UPDATE #3: The full interview is now available on Fox 31's website.
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UPDATE #2: Watch Cory Gardner's complete refusal to back up dubious claims about his "cancelled" insurance policy:
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UPDATE: Watch the full devastating exchange between Eli Stokols and Cory Gardner on contraception and abortion rights:
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Rep. Cory Gardner, left, talking to Fox 31 reporter Eli Stokols.
In mid-October 2010, Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet and Republican challenger Ken Buck had a nationally-televised Sunday "debate" on "Meet the Press" — an appearance that proved disastrous for Buck's campaign.
Did history just repeat itself?
Republican Senate candidate Cory Gardner appeared Sunday morning on Fox 31's #COPolitics interview show with Eli Stokols, and while he wasn't quite as awful as Buck on that fateful day in 2010…Gardner was bad enough that he may have just mortally wounded his campaign. We'll update this post with a link to the interview as soon as the video is available online, but here's what everyone will be talking about this week (and beyond):
Gardner was asked repeatedly by Stokols to clarify his story surrounding his family's health care coverage (a story sparked by Gardner waving his family's insurance letter at a hearing in front of then-Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius) and refused to provide details even after several questions from Stokols. Gardner has faced questions before about his pre-Obamacare health care coverage, but in front of Stokols he squirmed, dodged, and tried to attack Sen. Mark Udall whenever he was asked for more information. Stokols noted that Fox 31 asked earlier this summer for copies of Gardner's pay-stubs to prove the Congressman's claims that he had no other health insurance other than his mystery $650-per month family health coverage; when pressed about why his office would not provide that information, Gardner went back to attacking Udall.
It would have been difficult for Gardner to have looked less believable in his responses. We'd guess there will be more than one reporter who starts taking a new look at Gardner's insurance claims after this debacle.
Gardner also dug himself deeper (who would have thought that possible?) on his flip-flopping on the Personhood issue. At one point in the interview, Gardner says, "There is no Federal Personhood bill. There is no Federal Personhood bill." Stokols eventually responds by asking Gardner if he really thinks he can make the issue go away by just saying "there is no Federal Personhood bill," to which a flustered Gardner has no response. Gardner later takes his Personhood lie even further by stating, "I do not support legislation that would ban birth control — that's crazy."
The entire interview is really a doozy. Stokols, to his credit, tries very hard to get clear answers to straightforward questions, while Gardner tries very hard to do anything other than answer those questions; to anyone watching, it is very clear what is happening. Clips of this interview will no doubt be looped repeatedly from now until November.
Corey Gardner is a lying liar.
its just that simple.
Sun September 28, 2014 at 9:55 AM MDT
Congressman Gardner is either a lying liar or a clueless fool. Either way he is unfit to hold office.
"There is no federal personhood bill."
"To provide that human life shall be deemed to begin with fertilization."
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr23
Not only are these not the droids you are looking for, there are no droids anywhere. Ever.
I miss Tim Russert. And Bill Monroe. And every journalist who ever held candidates and elected officials accountable for lies. We ware weaker as a nation without them and that style of journalism of unrelenting , even belligerent, commitment to accountability.
"If you like your current plan, you can keep it." President Obama
“We found the weapons of mass destruction [in Iraq]. We found biological laboratories.”
–President George W. Bush, May 29, 2003
“Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us.”
–Vice President Dick Cheney, August 26, 2002
“In spite of the wildly speculative and false stories of arms for hostages and alleged ransom payments, we did not, repeat, did not, trade weapons or anything else for hostages. Nor will we.”
–President Ronald Reagan, November 13, 1986. (And the final nail that caused me to forever regret voting for him, and that he or any similar candidate ever held, hold or will hold office: "A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that’s true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not.")
Congressman Gardner is either a lying liar or a clueless fool. Either way he is unfit to hold office.
We need a like button!
I think I'm going to be ill after watching that. What a smarmy little lying prick Cory Gardner is.
He truly is. Looks you right in the eye, and lies his oily, craven little head off.
No wonder Herr Rove and the Koch Bros love this little turd so much. He is the consummate sociopathic, pathological liar.
BTW, does anyone have a sense yet of how widely (or not) Denver and statewide media have picked up on and are replaying Con Man Cory's lies and failures made so apparent during his Stokels-interview debacle?
Wouldn't count on much press follow up unless you call and complain about bias,- what righties did for yrs at nat;l level. Today its Mittens, BWB, and Cory fest. Westword (email Michael ) he will cover it.
As distinguished from Senator Udall who is both a lying liar and a clueless fool.
con man cory lied and got caught and you can't defend his lies. So instead you attack Udall – typical right wing bagger cowardly troll. Don't you ever get tired of always being wrong and stupid?
Look over there/Johnny did it too. What else do you expect?
I can smell your angst and nervous perspiration from here.
Thank you, troll puke. You just made my Sunday.
You're goin' down.
That's not what Nate and Sam say. heh, heh, heh.
Suddenly he's a fan of Nate Silver.
Here's what Nate is saying as of today:
Wang also not saying it's all over for Dems. So, whatever you think they're saying or not saying, the one thing we know from their own words that they're not saying is that a Republican take-over is a foregone conclusion.
BC, It is 5 weeks out.
Nothing is over. Voting is just beginning.
An unanticipated event either way can change things.
Otherwise, if things keep on keeping on, the Dems lose.
For example, if some Jihadist nut cuts off someone's head in the US things could get even worse for the Dems.
Oops.
You mean the way Democrats in Colorado lost in 2010 when according to you mor republicans voted? oops . Or in 2012 – the predicted romney landslide? oops
Right…The only people making a connection between ISIS and the guy who went on a workplace rampage in Oklahoma are ignorant shitstains like you, who are desperate to use anyone's deaths to your own benefit.
You cowardly chickenhawks never change, do you?
Exactly.
"Only ones" including CNN. I've been sitting here watching Wolf "the Iraq War Stud" Blitzer hating on pretty much every topic related to Democrats for the past hour plus.
He started off with attempting to associate the OK beheading with ISIS, despite the man's own statements that it was a workplace thing…
You a loathsome, classless, amoral piece of filth.
It's gonna be a supreme pleasure to kick your political ass.
It isn't even a stretch to imagine him smiling (and hoping) while he types the words…
Well, you have to understand, it's getting tough for nasty old throwbacks like AC to get their jollies these days….
Domestic Violence Laws, Anti-Discrimination and Hate Crime Laws, and Restraining Orders can really put a crimp in a twisted old guy's extracurricular activites. Pestering Liberals on the internet is really all he has left.
Fear is all they have left to peddle. Well, that and a feudal system.
We'll see, troll puke.
You just keep counting those chickens, you smug, arrogant POS.
I know you are but what am I?
really? That's what you got?
I am not sure that's ever defeated any incmbent anywhere, but you keep helping your guys any way you want. Hey, btw, did you know Udall's cousin is also a Senator.
Relevant , how?
No freaking clue.
And untouchable in New Mexico. I've finally learned that when I see a nice fat two digit lead for Udall on the RCP, it's for cousin Tom.Tom's also more progressive. But then, he can afford to be since he's a shoe in.
Hey WIF, why don't you better serve your fellow man today by barfing up this phreedumb phries, stuff them in your underwear, trot on down to the local recruiting office and pretend you want to sign up as an NINS-ground fighter? They'll figure out in due time you're as crazy as a shit house rat and send you back to us. In the meantime you can pretend to be a tough merikun and we can get a reprieve from your mindless posts.
What a douchebag Cory is. Someone has does a good job coaching him on how to say absolutely nothing and how to hide his record. Will be so glad when he is gone from Colorado politics, but sadly once he loses this election they will bring him back in for some other seat down the road and hope that votes have forgotten.
…and between now and then his money masters on K Street will take very good care of him. They're all so predictable – continually railing against the very government they're robbing blind. BTW, our little watermelon farmer isn't (as he claimed after he lost his primary bid) just 'going back to Wray'. His house here is for sale and word is he's relocating to the Front Range. He isn't going to let a government gravy train pass him up.
Lobbyist? or "Think Tank" staff?
Mesa County Commissioner / Oil & Gas "advisor" ?
Commissioner? not enough money for either Brophy or Gardner. I'm guessing RMGO lobbyist for Brophy, O&G "connections guy" for Gardner.
I hear CMU is looking for another "Security Consultant"…..
County commissioner here makes northward of 80K
nice.
Meh. The head of the Chamber of Commerce makes over $133K.
It's all about who you know out here…..
If it was any kind of tank, it would be a 'thunk' tank.
Keep Cory out of, say, CSU? cushy job. Am I the only one who thought it ironic Cory was featured at Pinocchios restaurant yesterday?
Next "must see TV" might be the Ft Collins debate for Senate channel 20 Oct 15th check time & date
Only because the rest of us probably didn't know. That's priceless.
So on the one hand Gardner is a dissembling, lying, weasel; When he says that the three quarters of women who use a contraceptive other than the pills he wants made over the counter would still have insurance coverage for their choice if Obamacare were repealed. And make no mistake, long acting reversible contraceptives like IUDs and implants are the best methods for avoiding unplanned pregnancies and reducing abortion, and are the engine behind a forty percent reduction in teen pregnancy rates seen in Colorado. They're also the most expensive, and the no co-pay part of Obamacare is one of its best features. He's also lying when he says that the pill being prescription only has anything to do with the ACA, and that insurance companies will continue to pay for over the counter meds.
But consider the perverse psychology of "it's not a lie if the speaker truly believes it to be true." Con man Cory says "I'm not against birth control," but doesn't follow with "I'm against abortion." It's the "sincerely held religious belief" of Gardner and right wing Hobby Lobbyists that IUDs, via a hypothetical and unprovable hypothesis, cause abortions by preventing fertilized eggs (persons) from implanting in the uterus. Repealing Obamacare and making women pay out of pocket for these methods, or approving Amendment 67, will result in more real abortions (termination of pregnancy.)
And not so coincidentally, today the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed IUDs and implants as the preferred contraception methods to give to teens.
Cory won't back off on Life/Conception because he wants that for cred with those folk when he runs for president. They will forgive him backing out of state P'hood as long as he rides the other
He was introduced as a future President of the United States recently in Wray.
Well, of the Federated States of Dumphuckistan, perhaps.
You have to give Gardner props for agreeing to an interview as opposed to Lamborn who doesn't want anything to do with public access. That said, this is a nothingburger. Chuckie is going to make sure that on a sanitized and American Exceptionalism version is printed in his paper and the Gardner campaign can ignore any inconsistencies in their prima-donna's presentation. It does show what a shallow shit the little man is to not man up and show how wonderful his coverage was but you figure he is lying about what his real health insurance coverage.
He lost quality coverage, better quality than what he could get on the exchange for twice the price, that was costing him under $700 for the entire family? In what alternate universe, now? That's why he can't show it. It doesn't exist. He lied big time and everybody with more sense than a rock has got to know it.
Plus, as a Congressional office holder, he was entitled to some really sweet insurance for the whole fambly at rock-bottom prices. Congresscritters used to get 80% employer subsidies through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. (FEHB) It actually was never true that they got health insurance for free.
Then, when the Washington DC health exchange came online, congresscritters had to transfer their coverage to an exchange plan, which was also quite reasonable, and better coverage.
As I recall, Cory Gardener turned down both the FEHB program, and, of course, the Obamacare exchanges. i previously wrote a long comment about this with all the links in, but don't feel like trying to find it now.
I understand the family chose coverage through his wife when he certainly could have gotten the sweet congressional deal. Hard to believe it was both as good and as cheap as he claims. He certainly doesn't want us to see the terms and the price. And while the congressional coverage wasn't free, it was, as you point out, very highly subsidized. Odd choice unless one has some ulterior motive.
Stokols is on to something. Find the smokin' gun. My theory is that Gardner had federal insurance as a member of the House of Representatives and had a second supplemental policy. It is the second policy that got canceled, the $640 policy. Gardner is not telling the truth about his insurance coverage prior to the switch to the ACA.
Hold con man's feet to fire on this….lying about personhood is bad enough, but combined with his insurance claim??? Unbelievable and politics at its worst.
Possibly. He was very specific about what he was asking Gardner to disclose, from which I infer that he has some information about Gardner's Congressional insurance.
truth is never a talking point for the Con Man…truth in the gop/bagger cult is to be avoided at all costs…yet, I despair for our Nation, our Colorado, and our future if anyone of these lying corrupt republicans gain any office other than janitor…
Breathtakingly mendacious. Seriously, "there is no federal personhood bill?" What planet does he think he's on.
BTW, something I haven't seen noted is that the federal bill is much, much broader than Amendment 67. The federal bill would presumably apply for all federal purposes. Amendment 67, on the other hand, purports to only amend the Colorado Criminal Code and the Wrongful Death Act.