January 14, 2010 05:15 PM UTC

"GOP Fuzzy Math Calculators" Set Session's Tone

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• by: Colorado Pols

Tim Hoover writes for the Denver Post’s new state politics blog The Spot:

Liberal group ProgressNow Colorado delivered a special, furry gift to each Republican lawmaker at the Capitol on Wednesday and wants to give GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis one as well…

Michael Huttner, founder of the liberal political activist group, said in a statement the calculators were “to help them (Republicans) with their ‘fuzzy math’ during the legislative session.” He said the group planned to deliver a jumbo calculator with fur to McInnis, who Huttner said won’t say how he’d cut the budget.

“He has been disingenuous from the get go,” Huttner said. “He continues to take cheap shots but refuses to give specifics as to what he’d do instead. We are looking for him to deliver this fuzzy calculator to help him sort out his fuzzy math.”

Sean Duffy, McInnis’ campaign spokesman, called Huttner’s move a “stunt” that made light of the Republican candidate’s efforts to boost job creation, and thus, ultimately increase state revenues.

“There is very clear math, and the clear math is that hundreds of people in Colorado every day lose their job,” Duffy said, adding McInnis wanted to make the state more friendly to aerospace and energy companies . “They (Democrats) can focus on the government side of the agenda. What we’re focusing on is the jobs side of the agenda.”

As for balancing the budget itself, Duffy said McInnis is still working out the details of his plan… [Pols emphasis]

Our picture above comes from Progress Now’s release, which we’ve reprinted after the jump. We heard these “fuzzy culculators” shed white fuzz everywhere—Mike Huttner should consider a follow-up gift of lint rollers, maybe labeled “Democrats clean up the GOP’s fuzzy math mess?”

Fuzzy Calculators delivered to Capitol, McInnis flees to Colorado Springs avoiding tough questions about his “plan”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

CONTACT: Michael Huttner at 303-931-4547 cell

Denver–As the Colorado General Assembly reconvenes today, ProgressNow Colorado delivered fuzzy calculators to Republican leadership to help them with their “fuzzy math” during the legislative session. The group also is looking to deliver a jumbo fuzzy calculator to Scott McInnis, who is rumored to have traveled to Colorado Springs on the session’s opening day, avoiding questions about the Colorado budget.

“We are not surprised that McInnis is avoiding answering questions about the Colorado budget; he has been disingenuous from the get go,” stated ProgressNow Colorado Founder Michael Huttner. “He continues to take cheap shots but refuses to give specifics as to what he’d do instead. We are looking for him to deliver this fuzzy calculator to help him sort out his fuzzy math.”

A month ago, McInnis dodged a chance to explain what he would do to balance the budget. (KUSA, 12/10/2009; “McInnis being coy on budget”, Denver Post, 12/14/2009)  At that time he claimed over and over he couldn’t get his “hands on the budget” so he’d “have to wait to see how it comes out.” (DP and again in Longmont Daily Times-Call, 12/12/2009)

“We call on McInnis to be truthful with the people of Colorado on his plans for our future,” stated Huttner. “Santa even delivered the latest budget to him for Christmas, and still he refuses to tell us what he’d do differently.”

On Wednesday, December 23, ProgressNow Colorado delivered a copy of the state budget to Scott McInnis’ office. (Denver Daily News, 12/28/2009)  Yet aside from repealing FASTER, McInnis has not given any details on how he will balance the hundreds of millions of addition dollars needed other than vague statements about “waste, fraud and abuse.”

“What’s ridiculous is that McInnis can’t offer specifics when asked how he will govern,” noted Huttner. “The people of Colorado deserve better.”

ProgressNow Colorado delivered fuzzy calculators to Republican leadership this morning during the first day of the 2010 Colorado General Assembly and is planning to deliver the jumbo calculator when he returns from Colorado Springs.

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