August 16, 2016 10:32 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Tuesday (August 16)

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• by: Colorado Pols

Did you remember to celebrate the anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal on Monday? 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). If you are more of a visual learner, check out The Get More Smarter Show.

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has asked former Interior Secretary and longtime Colorado politico Ken Salazar to lead her White House transition team. From the Denver Post:

As head of a lineup that includes former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and former National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Salazar will be in charge of meeting with Obama administration officials and preparing for a smooth handoff between presidents.

The role has become more official in recent years; transition staff will meet regularly with White House officials and use workspace provided by the General Services Administration.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was tapped by Donald Trump in May for a similar assignment. “Once Hillary Clinton makes history by being elected as the nation’s first woman President, we want to have a turnkey operation in place so she can hit the ground running right away,” Salazar said in a statement released Tuesday by the Clinton campaign.

By leading Clinton’s transition team, Salazar is in prime position to nab a key role in a potential Clinton Administration. This is a significant development for Colorado, as well, as Salazar has long been rumored to be preparing a bid for Governor in 2018. If Salazar were to land a top job in the Clinton Administration, it would likely preclude him from running for Governor.

► Republicans are adopting a strange new strategy when it comes to Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump. New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte rolled out the newest talking point on Monday, saying that she will be voting for Trump for President, but vows to “stand up to him” if elected.

► It may not qualify as the first rule of politics in Colorado, but it should definitely be in the Top 5: Never use pictures of non-Colorado mountain ranges in literature or video campaign advertisements.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► This probably won’t come as a yuge surprise to anyone, but Donald Trump is having trouble articulating his foreign policy views without contradicting…Donald Trump. As “The Fix” explains:

Lots and lots of what Trump said yesterday about his foreign policy views stands in direct contrast to what he has said about those same topics in the past. From Iraq to Libya and back, Trump is adopting positions that are 180 degrees from what he said a few years ago…

…The simple fact is that Trump’s views on Iraq as well as on a number of other foreign policy issues are at odds with what his positions were just a few years ago. That he says they aren’t is, well, wrong.

Trump’s tendency to rewrite history in ways that are favorable to him and to re-work — to be kind — his policy stances to fit the moment are two pillars of his campaign to date.  He knew better than all the professional politicians about everything  — and said so at the time! The facts, however, don’t bear that revisionism out.

Producers from NBC’s “Morning Joe” broke down Trump’s back-and-forth foreign policy claims in a nifty little video:

Trump’s take on foreign affairs: Then… and now. https://t.co/MM8I9W4Erk

— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) August 16, 2016

► Elsewhere, conservative policy experts are growing increasingly concerned about Trump’s apparent lack of knowledge on…well, public policy in general. From the Washington Post:

“God help us,” George Shultz said yesterday when asked about the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency.

Ronald Reagan’s secretary of state has compiled a 226-page “Blueprint for America,” with contributions from 10 scholars at the Hoover Institution—the conservative-leaning think tank where he is a distinguished fellow. The book is intended to provide the next president with advice about how to ensure America’s long-term greatness, including sections on the importance of an open immigration system, free trade and entitlement reform.

But it is a little awkward because the GOP nominee is running against each of those three concepts. He also seems uninterested in the finer points of policy-making.

► Trump’s Colorado campaign continues to add staff. Better late than never, we suppose.

► Your General Election ballot will likely be overflowing with statewide and local ballot measures…except in Aurora. The Aurora City Council decided not to move forward with placing a question about red-light traffic cameras on the fall ballot, which means that no Aurora-centric measures will be included in November.

► A question about end-of-life options in Colorado will be on the statewide ballot. Initiative #145 asks voters to allow terminally ill patients in Colorado to consult with physicians for “Medical Aid in Dying.”

► Another day, another new poll showing a huge lead for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. A new poll from the Washington Post shows Clinton with a 15-point lead in the key swing state of Virginia.

► To caucus, or not to caucus. That is still a question among Republicans — particularly those who attended the annual Red State Gathering last weekend.

► Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane has been found guilty on all charges related to a perjury and obstruction case. Kane, a Democrat, says she will appeal the verdict as calls for her resignation begin to grow.

► Brandon Rittiman of 9News tries to follow the weed tax money.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► Conservative talk radio in Colorado often contains plenty of absurd rhetoric, but it doesn’t often get this absurd: Dan Maurer of 560 AM says he would prefer KKK leader David Duke as President instead of Democrat Hillary Clinton. Duke isn’t running for President — though he is an official candidate for U.S. Senate in Louisiana.

ICYMI

► Crested Butte native Emma Coburn became the first American woman to win a medal in the steeplechase event on Monday. Coburn captured the Bronze medal in the 3,000 meter race.

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