Coyote Gulch

Friday, January 30, 2004

MoveOn's One Minute Boycott of the Super Bowl
Common Dreams: "Leaders of the MoveOn.org Voter Fund are urging urging the public to support a one-minute boycott of CBS during halftime at Sunday's Super Bowl game to protest the network's refusal to air an issue ad that is critical of the Bush Administration 's handling of the federal deficit. At the same time, the MoveOn.org Voter Fund announced it will air the ad on CNN all day Sunday, including during the Super Bowl, and throughout the next week. It also will air on broadcast and cable stations in Florida, West Virginia, Ohio, Missouri and Nevada, five states that are expected to be central to the coming presidential campaign. The cost of the new ad buy is approximately $1 million. Viewers are asked to leave the CBS Super Bowl broadcast for a minute between 8:15 and 8:45 p.m. Sunday night and go to CNN to see the ad that CBS would not run. For the exact time of the one-minute boycott and ad broadcast, go to the website www. Bushin30Seconds.org."
The ad is the work of Denver Native Charlie Fisher. Thanks to TalkLeft for the link.
Here's an opinion piece from Paul Campos columnist for the Rocky Mountain News about CBS' refusal to run the ad [January 27, 2004, "Campos: CBS' eye just got blacker"]. Says Campos, "This egregious bit of censorship is made all the more obnoxious by the fact that CBS will air an advertisement during the game from the White House's own Office of National Drug Control Policy, which, in appropriately Orwellian fashion, will encourage teenagers to rat out their pot-smoking friends to Big Brother. The White House's ad follows on the heels of its memorable 2002 Super Bowl advertisement, which claimed that people who use drugs (not, apparently, including erectile dysfunction drugs) are supporting terrorism. That particularly idiotic moment in the war on drugs wasn't too 'controversial' to be unleashed on the public during America's annual pigskin pageant ... Decisions of this sort are more than monuments to hypocrisy and double standards. Because those who have the right to broadcast have, in effect, a monopoly on the television airwaves, the television networks are regulated closely by the federal government. By law, the networks hold their broadcast rights in trust, and are thus obligated to do business in a way that is mindful of the public interest. CBS doesn't serve the public interest when it rejects an otherwise appropriate advertisement because, in the opinion of the network's managers, the ad's message is too controversial. This is especially the case when the network broadcasts equally controversial advertisements, during the same program for which the rejected ad was intended."
7:58:54 PM

2004 Presidential Election
A picture named denver2okcity.jpg Yesterday I was reminded that some people may be headed to Oklahoma this weekend to help the candidate of their choice. If you're going, Denver to Oklahoma City is 10 hours, 6 minutes, 677.30 miles. Take I-70 to I-35 to I-40.
Tracking polls for next week's primaries and caucuses from Taegan Goddard. Polls, polls, and more polls from the Daily Kos.
Here are some numbers from North Dakota from Taegan Goddard.
It looks like the whole country is caught up in John Kerry fever. Rasmussen reports is showing Kerry with a one point lead over George Bush, 45% to 44%.
Here's a recent poll from EPIC/MRA of Lansing Michigan showing John Kerry with 37 percent, compared to 14 percent each for Edwards, of North Carolina, and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. Poor Dean, he's almost out of the running.
John Kerry is leading in Virginia for their February 10 primary according to Taegan Goddard. The numbers are Kerry, 34%, Wesley Clark 17%, Howard Dean, 14% and Al Sharpton, 9%.
According to a new CBS News poll John Edwards leads John Kerry in South Carolina 30% to 18%. The story claims that Howard Dean, Al Sharpton, and Wesley Clark are tied for third.
6:54:13 AM

Colorado Water
Mayor Hickenlooper named George Beardsley to the Denver Water Board Thursday. Mr. Beardsley is the Mayor's first Water Board appointment, according to the Denver Post [January 30, 2004, "Developer tapped for Water Board"]. From the article, "Beardsley develops and manages commercial real estate, but also has been a water manager, a Summit County rancher and a leading conservationist. He is the first of two picks the mayor will make for the board, which oversees water distributed to roughly a quarter of the state's population and about half the residents of the Front Range. Because it controls so much of Colorado's most crucial natural resource, Denver Water has long been viewed as one of the state's key political players. Beardsley has chaired the Colorado Conservation Trust since its inception and is a past member of the Great Outdoors Colorado board, the state program that acquires land for open space, parks and wildlife habitat."
Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News [January 30, 2004, "Hickenlooper says city will lead way on water"].
5:58:40 AM

Denver November 2004 Election
Democrats here in Colorado and nationally really want a big name to run against Ben Nighthorse Campbell this year. They're hoping to pick up a Senate seat here facing retirements in the South and having other seats nationwide under attack (see Tom Daschle). It looks like they're now trying to snare my old boss, Wellington Webb, for a run, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 30, 2004, "Democrats urge Webb to consider Senate bid"]. From the article, "Gates and national party leaders still hope to attract a big-name candidate to join the field of three political newcomers - Mike Miles, Brad Freedberg and Larry Johnson - who are seeking the party's nomination. Already, Miles and Freedberg have complained that their organizing and fund-raising efforts have been hurt by the party's wait for a better-known contender." Mr. Webb, I'll help you start your weblog.
Here's an article about fundraising in the Senate race from the Rocky Mountain News [January 30, 2004, "Campbell war chest doesn't scare Dems"]. Senator Campbell has about $1.3 Million on hand, Mike Miles has $50,000 while Brad Freedburg raised $8,000 in 2003 and has loaned his campaign $40,000. Both Miles and Freedburb feel that they'll be able to raise enough dough to run if they get the nomination. Where's George Soros?
Here's a story about yesterday's decision by Supreme Court Justice Breyer in the Colorado redistricting case from the Denver Post [January 30, 2004, "U.S. court denies stay"]. From the article, "Attorney General Ken Salazar said the denial by Justice Stephen Breyer, who is responsible for such requests from Colorado, means the state's congressional boundaries for this November's general elections will be the same as they were for the 2002 elections. State Republicans filed their request for a stay on Monday, hoping a new GOP redistricting plan could be used in November. The GOP then filed a full appeal on Wednesday. The nation's high court could take months to rule on the full appeal. Colorado GOP chairman Ted Halaby said Republicans are undeterred and will push ahead with the appeal."
The Bell Policy Center filed paperwork with the State yesterday to put changes to TABOR in front of voters in the fall, according to the Denver Post [January 29, 2004, "Fiscal reforms target TABOR"]. From the article, "A group trying to reform Colorado's constitution to loosen the state's spending restrictions has drafted a package of specific proposals and plans to put one on the ballot this fall. Of the proposals coming from the Bell center, one would eliminate TABOR but still require voters to approve tax increases. Another would tie the size of the state budget to a fixed percentage of the state's personal income. One Bell proposal and the Bighorn measure would address TABOR and limit the K-12 spending mandated by Amendment 23 during tough economic times."
This is going to be a fun issue to watch this election season. The Bell Policy Center has a list of TABOR resources here. Democracy in the 21st Century == a computer and an Internet connection, and showing up to vote.
5:48:20 AM

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