Saturday, June 30, 2007

"Boulder Has Its Own Foreign Policy"

Today, I found an old article from Colorado Confidential and also a new one from Media Matters.

The CoCo article observed that Mark Udall was trying to dodge the "Boulder Liberal" label. The "joke" he tells to avoid criticism is telling in ways he might not have intended:

"I’ve had some fun saying that Colorado Springs and Boulder are exactly alike. They both have world class mountain backdrops, Olympic athletes in-residence, nonprofit communities like no other, a high tech presence important to the economies and beautiful downtowns.

"The only difference is that Boulder has its own foreign policy."

Colorado Media Matters reported yesterday that Udall has said:

"So, when Congress reconvenes after the Memorial Day recess I will introduce legislation making the Iraq Study Group's recommendations our national policy."

Ken Salizar has now done that. It would be very useful if our Congressmen, Senators, and would be Senators were required to take an introductory course in the functions of the various branches of government.

Boulder's "foreign policy initiative" simply isn't supported by the Constitution, foreign policy being the prerogative of the executive. It will be very hard for Udall to shake the Boulder Liberal label if he insists on pushing its foreign policy.

Friday, June 29, 2007

The Deception of the Left

If someone uses the screen name "nonpartisan" one might expect that he was, well...actually nonpartisan.

We found a blogger who uses that screen name but writes in a post that he admits is cross posted at Daily Kos and Swing State Project:

"My, how far we in the activist Netroots have fallen."

And about Mark Udall, whom most would consider very liberal almost to the point of being an extremist (especially on environmental issues) he writes:

"Colorado: Congressman and Blue Dog Dem Mark Udall locked up this nomination early, with support from Chuck Schumer. The blogosphere has yet to mention a strong candidate against him (Mike Miles, anyone?)"

Blue Dog Democrat???? I almost choked on my glass of water when I read that.

Maggie Fox to Change Her Name?

Don't know who Maggie Fox is? Neither did I, until today. Ever notice that the wives of major Democrat politicians never carry their husband's name until it is time to run for major office, and how quickly, after the election, they go back to their maiden name?

Mark Udall Fears Top of Ticket

The Mark Udall campaign admitted in the Rocky Mountain News today that some Democrat Presidential candidates would be a "hard-sell" in Colorado:



Alan Salazar, Udall's longtime chief of staff, won't talk about the specific presidential candidates. But he admits he does worry that the person at the top of the ticket might be a hard-sell in independent-minded Colorado, prompting Udall to work that much harder to distinguish himself.

The choice of the word "distinguish" is very interesting. It is politic speak for "distance," or "run away from."

Anti-Energy Busy Body

The Salt Lake Tribune has a "progressive" article on Mark Udall's ongoing efforts to ensure that no drilling for gas or oil occurs anywhere in the United States.

Efforts to protect the Roan Plateau are part of a broader movement across the West against the relentless ''drill everywhere, no matter what the cost'' attitude in Washington.

Meanwhile, KJCT is reporting on Udall's amendment to restrict oil shale funds.

The US House has approved prohibiting the use of federal funds to move forward on plans for commercial-scale development of oil shale. The amendment by Colorado Congressman Mark Udall was added to the 2008 Interior Department appropriations bill.

It would prohibit spending federal funds to prepare final regulations on oil shale development or to conduct commercial oil shale lease sales.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Mark Udall Caters to Green Extremists

In a stinging editorial last Sunday, Udall takes wrong fork in the road, the Colorado Springs Gazette called Mark Udall to task for trying to close roads on Federal property to the public:



Today, public lands exclusionists are trying to close or restrict use of these roads as a way of curtailing access to federal lands. “Roadless” advocates are waging war on the miners, ranchers, loggers, and oil and gas developers who also make use of these roads, as well as Americans who recreate on motorized vehicles...

This suggests Udall cares little about the rights of rural Westerners to use byways their great-grandfathers used before Washington “owned” everything, and that he will cater to green extremists and the anti-access elitists if he ever becomes senator. Coloradans wanting to keep their roads and lands open and accessible should keep that in mind.


If you follow the link to read the whole editorial, you should know that the Gazette has a quirk with their editorials. They publish on two subjects but with one link. This is the second editorial, so scroll down to see it.

If you want to see what the green extremists are saying, and who is saying it, follow this pdf link.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

New Co-author

I will be writing here from time to time on Mark Udall. I have another blog that would be neutral in the very unlikely event that there is a Republican Senate primary. My appearance here should not be read as an endorsement of Bob Schaffer until it is certain that he is the nominee.

While I do not plan to mention Bob Schaffer's name again, at least in the near term, I believe that it is important that someone keep tabs on Boulder liberal Mark Udall and what is being said about him. The left will try to pass him off as some sort of "moderate." He doesn't look all that moderate to me. I will try to bring forward information and issues that illustrate just how liberal, how far out of the mainstream he is.

I plan to write short comments and do a lot of linking to Udall related material. From time to time, I will link to my own blog in the third person when it publishes information relating to Udall. I will not cross post essays. My blog may also link here, again in the third person.

I will start with some old links and mix in some new.

I am new to blogspot and it will take a bit to learn the software. This essay is not being spellchecked because I haven't figured out how.

I will always be ... A Watcher

Saturday, June 9, 2007

More Lefty Silliness

Colorado's Lefties are all atwitter with having discovered the initials of the Republican 2008 candidate for U.S. Senate. When their side is stuck with the tax-and-spend record of Boulder liberal Mark Udall, I guess you have to resort to silly, juvenile distractions like this one. Oh, well. As time wears on, more adults will be choosing to support Bob Schaffer.

Behind the liberal snickers lurks a clump of anxious knots in many stomachs. It may be time for some of them to find more productive uses of their time.

Cross posted at Mount Virtus

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Schaffer Website Up

It sure seems early, but the campaign for the most competitive 2008 U.S. Senate race in the country is underway. Republican Bob Schaffer has started rallying the party faithful and commonsense independents and Democrats to his cause with his new campaign website. Check it out, donate, sign up to volunteer, whatever you're able to do: and be sure to spread the word! The race against Boulder liberal Mark Udall is on.

Cross posted at Mount Virtus