Look at the Language

As Republicans at every level across the country find themselves behind, and in some cases way behind, their Democratic opponents, they’re resorting to increasingly violent outbursts that are clearly based on their narrow worldview.

Those outbursts have unfortunately become familiar to all of us: racial tensions obviously underlie attacks against Barack Obama; ideology forms the basis of attacks on economic policies (even if R’s have become schizophrenic about them).

Races in Colorado are no different.  They merely have their own unique facet of the larger worthless rock that the Republican party represents.  I read an article covering Sarah “Socialism” Palin’s visit to the rabid Republican base found in Colorado Springs.  One piece of language in that article caught my attention.

Here is the Rocky Mountain News article.  Here is the quote (emphasis mine):

“This race for the presidency – and my race for the Senate – is all about one thing: It’s about whether we choose freedom and liberty or bureaucracy and bondage,” [Bob] Schaffer told a cheering Colorado Springs crowd.

Schaffer has said some incredibly stupid things this election cycle.  His campaign manager (perhaps the real candidate, depending), Dick Wadhams, has a resume chock full of campaigns whose candidates all too willingly share their … fringe views with potential voters.  But including the word “bondage” in a description of what the presidential race is about while one of the candidates is half-African is particularly tasteless.  It was not included by accident, either.

Republicans this election season have been left to run with what remains of their base: those most prone to their fear-mongering.  They have to pander hard to those who are most scared of foreigners with different skin color, to those who think they’re frightened of “socialism”, to those who are scared of anything resembling change.

Thus, we see Rep. Michelle Bachmann’s rant about pro- and anti-american members of the House, which smacks of McCarth-ism in all its depravity.  Thus, we see Rep. Robin Hayes challenging Bachmann to go even further with her hate speech by saying “liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and believe in God”.  Thus, we see Bob Schaffer using the word bondage, pushing the buttons of racists in an effort to invoke feelings of victimization among his extremist base.

Schaffer, McCain, Palin, Bachmann, Hayes and the rest of the loonies on the right are letting voters know exactly who they really are.  They’re offering up continual proof of their fringe attitudes.  Unsurprisingly, they’re still bleating about the “bias in the librul media”.  Despite their best efforts over the past 30 years, 50-70% of Americans aren’t as extreme as they want them to be.

Cross-posted at SquareState.

Economy: Post Bail-Out & Election: Post VP-Debate

There was a lot of news and commentary this weekend after Bush’s Bailout was passed and Sarah Palin demonstrated just how unknowledgable she is about important domestic and foreign policies.  The economy has been bad for average Americans for years and this election is critical.  So I’m going to stay on top of both issues by pointing to aspects of news and commentary I found.  I’ll update this post throughout the day due to the volume of material I want to cover.

1. Democratic Rep. Mark Udall and Republican Bob Schaffer were profiled in the Rocky Mountain News. Here’s a short bio on both: Rep. Udall has spent a good portion of his career trying to improve our energy policies – in Colorado first, and then nationally.  There is a long road to walk until we have a renewable energy-based society, which is needed for a healthy climate and national securtiy.  Mark Udall will make a decent Senator (note I didn’t say good or great.  I have real problems with his centrist approach in general and his recent vote to retroactively immunize telecom corporations who illegally wiretapped domestic traffic).  Bob Schaffer used to be a Jack Abramoff yes-man.  His actions tell us he is in favor of forced abortions, sweatshops and fossil fuels.  His past is well-paved with corruption and Colorado can’t afford to have a 20th century fringe CONservative blocking work to move forward in the 111th Congress.

2. Bush admitted on Friday as he signed his Bailout that the legislation is just “the beginning”. Really?  The beginning of what, exactly?  The beginning of more taxpayers Bailouts of immoral corporate gambling?  Overall, Americans recognized this Bailout is just that.  There is no part of the legislation that addresses the actual problems in the economy.  No homeowner assitance.  No path towards more jobs.  No increase in income.  The Bush administration will not prosecute the fools that set up this economic collapse.  The bottom line: trickle-down (voodoo) economics does not work.  Dumping larger sums of money at the top will not make any more fall to the bottom.

3. The Bailout passed because of the tax breaks attached to it. There are many reasons why that fact is odious, but I’ll focus on one for now: all of them already exist.  That’s correct: the tax breaks were merely extensions!  Entities like the Denver Post, in fact, spent more time opining about the tax breaks than they did about the underlying Bailout.  The Senate hadn’t extended any of the tax breaks all year, but managed to stick it on the Bailout so it would pass.  Oh, the corporate media also hasn’t reported the reason those extensions hadn’t passed all year: a CONservative Senator from Oklahoma issued a record number of filibuster threats this Congress.  One person alone managed to hold up about 100 necessary bills.  All so the CONS could run ads saying Congress didn’t do anything all year.  CONS put all their focus on elections and none of their focus on governing.

What’s In The News: 9/18/08

Bush breaks yet another record.  George Bush’s disapproval rating is the highest of any President.  Ever.

Palin can’t answer questions.

Pine beetles are also eating at Utah’s forests.  Part of a Utah newspaper story: the complex relationship between climate change, pine beetles and wildfires.

File this in a desperate campaign’s attempt to garner attention.  Republican Bob Schaffer is telling audiences that Rep. Mark Udall won’t debate him.  Despite the fact that they’ve debated six times already and have eight more scheduled in the next 47 days, or one per week.  Udall’s spokesman said it best, “I have two concerns here. One is that Bob Schaffer can’t count. The other is that he is dishonest.”  Hey Bob, there’s a reason your campaign is down by double digits.  Telling lies won’t close that gap – it will just make you look like an ass when you lose.

Bob Schaffer’s Insane Economic Policy

Bob Schaffer wants the U.S. economy to implode. That’s the only reasonable lesson that could be drawn from the following: “Schaffer criticized Congress’ decision to bail out Bear Stearns, which once was one of the largest investment banking, securities trading and brokage firms in the world.” He wanted the “free-market” to magically take care of everything. I’d like magical unicorns to spit out hundred dollar bills, but that isn’t going to happen either. The “free-market” allowed Stearns and the other mortgage lenders to purposefully issue loans to people without credit or ability to pay. Now, even folks with better ability to repay their loans are being forced to face foreclosure, at a higher rate than the sub-prime crisis by the way. No, the “free-market” has proven itself quite unable to control itself. Republicans like Bob Schaffer want government to butt out of regulations but then beg for assistance when high-risk plans fail.

Those days should end. If a huge house like Bear Stearns or Fannie Mae can’t keep themselves on the up-and-up, if they package crappy financial packages together in order to squeeze out every possible penny for their shareholders and homeowners are left holding on to worthless property or are foreclosed upon as a result, and if they go crawling to the government for another taxpayer-funded bailout, they should become the property of the people until such time as a private entity wants to pay to run the corporation again. It’s immoral that as citizens, we keep getting stuck with the tab to fix the mistakes of the compulsively greedy.

Had the corporations been left to the whims of those folks, as Bob Schaffer wanted, our economy wouldn’t be looking at minimizing a recession. It would be hurtling face first into a depression. The collapse of American financial institutions like Stearns and others would have caused a domino effect, resulting in an unheard of disaster.

Morsels like this illustrate why Republicans are losing so many races across the country and why that trend will continue through this November.  When presented with a problem their policies have created, what do Republicans do?  They tell everybody their crappy policies are the solutions!  More people are seeing the writing on the wall: real solutions require honest approaches.  Democrats will provide that.  Republicans like Schaffer have proven they won’t.

McCain’s Bad Water Policy, Bob Schaffer’s Oil Problems, Marilyn Musgrave’s Oil Problems

Does John McCain want Arizona and California to have more access to Colorado River water, leaving other western states without?  He’ll have to contend with millions of Colorado voters to get anywhere near such a policy.  My hunch is Coloradans won’t like the idea too much.

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Bob Schaffer, perpetually trailing Rep. Mark Udall in polling throughout the cycle, continues to desperately search for anything that might decrease Udall’s chances.  The latest charge: Udall wants to increase the gas tax by 50 cents per gallon.  It’s untrue, of course, but when you’re behind, you attack your opponent.

Bob Schaffer had the gall to tell reporters after their 2nd debate that oil corporations have a small margin of profit.  Raise your hand if you think they should get a larger margin becuase Schaffer is arguing that $11.68 billion in just three months is too small.

Mark Udall, in contrast, wants to stop the corporate welfare going to Exxon and others and instead provide money for renewable energy ventures so we can end our dependence on fossil fuels.  Which is only one reason why Udall continues to hold a lead in the Colorado Senate race.

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Marilyn Musgrave thinks her record and efforts to lower the price of gas for families in Colorado should help get her reelected this year.  That’s a novel approach because since her first election, gas prices have increased from $1.50 per gallon to over $4.00 per gallon this year.  What exactly has she down to lower prices?  Billions of dollars in corporate welfare to oil corporations didn’t work.  Invading and occupying a major oil supplier didn’t work.  Voting against every pro-renewable energy bill and amendment didn’t work.  Enough already, Marilyn.  You haven’t represented your constituents for years.  It’s time for Betsy Markey.

Schaffer Family Values on Display

Well, well, well. It turns out Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer isn’t the only member of his family to have a problem regarding the enslavement of people. His flap over supporting servitude on the Mariana Islands has never been fully explained. Now it’s obvious that, like a good Republican, he molded the values of his family. His son Justin’s Facebook page displayed a series of bumper stickers, one of which read, “Slavery Gets Shit Done”. My, oh my. What a lovely family you’ve raised, Bob. Another sticker shows Jesus in front of a Confederate flag with an assault rifle in his hand and has this text, “What Would Republican Jesus Do?”. Other stickers demean women. Obama is shown in one photoshopped onto a picture of bin Laden in front of the White House. The imagery goes way beyond childish. It’s disgusting and displays a patterned way of thinking that is simply unacceptable.

According to the Denver Post, Justin issued a written apology, taking full responsibility and trying to deflect fall-out by saying the values presented within the page directly contradict what he was taught at home. The apology does nothing, in my opinion. I’m sure he is sorry he got caught and that it might affect his father’s campaign, but such cavalier use of pro-slavery and anti-anything not white and male is a reflection on the environment he grew up in. I don’t see any evidence that he’s sorry he’s racist or bigoted.

These type of values have no place in the U.S. Senate. This is just one more example that Bob Schaffer is unfit to represent Colorado. His job would be to represent all Coloradans, not just white, male, racist bigots. His previous time in Congress and his family’s actions clearly show he couldn’t do that.

Bob Schaffer’s Latest Scandal

I was going to write a post about Senate candidate Bob Schaffer continuing to flash his pro-oil corruption for all to see. But then I remembered that despite requests to the contrary, his Democratic opponent, Mark Udall, voted to gut the 4th amendment prior to the July 4th holiday. In response to being given the finger by my Representative, I will continue to save my time and effort and not write anything about this latest scandal.

If and when Mark Udall decides he wants to work to defend the Constitution and recognizes the issues his constituents care about, I’ll jump back into things. If he wants to vote like a coward to prevent scary, bullshit attack ads against him, he’s on his own. Better Democrats, please. Thanks again, Mark!

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johne at SquareState wrote something.  Schaffer is killing his own chances, really.

Random Hits 6/29/08

Continued politics over the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission‘s proposed rule changes: foes are striking as extreme a position as possible so the new rules won’t go into effect. More than that, they’re working very hard to make sure the same kind of rules don’t get implemented elsewhere, which seems likely to happen. At some point, more citizens are going to stand up for their localities long-term health, including environmental concerns. If these rules pass now, they stand a good chance of spreading. Additional rules might even be in store in the future. The longer oil and gas interests delay, the longer they can operate under older, less restrictive rules.

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Mark Udall maintains his moderate advantage over Bob Schaffer in another poll, this one from Quinnipiac University. Similar to the Rasmussen poll I discussed earlier this week, the Q-poll has Udall 48 – Schaffer 38, a 10-point spread. Oh, the independent numbers are mighty interesting: Udall 54 – Schaffer 27. Bob’s going to have to work much harder this year due to voters’ well documented shift from Republican to “Independent” and from “Independent” to Democrat.

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Here’s Governor Ritter’s planned activity for Tuesday:

Gov. Ritter will take part in a dedication ceremony for a new solar array at the Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale. The 150-kilowatt system sits on a half-acre of ranchland owned by the high school and is the largest solar electric installation in Western Colorado. It will power the school’s science building, and excess energy will be fed onto the town of Carbondale’s power grid. The voter-approved project is a joint venture that also includes the Aspen Ski Co., Community Office for Resource Efficiency, Town of Carbondale and Xcel Energy.

I’ve read plenty of disparaging comments on newspaper blogs that are trying to push the meme that Gov. Ritter’s New Energy Economy isn’t actually doing anything. This is but one example that demonstrates those comments are based solely on ideology and not on fact.

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The U.S. Drought Monitor has identified the panhandle of Oklahoma as being in “Exceptional Drought”, its most severe category.  Neighboring areas in Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas and Texas are classified as “Extreme Drought”.  Locals who were around for the Dust Bowl in the 1930s say its drier now than it was then.  The record speaks for itself: with less than an inch and a half of rain so far this year, the area is drier than the Sahara Desert.  Under a new climatic regime, severe droughts are just as likely as severe flooding.  Will conditions convince Oklahomans to rid themselves of the virulently anti-science Sen. Tom Coburn when his term is up?

Rocky Mountain News Opinion Page Defends Bob Schaffer & Big Oil

The right-wing opinion writers that make up the Rocky Mountain “News” (RMN) editorial board came to the defense of Bob “Big Oil” Schaffer’s support of the fossil fuel industry in today’s piece. Entitled, “Buying into the Big Oil smear”, the editorialists manufacture plenty of crocodile tears for the poor voters who buy into misleading attack ads.

They cite Republican political consultant Katy Atkinson’s oh-so-sincere concern over the League of Conservation Voters “negative” ad linking Bob Schaffer with Big Oil. The next item mentioned in the column is closer to her true concern with Schaffer’s 2008 campaign, I think:

When negative ads are running without anything contradicting them, and when there are no negatives against Udall . . . I wouldn’t have been surprised if Udall’s lead was 15.

As long as Republicans run negative ads in return, everything would be fine, it appears. I didn’t hear Katy or any other Republicans whining about the negative ads their party and related 527s ran in 2006 or 2004 or … anytime recently. But that was before they started losing races at every level across the country. Now, negative ads are just plain bad. They’re probably not representative of our old fashioned American values, either. But as far as Republican ads go, in no way should Democrats or associated groups feel sorry that they can’t raise money or interest in their candidates this year. Bob Schaffer made the decision to run. It’s his responsibility to define himself to voters. If he allows others to do it for him, well, that’s just the way it goes.

More on the Rocky’s concerns after the fold.

Colorado Political News 6/24/08

First up: the Colorado Senate race. Republican Bob Schaffer has been busy trying to explain his past associations and actions away since announcing. From a growing mound of evidence demonstrating his connections to the ethically corrupt Jack Abramoff and his support for sweatshops and forced abortions to not being able to recognize the difference between Pikes Peak and Mt. McKinley (which is in Alaska, Bob), things have been busy. Now another piece of Bob’s past is coming back to haunt him.

A Republican activist from Aurora who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in connection with a larger fraud prosecution was sentenced Monday to a year’s probation and a $3,450 fine. Scott Shires, 55, faced up to a year in prison after pleading guilty to filing false tax returns in connection with a case against his one-time employer, Octane International Limited, which purported to be making an alternative-fuel additive. Shires is well connected in GOP circles in Colorado and recruited Bob Schaffer to be a board member of Octane International in 2004.

Part of the problem here: Bob Schaffer first said he hadn’t been compensated for his services as a board member. Turns out, he did. But Bob left his income from Octane off of a 2007 campaign disclosure form. Rank-and-file Republicans might want to take a closer look at their party’s leadership: the propensity to volunteer and donate doesn’t seem to happen too much up at the top. Given Republican officials constant charges aimed at Democrats, it seems they know best what elitism really is.

[Update] Another poll shows Mark Udall with the same 9-point lead over Bob Schaffer that a Rasmussen poll showed earlier.  This poll has Udall up 46%-37%.  Considering the only ads that have gone out have been generic, introductory-style, I don’t see things getting better for Schaffer any time soon.

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Second: Colorado’s 4th Congressional District (CO-04). Democrat Betsy Markey is targeting Marilyn Musgrave’s seat. Previously, the DCCC had announced it is including Markey in their Red to Blue program. In 2006, “Red to Blue” raised an average of over $400,000 per candidate. Expect that number to grow this year with the increased focus and energy on the poor state of our nation. Now, word comes that environmental groups are also planning on targeting CO-04, possibly to the tune of $500,000 by themselves. The group spent $1.5 million to oust the ethically challenged Republican Richard Pombo of California in 2006 (does anyone see a pattern here?).

Marilyn Musgrave has been a very loyal pro-oil and gas voter while in Congress (for tax breaks for large corporations & against increased gas mileage for vehicles). After her very narrow win in 2006, she has made a concerted effort to change her image. Which sort of makes her actions even more out of step with Coloradans. We don’t tend to like hypocrites.

Add in what Betsy Markey herself will raise, a competitive Senate seat and a competitive Presidential contest and a whole lot of money will likely be spent in Colorado this year.

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Third: Citizens are asking the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to not issue one-size-fits-all rules that they are considering for oil and gas drilling. Conditions aren’t the same around the state, they argue, and so any rules they develop should reflect that. I don’t know all the ins and outs of their individual cases or how the proposed rules would impact them, but on the surface I tend to agree with their statement. We’ll see how the rules are eventually implemented. What I don’t think is that if the rules are implemented, oil and gas industries will collapse in Colorado.