President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Biden*

(R) Donald Trump

80%

20%↓

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

90%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

90%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(D) Adam Frisch

(R) Jeff Hurd

(R) Ron Hanks

40%

30%

20%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert

(R) J. Sonnenberg

(R) Ted Harvey

20%↑

15%↑

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Dave Williams

(R) Jeff Crank

(R) Doug Bruce

20%

20%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

90%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) Brittany Pettersen

85%↑

 

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(R) Gabe Evans

(R) Janak Joshi

60%↑

40%↑

20%↑

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
March 13, 2020 11:05 PM UTC

Weekend Open Thread

  • 51 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“A person’s fears are lighter when the danger is at hand.”

–Seneca

Comments

51 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread

  1. I hope the next AG of the United States creates a team of investigators and prosecutors to review crime or potential crime of past presidential administrations.

    Of course, I also hope they find the $2.3T that SecDef Rumsfeld could not find on Sep 10, 2001.

    Transparent, motivated by justice and love of country. Not some Monica Goodling  style baloney.

     

     

  2. Ken Buck strikes again. Voted against the House Covid-19 bill HR6201.

    Any ideas how to spin this into the Harry Truman "The Buck Stops Here" quote. Ken may be worse than Dear Leader Trump.

      1. Not a big fan of Ken Buck; or even a fan at all; but I thought I saw that he voted for the House Dems war powers resolution. Lamborn and Tipton voted against it. Can anyone clarify? 

        1. It's the one issue Buck and the Democrats agree on:

          Congressman Ken Buck (R-Colo.), a founding member of the newly formed bipartisan War Powers Caucus, says the Constitution gives Congress, and thereby the American people, the power, “to declare and oversee our country’s war efforts, but we have allowed this power to atrophy, turning over decision-making to the Executive.”

          But of course knee-jerk Trumpers, Lamborn and Tipton don't want to limit his power to bumble us into war.

    1. Den E, if I recall correctly, you only need a letter from employer stating that you are laid off through no fault of your own, and can start applying earlier than your last paycheck. Check here.

      Supposedly, the coronavirus relief package includes “enhanced unemployment benefits”. If the dumb ass Senate GOPers vote it through, anyway.
       

      I haven’t applied this time because substitute teachers are by definition sporadic, at will employees,  and I have retirement income and business income as well.

      1. The rules are going to be confusing. I am going to wait because I have about 60% pay without working for at least the next two weeks depending on what the city decides to do and the unemployment benefits would be reduced to $0.00 a week by that. (Yep, no good gov’t employee here.)

        1. Hey, DENependent.  First, I’m tremendously sorry you got laid off.

          Second.  Call the CDLE Monday.  The approval process can take a few weeks, and there’s a “waiting week,” iirc, before benefits start.  Also, there are going to be more folks than usual on this track. So, you need to get going now.

          Best of luck. If you have any issues getting help, please contact your state rep or senator. They have someone inside the department that can help goose things a little.

  3. Many people may need to withdraw money from their retirement accounts to cover expenses due to layoffs, etc.  Congress should waive the 10% withdrawal penalty for those under 59 1/2.  I contacted my Congressman (Crow).  You should do the same.

    1. Seems like a sound idea for the next round of coronavirus adjustments.  Of course, Ken Buck will likely vote against it, but other members of the Colorado delegation ought to help it pass.

  4. Update on State Laboratory Drive-Up Testing Center

    • Open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 14, 2020.
    • Located at Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt St, Denver, CO, 80216
    • Will serve the first 100-150 vehicles in line. All other vehicles that arrive after that will be encouraged to seek testing from a private provider.

    "This information on this page changes frequently; please check back often."

    There apparently is a growing list of private testing, as it is now mentioned in the instructions.  And at the end of the page, there is an announcement of

    State Lab testing priorities

    Beginning March 16, testing at the CDPHE laboratory will be prioritized for public health purposes and urgent need in order to:

    • Identify and monitor for community transmission of COVID-19.
    • Investigate outbreaks in health care and residential facilities.
    • Ensure a safe workforce in health care and other facilities serving high-risk populations.
    • Test critically ill patients for whom commercial testing will not provide timely enough results.
    • Testing for uninsured people can be arranged through the state health department.
      1. Apparently two testing firms are now able to test.   They have a heck of a lot more locations and more people than the CO Dept of Public Health & Environment.

        Insurance companies required to pay firms for testing; no co-pays; I've not yet seen what is going to be done for those without insurance.

    1. I'm thinking in our grand American tradition, we commodify the testing and farm it out to every doc-in-the-box and urgent care facility in the nation.   They are as common as 7-11 stores and have the staff available to administer the tests.  They will also be the centers that get a big dose of the cases early on.  Test and refer or release would be a prudent practice.  Concentrated centers aren't going to be as effective.

  5. In non-coronavirus news, did anyone else get a second census survey form in the mail?

    I got one two days ago addressed to “Resident” at my address.  I filled it out online yesterday for my family.  I got an identical regular survey mailing (not the ‘reminder’ email they mentioned) today.  Both cover letters were dated March 12, 2020. And originated in the same Jefferson Indiana office, to be returned to the Phoenix office if not completed online.

    I guess that’s one way Wilber Ross can boost the number of straight, white, married, male seniors in the final count.

     

  6. The Shock Doctrine, but for socialism.  "I love my insurance" is for when it's the poors that die.

  7. Sorry Reverend Falwell, no where in the Bible does it say our Constitution has to recognize the votes from land, chickens, pigs, goats or cattle. 

    What a moron.  Go back to your pool boy.

  8. Holy fucking shit.

    Germany tries to stop U.S. from luring away firm seeking coronavirus vaccine

    German government sources told Reuters on Sunday that the U.S. administration was looking into how it could gain access to a potential vaccine being developed by a German firm, CureVac.

    Earlier, the Welt am Sonntag German newspaper reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had offered funds to lure CureVac to the United States, and the German government was making counter-offers to tempt it to stay.

    Welt am Sonntag also quoted an unidentified German government source as saying Trump was trying to secure the scientists’ work exclusively, and would do anything to get a vaccine for the United States, “but only for the United States.”

    1. Of course, Trump's re-election is on the line here. If he doesn't get re-elected, then his value and use to Putin plummets. And then maybe those Russian loans to the Trump Organization get called.  

      1. Yeah.  The son of a bitch can't look at any issue without considering how it will affect him personally.  I'm guessing when the dust settles and folks look at his performance during this time of crisis, they are going to be underwhelmed by it.

  9. Who'd have thunk? #WokeNewt has a message for 'merika:

    NEWT GINGRICH: I AM IN ITALY AMID THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS. AMERICA MUST ACT NOW—AND ACT BIG | OPINION

    These steps are not an overreaction. The coronavirus is out of control of in Northern Italy. As of 6 p.m. local/1 p.m. EST on March 10, there were 15,113 total cases in Italy, with 12,839 active cases, 1,016 deaths and 1,258 recoveries. And there were 162 total cases here in Rome.

  10. This is truly shocking

    The Federal Reserve announced on Sunday it would drop interest rates to zero and buy at least $700 billion in government and mortgage-related bonds as part of a wide-ranging emergency action to protect the economy from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

    That's about all the ammo left to the Fed.  It'll help liquidity in the markets, but it won't accelerate a vaccine.  The best it can do is make borrowing cheaper in the short-term for businesses, and hopefully, pass some good ol' stimulus bills that could fund badly needed infrastructure spending, research and of course funding for our health system to protect everyone in the nation, citizen or not.

    1. Capacity and management are our problems with vaccine development and treatment identification.  Infrastructure spending isn’t wise at a time when people are being told to work from home and not congregate.  Funding our health system is a long-term problem, but congress writing a check isn’t the reason we don’t have tests, or ventilators, or quarantine beds today. Who would be able to cash it and provide goods/services?

      They’re going to need to do something fairly remarkable to hold off a recession, or, dare I say, the “D” word, especially if Italian banks fail (they’re quite precarious) and start crushing European banks, which aren’t nearly as robust as ours.

      1. This is treating the symptoms, not the root cause.  We have tough days ahead due to the lack of vision or leadership, the wanton greed and rank cynicism of the GOP.  And even to an extent — timid responses from Democrats.

        Unemployment could hit 10 percent in a matter of weeks.  The economy is not hitting a wall so much than if the pause button has been pressed.  We’ve lost weeks, if not months, of action needed to mitigate this crisis, and we will be digging ourselves out of the economic trough for many months, and possibly years.

        At least now the Republicans in the Senate in an attempt to keep their miserable necks from the guillotine will open the spigots to pump money into the economy to keep businesses afloat, and cash in the hands of families so they won’t starve.

        The revolution starts in November.

  11. The Sanders' race is over.  It was dealt a mortal wound in SC, last rites were held in MI, MO and MS.  Tuesday, it will be buried by 40 points in FL, and more than 20 points everywhere else.  Bernie should not spend a single moment attacking Biden at tonight's debate.  It will not change the outcome one iota.  It's fine for him to explain why his ideas are so wonderful, but only in the context of attacking Trump. 

    Joe Biden is being handed a golden opportunity at tonight's debate to demonstrate calm, competent and normal leadership.  Bernie and Biden must use this debate with a "captive" audience to blast Trump every which way.  It should start with, "Thanks for the question, Wolf.  We'll take it from here."  Then both candidates should eviscerate Trump and all Republicans for how they have handled this crisis.  They should explain how they would have done things differently, etc.  Then, they should play tag team to condemn every Cabinet level department.  "Hey, Bernie.  How do you think the Education Dept has been handled during this administration?"  "Hey, Joe.  What do you think about the Interior Dept?"  And, on through the entire government.  If they have extra time, they can give their opinions about GOP Senators up for reelection, such as Gardner, McSally, etc. 

    We've been hit by a fire hose of outrageous actions for more than three years.  This debate is a perfect chance, and maybe the only chance, to remind America what Trump and the GOP have done to endanger this country.

    1. Just now:
      VP Biden:  If Bernie is the nominee, I will support him and I will campaign for him and encourage every else to support him…

      Senator Sanders: If Joe is the nominee, I will support him and I will campaign for him and encourage every else to so so as well.

      I'm paraphrasing – I couldn't type fast enough.
       

  12. Buckle up Buttercup…

    Dow futures plunge 1,000 points after Fed cuts interest rate to zero

    New York – Investors were unassuaged by news that the Federal Reserve is cutting interest rates to near zero. US stock futures dropped 5% Sunday evening, hitting the "limit down," meaning they can't fall any further.

    Dow (INDU) futures plummeted and were last down 1,041 points, or about 4.5%. S&P 500 (SPX)futures were down about 4.8% , while Nasdaq (COMP) futures were down 4.5%.

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Yadira Caraveo
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

205 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!