The 45th Democratic National Convention starts today at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. By week’s end Senator Barack Obama will no longer be referred to as a presumptive Democratic Party nominee for president. Senator Barack Obama is expected to accept his party’s nomination for president on Thursday at INVESCO Field at Mile High, a stadium that holds 70,000 plus and home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos. Side note for you football fans, Denver won back to back Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII (1998, 1999). Tonight’s headline prime-time speaker will be Michelle Obama. Tuesday the headline speaker will be Senator Hillary Clinton. On Wednesday, Senator Barack Obama’s Vice Presidential Nominee, U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) will take the stage. Also speaking on Wednesday is Former President Bill Clinton, former Senator Tom Daschle, Governor Bill Richardson and Senators Evan Bayh (previous VP contender) and John Kerry. Full details regarding the program on Thursday have yet to be released.
Colorado is a key ‘battle ground state, ’ 1 of only 3 states out west listed as a virtual toss-up by the New York Times Electoral Map. Up for grabs are 9 electoral votes, one less than Minnesota site of the RNC. Once considered a perennial GOP stronghold, Colorado has gone Republican for three consecutive elections and 12 of the past 14. However, President Bush won Colorado by less than 5 percent in 2004 as the state has become steadily more Democratic. The Democratic Party has been surging in Colorado and has picked up the governorship, a Senate seat, and two U.S. House seats. An increasing Hispanic population and Republicans attempts to strengthen immigration laws may be problematic and help Senator Obama.
Democratic Businessman Jared Polis, who recently won a three-way primary battle, is one candidate hoping to get a boost from the DNC. The 33-year-old Polis, who would be one of the youngest Congress members if elected, has big advantages in both fundraising and political demographics for his general election race against little-know Republican nominee Scott Starin. Colorado’s 2nd district was formally held by five-term Democrat Mark Udall, who is running for Senate with a slight lead, is listed as ‘safe democrat.’
One thing is for certain. Partisans, pundits, and political junkies will keep ‘all eyes on Colorado’ well after the Democratic National Convention.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Drill Now: Gaining Momentum, will Congress act?
Everyone knows that markets respond in an anticipatory way. Therefore the U.S. simply signaling an intention to drill will reduce the price at the pump. Best guess is about a $1 per gallon drop in price over one or two short weeks time.
Prove it, you say? Look at President Bush recent removal of an executive order that has no effect of law, considering a current federal law preempts it. Just having made that move dropped the per gallon price by fifty cents in about a weeks time. The market responded.
So what needs to be done? Congress needs to take up an energy bill and the Democratic majority needs to procedurally allow the drilling amendment to be brought forward. Unfortunately, the Democratic leadership in Congress, especially in the U.S. House of Representatives went on a (5) week summer break without bringing the bill to the floor. Why? Strategy! They knew that their were enough votes in congress to pass the drilling amendments, so they gavel session to a close and sent congress home to campaign.
In the meantime...
Senator Barack Obama has switched from opposed to drilling to "willing to consider it."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has switched from opposed to drilling to "an openness to allowing an offshore drilling vote."
They must have finally got around to reading the polls.
The big question now is...will she actually follow through and allow the vote?
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(see below for Boehner and Blunts quotes about the speaker's intention)
“If Speaker Pelosi is truly sincere about having a vote on deep-ocean oil and gas drilling to help bring down fuel costs, she should use her power as Speaker to call Congress back into session immediately and schedule a vote on the American Energy Act,” Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a statement released Tuesday morning.
“I was certainly encouraged to hear the Speaker last night suggest a willingness to allow the House to have an up-or-down vote on the merits of unlocking the potential of America’s abundant energy resources. But the proof will be in the proverbial pudding,” Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) stated.
Prove it, you say? Look at President Bush recent removal of an executive order that has no effect of law, considering a current federal law preempts it. Just having made that move dropped the per gallon price by fifty cents in about a weeks time. The market responded.
So what needs to be done? Congress needs to take up an energy bill and the Democratic majority needs to procedurally allow the drilling amendment to be brought forward. Unfortunately, the Democratic leadership in Congress, especially in the U.S. House of Representatives went on a (5) week summer break without bringing the bill to the floor. Why? Strategy! They knew that their were enough votes in congress to pass the drilling amendments, so they gavel session to a close and sent congress home to campaign.
In the meantime...
Senator Barack Obama has switched from opposed to drilling to "willing to consider it."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has switched from opposed to drilling to "an openness to allowing an offshore drilling vote."
They must have finally got around to reading the polls.
The big question now is...will she actually follow through and allow the vote?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(see below for Boehner and Blunts quotes about the speaker's intention)
“If Speaker Pelosi is truly sincere about having a vote on deep-ocean oil and gas drilling to help bring down fuel costs, she should use her power as Speaker to call Congress back into session immediately and schedule a vote on the American Energy Act,” Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a statement released Tuesday morning.
“I was certainly encouraged to hear the Speaker last night suggest a willingness to allow the House to have an up-or-down vote on the merits of unlocking the potential of America’s abundant energy resources. But the proof will be in the proverbial pudding,” Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) stated.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Democrats who believe McCain is the REAL DEAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSpcxkKlEFA
Click through to this youtube segment to find clips of Democrats praising Senator John McCain. There is no question that he is a "do-er." He works together with bot sides of the aisle. He gets things done!
Senator Barack Obama can talk his cute little game by using words like "hope" and "promise" and "yes we can" but all of that just feels pretty empty to me. After (4) years in the U.S. Senate can anyone name one thing he has done? Do you remember his name being mentioned as part of any ground breaking legislation?
Kind of feels like when you drink a warm Coca Cola too fast on a hot summer day!
Click through to this youtube segment to find clips of Democrats praising Senator John McCain. There is no question that he is a "do-er." He works together with bot sides of the aisle. He gets things done!
Senator Barack Obama can talk his cute little game by using words like "hope" and "promise" and "yes we can" but all of that just feels pretty empty to me. After (4) years in the U.S. Senate can anyone name one thing he has done? Do you remember his name being mentioned as part of any ground breaking legislation?
Kind of feels like when you drink a warm Coca Cola too fast on a hot summer day!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Pandering Politicians
Websters defines 'Pandering' in the following
: to act as a pander; especially : to provide gratification for others' desires
Now I want to prefice this by saying that yes of course both sides do pander but this is just one of the most recent and richest examples.
Senator Barach Obama announced today a broad energy plan which includes two reversal of his previous policy.
One he is calling for the exercise of the U.S. Strategic Reserve = Pandering --> Repbulicans have been calling for this since gas hit $3 a gallon and now Senator Barack Obama wants to talk about it why? Oh yeah, I forgot...he is running for president and he is willing to tell the majority of americans "in the middle" on the political spectrum that he agrees with them. You see he is smart, politically astute, motivated, he knows he has the Democratic Party base "locked up" so now he needs to reach towards the moderates in in the middle. He needs to, in a clever way, convince people he is willing to consider exercising the U.S. Strategic Petroleum reserve. Meanwhile, should he ever be in a position to make that decision, should he be president, he has no intention of sigining such a measure. He will assuredly find a way to derobe himself of responsibility of following through on this campaign pledge.
Two he is calling for "some offshore drilling" as long as it is done in a "responsibile way" = PANDERING --> Republicans have been asking for Congress to open ANWR (Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge and offshore drilling in gulf and other coastal waters for quite some time. Senator Barack Obama's attempts are merely a ruse designed to trick those in the middle who may be inclined to agree with him on some issues but are being squeezed in the pocketbook. Honestly, Senator Obama play here in the least is to look as if he is "willing to reach out" and work with both sides of the issue. When in fact he is just telling them what they want to hear. He is co-opting the parts of the Republican agenda for his own political gain while simultaneously trying to "steal his opponents thunder" on an issue that he knows is winning in the polls with the american people. Drill more, payless now!
Third he wants to end oil dependancy in 10 years = PANDERING and completely ludacrious. Every economist in the world knows that a conversion, even if the technology where here right now today...and it isn't, could not even possibly occur in such a short amount of time.
Obama thinks of 10 years like a young person would 10 years still equals..."like forever."
McCain sees 10 years very differently. Ten years to McCain is...only twice as long as he spent as a prisioner of war.
No matter how cliche, commercialized, and overdone Senator John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" has become you can still trust it.
With Senator Obama...you get the feeling he will say and do anything to become president!
: to act as a pander; especially : to provide gratification for others' desires
Now I want to prefice this by saying that yes of course both sides do pander but this is just one of the most recent and richest examples.
Senator Barach Obama announced today a broad energy plan which includes two reversal of his previous policy.
One he is calling for the exercise of the U.S. Strategic Reserve = Pandering --> Repbulicans have been calling for this since gas hit $3 a gallon and now Senator Barack Obama wants to talk about it why? Oh yeah, I forgot...he is running for president and he is willing to tell the majority of americans "in the middle" on the political spectrum that he agrees with them. You see he is smart, politically astute, motivated, he knows he has the Democratic Party base "locked up" so now he needs to reach towards the moderates in in the middle. He needs to, in a clever way, convince people he is willing to consider exercising the U.S. Strategic Petroleum reserve. Meanwhile, should he ever be in a position to make that decision, should he be president, he has no intention of sigining such a measure. He will assuredly find a way to derobe himself of responsibility of following through on this campaign pledge.
Two he is calling for "some offshore drilling" as long as it is done in a "responsibile way" = PANDERING --> Republicans have been asking for Congress to open ANWR (Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge and offshore drilling in gulf and other coastal waters for quite some time. Senator Barack Obama's attempts are merely a ruse designed to trick those in the middle who may be inclined to agree with him on some issues but are being squeezed in the pocketbook. Honestly, Senator Obama play here in the least is to look as if he is "willing to reach out" and work with both sides of the issue. When in fact he is just telling them what they want to hear. He is co-opting the parts of the Republican agenda for his own political gain while simultaneously trying to "steal his opponents thunder" on an issue that he knows is winning in the polls with the american people. Drill more, payless now!
Third he wants to end oil dependancy in 10 years = PANDERING and completely ludacrious. Every economist in the world knows that a conversion, even if the technology where here right now today...and it isn't, could not even possibly occur in such a short amount of time.
Obama thinks of 10 years like a young person would 10 years still equals..."like forever."
McCain sees 10 years very differently. Ten years to McCain is...only twice as long as he spent as a prisioner of war.
No matter how cliche, commercialized, and overdone Senator John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" has become you can still trust it.
With Senator Obama...you get the feeling he will say and do anything to become president!
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