Tuesday, March 7, 2006

McCain or Clinton for president? ABC News: "More than two years out, most Americans have favorable views of the two most talked about potential 2008 presidential candidates, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. But their support profiles are vastly different: Clinton, much stronger in her base; McCain, far more appealing beyond his. "Fifty-two percent in this ABC News/Washington Post poll have a favorable opinion of Clinton, compared with 59 percent for McCain. McCain's popularity is at once broader across partisan lines and less divisive in terms of intensity of sentiment. Yet the flip side is that he's considerably weaker among Republicans than Clinton is among Democrats. "Overall 46 percent view Clinton unfavorably, compared with 29 percent for McCain (more have no opinion of McCain). More ominously for Clinton, 33 percent have a 'strongly' unfavorable impression of her, compared with just 11 percent for McCain." Category: 2008 Presidential Election 6:11:40 PM

Fiscal sanity in Washington D.C.? Captains Quarters: "After six years of wondering what happened to the GOP's reputation for fiscal sanity, House conservatives have prepared an alternative budget that aims to uphold what brought Republicans to power in the first place -- an insistence on smaller government and significant reductions in federal spending." Category: 2008 Presidential Election 6:11:40 AM

Immigration Here's an opinion piece about the Western Governors' Association Policy Resolution 2006-01, written by Janet Napolitano (Governor of Arizona) and John Huntsman (Governor of Utah). From the article, "There is a consensus in this country that our current immigration system is broken and broke. "And while we encourage the president and Congress to move forward on immigration reform this year, we also believe the current debate in Washington, D.C., is polarizing and unhealthy. "The time for micro-steps and limited action is behind us. Recently, Western governors proposed a comprehensive list of principles to serve as a framework for Congress and the administration to consider as they proceed on immigration reform. "As governors, we know that the relationship with Mexico is vital to the United States. For many Western states, Mexico is the top trading partner. "And, although illegal immigration is a national issue, Western states suffer a disproportionate financial burden on our health care, education, and the environmental and criminal justice systems. "In addition, agriculture plays a pivotal role in Western state economies. It is a seasonal industry that has become heavily dependent upon a stable and reliable foreign labor pool. But, without a lawful way to provide seasonal employees, current law actually encourages unlawful migration to the United States. "Western governors believe that a limited approach to our immigration problems cannot work. Enforcement alone is not the answer; similarly, a guest worker program alone is no panacea. Rather, we recommend a wide attack: reform of our current visa system and reduction of bureaucratic red tape and an emphasis on new technologies." Read the whole article before it scrolls behind the Post paywall. Here's the link to the Western Governor's Association framework. Category: 2008 Presidential Election 6:06:22 AM

Abortion and women's health Diane Carman (from the Denver Post): "The same politicians who are lecturing us about the morality of abortion are neglecting the growing crisis in women's health care and contributing to the demand for abortion services. "Here are the facts: Only 56 percent of the women in need of publicly supported contraception services in Colorado are getting them, and 14 percent of pregnancies here end in abortion. "When it comes to teenagers, only 49 percent get the contraception services they need. And a full 23 percent of teenage pregnancies end in abortion. "Money is no excuse. According to the Guttmacher Institute and studies by the American Journal of Public Health, every dollar of public money spent on family planning services saves federal and state governments $3 on Medicaid costs for pregnancy and childbirth. "Want more statistics? "Women of reproductive age spend on average 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men. A woman who wants two children will use contraceptives for more than two decades. And then, when she experiences menopause, a wide range of prescription drugs to treat symptoms are not covered by insurance plans either. "Don't get me started on Viagra. "So given the second-class status of women in South Dakota and Colorado, it's easy to see why Rounds refused to submit to interviews after he signed the country's most restrictive abortion law Monday. It's the same reason candidates here avoid discussing abortion as the campaign for governor continues. "As long as they ignore the facts, they can go on politicking, claiming the moral high ground and never taking responsibility for what might result from the restrictive policies they support." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 5:55:12 AM

Oil and gas drilling in watersheds Here's a story from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel about the risks of oil and gas drilling in watersheds. Grand Junction recently tried to outbid a private company for new leases in their watershed. From the article, "Natural-gas wells should never be allowed within municipal watersheds, according to the author of a recent study that found state and federal governments do not require enough financial security to cover potential cleanup of oil and gas sites throughout the West. "James Kuipers of Butte, Mont., visited Rifle last week to talk about his study of reclamation planning and financial assurance, or bonding, for oil and gas drilling. He also visited some nearby well sites. "The city of Rifle established permits for industrial activities within five miles of its Colorado River and Beaver Creek municipal water diversion and intake facilities in the early 1990s, city Attorney Lee Leavenworth said. The districts and permits were created to protect the city's water supply." Category: Colorado Water 5:35:47 AM

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