December 12, 2016 10:47 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Monday (December 12)

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• by: Colorado Pols

Compared to the last week or so, it’s darn near balmy outside. 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…

► The big news that broke late Friday and continued over the weekend is all about the Russians and the growing consensus that they actively worked to help Donald Trump get elected President of the United States. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) broke his general silence about the Russian hacking allegations to promise a full investigation. From the Washington Post:

“The Russians are not our friends,” McConnell told reporters at a scheduled year-end news conference.

McConnell’s announcement came a day after a group of senators called for a thorough, bipartisan investigation of Russian interference. Some have endorsed the idea of a special select committee to lead an investigation, but McConnell stopped short of endorsing that, saying that any congressional probe would follow “regular order” through the current committee structure.

“This simply cannot be a partisan issue,” McConnell said, before adding that the Intelligence Committee “is more than capable of conducting a complete review of this matter.”

Noted blowhards such as former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton — who is a prime candidate to be chosen as Deputy Secretary of State — are trying to dampen the news of Russia’s involvement by sowing silly conspiracy theories. It may be too late for this kind of head-fake, however; a bipartisan group of Senators — including Arizona Republican John McCain and South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham — are clearly taking the allegations of Russian interference seriously.

► Concerns about Russian interference in the 2016 elections should pose a political problem for Senator Cory Gardner (R-Yuma), who for months has talked plenty tough about cracking down on America’s old Cold War enemy. Gardner has been mum on the issue of Russian interference since Republican Donald Trump won the Presidential election; a former outspoken critic of Trump, Gardner is trying his best to dance his way into the good graces of the President-elect.

► President-elect Donald Trump appears to be leaning toward selecting ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to serve as Secretary of State. If Trump does indeed tap Tillerson, he could face a difficult time winning confirmation from the Senate; Republicans such as John McCain and Marco Rubio have not been shy about expressing their disapproval of Tillerson as the country’s top diplomat.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► State Rep. Tim Leonard (R-Evergreen) is in the midst of a 14-day jail sentence for contempt of court charges related to a 2013 divorce. Leonard is the first sitting legislator in Colorado to serve jail time in at least 40 years. Ernest Luning has more for the Colorado Statesman about Leonard’s potential plan to propose legislation to “clarify” the statute that put him in the clink.

► Donald Trump’s Twitter Account, which may or may not be making autonomous decisions about the fate of the free world, blasted NBC News on Sunday night for doing journalism stuff.

► As Brian Eason reports for the Denver Post, Donald Trump’s vision for the Environmental Protection Agency could cause big problems in Colorado:

Under President Barack Obama, the direction set by the Environmental Protection Agency was clear, albeit disputed: States were expected to take aggressive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

But under President-elect Donald Trump? The decision on how to combat climate change — or not — may increasingly be left to the states, putting Colorado and its energy sector at the center of the national debate over environmental regulations.

State lawmakers on both sides are already gearing up for a fight.

In the Senate, majority Republicans announced the creation of a Select Committee on Energy and the Environment. Across the aisle, Senate Democrats will for the first time have a deputy minority leader for conservation, clean energy and climate change.

► As President-elect Donald Trump continues to fill positions in his administration, Colorado politicos continue to float their names for one thing or another. According to Peter Marcus of the Colorado Springs Gazette, former Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler is a potential candidate to become Colorado’s next U.S. Attorney. Whatever happens here, history shows that it will likely be at least a year before Colorado officially gets a new U.S. Attorney.

► Another study shows that ending Obamacare would be disastrous for nearly 30 million Americans — including more than a half-million Colorado residents.

► As the Colorado Independent explains, today is the court date for an electoral college challenge being pushed in Colorado:

On Monday, two members of Colorado’s Electoral College will face a federal judge in Denver for their first hearing in a lawsuit against the state. They are suing for the ability to cast their votes on Dec. 19 for someone other than Hillary Clinton, who won Colorado.

The electors, former State Sen. Polly Baca of Denver and Colorado Springs math teacher Bob Nemanich, are both Democrats. But they hope they can persuade enough of the 538 Electoral College members to rally behind an alternative to Trump. Just one hitch: Colorado — along with more than half the states in the U.S. — has a law on its books saying electors must vote for whomever won the popular vote in the state on Election Day.

The lawsuit in Colorado is the first of its kind challenging the constitutionality of state laws that bind electors. The hearing is at 3 p.m. Monday in U.S. District Court in Denver. Judge Wiley Daniel, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1995, will hear the case.

► Senator Cory Gardner (R-Yuma) doesn’t have much to say about President-elect Donald Trump or growing concerns about Russian interference in the 2016 elections…but he does have time to speak out about federal regulators rejecting a natural gas pipeline proposal known as Jordan Cove.

► It’s official: Colorado’s 2016 election results have been certified by the Secretary of State’s office.

► Colorado legislators from both parties agree on the need to address transportation infrastructure issues, though they differ on how to make it work financially. Republicans are still waiting for the magical pavement fairy to fix our roads.

► Broomfield residents aren’t happy about a proposal to create 100 oil and gas drilling sites near a populated neighborhood. 

► The Presidential campaign of Donald Trump paid more than $11 million to Trump-related businesses in 2015-16.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► The Colorado Water Conservation Board is looking for $25 million to combat issues of drought and decreasing water supplies.

► Retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid says FBI Director James Comey deserves the credit/blame for the election of Donald Trump.

ICYMI

► The Denver Broncos may need to win their final three games — all against difficult opponents — if they hope to qualify for the playoffs after a 13-10 loss in Tennessee on Sunday.

Don’t forget to check out The Get More Smarter Show. You can also Get More Smarter by liking Colorado Pols on Facebook!