Coyote Gulch

Thursday, February 3, 2005

2008 Presidential Election
James Carville: "I think it's pathetic. It's so indicative of the Democratic Party. Now we're just playing into every stereotype: We're weak, disorganized, flopping around. ... Somebody should have fixed this damn thing in November. I wish someone would have taken charge and three or four people would have gotten together in a smoke-filled room. ... They're not running for president! They are running for party chair. This is supposed to be a rigged deal. You think the Republicans would do it this way?" From the New Republic Online.
DemNotes: "... all seven of Colorado's DNC members have now endorsed Howard Dean for Democratic National Committee Chair."
6:59:57 PM

2004 Presidential Transition
The U.S. Senate voted 60-36 to confirm Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General. He was sworn in by Vice President Richard Cheney later in the day. Senator Salazar voted to confirm.
U.S. Senator Barack Obama: "A few days ago, the world watched as the seeds of democracy began to take root in Iraq. As a result of the sheer courage of the Iraqi people and the untold sacrifices of American soldiers, the success of the elections showed just how far people will go to achieve self-government and rule of law. As Americans, we can take pride in the fact that this kind of courage has been inspired by our own struggle for freedom...by the tradition of democratic law secured by our forefathers and enshrined in our Constitution. It 's a tradition that says all men are created equal under the law - and that no one is above it..."
6:03:49 PM

Colorado Water
Senator Wayne Allard is co-sponsoring the Salt Cedar Control Demonstration Act, according to this editorial from the Pueblo Chieftain via the Denver Post [February 3, 2005, "Allard and the thirsty tamarisk"]. From the opinion piece, "It is estimated that tamarisks siphon up to 4.5 million gallons of water per day, or 4.5 million acre-feet of water per year, from Western waterways, exacerbating the recent drought. The tamarisk is a feathery, tough-to-kill plant that grows prolifically in poor soils. The tree covers up to 1.5 million acres in the Southwest, where its dense thickets have choked out native vegetation. Tamarisk leaves excrete a salty residue that kills native plants. The trees spread with billions of tiny seeds which travel on the wind. Recently tamarisk growths have been noted along the South Platte River in the northeastern part of Colorado."
6:43:14 AM

DeLay Rule
Joel Hefley is out as chair of the House Ethics Committee, according to the Denver Post [February 3, 2005, "GOP leaders oust Hefley as top ethics cop in House"]. Now the congressman can get back to voting against spending bills.
Here's the reaction from the Bull Moose. He writes, "Employing the cloak of the State of the Union Address, the House Republicans instituted a purge yesterday on the House Ethics Committee to protect their Chief Bug Man. Apparently, it was three strikes and Ethics panel Chief Joel Hefley was out after repeatedly scolding DeLay for violating the rules of the chamber...It would be ironic indeed if the future Iraqi parliament is less corrupt than our GOP dominated crony operated House of Representatives. And this latest act does give new meaning to the term 'lower chamber.'" Ouch.
6:34:41 AM

State of the Union
Here's the reaction to President Bush's SOTU address from the Rocky Mountain News editorial staff [February 3, 2005, "Pension reform, and freedom abroad"]. They write, "If not a memorable speech, it was certainly a confident one. And it clearly set out the broad goals on which his presidency will no doubt someday be judged."
Josh Marshall: "Keep in mind that nothing that got said last night touched on the very big issues of disability and survivor benefits, which make up a substantial part of Social Security. That is money that in most cases, by definition, gets paid to individuals or on behalf of individuals who didn't have a lifetime of work to build up a private account. Where does that money come from?"
Here's the full transcript of the SOTU.
6:23:22 AM

Denver May 2005 Election
The City Council Safety Committee approved the plan for a new Justice Center yesterday, according to the Rocky Mountain News [February 3, 2005, "Panel backs jail project"]. The full council will vote next on the proposal for the May ballot.
6:19:14 AM

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