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FIRST UP…
► President Biden will be in Colorado this week, as The Denver Post reports:
President Joe Biden has rescheduled his Colorado trip and will arrive in the state for a two-day visit Tuesday, marking his second trip to Colorado this year, the White House announced over the weekend.
The trip, part of his administration’s “Investing in America” tour, was originally scheduled for Oct. 15, but the visit was postponed just hours before departure so the president could attend national security meetings regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
Biden is expected to participate in a campaign reception in Denver on Tuesday before heading down to Pueblo’s CS Wind factory Wednesday — the location of his originally planned visit in October and the largest wind tower manufacturer in the world…
…According to data from the White House, since Biden took office in 2021, companies have announced more than $5 billion in clean energy and manufacturing investments in Colorado, and outside groups estimate that the Inflation Reduction Act has created 3,500 jobs in the state since it was signed last year. [Pols emphasis]
Biden’s Pueblo visit will include remarks on clean energy manufacturing and job creation, particularly in relation to his signature Inflation Reduction Act. Congressperson Lauren Boebert (R-ifle) will no doubt be salty about the trip to one of the key population centers in the third congressional district.
► President Biden will no doubt also be happy to talk about Obamacare thanks to an opening provided by Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump:
► The elected official known as “George Santos” expects that he will be expelled from Congress, perhaps as soon as this week. As The Washington Post reports:
Santos is predicting he will be expelled from Congress as early as this week following the release of a scathing report from the House Ethics Committee, which found “substantial evidence” that he knowingly violated ethics guidelines, House rules and criminal laws.
In a three-hour-long, expletive-laden conversation held on X Spaces, Santos declined to comment on the array of allegations brought up by the report. He said his words could be used against him in an ongoing criminal case in which he faces 23 federal charges, including fraud, money laundering, falsifying records and aggravated identity theft.
Santos did, however, describe the Ethics Committee report as “slanderous” and claimed that his colleagues are trying to force him out of his House seat. He also accused Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) of “weaponizing” his position and publishing a “hit-piece” against him.
Santos is following the Trump/MAGA playbook of calling everything a “witch hunt” and saying Congress is “weaponizing” stuff, but in his case it is a completely absurd effort since his pending ouster is being driven by members of his own political party. On his way out the door, however, Santos may be inclined to light other Republicans on fire. As part of his rant on “X Spaces,” Santos said the following:
“I have colleagues who are more worried about getting drunk every night with the next lobbyists that they’re going to screw and pretend like none of us know what’s going on and sell off the American people. … Not show up to vote because they’re too hungover or whatever the reason is, or not show up to vote at all and just give their card out like fucking candy for someone else to vote for them. This shit happens every single week. Where are the ethics investigations?”
Congress returns from its Thanksgiving break on Tuesday.
► The Colorado Republican Party can’t stop complaining about election fraud…even when things aren’t totally going against them. Former State Rep. and U.S. Senate candidate Ron Hanks, who is now the Colorado Republican Party’s Chairman of the Ballot and Election Security Committee, sent a letter to county election canvassing boards in Colorado demanding that they refuse to certify the results of the 2023 election because of…reasons. Hanks’ argument has something to do with election machines being made in China, or whatever.
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► The office of Gov. Jared Polis announced the 2023 Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medal recipients. The awards will be handed out on Jan. 25, 2024 during an event at the Colorado History Museum. Honorees include:
John Fielder, Photographer — Colorado Mountain Leader Award (posthumous)
Dr. Carlotta Walls LaNier, Civil Rights Leader — Vanguard Legacy Medal
John Street, CEO and co-founder, PAX8 — Growth and Innovation Medal
Lauren Young Casteel, President and CEO, The Women’s Foundation of Colorado— Public and Community Service Medal
Osvaldo Garcia Barron, Student — Emerging Community Leader Medal
Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation, Rob Perlman, President and COO — Corporate Citizenship Medal
According to a press release from the Governor’s office:
The medals, established in 2015, and inspired by the Presidential Medal of Freedom, represent the highest honor recognizing each recipient’s significant contributions to communities across Colorado. Nominating partners cultivate a list of community leaders, which are presented to the Governor for his final selection process.
► Congressperson Lauren Boebert (R-ifle) is leaning in on her support for overturning Roe v. Wade, which might be helpful for her national fundraising efforts but is definitely NOT a strategic advantage in a state in which voters have repeatedly made it clear that they support protection abortion rights. Boebert’s social media post points to a dubious study reported by Fox News that somehow attempts to quantify an entirely theoretical number:
“Our primary analysis indicates that in the first six months of 2023, births rose by an average of 2.3 percent in states enforcing total abortion bans compared to a control group of states where abortion rights remained protected, amounting to approximately 32,000 additional annual births resulting from abortion bans,” according to the study.
Obviously, there could be any number of reasons why birth rates rose a measly two percent in certain states. Regardless of the “science,” this statement from Boebert just makes it easier for likely Democratic opponent Adam Frisch to point out Boebert’s firm support for overturning Roe v. Wade…as does Boebert’s inexplicable continued support for a national abortion ban.
► The Colorado Supreme Court will hear the case about whether or not Donald Trump should be eligible for the 2024 Presidential ballot on account of his efforts to overturn the 2020 Presidential election. A Denver District Court judge ruled earlier this month that Trump did engage in insurrection but opined that the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution doesn’t apply to the office of the Presidency.
Colorado’s special legislative session took four days to finish and affected hundreds of millions of dollars of taxes — but only for next year.
That means the next debate is already beginning on what to do next. Democrats are hoping that a new group of 19 lawmakers and officials from across the state will come up with a solution that could set tax policy for years to come…
The new tax commission is the result of a new law, HB23B-1003, passed during the special session in mid-November. It’s part of a broader response to an expected rise in property owners’ tax bills next year. Some homeowners could see their burden increase by 30 percent or more next year — a stark change after decades in which state law shielded them from the effects of rising property values.
The commission is expected to convene in the next week or so and will submit initial recommendations to lawmakers in March 2024.
► Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williamssays it isn’t his job to oppose other Republicans running in contested primary races…but he might do that anyway.
► Dave Williams has been having a hell of a time raising money for the Colorado Republican Party, but the problem isn’t isolated to Colorado. As The Washington Post explains:
The Republican Party’s finances are increasingly worrisome to party members, advisers to former president Donald Trump, and other operatives involved in the 2024 election effort, according to 10 people familiar with the matter.
The Republican National Committee disclosed that it had $9.1 million in cash on hand as of Oct. 30, the lowest amount for the RNC in any Federal Election Commission report since February 2015. That compares with about $20 million at the same point in the 2016 election cycle and about $61 million four years ago, when Trump was in the White House.
The Democratic National Committee reported having $17.7 million as of Oct. 30, almost twice as much as the Republican Party, with one year before the election. [Pols emphasis]
“It’s a revenue problem,” Tennessee RNC member Oscar Brock said. “We’re going through the same efforts we always go through to raise money: the same donor meetings, retreats, digital advertising, direct mail. But the return is much lower this year. If you know the answer, I’d love to know it. The staff has managed to tighten down on expenses to keep the party from going into the red.”
Across the county, state Republican parties have been reporting trouble with fundraising for most of 2023.
► As Judith Kohler reports for The Denver Post, the outdoor recreation industry continues to provide big bucks for Colorado:
The outdoor recreation industry accounted for 2.2% of the nation’s GDP at $563.7 billion in 2022 and made up 2.8% of Colorado’s GDP at nearly $14 billion.
The latest federal numbers on the industry also show that Colorado’s outdoor economy grew by 19.9% last year, the sixth largest increase nationwide.
For the first time since the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis has released data on outdoor recreation, the industry’s sales crossed the $1 trillion mark.
► The political geniuses at Fox 31 Denver are pushing the idea that the 2024 election in Colorado is going to be super-duper important.
► As The Colorado Sun notes, candidates for school board in 2023 that were backed by teacher’s unions were generally very successful:
Conservative interests mostly failed in their efforts to take over school boards in Colorado this month, echoing a trend across the nation.
A Colorado Sun analysis of candidates supported by the Colorado Education Association versus those responding to a conservative voter guide indicates the candidates backed by teachers prevailed more often than those supporting conservative issues. Union-backed candidates scored victories in 72% of their contests.
Conservative candidates fared best in smaller districts and heavily Republican areas, including Colorado Springs 11 and Academy 20 in El Paso County and Woodland Park. But candidates backed by the CEA and local unions won in districts from Gunnison to Greeley 6 to Cherry Creek and Douglas County.
Voters clearly want school boards to turn their attention back to “the more central” issues in education, including student safety and student achievement, since they rebuffed many candidates backed by conservative groups that have played into culture wars and harped on parent rights, said Jonathan Collins, assistant professor of political science, public policy and education at Brown University. [Pols emphasis]
But…but…Critical Race Theory!!! Argghhhh!!!
►Joseph Ladapo, the Republican Surgeon General in Florida is being called a “fraud.” What were the odds that an appointee of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would turn out to be a charlatan? (Hint: Pretty good).
Say What, Now?
Okay, Doug.
Your Daily Dose Of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
► Former President Donald Trump is so smart that he fails tests on purpose. As The Huffington Post explains:
Donald Trump would like people to know he “ACED” a cognitive test, and that he totally knows who the current president of the United States is.
The former president claimed in a Truth Social screed Monday morning that he’s been referring to former President Barack Obama as the sitting president “sarcastically,” to suggest that Obama is secretly calling the shots instead of President Joe Biden.
Trump lashed out at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is also seeking the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, and at Democrats for highlighting his misstatements and suggesting he “must be cognitively impaired.”
“No, I know both names very well, never mix them up, and know that they are destroying our Country. Also, and as reported, I just took a cognitive test as part of my Physical Exam, and ACED it,” Trump wrote. “Also ACED (a perfect score!) one taken while in the White House.”
Trump did so well on his latest cognitive test, in fact, that the kitchen staff at Mar-a-Lago baked him a cookie.
November 27, 2023 12:22 PM UTC
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► Congressperson Lauren Boebert (R-ifle) is leaning in on her support for overturning Roe v. Wade, which might be helpful for her national fundraising efforts but is definitely NOT a strategic advantage in a state in which voters have repeatedly made it clear that they support protection abortion rights. Boebert’s social media post points to a 
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