since there is no “spiritual increase” for any action an individual may or may not take, we might as well take collective responsibility for the care of our neighbors.

      4. 1.  Jesus also said “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s.”  He told his followers to pay their taxes AND care for the needy.  He said to sell everything they owned and give the proceeds to the poor.  He did NOT say, “keep your money for yourself and let other people suffer.”

        2.  My colleague has cancer and no health insurance.  (We are considered “independent contractors,” so we don’t get benefits like insurance.)  We are trying our best to raise money to help her, but we cannot begin to raise enough money to help with her medical expenses, much less help her family with their daily needs.  Maybe we individuals are getting grace for our efforts, but my dear colleague isn’t getting what she needs.  What do you think God wants?  I think he wants us to help with all our ability, but I think he wouldn’t be unhappy if we, as a society, also provided health insurance that my colleague could access to receive treatment for her illness.

        I would be happy to render a little bit more to Caesar if it would help my colleague survive her cancer.

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