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The 2020 Virtual DNC! |
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It's here! While we wish our delegates could be in Milwaukee right now, we have been having a blast these past two nights watching the virtual Democratic National Convention. It certainly has been an "unconventional" convention -- but the Hollywood-style production of the virtual convention has made it one to remember! If you haven't tuned in, you can still watch Night 3 tonight and Night 4 tomorrow! Click here or the graphic below to find out how! |
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With that, let's take a look back at how the first two days have gone!
DAY 1 -- "We the People" (Monday, August 17) |
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Day 1 Breakfast Speakers: Rep. Diana DeGette, Gov. Jared Polis, Sen. Amy Klobuchar |
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Day 1 of the DNC kicked off with the Colorado Delegation coming together for a virtual "breakfast" starting early in the morning! As delegates sat at their computers with coffee/tea gripped in their hands, they got to not only hear from familiar voices like Congresswoman Diana DeGette and Governor Jared Polis, but they also got to know one of Minnesota's U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, who was one of our outstanding presidential candidates! |
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Then came Night 1 of the DNC -- with the theme being "We the People"! Viewers were treated to an all-star cast of speakers during the first night, including Senator Bernie Sanders, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and First Lady Michelle Obama!
Senator Sanders had one of the most outstanding speeches of the night, showing that though he may not be the nominee, he remains one of the Democratic Party's most important voices and leaders. Urging voters to come together, he stated that "The future of our democracy is at stake. The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake." We agree with Senators Sanders, and hope that if you haven't had the chance to watch or read his speech, you should click the links and do so now! |
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Viewers were also treated to a night of music and performances, with artists like Maggie Rogers, Leon Bridges, and Billy Porter giving energized performances! Click each of their names to watch them! |
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What may have been the most powerful moments of the night were when Kristin Urquiza told the story of her father's death by COVID-19, and the brothers of George Floyd leading the convention viewers in a moment of silence to mourn George. |
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Of course, the speech that stole the show was that of First Lady Michelle Obama's, who delivered a powerful message imploring our country to reject Trumpism. Click here to read it, and click here to watch it. |
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DAY 2 -- "Leadership Matters" (Tuesday, August 18) |
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Fresh off the energizing first night, Colorado delegates went into Day 2 ready to continue the work! For Tuesday's morning virtual breakfast, delegates heard from Congressman Joe Neguse, Secretary of State Jena Griswold, and Alabama's first every Black Congresswoman, Terri Sewell! |
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Night 2 was just as inspiring as Night 1, with a special emphasis on the hopeful message of the Democratic Party and what we would do if we win the White House and the Senate back! |
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The incredible lineup of performers didn't end with Monday, as we were treated to John Legend's magical voice. Click here to watch! |
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Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't say what our favorite parts of the night were, and that was Colorado being represented on the national stage! First up was our 1st Vice Chair, Howard Chou, who appeared with his wife Hanh and their two kids Evan and Emma, and two of our delegates Ric Crowley and Polly Baca! They appeared before historic Red Rocks, and gave the Roll Call! Click here to watch! |
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Next up was Laura Packard, a healthcare advocate and stage 4 cancer survivor who joined Vice President Biden and others for a healthcare discussion. They talked about how the ACA saved her life, and how as she battled cancer, Trump was trying to take away her healthcare. Click here to watch! |
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Be sure to tune in tonight for Night 3! Click here or the graphic above to watch at 7:00PM MST! |
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DOWN BALLOT DAY: A Smashing Success! |
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"What's Down Ballot Day?", you ask? Former U.S. House Speaker Tip O'Neill used to say "All politics is local", and he couldn't be more right. While offices like the U.S. Senate and the Presidency get the most airtime, the offices that have the biggest immediate impact on your life are the ones that don't get talked about! On Saturday, we took a deep dive into four of these offices -- CU Regent, State Board of Education, District Attorney, and Colorado Legislature!
Thank you to all the elected officials and candidates who joined us on these panels, and thank you to the hundreds of people who logged in on a Saturday to learn about these offices!
Did you miss Down Ballot Day? No sweat! Click below to watch the four panel discussion recordings. |
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CU Board of Regents Panel |
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State Board of Education Panel |
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Colorado Legislature Panel |
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District Attorneys Panel |
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Two New Tools to Save Democracy: |
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Fresh off our incredibly successful Down Ballot Day, we're exciting to announce the launch of two virtual tools that will help connect with voters from now until Election Day and beyond -- Voterfied and Ballot Ready. |
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Voterfied is a tool that allows voters to directly cut through the noise, and make their voices and opinions heard by their elected officials and to the Colorado Democratic Party, without the vitriol or spam-like nature of social media and email. During this time of COVID-19, voters are not able to attend town hall meetings without fearing for their safety -- Voterfied allows voters to make their voices heard while maintaining social distancing. |
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Ballot Ready allows voters to plug in their address and see the whole ticket of Democratic candidates running where they live. The tool pulls up the voter’s slate card of candidates, and includes photos of the candidates and links to their websites and social media channels so voters can learn about them. |
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PSA from Chair Morgan Carroll: Voting is SAFE and EASY in Colorado! |
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In Colorado, every registered voter will be mailed ballots between October 9 - October 16, 2020. In Colorado, voters can vote by mail / drop off / in person or early voting.
It's important to note that Mail ballots are safe in Colorado.
Here are our recommendations for voting in 2020.
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PICK HICK! Updates and Fast Facts from John Hickenlooper for Senate |
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Did you know? As Governor, John Hickenlooper signed a number of bills into law that are continuing to make people's lives better. Here's a few notable bills John signed into law!
THIS WEEK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: |
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“The USPS Should Not Be Political” John spoke with KRDO Colorado Springs to denounce Trump’s attacks on the United States Postal Service. President Trump admitted on Fox News that he wants to weaken the USPS to target mail in ballots across the country. |
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KRDO Colorado Springs wrote:
On Friday, Hickenlooper took aim at the Trump administration's handling of USPS funding and touted the success Colorado has had by utilizing mail-in-voting.
"The post office should not be political. Voting by mail should not be political. We've proved that it works here. It's cheaper. It's more reliable. We have high turnouts. And in COVID, it's safe," Hickenlooper said. "So now, Trump is actually slowing down the whole postal service. What about people that have prescription drugs that are maybe not going to get their drugs in time? What about rural Colorado and the impact that will have on the rural parts of our state? It makes me want to pull my hair out."
When John was governor, he implemented Colorado’s successful vote by mail system in 2013, and he continues to call out Trump’s lies and dangerous threats to hold USPS funding hostage to cripple vote by mail. |
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Virtual Roundtable With Parents Across Colorado
Yesterday, John hosted a virtual listening roundtable with parents across Colorado who are concerned about the challenges of their kids going back to school during a public health crisis.
It’s been almost three months since the House of Representatives passed a COVID-19 relief bill that included support to help local schools open safely. Instead of taking action, Mitch McConnell said there was no “urgency” and pushed through fringe right-wing judges. President Trump and Republicans have ignored the advice of scientists and are trying to blackmail schools into opening without the resources they need to do so safely. |
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KXRM Colorado Springs covered the event and you can watch it HERE. |
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This Week In Making a Difference |
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HELP US REGISTER VOTERS! |
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Registering Voters/Reminding your friends to update their Voter Registration is super easy! Just share the graphic above, or the QR code below, and direct them to www.GoVoteColorado.gov where they can complete the process in minutes! |
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SCAN ME WITH YOUR DEVICE AND REGISTER TO VOTE! |
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Have any questions about registering people to vote? Email Karin at [email protected]! |
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STOP GERRYMANDERING! Apply to Join the Redestricting Commission |
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In 2018, the Colorado General Assembly referred Senate Concurrent Resolutions 18-004 and 18-005 to the voters as Amendments Y, which addressed Congressional Redistricting, and Amendment Z, which addressed Legislative Redistricting. Both passed with over 70% approval in the 2018 General Election.
YOU can apply today to be part of these commissions to ensure that the people choose their politicians -- not the other way around -- and that Republicans don't try to gerrymander their way into power! Click here to learn more. |
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Apply for the Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission. |
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Apply for the Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission. |
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REGISTER TODAY! Colorado Communities Connect |
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For us here in Colorado, we're fighting not only for the soul of this nation alongside Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, but we're fighting to build a better future. But, the reality is that this could mean so many different things to different people.
What does building a better future mean to you? To your community? Come join in one of our new "Colorado Communities Connect" virtual series and be part of the discussion! |
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2020 Win Stops -- Virtual Edition! |
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You heard Edna! By joining us for these Win Stops, this is how we win! |
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Even in the era of COVID-19 and social distancing, Team CDP is connecting with Democrats all across the state to ensure that we launch a blue tsunami in 2020!
Join us for the next in our series of virtual win stops to learn how you can be a part of electing Democrats in your county this November! |
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Saturday, August 22 at 10:30AM VIP Guest Speaker: Governor Jared Polis Very Small Red (Archuleta, Baca, Crowley, Cheyenne, Custer, Dolores, Hinsdale, Mineral, Moffat, Kiowa, Jackson, Lincoln, Kit Carson, Rio Blanco, Prowers, Sedgwick, Washington)
Tuesday, August 25 @ 6:00PM VIP Guest Speaker: Congressman Ed Perlmutter Small Purple (Routt, Chaffee, Gunnison, Otero, Grand)
Saturday, August 29 at 6:00PM VIP Guest Speaker: Senator Michael Bennet Very Small Purple (Alamosa, Bent, Clear Creek, Conejos, Huerfano, Rio Grande, Ouray, San Juan ) |
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Work for the 2020 Wave Webinars |
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SAVE THE DATE for our upcoming "Work for the Wave" webinars! |
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Monday, August 31, 2020 @ 6:00PM MST Campaign Finance 101 (Hosted by Martha Tierney and Neil Reiff) Navigating campaign finance laws can be tricky. Whether it's knowing the federal laws or the state laws, campaign teams need to know what I's do they need to dot and what T's they need to cross! Come learn from two campaign finance experts at this free webinar. Click here to sign up! |
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Monday, September 14, 2020 @ 6:00PM MST VAN 101 (Hosted by Bruce Norikane) The Voter Activation Network (VAN) is one of the Democratic Party's most critical tools to victory and success at every level of campaigning! Whether you're new to VAN, or if you could use a refresher on the basics, check out this training by technology director Bruce Norikane! Click here to sign up! |
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Monday, September 28, 2020 @ 6:00PM MST GOTV and GOTV Messaging (Hosted by Morgan Carroll and Halisi Vinson) How do we make sure that that we turn out the vote? How do we convince our voters to turn in their ballots, and make sure that they don't leave their ballots on their kitchen counter until it's too late? We go over strategies in this webinar! Click here to sign up! |
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PANEL: “Rural Broadband – Why Don’t I Have It?” |
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What’s working, what’s not? How do I get high-speed internet access in my community?
Join a great panel discussion hosted by the CDP Rural Initiative on Friday, August 28, 2-3:30pm about programs working to extend broadband all over Colorado.
* Teresa Ferguson, Director of Federal Broadband Engagement, Broadband Office, Governor’s Office of Information Technology
* Miriam Gillow-Wiles, Executive Director, Southwest Colorado Council of Governments (SWCCOG), SCAN (Southwest Colorado Access Network) Broadband Project. The SWCCOG includes LaPlata, San Juan, Montezuma, Dolores, and Archuleta counties.
*Nate Walowitz, Regional Broadband Program Director, Northwest Colorado Council of Governments (NWCCOG). The NWCCOG includes Jackson, Grand, Summit, Eagle, and Pitkin counties.
Register by clicking the button below, or going to https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUuf-uurzwiEtdHrNjN80oqU88ueD1mHQma |
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HELP WANTED: New Positions to Apply For! |
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We're staffing up in preparation for the 2020 General Election! Colorado is a battleground state, and we're looking for scrappy, driven, politically savvy organizers to join our team!
Job Descriptions: |
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Want to Help Elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris? |
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Click the "Get" button above to Download the Official Joe Biden App on the Apple App Store. Click here to Download the App from the Google Play Store if you have an Android Device! |
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Friend-to-friend outreach is one of the most effective ways to persuade and mobilize voters to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. Our campaign is using an app called Vote Joe to help supporters reach out to their community on our behalf, because YOU are the best messenger to your community! With this app you can:
Download the App by Clicking these Buttons, Depending on your Device: |
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El Paso County Dems Virtual Cookout -- August, 22, 2020 FEATURING REP. "AUNTIE" MAXINE WATERS! |
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Join the El Paso County Democratic Party for a virtual Community Unity Cookout. They'll have amazing speakers who have confirmed and are working to confirm more everyday. The Fundraiser is this Saturday, August 22 from 2-4.
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Local Candidates of the Week |
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Candidate: Katie Barrett https://www.votekatieforcolorado.com/
Office Running for: State House (House District 45)
Why this matters: As a science and math teacher, Katie Barrett has been solving problems for over 27 years. Additionally, she is proud to have assisted our District Attorney in reviewing cold case files for Colorado's 18th Judicial District. Katie supports affordable healthcare for all, and is a strong union supporter. As a gun owner and sport shooter, Katie respects the 2nd amendment with an emphasis on gun safety and reducing firearm suicides. Katie will use science and data to solve issues and work to truly represent her increasingly diverse community.
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Candidate: Jennifer Bacon https://www.electjenniferbacon.com/
Office Running for: State House (District 7)
Why this matters: Currently held by State Rep. James Coleman, House District 7 is a northeast Denver community where a lot of hardworking families live. Jennifer Bacon -- currently a Director on the Denver Public School Board -- has stepped up to represent this district since Coleman is running for State Senate. By electing Jennifer, the State House will be getting a woman of color whose background is in education and in community organizing, and who you can be sure will fight for her district!
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Dems Leading the Way |
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Colorado Dems Call Foul on Early Ending of Census |
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Colorado Congressional Dems Argue The Census Count Shouldn’t End Early From CPR News
Colorado’s Democratic Congress members don’t want to see the 2020 Census count cut short. A delegation letter, led by Sen. Michael Bennet, asks congressional leaders that the count — which includes self-response forms, door knocking, and phone calls — should continue until the end of October. And they want to see that count date included in the next coronavirus relief package.
“Colorado is one of the fastest-growing states in the country,” Bennet and Democratic Reps. Jason Crow, Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse and Ed Perlmutter write. “Failing to accurately account for that growth in the 2020 Census will mean Colorado will lose out on its fair share of federal funding, putting additional strain on state and local resources as they work to rebuild over the next decade after the COVID-19 pandemic.”
And the results of the count could determine if Colorado sees it’s congressional delegation grow by one additional seat.
The Census Bureau announced in early August that it would end its counting operation a month early citing the coronavirus pandemic. Some are concerned the decision will result in an undercount of traditionally hard to count groups from minorities and undocumented immigrants to rural communities.
Bennet views this as one more example of how the Trump administration has undermined the constitutionally-mandated decennial count.
“Its latest decision to shorten the census by a month in the middle of a pandemic is no exception,” he said in a statement. “Left unchecked, this decision will jeopardize a decade of vital resources for communities across Colorado.”
As of Aug. 10, Colorado’s self-reply rate is 66.7 percent. While it is above the national rate, there are some rural counties that have low response rates. Costilla, Grand, Mineral, San Juan and Summit counties response rates are in the 20s, while sparsely populated Hinsdale County has a response rate of just over 17 percent. And a majority of the counties have a slightly lower response rate than the 2010 count.
The Democrats write that the one month extension “will ensure the Census Bureau has adequate time to complete a full, fair, and accurate 2020 Census.” Delegation letters are typically sent to all members and those that want to sign on, do.
They aren’t the only ones worried about an undercount. A bipartisan group of 48 senators, including Bennet, have also written congressional leadership asking that the count continues until the end of October.
The census, which by law is conducted every 10 years, has to be turned in to the president by the end of the year. Because of the pandemic, the Bureau asked for and received more time to finish the count — Oct. 31. But the Bureau reversed course. The collection will end Sept. 30 so as to meet the Dec. 31 deadline for results. And overall, all response rates are slightly lower than the 2010 count.
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Bennet: "No president in our history has had less respect for democracy than Donald Trump." |
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Michael Bennet: We have 79 days (Sunday) In the Colorado Sun
In 79 days [this was published Sunday, August 16], Americans will vote under conditions none of us would have imagined – a raging pandemic, a staggering economic crisis and unrelenting attacks on our democracy from the president of the United States.
No president in our history has had less respect for democracy than Donald Trump. As a candidate, he refused to say whether he would accept the results of the 2016 election.
Having won, he claimed without evidence that millions of undocumented immigrants had voted for Hillary Clinton to explain why he lost the popular vote.
As president, Trump still denies Russia’s interference in our elections. Worse, he actively invited foreign interference by attempting to withhold security assistance from Ukraine to coerce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden.
Through it all, he and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have blockaded virtually every effort to strengthen and protect our democracy.
At the start of this election year, Americans stood ready to overcome all of these obstacles to cast their ballots.
Then the pandemic struck. Instead of using the crisis to unite the country, the president has used it to continue his assault on our democracy – this time, by training his fire on vote-by-mail, a model we helped pioneer in Colorado.
For months, he has made one false claim after another about vote-by-mail. He claims it leads to fraud, even though the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, found that out of roughly 250 million absentee ballots cast over a 20-year span, the incidence of fraud was a mere 0.00006% of all ballots cast. Put differently, an American is more likely to be struck by lightning than commit mail voter fraud.
The president claims vote-by-mail invites foreign interference. He must not have spoken with his former Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, who praised Colorado as a national leader for election security and said she would “love to continue to use [Colorado] as an example of what other states can adopt.” She was right to do this.
Some election experts argue that because vote-by-mail leaves a paper trail, it is actually more secure than traditional, in-person voting.
The president has also claimed that vote-by-mail is an attempt by Democrats to steal the November election. He should talk to my Republican colleague, Sen. Cory Gardner, who won our state’s first election after transitioning to vote-by-mail.
The truth is, in two of our last three general elections, more registered Republicans voted by mail than Democrats. A recent study of Colorado’s elections found that vote-by-mail benefited both parties the same, increasing turnout by an average of eight percentage points.
This is the president’s true concern. He fears that he can’t win the vote, so he’s trying to suppress it. This is not speculation; the president admitted it last week on national television, saying he would oppose new funding for the U.S. Postal Service to keep states from expanding vote-by-mail.
This came after we learned that U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major Trump donor, reportedly notified states about his intent to nearly triple the cost of sending ballots by mail – increasing costs for states weeks before the election and when their budgets are already stretched thin.
None of this is by accident. Together, the president’s words and deeds constitute the most brazen campaign of voter suppression since Jim Crow, and they, too, will go down in history with everlasting shame.
The question now is what history will say about the rest of us, having seen this blatant attack on our democracy. At a minimum, the Senate and the House of Representatives should immediately return to Washington to fully fund our elections and the U.S. Postal Service, overriding the president if required.
The time is long past for my Republican colleagues to decide whether they love our democracy more than they fear Donald Trump.
In Colorado, we should take every opportunity to burnish our example and push back against the disinformation about vote-by-mail.
Finally, we need to reach out to our friends and family across the country to make sure they have the right information to vote and save our democracy in its moment of need. We have 79 days.
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Weiser, Dems Hold Trump United States Postal Service Head Accountable |
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Weiser looks warily at Postmaster General's promises as Colorado joins multi-state lawsuit From Colorado Politics
In the wake of continued controversy over the operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service, Attorney General Phil Weiser said on Tuesday that states in a federal lawsuit would stay "committed" to ensuring that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy does not delay or disrupt mail delivery.
"While the Postmaster General has said he is suspending operational initiatives he implemented illegally at the USPS, we are going to monitor his actions and make sure that he lives up to his word. A mere statement isn’t legally binding and nothing in the DeJoy statement says that he is reversing the actions already taken," Weiser said.
Weiser, Gov. Jared Polis, and Secretary of State Jena Griswold had announced earlier that Colorado joined a multi-state federal lawsuit claiming that the drastic changes at USPS threaten critical mail delivery and could undermine the national election in November.
DeJoy said in a statement after the announcement that "to avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded."
Colorado joins Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin in that lawsuit, to be filed in federal court in Washington state.
The Postal Service cuts — including the removal of five Delivery Bar Code Sorters and at least one Flat Sequencing System from a major Denver distribution center — threaten the timely delivery of mail to Coloradans who rely on the Postal Service for everything from medical prescriptions to ballots, according to a statement from Weiser's office.
Other factors that could cause delay include not only the increased load on the remaining sorters, but also new policies such as reduced staff overtime and an earlier deadline for end-of-day mail processing.
DeJoy did not say what is to become of the 671 mail sorting machines and hundreds of mail collection boxes believed to have been already removed by USPS in recent weeks. He is scheduled to testify before both houses of Congress next week.
Weiser's statement noted that the Postal Service had recently notified states it would end its longstanding practice of processing ballots as first-class mail regardless of what type of postage is used. States and counties that use marketing or bulk-rate postage for their ballots could experience delays that would prevent some ballots from being counted.
In Colorado, ballots are sent to voters at least three weeks before the election. Griswold has said that they advise voters not to return ballots by mail beginning a week before the election and to drop them off at secure ballot collection boxes.
Weiser said these delays are likely to affect Colorado’s all-mail elections and the constitutional right to vote for the state’s 3.5 million active registered voters, as well as delay mail-order prescription drugs to nearly 50,000 Colorado veterans.
“Coloradans depend on the U.S. Postal Service to conduct business, pay bills, order prescriptions, and to vote by mail. The sweeping changes that the Postmaster General implemented at the Postal Service are illegal and threaten to undermine our state’s independent authority to conduct elections," Weiser said Tuesday. "We are bringing this lawsuit to fight for every citizen’s constitutional right to vote and to protect our State’s ability to manage our reliable, safe, and easy-to-use vote at home election system."
The lawsuit claims DeJoy "acted outside of his authority and did not follow the proper procedures required by federal to implement these drastic changes. Under federal law, changes at the U.S. Postal Service that cause a nationwide impact in mail service must be submitted to the Postal Regulatory Commission. The commission then evaluates the proposal through a procedure that includes public notice and comment," according to the statement.
DeJoy is a former deputy finance chairman for the Republican National Committee and a donor to President Trump's election campaign, with more than $1.2 million in contributions and millions more to other Republican organizations and candidates, according to NPR.
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Crow Talks Mail-In Voting, USPS, COVID-19 Relief |
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Congressman Jason Crow joined local Colorado radio KOA-News to talk about a number of issues important to Coloradans, including the safety and security of mail-in voting, the Trump Administration's attempts to dismantle the Post Office, and the Senate's lack of action on COVID relief. Click here to listen! |
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Trump, Gardner, & GOP Watch |
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Trump Calls for Cuts to Social Security, Medicare |
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Trump Calls for Making Permanent Cuts to Both the Medicare and Social Security Payroll Taxes From Forbes Magazine
President Trump said over the weekend, "If I'm victorious on November 3rd, I plan to forgive these [payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare] and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax."
Currently, employers and employees split the 12.4% payroll tax on the first $137,700 of 2020 earnings and also split the 2.9% Medicare tax on all earnings. The self-employed pay the entire tax.
Trump not only wants to suspend these taxes during the pandemic crisis, he says he wants to make permanent cuts to these taxes.
First, the only people who pay these taxes are people who still have their jobs and their earnings. With millions unemployed it can be argued that it would make more sense to increase deficit spending by providing help directly to those who don't have any earnings––the unemployed.
But the bigger question revolves around the suspension of funding to Medicare and Social Security––particularly permanent cuts.
Both the Medicare and Social Security trust funds are running out of money––both face an inability to pay full benefits if their problems aren't solved by either increasing funding or cutting benefits. That is projected by the Congressional Budget Office to happen for Medicare in 2025 and Social Security in 2031.
So, with their solvency teetering, why would you cut their taxpayer provided funding sources?
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Gardner's Failure on COVID-19 Hangs "Over His Head Like An Anvil" |
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(Photo Credit: Mark Reis) |
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From the Colorado Sun
In the first week after the U.S. Senate departed for a weeks-long recess, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner made a series of stops in Aurora to discuss mental health care.
The Yuma Republican highlighted his legislation to create the 988 national suicide hotline and a bill he co-sponsored with U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris — the Democratic nominee for vice president — to address a shortage of mental health workers.
All the while, a stalemate in Washington hung over his head like an anvil: The gridlocked negotiations for another stimulus package to fill gaps in the coronavirus response, address the high unemployment rate, provide money for the U.S. election and start the school year.
Gardner acknowledged the unfinished work but offered few specifics about what he sees as a path forward. “We have to do more,” he said in an interview after the event at the National Mental Health Innovation Center, “and more every minute.”
For Gardner, the political stakes for a stimulus deal are significant and the pressure is mounting. The first-term lawmaker faces reelection challenge in 12 weeks and he’s pinned his campaign in large part on his response to the pandemic and his ability to deliver relief to Colorado in his reelection bid.
In May, days after the Democratic-led U.S. House approved another aid package, Gardner demanded that the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate take action before recessing for the Memorial Day break. At the time, he called the break “unfathomable,” but three months later, the two parties remain far apart with no agreement in sight.
Democratic rival John Hickenlooper is using the inaction to bludgeon Gardner, saying the delays are “reckless.”
“You got to be kidding me,” Hickenlooper exclaimed in a virtual event Friday. Instead of continuing negotiations, he added, “the Senate has packed up their bags and left to go campaign.”
Hickenlooper supports the $3 trillion Democratic legislation — known as the Heroes Act — that calls for more money to address the pandemic and economic fallout, the restoration of the $600 additional payments to those who lost jobs and $3.6 billion to help provide more resources for the Nov. 3 election.
In addition, the former governor focused on the need for more personal protective equipment for medical workers, more rapid testing, and relief for renters and homeowners. He did not offer specifics on what policies he wants to see included in the legislation and he was not available for an interview. His campaign has not held a widely advertised event since early March; advisers say they are limiting events because of the coronavirus.
In recent public events, Gardner made clear he supports another round of federal stimulus and deflected Democratic criticisms pointing to ongoing efforts he supports to provide relief despite the legislative impasse. The U.S. Senate recessed Thursday and is not expected to return until September; the U.S. House will return later this week to address concerns about the U.S. Postal Service.
In an interview after his mental health events Monday, the senator touted that Colorado’s application for $300 in extended unemployment benefits received approval from the Trump administration. “That’s going to start as soon as the state can go,” he said.
When it comes to money for elections, Gardner downplayed Democratic demands for a larger cash infusion. He said existing election assistance money remains unspent and a loan is available for the Postal Service.
“There is money that is leftover,” he said, referring to federal dollars for elections. “They haven’t used it all, so let’s use it and if they need more let’s get more. I don’t think there’s going to be a shortage-of-money problem to protect our elections, that’s not the issue.”
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Boebert Arrested in 2015 for Verbally Assaulting Cop. |
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Report: Lauren Boebert warned arresting deputies she had ‘friends at Fox News’ From Colorado Newsline
Congressional candidate Lauren Boebert of Rifle, who has defended “law and order” and recently called for protesters to start “behaving” in the wake of widespread demonstrations against police brutality, was detained and handcuffed herself after a verbal altercation with law enforcement at a 2015 country music festival, records show.
A petty offense charge for disorderly conduct — which the Mesa County district attorney later dismissed — arose from an incident at the Country Jam music festival near Grand Junction, where sheriff’s deputies said Boebert encouraged people arrested for underage drinking to break free and repeatedly said she had “friends at Fox News” who would report on her subsequent “illegal arrest,” according to deputy accounts in a case report.
“I was glad the legal system worked as it should have and that the district attorney recognized there shouldn’t be charges,” Boebert said via text when asked for comment on the incident.
In June, Boebert rose to national fame when in a primary race she ousted incumbent Republican Rep. Scott Tipton, who had represented the 3rd congressional district since 2011. Donald Trump won the district by 12 percentage points in 2016, and the race was considered an easy win for Republicans until recently.
A poll released Aug. 13 by left-leaning polling organization GQR, sponsored by the campaign of Boebert’s opponent, Diane Mitsch Bush, found the two candidates nearly tied. GQR surveyed 400 likely voters and found 43% support for Mitsch Bush and 42% for Boebert. Of the remaining voters, 4% were undecided and 11% were split among three additional candidates.
The poll also found that the district was tied for the presidential race with 48% of people surveyed supporting President Trump and 48% for Democrat Joe Biden.
Around 9 p.m. on June 20, 2015, Mesa County Sheriff’s Office deputies noticed that Boebert, then 28, was shouting at several people detained at a command post who’d been arrested on suspicion of underage drinking at the festival, according to two deputy statements. A sergeant “had to physically push her backwards” as Boebert ran into the command post, one deputy wrote.
She was yelling “something to the affect (sic) of ‘they didn’t read you your Miranda Rights so that is an illegal detention,'” according to the statement.
Boebert was “trying to get subjects to leave the custody of law enforcement,” another deputy wrote.
“Lauren continued yelling and causing the underage drinkers to become unruly,” the first statement reported. “Lauren’s behavior was becoming likely to cause a disorderly response from those in the area attending the concert.”
When Boebert didn’t stop yelling after being asked multiple times by law enforcement, two deputies “advised her she was under arrest for disorderly conduct” and handcuffed her, according to the statement.
“Lauren began yelling that we did not read her her Miranda Rights and the arrest was illegal,” the deputy said. “Lauren said multiple times that she had friends at Fox News and that the arrest would be national news.”
The second deputy said Boebert had recognized a friend who was under arrest at the underage drinking command post, suggesting that was what spurred her outburst. That deputy also said Boebert tried to walk away to avoid arrest and began to “twist away” when they attempted to handcuff her.
Boebert at first refused to provide identifying details, the deputy said, but “reluctantly” gave her name and personal information when she was told she’d be taken to jail if she refused.
“Lauren then began stating again that we illegally arrested her and that she was going to have Fox News and every reporter at the court house,” the report said.
Boebert was given a court summons and released but later failed to appear for two separate hearings in the case, court records show.
The Mesa County district attorney’s office dismissed a class 1 petty offense charge against Boebert “in the interest of justice,” writing that there was “no reasonable likelihood of conviction should (the) case go to trial.”
Under current Colorado law, a class 1 petty offense carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail, a $500 fine or both.
Newsline became aware of the dismissed charge during a background check for both Boebert and Mitsch Bush.
Though she wasn’t yet a rising political star, Boebert appeared on Fox News prior to her June 2015 run-in with deputies. A July 2014 national story covered her Rifle restaurant, Shooters Grill, where waitresses carry firearms.
Notably, Boebert has repeatedly criticized widespread protests against police brutality on her Twitter account in recent weeks.
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