September 03, 2019 11:30 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Tuesday (September 3)

• 2 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

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TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► As the Associated Press reports, lawmakers are making a renewed push to ban high-capacity magazines for firearms as Congress approaches the end of its August recess:

Nine states, including Colorado, have passed laws restricting magazine capacity to 10 to 15 bullets, and the Democratic-led U.S. House plans to consider a similar ban at the federal level in the coming weeks.

In arguing for the bans, politicians, experts and gun-control advocates point out that in the time it takes for a driver to wait through a stop light, a shooter with a 100-round magazine can kill and injure dozens of people.

The man who opened fire in Dayton, Ohio, last month killed nine people and injured 27 others in only 30 seconds, in part because of the 100-bullet drum attached to his rifle. It only took 85 seconds for a gunman to empty several 30-round magazines at an IHOP in Carson City, Nevada, killing four people and injuring 14 in 2011.

Authorities have not released any information on the accessories the gunman in Odessa, Texas, used over the weekend when he opened fire on police and bystanders with an AR-style weapon.

Seven people were killed and at least 22 injured in Saturday’s shooting in Odessa, Texas. Senate Majority Leader “Moscow” Mitch McConnell says that he will only allow a vote on new gun safety measures in the U.S. Senate with the approval of President Trump.

Meanwhile, as CNN reports, America’s largest retailer is making a big move on gun safety:

Walmart on Tuesday announced it will reduce its gun and ammunition sales, one month after more than 20 people were killed in a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. Walmart also pressured Congress to enact gun safety measures.

The company, America’s largest retailer, said it will stop selling handgun ammunition and ammunition for short-barrel rifles after selling all of its current inventory. Walmart (WMT) will also stop selling handguns in Alaska, the only state where it still sells handguns. And Walmart will request that customers no longer openly carry guns into its 4,700 US stores, or its Sam’s Club stores, in states that allow open carry.

However, Walmart will continue to sell long barrel deer rifles and shotguns and much of the ammunition for those guns. Walmart will also continue to allow concealed carry by customers with permits in its stores. 

► The El Paso County Republican Party is in tatters.

► There are a lot of things that you can and should be outraged about. This is not one of those things.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is coming to Denver. As Politico reports, there’s good reason to believe that the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination is narrowing to a field of three: Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and former Vice President Joe Biden.

► House for House! Former Republican Party Chairman Steve House makes it official: He’ll try to unseat freshman Rep. Jason Crow (D-Aurora) in CO-6. House recently stepped down as “CEO” of the State GOP in order to pursue a seat in Congress.

► As the Washington Post reports, things are not going well for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson:

Boris Johnson, speaking Tuesday before the British Parliament for only the second time since becoming prime minister, is facing a rebellion of lawmakers who are livid about his plan to shut them down and who are desperately trying to stop Britain from leaving the European Union without a withdrawal deal on Oct. 31.

The opposition, which includes members of Johnson’s Conservative Party, is seeking to take control of the agenda and pass legislation to delay Brexit by an additional three months.

Johnson has warned that if his foes succeed, he will trigger a snap general election — and bar those who vote against him this week from running as Conservatives.

In Parliament, Johnson was heckled and catcalled from almost the moment he stood to speak. He noted that Tuesday was the 80th anniversary of Britain’s entrance into World War II and said “This country still stands then as now for democracy for the rule of law.” He was met with jeering laughter.

He insisted that Britain was making progress in talks with European Union leaders about an orderly Brexit, which drew more mocking laughter.

Johnson has also lost his majority in Parliament after Conservative Phillip Lee defected to the Liberal Democrats. Echoing the sentiments of many Republicans in the United States, Lee lamented that the Conservative Party had become “infected with the twin diseases of populism and English nationalism.”

► A conservative radio host asks listeners why they dislike Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma). The responses are not much of a surprise.

► Bente Birkeland of Colorado Public Radio talks with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Denver) about his plans to remain in the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination despite missing the threshold for this month’s Democratic debate in Houston.

► One of the Interior Department officials responsible for the coming move of the Bureau of Land Management headquarters to Colorado has resigned his position. Joe Balash was scheduled to testify before the House Committee on Natural Resources on Sept. 10 about the BLM move.

► Here’s CNN’s Chris Cillizza on President Trump’s multiple golf outings over the weekend — while Hurricane Dorian raged toward the United States:

…at this point in his presidency — and his life — Trump’s hypocrisy is so well-proven as to be almost mundane. He believes that he is governed by different rules than literally everyone else. That what’s good for the goose is definitely not good for the gander. This is bad. It is also not new.

What is more striking — and damaging as it relates to the overall health of the country — is that Trump’s golfing weekend speaks to how he simply does not see the presidency as a beacon of moral leadership (or leadership of any kind). [Pols emphasis]

It’s Politics 101 that when the people you represent are struggling — or fearful or anxious, etc. — you do what you can, from a public standpoint, to make sure they know you are with them in spirit if not in body. It’s why, you would think, Trump canceled his plans to go to Poland over the weekend. Better to stay stateside and monitor the storm — making sure people know you are on top of things!

And Trump did send more than 100 tweets and retweets over the weekend — ranging from sharing National Weather Service forecasts to his own straight-to-camera videos in which he put on his own meteorological hat to explain of Dorian: “It really began to form and form big.”

Then, after sending those nearly 130(!) tweets, he went and played golf. Which, especially on Labor Day, was a startling contrast; cable TV networks showing the massive storm battering the Bahamas and inching its way toward the southeastern coast of the United States while Trump took some swings on his course in Virginia.

► Officials are looking at changes to overtime rules in Colorado; workers here are shorted on overtime pay at some of the highest rates in the country.

► As Vox.com reports, “sectoral bargaining” is the future of labor unions in the United States:

The common thread is moving beyond workplace-by-workplace bargaining to a system where union-like protections are the norm, not the exception.

Your Daily Dose Of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

► Happy Getting Invaded by Nazis Anniversary! From the Washington Post:

President Trump is known to make the odd comment here and there about foreign nations, often because he doesn’t seem particularly versed in what’s happening in them. But even by his standards, this was quite a weekend.

Trump was asked Sunday about the trip to Poland he canceled to monitor Hurricane Dorian. Asked if he had a message for that country, which was commemorating the anniversary of the start of World War II, Trump decided to … congratulate it?

Here’s what Trump said when asked if he had a message for Poland, which on Sunday marked the 80th anniversary of the day when the country was invaded by Nazi Germany (France and Great Britain declared war on Germany two days later):

But I just want to congratulate Poland. It’s a great country with great people. We also have many Polish people in our country; it could be 8 million. We love our Polish friends. And I will be there soon.

► We don’t even need to change links for this next item. From that very same Washington Post story mentioned above. Here’s President Trump after being asked about the situation in Colombia, where former leaders of the guerrilla group known as FARC announced a break in a 2016 peace deal that could restart  potentially Latin America’s longest war:

Q: On Colombia, how do you feel about former FARC leader calling to return — for return to war?

TRUMP: Colombia, you said?

Q: Yeah, on Colombia. Former leader of FARC.

TRUMP: You’re talking about the country of Colombia?

Q: Yeah, the country of Colombia. The —

TRUMP: Yeah. No, we have a great relationship. And they’re not doing badly. They have a problem because of the Venezuela. A lot of people are pouring in. But Colombia — we’ve had a great relationship with Colombia.

“You’re talking about the country of Colombia?” As opposed to what? The planet called “Colombia”?

ICYMI

► Fox 31 political reporter Joe St. George makes quite the fool of himself and his TV station thanks to Team Gardner.

► It’s good for business when you are President of the United States and make no effort whatsoever to avoid ethical entanglements.

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