U.S. Senate See Full Big Line

(D) J. Hickenlooper*

(R) Somebody

80%

20%

Governor See Full Big Line
(D) Phil Weiser

(D) Joe Neguse

(D) Jena Griswold

60%

60%

40%↓

Att. General See Full Big Line

(D) M. Dougherty

(D) Alexis King

(D) Brian Mason

40%

40%

30%

Sec. of State See Full Big Line
(D) A. Gonzalez

(D) George Stern

(R) Sheri Davis

50%↑

40%

30%

State Treasurer See Full Big Line

(D) Brianna Titone

(R) Kevin Grantham

(D) Jerry DiTullio

60%

30%

20%

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

(R) Somebody

90%

2%

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

(D) Joe Neguse*

(R) Somebody

90%

2%

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

(R) Jeff Hurd*

(D) Somebody

80%

40%

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

(R) Lauren Boebert*

(D) Somebody

90%

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Crank*

(D) Somebody

80%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

(R) Somebody

90%

10%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) B. Pettersen*

(R) Somebody

90%

10%

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

(R) Gabe Evans*

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(D) Joe Salazar

50%

40%

40%

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
February 21, 2014 06:27 AM UTC

Friday Open Thread

  • 57 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

The lip of truth shall be established for ever:
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

–Proverbs 12:19

Tweet
Share

Comments

57 thoughts on “Friday Open Thread”

  1. Where Is Mark Udall?

     

    Jedediah Fox-Udall, the son of Sen. Mark Udall, D-Eldorado Springs, goes into court at the Boulder County Jail on Thursday with his mother, Maggie Fox. See

     

    Mark Udall's son on his way to Court yesterday, where he was charged with six felonies.

    Pictured is Mark Udall's wife.  Absent is Mark Udall.

    Mark Udall was jointly awarded the Liar of the Year award for his whopper, "You can keep your policy if you want to".

    He appears to be out in front in voting for the Father of the Year.

    After decrying Billionaire's role in politics, he spent Wednesday in California at the home of California Hedge Fund Billionare, Tom Steyer, attempting to get the Billionaire to invest in his campaign.  I guess he could not make it back in time to be with his son and wife.

    Thanks for showing us what is really important to you Mark.  And what is not.

     

      1. Dave, If I wanted to trash the kid I would have used the picture of him taken when he was booked in an orange jump suit, with his eyes consistent with his reported Heroin use a couple days before.  I did not do that.

        What kind of father does not show up for his kid and wife for that hearing?

        I was pulled over for running a red light when I was 18.  I did not do it.  It was a traffic ticket.  Both my parents took off work and went with me to my trial, which I won.  I did not ask them.  They just did it.

        Six felonies and Mark Udall has something more important to do?

        As a parent you have a sacred obligation to love and support your children.  It should be in the DNA.  Apparantley it is not.

  2. How about a series of posts of the good things Senator Mark Udall has done for us?

    I'll start – he's been fighting the security state, specifically the NSA, for years. Long before Snowden told us all why that fight is so important.

    1. Great idea.  How about how he has helped seniors?  When they passed Obamacare they had to cut programs so that it did not look like a trillion dollar waste.  So they cut Medicare.  Here is what that did.

      Mark Udall stands up for seniors, too.

  3. Disgusting is a too kind word.  I only hope–even though it is a cowardly turd–that it doesn't have some family troubles in its future. Since I still maintain my basic humanity.   

    Despicable low-life chickenshit self-loathing turd. It can speak it's mind, surely, but maybe a street corner is a better venue?  Not sure why he needs to puke that shit up here daily, Voyager’s rule notwithstanding.  

     

    1. Another sure sign of a cowardly troll chickenshit is the denial of obvious intention when all can see otherwise.  The question I have is whether its because it imagines it is somehow being clever, in that little pebble troll brain?  Or is it that still somewhere it has a modicum of humanity left and it understands its despicable behavior reveals itself to be mostly excrement?  

  5. Remember the Paul Ryan (R-poseur) loves him some atheistic Ayn Rand (public dole recipient) budget?  You know, where the medicare line item came from, although the CBO crunchers agree that is in savings not cut in benefit payments to individuals as the false, lying picture (shocking, I know) above suggests.

    It's worth noting that there's one area these cuts don't touch: Medicare benefits. The Affordable Care Act rolls back payment rates for hospitals and insurers. It does not, however, change the basket of benefits that patients have access to. And, as Ezra pointed out earlier today, the Ryan budget would keep these cuts in place.

    What a surprise.  More lies from the self-loathing cowardly chickenshit troll.

     

      1. Exactly. My husband is pretty new to medicare and a couple of months back had a first episode of diverticulitis that sent us to the ER at 2AM on a Saturday morning. This was the first time he'd used medicare for anything other than a doctor's visit for a no big deal complaint. All the bills are in and we couldn't believe how much less our share was than the last time we needed a bunch of tests etc. years ago with private insurance.  Between the enormously discounted cost and the coverage the whole thing wound up costing us about as much as a special occasion dinner at a good restaurant. Boo hoo. 

          1. We'll probably do that next open time around. We decided on the cheapest option for starters, just A and B, since my husband wasn't on any regular prescription meds, almost never has any health issue (at least not until that diverticulitis thing which has been fine since the one episode knock wood) and we still had some money in the health savings account that we couldn't spend on anything else anyway. That's what I paid our very low bills out of.  Next year we'll probably do what your wife does.

  6. Rural Colorado owes a debt of gratitude to the Senator for his early leadership in transitioning our energy economy to renewables.  His efforts bear fruit today. 

    He has been instrumental in resolving the Piñon Canyon land grab in favor of the region's farmers and ranchers.

    He was an early and ardent supporter of the reintroduction of industrial hemp to American agriculture.  The 2014 Farm Bill signed last week includes the provision for reintroducing this important crop to our nation's producers.

    He is the Senate co-sponsor for a bill that would establish a 25% renewable energy requirement in the national grid by 2025.  This will bring enormous new opportunities to rural America. 

    1. Rural Colorado is really appreciatve of the great job Senator Udall is doing.

      Heck, why stop at 25% renewables?

      The folks in rural Colorado are really thrilled with with renewable energy requirements.  Keep us the good work Mark.

  7. Latest campaign from the right I think has legs. The attack is on the general notion of Common Core.  It has people concerned on both sides of the "aisle", but the "moms" are the ones who are engaged and angry….always good to see in the "base" in an election year.  One of the books recommended by CC for high school freshmen is Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye."  

    The moms are up in arms because there are passages in the book that border on the pornographic and are written from the perspective of a child pedophile.

    One mother read those passages to the Democratic Senate (House?) committee considering the bill to postpone implementation. The committee voted not to postpone the implementation of the Common Core..  So the mothers are angry over the choice of the reading material and fundamentally that they don't have some say in what is going on in their schools. The issues are parental control; local control; and that has morphed into the general attack on the progressives and the teachers union trying to take over the country by indoctrinating our children.

    I personally don't think that reading material is appropriate for freshmen.  It is NOT required reading, it is on the recommended list.  

    On of the problems I have generally with Common Core, etc.  is that we really have "planned obsolescence" in educational methods, models, curriculum, etc.

    I think the constant turmoil is in and of itself bad for kids and only benefits those who are "selling" the latest stuff.

      1. No, I was not. Thank you.

        I was aware that many educational professionals including the CEA had some concerns about implementation and its impact, particularly on teacher evaluation.  What I was commenting on was how this has now become an issue that the right wing is exploiting because they are supporting "Moms" who are very angry and feel disenfranchised.  Once an issue gets to that stage, it becomes political, not a rational discussion.  

        Caplis had a teacher on his show and he did give a respectful hearing to her.

        She explained some of the rationale for choosing that book.  However, it would have been appropriate for someone on the committee that voted immediate implementation to appear on the show and explain what is happening with the Education Department.  One of my contentions has been that there is no "response" nor "answer" when these charges/issues/ are broadcast on the public airwaves via one party…the republican and or right wing.

        1. I understand that, and that it was not the main focus of your comment. But given the flavor-of-the-month aspect of many curriculum choices, it's good to know that the education dept is actually trying to test the effectiveness of different curricula. It may just be restricted to math curricula at the moment. I'll see if I can dig up a reference. There may have been a  NYT article on this some time ago.

            1. @ajb,

              Thanks for the link.  I did read it.  My concern is that, as with all research groups involving human subjects, it is really difficult to "experiment" by creating two groups – one control and another the target.  Also, I think that kids are really vulnerable to these constant changes in methods and curriculum.  I think there is a value to teachers and a school "culture" (for lack of a better word) that use the same method and texts over time.

              The teachers learn what works and what does not and how to adapt to compensate.  KIds have a certain expectation about what is going to happen in the "next grade."  

              One of the real problems has been mobility in DPS. When kids move from one school to another, and that happens a lot with FRL kids, if there is not continunity in program, they lose even more.

              I would not argue that there should be no research or that a school should keep doing the same old same old even when it is not working.  But I do think that change should be more carefully considered than it is now.

                1. The Bluest Eye.  Published in 1970. Yes, over 40 years ago. Its been in High Schools since sometime soon after that.  And then the AMerican people elected Jimmy Carter.  

                  I think there may be a need for an intervention.  

                   

    2. What, from the right, don't you think has legs? The important question is with whom. I'm thinking moms who don't want this book on a recommended, not even required, reading list are probably not very likely to be progressive on social issues or vote for Dems anyway.

      My only objection to Morrison's work is a general distaste for fiction that is so overtly intended to educate me on social issues but it looks like, if I were a student, nobody would be forcing me to read her. Not many who delude themselves that this subject matter is too much for High School age kids are voting anything but R so I wouldn't be dialing the concern level up to 11 on this one.

      2. You know, the right wing is pissed off that children are being indoctrinated in science class with the theory of evolution as well. What is the Democratic response?  Where is the puish back?  How would you ever know, if your brain is constantly bombarded by right-wing propaganda?

        1. umm … This appears to be a response to my comment and my brain is not all that rightie bombarded.wink

          Guess we'll just have to import a new pack of foreign educated scientists since we've  run out of the ones who came over here from Nazi held Europe. We won't be producing a bunch here and so many of our greatest ones have come from elsewhere anyway. Don't know where we would have been during and post WWII without all those imports from other countries. 

    3. The Bluest Eye is a great book,and deserves the Nobel Prize for literature, which it won.  The straightforward description of molestation from a child's point of view was unique at the time, and the contrast with the same incident from the molester's point of view was mind-boggling. But just as ground-breaking were its painful observations about the day to day grinding down of self worth through racism and poverty – again, from a child's point of view. It was absolutely brilliant, and completely horrific.

      I would not use the "Bluest Eye" with any students below 11th grade, as I found that I was unable to read parts of the story out loud. Other "tough" books that appeal to young boys, such as Walter Dean Myers' Monster and Fallen Angels novels are full of profanity, violence, crime, racism, cursing, and sexual references. Those are also not fun, feel-good read-alouds, but are just as important. Younger kids just are not mature enough to handle the material. Like anything a teacher does, it requires discretion and judgment.

      The sad part about the "I hate Common Core parents" targeting "Bluest Eye" is that they, like all American children, have about a 1-in-6 chance of being raped or molested themselves, usually by a family member or someone they know. Not talking about painful secrets does not generally make them go away.

      Usually, when teachers are going to read a "tough" book like these, it's appropriate to send a little note home to parents, describing the unit and the rationale, and offering an alternative assignment (which requires the student to work independently).

      I did that often, and very rarely did the parents request an alternative.

      If you want to know why the right wing hates common core, see "Liberal Arts Education." Emphasis on the "liberal". Humanistic values in literature, alternative points of view in history, (not just the "winner writes the history POV), and facts and research based science. Critical thinking, questioning, respect for diversity.

      Oh, the horror of it all.

       

      1. @mj55

        Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature for her body of work.  I wish you could have testified before the committee considering postponing the implementation of Common Core.  I think it would have meant a great deal if the "Moms" had heard a teacher, who had taught the book, say " I would not use the "Bluest Eye" with any students below 11th grade, …”- See more at: http://coloradopols.com/diary/54606/friday-open-thread-19#comments

        It would have been powerful. The first objection that the mothers had was that the book was recommended reading for 9th graders. If you had explained how you approached the book with your outreach to the parents with the option of choosing another book, the issue, I believe would have been greatly defused. The “Moms” would have been validated in their belief that the book was not appropriate for freshman. They still might have disagreed with the choice of the Book, but then it was possible that they might have been able toParticipate in a discussion, based on mutual respect on the nature of teaching literature.

        As it stands, the “Moms” believe that the Democratic Committee did not listen to their concerns and they are angry.  The people who did listen and who supported them were, of course, right wing Radio hosts.  Not only have the women been featured at length on at least three talk shows, but they have either read passages from the book or played an audio of their testimony before the committee, that included passages from the book. The passages read,  seemed to me, almost pornographic. I can understand why parents and others would be alarmed.

        The talk shows hosts have also given the “Moms” a rationale for Including the book in Common Core. That is, of course, that the progressive movement (read Democratic Party) wants to control the schools in order to indoctrinate their children, turn them away from religion, etc.etc. The women are now fully engaged in the effort to replacet  the current Democratic legislature and Governor so that the children are not so indoctrinated.

        This is all about politics. It is not about the social and indeedSpiritual redeeming value of literature. The goal of the Republican/right win is to take back the Colorado House, Senate and Governorship, as well as the US Senate.  The republicans are against anything the Obama administration is for. period. I think they have found one more issue that may help them win in 2014.

    4. If this issue has legs for the Right, does it have it legs for those on the Left who oppose it too?

      It doesn't alwasy have to be a Right/Left, R/D thing does it?

      Common Core in and of itself is not a bad idea. Of course, when I was a kid, the nuns would not let us read Huckleberry Finn, Guadalcanal Diary or The Invisible Man.  

      1. @JBJK16

        How times have changed.  The Great Books series for above average readers in Catholic Schools in Denver, in the 80s, at least, included Huckleberry Finn among other classic works, which I wish I could remember.

        What was awful for 10 year old boys was that they had to read "Little Women."

  8. Is this the future for Colorado journalism?  Today's Denver Post features a front page story about Obamacare written by Arthur Kane, "Special to the Denver Post".  In other words, Mr. Kane is not a DP reporter.  In fact, there is no information given about who Mr. Kane is.  It's one thing to not use a DP reporter for a story, lots of stories are attributed to the AP and the NY Times, for example.  But, publishing a story by a virtually anonymous writer seems beyond the pale.

    Mr. Saltzman, what do you think?

     

  9. Arthur Kane used to be a Post reporter. I don't know what he's doing now. You make a good point that the Post should identify the people whose work they use.

     

    1. Particularly since this is an article about the highly controversial Obamacare rollout in Colorado.  He starts the article citing a young person who spends $3,600/yr. on asthma and sinus medications.  The kid notes that he could only get a policy with a $175 monthly premium couple with a $10,000 deductible.  So, the kid decides it's better to not get coverage and pay the $95 penalty.  Yet, later in the article another young person "is paying about $200 a month for a plan with a $2,200 deductible."  Why didn't the first kid get the same coverage????

      Piss poor journalism from the Denver Post.  Surprise!

      1. Especially since kid one seems to be claiming a 10K deductible was the best he could get and that coverage so therefore is unaffordable. The reporter doesn't explore whether or not these kids qualified for subsidies and if they're talking with or without subsidies and what level of subsidies either. Why even bother with a reporter? Why not just publish press releases and other stuff people say? 

        1. Sorry I screwed up that sentence so badly by leaving in left over words that should have been eliminated in editing.  It should just say … the best he could get and therefore unaffordable. 

  10. Snowbirds? Be ready to boycott Arizona.

    George Takei is promoting a boycott of AZ if Governor Brewer signs the "Turn Away the Gay" bill just passed by their legislature. This bill would make it legal for businesses to discriminate against LGBT people. Sure, the Supreme Court will eventually strike it down, but how much damage will it do to LGBT people  (and AZ's economy) in the meantime?

    May I just say: Grrrrrr.

    1. No problem. I haven't been there since I had to go to my brother's wedding in Phoenix in June when I was 16, a (ahem) while ago.  It was 116 and back then energy was cheap and all the indoor spaces were air conditioned down into the 60s. Every time you went though a door it was either like walking into an oven or into a refrigerator.  Never been back. Never care to.

    2. At this point in American history I'd boycott half the states.  MIL (from a gay marriage state) is currently snowbirding in AZ, renting and looking to buy.  I guess I won't be visiting.

      What with all these discrimination masquerading as religious freedom laws proliferating, the word of the day is Balkanization.

      What the fuck, were heading for a revolution anyway.  Maybe the gunzos and survivalists are right.

    3. ALEC rears its ugly head again. These laws are boilerplate directly from them and all the good little elephants in state legislatures, terrified of being tagged as insufficiently Christian (anti-gay) are dutifully running the bills.                                                                          Fortunately, so far, legislators in every state, save Arizona, understand that these laws will bring down the wrath of reasonable people and hit their states right in the treasury with boycotts and lawsuits                                          How did Arizona get so populated with xeniphobic OLD farts?

  11. All is over. Doom. Rush said so.  Glenn Beck verified it.  Why just the other day a whole anel of talking heads on Fox confirmed that Karl Rove has succeeded in establishing his permanaent conservative majority.  It all started with that Romney landslide… 

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Gabe Evans
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

25 readers online now

Newsletter

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