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Time to Call on Payday Lending Reform

Jen Caltrider — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:59:13 EDT

Payday lending reform is in jeopardy. We've identified three key swing legislators who need encouragement to do the right thing, right now: can you please take a moment to call them?

Rep. Sue Schafer - 303-866-5522
Rep. Nancy Todd - 303-866-2919
Rep. John Kefalas - 303-866-4569

Please be respectful when you call, and remind them of these simple arguments:

--Payday loans are a bad product that harms people. A defective product should not be sold, even if it is "all people can afford.

--Payday loans don't solve a financial emergency, they create a new financial emergency every two weeks over and above the original amount loaned.

--Payday loans leave hundreds of thousands (estimated somewhere between 100,000--200,000 Coloradans) in debt they can't climb out of.

--Payday lenders brazenly advertise that they make these abusive loans against unemployment, disability and even Social Security checks. That's millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded assistance being sucked up by the payday lending industry.

The Tea Party is over

Ken — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:57:58 EDT

At a press conference on Monday, Armey acknowledged that Democrats "will most likely pass health care reform legislation that has been debated for the last year and is expected to come to a vote this week."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/16/march-16-tea-party-protes_n_500591.html

Once HCR is passed and signed into law by President Obama then the heavy lifting will really begin to pass the public option, defeat the Stupak/Nelson amendments, and work on single payer.

This is not the time to rest a la once Obama is elected then everything will be "sweetness and light" because as we have seen that policies that Bush implemented like extraordinary rendition and indefinite detentions have continued under the Obama administration.

For progressives and liberals- Never give up and never surrender!

Colorado Unemployment Insurance gotchas

Richard Myers — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:03:53 EDT

I've been laid off from work twice in the past 40 years, and both times i applied for, and received unemployment insurance. There are certain requirements, i.e., make job contacts, and confirm during each two week period that you are eligible for those two weeks of pay.

I've discovered two bureaucratic hurdles that probably routinely deprive unemployed workers of funds which, by law, should rightfully be theirs.

Who is pulling Jane Norton's strings?

Alan Franklin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:26:48 EDT

As Coloradans of both parties gather this week in the first step toward selection of nominees for the state's highest offices, ProgressNow Colorado, the state's largest online progressive advocacy organization, launched a new website called PuppetJaneNorton.com and called on Coloradans of all political persuasions to hold former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton accountable.

"Jane Norton's longstanding ties to Washington D.C. lobbyists are a major problem in her campaign," said ProgressNow Colorado Executive Director Bobby Clark. "Conservatives and progressives alike are wary of her connections to lobbyists for health insurance companies, defense contractors, and even foreign dictators. Whose interests would she truly represent in Washington?"

The new website, http://puppetjanenorton.com, features an animated "Puppet Jane" and links to information about certain campaign donors, longtime associates, and family members involved in lobbying on behalf of corporations and foreign governments. Included are well-known Washington D.C. insiders such as former chief of staff for disgraced Rep. Tom DeLay Susan B. Hirschmann, Benjamin Ginsberg, lawyer for the Bush 2000 Florida recount and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and Charlie Black, Jane Norton's brother-in-law, and consultant for clients ranging from African dictators to mercenary contractor Blackwater.

Recently, conservatives in Norton's own party have questioned Norton's pervasive ties to lobbyists and other Washington D.C. insiders. Many grassroots conservatives complained that Norton was 'forced' on them by party insiders when her candidacy was announced last fall. (Colorado To The NRSC: Stay Away, PPC 8/28/2009).

"While we don't often agree with our conservative friends on the issues, we share growing concern that Jane Norton is the choice of Washington D.C. lobbyists and political insiders, not the people of Colorado," said Clark. "We call on the public to sign our petition at PuppetJaneNorton.com, asking Norton to reject the influence of lobbyist donors and family members, and put Colorado's best interests first."

Colorado Citizens, Businesses Reject Amazon's Bullying

Alan Franklin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:10:50 EST

Less than 48 hours into the effort, support is growing rapidly for ProgressNow Colorado's call to boycott online retail giant Amazon following its decision to terminate relationships with affiliates in the state.

The public can sign the pledge to boycott Amazon here: http://progressnowcolorado.org/ShopMainStreet

The editorial board of the Aurora Sentinel writes in today's edition (click here to read) that "a clearly punitive act by online retailer Amazon not only invites retribution from Colorado consumers, it practically demands it...it's important for consumers to press back against Amazon for trying to bully their way into making more profit at your expense. Send Amazon an e-mail message telling them of your displeasure at their mean-spirited and politically motivated antics instead of an order, and take your wallet to an Aurora store instead."

"After only one email alert to our list, thousands of Coloradans have pledged to shop elsewhere until Amazon stops using their business partners as political pawns," said ProgressNow Colorado Executive Director Bobby Clark. "We've heard from individual citizens, angry ex-Amazon affiliates, elected officials, and local retailers, virtually all expressing their support."

Anne in Fort Collins writes in response to ProgressNow's call to boycott, "Amazon doesn't want to follow the law and wants to strong-arm Colorado into backing off...sorry, Amazon--I would rather support local businesses than do business with a company that employs unfair tactics to compete."

Tannis in Greeley replied, "I've been thinking I need to do a better job of supporting local businesses. Thanks to your decision to protect your unfair advantage, I will be shopping at stores which actually benefit my community."

Jim in Denver writes, "As a Denver retailer for the past 45 years, you bet I'll support this campaign. A level playing field is what I want to see."

Save the Polar Bear in Your Bedroom

Dave Gardner — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:26:01 EST

It’s been a great night. Romantic dinner for two. Fine organic wine. A little dancing in the living room. John Klemmer’s saxophone is putting you in the mood. It’s the right time of the night…for making love. Good thing you have the right tool in your hands to save the polar bear – an endangered species condom.

Scientists estimate that 25 years ago our population and consumption levels began to exceed Earth's capacity to sustain us. Yet for years it’s been politically incorrect to suggest we humans ought to put a lid on our impulse to reproduce. So incorrect, in fact, that many environmental organizations have been unwilling to admit human population growth is a major contributor to the environmental devastation they’re fighting. Most groups settle for just slowing down the rate of destruction, for fear that campaigning for responsible population policies would limit membership or funding.

So I was impressed when the Center for Biological Diversity came up with Endangered Species Condoms (for use by humans!). Here is an environmental organization that dares to tell the truth about the causes of species extinction. I enthusiastically volunteered to pass out the condoms, and I’d like to share my adventures with you in this video.

Don't let Amazon.com push Colorado around

Alan Franklin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:30:48 EST

Colorado doesn't take well to being bullied.

Yesterday, one of the world's biggest online retailers, Amazon, announced that it will no longer pay referral fees to Colorado bloggers and nonprofit charities who advertise Amazon's products on their websites. The reason? Amazon is unhappy about a law passed in our state, asking online retailers to help in the collection of the state's longstanding 2.9% tax--a tax we all already pay to merchants every day, both online and offline.

That's right: in a move leaders from around the state have called 'tyrannical' and 'pure duplicity,' Amazon, with no warning, closed the accounts of Colorado website owners--many of whom are individual bloggers and nonprofit organizations--in protest of routine collection of state sales taxes. What they've done won't allow them to evade the new law. All they have done is punish our neighbors in order to score cheap political points.

Sign our pledge to shop elsewhere until Amazon stops using Colorado residents as pawns:

http://progressnowcolorado.org/ShopMainStreet

After profiting from millions of dollars in tax-free sales to Colorado residents for years, Amazon is determined to protect their unfair advantage over local brick-and-mortar retailers. When the state legislature passed a law to enforce collection of taxes for online purchases, lawmakers understood that one of the key effects would be leveling the playing field between massive online merchants like Amazon and local retailers who pay their taxes and employ Coloradans.

It's true that online sales have enjoyed preferential tax benefits in many areas, giving them a needed competitive advantage during the industry's early years. But today, the logic of that approach has been turned on its head: online sales are proliferating while Main Street goes out of business.

Local businesses like Tattered Cover Books and Ultimate Electronics, who employ thousands of Colorado residents and pay their sales taxes back into the community, have suffered greatly while giant corporations like Amazon profited from their tax-free sales advantage. Today, with Colorado in the midst of the greatest fiscal crisis since the Great Depression, properly collecting taxes owed on these purchases means millions of dollars in badly-needed revenue for schools, roads, and health care.

That's the choice: stand up for our local job-creating businesses, and collect the revenue the state is already owed to help pay for vital public services. Or, get bullied by a giant corporation that has already helped put retailers in your neighborhood out of business, and now is willing to do the same to its own partners out of spite.

Tell Amazon that we won't be pushed around!

http://progressnowcolorado.org/ShopMainStreet

Thanks for everything you do every day to stand up for our common interests. We'll share your name and comments with Amazon, elected officials, and the press, and keep you up to date about further developments.

Amazon.com Plays Political Games With Colorado Business Partners

Alan Franklin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:09:45 EST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 8, 2010
CONTACT: Bobby Clark, Deputy Director at 303-905-8375

DENVER: Responding to news that the online retailer Amazon.com has terminated relationships with business affiliates in Colorado in protest of a new state law, ProgressNow Colorado, the state's largest online progressive advocacy organization released the following statement:

"After profiting from millions of dollars in direct sales to Colorado residents for years, Amazon is determined to protect their unfair advantage over local brick-and-mortar retailers," said ProgressNow Colorado Executive Director Bobby Clark. "This year, the Colorado legislature passed a law to enforce collection of taxes for online purchases, leveling the playing field between massive online merchants like Amazon and local retailers who pay their taxes and employ Coloradans.

"Rather than comply with the law as Amazon already does in many other localities where they collect sales tax on purchases, they chose to 'make an example' of our state, and unfairly punish their own business associates for political gain. Amazon clearly expects Coloradans to react hastily and in anger, but our state's citizens understand who is manipulating the situation for their own financial and political benefit.

"Local companies like the Tattered Cover Bookstore and Ultimate Electronics, who employ thousands of Colorado residents and pay their sales taxes back into the community, have suffered greatly while Amazon profited from an unfair advantage. With millions of dollars in badly-needed revenue set to make its way into the budgets for Colorado's schools, roads, and health care, standing behind Main Street over online behemoths like Amazon is an easy choice."

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Senators Udall and Bennet Support Adding a Public Option through Reconciliation

Michael Ditto — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:05:58 EST

Senator Michael Bennet's support of using Senate rules to pass strong healthcare reform including a public option have been gaining support. Over thirty Senators including members of leadership such as Senators Reid, Durbin, and Schumer have declared their public support--not only for passing fixes to the Senate healthcare bill that would make it more in line with the priorities of the House bill, but to add a public option that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says will reduce the deficit.

From Senator Udall's office:

Senator Udall shares President Obama’s over-arching priority of enacting meaningful and comprehensive health reform that will increase quality and access and put our system on a sustainable track by lowering costs for small businesses, taxpayers, and American families. As part of reform, he continues to feel that inclusion of a public option to go head-to-head with private insurers could play a significant role in bringing down costs and offering more affordable options to Coloradans. He thinks it’s important that such a plan – like the one approved in the House bill – negotiate reimbursement rates while competing on a level playing field with the private sector, and if such a plan comes up for a vote under the reconciliation process, he would vote for it.

Support Colorado House Bill 1168: People before insurance companies

Alan Franklin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:43:47 EST

It makes sense that injured people should get help as quickly and with as few hoops to jump through as possible, and deserve to be treated fairly by insurance companies. There's an important bill before the Colorado legislature that needs your support today if you agree.

Insurance policies often include dense 'legalese' language that allows insurance companies to unfairly take money from injured people who get restitution for their injuries from other sources. That's just wrong, it allows these insurance companies, who have already been paid to provide coverage, to "double-dip" by reaching into the pockets of an injured person even if the injured person has uncompensated losses such as unpaid medical bills or treatments not covered by their insurance--not to mention lost wages, or future medical expenses.

If you agree with me that this is wrong and needs to be fixed, click here to sign our petition in support of Colorado House Bill 1168:

http://progressnowcolorado.org/PeopleFirst

Insurance companies say they're for 'reforming' the legal system, but because of their contract language insurance companies can interfere with the settlement process for injury claims at will. This makes voluntary settlements more difficult and leads to unnecessary, wasteful, and costly litigation--exactly what insurance companies say they don't want.

What's more, insurance companies in Colorado are allowed to get paid twice--once through the premiums they charge to cover people to begin with, and again by taking an up-front cut of whatever restitution victims manage to get from responsible parties. When that happens, injured people who have uncompensated losses are left hurting.

The fact is, injured people, not insurance companies, are the ones who must pursue restitution after an accident. Insurance companies sit idly on the sidelines, without helping, and then swoop in after a settlement is made to take money from the injured person--a victim who has already paid their premiums!

The solution: fully compensate the injured for their losses before insurance companies get to take their cut. Sign our petition urging the Colorado legislature to support House Bill 1168.

http://progressnowcolorado.org/PeopleFirst

All Things Labor

Richard Myers — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:33:47 EST

Amendment 54 is dead. May it rest in peace, forever undisturbed.

I think it is worth recalling what Amendment 54 was all about. While i don't often rely upon the mainstream media to explain issues related to work life and democratic process, i think their perception of this bill gives a good overview.

There was one newspaper that approved of Amendment 54, the Aspen Times. Their entire editorial comment in support consisted of,

Vote yes on Amendment 54.

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20081008/DAILYCOMMENT/810079961&parentprofile=search

Newspapers opposing Amendment 54 included the Rocky Mountain News, Denver Post, The Mountain Mail (Salida), Pueblo Chieftain, Longmont Times-Call, Grand Junction Sentinel, Loveland Reporter-Herald, Boulder Weekly, Cortez Journal, The Durango Telegraph, Yellow Scene Magazine, and the Steamboat Pilot & Today.

Some of their comments, and a brief roundup of other labor issues after the fold.

Should Colorado crack down on 500%+ interest rates?

Michael Ditto — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:45:00 EST

Did you know that it's legal for predatory lenders to charge as much as 521% interest on payday loans? That's not a typo.

Out of state payday lenders have flocked to Colorado in the last decade because the once right-wing Colorado legislature passed a loophole in 2000 that exempted these predatory lenders from having to charge reasonable interest rates. You've seen them--they cluster along main streets and in low-income neighborhoods, preying on hard-working Coloradans and taking more than $80 MILLION in interest and fees out of our economy every year!

In these times, banks, credit card companies, and these payday loan sharks are making record profits on the backs of Colorado consumers. If we organize, we can take on the payday loan shark industry. We don't have to wait on Washington DC to do anything-the power is right here in Colorado's legislature. They broke it in 2000, and they can fix it today. We want our state legislature to act.

So my question to you is do you agree?

Jane Norton's Ad Campaign Bought and Paid For by D.C. Lobbyists

Alan Franklin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:31:33 EST

Jane Norton's Ad Campaign Bought and Paid For by D.C. Lobbyists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
CONTACT: Bobby Clark, Executive Director

DENVER: Responding to news of former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton's forthcoming ad campaign, ProgressNow Colorado, the state's largest online progressive advocacy organization, released the following statement:

"The people of Colorado are fed up with corporate lobbyists running things in Washington, and no amount of advertising can whitewash Jane Norton's ties with corporate special interests," said ProgressNow Colorado Executive Director Bobby Clark. "With as many right-wing lobbyists as Jane Norton has surrounded herself with, it's not surprising that the only ideas we've heard from her so far are straight from the tired old right-wing insider playbook."

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"McLobbyist Happy Meals" Slam McInnis Hypocrisy

Alan Franklin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:47:28 EST

That's the word from the Denver Post's Tim Hoover:

Liberal group delivers treat bags slamming McInnis over opposition to tax bills

There’s a bite-sized “100 Grand” bar, a “Sugar Daddy,” a can of cola and a bottle of pesticide. It’s all inside a McDonald’s “Happy Meal” bag.

The goody bags were delivered to the Capitol today by liberal group, “ProgressNow” Colorado in response to a series of appearances GOP candidate for governor Scott McInnis is making across the state to protest Democratic-backed proposals to eliminate tax exemptions and credits for a variety of industries and products.

[...]

“Scott McInnis has failed repeatedly to identify his own plan to balance the state budget,” ProgressNow Executive Director Bobby Clark said. “Instead, McInnis has shown why he earned the name ‘McLobbyist’ – the only position he ever seems to have is the one that corporate special interests tell him to have.

“Working families, senior citizens and students around the state are making sacrifices to protect the vital public services we all depend on, and suspending a small percentage of the tax breaks for business that cost Colorado billions of dollars every year is not too much to ask for.”

Sean Duffy, a spokesman for McInnis, said ProgressNow is wrong to claim it represents working families.

“With continued stunts that ignore the facts and make light of hundreds of families every day coming home to find out that a breadwinner has lost his or her job, they’re only deepening their own irrelevance,” Duffy said. “Scott McInnis is the only candidate for governor who is out talking to the workers and small business owners who are going to be hit hard by these tax increases.”

So where would McInnis cut? Duffy said the former congressman believes the state should look at efficiencies like merging departments.

Which ones?

“We don’t know. We’re looking at it,” Duffy said...

Tell Jane Norton - Don't Tax Our Eggs

Alan Franklin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:28:23 EST

Have you heard Jane Norton's latest radical idea? Taxing your groceries, medicine and health care!

Speaking before a small group of hardcore conservatives this week, Norton asserted that both a "national sales tax" and a so-called "flat tax" were two options she supported. (Ft. Morgan Times 2/9/10) These tired old right-wing ideas have been discredited for years because they would shift the tax burden away from the wealthy while hitting seniors, students, working families, and the poor.

http://progressnowcolorado.org/NoGroceryTax

By every objective measure, a national sales tax on virtually all goods and services (estimated by proponents to be 19% or higher) would shift the tax burden away from the wealthy and hurt seniors, students and working families.

And the "flat tax" is no better. The Brookings Institution says that a flat tax would raise the tax burden for many workers from 30% to nearly 40%, while eliminating most popular deductions for things like healthcare. The only people a "flat tax" benefits are the rich, who would pay a much smaller percentage of their income than they do today.

Click here to tell Norton that these are bad ideas:

http://progressnowcolorado.org/NoGroceryTax

These are the latest in a recent string of radical ideas from Jane Norton. She recently told a "Tea Party" gathering that the Department of Education should be abolished. She's said that the federal government should have "no role" whatsoever in health care (this means you, Medicare recipients). And Norton even claimed that President Obama cares more about "terrorist rights" than protecting Americans.

Add your comments and help us send Jane Norton a message that mainstream Colorado rejects her radical ideas. Thanks for demanding better from our public leaders.

Tax your groceries? I don't think so.

Alan Franklin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:32:05 EST

Colorado is in the middle of the greatest economic and fiscal crisis since the Great Depression. Working families, senior citizens, and college students around the state are making sacrifices to protect the vital public services we all depend on.

Right now in the Colorado legislature, a crucial debate is underway to close specific loopholes and suspend a few special-interest giveaways in order to fund essential services like schools, health care, and public safety in a balanced way. But corporate lobbyists are pulling out all the stops, pressuring your representatives to shift the burden onto the middle class and preserve these giveaways--the legislature needs to hear from you today.

http://progressnowcolorado.org/StopTheGiveaways

Colorado loses billions of dollars each year in needless giveaways of your tax dollars for things like fast food packaging, corporate electric bills, even delivering junk mail to your home. The Governor and legislative leaders have proposed eliminating some of these loopholes. In response, corporate lobbyists flooded the state capitol, pushing a proposal to tax your groceries and medicine instead--a terrible idea that would hit average working families the hardest.

Please take 30 seconds right now: tell your legislators to reject corporate lobbyists and close these special interest loopholes to balance Colorado's budget.

http://progressnowcolorado.org/StopTheGiveaways

With revenue to fund Colorado's vital public services plummeting in the current recession, we need everyone to come together and do what is necessary to ensure that our citizens are healthy, our streets are safe and our children have the education they need to compete in the global economy. It's time for corporate and other special interests to pay their fair share, and suspending a small fraction of the over $2 billion Colorado loses every year in corporate loopholes and giveaways is not too much to ask.

Thanks for standing up for what's right in these challenging times. Together, we'll see Colorado through today's tough choices and emerge stronger.

Sincerely,

Alan Franklin
ProgressNow Colorado

McInnis Sides With Big Business Over Colorado's Working Families

Alan Franklin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:21:29 EST

DENVER: As citizens from around Colorado gathered today at the state capitol, asking Big Business to pay their fair share to help balance Colorado's budget, ProgressNow Colorado Executive Director Bobby Clark released the following statement:

"Working families, senior citizens and students around the state are making hard sacrifices to protect the vital public services we all depend on, and suspending a small percentage of the tax breaks for business that cost Colorado billions of dollars every year is not too much to ask for.

It was dismaying, but not surprising, to hear today that former Congressman Scott 'McLobbyist' McInnis has weighed in on the side of Big Business and against Colorado's middle class families, praising business' lobbying efforts to kill this important budget-balancing legislation. Instead of paying their fair share to help balance Colorado's budget, business lobbyists actually proposed charging sales tax on groceries and medicine--a move that would cause true hardship around the state, hitting those who can least afford higher taxes the hardest. What's more, McInnis fails once again to provide an alternative that would enable the state to meet its obligations.

Scott McInnis and his Big Business lobbyist friends should be ashamed of themselves for proposing we tax the neediest Colorado families before they give up a single one of their precious corporate giveaways. It's unconscionable, and the voters of Colorado won't stand for it."

McInnis responds to Santa Claus

Alan Franklin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:57:39 EST

The Denver Daily News follows up on ProgressNow Colorado's "early Christmas present" -- a copy of the Colorado budget -- to former congressman Scott McInnis.

McInnis asked on his plans to balance budget

Former Congressman Scott McInnis is being asked by his opponents for concrete details on how he plans on balancing the budget if elected governor.

But the McInnis campaign maintains that it is too early to be suggesting specific budget-balancing measures, noting that the budget McInnis might receive as governor in January 2011 would likely be drastically different than what lawmakers are currently working on.

The issue has become a talking point for Democrats who are fighting McInnis’ chances to beat Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter in 2010.

ProgressNow Colorado sent McInnis an “early Christmas present” last week when they showed up at his campaign headquarters in Greenwood Village with the state budget in hand. The group is citing a recent interview with McInnis in which he said he wouldn’t have an accurate budget to work with for at least a year.

[...]

But McInnis campaign spokesman Josh Green says his opponents are taking the comment out of context. He said what McInnis was referring to is that the current budget doesn’t give a truly accurate picture of what McInnis would need to begin balancing in 2010 if elected governor.

“We’re still nearly a year out from the election — it’s been one of the earliest cycles in memory — Scott naturally is not going to come out with a detailed plan for the budget, and frankly, as the legislative session goes forward, the budget is going to change and everything’s going to change itself,” said Green. “To say Scott doesn’t have a plan, that’s not quite accurate.”

[...]

But Democrats keep turning their attention back to McInnis’ budget-balancing strategies, arguing that the former congressman from Grand Junction has no real ideas.

“If he’s going to criticize his opponent’s position, then he needs to actually have positions of his own,” said ProgressNow member Bobby Clark. “It’s a cop-out to say he doesn’t have a copy of the budget.”

The last word from ProgressNow's Bobby Clark (disclosure: my boss) is what's most important: Scott McInnis has indeed offered many suggestions for the budget -- where it suits him, like calling for the repeal of FASTER and its millions for badly needed transportation maintenance. McInnis offers specifics when it suits him, then claims he can't offer any specifics when doing so might not cast him in the most positive light. The point he makes is that budget conditions are almost certain to change between now and the time he would hypothetically take office as governor, but doesn't that call into question the promises McInnis has made?

I've been doing this for a while, I certainly understand that challengers benefit from being able to nit-pick at an incumbent's decisions without having to make them. But for the good of our state in these difficult times, we need to insist these come-lately right wing 'saviors' put their budget plans in writing. Our future is too important to let "McLobbyist" have it both ways.

Christmas Comes Early for Scott "McLobbyist" McInnis

Alan Franklin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:13:14 EST

Christmas Comes Early for Scott "McLobbyist" McInnis
Santa Delivers McInnis Copy of Colorado Budget, Eliminating His Excuse for Dodging Questions

Denver, CO--Speaking outside former Rep. Scott McInnis' offices today, Santa Claus offered the following statement:

"First of all, Merry Christmas to the great state of Colorado! Santa cares very much for all the boys and girls in your state, and I'm pleased to report that the majority of you have avoided my 'naughty list' this year.

I was troubled to hear in a recent interview that Scott McInnis doesn't believe he can 'get his hands on' the Colorado budget, and that it might take a year before he can! Because I do a great deal of business on the internet these days, I know the complete Colorado budget for this year, along with Governor Bill Ritter's budget recommendations for next year, are available at the Colorado state government website.

When I heard about Scott's problem, I knew exactly what he needed for Christmas this year: a complete, printed copy of the Colorado budget--wrapped in a lovely red bow! Next time Scott is asked about his budget plans, he won't be able to say he 'can't get his hands on them.' And remember, boys and girls, it's naughty to tell a lie!"

Sticking to a principal means no on the Senate HCR

Ken — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:47:29 EST

Digby says it all:

Stupak and Nelson have finally given the liberals in the House a serious, principled reason to walk away. The dynamics still argue that they won't do it for this or any other reason, and that they will simply allow women to get shafted. (There is apparently no limit to the amount of shit the left must be forced to eat to get this bill passed.)

But the stakes are now higher for liberals than they have been. Voting to restrict a woman's ability to exercize her right to abortion in half the country is as much of a gut check as voting for a bill that doesn't contain a public option. Some might actually calculate that it's a bridge too far. And those who were already leaning toward voting against the bill for all those other reasons will now feel much more secure that they are standing up for liberal principles when they do it.

There is such a thing as the straw that broke the camel's back, even for liberals who desperately want to pass health care reform. This might be it.

Diana DeGette and Louise Slaughter are not on the bandwagon to eliminate a fundamental right for women.

They say the new compromise is possibly unconstitutional, and that they and other pro-choice House members could still reject it.

Big, bad Kent Conrad rattled the Senate sword:

The chairman of the Senate Budget Committee says the House must stick close to the Senate's version of health care reform or risk losing the 60 votes needed to pass it in the Senate.

I agree with Howard Dean that this version of HCR should be DOA.