December 16, 2015 12:16 PM UTC

Get More Smarter on Wednesday (Dec. 16)

•  
• by: Colorado Pols

Weather forecasters in Colorado have either a very hard or very easy job, depending on if you care about accuracy. It’s time to Get More Smarter with Colorado Pols! If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example).

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► Republican presidential candidates came together for the final shitshow debate of 2015 in Las Vegas last night, severely overworking fact-checkers nationwide:

The vast complexities of a dangerous world were cast in too-simple terms in the latest Republican presidential debate.

In addition, Chris Christie pledged to make common cause with a Jordanian king who’s actually dead and debaters twisted aspects of immigration policy beyond recognition…

Yesterday’s debate was a mangled mass of false claims and fearmongering inuendo, such as Rand Paul’s absurd statement that “every terrorist attack we’ve had since 9/11 has been legal immigration.” For the 2,485,485th time, the San Bernardino shooter was a natural-born U.S. citizen.

And yes, Chris Christie, King Hussein of Jordan died 15 years ago.

► In other news, Colorado Reps. Doug Lamborn and Scott Tipton remained focused on the most pressing issue facing Americans today, which is of course the War on Christmas™:

Lamborn promoted the resolution in a statement issued Tuesday.

“Regrettably, there has been a troubling effort by some in America to ban any and all Christmas celebrations and traditions from the public arena. These attacks on Christmas clearly violate the rights of religious expression our Founding Fathers deliberately provided for us in the Constitution.”

If readers see any evidence of “attacks on Christmas,” please tell us in comments–right after reporting the incident to Rep. Lamborn! This is one war the terrorists aren’t going to win.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► Gov. John Hickenlooper was in northern Colorado yesterday selling the state’s brand-new Water Plan–and hopes legislators will get on board to make it reality.

► ICYMI, that “bipartisan” redistricting plan is going over like a lead balloon as the Colorado Statesman’s John Tomasic reports:

“I can’t drive Initiative 55! That’s my phrase for this,” [Rep. Joe Salazar] said, referencing the hard-charging 1980s Sammy Hagar hit “I Can’t Drive 55.”

“They should have talked to people. I’m vice chair of the House State Affairs Committee. We consider election bills, and I’ve seen enough of them to have an opinion, but we were kept totally in the dark until four weeks ago, when the language of the initiative was already submitted. When James (Mejia) called me to tell me about (the initiative), I felt like I was just a box he had to check off.”

Ouch.

► George Leing, who unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Jared Polis in 2014, has been selected to represent Colorado at the Republican National Committee.

► Embattled far-right Elbert County commish Robert Rowland, infamous for wasting tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars unsuccessfully fighting off a thousand dollar fine, has announced he won’t run for re-election.

► Too much of a good thing? Denver City Council puts a 120-day moratorium on new pot businesses.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► State Rep. Angela Williams is looking to Arizona for guidance on police hiring standards, for which Arizona is actually a model instead of a nightmare.

► Idaho Springs residents on I-70 construction: please make it stop.

ICYMI

► Latino activists fight back against “cynical” Republican “outreach efforts.”

Get More Smarter by liking Colorado Pols on Facebook!