Sunday, May 21, 2006

Reverse-Reagan mode Andrew Sullivan: "Maybe Karl Rove will set up a photo-op in October. The president could come to the Arizona border, assemble a crowd of anti-illegal immigrant activists and declaim, in reverse-Reagan mode: 'Presidente Fox, build up this wall!'" "2008 pres" 10:30:55 AM

An Inconvenient Truth Lawrence Lessig: "On Wednesday, May 24, in select theaters in New York and LA, a film by Davis Guggenheim about Al Gore's global warming slide-show will open. I have seen the slide-show. It is - by far - the most extraordinary lecture I have ever seen anyone give about anything. And I've now seen the film, An Inconvenient Truth, twice. "I will rarely ask favors of those who read here. But this is one. No issue is as important. I doubt you will ever see an argument as compelling. And though this is a beautiful and pasisonate film, it is, in the end, an argument that gets built upon the ethic that guides at least some conversation in places like this - facts, reason and a bit of persuasion." "2008 pres" 10:27:08 AM

10th Anniversary of Overturning Amendment 2 Here's the coverage of yesterday's rally marking the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Colorado's Amendment 2 from the Denver Post. They write, "There were no anti-gay demonstrators. There were no police officers ready to quell signs of trouble. There were no thickets of TV and radio microphones recording live broadcasts. 'Ten years ago, the whole environment was incendiary,' recalled Pat Steadman, one of the attorneys who represented the six plaintiffs in Romer vs. Evans, the lawsuit challenging Amendment 2. 'Ten years ago, there would have been live TV. The gay issue isn't nearly as controversial today. There are more important things to discuss - illegal immigration for one - and yet, here we go again.' Steadman was referring to the ballot issue approved earlier this month by the Colorado legislature, allowing voters to decide whether to recognize domestic partnerships for same-gender couples. Remembering the viciousness that dominated the forums on Amendment 2, Steadman and other veteran activists reminded newcomers of the enormous changes in one decade." "denver 2006" 9:30:44 AM

State assemblies roundup Coyote Gulch congratulates Bob Beauprez, Bill Ritter, Fern O'Brien and Steve Ludwig for their state assembly wins yesterday. Mt. Virtus: "Bob Beauprez and his campaign made a statement today, and Colorado's Republican delegates responded in force...Beauprez won the delegate vote 72.2 percent to 27.8 percent. [Denver Post columnist Dan Haley] also has reported that the Holtzman campaign has refused to sign off on the results." Wash Park Prophet: "First, the results of the Colorado Democratic Party's two contested races today. Fern O'Brien is the Democratic nominee for attorney general and Steve Ludwig is the CU Board of Regents At Large candidate for the Democrats. There will be no primary elections in Colorado for Democrats at the state level... "In answer to 'God, Gays and Guns' the Democrats at the state convention have answered with 'Hope, Opportunity and Tolerance.' "The Republicans have helped by giving Coloradans low expectations. By simply averting fiscal crisis and improving funding for key programs from miserable to merely blow average by national standards, Democrats can come out looking like heros. When Democrats pass legislation like Clean Air Bills and bills to increase access to emergency contraception, and a Republican Governor vetos the bills, it is the Democrats who look like they are accomplishing something and the Republicans who look like obstructionists. "Ideologically, the dominant theme in the Colorado Democratic party is compassionate communitarianism. As Bill Ritter put it, Democrats understand that we are all in this together. Our military and Horatio Alger candidates illustrate dramatically that if you don't give up on people, if you are there to offer a helping hand, to give someone a real chance, that people can succeed extraordinarily. We aren't a party of state ownership of enterprise. We are a party of investing in people instead of throwing them away. "Now, we are rolling up our sleeves. In November, we'll see if the enthusiasm of May comes to fruition." Denver Post: "GOP chair Bob Martinez said he is also considering asking Holtzman to step aside, but a spokesman for Holtzman said the candidate will push forward with plans to petition onto the ballot. Holtzman says he has enough signatures to secure a spot later this week." Check out the coverage from Dan Haley's blog in the Denver Post. Here's the coverage of the Republican assembly from the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "The day started at 9 a.m. and both candidates for governor completed their 15-minute speeches before noon. And then the real fun began. Delegates waited hours to receive their ballots as the credential committee struggled to determine who was eligible to vote. Once the ballots were handed out, the lines to vote were so long that some delegates left before casting ballots. The party tried to move alternates into voting positions but that also seemed to take hours." Here's the coverage of the Democratic Assembly from the Denver Post. They write, "Ritter stormed the stage to Born to Run' by Bruce Spring steen. His half-hour acceptance speech included a video of his personal story and a call for better teacher pay, health care for all Coloradans and punishment for employers of illegal immigrants. Ritter, a Catholic who personally opposes abortion, drew a silent protest by five people holding signs. One of the protesters, Jerri Hill, a Douglas County delegate, hoisted a placard that said 'Own your Body' on one side and 'Respect Women' on the other. She and another woman stood in the front row while Ritter gave his acceptance speech. 'I am old enough to remember when abortion was illegal,' Hill said while Ritter supporters swarmed around her with pro-Ritter placards. Undeterred, Ritter plowed through his prepared remarks and eventually addressed abortion rights issues by promising to restore state funding to Planned Parenthood that was cut by Gov. Bill Owens and to support access to the so-called morning-after pill. Before the assembly began, Dr. Warren Hern, director of the Boulder Abortion Clinic, challenged Ritter's willingness to protect abortion rights from a table in the back of the hall." Here's the coverage of the Democratic assembly from the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "But Ritter shrugged off any concerns that he may need to fire up support within his own party. Instead, he said he will continue to travel around the state to meet as many voters as he can. 'We are at the place where we have consolidated our base and that's good for us,' he said. Democrats also selected their picks in the contests for attorney general and University of Colorado Regent. Fern O'Brien received 94 percent of the votes to beat out Robert Johnson in the attorney general race. Stephen Ludwig received 79 percent of the votes for the party's pick for CU Regent. Milt Rogers will not be on the primary because he did not get the minimum 30 percent vote required. But he can still get on the ballot if he collect petition signatures." "denver 2006" 9:23:16 AM

Southwest drought to lead to 'call' on Colorado River? Here's a short article about the management of the Colorado River from the Montrose Daily Press. They write, "Upper Colorado River Commissioner Scott Balcomb believes the southwest United States drought could have far-reaching ramifications for the Western Slope. He spoke to over 100 water professionals at the Montrose Pavilion Thursday and said the Colorado Basin states - Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and Utah - have been negotiating the management of the river during low water years and reached a tentative agreement this winter, but Arizona and the rest of the southwest had one of the driest winters on record, changing the political climate. 'I'm concerned now that Arizona is backing out,' Balcomb said, adding, 'The people in Arizona are very, very nervous.' With massive population increase, the river is seeing increased pressure, and the state of Colorado must decide how to protect its resource but not create excessive harm to the lower basin states. Balcomb said Arizona is drawing more than its share of allocated water but he said it might not be 'practical' for Colorado and the upper basin states to use the water... "He said if Colorado puts too much pressure on the lower basin states, they could sue, creating years of litigation and millions of dollars in attorney's fees. Balcomb said a candidate for the governor of Nevada is running on a platform of breaking the Colorado Compact, which has governed the river since 1922... "He said there is the potential for the lower basin states to force a 'call' on the Colorado. This would mean Colorado could be forced to send more water down the river to fulfill the obligations. 'The first things they would call is the transmountain diversions,' Balcomb said, of a major source of Front Range water. He said if that happens, Colorado would have to get creative, and he could see Denver water negotiating with Montrose farmers, so Gunnison water could fulfill the compact obligations. For now, the lower basin states are looking at ways to find new water. They are researching ways to make the system more efficient and desalinization water in the Gulf of Mexico." "colorado water" 9:00:34 AM

© Copyright 2009 John Orr. Last update: 3/14/09; 8:14:00 PM.