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July 25, 2014 11:23 PM UTC

Weekend Open Thread

  • 111 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

"Hope is tomorrow's veneer over today's disappointment."

–Evan Esar

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111 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”

      1. The "o" in not is the symbol placed on Christian's former property in Iraq that they are forced to leave or be killed.  21st century version of 1940's star of david in Germany.

        1. Oh, yes, the old "Christians are being PERSECUTED" bit  The dominant religion in the world, gleefully imposing their will on others whenever they can, while simultaneously shrieking about they're being picked on.

          Funny, if AC saw one of his Iraqi Christian brothers (wonder how many of those Bush killed, eh?) in an airport…would he want him on the plane? 

            

          1. A country governed with religous fervor using the "laws" and punishments of their favorite faith tome —- exactly what The Librarian and his Ilk desire for the U.S. 

        2. By the way, since you brought religion into it…

          What would Christ want you to do about the flood of refugee children at the border? 

            1. Wow. You're not just an unpatriotic, hypocritical coward…

              You're an inhumane unpatriotic, hypocritical coward.  I would think anyone with a shred of self respect would be ashamed to admit that sentiment in public.  

              Maybe you should look inside that book you're thumpin'.  The Jesus I read about seemed to have different opinions. 

            2. QUOTATION OF THE DAY

              "We're talking about whether we're going to stand at the border and tell children who are fleeing a burning building to go back inside."

              RABBI ASHER KNIGHT of Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, who is among religious leaders trying to mobilize support for immigrant children who are fleeing dangerous communities in Central America and crossing the United States border.

            3. "Mark 9:37 – Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me"

              I could  quote a hundred others, none of which would sound remotely like send them away.  well, not to me anyway.

              But then, I really am pro-life, you right wing asshole hack.

              2. Peter 2: 13-17

                13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

                15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

                16 [Act] as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but [use it] as bondslaves of God. 17 Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

                 

                3. King George used that one frequently.

                   

                  In a more perfect world, we agree: it would best if these kids and their families would stay home and pursue happiness.

  2. Let me guess, Mark Udall's fault?  Or is it because Obama didn't call Putin a 'poopyhead.'?  Most adults with sense would be ashamed to be you.  

  4. BREAKING…  Bullshit Right-Wing Web Blog with a couple dozen readers well-known for posting factless paranoid red meat barfed up GOP talking points, doesn't like Mark Udall ad.

  5. Actually It is news 4 in Denver and I think they have more listeners than the couple dozen left wing loons who post regurgitated progress now nonesense on this site.

    1. Awww frown no one 'cept those in the bobo bubble reads 'Peak Politics' which is what nutjobs link to, because without the propaganda frame and winger spin it just isn't the same.  

  6.  Brandon Rittiman truth tests Crossroads GPS latest juvenile Udall smear ( Karl “Turd blossom” Rove) as an out right lie ( Karl, a known liar,once claimed outgoing Clinton team stole the “Ws” off the WH keyboards). Udall did not vote for a carbon tax to hurt the middle class. Another example of dark money from crazed billionaires pouring into Colorado.  2nd ex.,Keystone jobs lie,(same ad w/ bicycle horn), when originally told, was pulled as it violated SEC law, concerning accurate information regarding stock investment.

     Truth matters least to the R cult in their naked attempt to regain power. Power to exploit, not to lead, or unify country in crisis.

    1. Did you even read the article you posted you hypocritical jackass? Offices for Reps. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, and Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, did not respond to requests from the Coloradoan about their internship programs. Or this: Most senators, or 65 of them, don’t pay their interns, according to a 2013 article in the Atlantic. Several who do pay their interns have some qualifications, such as only paying summer interns and not spring or fall, or offering a stipend or academic credit. Others only have a handful of paid slots with other interns going without. It is a shame that your desperation in seeing gardeners chances disappear results in you posting stupidity  – you never have relied on facts and probably never will.

  9. Let's try NOT to let AC direct all posting this weekend. Trollboy, sit.

    Lynn Bartels has an interesting piece about the upcoming EPA rule hearings in Denver. Seems there should be lots going on – dueling rallies, speakers…unless, of course, like the gun legislation hearings, the "fake grassroots" folks can't get people to testify.

    Here is the League of Conservation Voter's ad about the Chamber of Commerce opposition to the EPA rules:

     

    1. Really Agree about not feeding trolls , this site could be better by banning, warning points as a new comer its easy to see what the dynamic is. 

      as for the US Camber of Commerce- Tom Donahue- their opening an office in China says it all as to the real agenda

      1. I've only seen two banning offenses in the several years I have visited here.  "Outing" a poster by publicly disclosing his true identity is one; I believe the other was using racial epithets.  Other than that, people are welcome, even encouraged, to be stupid.  The rightie trolls come and go.  They usually disappear after election day.

        1. Ditto, that.

          I still believe that the free, unfettered, discourse I so enjoy on this site is a very important thing to nurture.

          I love our lil' trolls, the silly things they say, and the opportunity for creative humor. At the same time, this place gives them a place to display their pettiness, hatred, and greed for an audience outside their echo chamber. And us a place to shred their usually insipid rhetoric.

          My only concern is the continuing slide in quality and aptitude in the troops sent out to defeat us.

           

            2. They all come here with an agenda, now, not just to mix it up and share their ideas.  They go to their echo chambers for that (and us to ours by all indications).  Fladen is thoughtful, anyhow, and tries not to be overtly offensive, but his tortured attempts to (mis)apply technique and tactic when his twisting spirals of fallacy and fanciful footwork fumble and fail, get tiresome fast.  

              Troll on the otherhand, although now and then the program malfunctions or they send a ringer in with some intelligence that strings together something that appears to indicate thought, just posts whatever it can it thinks might stick no matter how offensive or stupid.  

                1. Well we're letting AC control the dialog. I'm as guilty of it as anyone.  I think that anybody who responds to an AC post ought to have to throw a quarter in a jar.  After election day, we'll use it to buy beer.

                  1. I'll put my two bits in, seems like a good cause. However, please don't take away our simple pleasures: Whack-A-Troll and Bait-A-Troll. I don't really care for the Whack-A-Troll competition, but I do love me some troll-baitin'.

                    With AC, the baiting part is easy – just talk smack about Ken Buck.  And there's so much material there….

              2. They all come here with an agenda, now, not just to mix it up and share their ideas.

                Maybe its cause the only ones tht can come here and argue the party line are the paid ones. We still hear from Craig and ajb and other conservatives…its just that we don't really disagree too much with them.

                People like LB, Barron, and others with whom we could disagree like countrymen..with mutual respect. Not todays' Free Market warriors…the gloves are off.

                Discourse is reduced to the lowest common denominator, the endless repitition of crafted messages designed to elicit a response and to plant an idea. Hence the arrival of trolls like the recent spate of objectionable human beings.

                It is, in my view, a sign of the times…it will evolve. When the Clown Car drivers have driven the GOP bus off a cliff, we may see a return of actual old time Republicans instead of the astroturf trained shock jock monkeys keeping us company now. I sort of see AC as a much dumber Howard Stern.

                1. astroturf trained shock jock monkeys

                  Duke — thanks for that brilliantly appropriate description of  shameless whores like AC and Moderatus.

                  I'll have to remind them of their true identities if I feel the urge to reply to their standard cut and paste GOTP bs.

                  Their party has been devouring it's own for the last couple of election cycles.  Just a couple more and the process will be complete.

          2. Sparring partners that block punches with their face? OK, I guess. My friend says to follow through with an elbow in case they duck..

             I like to learn what is shared here, & realize I'm a bit of a loose cannon most of the time. Free speech? I dont give a rats behind 'bout anything 'cept a populist revival for the common good

            1. I didn't think that thru. To limit posts here would be a burden to the site. & if I were doing it, I would devolve into a home owners assoc. board member wearing the wrong color of arm band. I was irked over ink – wasted in the response. No changing those "others"- wired diff from the factory, I guess I am also repulsed by  "tapping on the glass" to incite a reaction.Else where, I have seen member moderators do a decent job of keeping a forum running.

              Truthfully , I am more concerned about succumbing to the addictive lure of posting, not that any of you suffer from it

              Eli Stokel is on at 9:00 interviewing Coffman i believe, "the border" & L-R spinners

              .

        2. In my book, trolling is a bannable offense. There is no purpose for AC other than to plant right-wing talking points, links to peak politcs, and poison the discusion. There is no discussion with him, no give and take of ideas.

          The degree of negativity and bullshit from AC is unacceptable to me.

          Fladen is different, but I don't agree that he has anything of value to say. Austrian Economics, Libertarianism and Ayn Randism are ideological cults, a mirror of a Party-line Communist. The One True Capitalism always devolves to Kleptocracy or Aristocracy. Imagine someone constantly posting about how Enver Hoxhsa is the only true communist left.

          Would that be a banning offense, tiresome or just laughable?

          3. I vote for tiresome…and alternately hilarious. Incongruity is a basis for much humor in our body politic. Our trolls of late, though utterly and completely tasteless, provide that aplenty and are sometimes the source of many yuck, yucks from this keyboard.

    2. Tri-State Generation and Transmission and the Colorado Rural Electric Association held "training" sessions this past week for their members who will be speaking at the EPA hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday.  They want a clear and concise message – you know, things like "War on Coa!l", "War on Rural America!", "Our rates will double!!!  triple!!!"  "We serve some of the most economically challenged demographics in America!!!"   I, for one, can't wait to observe their dog and pony show (alongside Duke)

      1. Hey Michael,

        I look forward to the experience. I will be coming in to Denver Monday afternoon..we were talking about a meet up on another thread..I will look for that discussion.

          1. Thanks, Duke. We still haven't nailed down a time. I guess it will be when ya'll get through helping the legislature make some sausage, er, I mean laws. I don't drive, so my wife will be coming along.

            1. I won't be in Denver Tuesday for a meet-up – frownhave to go up on Thu for out of town family coming in, and an important meeting Weds, don't want to drive up and down twice in a week.

              So y'all figure out where and how to meet, and I'll be with you in spirit – saving up my troll-baiting quarters for sanity beer closer to the election.

              1. Rats! I was especially lookng forward to meeting you, MamaJ sad. We'll have to plan yet another meet-up after the election. So hang onto some of those quarters.

                 

                2. Yeah, I'm bummed, too. But I can't do everything I 'd like to do. My super-secret citizen media cub reporter gig doesn't pay my bills. I'm also trying to jump-start a campaign, also for free. 

                  I will be up in Denver on the 31 and 1st visiting family, Cook, if you and your wife would like to get together to visit. Other Polsters chime in if you'd like to meet up then.

  10. denverco, Let me see, there are other people who employ slave labor so it's OK?

    Interns should be paid the minimum wage.

    People who don't pay people who work for them the minimum wage are scum and should be called out for it.

    1. AC – it isn't slave labor to begin with – which just shows how ignorant you are. Why does gardner refuse to answer the question on paying interns? If it is so important to you don't you want to know if he is scum or not? I am calling you out on your hypocrisy. Of course you never give a solid answer.

      1. Interns = slaves.  Regulations on air pollution = war on coal.  Executive orders = unchecked dictatorial high crimes.  BenGhazi! Putin! Children terrorists turning themselves in at the border!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        Lindsey Graham has lit his hair on fire and is running around in circles.  

        Yes, its just another day in GOP land.  

    2. I happen to agree that interns should be paid.  Labor is valuable and should be paid for when it is provided.

      What I'm really excited about, though, is that Andrew Carnegie, in a reply to this posting will directly and unambiguously call Mike Coffman and Cory Gardner scum.  All of their internships, as shown on MIke's office website and Cory's, are unpaid.

      Fire away AC!

      2. Prog- not only should they be paid, they should be paid the minimum wage.  The only possible exception in my mind, and I personnally would not make it an exception, would be if it was part of a degree program.

        Kids who have little prospect for paid work in the field they would like to get into are being abused.  Can we get some bipartisan agreement on this one?

        1. Oh, you can get agreement from me, but I'm a socialist.  I agree with Lincoln that "labor is prior to, and independent of, capital."  No person should be asked to provide the most valuable economic resource without an expectation of compensating them for it.  Internships are a symptom of the devaluation of labor in favor of capital in the US that has led us to the loss of millions of great paying jobs, an increasing gap between rich and poor, and a phantom economy wherein the economic engine is seen to be the capitalists rather then the workers.

          2. Your confusing it with reason.  It was just tossing out more bullshit as bait.  It doesn't get embarrassed like normal folk in repeating the stupidest of things.  

          3. So well said.

            Even Lincoln could see the danger in the dominance of capital and wealth in its propensity for greediness. Eisenhower certainly did. Even our ol' buddy, Tricky Dick, could see that, I think. It wasn't until the last, doddering days of the Reagan regime that the stranglehold on the economy by Big Money was secure. Reagan crippled the unions and the decline began in earnest. The the disaster capitalists moved in for the kill.

  12. Ken Buck gets free campaign ad from the Pueblo Chieftain.

    In shocking news, my local newspaper gave an entire page to a Ken Buck "issues" page from his campaign website, in which he elucidates his foreign policy positions (no sanctions, just train and arm the Ukrainians), immigration (send all the kids back to the tender mercies of the gangs).  The Chieftain should now give equal time to Buck's opponent, Vic Meyers. If you agree, email Peter Roper proper@chieftain.com

    Excerpts from paywalled article below:

     “We can’t afford to open our doors to everyone.”

    … Buck does not support giving a path to citizenship for the 11 million or so undocumented people in the U.S. He said most of those people don’t want citizenship, just a way to legally work in the U.S.

    Like Gardner, Buck would repeal the federal health care law known as Obamacare. ……… I don’t agree the government should force me to buy insurance to cover the health problems of someone else’s lifestyle.”

    While Buck supports energy development, he was uncertain whether he would support extending the federal wind-power tax credit for Vestas and other wind-turbine makers.

    “That credit was supposed to help the industry get on its feet,” he said. “If wind power can survive on its own, then I don’t want to extend the tax credit. That’s just corporate welfare.”

    My comments:

    1. It's stunning that Mr. Buck claims the ability to read minds to know what immigrants want.  Perhaps he will share how he came by this knowledge. Was it when he attempted to deport a woman who was trapped by domestic violence?
    2. Exactly which "lifestyles" does Mr. Buck imagine that the PPACA supports? Chronic and critical diseases such as lupus, cancer, congestive heart failure? People afflicted with these diseases were effectively uninsurable, prior to the ACA, or costs were so high that it was unaffordable. 
    3. I am delighted to see that Mr. Buck is so passionately against corporate welfare – I look forward to his taking a principled stand that Colorado oil and gas corporations should  pay fair severance taxes and support Colorado schools, roads, and infrastructure. 

     

     

    1. MJ, the problem for the Chieftan is there is not a serious candidate in CD-4 except Buck.  If there was one, maybe they would get free ink.

      Vic Meyers is a clown of a candidate who has never held office and after a year of running unopposed had less than $2,000 cash on hand at the end of June.  He doesn't have funds to go back to DC for a fundraiser which nobody on the Dem side wants to waste their money attending.

      Why should the Chieftan pretend it is a race if the Dems fail to put forth a credible candidate?

      1. Chieftain never seemed to have a problem with whether a candidate was serious when it ran several articles on Richard Anglund, during the recalls. Anglund never even bothered to turn in any petition signatures after he forced Pueblo to forego mail ballots. How's that for serious? But Anglund got plenty ink.

        Vic Meyers has substantial grassroots support, though little money on hand, as you noted, and has been campaigning vigorously all over the state – not an easy task for someone who has a full time law enforcement job.

          Meyers wants to debate Ken Buck in a public venue, and has invited him courteously several times – the only problem is that Buck is afraid that Meyers may be smarter than he is.

        So the Buck campaign has stonewalled all debate requests.

        Is your candidate and BFF got the cojones to deal with a real, old-fashioned debate, or will he continue to hide in the shadows like a child?

         

        2. Meyers wants to do alot of things.  He just does not know how to do them.

          He wanted to be a state rep in 1996, 1998 and 2000.

          He didn't know how to do that.

          He wanted to be taken seriously by the state party.

          He didn't know how to do that.

          He wanted to be taken seriously by the national party.

          He didn't know how to do that.

          Now he complains on his facebook page that he sends in articles to be published in the local newspapers and they don't get published.

          He doesn't know how to do that either.

          If Ken Buck is hiding, he is hiding in plain sight.

          Last week he was at the conservative conference in Colorado Springs.  He was in the Denver Post getting his name out in a friendly manner.

          He knows how to do that.

          Vic Meyers doesn't.

            1. I have no idea when and where they may debate.

              How many debates have been occurring by the candidates in the other Congressional districts in July?

              I haven't heard of any either.

               

              1.  

                Classic Veal Marsala

                 

                 

                rating

                Prep Time: 15 Minutes

                Ready In: 35 Minutes

                Submitted By: NAN WAUGH

                Cook Time: 20 Minutes

                Servings: 4

                "I've spent extensive time eating my way through Italy. This recipe is modified from a restaurant in Bagnione, Italy. I've substituted a combination of low-salt beef and chicken broth in place of veal stock. Pork medallions, pounded out, are also commonly substituted."

                INGREDIENTS:

                2 tablespoons olive oil

                1 pound veal medallions

                1 cup all-purpose flour

                salt and pepper to taste

                1 large shallot, minced

                1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

                1 cup dry Marsala

                1 clove garlic, minced

                2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

                1 cup low-sodium beef broth

                2 tablespoons unsalted butter

                DIRECTIONS:

                1.

                Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).

                2.

                Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the veal medallions in flour, and season with salt and pepper. Cook in the heated skillet about 5 minutes, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Remove from the skillet, place in a baking dish covered with foil, and keep warm in the preheated oven until ready to serve.

                3.

                Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet over medium low heat, and saute the shallot and mushrooms, scraping up any browned bits, until shallots are tender. Increase heat to medium high, and stir in the Marsala and garlic. Cook and stir until thickened. Mix the chicken broth and beef broth into the skillet, and continue to cook and stir until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Remove from heat, and whisk in the butter until melted. Serve over the veal.

                ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2014 Allrecipes.com

                Printed from Allrecipes.com 7/26/2014

                    1. All the small scale animal farmers I know have to cull their animals. They don't keep them all around until adulthood.  Its the way of the farm.  Industrial veal, like industrial meat in general, is unethical IMO.  

                    2. you can raise them as steers, daft one.   I did as a kid and they paid my college tuition.

  13. For a total non-AC oriented change of pace, here's a fun item on that Florida CEO who told all of his employees that his company would fold and they'd be out of their jobs if Obama won. Hint; not exactly

    "The Queen of Versailles" was a film documentary based on the sleazy time-share mogul, David Siegel, and his wife, Jackie.  David had major financial troubles following Bush's 2008 economic crises.  He even had to stop work on his private home, dubbed "Versailles", which was to be the largest home in the U.S.  Poor guy.

    Naturally, Obama was to blame for this.  As you may recall during the peak of the presidential campaign, Mr. Siegel penned a letter threatening to fire all his employees and close down his Orlando-based company, Westgate, if Obama was elected. 

    Well Obama was elected and instead of having to fire all of his employees and move to the Caribbean here's what happened:

     

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/07/25/1316539/-That-FL-CEO-Who-Said-He-d-FIRE-Everyone-if-Obama-Elected-Guess-What-Happened?detail=email#

     

  14. Another fun item in case you haven't noticed that rightie economic theory has been proved wrong for decades but those darn little pin heads never lose hope that their wage slashing, government starving, trickle down theories will one day actually work as they promise. That day is not today. Again.

    How do you make the case that Sam Brownback has been good for Kansas?

    If you are Stephen Moore, the "chief economist" for the Heritage Foundation, you fake the data.

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/07/25/1316618/-Busted-Heritage-Foundation-economist-can-only-defend-Kansas-tax-cuts-by-fabricating-data?detail=email

     

    1. Great article!  Love the fact that 100 current and former officeholding Republicans are endorsing the Democratic candidate because of Brownback's all to typical failure of "Magical Thinking" economic policies.

      Also scrolled through the comments and discovered the bona fides of the "chief economist"  — he's as incompetent as our resident trolls when it comes to critical thinking and logic:

      what are his bona fides as a researcher?  

      Oh, he doesn't have any.  I love what Think Progress predicted about Moore when he took the job.

      Moore’s hiring cements the emerging case that the Heritage Foundation, far from being a traditional think tank, has become a Tea Party lobby with a big research budget.
      …
      My bold prediction: this will end in terrible embarrassment. Moore is much more conservative activist than journalist…

      He probably shouldn’t have quit his old day job: he’s got a terrible track record as economics pundit. Take this 2010 interview with conservative tabloid Newsmax: it reads like a laundry list of every wrong prediction made about the U.S. economy in the past 5 years.
      …
      His Wall Street Journal work is identical or worse. In one, Moore made an elementary math error — the equivalent of saying the total of ten percent of all dogs and one percent of all other animals is 11 percent of all animals ….

      Jonathan Chait, … concluded “that this is not just some oddball rhetorical game he’s playing.” Rather “he genuinely has no idea what he’s talking about.”

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