Coyote Gulch

Monday, June 7, 2004

2004 Presidential Election
John Kerry was supposed to be in Denver today for a campaign swing through the normally ignored, presumed safe red state, Colorado. He cancelled his trip out of respect for former President Ronald Reagan, according to the Denver Post [June 7, 2004, "Kerry salutes Reagan, halts campaign events"]. From the article, "Kerry's campaign said it was canceling all public events through Friday, including a Monday fundraiser in Denver and concerts in Los Angeles and in New York."
Here's an article highlighting John Kerry's short list of Vice Presidential candidates from the New York Times, via the Denver Post [June 7, 2004, "Potential VP picks sing the praises of Kerry"]. The article claims that the list is down to Bob Graham, John Edwards, and Bob Vilsack. From the article, "Like any presumptive nominee, Kerry has many more surrogates at the ready, from fellow members of Congress to governors to his own campaign officials and even his crewmates from the Vietnam War. But those who have been considered by Kerry or still hope to be - a list that includes Edwards, Gephardt, retired Gen. Wesley Clark of Arkansas and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico - may have more cachet, aides acknowledge, and they have been quick to comply with requests from Kerry's campaign."
6:35:15 AM

Denver November 2004 Election
Peter Coors' run for the U.S. Senate from Colorado, along with his stance supporting the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, has given new life to a national boycott against Coors beer, according to the Rocky Mountain News [June 7, 2004, "Coors boycott revived"]. From the article, "The boycott began as a protest of the Coors Brewing Co.'s anti-union position, and quickly grew to include gay outrage over company lie-detector tests that asked whether prospective employees were homosexual. The boycott faded after the company reversed itself in 1995 and began supporting high-profile gay causes and offering its gay employees a host of benefits. But now Pete Coors has angered the gay community with his support for a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, former Congressman Bob Schaffer, his opponent in the Republican primary race, has made much of the Coors brewery's gay-friendly workplace policies. Both Coors and the company have issued statements stressing their independence of each other. The message doesn't seem to be getting across. Not for lack of trying. Indeed, the company is taking steps to bolster its image in the gay community. In addition to last week's statement by CEO Leo Kiely distancing the company from Pete Coors' positions, the brewery is placing full-page ads in gay newspapers and magazines around the country."
Here's a short piece about last Saturday's Republican State Assembly, from the Rocky Mountain News [June 7, 2004, "Schaffer shakes convention with win"]. From the article, "It was supposed to be a display of Republican unity. Instead, the weekend's Republican State Convention featured boos and catcalls - directed at Gov. Bill Owens, whose jilting of Bob Schaffer in favor of Pete Coors remains raw - and a scolding by U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis."
The Denver Post editorial staff writes about Bob Schaffer's momentum coming out of the Republican State Assembly, [June 7, 2004, "Republican Schaffer builds steam"]. From the editorial, "Seven weeks ago when Pete Coors announced he was running for the U.S. Senate with the Gov. Bill Owens' backing, many wondered when former Congressman Bob Schaffer would drop out of the race. But with Schaffer's big win at Saturday's Republican state convention, it's now Coors who's back on his heels searching for some traction. Schaffer's well-oiled grass-roots campaign rolled through the convention, picking up top line on the primary ballot and some important momentum heading into the long summer campaign." Heh.
6:20:58 AM

Colorado Water
Wildfire danger is very high this summer, once again, due to the long running drought in Colorado, according to the Rocky Mountain News [June 7, 2004, "Wildfire outlook grim for Colorado"]. The Rocky quotes a risk assessment report released Sunday by an interagency team of state and federal land managers, "Due to long-term drought, the entire RMA (Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and Wyoming) is potentially at risk for an above-average fire season; however, potential is greatest for above-average fire activity across portions of the northern and southern Front Range of Colorado, Ute-Mesa Verde, Uncompaghre, West Northwest Colorado Plateau, (and) North Central; Colorado Mountains." From the article, "The main culprits are below-average winter snowfall and warm weather melting what snow was there. As of Friday, the state's snowpack was only 17 percent of the 30-year average and 61 percent of last year." Here's the coverage of the report from the Denver Post [June 7, 2004, "Front Range wildfire danger above average this summer"].
6:16:08 AM

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