(D) J. Hickenlooper*
(D) Julie Gonzales
(R) Janak Joshi
80%
40%
20%
(D) Jena Griswold
(D) M. Dougherty
(D) Hetal Doshi
50%
40%↓
30%
(D) Jeff Bridges
(D) Brianna Titone
(R) Kevin Grantham
50%↑
40%↓
30%
(D) Diana DeGette*
(D) Wanda James
(D) Milat Kiros
80%
20%
10%↓
(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
(R) Jeff Hurd*
(D) Alex Kelloff
(R) H. Scheppelman
60%↓
40%↓
30%↑
(R) Lauren Boebert*
(D) E. Laubacher
(D) Trisha Calvarese
90%
30%↑
20%
(R) Jeff Crank*
(D) Jessica Killin
55%↓
45%↑
(D) Jason Crow*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
(D) B. Pettersen*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
(R) Gabe Evans*
(D) Shannon Bird
(D) Manny Rutinel
45%↓
30%
30%
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
CNN reports, the Todd Akin classy is back in the form of U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia: Representatives from both political parties on Tuesday slammed U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss after he said that hormones may be partly responsible for sexual assaults in the military. His controversial comments came during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on […]
That is, unless you live in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Sentinel's Paul Shockley reports on the final disposition in the domestic violence case against newly sworn-in City Councilor Rick Brainard: Grand Junction City Councilor Rick Brainard pleaded guilty Friday after a thwarted bid to end his domestic-violence case with something less than a guilty plea. Brainard, […]
THURSDAY UPDATE: Who the hell is running Sanford's campaign? As the Huffington Post reports, yesterday Sanford held a sidewalk debate with a cardboard cutout of Nancy Pelosi. Yes, we just wrote that sentence. Congressional candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) held a mock debate with a cardboard cutout of House Minority Leader […]
We saw this on Wednesday and thought it would make for a nice chuckle to the end of the week. Missouri Republican State Sen. Brian Nieves thought it would be a good idea to get into a childish, name-calling e-mail exchange with a constituent who wanted to unsubscribe from his e-mail list. The constituent was […]
As the Grand Junction Sentinel's Paul Shockley reports, there's trouble brewing in the wake of the recent Grand Junction city council elections. Councilman-elect Rick Brainard was arrested last weekend on suspicion of domestic violence against his girlfriend. Brainard is vowing to take office despite admission of pretty nasty behavior, and opposition to his taking office […]
Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell, an oft-mentioned potential candidate for President in 2016, has been busy dealing with some pretty damning questions relating to a supporter and Virginia's moronic campaign finance laws. From the Washington Post: Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has said his daughter and her husband paid for their own wedding. So a […]
We didn't want to let this week get away from us before passing along some incredible, though sadly believable, news from our neighbors in Utah. As the Salt Lake Tribune reported earlier this week, the Utah legislature is doing everything it can to try to get rid of that pesky federal govm'nt and its so-called […]
In another edition of "At Least He's Not Your Legislator," we visit Washington State for another Republican comment reminiscent of President Ronald Reagan's infamous statement that "trees cause more pollution than automobiles." From The Associated Press: A Washington state lawmaker has apologized for saying that bicyclists contribute to climate change with their heavy breathing. Republican […]
It seems almost too absurd to believe, but this has really happened: Illinois Republicans have chosen a convicted burglar and armed robber who has served some 20 years in jail as their candidate to run in a special election for the seat vacated by disgraced Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. Really.
Usually these "At Least They Aren't Your Legislator" posts are well outside of Colorado…but not always. Lakewood City Councilman Dave Wiechman had to apologize recently for some mysterious pictures that magically appeared on his iPad. From "Our Colorado News": Ward 4 councilman David Wiechman issued a public apology at the Feb. 4 City Council study […]
UPDATE: Irony not lost on Wonkette: We are assuming this will be the first case of the NRA and Gun Owners of America agreeing that this law-abiding citizen should not have access to a gun! It should be an easy call, being a Democrat. —– As the Las Vegas SunВ reported yesterday: A Democratic assemblyman is […]
John Obringer sent out a letter to his tenants at the Casa Adobe Apartments on Wednesday. The letter was addressing cutbacks on staff and maintenance issues.
“Due to the stupidity of the U.S. electorate, the Obama-administration’s continued assault on small business is resulting in increased taxes, regulations and mandates that are forcing the management company (B&J Enterprises, Inc.) for Casa Adobe Apartments to modify its operation to survive. This has resulted in layoffs, work-time reductions and decreased pay for workers. Consequently, the business hours are now Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Please plan accordingly … We are working hard to maintain the field, cleaning and maintenance personnel in place without raising rents, but that too is inevitable due to the upcoming inflation and market forces,” writes Obringer…
Then he added, “BTW: If you voted “Democrat” on Nov. 6, please notify me ASAP so I can raise your rent first to help pay for what you asked for.”
We’re pretty sure that no law is violated unless the landlord in question actually raises rents on tenants who voted for Barack Obama, which implies that he would know who they are–not the easiest thing to do with a secret ballot. So this likely gets filed with other such mindless ventings of hot air after last month’s tough election for Republicans: harmless, unless you count the source of the “threat” himself, who comes off looking kind of stupid.
We’d suggest John Obringer move to Canada, but he might not like the housing code.
We read a story today by political reporter Kurtis Lee of the Denver Post that left us with many more questions than answers. It’s not about an issue we spend much time on, but the claims made in this story seemed so outlandish that we found it necessary to ask more questions.
And yes, it’s pretty much as bad as we thought.
Today’s story concerns a national group, founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, called Mayors Against Illegal Guns. At least 13 Colorado mayors have joined this organization, including Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Golden Mayor Marjorie Sloan, Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy, and Northglenn Mayor Joyce Downing, among some 720 nationwide. Notably not on this list, however, is Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan. After the shooting at an Aurora movie theater this summer, obviously Hogan’s non-participation in this campaign is worth noting.
Mayor Hogan says that he has “ideological problems” with the group, and that gun control policy is a local issue, not a national one. This arguably ignores the facts around interstate trafficking in guns (see: Golyansky, Greg), but it’s within the realm of opinion–not a false statement per se.
The false statements come when Lee quotes Dave Kopel of the right-wing Independence Institute, and lets Kopel make several totally absurd claims about Mayors Against Illegal Guns without bothering to check any of them out. Kopel tells Lee that “Bloomberg’s group supports a lifetime ban on gun possession for anyone who has ever been arrested for a drug offense–even if that person was later found innocent. … The group likewise promotes a lifetime ban for anyone who has ever been ordered to receive counseling for any mental problem.” Lee says Kopel’s comments are based on “proposed legislation supported by Bloomberg in Washington.”
We sent a request to a staffer at Mayors Against Illegal Guns at New York City Hall for more information, and here’s what they had to say about Kopel’s accusations as uncritically reported by Kurtis Lee. If this is right, Lee’s story is so far off the mark it’s really quite irresponsible.
The most blatant error in his statement is regarding the drug abuser claim–the Fix Gun Checks bill DOES NOT support a lifetime ban for a drug arrest: (1) the fix gun checks bill extends the window that drug arrests makes a person prohibited from one to five years (not lifetime) and (2) the language of the bill is that an inference of drug abuse “may be drawn” from an arrest within the past five years–it does not require that the inference be drawn.
Current federal law prohibits “unlawful user” of any controlled substance and federal regulations allow an inference of unlawful use to be drawn if the person has “multiple arrests for such offenses within the past 5 years if the most recent arrest occurred within the past year.” 27 CFR 478.11. The original Senate fix gun checks bill modifies that definition to allow an inference of unlawful use for a drug arrest within the past five years. The House version of the bill does not include this provision.
As for Kopel’s claims regarding psychological counseling and guns:
Regarding the mental health claim, the Fix Gun Checks bill does not promote a lifetime ban for “anyone who has ever been ordered to receive counseling for any mental problem.” Instead, the bill classifies a person as prohibited if they are ordered by a court, board or other lawful authority, “in response to marked subnormal intelligence, mental illness or incompetency,” to receive counseling.
Current federal law prohibits anyone who has been involuntarily committed to a mental hospital or “adjudicated as a mental defective,” which includes people who have been found incompetent to stand trial. 27 CFR 478.11. The Fix Gun Checks bill extends that definition to include anyone who has been ordered by a court or other lawful authority to receive mental health treatment “in response to marked subnormal intelligence, mental illness or incompetency.” Also, it does not apply to anyone who voluntarily seeks mental health treatment.
So what does this all mean, gentle reader?
It’s simple: if this is right, Kopel is lying, and the Denver Post, through negligence or complicity, is helping. The response we easily obtained from Bloomberg’s group appears nowhere in Lee’s story. In fact, there’s nothing whatsoever to give readers an indication Kopel may not be telling the truth–Lee actually validates Kopel’s nonsense by asserting it is “referring to proposed legislation supported by Bloomberg in Washington.” That’s just not true, folks.
Anyway, we assume Mayor Bloomberg knows how to ask for a correction. We just wanted to point out for our record how silly and one-sided Kurtis Lee’s “journalism” is in this case. And we’re obligated to note that this is not the first such incident with him.
Like a scene from Blazing Saddles, Think Progress:
The head of the Republican Party in Maine thinks there might have been voter fraud in his state because “nobody in town knows anyone who’s black,” but black voters came in to vote on election day…
In an interview with an NBC affiliate, [Charlie] Webster said he was astounded by the “dozens, dozens of black people” who voted, and thought it was odd because he personally doesn’t know anyone who knows a black person in town:
“In some parts of rural Maine, there were dozens, dozens of black people who came in and voted on Election Day. Everybody has a right to vote, but nobody in town knows anyone who’s black. How did that happen? I don’t know. We’re going to find out.” [Pols emphasis]
According to the Census Bureau, the population of Maine is 1.3% African-American. Not exactly a high percentage, but 1.3% is appreciably more than, you know, zero.
But, for the record, nobody the chairman of the Maine Republican Party knows is aware of this.
That is, unless you live in Jefferson County.
From CBS4:
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- The woman named “Democrat of The Year” this year by the Jefferson County Democratic Party has been convicted of felony theft by a Jefferson County jury for stealing from a developmentally disabled 71-year-old woman.
It’s standard practice, of course, for political parties to award “people of the year” honors to volunteers who have given time to the party. It makes volunteers feel appreciated and, better yet, the party can fundraise by selling tickets to awards dinners.
There’s never any reason for the parties handing out these awards to suspect one of their volunteers is involved in something shady, either. Honoring someone with a cheap plaque and some second-rate spaghetti doesn’t warrant a criminal background check. If criminal allegations — or any other unsavory pieces of information — come out after someone is named an “x of the year” the best course of action is to probably cut off all ties and, perhaps, revoke the award. There’s not much more you could do.
It’s a totally different story, however, to give an award to someone after you know they’re under criminal investigation. Unfortunately, in the case of this “Democrat of the Year,” that’s a lesson the Jefferson County Democratic Party has to learn the hard way.
More from CBS:
[T]hree days before the January 8 gala, advocates for the victim contacted the party via email and phone informing them of the criminal investigation.
But Chris Kennedy, chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic party, dismissed the concerns saying there was not a conviction and bestowed the “Democrat Of The Year” honor on Carson.
In an email following the event, Kennedy wrote, “After much consideration, my decision was that the award being presented by my organization and the alleged financial exploitation need to be compartmentalized, one having no bearing on the other. Thus I decided to present the award to Estelle.”
Seriously? The “alleged financial exploitation” needs to be compartmentalized? This is an award for “Democrat of the Year.” As much as the title is a commonplace honorific, the award itself is a bold declaration that its recipient is one of the party’s all-around most valuable members. If someone is accused of a crime, there’s no question that lessens the value of their profile and contributions as a Democrat.
Kennedy defended his decision to CBS by saying that the woman in question had been “accused, not convicted” and that he “did not have reason to believe it was true.” That shouldn’t have mattered. As the county’s Democratic chair, Kennedy has the responsibility to earn his party the best possible optics and, more importantly, to make sure it avoids embarrassing stories like these. That there was even an investigation was cause to cancel the presentation of the award — in case things turned out exactly like they did here.
Had Kennedy resisted presenting the award, the volunteer-in-question’s feelings would’ve been hurt and others, perhaps, would’ve been offended. But, had she been exonerated, the award could’ve been given at a later date. Instead, the Jefferson County Democratic Party is now plagued by headlines directly showcasing its official approval of a someone who stole from a developmentally disabled septuagenerian.
This is a major lapse in judgement at best and incompetence at worst.
That is, unless you live in Jefferson County.
From CBS4:
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- The woman named “Democrat of The Year” this year by the Jefferson County Democratic Party has been convicted of felony theft by a Jefferson County jury for stealing from a developmentally disabled 71-year-old woman.
It’s standard practice, of course, for political parties to award “people of the year” honors to members who have given time or money. It makes volunteers feel appreciated and, better yet, the party can fundraise by selling tickets to awards dinners.
There’s never any reason for the parties handing out these awards to suspect one of their volunteers is involved in something shady, either. Honoring someone with a cheap plaque and some second-rate spaghetti doesn’t warrant a criminal background check. If criminal allegations — or any other unsavory pieces of information — come out after someone is named an “x of the year,” the best course of action is cut off all ties and, perhaps, revoke the award. There’s not much more you can do.
It’s a totally different story, however, to give an award to someone after you know they’re under criminal investigation. Unfortunately, in the case of this “Democrat of the Year,” that’s a lesson the Jefferson County Democratic Party has to learn the hard way.
More from CBS:
[T]hree days before the January 8 gala, advocates for the victim contacted the party via email and phone informing them of the criminal investigation.
But Chris Kennedy, chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic party, dismissed the concerns saying there was not a conviction and bestowed the “Democrat Of The Year” honor on Carson.
In an email following the event, Kennedy wrote, “After much consideration, my decision was that the award being presented by my organization and the alleged financial exploitation need to be compartmentalized, one having no bearing on the other. Thus I decided to present the award…”
Seriously? The “alleged financial exploitation” needs to be compartmentalized? This is an award for “Democrat of the Year.” As much as the title is a commonplace honorific, the award itself is a bold declaration that its recipient is one of the party’s all-around most valuable members. Being accused of a crime lessens the value of a person’s profile and contributions as a Democrat. Unless, of course, you’re trying to send the message that your organization welcomes and even celebrates those who steal from the elderly.
Kennedy defended his decision to CBS by saying that the woman in question had been “accused, not convicted” and that he “did not have reason to believe it was true.” That shouldn’t have mattered. As the county’s Democratic chair, Kennedy has a responsibility to earn his party the best possible optics and, more importantly, to make sure it avoids embarrassing stories like these. That there was even an investigation was cause to cancel the presentation of the award — just in case that investigation led to a conviction, as it did here.
Why Kennedy failed to realize the potential implications of offering this award to someone accused of a crime is perplexing. Perhaps he didn’t want to upset a loyal volunteer or hurt anybody’s feelings. Still, hurt feelings can’t justify the mess he’s created as a result. Kennedy should’ve canceled the presentation of this award the very second he was informed of the criminal charges. Sure, he might’ve stepped on some toes, but the honors could’ve been offered anew if the volunteer in question was exonerated.
Because Kennedy didn’t think this through, however, the Jefferson County Democratic Party is now plagued by headlines showcasing its official approval of a someone who stole from a developmentally disabled septuagenerian.
This is a serious lapse in judgement at best and incompetence at worst.
NBC News reports from the great state of Maine: Colleen Lachowicz is a Democratic candidate running for State Senate in Maine. She’s also a level 85 orc in the massively popular online game “World of Warcraft.” And for that, the Republican party says she is unfit for office. Maine’s GOP has accused Lachowicz of living […]
Pols Update: According to a report from Lynn Bartels at the Denver newspaper, Watson claims to have paid back a portion of his outstanding taxes and disputes the number and amount of liens levied against him.
That certainly changes the story, but unfortunately for Watson, it won’t change the potency of the attack.
—-
Bad news for Republicans in the race against Democrat Dan Kagan and what many consider their best House pickup opportunity statewide.
From Fox31’s Eli Stokols:
DENVER – The Republican candidate looking to unseat a Democratic state representative, in a race that could determine which party controls the statehouse, owes nearly $280,000 in unpaid property taxes, FOX31 Denver has confirmed.
Brian Watson, a businessman who is running to unseat Rep. Daniel Kagan, D-Denver, has Republicans excited about their chances to win a Denver district that was re-drawn in their favor during reapportionment earlier this year; and state GOP chairman Ryan Call considers Watson a possible rising star in the party.
But FOX31 Denver has found that there are nine tax liens pending against Watson for unpaid taxes on various properties that add up to $279,657.
An outside political action committee supporting Kagan, the Colorado Accountable Government Alliance, is now highlighting Watson’s unpaid property taxes in a new mailer.
Kagan himself told FOX31 Denver he has had nothing to do with the mailer and hasn’t been raising the issue when he talks with constituents.
Three of the liens, for a total of $147,506, are on Aspen Moving and Storage, which Watson explains in a 2010 letter to investors, “suffered approximately a 70 percent decline in income between 2008 and 2009.”
The timing of this particular revelation is going to hurt. Ballots go out in a few weeks, and you better believe the “Colorado Accountable Government Alliance” and other independent expenditure groups are going to hit Watson hard on this issue — even if Kagan doesn’t touch it himself.
This is one of those issues that’s precisely as bad as it looks. Watson has been so successful in his bid thus far because he’s been able to frame his campaign around his business record. This tax issue, then, calls his number one qualification into question. On his website, Watson discusses his desire, if elected, to create “predictable and reasonable regulation and fair taxation.” Seems like the Republican isn’t really the best guy to be discussing what’s fair, is he?
Even worse, as Stokols points out in his article, Watson defends the debts as resulting from the economic downturn and “mismanagement” in the company that his firm, Northstar Commercial Investments, acquired. Fair enough. That doesn’t change the fact that Northstar contributed $500 to the Colorado Republican Party. The investment firm, it would seem, has money enough to facilitate Watson’s candidacy but not enough for taxes. Hell, Watson himself wrote a check to a small donor committee “supporting Republican candidates and Republican members of the Colorado House of Representatives for election and reelection.”
If you’re a candidate for public office, and you owe back taxes, it’s probably not a good idea to be writing checks to anyone or anything other than the IRS.
At the top of the ticket, Mitt Romney has already driven the issue of tax responsibilities into the national spotlight. With this development, Watson’s going to have to defend his own background down ballot as well.
Dan Kagan couldn’t have gotten better optics if he had asked for them.
MONDAY UPDATE: The conservative publication The National Review says Akin must step down from his Senate campaign…not because of his harmful statements, per se, but to make sure he doesn’t cost Republicans a Senate seat: We suspect that this same lack of judgment will cause Akin to blow past tomorrow evening’s deadline for him to […]
UPDATE #2: FOX 31’s Eli Stokols: Ramirez told FOX31 Denver Monday afternoon he’s upset. “They can think what they want about my mailer,” Ramirez said. “But to talk about my daughter and insinuate that I’m running around on my wife, that bothers me. And it bothers my wife and daughter more than me.” …FOX31 Denver […]
UPDATE #2: FOX 31’s Eli Stokols:
FOX31 Denver spoke Monday with one of the publishers of Colorado Pols, who referred to the reaction by Ramirez and Colorado Peak Pols as “manufactured angst.”
“Nobody’s insinuating that [Ramirez]’s running around on his wife,” said Jason Bane, a co-founder of Colorado Pols. “The point is he’s got this random collection of photos with no explanation, so there’s no way to know who’s his wife or daughter. There was no attempt to insinuate he’s cheating. It was just – who are these people?
“There’s pictures with his wife, his daughter, with a guy dressed up as Ronald McDonald. For all we know, Ronald McDonald could be his uncle.”
—–
UPDATE: Via Twitter, @RepRamirez is posting a bunch of pictures of his daughter, ostensibly to clarify her appearance in the walk piece below. Ramirez’s wife, meanwhile (@mrsramirez2002) is really mad about something that must have grown into a super horrible story after different stories were told to her. Because, you see, we didn’t actually say anything about their daughter.
What is truly amusing in all of this manufactured angst is that it just reinforces our original point about the folly of a campaign piece that makes several silly errors arranged within a confusing collage of pictures. Would you assume that the blonde in the top left was his daughter? Would you guess, just by looking at the picture, that the woman in the karate outfit was his wife? Hell, maybe Ronald McDonald is his uncle.
This is just a weird, awful campaign piece for a lot of reasons. We didn’t say anything more than that.
—–
It didn’t seem like things could get worse for State Representative Robert Ramirez. After being forced out of the race for SD-19 by the entrance of much more credible candidate Lang Sias, he’s being significantly outraised and outspent by dynamo opponent Tracy Kraft-Tharp in his re-election bid.
Then again, all of Ramirez’s problems are, perhaps, the result of his own ineptitude. Take, for example, this recent handout/mail piece. Keep in mind that the Republican actually spent money to create and distribute this piece to actual voters.
Let’s start with the obvious. On that sublimely terrible red-text-on-yellow list of accomplishments, Ramirez left out bullet point number three. Seriously, how hard is it to make a list? Sure, it’s easy to overlook a numbering error in the early drafts of campaign piece, but it’s downright stupid for those mistakes to make it into the final, distributed version. Does Ramirez even know how to count?
And what’s with that Facebook link in the lower right corner? Few people are going to go on Facebook to check out a candidate anyway, but nobody is going meticulously type in a complicated URL replete with numbers, question marks, and underscores. Ramirez doesn’t even have a Facebook link on his website — where something like that would kind of make sense — so why on earth would he pay money to put it on his mail piece? You can’t click a link on paper.
So Ramirez took a photo with somebody pretending to be Ronald McDonald down at the Capitol. Neat. Setting aside the fact that Ramirez certainly didn’t get permission to use one of McDonald’s most recognizable corporate trademarks for political purposes, why would he want to? Is he trying to brand himself as the fast food candidate in this race? Beyond that, no candidate should ever publicize photos of them standing next to a clown. Hell, Ronald McDonald looks better in that photo than Ramirez.
Rep. Ramirez played no part in reinstating the Senior Homestead Property Tax Exemption. That happened all by itself.
There’s no question that the two photos of Ramirez with Governor Hickenlooper were used without permission. It’s obvious why Ramirez would want to associate himself with the most popular politician in Colorado, but Hick would no doubt rather be taking bill-signing photos with Kraft-Tharpe.
Then again, maybe Ramirez wants people to think he’s a Democrat. One million dollars for veterans benefits? That’s a lot of state spending from somebody who labels himself a small government conservative.
That attractive blonde woman posing with Ramirez in the upper left-hand corner? That’s not his wife (his wife appears alongside the representative in a much smaller photo adorned in a kung-fu uniform). The woman in the picture may be a family member, but Ramirez should probably point that out in a caption. Looks like Ramirez forgot to hire a professional to take a few photos of his family — bizarre, considering even no-hope candidates figure out that they should do that.
The worst photo of all, however, is the large profile shot of Ramirez on the right hand side. While it might make a great photo for a membership card at the local gun club, it shouldn’t be the centerpiece of his first major push to connect with voters. Ramirez doesn’t look like a sitting state representative. Instead, he looks like some cross between a Kentucky Militia leader and the Unabomber. He clearly had a much better photo to use — his official shot from the capital is just centimeters to the left, there — but for whatever reason he decided, “Hey, I don’t want voters to associate my name with my face, use the photo of me in the shades with the flags. I look cool, like a Hispanic Tom Clancy.”
This has to be one of the worst campaign pieces we’ve ever seen. That would be bad enough if Ramirez was the token Republican opposition in a heavily Democratic area. But he’s the incumbent legislator in a swing district. He can’t even number a list correctly, and yet this dude has a vote on issues that affect the entire state.
Although, if this piece is any indication, not for much longer.
Something in the air? Our second “At least it’s not your…” item today, Tampa Bay Times: U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young has created an Internet buzz by the way he answered a question about raising the minimum wage this week. When a man, who identified himself as Pepe, asked Young whether he supported hiking the […]
Yay, vouchers! Parents should be able to send their kids to any school! Oh, wait, you mean any school? From Think Progress: Louisiana Republicans supported Gov. Bobby Jindal’s overhaul of the state’s education system, which includes a voucher program that allows state funds to be used to send students to religiously-affiliated schools – until they […]
Since neither Rick Enstrom nor Amy Attwood had primary challengers in their races for HD-23 and HD-28, respectively, their nominations at yesterday’s county assembly were nothing more than a formality.
We don’t blame either for sending out press releases championing their respective victories, however. Symbolically, their nominations at the assembly are important in signaling the next phase of the campaign in which each will make their case for election.
Still, reading through the statements released by both Enstrom’s and Attwood’s campaigns, you’ve got to wonder just how sincere either candidate really feels — their statements are almost identical.
Let’s start with Attwood:
Amy Attwood Earns Spot on Ballot as Candidate for House District 28: Jeffco GOP Assembly Demonstrates Strong Support for Attwood Candidacy
Lakewood, CO- Jefferson County small business woman Amy Attwood, R-Lakewood, this Saturday, earned the nomination to be the GOP candidate for State House District 28 in this November’s election.
Attwood says she is humbled by the strong show of support and looks forward to officially kicking off her campaign for House District 28.
“I am running for the State House to provide a strong voice for Jefferson County families and small business owners,” Attwood said. “Working in small business, the community and caring for my own family has provided me with the experience and background that I believe will serve House District 28 well in the state legislator.”
After years of experience working for her family construction business, Amy knows firsthand the impact government has on job creation and preservation. Her experience has instilled her with the values of small business ownership, commitment to employees and their families as well as customers and the community.
“Balancing budgets and keeping records for a small business has taught me a lot about what government does right and where government gets in the way,” Attwood said. “That is the perspective that I will to bring to the state House. I believe this perspective will best serve Jeffco families and small business owners as we turn the corner of this recession.”
Amy has deep roots in Jefferson County and Colorado. She is a native of Lakewood, a graduate of Columbine High School and the University of Northern Colorado and has served on the Jefferson County Planning Commission.
“I know and love this community and am honored to have the opportunity to earn the votes of my friends and neighbors in Lakewood,” Attwood said. “I look forward to continuing my commitment to our community over the course of this campaign as I speak with voters across the district to ensure that their voices are a heard.”
Amy is married to Gavin, and together they have two sons, Max, 9 and Zak, 7.
Now, for Enstrom:
Rick Enstrom Receives Unanimous Support as Candidate for House District 23: Jeffco GOP Assembly rallies around Enstrom Candidacy
Lakewood, CO-Jefferson County businessman and Lakewood resident Rick Enstrom, on Saturday, earned the nomination to be the Republican candidate for State House District 23 in this November’s election.
Enstrom said he had long looked forward to the official beginning of his campaign as the party’s nominee, and was touched by the outpouring of support he received at the Assembly.
“After a lifetime of living in Colorado – working to create jobs, raising a family and giving back to my community, I am excited to take this next step.” Enstrom said. “Coloradans deserve a leader who will actively listen to the needs of the community and work to provide people the freedom and opportunity to pursue their goals.”
Years of working for the family business, Enstrom Candies, has equipped Rick with the skills and experience needed to make a meaningful difference in state government. His years of service as a volunteer firefighter, EMT and member of the Highland Rescue Team have instilled in him a passion and a drive for giving back to his community.
“As our state and our country confront the realities presented by the economic slowdown and the dramatic job losses of recent years, I intend to work for increased economic opportunity and growth of good careers that JeffCo families need in order to provide a bright future for their children,” Enstrom said.
Rick has strong ties to Jefferson County. A Colorado native, Rick is the father to two married sons and has three grandchildren who all live nearby in Lakewood. He is a graduate of Mesa College. He has served on the Colorado Wildlife Commission and the board of Great Outdoors Colorado. His passion for the outdoors earned him “Conservationist of the Year” awards from both Colorado Ducks Unlimited and Southeast Prowers NRCS.
“I’m looking forward to beginning my campaign in earnest.” Enstrom said. “Coloradans deserve a representative who will listen to their needs and that is what I intend to do over the coming months as I walk door to door in my district seeking the support of my longtime friends and neighbors.”
Rick has been married to his greatest supporter, Linda, for 36 years.
There’s nothing wrong with either of these statements. In fact, as far as press releases go, they’ve covered everything they need to cover: each candidate’s career, ties to the area, and reasons for campaigning – perfect fodder for local news.
The problem is, when read side-by-side, these releases make you wonder if they weren’t, in fact, written by the same person. They probably were, of course, or were drafted in deference to the same guidelines from above. If you’re campaigning for a local office, however, you should at least attempt to mask the fact you’re running for reasons given to you by your political party.
That’s a difficult task when all members of your political party make the same sort of statements.
Attwood and Enstrom both “earned the nomination to be the GOP candidate…in this November’s election.”
Attwood’s “years of experience working for her family construction business” sounds a lot like Enstrom’s “years of working for the family business, Enstrom’s candies.”
Enstrom’s “strong ties to Jefferson County” are also pretty similar to Attwood’s “deep roots in Jefferson County.”
Oh, don’t forget that both candidates are “looking forward” to the campaign. That’s important. Don’t overlook the last sentence in the boilerplate, either, where Enstrom talks about his wife Linda and Attwood talks about her husband Gavin.
In short, because each of these candidate’s statements are designed to showcase their deeply personal reasoning and unique qualifications for public office, it looks really bad when those same statements are nothing more than generic buzzwords adapted for each race.
Or at the very least, it’s going to make the person reading your press releases – presumably the very point of issuing a statement – either very suspicious or, more likely, very bored. Neither of those reactions lend themselves to favorable newspaper ink.
Respectfully submitted. WSJ: Speaking on CNN Wednesday morning, [Romney communications advisor Eric] Fehrnstrom was asked if the campaign worried that Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich “might force the governor to tack so far to the right it would hurt him with moderate voters in the general election.” To which Mr. Ferhnstrom responded: “Well, I think […]
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