| |
|
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
|
|
Secular, cosmopolitan, educated, egalitarian
Mark Schmitt (via The American Prospect): "In Frum's book, this ugly bit of identity politics is carefully nestled within thousands of words about policy. And this is how the code is supposed to work. The GOP's attack on 'liberals' was always an attack on people not quite like 'Americans'--secular, cosmopolitan, educated, egalitarian. When Republicans went after Michael Dukakis for his policies on crime, they weren't just saying his policies were bad. They were saying, he's not like us; he's a cold-blooded, academic mush-brain who wouldn't give his kids a whupping if they needed it."
Thanks to Digby for the link.
"2008 pres"
5:54:25 PM 
|
|
Coyote Gulch Outage
Our hosting service is down as of 2:00 p.m. or so. Our apologies if you were trying to view Coyote Gulch and could not. If you're seeing this the outage must have been cleared up.
2:32:31 PM
|
|
Supply news
From The Sky-Hi Daily News: "The town of Kremmling is on the verge of getting its much-needed water transmission line project started. At the May 21 Town Council meeting, Public Works Director Doug Moses informed the trustees that the bids were in on the project. Fourteen companies reportedly expressed interest in bidding on the project. A recommendation about the bids will be made to the council at its Monday, June 2, meeting. By Tuesday, June 3, Moses said he expects to be able to contact the successful bidder."
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
"colorado water"
6:38:31 AM
|
|
Energy policy: Oil and gas
Bill Barrett Corp. hopes to build a water treatment plant south of Silt in order to process water from operations, according to The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article:
A conservation easement may stand in the way of plans by energy developer Bill Barrett Corp. to build a water processing facility on a 280-acre ranch it owns south of Silt. A Garfield County commission hearing on the proposal was delayed recently so Barrett could seek a resolution to concerns, including the contention that the facility is not permitted by the easement. Martha Cochran, executive director of the Aspen Valley Land Trust, which owns the easement, said it appears Barrett's land representatives hadn't been aware of the easement, even though its corporate officials probably were. Barrett spokesman Jim Felton said the company has a different view of what the easement does or doesn't allow but that it is willing to sit down and try to find an acceptable resolution.
Barrett wants to build the plant on its Circle B Land Co. site off County Road 326, about nine miles south of Silt. It would collect water used at gas wells on the property and nearby, separate residual oil and recycle used water back into its operations. Its application says the facility would minimize "wasteful disposal and or the need for taking additional fresh water resources from the Colorado River."
The land trust says it obtained the conservation easement in 1997, before Barrett bought the ranch. Such easements, designed to limit development, can't prevent oil and gas drilling unless the owner of the minerals agrees to restrictions, which is why wells exist on the property, Cochran said. Felton said standard lease agreements allow support facilities to be developed. But the land trust maintains Barrett's right to develop its minerals doesn't include the right to build a water plant that also would serve wells beyond the ranch itself. The county's planning department has recommended that county commissioners turn down Barrett's proposal, only in part because of the conservation easement. Jim Rada, the county's environmental health manager, worries about the proposal's potential odor and noise impacts on nearby homes. The ranch has been the source of many odor complaints over the past three years, Rada wrote in a review of the proposal.
"2008 pres"
6:29:21 AM
|
|
? for President?
From The AP: "Republican John McCain and Democratic U.S. presidential rival Barack Obama were trading barbs as they began crisscrossing three Western states that are likely to be pivotal battlegrounds that could decide the November presidential election. The two candidates recently have largely ignored Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's long-shot rival, who campaigned Monday in Puerto Rico. The U.S. Caribbean territory's primary on June 1 is one of just three left as the intense months-long battle for the Democratic presidential nomination winds down and Obama looks to be the inevitable nominee. Obama was signaling, even before the Democratic primary campaign formally wraps up, that he intends to fight this fall for three Western states -- New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado -- that narrowly went Republican four years ago. 'We're going to fight as hard as we can in these states. We want to send the message now that we're going to go after them and I expect to win them," the Illinois senator said Monday in New Mexico.'
"2008 pres"
6:19:27 AM
|
|
? for U.S. Senate?
Here's some background on Mark Udall from The Denver Post. From the article:
When Ben Nighthorse Campbell suddenly decided to retire from the U.S. Senate in 2004, Boulder County Democrat Mark Udall was ready to run and quickly declared his candidacy. Many in his own party were not so sure. Ken Salazar, the state attorney general and a moderate who had set his sights on running for governor two years later, was coaxed into the race. With his support among key state Democrats uncertain, Udall withdrew in a flurry of last-minute maneuvers, as he watched party leaders coalesce behind Salazar's campaign. But four years later, Democrats think the state's leftward swing has solidified and that Udall has effectively repositioned himself: He landed a spot on the House Armed Services Committee, boosting his foreign-policy credentials in the age of terrorism, and he has worked hard to build bridges with the state's ranchers and sportsmen. "There has been a coming together of Mark's positioning and the state's (political) movement," said Chris Gates, former chairman of the state Democratic Party. That explains, in a nutshell, why Udall, a candidate who sat uneasily with some key Democrats four years ago, has marched to the nomination without serious opposition. The silver-haired congressman from Eldorado Springs will formally launch his campaign today with a four-day tour across the state, enthusiastically backed by the party's power brokers.
But it also hinges on an assumption that both sides agree will be decided only in November: That Salazar's election fundamentally redrew the state's political map, creating long-term opportunities in rural counties and in the Denver suburbs that will benefit even a five-term congressman from the left-leaning 2nd District. Udall starts out with key advantages, Republicans say. There is a strong national headwind blowing Democrats' way. And the family name is as close as the West gets to a political dynasty [~] his father, Mo, ran for president; his uncle Stewart was secretary of the Interior -- which has helped with national fundraising. And Udall has been a longtime policy leader in renewable energy, a theme expected to come of age in this year's campaign...
But the GOP still holds a significant lead in registered voters in Colorado, and early polls show his race against former congressman Bob Schaffer is tight. Democrats believe that will change once they introduce their candidate to voters. Republicans think it won't; they say their opponents have made a mistake in not running a more centrist candidate, abandoning their recent winning formula. "Being from Boulder and having liberal votes, that's his No. 1 weakness," Tonner said. Whether that's true will be determined in a handful of battlegrounds -- the collar counties around Denver, especially Jefferson and Arapahoe; as well as Larimer County, home to Fort Collins. (Larimer is the biggest population center in the former district of Schaffer but has trended Democratic in recent cycles.) But Democrats say that one key to Udall's success will be whether he can win the 3rd Congressional District, a swath of 29 counties that includes the Western Slope and southern Colorado. Able to win over a large number of Latino and rural voters, Salazar and his brother, U.S. Rep. John Salazar, have cut into former GOP strongholds there, but it will be more of a stretch for Udall. "There are 42 rural counties," in Colorado, said Mike Stratton, a top Democratic operative and a consultant to Udall's campaign. "Mark Udall has to hold his own and win one of two congressional districts -- the 3rd, which is John Salazar's district, or the 4th, which is Bob Schaffer's old district." With the past four years to prepare, Udall has implemented a careful strategy. He's talked up wind turbines on the Eastern Plains -- and their profitability for farmers. And by taking on the issue of drilling on the Roan Plateau, the congressman connected with ranchers and outfitters who see unbridled development there as a threat to their livelihoods. Udall even sided with Arkansas Valley farmers over the city of Aurora by advocating a go-slow approach to solidifying the populous suburb's access to Pueblo Reservoir water. "The whole race is who can win the independents and who can win the 3rd Congressional District," said Cole Finegan, the Denver Democrat who chairs Udall's finance committee.
"denver 2008"
6:17:30 AM
|
|
|
© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 10:19:50 PM.
|
|
|
