NEWSPEAK Blog

"Karl Rove? I'd like to hit that son of a bitch!"

Welcome to Colorado, Karl, or at least Aspen....

Clicky for mp3 hee-hee.

Gettin' the xenophobe vote: Tancredo '08!

Rocky Mountain News and ColoradoConfidential reported this morning that everybody's favorite immigrant basher and Littleton representative, Tom Tancredo, has announced an that he's forming an explorative campaign committee for the presidential election. Other front-runners in the GOP field, like McCain and Mitt Romney aren't conservative enough for Ol' Hatey, who wants to seal our borders, make school vouchers de rigeur, and who says on his bitchin' site, www.teamtancredo.com:

As a devout Christian, father, and grandfather, I am a strong believer in the rights to life for the unborn child. I also believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. For years, activist judges have undermined both life and marriage. As president I would stop this by appointing strict constructionists as judges, reining in the power of the judiciary, and supporting constitutional amendments that respect marriage and life.

Yes! We haven't been hearing that for years, or anything. This is going to be hilarious. Stay tuned.

Oh snappity snap snap snap snap!

In a landslide, Eric Christen and Sandy Shakes have been ousted from the D-11 board. Craig Cox will resign. And the sanest of the replacement candidates, Tanner and Bobbitt, were elected. Hopefully this is a fucking stake in the heart of the voucher movement.

The funny thing: Eric "War on Christmas" Christen was in San Diego on a "business trip." He was reached at his hotel for comment. Meow!

Let The Impeachment Process Begin?

The impeachment movement of Bush/Cheney has been afoot for many years, never making it past online petitions. With the Democrat Party, as Bush referred to them, taking control of the legislative branch next year it will be worth watching not only the investigations into the Iraq debacle but also to see if the Democrats (and not just aggresive progessives at democrats.com) in power have the balls to IMPEACH.

I'm betting they won't, but am hoping they do.

Oh, snap! Dems rizzeprezizent!

Well, now that Dems will control both houses of Congress, it might be due time to figure out what the Democratic Party stands for, other than opposing Republicans. Not that opposing the GOP isn't important, mind you—and there sure has hell been enough in the last ten years to fight against—but the leadership needs to coalesce ideas and present a decent candidate with decent ideas for 2008.

Of course, Dems could just let Republicans keep kicking themselves in the ass: with finance scandals, Iraq and the constant gotcha! of the hypocrites that run the party. Which actually sounds a lot more fun.

DeGette on A Granny Booted from a Polling Place for her Peace Pin

HERE. Sheesh! Thank the Christ that the voters didn't give El Paso Co. Clerk & Recorder Bob Balink a third term.

Last Thoughts on the Election

While I'm certainly happy that the dems will have control of the House, that Ritter won the Gov and that Merrifield and Morse will be representing the rest of here in COS, I went to bed depressed about two things last night:

1). The Referendum I results. Even though I didn't think it would win, it seemed close enough in polls to at least give me hope. As I've said, I could give a shit about the marriage issue. I think marriage is a stupid, hetero institution. But some basic rights would be nice, and that the vocal micro-majority of people who cast their votes yesterday didn't think that gays are even good enough for that bummed me out.

2). How El Paso County voted as a whole. If the election results in El Paso County represented the majority of this country I would have lost almost all hope for humanity. El Paso County elected Beauprez, defeated Fawcett, buried Ref. I, etc. You can look at the rather alarming numbers HERE.

But when I woke up this morning, I had a great conversation with a 72-year-old democrat and old famly friend that's lived here in Colorado Springs almost his entire life and looked around at the broader state results and came to these happier conclusions:

1). It's possible that the only reason Ref. I lost at the polls is because Amendment 43 brought the evangelicals out in force. Now that 43 passed, another well-funded and well-organized attempt to push something like Ref. I through might be easier in, say, 2010.

2). The true heart of Colorado Springs elected two sane Democrats. Look at the maps of State Senate District 11 and House District 18 where Morse and Merrifield were, respectively, elected by landslide margins of 60 to 40.

Here's SD-11:

And here's HD-18:

What I see between the two maps is the shape of an awfully purty place where I like living and where people actually seem moderate and level-headed for the most part. What do you think? Anyone for Colorado Springs County?

Oh, what a wonderful world.

I'm not even going to start discussing Colorado's election, since the results are a little too depressing for me to fathom, with nearly every decent initiative defeated.

The good news is that things went well nationally, for the most part. Dems will control the House and are within spittin' distance of controlling the Senate, to boot. Other good news: Santorum is gone. South Dakota defeated the abortion ban. And Pelosi will be Speaker of the House.

In bad news: Arizona passed a law making English their official language. (But I thought they already had an official language—Xenophobic Asshole.) Lieberman won in Connecticut. Michigan looks likely to approve a law overturning affirmative action. And the gay marriage bans (or "definition of marriage" initiatives") look like they'll pass in all eight of the states in which they were on the ballot. All of which makes me wanna grab the American public and shake it like a newborn.

It sort of begs the question of what is going to mobilize the fundies to vote once gay marriage isn't an issue, whether by legislation or public opinion? There's always 'bortion, sure, but nothing terrifies the right like the idea of gay marriage. Will we see another bogeyman come to light in upcoming election cycles?

So yes. I guess it's morning in America, and I still want to back to sleep.

Dems Party at Phantom Canyon

The air - victorious

The floor - packed

The chicken wings - delicious, and classy!

Saw Jerry Heimlicher (city council - R), who said he voted for Fawcett and Merrifield, and would not be attending the Republicans' party. Also, a Hazlewatch sighting was made. He wore a sticker declaring that "[he] voted!"

The GOP was centered at Mr. Biggs', which features lazertag, go-karts, and an entire city built toddler-sized, when it's not playing host to conservative powers (Crank had his losing party there this summer). The word on the street is that the scene there was pretty lame, and Ed Jones may have been drunk. Getting sloshed in a kids' funhouse while losing by a landslide must be depressing.

Looks Like 43 wins and I loses, jerks

You'll all be on the wrong side of history, assholes.