Helpful Neighbors

Yesterday, one of my colleagues called into question the Mark Udall campaign's judgment in letting Cara DeGette carry their latest gem of opposition research into the public square. Last night, Michael at Best Destiny issued a substantive response exposing the utter lack of logic in DeGette's attack:

But, again, what's most laughable is the complete lack of an argument from DeGette. Maybe it no longer matters in the Democratic world to actually articulate your points and defend them with reason--certainly, Barack Obama seems content not to actually make an argument about anything.

But if this "professional" is to be the standard of argument we should expect from the Udall campaign, then I feel better about Schaffer's chances.

In the meantime, DeGette should try to get some editorial assistance. Or, at least a friend willing to say to her "Yeah. And?"

Good point, Michael.

DeGette's supposed "expose" only exposes her foolishness (and by extension, the Udall team that trusted her with the story) on two levels: reminding Coloradans that Bob Schaffer has a consistent record as a mainstream conservative and letting Coloradans know how far out of the mainstream you are for trying to label his record as extreme.

We're just trying to be helpful neighbors here.

Blogosphere Pushback

Yesterday, we reported Mark Udall's ill-advised decision to use Cara DeGette as its front person on any subject.

Today, we note that the blogosphere is beginning to comment on the eight year old document she published:

Best Destiny has a memo to Cara Degette - go back to logic class:

Your writing is without a point...

But, again, what's most laughable is the complete lack of an argument from [ Cara ] DeGette. Maybe it no longer matters in the Democratic world to actually articulate your points and defend them with reason--certainly, Barack Obama seems content not to actually make an argument about anything.

Best Destiny then proceeded to make arguments about several issues that DeGette could only mention as part of a reprinted list with no supporting argument.

Also today, The Colorado Index produced an essay observing that DeGette needs to check her dictionary before she tries to use words longer than four letters, having abused the use of the word "screed." She seems to understand four letter words and use them regularly without problem.

The real point of that essay was laid out in its title: Gun Rights - Still a Sharp Contrast Between the Parties.

One of the dirty little secrets of the 2006 campaign is that the Democrats bamboozled a number of Republican voters into voting for Bill Ritter because he claimed that he would build shooting ranges throughout the state and because he would protect "hunter's rights." So far, there doesn't seem to be money for shooting ranges and Bill Ritter's record on guns more closely matches his earlier gun control stance than any expansion of rights.

It is difficult to see what value Mark Udall's campaign got from 1) using Cara DeGette as its publicist and 2) digging up a document that will help Bob Schaffer far more than it will hurt him, if it hurts him at all.

Cara DeGette Strikes Again

Apparently someone in the opposition research section of the Mark Udall campaign forwarded a hot item to Cara DeGette in the last day or so. Cara ran with it.

We have commented elsewhere that Mark Udall's choice of people to carry his message reflects directly on Mark Udall. In our more colorful writing days, we suggested that Cara DeGette would be exactly the wrong person to promote Mark Udall after she wrote without justification or provocation:

Perhaps Haggard should consider moving back to Colorado and challenging Schaffer in a primary bid for the Senate next year.

Lord knows, he has some issues.

We suggested in the most colorful terms possible that when Cara DeGette wrote about the race, she dirtied Mark Udall:

Much as they might like to claim otherwise, [ Wendy ] Norris and [ Cara ] DeGette are not journalists in the traditional sense. They are paid to smear Republicans. Apparently, anything goes.

Mark Udall has to know that we will be more than happy to link him to his supporter's more colorful and tasteless antics. If [ Mark Udall ] wants to take a ride down a slide greased with chicken excrement, he can't expect to arrive at the bottom without some of it sticking.

Anyone who has ever worked with chickens will know why we picked that version of feces. Those who haven't can probably guess at least one of its two attributes: It is semi liquid and the smell is overwhelming.

Wendy Norris got involved because of her equally distasteful and unjustified remark regretting that a prominent Republican objected to sex with sheep. We opined:

It is hard not to think that Ms. Norris and Ms. DeGette have some very serious sexual issues of their own. DeGette and her close friends can't seem to avoid the temptation to write material about Republicans that is, to use a kind word, "strange."

For months, Cara DeGette and Wendy Norris took the hint and had Jim Spencer write about the race. He has gone on to a better and better paid life. Perhaps they have someone else to write about this one issue, important though it is. If they keep writing about this race, we will be more than content to send Mark Udall down that slide smeared with chicken excrement from time to time.

Why We Keep a Scoreboard

Today, the Colorado Springs Independent published the following:

So how did it happen that the self-described "most conservative member of Congress," our own Rep. Doug Lamborn, teamed up with fellow Rep. Mark Udall, a Democrat who wants to replace Wayne Allard in the U.S. Senate?

No newspaper can claim to be balanced when it writes a sentence like this. Mark Udall (and his staff) has admitted to the Boulder liberal label. Udall went so far as to call Boulder his "touchstone." Since we linked these two quotes in the last post, we won't bother doing it again so soon. The scoreboard is in the upper right hand corner of this blog.

Not suprisingly, the author was Cara DeGette, one of two women that we have suggested damage Mark Udall when they mention his name.

Cara Degette Claims It's Not News

There is a strong suspicion abroad that Colorado Confidential is partially funded by Tim Gill and George Soros, directly or indirectly, so it comes as no surprise that Cara Degette would be downplaying the secret memo exposed by Lynn Bartels.

If you want to watch the big blue lie machine in full spin mode, read her editorial. It isn't a story, it is an editorial.

Then go down and read the comments. Sheep lover Wendy Norris opines as to how happy she is that some folks who disagree are racking up the visits and page counts. We found this to be a curious comment from a supposedly highly successful site, so we looked at the site meter (it's open, not password protected).

The site is designed so that each visitor must rack up at least two page hits, and the average number of page views per visitor is 1.9. Since they installed their site meter, they have averaged just under 1500 visitors and 3000 page views per day. It's not that impressive, given the hype. We'll help them with a link.

Coloradoan or Coloradan?

In what appears to be a coordinated attempt by Democrats to smoke Bob Schaffer out on the issues so that they can attack him and force him to spend money defending himself, Cara DeGette made the following comment:

(Note: Colorado Confidential noted back in August how you can always tell when something is likely coming from inside the Beltway when the material refers to "Coloradoans" rather than the commonly accepted use of "Coloradan.")

Ever notice the superior airs that liberals put on?

I have been a Colorado resident since 1990 and lived in the state for five more years than that as a non-resident military officer. I personally use "Coloradoan" in my writing. Since I saw this comment, I have rolled the word off my tongue several times and might actually pronounce it "Coloradan."

I was raised in Missouri. Missouri residents pronounce the name of their state differently than non residents, although everyone spells it the same. That experience should make me sensitive to the two words. It hasn't.

I did serve inside the beltway at the Pentagon for almost three years in the late 1980's, but I don't recall anyone using any term to describe the citizens of Colorado. The subject never came up, at least in my small office in the E-Ring.

At the risk of being tagged as something I am not, I plan to continue to use "Coloradoan" in my writing. Let ms. DeGette get uppity about it if she chooses.

And on the subject she was really writing about, we hope Bob Schaffer continues his low profile. It gives us the chance to illustrate how far away from the center Mark Udall is without interference from the left.

Laughing at the Left

Colorado Confidential's Cara DeGette is publicly gnashing her teeth over the fact that Bob Schaffer doesn't have a web site with much on it.

We hope he puts off building one for many more months. The only folks who would look at it this early are the Cara Degette's of the world who wouldn't have a lot of nice things to say.

A Ride Down a Slide

Not long ago, we found Wendy Norris, a Mark Udall supporter, complaining that she couldn't promote bestiality, sex between sheep and humans (second comment). We wrote in The Colorado Index about the comment and the new state law making bestiality a crime.

The Norris complaint was on a post by Cara DeGette.

Today, in the Colorado Springs Independent, at the very bottom of a catch all essay that mentions Ted Haggard's latest foray into the spotlight, DeGette takes a nasty swing at Schaffer:

Perhaps Haggard should consider moving back to Colorado and challenging Schaffer in a primary bid for the Senate next year.

Lord knows, he has some issues.

It is hard not to think that Ms. Norris and Ms. DeGette have some very serious sexual issues of their own. DeGette and her close friends can't seem to avoid the temptation to write material about Republicans that is, to use a kind word, "strange."

Much as they might like to claim otherwise, Norris and DeGette are not journalists in the traditional sense. They are paid to smear Republicans. Apparently, anything goes.

Mark Udall has to know that we will be more than happy to link him to his supporter's more colorful and tasteless antics. If he wants to take a ride down a slide greased with chicken excrement, he can't expect to arrive at the bottom without some of it sticking.

Anyone who has ever worked with chickens will know why we picked that version of feces. Those who haven't can probably guess at least one of its two attributes: It is semi liquid and the smell is overwhelming.