I always knew Rep. Cory Gardner (R. CO) was stupid but this is just outstandingly idiotic:
http://blogs.westword.com/...
Last week, we shared news about the U.S. House voting to defund DEA medical marijuana raids in states where the substance is legal. But that doesn't mean the count was unanimous -- even here.
Indeed, three of Colorado's seven representatives voted against the defunding amendment, including U.S. senatorial candidate Cory Gardner -- and a representative for NORML, among the nation's most prominent marijuana-advocacy organizations, confirms that it hopes to target officials like him for anti-pot votes.
As we've reported, the aforementioned vote came in conjunction with H.R. 4660, a massive appropriations bill for "the Departments of Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 15, 2015," according to the bill. - Denver Westword Blogs, 6/3/14
Ok, there are several reasons why Gardner's vote was ridiculously idiotic but when you're a congressman from a state where marijuana legalization received more votes than Obama and Romney and you're running for U.S. Senate, you deserve to lose royally. I mean even Birther Rep. Mike Coffman (R. CO) voted against this bill and Governor John Hickenlooper (D. CO) has loosened up on pot. Mark Udall (D. CO), who has an excellent record on civil liberties, wouldn't have voted against this bill. So this reason alone is why Colorado voters should reject Gardner at the polls.
While NORML is going after Gardner on this issue, Udall is hitting him on position on immigration reform:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/...
The hammering of Rep. Cory Gardner over immigration continued today, this time with Sen. Mark Udall’s campaign accusing his November election opponent of voting with the leading congressional immigration firebrand, Iowa Rep. Steve King.
In response, Gardner’s campaign noted how often Udall votes with President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
In addition, Gardner in 2010 cancelled a scheduled fundraiser and appearance with Rep. King because of King’s comments about race and President Obama.
A Udall press release called King a “radical” and said he has made “headlines for years with his comments about America’s immigrant communities. Udall’s campaign said King has compared undocumented immigrants to dogs, referenced undocumented drug mules and suggested erecting an electrified fence on the border. - Denver Post, 6/5/14
To be fair, Gardner at least supports this:
http://www.chieftain.com/...
Rep. Cory Gardner of Colorado said Thursday he supports granting citizenship to people who enter the country illegally and serve in the U.S. military.
Gardner said he supported securing the border and a guest worker program, but said discussing a pathway to citizenship was “political.” He added citizenship for military service made sense.
“I can’t think of a better way to show your desire for citizenship than to serve your country in the military,” Gardner said. “Most people you talk to believe that’s the law of the land.”
In the interview, Gardner would not say whether he supported a broader effort to grant citizenship to anyone brought to the U.S. illegally as a child who graduates from college or serves in the military.
President Barack Obama took executive action in 2012 to allow some of those immigrants to work here legally and avoid deportation. Gardner has voted to reverse that order. He said his objection is that the president didn’t have the legal authority to make such a change.
Republicans steadily have lost ground in Colorado as the state’s growing Hispanic population has become more politically active. Democrats have hammered Gardner for his votes to repeal Obama’s immigration program and as being part of a Republican party that refuses to allow most of the people here illegally a chance at citizenship. - The Pueblo Chieftain, 6/5/14
But immigration reform advocates have continued to hit Gardner on his opposition to a pathway to citizenship:
http://kdvr.com/...
A few dozen advocates for comprehensive immigration reform, including several undocumented immigrants, staged a protest outside the congressional office of Republican Cory Gardner, part of the House GOP majority that’s blocked immigration reform in Washington and now a candidate for U.S. Senate.
“Republicans in the House of Representatives have had more than a year to take a vote on immigration reform and they have refused to do so,” said Patty Kupfer, the executive director of America’s Voice, a pro-immigration reform group that held 27 protests around the country Wednesday at the offices of lawmakers who have signaled an openness to reform but done little to spur action in Congress.
“He’s really just ignoring the economic needs of his district,” Kupfer continued, noting that Gardner’s sprawling Fourth Congressional District includes so many people who make their living from farming. “It’s time for him to stop blocking this issue.”
Gardner, after saying immediately following the 2012 election that he supported reform, stood with his House GOP colleagues in refusing to act on the comprehensive reform package that passed the Senate in 2013 with support from 68 of 100 senators, including Democrat Mark Udall, who Gardner is challenging this November.
He has echoed the party line that immigration reform must be done with a piecemeal approach and that the first step should be securing the U.S.-Mexico border (the Senate bill included nearly $50 billion in federal dollars for that very purpose). - KDVR, 6/4/14
And because of obstructionists like Gardner, Udall called on Obama to take executive action with KBNO Radio’s Fernando Sergio:
http://kdvr.com/...
“Nearly one year ago, I was at the forefront of efforts in Colorado and in Congress to pass the Senate’s bipartisan landmark immigration-reform proposal. However, since then the bill has languished in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Udall said.
“Every day that House Republicans ignore their constituents and refuse to act on immigration reform is another day Colorado families continue to be senselessly torn apart, another day our economy suffers and another day entire communities must live in fear.
“If Republicans in the House continue serving their hard-core partisan right wing and won’t act on behalf of Colorado families and businesses or the millions of immigrants living in the shadows, then the president should take action to stop tearing apart families whose only crime is seeking a better life for themselves.”
Udall was one of 68 senators who voted last year for a comprehensive immigration reform bill that included $50 billion in funding for additional security measures along the U.S.-Mexico border and a 13-year path to citizenship for the country’s 11 million undocumented immigrants.
That bill, authored by a bipartisan group of eight senators that included Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, has never been acted on by the GOP-controlled House, which prefers taking a piecemeal approach but hasn’t done anything on immigration to date.
Pressed more by Sergio, Udall said he thinks the president should act if Congress doesn’t make progress on immigration during the summer session that ends in late July. - KDVR, 6/5/14
In fact, Udall has been emphasizing that Gardner will be just as big of an obstructionist in the U.S. Senate as he was in the House:
http://thehill.com/...
Mark Udall’s (D-Colo.) campaign is looking to make Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) a liability for his Republican opponent, Rep. Cory Gardner (R) in the race.
The campaign is launching a new line of attack, previewed first to The Hill, asking Gardner whether he supports “McConnell’s prideful legacy of grinding Washington to a halt?”
“As we showed earlier this month, understanding Gardner's long history of supporting gridlock "is as simple as looking at his record in Congress, where he consistently aligns himself with his party’s most obstinate members,’” Udall spokesman James Owens writes.
“Would Gardner seek to continue his legacy of gridlock in the U.S. Senate?”
A Udall aide said the campaign is questioning whether Gardner will back McConnell for GOP caucus leader if elected. But they’ll continue to hammer the theme regardless of his answer, in an attempt to paint Gardner as too extreme for Colorado. - The Hill, 5/21/14
Of course the GOP would rather make this race about energy than immigration reform:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/...
Coloradans on Tuesday will be receiveing automated calls from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, critical of U.S. Sen. Mark Udall and President Obama over environmental regulations.
The Environmental Protection Agency today announced rules to cut carbon pollution by targeting the nation’s power plants.
Energy has become a huge part of the battle between Udall, who is seeking a second term in the Senate, and his Republican challenger, Congressman Cory Gardner. - Denver Post, 6/2/14
But even Gardner knows he can't hit Udall on this issue:
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Gardner’s apparent reluctance to try to harvest political hay off the EPA rule reflects a local reality: switching to cleaner sources of energy is an old story in Colorado, and voters here have made it clear they support the transition to a clean energy economy.
“I don’t think it’s a big issue for voters,” said former governor Bill Ritter, ticking off a list of clean energy victories, most of them bipartisan, in his state dating back a decade. The net result of those initiatives, Ritter said, means “it won’t be difficult for Colorado to implement because we are a long way down the road in being able to meet the [EPA's] 2030 goal way ahead of time.”
Ten years ago, Colorado became the first state in the nation to adopt a renewable energy standard via a ballot initiative. That 10 percent by 2020 standard for large utilities has twice been strengthened by the state legislature, first to 20 percent and more recently to 30 percent. Along the way municipal utilities and rural electric co-ops have been included in less rigorous renewable energy requirements.
Four years ago, the legislature along with the state’s largest utility, Xcel, agreed to an ambitious plan to cut air pollution by retiring coal-fired plants and replacing them with cleaner-burning natural gas plants and renewable energy. Hundreds of megawatts of dirty power are disappearing as a result, and the air and public health along the state’s populous Front Range are benefiting. Then a member of the state House, Gardner did not vote on the bill on final passage, which cleared the House 53-12 and the state Senate 20-13.
And earlier this year, state regulators struck a deal with big energy producers to adopt stronger air pollution rules on oil and gas operations, including first in the nation limits on releases of methane, a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
As a result of all this progressive policy-making, Colorado appears to be well on the way to meeting the new federal emissions standards. As the Denver Post said in an editorial, the new EPA rule holds up Colorado as “a national model for taking on global warming at the state level.” - Think Progress, 6/5/14
Plus if Gardner were to attack Udall on this, he would just look even more out of touch:
http://www.dailycamera.com/...
There's one problem. Actually, there are a few problems. But the one big problem is that, in Colorado anyway, I'm guessing the Republicans are the ones overreaching. Colorado is not Kentucky. The state legislature already passed a law in 2010 that was not unlike the new proposed rules on coal-powered plants. The EPA rules give the states flexibility, and Colorado already has its own ideas at work.
In fact, we're already well on our way to meeting the would-be federal standards, which still have to survive the court challenges that are certain to come. Jobs have not been killed. Prices have not skyrocketed.
And then there are the results of an ABC News-Washington Post poll released Monday, which may not make Cory Gardner gleeful.
The poll, taken before the announcement, shows that Americans overwhelmingly want the government to do something about climate change — and, get this, that Americans would be willing (again, overwhelmingly) to pay more to see it happen.
That's Democratic Americans. Independent Americans. Even Republican Americans.
That's coal-heavy states. And states not so coal heavy.
Oops?
Here are some numbers to consider: 70 percent of those polled said they wanted the government to require power plants to cut emissions; 70 percent said they agreed that states should be required to limit greenhouse gases within their borders; 63 percent said they would approve of a plan even if it raised their energy prices $20 a month.
These are huge numbers. And that last bit about a willingness to pay more is stunning. And then there's this: More people want the government to do something about global warming than actually say they "believe" climate change — or "global warming"; the poll used both — is very serious.
This is not complicated. One easily identified group that doesn't think climate change is a problem is Tea Party Republicans. A recent Pew poll put the Tea Party number at only 25 percent. That means, of course, that House Republicans are similarly opposed.
Which brings us back to Colorado. If Republicans are sending out robo-calls to Colorado independents, Udall is spending his time blasting Cory Gardner for being anti-science. Actually, we don't know what Gardner thinks. He hasn't said. In 2010, he said, "I think the climate is changing, but I don't believe humans are causing that change to the extent that's been in the news." And that's about it. - The Colorado Independent, 6/6/14
Of course Gardner has been hitting Udall for having environmental billionaire Tom Steyer back his campaign:
http://kdvr.com/...
Alex Siciliano, Gardner’s spokesman, accuses Udall of failing to take certain policy positions, supporting the Keystone XL pipeline or opposing a local control ballot initiative that’ll likely be before voters this November, in order to ensure Steyer’s financial support.
“Senator Udall has continually given excuses while failing to explain why he refuses to stand against a fracking ban on the ballot in November and continues to oppose Keystone XL,” Siciliano said. “If there was any doubt as to why, Steyer’s extreme views and millions of dollars to help Senator Udall provide a clear explanation.
“Make no mistake about it, Senator Udall and Tom Steyer support an energy agenda that would not only do great harm to Colorado’s economy, but would wreak havoc on family’s pocketbooks. Senator Udall has refused to stand up for Colorado jobs, and is now being rewarded heavily for it.”
Craig Hughes, the Democratic strategist who is working as a consultant to Steyer’s superPAC NextGen Climate Action, dismissed Gardner’s attacks and blasted the Republican’s views on climate change.
“I totally understand why Congressman Gardner wants to divert attention from his record,” Hughes told FOX31 Denver. “This is a guy who is so far out of touch he has questioned something 97 percent of scientists agree on, he has voted against solar energy, voted to charge the public $5,000 to ‘protest’ oil and gas drilling projects on public lands and voted to shut down the government — including our national parks, putting local economies at risk.
“Gardner has every reason to be worried that voters will know about his record on conservation and climate issues–because it’s a disaster.” - KDVR, 5/22/14
Bold statement from Gardner's campaign who have the backing of wealthy polluters, the Koch Brothers. But here's a clear sign Gardner is worried about voters finding out about his record:
http://atr.rollcall.com/...=
Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., will go on the airwaves starting Tuesday, with a major television buy for his bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Mark Udall.
In full, his TV reservations are worth $900,000, according to a Gardner campaign source. Of that sum, about $400,000 will be on broadcast, while $500,000 will be cable. The buy lasts from June 10 through the end of the month.
The reservations include the Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and Denver television markets. The actual ad was not yet available. - Roll Call, 6/5/14
But Udall also secured the backing of another great group fighting for a great cause:
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/...
A gun-control organization led by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, is focusing on at least 11 congressional races this year.
Americans for Responsible Solutions says it will back a slate of mostly Democratic incumbents who have supported efforts to expand gun sale background checks that stalled in the Senate. The group has raised about $14.5 million since it was founded in January 2013.
Some of the Senate Democrats receiving help include Mark Udall of Colorado, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Kay Hagan of North Carolina. The group also plans to help two Republicans: Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick. - The Denver Channel, 6/4/14
We've got a big race here with a lot of money pouring in and some big issues on the line here. Lets make sure Udall is ready to win November. Click here to donate and get involved with Udall's campaign:
http://markudall.com/
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