| |
|
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
|
|
Weblogs
Ed Cone: "The next big thing in local blogging: real political conversations. Greensboro City Councilwoman Sandy Carmany's new blog is already setting the standard."
7:16:08 PM 
|
|
Terri Schiavo
Wow. This must be unprecedented. Jeb Bush wants custody of Terri Schiavo.
Mt. Virtus: "The dialogue continues because the critic continues to raise interesting and worthwhile objections. And I thought I'd use this public space again to address them."
Josh Marshall: "And Tom DeLay, this is truly the last refuge for this man. The cable networks seem not quite to have caught on to the fact that almost every tentacle of the political machine this man has created is now careening toward federal or state indictments. So here he is wrapping himself in the cloth of this family tragedy, in an effort to whip up the most whippable of his supporters in his defense, and in so doing finding the hand of God working in this woman's hospice care and in his own exposure as one of the most corrupt congressional leaders in American history."
Andrew Sullivan: "Where gays are concerned, George's belief is that gays have no fundamental civil rights with respect to marriage or even private consensual sex. George even believes that the government has a legitimate interest in passing laws that affect masturbation. But when he can purloin the rhetoric of 'civil rights' to advance his own big government moralism, he will. The case also highlights - in another wonderful irony - how religious right morality even trumps civil marriage. It is simply amazing to hear the advocates of the inviolability of the heterosexual civil marital bond deny Terri Schiavo's legal husband the right to decide his wife's fate, when she cannot decide it for herself. Again, the demands of the religious right pre-empt constitutionalism, federalism, and even the integrity of the family. When conservatism means breaking up the civil bond between a man and his wife, you know it has ceased to be conservative. But we have known that for a long time now. Conservatism is a philosophy without a party in America any more. It has been hijacked by zealots and statists."
Oliver Willis: "An overwhelming 82 percent of the public believes the Congress and President should stay out of the matter. There is widespread cynicism about Congress' motives for getting involved: 7 percent say Congress intervened to advance a political agenda, not because they cared what happened to Terri Schiavo. Public approval of Congress has suffered as a result; at 34 percent, it is the lowest it has been since 1997, dropping from 41 percent last month. Now at 43 percent, President Bush[base ']s approval rating is also lower than it was a month ago."
Dan Gillmor: "Question: If the Republican sock-puppets who passed the Schiavo law weren't doing it mostly for political posturing, why didn't they just do what they've made abundantly clear they expect the federal judiciary to do: Order the doctors to put the feeding tube back in. What hypocrites they are."
TalkLeft: "A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit has refused to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. Her parents say they will now go to the Supreme Court."
6:09:55 PM
|
|
Denver November 2006 Election
From today's Denver Post, "Likely Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rutt Bridges has hired U.S. Rep. John Salazar's campaign director, Jim Merlino. 'He's a personal consultant advising me on the viability of a run for governor,' said Bridges, who embarks on a six-week tour of Colorado next week before deciding whether to announce for the 2006 election. Former AFL-CIO political director Tyler Chafee is taking a leave from Bridges' Denver- based Bighorn Center for Public Policy to advise Bridges on a possible campaign."
Here's an article from the Denver Post about the governor's race, [March 22, 2005, "McInnis: 'It would be an honor" to be governor'"]. From the article, "University of Denver President Marc Holtzman has said he will run for Colorado governor next year, though he's held off making a formal announcement. State Treasurer Mike Coffman, and Rep. Bob Beauprez are also potential Republican candidates."
"Potential Democratic candidates include millionaire Rutt Bridges, former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter and former Lt. Gov. Gail Schoettler, who narrowly lost to Owens in 1998."
Update: Colorado Luis: "You may wonder why so many people are hot on the idea of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper running for governor as a Democrat. Doesn't the rest of Colorado hate Denver and its big city liberals? Well, there is a simple reason: The man has a 92% approval rating. Even a push poll conducted by opponents of his plan for a new jail and justice center showed 69% of Denver residents think he has the city going in the right direction."
The Colorado Pols love my boss.
Coyote Gulch thinks the mayor would also do well in Montezuma County. The tri-small towns of Dolores, Mancos and Cortez can't deliver many votes though. There's only about 24,000 people in the whole county. It's always been dry there. 
6:14:05 AM
|
|
Social Security
Security at the President's carefully orchestrated event on Monday in Denver raised a few hackles according to Jim Spencer's column in today's Denver Post [March 23, 2005, "Free speech checked at the door"]. He writes, "'Freedom of speech, general assembly, they're all guaranteed under the Constitution,' said Lon Garner, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Denver district. 'We are not an enforcement arm to the president other than security.'" Garner said his agents don't remove people from presidential gatherings unless they break the law. The Republican staff, on the other hand, may ask people to leave, Garner said."
"If that's what it's come down to in America, if a bumper sticker allows the Republican Party to bully you out of seeing the president of the United States, then George Bush and his GOP henchmen are living a lie. The president constantly claims freedom as God's gift to everyone. 'We shouldn't be surprised when people are willing to take risks for freedom,' Bush told GOP cheerleaders allowed to hear him speak in Denver. 'Free societies are peaceful societies. Free societies are hopeful societies. Free societies are the best way to defeat the dark vision of the terrorists.'"
"They sure are, Mr. President."
TalkLeft: "House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (MD) responds to the Trustee's social security report and says it confirms there is no crisis and that the President is delaying bipartisan action by pushing his private-account proposal."
6:09:29 AM
|
|
Colorado Water
Colorado agriculture and development have long been at odds over the uses of water. Developers want to build, more people want to move here, and ranchers and farmers have been selling off water rights as agriculture has consolidated. A fairly new demand for water, whitewater parks and kayak courses, is now putting additional pressure on this scarce resource. Towns and cities along many streams are trying to establish minimum flows that will allow them to build the parks for the tourism and recreational benefit. Here's an article on the subject from the Denver Post [March 23, 2005, "Kayakers, developers at war over rivers of dreams"].
From the article, "In the past 10 years, whitewater parks have surfaced from Reno, Nev., to Fort Worth, Texas. But Colorado is the first state to allow water decrees for kayak parks. At least 15 Colorado communities have built courses since the early 1990s. Among those now seeking a water right is Chaffee County, whose officials say they are trying to protect a whitewater industry that generates $80 million a year. The Colorado Water Conservation Board, which is charged with maximizing the use of Colorado's water, has been the most persistent court opponent of kayak-park applications..."
"In most years, whitewater parks would have all the water they need. During times of drought, recreational water decrees would be among the last to get water, because they are the newest. But they worry the traditional water brokers because by having a large water right, a kayak-course owner will have a seat at the table when changes in future water use are considered. That might enable rural governments to limit development of reservoirs and water exchanges between farms and cities, critics say."
The Denver Post editorial staff wants to see HB 1177 pass and SB 62 fail according to an editorial in today's Denver Post [March 23, 2005, "Make right call on water bills"].
Update: New West Network: "With an unusually wet winter in New Mexico, experts are warning of an increase in hantavirus and plague. Hantavirus is a concern this year. Plague next year. Who knew that moisture reaped such dividends?"
5:55:52 AM
|
|
|
© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 7:24:21 PM.
|
|
|
