Friday, April 6, 2007

Denver Direct Say hello to Denver Direct: In Denver, On Denver. Here's the link to their RSS Feed. "denver 2007" 12:07:41 PM

Denver voter registration Here's the lowdown on voter registration status in Denver from Denver Politics. "denver 2007" 11:08:45 AM

2008 Democratic National Convention Colorado Democratic Party: "Some of you may have heard by now that DNC Chair Howard Dean is coming to Colorado next week to help celebrate the award of the Democratic National Convention in 2008 to Denver. Here's the best part: you're invited!" Colorado Confidential: "The first party open to the public--in what will probably be 17 months worth of parties leading up to the Democratic National Convention -- is scheduled for next Thursday, April 12 at the Denver Convention Center. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean will join other Democratic dignitaries such as Mayor John Hickenlooper at the 'community celebration,' according to the DNC." "2008 pres" 11:01:02 AM

War on Drugs Spot-on: "Little by little by little there is some hope that the 'war' on drugs is becoming a political issue - the first step in undoing a set of policies that make little sense no matter how you look at them. Now, only a brave and sloppy analyst would claim there was really any reason to expect a major rethinking about the 35 disastrous years of the drug war by American law enforcement and politicians. But for the first time in a while, there's hope." TalkLeft: "Arianna Huffington has a good post up today asking why the Democratic contenders for President aren't discussing the second war, the war on drugs?" "2008 pres" 10:38:59 AM

Corruption Josh Marshall: "There've been a few hints that something fishy was up in the Minneapolis US Attorney's office where 34-year old Rachel Paulose was sworn in to office last month in a lavish 'investiture' ceremony some have called a 'coronation'. Paulose's predecessor left under murky circumstances. And there are some hints that the Justice Department may originally have considered giving Paulose a Patriot Act appointment rather than going down the old-fashioned senate confirmation route. Now there's this just breaking this evening ... "It's a major shakeup at the offices of new U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose. Four of her top staff voluntarily demoted themselves Thursday, fed up with Paulose, who, after just months on the job, has earned a reputation for quoting Bible verses and dressing down underlings. Deputy U.S. Attorney John Marty is just one of the people dropping themselves in rank to simply a U.S. Attorney position. Also making the move are the heads of Paulose's criminal and civil divisions and the top administrative officer. The move is intended to send a message to Washington - that 33-year-old Paulose is in over her head.'" "2008 pres" 10:06:37 AM

State of the Blogosphere beSpacific: "David Sifry's annual State of the Blogosphere report: 'Technorati is now tracking over 70 million weblogs, and we're seeing about 120,000 new weblogs being created worldwide each day. That's about 1.4 blogs created every second of every day.'" Rudy Giuliani (via Politico): "'I think more of this [rough primary] comes from the atmosphere in the blogging atmosphere, in the instant news atmosphere, and the minute analysis atmosphere,' he said." Heh. Thanks to The Right's Field for the link. They write, "Mission accomplished." "2008 pres" 9:40:57 AM

? for president? Andrew Sullivan: "The Politics of Cancer: A swipe at Edwards and a defense. Count me among the latter." Walter Shapiro (via Salon): "A conversation with John Edwards." Thanks to Political Wire for the link. Political Wire: "'Mitt Romney, the multimillionaire founder of a giant private equity firm, knew he did not need other people's money to mount a presidential campaign. But as they began planning a campaign more than two years ago, Mr. Romney and his advisers wanted to avoid the fate of two other millionaires, Steve Forbes and Ross Perot, whose self-financed campaigns went down as quixotic indulgences,' reports the New York Times." Politico: "Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he would propose eliminating taxes on savings for middle-class Americans if he is elected president, but he would not overhaul the U.S. tax code." The Hill: "The top rung of Republican presidential candidates has too many flaws for social conservatives to offer any candidate their full support, but former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) could be just the man to fill that hole, according to evangelical leader Richard Land. The president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Religious and Ethics Liberty Commission, Land said Thompson would be a formidable candidate and more likely to shake up the top tier than an entry by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). Thompson, the former senator-cum-television star who is considering a bid, is 'a masterful retail politician' who could appeal to a wide swath of voters, including a currently dissatisfied group of social conservatives, Land said. 'Fred Thompson reminds me of a Southern-fried Reagan,' Land said. 'To see Fred work a crowd must be what it was like to watch Rembrandt paint.'" TPM Cafe: "... however, he's [Giuliani] continuing to make statements that run squarely against what the base wants to hear. The Associated Press reports that at a campaign stop in South Carolina -- a deep South, socially conservative Bible-Belt state, no less -- Rudy continued to insist that his pledge to appoint strict construction was emphatically not code-talk for overturning Roe v. Wade. TalkLeft: "Rudy Giuliani apparently was feeling the heat of the southern sun today. In South Carolina, home to many abortion opponents, he backed off yesterday's comments to CNN about his support for publicly funded abortions." Pollster.com: "A new Zogby telephone survey of likely primary voters in New Hampshire (conducted 4/2 through 4/3) finds: Among 504 Democrats, Sen. Hillary Clinton runs at 29% while Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards are tied at 23%; Among 502 Republicans, former Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain are tied at 25%, while former Mayor Rudy Giuliani trails at 19%." Captain's Quarters: "The New York Sun reports that recent polling has encouraged Fred Thompson to seriously consider a run for the Republican Presidential nomination. Jim Geraghty, the blogger behind NRO's HillarySpot, says that Thompson fills a void left by the unexpected loss of George Allen in last year's midterm elections." Political Wire: "Mitt Romney 'has rocketed to the top of the field of contenders for the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary crown, running dead even with Arizona Sen. John McCain at 25% each,' a new Zogby telephone poll shows. Rudy Giuliani finds himself in third place in the Granite State at 19% support." Political Wire: "In their home state of New york, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) leads Rudy Giuliani (R), 50% to 42%, in a general election match up, according to the latest Quinnipiac poll. In other pairings, John Edwards (D-NC) also holds a slight advantage over Giuliani, 47% to 43%, while Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) ties with Giuliani at 44%." Pollster.com: "Additional results to the recent CNN/WMUR statewide survey (CNN story, results; UNH analysis) of 303 likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire (conduction 3/27 through 4/3 by the University of New Hampshire) finds: Sen. John McCain and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani are tied at 29% in a statewide Republican primary; former Gov. Mitt Romney trails at 17%; The survey measures favorable ratings of 72% for Giuliani, 69% for McCain, and 59% for Romney." Talking Points Memo: "Check out our latest chart -- a handy comparison of the Iraq votes of Hillary Clinton and John Edwards." "2008 pres" 9:37:58 AM

Economy Don Surber: "Jeannine Aversa of AP reported 'Unemployment Rate Falls to 5-Month Low of 4.4 Percent in March.'" "2008 pres" 9:30:03 AM

Iraq The link between Al Qaeda and Iraq was used to justify the war. TPM Muckraker has some fresh information, They write, "For Vice President Cheney's lies and distortions to be exposed is common. But it's a rare satisfaction for them to be thrown back in his face on the same day." Read the whole article. beSpacific: "Review of the Pre-Iraqi War Activities of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, February 9, 2007 (Public Release Version) - Report Number 07-INTEL-04. Due to the large size of this report file (121 pages), it has been divided into four parts to make it easier to download." "2008 pres" 9:27:07 AM

IPCC Report: Sending a 'very, very clear signal' to governments Here's an article about the IPCC report on global warming released today in Brussels, from Live Science. They write, "An international global warming conference approved a report Friday warning of dire threats to the Earth and to mankind -- from increased hunger to the extinction of species -- unless the world adapts to climate change and halts its progress. Agreement came after an all-night session during which key sections were deleted from the draft and scientists angrily confronted government negotiators who they feared were watering down their findings. 'It has been a complex exercise,' said Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Several scientists objected to the editing of the final draft by government negotiators but in the end agreed to compromises. However, some scientists vowed never to take part in the process again. The climax of five days of negotiations was reached when the delegates removed parts of a key chart highlighting devastating effects of climate change that kick in with every rise of 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, and in a tussle over the level of scientific reliability attached to key statements. "There was little doubt about the science, which was based on 29,000 sets of data, much of it collected in the last five years. 'For the first time we are not just arm-waving with models,' [ed. emphasis ours] Martin Perry, who conducted the grueling negotiations, told reporters. The United States, China and Saudi Arabia raised the many of the objections to the phrasing, often seeking to tone down the certainty of some of the more dire projections." "It said up to 30 percent of the Earth's species face an increased risk of vanishing if global temperatures rise 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the average in the 1980s and '90s. Areas that now suffer a shortage of rain will become even more dry, adding to the risks of hunger and disease, it said. The world will face heightened threats of flooding, severe storms and the erosion of coastlines... "Negotiators pored over the 21-page draft meant to be a policy guide for governments. The summary pares down the full 1,500-page scientific assessment of the evidence of climate change so far, and the impact it will have on the Earth's most vulnerable people and ecosystems. More than 120 nations attended the meeting. Each word was approved by consensus, and any change had to be approved by the scientists who drew up that section of the report. Though weakened by the deletion of some elements, the final report 'will send a very, very clear signal'' to governments, said Yvo de Boer, the U.N.'s top climate official." "2008 pres" 9:09:04 AM

Drought the new norm? Here's a short article about the potential for the southwestern U.S. moving into permanent drought conditions from the Denver Post. From the article, "Southwestern droughts soon will become a permanent feature of life here - not just an occasional disaster to weather, according to a new study. The Southwestern droughts of the past several dozen years are totally different from those that will occur as the planet warms, scientists discovered in a study published today in the journal Science. 'The future changes, they are something we haven't seen before,' said Jian Lu, co-author of the study and a researcher with the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder... "Seeger's research team used 19 computer models to study the origins of the droughts that have been predicted for the future Southwest in a warmer world. Global warming causes a very different type of drought, by sending rainstorm and snowstorm tracks northward, and by evaporating more moisture from the ground. There's little relief, then, from shifting ocean temperatures, Seeger said. 'The next century, it will be like a permanent 1930s or 1950s drought,' he said. Changes in drought patterns may have already started, Seeger said. In 1998, a La Niña system in the tropical Pacific triggered Southwestern drought. 'That drought didn't go away when sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific returned to normal,' Seeger said. 'Whether it's a sign of the anthropogenic changes already occurring, that needs to be looked at.'" "colorado water" 8:38:27 AM

Task Force Meeting: Reclamation's revised Resource Management Plan and Larimer County's revised Recreation Master Plan From email from the Bureau of Reclamation (Kara Lamb), "This e-mail is to remind everyone of the upcoming Citizen's Task Force meeting on Tuesday, April 10, at 5:30 in the afternoon. The Task Force has been appointed to discuss all public comments received and make final recommendations on the recreation plans currently under development by Reclamation and Larimer County Parks and Open Lands. The meeting will begin at 5:30 pm in the Boyd Lake Room at the Larimer County Courthouse Office Building, 200 West Oak Street, Fort Collins. "As most of you know, we have been collecting comments on the Drafts of Reclamation's revised Resource Management Plan and Larimer County's revised Recreation Master Plan. The plans are sister documents that govern recreation management and development on Reclamation's four reservoirs: Carter, Horsetooth, Flatiron and Pinewood. Since the reservoirs have been in operation, Larimer County Parks and Open Land has managed the recreation on and around them. "There is also a Draft Environmental Assessment out for review that corresponds to Reclamation's obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act. "These plans are important documents and we have received many comments. The Task Force meeting is open to the public. I hope to see you there!" "colorado water" 8:26:07 AM

Snowpack Here's some snowpack news from the Aspen Daily News "reg". They write, "A flurry of brief snowstorms at the end of March did little to boost Colorado's dwindling snowpack, experts say, and spring runoff forecasts for the Roaring Fork and other Western Slope rivers suggest streamflows well below average. The snowpack has 'deteriorated and our hopes of recovering it have diminished quite a bit at this point,' said Mike Gillespie of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The agency on Wednesday released a river basin outlook report for the state of Colorado based on March snow data... "Snowpack in the upper Colorado River Basin, which includes the Roaring Fork drainage, fell from 95 percent of average to 81 percent of average between March 1 and April 1. Statewide, the snowpack plummeted from 92 percent of average to 75 percent of average. March precipitation has been too sparse at 74 percent of average in the upper Colorado River Basin to lead to much of a recovery, according to the report. Statewide precipitation was even lower, at 69 percent of average... "But streams and rivers in the northwestern and southwestern portions of the state are much worse off, Gillespie said, because snowpack in those areas is below or well below 70 percent of average. Some tributaries in those areas are forecast to have only 50 to 60 percent of average runoff, he explained." More news from KRDO.com in Colorado Springs. From the article, "When the blizzards came in December, it felt like we would never have to worry about a water shortage again. But with the warm and dry days we have had lately, the snow is melting too fast and is keeping Colorado Springs Utility officials on alert. When they analyze the water supply, CSU looks at 3 factors. One of them is storage, which is the amount of water in the reservoir. Right now we are 79% of normal and that is 8% to 9% higher than last year. Another factor is snow pack on the mountains. We were above average in February, but with snow melting and a lot of it evaporating, we are now at or below average... "There is some good news though. The third factor in analyzing water supply is demand, and we are doing a great job conserving water. The amount of CSU customers has gone up 17% from last year, but the amount of water usage has actually gone down by 29%. So the demand is down and storage is up, which is great." "colorado water" 8:09:50 AM

Roaring Fork runoff Here's a report on the Roaring Fork River from The Aspen Times. They write, "The peak runoff on the Roaring Fork River is expected to happen earlier and be much lower than average this year, a federal agency that makes streamflow forecasts reported this week. The Roaring Fork's flow at Glenwood Springs is expected to peak around 4,100 cubic feet per second, The National Weather Service's Colorado Basin River Forecast Center concluded in its April report. The average peak is 6,150 cfs. The report indicated there is only about a 10 percent chance the peak will meet or exceed the average... "The Roaring Fork's 'normal' peak is between June 3 and 18. Last year it came May 23. It is almost certain to occur earlier than the normal period again this year, [Tom Pagano, a Portland, Ore.-based water-supply forecaster for the federal government] said." 8:01:41 AM

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