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Wednesday, June 11, 2008
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Political Wire: "A new Quinnipiac poll in New York finds that Sen. Barack Obama crushes Sen. John McCain, 50% to 36%. It's no real surprise, but the finding that Obama has now pulled even with McCain among white voters is a positive sign for his campaign."
Josh Marshall: "As I and innumerable others have mentioned, the red states that seem genuinely ripe for flipping this year are Colorado and Virginia. Others are definitely possible. But those are the ones that might even be considered probable. The most recent poll of Viriginia (May 22nd) has Obama beating McCain by 7 points (49%-42%). And the one immediately previous has Obama down by 3 points (47%-44%). Colorado is even stronger for Obama. The most recent poll (Rasmussen, May 21st) has Obama up by 6 points and the one previous to that (Ramussen, April 21st) had him up by 3."
Political Wire: "A new Gallup Poll shows women moving to Sen. Barack Obama now that Sen. Hillary Clinton is out of the Democratic presidential race. Key finding: In general election match ups with Sen. John McCain, Obama's lead among women has now expanded from five percentage points to 13, while his deficit among men has shrunk from six points to two."
Political Wire: "Sen. Barack Obama begins the general election campaign against Sen. John McCain with a 47% to 41% lead in the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, "but not so great an edge as might be expected given the gale-force political headwinds against" Republicans."
"2008 pres"
5:58:52 PM 
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Gallup "A large majority of blacks, 78%, and an even larger majority of whites, 88%, say the fact that Barack Obama is black makes no difference in terms of their likelihood of voting for him for president...Without question, blacks are going to vote for Obama in overwhelming numbers; the latest Gallup tracking shows that Obama gets 93% of the black vote when pitted against Republican John McCain in a hypothetical trial heat...So on the one hand, black voters say Obama's race makes no difference to them, and on the other hand, about 9 out of 10 blacks say they will vote for Obama. But the high percentage of the black vote going to Obama is not unusual. Gallup polling estimated that John Kerry received 93% of the black vote in 2004, and Al Gore received 95% in 2000. So it may be that black voters are making the (correct) self-observation that they would be voting for the Democratic candidate regardless of his or her race, meaning that Obama's particular race is not a deciding factor for them."
Thanks to the Daily Kos for the link.
"2008 pres"
5:57:15 PM
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Ed Cone: "'Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama would both cut taxes for the majority of Americans, with Sen. McCain, the Republican contender, awarding the biggest cut to the richest Americans and Sen. Obama, the Democrat, favoring those at the bottom of the income scale, according to an analysis of the candidates' plans released Wednesday.' That's how the Wall Street Journal reads a report by the Tax Policy Center."
"2008 pres"
5:55:26 PM
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According to The Cañon City Daily Record the Fremont County Commissioners have approved Black Range Minerals' plans to drill test holes for a uranium operation in the Tallahassee area. From the article:
Exploration drilling for uranium in the Tallahassee area received the green light from the county this morning, but the issue is far from settled. Following months of controversy and argument, the Fremont County Commissioners unanimously approved the Conditional Use Permit required to test the area northwest of Cañon City for the economic viability of a full uranium mining and milling operation. However, the commissioners warned Black Range Minerals the county will be a strict watchdog to ensure the company complies with a lengthy list of conditions. Those stipulations are in the works and are scheduled for adoption next month following a public comment period. "The decision we have before us today is complicated by the fact so many people" made impassioned pleas, both for and against the project during an earlier public hearing, said District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden. Norden and the other commissioners, Larry Lasha and Mike Stiehl, admitted the issue has caused many sleepless nights. They also said they had changed their minds "several times" throughout the entire permitting process...
The permit allows BRM only to drill to determine the economic viability of a new mine in an area with a long history of uranium mining. The exploration drilling phase could last between three to five years, and if it proves feasible, the company will then consider a full mining and milling operation. If undertaken, such an enterprise will be subject to the lengthy, arduous process of filing for literally dozens of permits from the state and the county. BRM is on record saying they would consider underground mining and not "in situ recovery," where leaching solution is pumped into the mineral deposit via a borehole, circulated to dissolve the ore, and then extracted and processed. If each step is successful, BRM has pledged to invest time, money and effort to create the most technologically-advanced, state-of-the-art facilities possible, including its own mill to process the uranium. However, in a county that still has a Superfund cleanup at the Cotter Corp site on its mind, Black Range's assurances rang untrue to some residents. To many, the exploration means the certain return of uranium mining to the county and a new host of issues.
The commissioners' decision came following months of heated debate over the possibility of uranium activity returning to Fremont County. Many residents of the Tallahassee area vehemently oppose the exploration. Locals swarmed to sign petitions against the project and joined Tallahassee Area Committee, Inc., an organization formed explicitly to fight uranium exploration. Following today's decision, TAC issued a press statement threatening legal and legislative actions and said the approval is not the end of the issues but rather the beginning. "The appropriateness of differing land uses in the Tallahassee Area Watershed must be resolved," president Jim Hawklee wrote in the statement. "The broader issue of uranium mining must be addressed in its totality."[...]
Colorado Citizens Against Toxicwaste, an organization that has fought against Cotter Corp. for years, recently adopted a resolution that unsuccessfully urged the commissioners to deny the permit and, instead, bring in an outside expert. Acknowledging vehement opposition and impassioned support throughout the county, TAC recognized the project has fractured relationships in the community...
The commissioners have prepared a draft document of conditions that will be attached to the Conditional Use Permit. That record will be available in the Planning and Zoning Department, 615 Macon Ave., this Wednesday. The document also will be available online at www.fremontco.com the same day. Public comment must be in writing and is due to the county by close of business on June 25. Final conditions should be adopted at the regularly scheduled meeting to begin at 9:30 a.m. July 8 at 615 Macon Ave.
More coverage from The Pueblo Chieftain.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.
"2008 pres"
5:48:22 PM
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From The Rocky Mountain News: "A football field-size area now used for Pepsi Center VIP parking will be turned over to protesters at this summer's Democratic National Convention, an attorney for protest groups said Monday. The 50,000-square-foot section of Lot A will be surrounded by a "transparent and sound-transparent fence" and converted into a public demonstration area, said Steven Zansberg, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union. Proximity to the Pepsi Center has been a hot issue for protest groups leery about a possible repeat of what happened at the 2004 Democratic convention in Boston, where cagelike areas made of concrete barricades, netting and razor wire were established for protesters. Denver officials have said since last summer that protesters will get closer to the Pepsi Center since it is not next to a freeway and railroad tracks as was the Boston site four years ago. The protest area will be just southwest of the Pepsi Center's main entrance, Zansberg said."
"2008 pres"
5:46:53 PM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/15/09; 2:30:58 PM.
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