Sorry Renters, Big Oil Thinks You’re Stupid

0
  by: Colorado Pols November 2, 2018 at 9:00 AM MDT

In an election season loaded to an unprecedented degree with wantonly misleading claims stuffing mailboxes around the state, a mail piece supporting the controversial Amendment 74 constitutional ballot measure forwarded to us this week manages to stand out:

This mail piece’s message targets non-homeowners, extolling the renter recipient’s hard work and savings–and “one day, you even hope to own a place you can call home.” But watch out, because “the government” can take that property you don’t have yet!

We understand the campaign’s obligation to contact renters with some kind of pro-Amendment 74 message, but this mailer is so thoroughly misleading and exploitative that we had to say something. First of all, government cannot “take your property” without fair compensation. Less deceptive pro-Amendment 74 materials refer to “reducing your property’s value,” which acknowledges Amendment 74’s far broader scope and (more importantly) the fact that private property is already protected from being taken without just compensation by the Constitution.

This isn’t merely an oversimplification. It’s a straight-up lie.

And that’s just the beginning. Amendment 74 isn’t about individual homeowners in any practical sense–it’s about enriching owners of mineral rights below homeowners, or the business that wants to open where they’re not zoned, or the gravel pit occupying what used to be your scenic backyard view. In its application, Amendment 74 would encroach on the rights of individual homeowners every time they ran into conflict with somebody’s business idea. Again, this is not a small deception. It’s a total falsification.

As for the renter voters this piece is targeting, sorry! Not only is there nothing in Amendment 74 for you, the Colorado Amendment 74 would create may not be a place you would want to buy property in at all.

For all of these reasons, this mailer is an insult to the intelligence of every voter who receives it.

Friday Open Thread

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  by: Colorado Pols November 2, 2018 at 7:01 AM MDT

“In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins.”

–Ulysses S. Grant

Colorado Senate GOP: If You Want Stuff Done, Vote Democratic

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  by: Colorado Pols November 1, 2018 at 2:23 PM MDT

Outgoing Senate President Kevin Grantham (R).

Today in the Denver Post from reporter Anna Staver, we have Colorado Senate Republicans, who make up the only nexus of majority power for the GOP in the state’s government since retaking the chamber by a single seat in 2014, making the case for continued majority control.

At least, that’s what they think they’re doing. To most readers, the Senate GOP majority’s final appeal says something else entirely between the lines:

“All you have to do is look at what the House passed over the last four years, and what we killed in the Senate,” said Senate President Kevin Grantham, R-Cañon City. “There will not be any backstop anymore.”

Grantham has presided over Republicans’ one-seat majority in the state Senate since 2016 — two years after the GOP flipped control of the 35-member chamber and ended the last Democratic trifecta.

He has kept a list of 33 bills passed by the Democratic House since 2016 that died in the Republican-controlled Senate. It includes paid parental leave, paid sick leave, funding for full-day kindergarten, ending the death penalty, setbacks for oil and gas drilling, permissions for law enforcement to remove weapons from people in the midst of mental health crises — the red-flag bill — and several bills aimed at addressing the lack of affordable housing.

With the possible exception of the repeal of the death penalty, the items listed here as “victories” by Senate President Kevin Grantham after the GOP Senate majority killed them could be reasonably considered defeats for a majority of voters–to the point where Democrats would probably use a very similar list to condemn Republican obstruction. And it’s not just a partisan divide, since public polling on these issues consistently shows strong bipartisan public support. A May 2018 Keating Research poll found support in Colorado for a “red flag” law at an overwhelming 81%. Paid family leave polls over 70% in national polls, and paid sick leave at 85%.

We could go on, but the point is clear. Republicans take pride in obstructing a long list of agenda items that are not just Democratic, but things the public wants accomplished without partisan distinction. This is what happens when a cloistered majority becomes more focused on internal consensus than on what the voters actually want done. The numbers don’t lie, and Republicans have barreled ahead in seeming defiance of public opinion.

In 2012, Republicans holding a one-seat majority in the Colorado House chose to make a defiant stand against civil unions legislation for LGBT couples at session’s end, capping off a two-year Republican majority similarly obsessed with obstruction and distasteful wedge-issue politics. That November, Republicans paid for their misguided agenda by losing their majority in a landslide.

Six years later, a remarkably similar situation is unfolding.

Donald Trump Loves Him Some Walker Stapleton

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  by: Colorado Pols November 1, 2018 at 1:24 PM MDT

And hilarity ensues…

 

This Tweet started out fine, but President Trump went off the rails with the “He is strong, smart, and has been successful at everything he has ever done” part. If you’ve ever wondered if Trump was well-acquainted with Walker Stapleton, you now have your answer (though they do have plenty in common).

Trump’s renewed endorsement might be a helpful message in a place like Mississippi or Nebraska. Or Russia. But here in Colorado, the only person more unpopular than Trump is Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma).

Coincidentally, Gardner is traveling with Stapleton today on the Republican GOTV circuit. Things are really going well for Stapleton.

Trump Ramps Up Racism After Synagogue Massacre

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  by: Colorado Pols November 1, 2018 at 11:58 AM MDT

UPDATE: From the Sacramento Bee:

Bracamontes was next arrested May 4, 2001, on marijuana charges in Maricopa County, and deported three days later. Republican George W. Bush was president at the time, and was president when Bracamontes slipped back into the United States a short time later.

The date of his re-entry is not clear, but records show Bracamontes was married in Maricopa County on Feb. 28, 2002, when Bush was president.

By then, Bracamontes had been living near Salt Lake City where he remained until 2014, when he and his wife embarked upon a methamphetamine-fueled trip that ended with their arrests in Placer County after the deputies were killed.

Meaning that in addition to being twisted and outlandishly racist, this ad is also lying.

—–

CNN reports, and it would be a profound shock at any other moment:

In the most racially charged national political ad in 30 years, President Donald Trump and the Republican Party accuse Democrats of plotting to help people they depict as Central American invaders overrun the nation with cop killers.

The new web video, tweeted by the President five days before the midterm elections, is the most extreme step yet in the most inflammatory closing argument of any campaign in recent memory.

The Trump campaign ad is the latest example of the President’s willingness to lie and fear-monger in order to tear at racial and societal divides; to embrace demagoguery to bolster his own political power and the cause of the Republican midterm campaign.

The web video in question, which has over 3 million views via President Donald Trump’s Twitter account alone, depicts an undocumented cop-killer from California bragging about his crimes before cutting to selected clips of the migrant caravan of asylum seekers making its way north through Mexico toward the U.S. border. It’s being compared to some of the worst race-baiting political ads in modern political history, from the Willie Horton ads against Michael Dukakis in 1988 to the infamous Jesse Helms “White Hands” ad invoking white resentment to affirmative action.

But in context with current events, it’s actually far worse than any of those.

Given the horrific violence that misinformation about this caravan of people who intend to seek asylum from the U.S. government in the event they reach the southern border weeks from now has provoked, including the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue that killed 11 people last Saturday, this video making a totally unjustified connection from a violent criminal to this caravan is incredibly irresponsible. Less than a few days after an act of misguided violence over this same dreadfully overhyped caravan that shocked the nation, the President of the United States is inciting further violence rather than trying to bring Americans together.

After two years in which it seems like every boundary self-imposed by civil society and common decency has been shattered by this heedless monster of a President, this could honestly be the worst yet. At a moment when the President should be backing the nation away from the brink, this one is pushing us closer.

Whatever happens next Tuesday, this is a very sad moment in American history.

Poll: Who Will Be Colorado’s Next Secretary of State?

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  by: Colorado Pols November 1, 2018 at 11:07 AM MDT

Just a few days out from the 2018 midterm election, here’s a poll on the race for Colorado secretary of state: Republican incumbent Wayne Williams versus Democratic election lawyer Jena Griswold. Remember, we’re looking for your best educated guess on the outcome of this race, not who you support or who you would prefer to see emerge victorious.

Who will win the Colorado secretary of state race?
Jena Griswold (D)
Wayne Williams (R)
View Result

Poll: Who Will Be Colorado’s Next Treasurer?

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  by: Colorado Pols November 1, 2018 at 11:06 AM MDT

Just a few days out from the 2018 midterm election, here’s a poll on the  race for Colorado treasurer: Republican Brian Watson versus Democratic Rep. Dave Young of Greeley. Remember, we’re looking for your best educated guess on the outcome of this race, not who you support or who you would prefer to see emerge victorious.

Who will win the Colorado treasurer race?
Brian Watson (R)
Dave Young (D)
View Result

Poll: Who Will Be Colorado’s Next Attorney General?

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  by: Colorado Pols November 1, 2018 at 11:04 AM MDT

Just a few days out from the 2018 midterm election, here’s a poll on the red-hot race for Colorado attorney general pitting Republican DA George Brauchler against Democratic nominee Phil Weiser. Remember, we’re looking for your best educated guess on the outcome of this race, not who you support or who you would prefer to see emerge victorious.

Who will win the Colorado attorney general race?
George Brauchler (R)
Phil Weiser (D)
View Result

Poll: Predict Polis’ Win Margin (Knock On Wood)

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  by: Colorado Pols November 1, 2018 at 10:43 AM MDT

Jared Polis (left) and Walker Stapleton.

There a growing consensus now with just a few days of voting left in the 2018 elections that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis will win his race. Polling in this race has been remarkably consistent showing an upper-single digit lead for Polis enduring throughout the season, and surviving all the frightful negatives thrown at him by Republican opponent Walker Stapleton. The likelihood of a Polis victory is further underscored by ballot returns showing serious underperformance for Republicans compared to the last midterm election in 2014.

With this in mind, we thought it appropriate to poll our users not just on who will win the race as we’ve been tracking weekly, but on what the margin of victory for Polis is likely to be. It’s a question with significant implications down the ballot, and without jinxing anything it does seem to be the more important question to ask as of now.

As with all of our highly unscientific user polls, all we ask is that you vote for what you honestly think will be the outcome–not your personal preference.

By what margin will Jared Polis win the gubernatorial race?
Less than 1%
1-5%
5-10%
Over 10%
Over 15%
Not sure/other (see comments)
Stapleton wins
View Result

Polis Maintains Lead in Latest Poll Numbers

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  by: Colorado Pols November 1, 2018 at 9:44 AM MDT

Jared Polis (left) and Walker Stapleton.

Democrat Jared Polis has consistently polled ahead of Republican Walker Stapleton in the race for Governor, and two new polls indicate much of the same.

Republican-leaning outfit Magellan Strategies shows Polis with a 5-point lead over Stapleton. This is a slight change from a Magellan poll conducted two weeks ago, but the difference is well within the margin of error. Poll results from a consortium led by Democratic-leaning Keating Research and OnSight Public Affairs indicate that Polis is leading Stapleton by 8 points heading into the final days of the election.

As Jon Murray reports for the Denver Post, a closer look at the numbers show Polis well ahead in several important subgroups:

In both of the new polls, Polis notched double-digit leads over Stapleton among women, unaffiliated voters and voters in their 40s or younger. Notably, the Magellan poll reported more voters undecided overall (11 percent) than the Colorado Poll (4 percent)…

…David Flaherty [of Magellan Strategies] said Stapleton remains the clear underdog, given Polis’ consistent leads as well as mail ballot returns that, so far, show registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters outpacing their 2014 midterm turnout. Republicans, while leading slightly in returns through Tuesday, were underperforming significantly compared to the GOP wave election four years ago.

The latest ballot return numbers available this morning from the Colorado Secretary of State show a surge of returns from Unaffiliated voters and no indication that Republican turnout is on the uptick. More than 1 million Coloradans have now returned ballots.

The Keating/OnSight poll also tracked approval ratings for President Trump and Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma), both of whom will likely be on the ballot in 2020. Trump is viewed unfavorably by 59 percent of respondents, with only 39 percent expressing a positive opinion of the President. Gardner’s favorability rating remains upside-down, with 43 percent of respondents professing a negative view of the freshman Senator (compared to 42 percent showing approval). Perhaps more concerning for Gardner is that he is only viewed favorably by 71 percent of Republicans, compared to Trump’s 82 percent approval with the GOP base.

Brauchler Runs From Rape Case Hypocrisy

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  by: Colorado Pols October 31, 2018 at 1:02 PM MDT

UPDATE: Colorado Democrats go point-by-point to rebut George Brauchler:

Mr. Brauchler’s Lie: “I was not the primary defense attorney for Koontz”

Court Documents: Public court documents reveal that in fact, Mr. Brauchler was the only defense attorney to submit a formal“entry of appearance” to the Court in this case, and that his printed name and Colorado bar number appear as listed defense counsel on every single document the defense filed.

Mr. Brauchler’s Lie: “I was filling in for other lawyers”

Court documents: As noted, Mr. Brauchler’s printed name and Colorado Attorney number appear on every single one of the eleven documents the defense filed in the case, with the vast majority also including his personal signature. And in those few documents where another lawyer hand signed above Mr. Brauchler’s printed name, that lawyer specifically hand wrote that they were appearing“for” George Brauchler.

Mr. Brauchler’s Lie: “This is a case where I went to court one time for this guy”

Court documents: Lawyers for Mr. Koontz’s appeared before the Court eight times in this case, either in person or telephonically. In seven of these eight appearances, Mr. Brauchler was the sole attending defense attorney.

—–

We wrote last Friday about the latest exchange of fire between Republican attorney general candidate George Brauchler and his Democratic opponent Phil Weiser over their respective work as private lawyers on criminal defense matters. An ad from Brauchler’s principal backers at the Republican Attorneys General Association attempts to vilify Weiser for a pro bono legal opinion he submitted upon request in a criminal case, using the lurid details of the underlying case to somehow impugn Weiser’s own moral credibility. The claim is patently ridiculous since Weiser’s only role in the case was a legal opinion on a specific detail, not as a defense attorney–not to mention that attorneys by nature are in the business of defending bad people, and that does not make them bad people themselves.

Worse, as we discussed Friday, is the straightforward charge of hypocrisy this attack opens against Brauchler, whose own record as a criminal defense attorney is full of cases that could be weaponized in the same duplicitous manner. In particular, Brauchler was the defense attorney in a disturbing case of alleged sexual assault at Colorado State University which ended in a controversial plea bargain for the accused rapist.

And that’s where the Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul picks up the story, discussing the response ad from Weiser that invokes this case:

(more…)

A Pueblo Candidate, Who Didn’t Pay Child Support, Posts Meme Criticizing Women Who Keep Children “From A Loving Father”

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  by: Jason Salzman October 31, 2018 at 11:53 AM MDT

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

A Pueblo state legislative candidate, who failed to pay child support for nearly 17 years, recently shared a Facebook meme stating, “THE REAL DEADBEAT IS THE WOMAN WHO KEEPS HER CHILD FROM A LOVING FATHER.”

Don Bendell, a Republican who’s running for the state house seat occupied by Judy Reyher, admitted that he started paying court-ordered child support after his three children had grown up.

The meme, which depicts a man holding a young girl in his arms, is noteworthy because, by using the phrase “the real deadbeat,” it appears to downplay the problem of fathers, like Bendell himself, who don’t support their children.

Asked about the post by the Colorado Times Recorder, Bendell responded via email:

Bendell: I DID NOT fail to pay child support. I did get behind, owned, and apologized for it. I paid every penny that I owed plus interest. My ex-wife and I lived in Ohio and she took my three children from my first marriage and moved them to NC where she was from in 1979 while I was out of town on a business trip. We got divorced in Ohio and I did not “flee NC authorities,” as I was not even there. Deadbeats run and hide and try not to pay. I DID PAY, every cent. It is old news but salacious and inaccurate slurs have been used against me in this campaign. I have spoken about issues and my solutions for them, and that is what people care about.

I do not downplay men who do not pay, but you are downplaying women who use their children as chess pawns in custody battles to attack loving fathers.

Children should never be put between parents in a divorce as kids always find a way to blame themselves in such  adult matters.

Bendell’s children alerted the Pueblo Chieftain to their father’s history after Bendell was selected by Pueblo-area Republicans to run for the state house seat against Democrat Brianna Buentello.

(more…)

At Least He’s Not Your Candidate for Governor

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  by: Colorado Pols October 31, 2018 at 11:46 AM MDT

Here’s a really unfortunate photo op featuring Bill Schuette (pronounced Shoot-EE), the Republican candidate for Governor in Michigan:

 

Nobody thought this might be a bad idea? Nobody?

Get More Smarter on Halloween (October 31)

1
  by: Colorado Pols October 31, 2018 at 11:35 AM MDT

Because it’s Halloween, it’s Hall-o-we-en, Hall-o-ween, nuh nuh nuh nah nah. It’s time to Get More Smarter. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example). If you are more of a visual learner, check out The Get More Smarter Show.

 

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► Still haven’t voted? Still waiting for a ballot? Head on over to GoVoteColorado.com for more information on voting centers, ballot drop-off locations, or for resources to check on the status of your mail ballot.

Meanwhile, the latest ballot return numbers are available from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. As Republican-leaning polling firm Magellan Strategies explains, Democratic voters are surging in Colorado.

 

► Trump mad! Trump smash! As the Washington Post reports:

President Trump lashed out Wednesday at House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) over Ryan’s comments on birthright citizenship, saying he “should be focusing on holding the Majority.”

The extraordinary rebuke from Trump came one day after Ryan pushed back on the president’s remarks on the issue, saying “you cannot end birthright citizenship with an executive order.”

“Paul Ryan should be focusing on holding the Majority rather than giving his opinions on Birthright Citizenship, something he knows nothing about!” Trump tweeted Wednesday afternoon. “Our new Republican Majority will work on this, Closing the Immigration Loopholes and Securing our Border!”

Earlier Wednesday, Trump vowed to push forward with his call to end birthright citizenship, despite a backlash from legal scholars and some prominent members of his own party against his pledge a day earlier to take executive action on the matter.

Paul Ryan is not the boss of me!

Elsewhere, 9News fact-checks Trump’s claims that he can change birthright citizenship on his own.

 

► In a separate story from the Washington Post, reporter Jacqueline Alemany writes that President Trump’s birthright citizenship rhetoric is a big problem for Republicans in tight races:

Republican leaders and candidates in tough races to be decided in next Tuesday’s midterm elections were divided, evasive and otherwise just plain off message yesterday after President Trump spontaneously introduced the notion of ending birthright citizenship.

This really isn’t the way Republicans running with — or in some cases, away — from Trump want to be spending the closing days of a campaign on which control of Congress hinges.

This rhetoric is particularly problematic for incumbents like Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Aurora), who has a history of supporting legislation to eliminate birthright citizenship.

 

► The oil and gas industry is responsible for 1 out of every 5 dollars spent on the 2018 election in Colorado — for a total of more than $40 million.

 

► Republican Secretary of State Wayne “Boots” Williams can’t stop digging his own hole.

 

Get even more smarter after the jump…

(more…)

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