Tuesday Open Thread

For those rainy Memorial Day blues.

Comments

[Dylan]

Check out Dan Haley's column today in the Post. He discusses Degette & Salazar's recent media, the U.S attorney appointment, Paccione in the 4th, the possiblilty of Hillman appointed Treasurer, Holtzman fundraising out of state and almost every other topic that comes up on this site.
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_2768597

[Ter Ducken]

Notice how media outlets very rarely admit that stories were on blogs before they reported it.

[Stephen]

Alva-
Lets have some more Republicans do the Q&A's have you considered or asked, Beauprez,McInnis, O'Donnell, Sen. Hillman/and or Stengel, Sen. Mitchell, someone from the 3rd or anyone from state party?

[Alva Adams]

The lack of Republicans is not by design. We always approach one Republican for every Democrat to keep it even, but thus far only Democrats have agreed to participate. Why is that? Your guess is as good as ours. But if you'd like to see more Republicans, please encourage them.

We do have Senator Allard, of course, and have heard back from two other Republicans but have thus far not confirmed a final date.

[Progressive Dem]

Re: the 7th CD… it's surprising how few of the "political insiders" who frequent this blog have any facts at their disposal. Name calling is all well and good, I guess, but for those who prefer the facts: Peggy Lamm NEVER endorsed Bill Owens. It's that simple.

Perlmutter, on the other hand, frequently voted with Owens during his time in the legislature. What's worse?

[7th CD voter]

True, Lamm never endorsed Owens. But Perlmutter practically hopped in bed with the Guv. For one of many, many examples, see the Durango Herald from March 2002 on the uproar against SB-141, sponsored by our friend Eddy P. on behalf of the oil and gas lobby:

"The bill, favored by the oil and gas industry, would reverse two recent Colorado Supreme Court decisions that prohibit gas companies from deducting the cost of production and marketing from royalty checks."
...
"The outcry [against Perlmutter’s bill] convinced House Finance Committee Chairman Joe Stengel, R-Lakewood, to temporarily table the measure Friday. Stengel, with Sen. Ed Perlmutter, D-Golden, who sponsored the measure, announced Friday they would be holding a forum to 'discuss' the bill and try to reach a comprise, said state Rep. Mark Larson, R-Cortez, on Friday."

http://www.durangoherald.com/news/02/news020303_4.htm

Spreading disinformation AND pushing the Owens big-business agenda? That’ll play great with Dem primary voters!

[ohwilleke]

It appears nobody noticed (the great thing about taking actions on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend and not sending out a press release), but Governor Owens vetoed the bill which would have ended employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and religion in Colorado.

[rattled]

I'm curious how Beauprez's Spanish jaunt will affect his Gov chances. Holtzman after all?

[perdiem]

Dear Progressive -- you better check your facts. Only God and Peggy Lamm know how she actually voted in 2002, but what we do know is that she gave an interview to a reporter (not a push pollster) indicating that she was endorsing Owens as part of a "Democrats for Owens" press release put out by the Owens campaign. Her interview was included in a "Democrats for Owens" story that Jody Stroggoff did for the Colorado Statesman in 2002. Some Democrats in that story disavowed support for Owens. Peggy did not. She did the opposite. She said that Rollie Heath "didn't stand much of a chance." A few weeks ago she denied endorsing Owens, but she never made any effort in 2002 to show her support for Democratic candidate Rollie Heath. Her denials fly in the face of her actions.

[cotopaxi jo]

peridem,
You better check your own facts. Peggy has always been crystal clear about these various conversations--although they were conflated by all recent secondary sources. She was asked by an anonymous caller (it later turned out was from Bill Owens' campaign) if she would endorse Owens as a candidate for governor-she replied very unambiguously "NO". That was an entirely separate conversation than she had with the Statesman in which she NEVER endorsed Owens as a candidate.

In any case, eddy has so many problems with his "Democratic" record he knows he cannot last long with another Democratic opponent. Maybe that's why he has chickened out so many times.

Aside from being in the pocket of developers when he was supposed to be shepherding the growth debate through the legislature, Eddy's voting record is truly alarming.

Check out how he voted on a bill to give gay persons legal rights in the case of illness or death of their significant others (not exactly extreme):

"Proponents testified that the measure was vital to forestall situations in which lifelong committed partners are unable to see each other when hospitalized or evicted by family members after the death of a loved one. But some committee members said it "went too far." No opponents testified, and SB 161 was killed on a 5-3 vote....Sen. Ed Perlmutter, D-Wheat Ridge, was quiet for a long time before voting no. "Politically this is a difficult vote, morally this is a difficult vote," he said. [Denver Post Feb 6, 1997].

ed's abysmal voting recong continues on and on.

Add to that both ed and Bill Thiebaut knew that Peggy had never actually endorsed Owens before they sent out the letter (and contacted press) but they mailed it anyway.

Seriously, how desperate is lil'ed to keep his record under wraps? There is a palpable feeling of desperation in his recent efforts to smear Peggy.

[denverdem]

Every one who continues to claim that lamm never enorsed owens, fail to answer the question:

When the press release from the Owens campaign went out listing her as a supporter, why did she not deny it at the time. I don't care who asked her the question from the owens campaign, jody strogoff specifically asked her about the press release citing her as a supporter and she did not deny it. other democrats who had been listed in press release did tell jody that they were not supporting owens. lamm did not. If she did not endorse owens, why did she allow her name to be used as a supporter. I guaruntee that if my name had been used by a campaign indicating that i supported the campaign, when indeed i did not, i would raise all kinds of hell with the campaign and would certainly tell any reporter who called what my real position is.

I saw the story in the statesman when it first ran, and i remember specifically seeing lamms name as a supporter of owens and was appalled, as i was with other names that were on the list. if she didn't endorse owens, she should have demanded that her name be removed.