Jason Salzman - Colorado Pols

Arapahoe County GOP Removes Candidate from Ballot for Not Being a Republican

by: Jason Salzman April 3, 2020 at 12:06 PM MDT

Arapahoe County Republicans booted a state House candidate from the ballot after discovering he was not registered as a Republican, which disqualifies him from running for office as a Republican under Colorado law.

The candidate, Steve Monahan, announced his run for the House District 3 seat back in February, and it took about a month for Arapahoe County Republicans to discover that Monahan was registered as an Unaffiliated voter and to remove his name from the ballot prior to assembly, which began Saturday, according to a source.

The decision left Bill Klocek as the only candidate for assembly delegates to choose from on the ballot, and he got 100% of the 56 votes tallied, according to results distributed by Arapahoe County Republicans.

A call to Monahan, a pilot, seeking to know if he thought he was treated fairly by the Arapahoe County Republicans was not returned.

Klocek did not immediately return a call from the Colorado Times Recorder.

Frolich was appointed to the House District 3 seat by fellow Democrats after Jeff Bridges resigned to fill a state Senate vacancy. Bridges beat Republican Toren Mushovik in 2018 by 23 percentage points.

House District 3 covers parts Cherry Hills Village, Englewood, and Greenwood Village. It’s currently represented by Democrat Meg Froelich.

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Gardner Delivered ‘Historic Unemployment,’ says GOP Ad

by: Jason Salzman April 2, 2020 at 2:11 PM MDT

(D’oh! — Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Most politicians like to boast that they deliver jobs.

But if you believe an advertisement this week, the Colorado Republican Party thinks people will vote for U.S. Cory Gardner (R-CO) if they’re convinced he delivered “historic unemployment.”

The Colorado Republican Party did not return an email asking if the ad was supposed to state that Gardner delivered “historically low unemployment,” a claim that would be further from the truth but is closer to Gardner’s normal talking points, say progressive labor leaders.

The ad, which appeared in Colorado Politics, a weekly online and print publication, reads, “CORY GARDNER DELIVERED MORE AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE, HISTORIC UNEMPLOYMENT, PUBLIC LAND PROTECTION.”

Jared Wright, Publisher of Colorado Politics, said in an email to the Colorado Times Recorder that his publication was not responsible for the text of the advertisement.

“Wow – that sure is a typo,” Wright emailed after being alerted to the apparent error. “It was delivered to us by the advertiser that way. We did not perform the design. That said, I will let them know to send a new file. Thanks for catching that.”

Asked to comment on the GOP ad, Dennis Dougherty, director of the Colorado AFL-CIO, said, “Cory Gardner did deliver working Coloradans something: historically low pay.” The AFL-CIO gave Gardner a zero rating on key votes in 2018 in support of working families.

In fact, 44 percent of American workers barely earn enough to live on, according to a January Brookings report.

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GOP State House Candidate Faces Possible Disqualification

by: Jason Salzman April 2, 2020 at 7:16 AM MDT

(Oops – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

A Republican race for an Arapahoe County legislative seat could be headed toward turmoil, as one of the two candidates is registered as an Unaffiliated voter, potentially disqualifying him from running for office as a Republican under Colorado law.

Steve Monahan and Bill Klocek are facing off for the state House District 3 seat, which covers swaths of Cherry Hills Village, Englewood, and Greenwood Village. It’s currently represented by Democrat Meg Froelich.

It’s Monahan who’s officially an Unaffiliated voter, according to records obtained from the Colorado Secretary of State’s website, which also contains information about rules that prohibit a candidate from running for office with a party without being a member of that party. Colorado law states that a candidate must be registered with the party they are running with by the first business day in January of the election year.

Lack of appropriate party registration isn’t the only element of Monahan’s candidacy filing that appears to be out of order. Each candidate must submit a signed affidavit that lists contact information, including a physical and addresses. Monahan lists a Greenwood Village UPS Store post office box for both sections.

The results of the Arapahoe County Republican Party’s assembly, which was conducted online, are not available on the party’s website. An email to the party chair asking for the results, was not returned Wednesday.

If Monahan loses the assembly vote, then his registration as an Unaffiliated voter is irrelevant.

(more…)

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“Let’s Take Some Risk Here,” says Michael “Heck’ve a Job” Brownie about Virus

by: Jason Salzman April 1, 2020 at 9:20 AM MDT

(Yes, really – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

President Bush talks as FEMA director Mike Brown, right, looks on, during a briefing on damage from Hurricane Katrina in Mobile, Ala., Friday, Sept. 2, 2005

Michael Brown, best known for being told by President George W. Bush that he was doing a “heck’ve a job” during the Katrina disaster, sits behind a radio microphone during the pandemic, fearful for the country, not because of the death toll, but because he thinks politicians are over-reacting.

“I think the cure is worse than the disease, and so I fear for the country,” said Brown on his KOA 850-AM radio show in Denver last week.

“Let’s take some risk here,” said Brown on air, apparently unconcerned that his listeners might laugh at the irony that the guy who led the disastrous federal response to Hurricane Katrina would advocate risk-taking during a national emergency.

Brown was forced to resign as FEMA director in 2005, as the death toll from Katrina mounted. Before the scope of the disaster unfolded, President George W. Bush infamously told “Brownie” he was doing a “Heck’ve a job,” and the nickname stuck.

On Thursday’s show, Brown declared that Americans understand that they have to “keep six feet away from each other,” use “knuckles to push elevator buttons,” and to not “pick your nose.”

“The vulnerable population, those with chronic underlying problems, suppressed immune systems, whatever it might be,” concluded Brown, “so let’s isolate and take care of them.”

For Brown, who’s been active in Colorado’s Republican community after leaving Washington, the larger issue is about stopping progressives.

(more…)

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Republicans Staged “Drive-Thru” Convention Saturday

by: Jason Salzman March 27, 2020 at 11:05 AM MDT

(For pity’s sake – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

UPDATE: The event occurred Saturday and was likely legal because it was related to an election, even if it could have been avoided.

—–

El Paso County, Colo, Republicans are apparently moving ahead with a “drive-thru” county convention Saturday, involving some 1,500 GOP voters, many elderly.

The delegates will drive to a Colorado Springs parking lot, where volunteers will verify their names in a computer and hand them a paper ballot.

Then the Republicans will fill out their paper ballots, ratifying already-elected delegates for the state convention, a larger gathering to be held later. They will then return the ballots to the same volunteers in the parking lot.

While this drive-through process avoids the usual congregation of 1,500 people in a room, it’s still dangerous and could be avoided, say other El Paso Republicans.

They worry that Republican delegates, who will come from all over the Colorado Springs area, will carpool to the site together, possibly infecting one another with COVID-19. The carpooling issue is particularly likely given the advanced age of many delegates, say critics.

Passing around hundreds of potentially virus-carrying ballots also makes no sense, say critics, who argue that entire process could be easily avoided with a virtual election, as was already conducted in Colorado Springs Senate District 10 and House District 16–and is currently underway in House District 15, 19, and Commissioner District 2, using email addresses to credential voters.

They also argue that the drive-through election is pointless because it involves nothing that’s contested; it’s a process to ratify delegates for the state assembly, where voting will take place.

El Paso Republicans believe their “Drive-Thru” assembly is allowed under a law signed March 20, giving them flexibility in conducting such political conventions. The law allows for conducting assemblies remotely but does not require this, saying, “a party may amend its bylaws as necessary in 2020 to provide for remote access to and participation in party assemblies and conventions.”

The El Paso Republican Party, which is a private group, apparently does not believe Polis’ subsequent stay-at-home order makes this event illegal.

Activities related to elections are considered essential and allowed under the stay-at-home order.

El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder’s office did not immediately return a call seeking to know if he’d stop the drive-through event in light of Polis’ order. The El Paso County sheriff’s website states, “Our goal is to minimize public exposure to the virus, while carrying out our mission to protect public safety in El Paso County.”

This week, El Paso Republicans distributed a document, titled “YOU are the life of the Party,” announcing that the event might be cancelled due to the stay-at-home order.

But El Paso County Republican leader, Vicki Tonkins, wrote that she hoped it would be held.

“As Republicans, we do not do well when our God given rights are infringed upon,” wrote Tonkins.

“My hope is that we will be able to continue with our plans,” wrote Tonkins. “This is essential to ‘Keep America Great.'”

With respect to Gov. Jared Polis’ (D-CO) stay-at-home order, Tonkins told fellow Republicans she will decide whether to abide it, and she said she will not tell anyone what they should do.

Tonkins did not return an email seeking to know if the event was canceled, if she was concerned about safety, what safety measures were being taken, and why/if she thought it was a legal gathering.

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The Top Arguments Colo Conservatives Are Using to Oppose Gov’t Efforts to Fight Coronavirus

by: Jason Salzman March 26, 2020 at 4:15 PM MDT

(None of them are GOOD arguments — promoted by Colorado Pols)

Here’s a summary of how conservatives are justifying their opposition to government efforts to save people from getting sick or dying form COVID-19.

Get the Government Out of the Way

“As a conservative, I know governments don’t solve problems. They typically create more. A free people operating with individual liberty is best to solve problems,” former Colorado State Sen. Tim Neville, a Republican, opined yesterday, in an opinion piece that concludes with the line, “Get Out of Our Way and Let Us Get Back to Work.”

Stop Socialism

Some conservatives would rather take their chances with coronavirus than socialism, which they see in government aid and assistance to fight the virus. “I understand that nobody wants to catch Coronavirus but statistically, even if you catch it you’re likely to be just fine,” said Weld County, Colorado, Sheriff Steve Reams on Facebook. “What I’m concerned with is our Country catching a huge case of socialism.”

My Expert Says Not to Worry!

Notorious right-wing talk radio host Peter Boyles said Monday he wasn’t worried about taking his grandchild, whom Boyles is helping home school, to a playground where “bazillions of kids” are “touching the slides” because he had a doctor on his show who told him the sun will kill the virus. [There’s no evidence for this.]

Say No to Overreach

“It doesn’t have to come from a government mandate,” said Kevin Lundberg, a former Colorado state senator who suggested the health orders were “overreach.”

Let Individuals Decide

“Personally, just speaking for myself, there’s probably any number of restaurants that I would go into,” said Colorado State Rep. Liston of Colorado Springs. “I would be very cognizant of my surroundings, to make sure everything is swabbed down, not just with a dirty dish towel.”

Fight the Stealth Government Takeover

Being told to stay home or not go to restaurants is a step government should not take. “It is an action taken by the worldview that the state should control individual behavior,” state Rep. Mark Baisley of Colorado Springs told the Denver Chanel. “Let’s remember who we are as Americans and defeat this virus as Americans — not as ignorant subjects in need of an overlord.”

The Dems Are Really Out to Get Trump!

This one has faded as Trump himself acknowledged the danger of coronavirus—even as the president says we have to open everything up in two weeks.

Give Me Liberty or Give me Coronavirus

This is emerging as a prime objection, as stay-at-home orders spread across the country. “Over and over again what we are seeing is an overreaction to a very serious situation, and that overreaction is now causing some serious civil liberties issues,” said Colorado Congressman Ken Buck. “We are telling people they can’t go to church. We are telling people they can’t hold political rallies. We are telling people that, as the result of a disease that is not targeting younger populations, they can’t go to school. [COVID-19 is found in young people.] We are in the midst of a panic that is creating irrational responses,” the congressman told The Denver Post. He describes himself as “not a good example of someone who avoids social contact,” and has in recent days continued to shake hands with constituents.

Let Old People Die

You find some people in the conservative underworld floating the idea that it’s not worth it to save the lives of people with short life expectancies, at the expense of the economy and business. “It’s the Pansy-demic,” said Chuck Bonniwell, the conservative publisher of a suburban newspaper in Denver. … “The people who it’s killing are costing society huge amounts of money… Their death is not hurting the economy, it’s enabling the economy. But we are never allowed to discuss those things.”

The “Cure” Is Worse than the “Problem.”

“WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF.” —President Donald Trump.

The president’s comment, more than anything else, seems to have given fellow Republicans the strength to speak up about what they see as misguided anti-coronavirus measures—and now potential and current coronavirus victims may suddenly feel as if they are under widespread attack, either directly or indirectly, like so many other vulnerable people in Trump’s America.

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Neville: Lawmakers Will Fight ‘Outlandish’ Stay-At-Home Order

by: Jason Salzman March 25, 2020 at 2:42 PM MDT

Describing the metro area’s stay-at-home order as “outlandish and outrageous,” leading to a “gestapo-like mentality,” Colorado’s Republican House leader vowed Wednesday to fight it, ignore it, and continue doing his job.

“It’s completely insane,” said Colorado House Republican leader Patrick Neville of Castle Rock this morning on KNUS’ Peter Boyles show, referring to the stay-at-home order, as first reported on 9News. “I think we have — what? — something like 40 people, maybe it’s 80 people, somewhere in that range, who have actually been hospitalized [due to coronavirus]. I mean, look, there is a real shortage on things like [protection equipment], the masks and stuff like that for hospital workers, because global supply chains have been disrupted, a real shortage on ventilators and things like that. Those are kind of the real issues we need to be facing.”

The Tri-County Health Department explained its reasoning in the stay-at-home order:

“Although a large portion of the individuals who contract COVID-19 do not become seriously ill, persons with mild symptoms and asymptomatic persons with COVID-19 may place other vulnerable members of the public at significant risk,” states the order. “A large surge in the number of persons with serious infections can compromise the ability of the healthcare system to deliver consistent and necessary healthcare to the public. Colorado is experiencing a rapid increase COVID-19 transmission, and it is threatening the health of residents and threatening to overwhelm the healthcare system in Colorado, including within TCHD’s district [which includes Neville’s district].”

Neville did not return a call seeking to find out if he disagrees with the order’s assessment of COVID-19 in Colorado and, if so, on what basis he disagrees.

Neville said he and other state lawmakers representing Douglas County would be leaning on county commissioners to terminate the county’s agreement with the Tri-County Health Department, which issued the stay-at-home order for Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas counties.

This morning, Neville and other Republican lawmakers, one of whom is quarantined after testing positive for the virus, sent a letter to Douglas County commissioners urging them to cut ties with TCHD, as first reported by Denver’s 7.

The letter calls the stay-at-home order “heavy-handed.”

“We’ll push back,” said Neville on air. “I mean, at least I think all of us in the Douglas County delegation, we’re going to be looking to our commissioners to terminate the contract with Tri-County. I don’t think un-elected bureaucrats [at the Tri-County Health Department] should be making this decision. I think Castle Rock probably has the authority through home rule, which is constitutional authority rather than a statutory authority, to push back on this as well. So, that’s what I’m working on, because people just lost their minds. This order is outlandish and outrageous. It’s going to cause even more harm, because now it’s going to cause a run on all the stores.”

Neville pointed to one alleged member of the Tri-County Health Department board as an example of why the board was ill-equipped to make the stay-home decision.

“I mean, to give an example, I think one of them is a maintenance worker for some building and doesn’t even know what a mill levy or bond is,” said Neville. “So, he’s not, like, a super professional doctor or anything.”

It was not clear whom Neville was referring to, as the board’s members are health professionals.

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Agency Criticized by GOP Leader for Delaying Gun Purchases Says It’s Keeping Staff Safe

by: Jason Salzman March 24, 2020 at 11:46 AM MDT

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

House Minority Leader Patrick Neville (R-Castle Rock).

In response to Colorado House Republican Leader Patrick Neville’s concern about an “unacceptable” two-day delay in issuing background checks required for new gun purchases, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which conducts the background checks, says it’s “balancing our statutory responsibilities with the need to keep our employees safe.”

“Gun purchases are at unprecedented levels, and although we’ve taken all the steps we can to keep up (see previous news release), demand is outstripping our ability to complete the background checks in the 5-8 minutes to which [firearms dealers] and gun buyers have become accustomed,” stated the Colorado Bureau of Investigation in a statement to the Colorado Times Recorder. “Like any prudent business, we staff for normal anticipated demand, and the current load is far beyond ‘normal.’ Right now we’re balancing our statutory responsibilities with the need to keep our employees safe.”

Neville, a Castle Rock Representative, issued a statement last week calling on Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to do “whatever necessary to shorten the lines and expedite the process for a quick checkout.”

“These drawn-out wait times are unacceptable,” wrote Neville.

Neville did not return a call this morning seeking to know if he was satisfied with the CBI’s explanation for the background-check delays as being due to safety precautions and high volume.

In a news release yesterday, the CBI said that it’s faced an “historic volume of request for background checks,” up 227% last week from the same week last year. The agency received 25,468 requests for background checks last week, versus 7,773 during the same week last year, leaving a waiting list of 12,442.

This has resulted in a waiting time of four calendar days, up from two days earlier this month, the agency said.

The agency said licensed gun retailers can release firearms if background checks aren’t completed within three business days, per federal regulations, but the CBI “strongly encourages firearms dealers to hold firearms until background checks are completed.”

“The CBI has implemented changes to address this unprecedented volume of background checks, from expanding internal InstaCheck hours to cross-training specialized staff members to assist in the process; however, these efforts must be balanced with protecting the health and safety of employees and reducing the potential for community spread related to COVID-19,” stated the CBI news release.

(more…)

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Neville: Two-Day Delay in Issuing Gun Permits ‘Unacceptable’

by: Jason Salzman March 23, 2020 at 12:07 PM MDT

(Seriously? – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Delays in issuing gun permits, which are required for all firearm purchases in Colorado, have increased as fears of coronavirus have escalated, prompting Colo Republican House leader Patrick Neville to call the “drawn-out wait times” for gun permits “unacceptable.”

The permitting process recently required about two days, and 5,000 people Coloradans were waiting in line as of March 17.

“While I warned constituents we could see longer than normal wait times to do COVID-19, I also urged [the state of Colorado] to prepare for this well in advance,” wrote Neville in his statement, which was distributed by Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, a hard-line pro-gun group.

“However, these drawn out wait times are unacceptable,” wrote Neville, who represents the Castle Rock area. “Today, I am calling on the governor and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to do whatever necessary to shorten the lines and expedite the process for a quick checkout.”

It usually takes about 10 minutes to obtain Colorado gun permits, which are issued by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Gun sales in Colorado have spiked nationally and in Colorado in recent weeks.

Neville didn’t return a call asking why he thought a two-day delay in gun permitting was “unacceptable,” given all the other issues faced by the state at this time–and whether he’d received a response from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

The Denver Post reported that from March 10 -17, the number of gun permits requests had doubled from last year, from about 14,600 to about 7,400.

Neville’s has expressed concern for the economy during the coronavirus outbreak as well, tweeting Thursday, “If we can NOT weaken the dollar, that would be great,” in response to news that Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was considering checks of $1,200 for Americans.

Over the weekend, Neville also participated in a drive to collect personal protective equipment for distribution in Colorado.

The effort was initiated by Democratic House leader Alec Garnett of Denver and Neville.

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The “Pansy-demic:” Chuck Bonniwell Wants the Elderly to Die to Save the Economy

by: Jason Salzman March 20, 2020 at 5:24 PM MDT

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

You may remember Denver talk radio host Chuck Bonniwell, who got fired for joking that a “nice school shooting” was needed to break up the boredom of the impeachment hearings.

He’s got a new podcast now, called the Chuck and Julie Show, and Wednesday he accused Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) of destroying the state’s economy so that nobody will accuse Polis of “killing old people” who might get the coronavirus.

Given Bonniwell’s own admission that lots of his radio utterances are “going to be controversial,” you could easily decide it’s best just to ignore him.

But thoughts like Bonniwell’s seem to be spreading, if not spiking.

So I’ve quoted the pair extensively here and asked an expert to take valuable time to address what they’ve said.

Co-host Julie Hayden appears to share Bonniwell’s views.

“It sounds so callous, and you’re not supposed to say it out loud, but we are talking about the at-risk people, which include us, who don’t have that long a life-expectancy anyway,” said Julie Hayden, who is a former Fox 31 TV reporter, on their show Wednesday. “So we are destroying lives, we’re destroying an economy. We’re destroying people’s dreams.”

“It’s the pansy-demic,” said Bonniwell, who’s the publisher of the Cherry Creek/Glendale Chronicle.

Bonniwell went further, saying potential coronavirus victims are already “costing society huge amounts of money.”

“The people who it’s killing are costing society huge amounts of money,” continued Bonniwell. “They are medically, in many cases, indigent, and they have very serious diseases, respiratory, diabetes, and everything else. So they are probably, net, and you don’t like to talk about lives as net, they are takers from the economy, on Medicare and whatever else. “Their death is not hurting the economy, it’s enabling the economy. But we are never allowed to discuss those things. Our problem is that all the politicians in Washington, with a few exceptions, are in their 70s.”

Dr. Matthew Wynia, a Professor of Medicine and Public Health and the Director of the Center for Bioethics and Humanities, at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus, graciously agreed to respond to Bonniwell’s and Hayden’s thoughts.

“These are disturbing quotes, but my hunch is they reflect fears and prejudices that are not as rare as we might like,” said Wynia. “The most disturbing of these quotes are the ones that suggest some people are dead weight in society – eerily reminiscent of the ‘useless eaters’ argument the Nazi’s used to justify killing disabled people,” wrote Wynia in his emailed response. “I really don’t think our communities want to go there.” “The idea that ‘only’ elderly and disabled people will be affected is wrong, since if our health care system gets completely overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, that will affect anyone who needs medical care, whether for a skiing injury or car crash, heart attack, etc.,” continued Wynia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released preliminary figures Wednesday showing that about a third of U.S. coronavirus infections occurred in people 20-44 years old. A White House official expressed concern about the rising number of European young people getting “very seriously ill.” And health care workers have been sickened and killed across the globe.

Hayden and Bonniwell, whose show is popular among Republican activists in Colorado, spent most of their time Wednesday on the question of whether the economic upheaval was worth it to save lives.

(more…)

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Obamacare Is Even More Important Now for People With Pre-Existing Conditions, Say Advocates

by: Jason Salzman March 19, 2020 at 4:11 PM MDT

(Good thing Republicans are still trying to dismantle Obamacare! — Promoted by Colorado Pols)

At a news conference today to mark the tenth anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act, health care advocates pointed out that without Obamacare, about 2.4 million Coloradans, who have pre-existing conditions, would not be guaranteed access to health insurance.

The ACA requires insurance company to offer health insurance plans to people with pre-existing conditions.

That’s important today, say advocates, because the coronavirus is particularly dangerous to people with underlying conditions–people who did not have had guaranteed access to health insurance before the passage of the national health care law ten years ago.

“For ten years, the ACA has ensured that Coloradans, including the 2.4 million who live with a pre-existing condition, have access to quality, affordable health care,” said Olga Robak with Protect Our Care Colorado. “People across Colorado depend on the ACA, and now more than ever, as the United States grapples with the spread of the coronavirus, we must all work to protect our health care against partisan attacks.”

“It has really set us up to be able to deal with this pandemic that all of us in medicine knew was coming at some point,” said State Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a doctor from Thornton. “Unfortunately, we weren’t completely ready for it, but we would have been in a much tougher spot if the ACA would have never been implemented.”

Robak repeated her organization’s call for Republicans, including Trump and Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), to drop their efforts to eliminate the ACA. One such effort is a lawsuit brought by GOP state attorneys general that is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, with a decision expected later this year.

“If the ACA is struck down, it will only deepen the fallout of health crises like the current pandemic and any that follow,” said Adam Fox, Director of Strategic Engagement at Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, who joined today’s news conference. “Rural hospitals that operate on thin margins would face closure. Millions of Americans across the country would lose health coverage as it is eliminated, becomes entirely unaffordable, or they lose consumer protections they need. 1-in-5 Coloradans already delay or avoid care because of costs. The risks of the lawsuit that threatens the ACA have always been extreme, but the coronavirus lays bare how important it is to sustain the law, and the frightening consequences if it is struck down.”

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Conservatives Say Restaurants Should Stay Open in Violation of Polis’ Order to Close

by: Jason Salzman March 19, 2020 at 1:45 PM MDT

(Darwinism in action – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

“I will go to any restaurant that stays open. You will have my business.”

“At this point, I have not been given anything official. So we will be open for business.”

“Many people will visit your restaurant!”

Those comments, which appeared on the private Facebook page for alumnae of Leadership Program of the Rockies (LPR), came in response to the following question, posed by a member of the group:

“For a restaurant business owner, what would legally happen if they chose to practice civil disobedience and stay open when the government demanded they close? Asking for a friend.”

Leadership Program of the Rockies is a training institute for conservatives that’s seen many of Colorado’s leading Republicans pass through its doors since it opened in 1989. Its board includes former Republican power broker Alex Cranberg, CU Regent Heidi Ganahl, U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer, and former Colorado state Treasurer Mark Hillman. Graduates of the program in former state lawmaker Ted Harvey, former state Sen. Nancy Spence, state Rep. Mark Baisley, former GOP Senate Presidents Bill Cadman and Kevin Grantham, former Colorado Treasurer Mark Hillman, former Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams, and many GOP state lawmakers.

One LPR graduate, Elliot Fladen, posted the comments about the restaurant ban from LPR’s alumnae Facebook page on his own Facebook page in an effort, Fladen says, to get LPR leaders and others to #DoyourpartCO, speak up, and help educate those who say they would thwart efforts to contain the disease.

“Now normally I wouldn’t share this from a private alumni page or at least blot out the people’s names,” wrote Fladen on his personal Facebook page when he posted the LPR comments. “But these people are actively advocating initiating force by thwarting Governor Jared Polis’ lawfully issued executive orders and thereby putting lives in jeopardy by turning themselves into disease vectors. This is the sort of behavior that needs be discouraged in the most expeditious way possible. So if you know these people, talk some sense into them.”

Fladen, who also wrote that LPR teaches “empty sloganeering,” was subsequently banned from the page, he says, but he has no regrets.

“We need to encourage others to respect the measures that are in place to protect us,” he told the Colorado Times Recorder, saying the issue goes beyond LPR alumnae to anyone who sees these kinds of remarks on social media or anywhere.

(more…)

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Obamacare Could Save Lives in Colorado During Coronavirus Crisis, Say Health Experts

by: Jason Salzman March 13, 2020 at 9:56 AM MDT

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

If you’re seriously ill with the coronavirus and don’t seek treatment because you lack health insurance, you’re more likely to get even sicker or die.

That’s why Obamacare, which is credited for lowering Colorado’s uninsured rate from about 16% to 7% over the past ten years, could save lives in Colorado during the current health crisis, say health experts.

“We know that people who lack insurance are much less likely to go to the doctor, even when they are sick,” said Joe Hanel, a spokesman for the Colorado Health Institute, in a statement. “The 2019 Colorado Health Access Survey shows that 52% of uninsured Coloradans skipped care they needed because of the cost, compared to 16% of people with job-based insurance and 13% of people on Medicare.”

Without Obamacare, said Sue Birch, who helped oversee the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Colorado, “hundreds of thousands of uninsured Coloradans might not seek care and might be very vulnerable to becoming sick or even dying.”

She’s referring to the 400,000 people in Colorado who gained health insurance here, mostly due to Obamacare’s expansion of Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for low-income people.

Beyond potentially saving lives, Obamacare, more broadly, leaves Colorado better equipped to fight the coronavirus and maintain a strong health care system at the same time, say experts.

(more…)

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Why Aren’t Leftists “Hysterical About Defecating on the Street?” And Other Views on Coronavirus from Colo Right-Wing Radio

by: Jason Salzman March 11, 2020 at 3:13 PM MDT

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

If you want facts about coronavirus, you can visit the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But if you want to believe the threat of coronavirus is a hyperbolic creation of Democrats and the news media, tune to some of Colorado’s leading right-wing talk radio shows.

On KNUS’ flagship program, Peter Boyles said Colorado Gov. Jared Polis called a state of emergency “because every Democrat mayor and governor and his mother are lock step in this.”

“You don’t think they’re not playing this on Trump, do you?” asked Boyles on air. “Does anyone else besides me see this? Of course it is.” “I’m not saying people aren’t going to get sick. But I mean there’s a list of things,” said Boyles, listing Y2K, the end of the Mayan calendar, Ebola, the Doomsday Predictions of Nostradamus, Mad Cow, Y2K, SARS, HSN1, and H1N1. “…I mean, think of everything you’ve survived already.”

“It’s created. If you watch the local news geeks, they lower their voices,” said Boyles. “They get in what I call, you know, the dead cop voice.”

On Saturday, KNUS guest host Karen Kataline, subbing for Randy Corporon, blamed the “left” for creating hysteria.

“While the left and other people are creating such hysteria in an election year, about yet another virus, they don’t seem to be hysterical about defecating on the street, or Typhus in California, or the dangers they seem to ignore,” said Kataline, prior to introducing a guest who said on air, “Get yourself healthy so you don’t get a virus” by taking vitamins A, B, C, D, and Zinc and losing weight.

“It is also a distraction,” said Kataline, who said she wants level-headed concern. “If you can be all distracted about the coronavirus, then maybe you won’t notice, for example, that Joe Biden is one of the most corrupt politicians ever to run for president, and that’s saying something!”

On KVOR in Colorado Springs, longtime host Richard Randall said the coronavirus isn’t as “bad as the flu or just a cold.” He said the situation helps the Democrats because Trump can “no longer have his rallies” and Biden won’t have to debate the president.

Listen to Boyles here.

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Dems Work to Keep Preventive Health Care Free in Colorado Even If Obamacare Is Killed

by: Jason Salzman March 10, 2020 at 2:25 PM MDT

(Ten years of Obamacare, and not a single Grandma unplugged – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

With Obamacare again on the chopping block this year at U.S. Supreme Court, it’s possible that the national health care law’s mandate that insurance companies offer free preventive care (e.g., annual checkups, vaccinations) will disappear, leaving it up to states to decide whether health insurance companies should be required to offer this type of care at no charge.

Democrats in Colorado have decided to try to protect Obamacare’s mandate, proposing a law ensuring that, if the national health care law is killed or repealed, preventive health services will still be offered at no charge under all health insurance plans sold here.

“The goal of this legislation is to codify those preventive services in state law, so that folks can continue to access them without any cost, co-pays or deductibles,” said state Sen. Dominick Moreno (D-Commerce City), a sponsor of the bill.

Though the bill was in the works well before the coronavirus outbreak, the health crisis caused by the virus underscores the need for preventive medicine, which is a key part of Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to Moreno.

“As we see now with the effects of coronavirus, people being in good health from the outset is super important and actually also saves the health care system a lot of money,” said Moreno. “So focusing on preventive measures and preventive medicine, I think, is a good thing for people’s health and ultimately, in the long run, will save the state money.”

In a video released today by Protect Our Care, an advocacy group that supports the ACA, Obama called on Americans to protect the national health care law in the face of Republican efforts to repeal it and the upcoming Supreme Court case, which was triggered by a GOP lawsuit.

“Republicans will keep trying both in Congress and in the courts to rip away the care that millions of Americans rely on and to raise costs for millions more,” says Obama in the video, which was released in advance of the 10-year anniversary of the ACA. “So even as we celebrate, we commit ourselves to protecting the progress we’ve made until we finish the job for good with quality affordable coverage for every single American.”

Obama emphasized that the ACA has saved lives.

“These are important health services that many Coloradans use on a regular basis,” said Adam Fox, director of strategic engagement at the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. “And ensuring that people have access to them without additional cost is important.”

“Especially with the uncertainty of the ACA going to the Supreme Court again this fall, all the more reason we should make sure these services are protected,” said Fox.

Under the bill, called Protecting Preventive Health Care Coverage, some preventive services would be required in Colorado that go beyond what’s mandated by the ACA. These include: osteoporosis screening, urinary incontinence screening, and screening and treatment of a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Democratic sponsors in the state House are Daneya Esgar of Pueblo and Kyle Mullica of Northglenn. The state Senate sponsors are Moreno and Brittany Pettersen of Lakewood.

Republicans in Colorado have introduced multiple bills attacking Obamacare. A 2017 bill sponsored by Patrick Neville, Colorado’s Republican House Minority Leader, aimed to eliminate Colorado’s ACA health insurance exchange, but it died. A Democratic bill expressing support for Obamacare was killed by Republicans in a state senate committee in 2017.

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Colo Right-Wing Media Outlets Sponsor Each Other

by: Jason Salzman March 9, 2020 at 4:52 PM MDT

Colorado Citizen Press, an anonymous ultra-conservative blog, is sponsoring the Chuck and Julie Show, a right-wing podcast with hosts Chuck Bonniwell and Julie Hayden, who burst into the national media late last year after Bonniwell joked on KNUS radio that a “nice school shooting” was needed to break up the “never-ending” impeachment hearings.

The pair’s radio show was immediately canceled, and they started a “Chuck and Julie Show” podcast to replace it.

Chuck and Julie are in turn advertising on Citizen Press, where they bill themselves a “Colorado’s Top-Rated Conservative Podcast.”

Here’s the announcement of the sponsorship:

CO-HOST BONNIWELL, PUBLISHER OF THE CHERRY CREEK CHRONICLE: Chuck and Julie Show, Truth Straight Up. We’re going to have a great show, we’ve got some great guests, and we’re just going to let it rip! CO-HOST JULIE HAYDEN: That’s right! And who knows what I’m drinking in this glass, right? [holding up her coffee mug from the hosts’ kitchen, where the show is conducted] BONNIWELL: Yeah! That’s right, that’s right. HAYDEN: And we want to let folks know, this show is sponsored — we are so thrilled to have them as a sponsor — by ColoradoCitizenPress.com, Colorado’s conservative voice. You know, every morning before I get up and every night before I go to bed there are a few websites that I check. I kind of just do a round robin, and won’t you agree, Colorado Citizen Press is one I check every day. They have so much stuff there that you will never see anywhere else that you need to see. BONNIWELL: They are fantastic! They really are fantastic. And whatever else you check, you have got to check out Colorado Citizen Press, if you are conservative or Republican or you’re just somebody who’s interested in — HAYDEN: –who cares about your life in Colorado BONNIWELL: Yeah! Yeah, Colorado Citizen Press is just wonderful.

In the past, Bonniwell has been critical of the conservative blog, PeakPolitics, while praising the liberal blog ColoradoPols.

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As Coronavirus Spreads, Advocates Ask Cory Gardner to End His Crusade to Kill Obamacare

by: Jason Salzman March 9, 2020 at 8:44 AM MDT

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Sen. Cory Gardner (R).

As coronavirus infections rise, supporters of Obamacare in Colorado are calling on politicians, like Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), to stop trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), pointing out that the current health care crisis highlights the benefits of the national health care law, like the fact that 400,000 people in Colorado have health insurance thanks to Obamacare.

Prior to the implementation of the ACA in Colorado, about 16 percent of residents lacked health insurance, a figure that’s dropped to about six percent today.

The threat of the coronavirus “underscores the need for everyone to have access to affordable health care and how we need to protect the systems that provide that — such as the ACA,” said Vanessa Harmoush, a spokesperson for Rocky Mountain Values, a progressive advocacy group, in a statement.

“Coloradans with ACA-compliant insurance will not be charged exorbitant fees for being tested for coronavirus, thanks to the ACA’s requirement that insurers cover preventative care,” said Harmoush.

Now is the time for Gardner to stop calling for the repeal of Obamacare and, instead, to help more people gain insurance under the ACA so they can receive preventative care and other treatment,” said Polly Baca, also with Rocky Mountain Values in a news release.

“We need Senator Gardner, who has voted seven times in his career to repeal our health care, to pledge to stop attacking the Affordable Care Act, especially during a national crisis like this,” said Baca.

An interactive tool released last week by the liberal group, Center for American Progress, shows the health benefits that would be lost in Colorado, if Obamacare were repealed.

The importance of these benefits in Colorado is even more clear in the midst of the current health care crisis, say advocates, who point to polls showing a high level of concern about the crisis and dissatisfaction with Trump’s response.

Gardner did not return a call seeking to know if he has new thoughts on Obamacare, in view of the potential pandemic, and on health care more broadly in light of the coronavirus, but opponents of the ACA have said the law has failed to contain health-insurance costs, requires too much government involvement, and can be replaced with a better program.

But Republicans were not only unable to repeal Obamacare in 2017 when they had the power in Washington to do so, but they have yet to put forward a plan that would contain costs better than Obamacare has, as well offer the ACA’s benefits such as requiring insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions, offer preventative care for free, and more.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review a decision by a lower court that ruled in favor of Republican plaintiffs who alleged that the ACA is unconstitutional. That decision is on hold pending the Supreme Court decision. Gardner appears to back the lawsuit.

In interviews, Gardner has expressed concern about coronavirus and defended the Administration, but he hasn’t objected in recent years to budget cuts to the agency charged with preventing coronavirus-like outbreaks.

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Denver GOP Leader Decries Anti-LGBTQ Content on Facebook But Not at the Capitol

by: Jason Salzman March 6, 2020 at 3:43 PM MST

The leader of Denver’s Republican Party, Kristina Cook, told fellow Republicans this week that if they “need to be vulgar, to disparage your fellow man simply because he loves another man (or she loves another woman) — either keep it to yourself or leave the party.”

Cook issued the statement after Democrat Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the presidential race, triggering the “most intolerant, idiotic, and insensitive references to homosexuality that I think I’ve ever witnessed. Disgusting memes, disgusting comments [on Facebook] — all in reference to his sexuality,” according to Cook.

I was glad to see that Cook’s comments were greeted with praise on the Denver GOP Facebook page.

Of course, I was hoping Cook would also call out President Trump for one or all of his vulgar, disparaging comments.

I mean the single most depressing phenomenon in the Trump era is that Republicans don’t condemn the president when he deserves it and they know it, which is often.

But keeping the discussion here in Colorado on disparaging LGBTQ people, Cook should also look over at the state Legislature.

There, Republican House leader Patrick Neville of Castle Rock and fellow Republicans are pushing a bill, among other anti-LGBTQ legislation, that subjects health-care providers to felony charges for providing gender-affirming care for transgender youth–an approach that’s opposed by mainstream medical groups.

Another bill, promoted by Rep. Stephen Humphrey (R-Severance), would define marriage as between a man and a woman and allow adoptions only by heterosexuals.

In an email, I complimented Cook for standing up for LGBTQ people, but also asked about the ongoing disparagement at the Capitol.

“That post was not about policy – it was about being respectful in our discourse,” Cook responded. “If you would like comments about Rep. Humphrey’s bill or Rep. Neville’s bill, I suggest you reach out to them. I’m sure they’d be happy to discuss their reasons for introducing such bills. “I don’t view my position as being involved in policy. Instead, my focus is on creating community in Denver County through our work with the Denver County GOP. I believe we can help contribute to, among other things, a culture where we don’t use derogatory language towards one another, nor (for example) support the idea of spreading the Coronavirus to those we disagree with politically. If we can create that culture, one where we treat each other respectfully, maybe then we can have sane discussions about policy.”

“But,” I asked Cook, “would you agree that at some point policy positions or legislation can also ‘disparage’ LGBTQ people? And these policy positions should be denounced as unacceptable, just as you denounced the anti-LGBTQ memes on Facebook?”

“I stay in my wheelhouse, which in this case includes public discourse,” responded Cook. “Policy belongs to the policy-makers. I have cc’d Rep. Humphrey and Rep. Neville on this thread, so that they can answer your questions about their proposed legislation.”

All I got from Humphrey and Neville was silence.

And Cook’s admirable LGBTQ comment notwithstanding, silence is what you expect from Republicans who know better these days.

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In Election Year Shift, Cory Gardner Calls Himself a “National Leader” on Climate Change

by: Jason Salzman March 5, 2020 at 9:32 AM MST

(Cue laugh track – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

When Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner first ran for Senate in 2014, the phrase “climate change,” “global warming,” or other words describing the destruction of the Earth’s atmosphere, didn’t appear on his campaign website, except in a linked news release slamming his opponent for supporting Obama’s “Overreach on Climate.”

Gardner

But now, with pollsters saying Gardner can’t win November’s election without support from swing voters who want action on the climate crisis, Gardner has unveiled a new campaign website that claims he’s a “national leader” on “climate change policies that achieve results.”

“For more than a decade, Cory has been a national leader advocating for commonsense energy and climate change policies that achieve results,” states Gardner’s new campaign website. “…Cory rejects the false choice between addressing climate change and economic growth. Instead, his bipartisan approach aims to reduce emissions, combat climate change, and grow the economy,” states Gardner’s new website in the section titled, “Colorado’s Senator, Colorado’s Priorities.”

Gardner’s self-description as a “national leader” on climate change policies is leaving environmentalists in disbelief.

“Actions speak a whole lot louder than words, and Cory Gardner’s record shows he has done far more to harm the environment and contribute to climate change than help,” said Pete Maysmith, Senior Vice President of Campaigns for the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund, in a statement. “Unfortunately for Cory Gardner, no campaign website update can make up for years of climate denial and siding with big corporate polluters,” said Maysmith.

In fact, it’s hard to find evidence that Gardner is a “national leader” on climate change, as his new campaign website claims.

And Gardner’s office did not return a call seeking to know why he thinks he’s a national leader on the issue–and what “commonsense” climate change policies he’s put forward.

Over his career, Gardner has said in multiple interviews that the climate is warming but that the human contribution to the problem is hyped in the news media.

Gardner voted five times to stop the EPA from regulating the major climate-change pollutant.

(more…)

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“Democrats Are Anti-Christian,” Says Colorado Republican Lawmaker

by: Jason Salzman March 2, 2020 at 8:30 AM MST

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Rep. Dave Williams (R).

A Colorado Springs Republican lawmaker is standing behind his radio comment that his House Democratic colleagues are “anti-Christian,” saying they attack “family values.”

State Rep. Dave Williams (R-CO Springs) made the comment on conservative KNUS radio Feb. 15 during a discussion about a legislative hearing.

Williams, who’s the El Paso County Republican Party’s official liaison to the Trump Campaign, said, during a hearing on bills that were voted down by Democrats, he’d sat through “13 hours of the radical left, you know, talking about how good people of faith are terrible people.”

“I mean, what they engage in is, they’re anti-Christian,” Williams told KNUS’ Randy Corporon. “At the end of the day, Democrats are anti-Christian and, you know, they want to try and besmirch good people of faith like Jack Phillips [who refused to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple], and that was their whole goal that day that we heard those bills.”

Williams was referring narrowly to Democrats in the Colorado House of Representatives, not everyone who is part of the Democratic Party.

“I stand by the statement,” Williams told the Colorado Times Recorder when asked about the comment on Friday. “I was referencing the House Democrats, who I believe are radical. They were trying to spin the narrative that day about Jack Phillips and Christian families.”

“Those Democrats, the House Democrats, are anti-Christian, and they want to attack family values,” he said.

State Rep. Leslie Herod (D-Denver) said Williams should help create a “inclusive and just” society, instead of calling people anti-Christian.

“I’d say to my Republican colleagues, Rep. Williams included, that honesty is a virtue,” Herod told the Colorado Times Recorder in a statement. “It would be better for all of us if they would simply be honest about these bills and their rhetoric. There are LGBTQ Coloradans who are good people too, who are people of faith, and who simply want to live, work, and exist in a state free from discrimination. The truth is that some, but not all, of my Republican colleagues would rather resort to demagoguery–calling people ‘anti-Christian’ and proposing questionable pieces of legislation– instead of joining the rest of us in creating a society that is inclusive and just.”

Williams is unabashed conservative, known for speaking out on social issues (e.g., opposing civil unions) and immigration (e.g., proposing lawmakers representing sanctuary cities be liable for crimes committed by undocumented immigrants).

Williams is seen as a leader of the Republicans’ legislative efforts to loosen vaccination rules in Colorado.

Listen to Williams on KNUS’ Randy Corporon Show here.

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Crank Is Thrilled that Gardner Isn’t a Susan Collins-Type Republican

by: Jason Salzman February 26, 2020 at 12:02 PM MST

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Yesterday, Colorado’s Cory Gardner, who’s one of the most vulnerable senators in November’s election, voted for two anti-abortion bills.

Susan Collins of Maine, who’s equally vulnerable, voted for one of the anti-abortion bills–and against the other one.

On impeachment, you saw the same pattern. Collins made the appearance of doing the splits, voting to hear more witnesses and to aquit Trump.

Gardner voted with Trump both times on impeachment.

The recent votes by Gardner and Collins follow a familiar pattern, with Gardner being a reliable Trump voter and Collins less so. (Gardner votes with Trump about 89% of the time; Collins 67%.)

Gardner and Collins voted in opposite sides on repealing Obamacare, confirming anti-choice judges, gutting Obamacare, and nixing Trump’s emergency declaration.

Colorado conservatives, like KVOR radio host Jeff Crank, are thrilled with Gardner–and glad he’s not a Susan Collins-type Republican.

Crank celebrated Gardner on air last week for not being a Susan Collins or Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

If Gardner were like Collins, “I would vote for him, but I wouldn’t be as enthusiastic about him,” said Crank, who’s a former GOP congressional candidate and executive for Americans for Prosperity, a Koch group.

Would he work as hard for a candidate like Collins?

“I wouldn’t be as enthusiastic about it, but I would work hard, because I wouldn’t want to lose that seat,” he answered pointing to Collins’ votes for the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the tax bill.

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Cory Gardner Again Votes for Partial Abortion Ban

by: Jason Salzman February 25, 2020 at 3:15 PM MST

(“No threat to abortion rights” – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Sen. Cory Gardner (R).

Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner voted today for two anti-choice bills, one to partially ban the procedure, the other requiring doctors to save the life of a baby born alive after an abortion. Both bills failed to pass in the U.S. Senate.

The partial ban, called the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” prohibits abortion after 20 weeks and carries an exception for rape victims.

But such rape survivors would be required to get counseling prior to having an abortion. Only 1.2% of abortions occur after 20 weeks, and the ability of a fetus to feel pain has not been proven scientifically.

Gardner voted for a similar bill last year.

The second bill is called the “Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act” and would address a rare situation when a baby would be expected to die anyway.

“Senator Gardner can try to trick Coloradans into thinking he isn’t a threat to our reproductive freedom, but his record tells the truth: Gardner supports uncompromising measures that would put politicians in charge of personal health care decisions and potentially criminalize doctors,” said Democratic Party Chair Morgan Carroll in a statement. “These votes are just the latest in a string of Gardner’s attacks on our reproductive freedom, which include confirming anti-choice judges who threaten to overturn Roe v. Wade.”

Proponents of the bills, which would levy penalties, including jail time, on doctors, say the U.S. must use the force of law to stop abortion.

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has said the partial abortion ban would “bring our nation’s regard for the unborn off this sad and radical fringe and bring it more in line with the global mainstream.”

Gardner’s office did not return a call for comment, but the Republican has long voted to restrict abortion rights and to defund Planned Parenthood.

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Lamborn: ‘Gullible’ Minorities Believe Democrats’ Lies about Voter Suppression

by: Jason Salzman February 25, 2020 at 1:36 PM MST

(“Tar Baby” Doug strikes again! – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) thinks “gullible” minorities believe lies about voter suppression from Democrats.

Lamborn made the comments Thursday on a conservative talk-radio show in Colorado Springs.

“The Democrats lie when they say, ‘Oh, this is to suppress votes,’ or ‘This is to hurt minorities.’ It’s just a lie,” Lamborn told KVOR host Richard Randall. “They want to stir up minorities who are gullible and believe that garbage.”

Randall had told Lamborn, who represents the Colorado Springs area, that Judicial Watch, a conservative advocacy group, has threatened to sue county clerks in Colorado if they didn’t “clean up voter rolls.”

Then Randall asked Lamborn if he was “concerned about voter fraud here in Colorado, but especially states like California and others.”

“Well, I am,” replied Lamborn. “And I think it’s legitimate for Republicans or anyone for that matter to make sure that county clerks and secretaries of state clean up their acts and really have transparent and accountable records, paper trails, and all of the above have cyber security.”

Experts told the Colorado Times Recorder that Lamborn is wrong in multiple ways.

(more…)

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Proud Boys ‘Hate Group’ Joins Thousands at Trump Rally in Colo Springs

by: Jason Salzman February 20, 2020 at 10:08 PM MST

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Great night at the Trump rally! pic.twitter.com/aH7XECZfm6
— Louie Huey (@reallouiehuey) February 21, 2020

UPDATE: Inside the auditorium where Trump spoke, a member of the Proud Boys was photographed making a white nationalist hand signal. Most excellent photo by Erik Maulbetsch of the Colorado Times Recorder.

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In Advance of Trump Rally, Alleged Orchestrator of Trump’s Racist Rally Tactics Teaches CO Workshop

by: Jason Salzman February 18, 2020 at 4:22 PM MST

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

President Trump comes to Colorado Thursday for a rally along with Colorado GOP Sen. Cory Gardner. Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is in Aurora for a “Keep America Great” rally tomorrow.

And, in late-breaking news, John Pence, Vice President Mike Pence’s nephew, will be in Pueblo tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to conduct a “Trump Leadership Initiative Training” at Pueblo Community College’s Fortino Ballroom A, according to the Pueblo County Republican Party.

John Pence is best known as the political operative who orchestrates Trump’s political rallies, seen as both as hate-filled and wildly successful.

Pence is “particularly responsible” for having “orchestrated and manufactured” campaign tactics to “stoke fear in this country,” said former White House aide and Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigault in a July interview on MSNBC.

Omarosa said Pence got Donald Trump to say, go back to countries “from which they came.”

Marla Reichert, Chair of the Pueblo County Republican Party, didn’t immediately return a call seeking to know if Pence is involved in Trump’s rally Thursday, and if so, whether Pence will be deploying those kinds of tactics there–or if he’ll be teaching them tonight in Pueblo.

The Trump campaign information shared on Facebook does specify that although homemade signs are not permitted, the Trump campaign will distribute its own signs to audience members once they are inside the arena.

Pence, who’s the son of Rep. Greg Pence (R-IN), gave a Trump Leadership Initiative workshop in December at the Independence Institute, a free market activist group in Denver led by Jon Caldara, who was fired from his position as Denver Post columnist last month.

To sign up for Pence’s training, visit the Pueblo County Trump Victory Facebook group.

Prior to Thursday’s rally in Colorado Springs, Trump is holding a fundraiser where it will cost a couple $25,000 for a photo with the president. The ticket price is $2,800.

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Author Archives: Jason Salzman

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In Advance of Trump Rally, Alleged Orchestrator of Trump’s Racist Rally Tactics Teaches CO Workshop

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