But it’s fiction.

Jack Ryan isn’t running for President. Neither is Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, or George Washington. Nor is Jesus running. Even this guy isn’t running again. All of our candidates have flaws, and all of them have had to make compromises and have strayed from the conservative path at one time or another during their political career. They all have warts, and no amount of makeup is going to cover them.

What we need to be doing is looking at the positives of the candidates. Perry, Huntsman & Romney have lots of executive experience governing their respective states. All three and Newt have successfully furthered the conservative cause during their career at one time or another. There are even some positives with Santorum, though not as many as with the other four.

We’re all aware of the flaws in each of the candidates. We’ve been hearing about them ad nasueum for the past few months. I just don’t believe that choosing a candidate based on who has the least flaws is the best method. Winning this race is going to require a positive message and some reasonable experience to back it up. Reagan won because of this, not because he had fewer negatives than anyone else in the race. He convinced the American people that he was the right man for the job.

This is who we’re looking for. If all we’re going to do is keep accentuating the negatives of each of the candidates, very few of us are going to be engaged once one of them is selected. Colonoscopies are important for determining health, but you can’t rely on them alone. It’s time to move beyond that and get behind a candidate that not only can win, but has the coattails to maintain the majority in the House and regain a majority in the Senate. Who can handle the media? Which candidate has the political savvy to deal with the Democrats to actually get conservative legislation passed?

It is difficult to accomplish anything with our system of government. That’s a feature, not a bug. The one we’re looking for is the one that can successfully move us back in the other direction, if only a little. No one is going to turn the clock back to 1781 in four years. We have to stop demanding a utopia, but instead work together to present the best candidate from what we have. That, unfortunately, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the one that’s the most conservative. We have to be ready to accept conservative enough. I’m ok with that, and you should be too.

Tom Clancy had to blow up Washington to get Jack Ryan. We just need a guy that can clean it up, even if just a little. The alternative is to allow Barack Obama four more years of dictatorial corruption, and a mess that will be even harder to clean up after he’s done.

Night Twister

To that end, I’d like to introduce to you a candidate for Colorado’s second district. But before I do, I’d like set the stage. Even though Colorado did not gain or lose seats, we still went through the process of redrawing the boundaries. Unfortunately what that means here is for the Democrat-controlled Legislature to do nothing and force the courts to do it. In the end, the congressional boundary changes weren’t as bad as they could’ve been. Scott Tipton in CO-3 will probably have an easier time with his re-election. Cory Gardner in CO-4 is set. So is Doug Lamborn in CO-5. The big loser could be Mike Coffman in CO-6. This was the goal of the Democrats. I still think Coffman has a decent chance to keep his seat. He did well in statewide elections, and is still popular in the state.

This diary is not about any of those districts. It is about Colorado’s 2nd congressional district, currently held by Jared Polis. The district contains all of The People’s Republic of Boulder™. It has always been a Democrat stronghold, but now with the addition of Larimer County (where I live), it has moved quite a bit towards the center. This presents and opportunity for Republicans to gain this seat later this year.

Kevin Lundberg currently represents the 15th Senate district in Colorado. Originally appointed in 2009 to fill the remaining two years in that district, he previously represented the 49th House district since 2002. He was re-elected in 2010 to another 4-year term. Kevin has won several awards, including Taxpayer Champion and Taxpayer Guardian from the Colorado Union of Taxpayers. For those of you that are now aware, we take tax control seriously in Colorado.

Kevin’s legislative accomplishments include:

* HB07-1208 and SB08-246, It took two bills get this done, eliminating legal prohibitions on generous gas and prescription drug programs – previous to the bills Colorado law prevented private businesses from offering any discounts “below cost.”

* HB04-1262 requiring clear signage identifying “red light” camera systems. These are the cameras at intersections that can automatically send traffic tickets. My bill let everyone know where the cameras are set up.

* Authorized people to copy and distribute Colorado statutes. Before the bill citizens were required by law to ask for permission from the Capitol to copy or distribute any state law.

* SB03-139, requiring jurisdictions to publicly disclose financial information before a bond election.

* HB04-1263 was a bill concerning the removal of the requirement under Colorado law for submission of a social security number on an application for a license issued by the Division of Wildlife (hunting and fishing licenses).

* SJR10-026 established the Sgt. Justin Bauer Memorial Highway

* HB0-1413 modifying the direct file laws for juveniles

* HB0-1259 conforming the annexation act of 1965 to the state constitution

Jared Polis has been a reliable vote for Barack Obama. When Lundberg was asked, Why run against Jared Polis, he states:

Votesmart.org lists 92 votes that Rep. Polis cast on the House Floor in 2011. 80% of the votes were either no, or did not vote. Among his no votes for 2011, which I would have supported are:

H.R. 2 – Repealing the Federal Health Care bill
H.R. 2021 – Cory Gardner’s bill providing timely processing of off-shore oil permits
H.R. 471 – Creating school vouchers for D.C. Schools
H.R. 1076 – Doug Lamborn’s bill cutting off Federal funds for NPR
H. amendment 95 – Prohibiting Federal funding for Planned Parenthood
H.R. 1633 – Limiting regulation of farm dust
H.R. 2560 – Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011

Kevin Lundberg currently has an exploratory committee to see if there is sufficient support to help him try to unseat Polis. He’s looking for 1500 people to sign up in support of his candidacy. I’ve already signed up to support him, and strongly encourage those of you inside and outside of Colorado to do that same. Let’s get that number to 1500 so Kevin will run. He is looking to make a decision by tomorrow (Jan 6th), so please don’t delay.

I know Kevin, and I’ve followed his efforts on behalf of Coloradans. He would be a great asset to the U.S. House of Representatives. Let’s send him to Washington to represent the consituents of the newly drawn 2nd district.

As many of you likely expected, I’m endorsing Newt Gingrich for President. I have to admit, I really liked Leon’s Still the Governors diary a couple of days ago. I started this election season supporting a Governor: Tim Pawlenty. I still believe he would’ve been our best candidate, and am sad we missed that opportunity.

Experience matters a lot to me, as I’ve stated around here from the beginning. This is why I immediately discounted the campaigns of Rick Santorum, Michelle Bachmann, and especially Herman Cain. I too wanted a governor, but now that I see what’s left, I just don’t think any of them is the best candidate we can run against Obama. I believe the candidate with the best chance to beat him is Newt Gingrich.

Newt is the one candidate that will be able to stand up to the media onslaught that will be coming. Like it or not, a Presidential candidate in the 21st Century has to be able to do that to succeed. He has a conservative record, including forcing a liberal President towards the center. That he has baggage, there is no doubt, but none that would hurt him in the general election like it has in the primary. He is not the most conservative candidate running, but for me is conservative enough.

I also believe Newt has the ability to shake things up in Washington like no other candidate could. A radical approach is needed, and has the experience to make radical change. He’s the one candidate that has been talking about solutions all along.

On Day One, we will immediately begin to change government so it starts serving the will of the American people.

He’s loyal to the Republican Party; sometimes to a fault. For me, it ultimately it comes down to who can beat Obama, and I really believe Newt is the only one that can. I know a lot of you won’t agree with that, and that’s fine. In the end I have to do what I believe is best for me and my family.

I encourage you to watch this interview. The site doesn’t support embedding, so you’ll have to click through to watch it. It’s almost 30 minutes long, but worth it.

I encourage you to vote for Newt Gingrich, just as I will when it’s my turn. But whatever happens, let’s commit now to work together to elect the eventual Republican candidate, whoever he may be.

Night Twister

I was much more involved in politics 4 years ago than I find myself now. Back then I had two children in high school, and another two in middle school. Those of you who have been through that know it takes a lot of time shuttling them to and from their events and trying to remain involved in their lives the last few years they are at home. We also struggled financially as many others have through periods of unemployment.

The single factor that led to my backing away from politics though was discouragement. Tea parties came and went as opportunists came in and looked to make a few bucks off of the frustration of everyday people. Elections were lost due more to fighting ourselves than the other party. Corruption settled in with the local party, setting us back years, if not decades.

I never really wanted to be involved in politics. I’d rather be spending my time playing catch with my kids in the back yard, spending the day in the mountains, or heading down to the amusement park. But like many, I found myself outraged at the attempt of our new government to rush headlong into the socialism that has ruined many a good nation around the world.

Fast forward to 2011. I see no need to go into the details of the current political climate. Many others have done a much better job of that than I ever could. Suffice it to say that the economy sucks, debt continues to build at an alarming pace, and since the Republicans took back the House in 2010, a stalemate exists in Congress. Our President never really wanted the job, and it shows in the way that he governs. Honestly, I wish he’d told us in advance that all he really wanted was a free golf tour across the nation. I would have gladly contributed to that so we could have had a someone in the White House who actually wanted to be there. In many ways it recalls the Presidency of Jimmy Carter. All we needed to do was find another Ronald Reagan.

Even a casual observer of history knows that most leaders are of the ordinary kind. Extraordinary leaders only come along once in a great while, and that nation (and often the world) is a better place because of him. Such was the case with Reagan, and we find ourselves once again going through our every-four-year exercise of trying to find the next one.

I joined the blandwagon early this year when Tim Pawlenty threw his hat in the ring. I liked his quiet confidence and very successful conservative record in the purple state of Minnesota. His demeanor was a refreshing change to the unfounded arrogance of the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. He had a common American story, the son of a truck driver who worked hard and rose up through the ranks. His love of family and country was something that resonated with me. Unfortunately, the political climate was not favorable to the type of candidate he would be, and he was out of the race early.

Many others were rumored to enter the race, but for one reason or another decided this was not their time. A strong draft movement tried to draw Mike Pence in, but he decided to run for Governor instead. Mitch Daniels didn’t have the support of his family. Haley Barbour wisely decided that this wasn’t the year for a white Governor from the deep South. Sarah Palin teased until the last possible moment (and longer), only to announce she was not going to run. Donald Trump stirred things up for awhile only to decide not to run. Well, maybe not anyway.

It appeared to most that Mitt Romney would become the next George HW Bush or Bob Dole. It was his turn, and that is how Republicans play this game. To combat his cloak of inevitability, unpoliticians were encouraged to run by some. Herman Cain was the best example of this, and he ended up like the rise and fall of the Roman Empire except that it only took weeks instead of centuries. So we find ourselves less than a month away from the oh-so-important Iowa Caucuses that every Republican hates (save for Iowans). The candidates that we have are the candidates we have, for better or worse.

Before I get into the remaining candidates, it’s only fair to say a little bit about myself. We all have our biases, and I am no exception. The come from our personal philosophy and experiences in life which mold our eventual worldview. Some of you will say my ultimate decision will be based on this worldview. Of course it will, as is the same for all of you.

First and foremost I am a Christian, and unashamedly so. God’s Word informs my life and every decision that I make when I’m not rebelling against Him, which is way more often than I’d like. I grew up in a typical middle class family, though the early years were a struggle for my parents. This was in California back when it was a great place to live. I served in the Army, but only for a short time due to asthma. Still, I took the oath and had every intention of fighting for my country. My discharge was honorable. I’m married, but this is not my first marriage. I have six children and seven grandchildren. I have a degree in Computer Science that I received last year. I’m a computer geek by day and a sports official by night (and some weekends). Philosophically, I tend toward the practical over the ideologically pure, but I am not a moral relativist. Enough about me.

Since it’s clear we are not blessed with our next Reagan, we’re going to have to find the candidate that has the right combination of positive attributes to be successful in the general election. No amount of wishful thinking or projection will make any of these guys into the next Ronald Reagan. The successful candidate will have executive experience, a solid conservative approach to governing, the ability to successfully communicate his plan to the voters, and the ability to stand up to the every-increasing onslaught of the media.

We have six* remaining candidates. I will address each of these candidates in my current order of preference, starting with the least preferred. Remember, this is how I see things from the cheap seats, and in my many discussions with coworkers, friends, and family, this is how a lot of other people see things. It is not intended to be an exhaustive analysis of any of the candidates.

Michelle Bachmann: Bachmann lacks the executive experience necessary to effectively govern. She would be little different than the Republican version of Barack Obama. While she has a solid conservative plan, she lacks the ability to successfully communicate that to a majority of voters. I see no evidence that she would be able to build a coalition to accomplish anything.

Rick Santorum: There’s no question that Santorum has a conservative approach, however, two Senate terms isn’t executive experience. He’s been a polarizing figure for quite some time, and was decimated in his last election. I have little confidence that he would even be able to carry his own state. He has not successfully communicated his plan to the voters in any significant way.

Jon Huntsman: Huntsman is somewhat of a dichotomy. He certainly governed in a very conservative way in Utah. I just can’t seem to get over his going to work for Obama. It’s not that I care if a Republican works for a Democrat, but the moment Obama uttered the words, I Won, no Republican should have lifted a finger to help him. The other thing that bothers me is his run to the middle, while eschewing conservatives. He thought he could win by ignoring us. He successfully communicated that he did not need me, and therefore shouldn’t expect my vote.

Mitt Romney: Mitt was also my third choice four years ago. I almost placed him behind Huntsman, but at least Mitt expects my vote because it’s his turn. There’s no question he has the executive experience, both in the public and private sector. He governed well as a Republican in a blue state. We can all Monday Morning quarterback his decisions as governor. Some think Romneycare prevents him from being electable in the general election. I personally believe he should have stayed out of it and vetoed their bills and made them override him. Single payer would’ve been a quicker failure and might have prevented Obamacare from being passed.

Yet, I believe it is his private sector experience that would be his undoing in the general election. Say what you will about the #OccupyWallStreet folks, and there’s much that can be said. But some of what they have to say has been resonating with the voters. The democrats would use his banker experience against him successfully.

Romney has been an utter failure at communicating his plan. Nobody really knows what he would do if elected. It is my belief that he would become more like Bill Clinton than anyone else. He would govern whichever way the wind was blowing at that point in time. Nothing would change during the next four years, except we’d just be further along the road to disaster. Mitt Romney is the opposite of hope and change. If you like how things have been going for the past few years, Mitt is your guy. If Mitt wins the nomination and is elected, we will find ourselves right back here four years from now with nothing having been changed, and a candidate that has to find some way to excuse his lack of performance. That is not where you want to be heading into an election.

Rick Perry: After Tim Pawlenty dropped out, I found no one else that I could support. When rumors started getting serious that Rick Perry was going to enter the race, I was expecting that he would be my guy. His executive experience is second to none in the race. While unemployment rose everywhere else, Rick Perry was maintaining an environment where businesses could retain jobs and even absorb workers displaced from other states. Although he has always been working with a Republican legislature, they have not always been on the same page. His approach to governing has been from a federalist point-of-view, which really appeals to me.

Where Rick Perry falls down is his ability to communicate his plan to the voters. I don’t know why this is, but it is. His Southern Gentleman approach is no more effective for him than a similar approach was for Tim Pawlenty. He spends too much time talking about things in Texas, and not enough about how he will foster an environment for Americans to return our nation back to its former glory. Although he’s raised considerably more money than most of the other candidates, he hasn’t put that money to effective use.

He also hasn’t fared well with the media. This isn’t about debates either, although we’re all aware of his performance there. I’ll be honest with you. I have not watched a single debate. I only know what I’ve read here and in other places, and what I’ve heard. Here is where I believe the comparisons to GW Bush are valid. The onslaught of the media will only increase as the election moves on, and he just as Bush never really faced them, Perry doesn’t seem to be able to handle it either. Sure, Romney seems to have a glass jaw when it comes to the media, but when it’s your turn you expect the media to play your game. Perry should have no such expectations.

Newt Gingrich: In my wildest dreams I never expected to end up here. Yet, at this point in the race, Newt stands above all of the others. Unless you’re willing to give all the credit to Bill Clinton for balanced budgets and surpluses, and for welfare reform (which I’m not), you must agree that Newt has successful executive experience as the Speaker of the House. How much of a part he played matters little. In my America, ultimate responsibility goes to leaders. That includes successes and failures.

When I first started considering Newt again, I decided to go look at his website. What caught my attention first off is, rather that list issues like everyone else, he listed solutions. A small matter, just a word perhaps, but I believe it speaks to the underlying mentality of what’s needed today. Some of Newt’s plans are similar to others. He’s even been accused of stealing the plans of others. It’s not like there are very many different was to do things. But when it comes right down to it, wouldn’t you rather pay 15% than 20%? While Perry’s plan would keep funding at the status quo, Newt’s plans would reduce revenues to the point that things would have to be cut. Could either of them get their plans through Congress? That’s hard to say at this point without knowing what the makeup would be, but I like going into the battle with a better hand.

Newt is an ideas guy. While everyone else has been trying to figure out how much money we should spend on healthcare, Newt had a solution idea. While we all know that the cost of healthcare has grown at a much higher pace than inflation, we know the reasons for this are primarily better care, and an aging populace, especially the latter. Newt’s idea is to spend more money right now to find cures for the most common ailments of the aging (e.g. Alzheimer’s). This makes a lot of sense in the long term. It’s capitalistic thinking as well (investment now reduces costs later). I could go on, but I really like that he’s an ideas guy. Reagan did a lot of this too, but he had a guy he could blame the crazy ideas on (Watts).

Newt also scares the heck out of me. He has no small amount of baggage. He’s done some dumb things in his life, both personal and professional. He’s loyal to the Party to a fault sometimes. If he is elected, I’ll probably buy stock in television sets and shoes, because I’m pretty sure the demand for both will increase. His prior marital issues may or may not turn off enough women voters. That he is disliked by many of his peers on both sides of the aisle is a positive to me, not a negative. Successful leaders are not liked by everyone, and there are times you have to simply run over people to accomplish things.

His ability to handle himself with other candidates and the media is second to none. He’s probably more arrogant than Huntsman, but doesn’t come across that way to the general public. He’s definitely the smartest man in the room and likes to make sure everyone knows it, but sometimes there’s a confidence conveyed in that.

Right now, from where I sit, Newt seems to be the best candidate. Based on the polling numbers, there appear to be many others that agree with me. The next Ronald Reagan isn’t running this time, so we have to go with the best we have. I believe that Newt has the best chance to beat Barack Obama.

And I Want To Win.

I’m also still undecided. Although both of you that have stuck with this diary all the way to this point will probably believe I’m in the tank for Newt, that simply isn’t the case. I think he has the best chance to weather the coming storm and win. I’d love to see Rick Perry step up and change my mind, but I see no reason that he would or could. Whatever we do, let’s agree that after this silly season is over that we work together to ensure that Barack Obama is a one-term President.

Night Twister

*I realize that I did not include Ron Paul. This was not an oversight. I didn’t include Buddy Roemer or any of the other declared candidates that almost no one has heard of. While Ron Paul is actually polling higher than some that I have included in this list, his supporters are not going to vote for a Republican candidate not named Ron Paul. I see no reason to include someone whose followers are not Republicans. You don’t like that? It would be difficult for me to describe in words how little I care.

On November 6th, the remaining members of the 442nd received the Congressional Gold Medal. Here is the statement from the National Veterans Network,

The Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian award, was bestowed, collectively, on the U.S. Army’s 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service for their extraordinary accomplishments in World War II. The men in these units, comprised almost entirely of persons of Japanese ancestry, fought with uncommon bravery and valor against our nation’s enemies on the battlefields in Europe and Asia, even while many of their parents and kin were held in internment camps. Their record demonstrates an abiding faith in the American dream, and provides an indelible testimonial to the meaning of American patriotism.

These men, all U.S. citizens, could easily have been bitter towards our nation for interning their families, but instead wanted to prove their loyalty. They fought hard and faithfully, and became the mostly highly decorated regiment in Army history. 9,486 of 13,000 soldiers received the Purple heart.

This award was a long time coming, and well deserved. Stories like this and so many others prove that it is and always will be our unity in ethic diversity and willingness to overcome adversity that makes us the greatest nation on earth.

Night Twister

Herman Cain – “It’s about my management style. I’ll find people that know about that stuff later.”

Newt Gingrich – “I’ve known more in and out of politics than anyone else.”

Jon Huntsman – “You will soon come to know the greatness that is me.”

Ron Paul – “AUDIT THE FED!!! And Gold.”

Rick Perry – “Ummm…uhhh…Texas!”

Buddy Roemer – “Look! Over here!!”

Mitt Romney – “I suck less than that Obama guy, and it’s my turn.”

Rick Santorum – “So what if I got creamed in my last election. I could win…”

Cue the shills…

Night Twister

Every election is about something, and this one is no different. This election will be about jobs. This is the issue foremost in the minds of the American people. Everyone knows the unemployment numbers, so there’s no reason to repeat them here. President Obama’s approval ratings and reelection prospects are tied directly to this issue.

The successful Presidential candidate in 2012 will win on this issue. Too many good people are without a job that want one, or have a part-time job(s) or a job that pays much less then the one they had before. People have been unemployed or underemployed for much longer than in recent memory, and are tired of waiting for a solution.

Unfortunately, too many Republican candidates are looking for a hook, and too many constituents are looking for a magic bullet. The road to recovery will be a difficult one, requiring a strong leader that will be able to tell us what we need to hear, but in such a way that we support him. People are losing their homes, struggling to take care of their family, and discouraged about their future.

It’s time to get on message, and convince the American people that they are the one to move us forward and bring prosperity back. No Republican candidate has been able to distinguish himself in this way to this date. President Obama has a plan, but his plan brings small short-term results at the cost of even greater long-term consequences. Yet, people are desperate enough to accept a short-term plan over no plan at all. They need a home, they need food, they need a solution now.

Now is not the time for drastic schemes and distractions. It’s time for our candidates to state their plan that will bring prosperity back to our nation, and allow anyone that wants a job to be able to find one. I’m still waiting for a candidate to communicate his plan. It is then, and only then, that I will choose the candidate I want to represent the Republican Party.

Night Twister

Colorado’s fourth congressional district has a new Republican representative after two years of Blue Dog Betsy Markey. So far, Cory Gardner has been a breath of fresh air with his voting record. I contacted a staff member to see if I could determine how he would vote on the 3-week CR. I was told that he would put something out later in the day. When it finally came out, I saw that he had decided to vote in favor of the bill. He gave his reasoning in his message,

Like many of my colleagues in Congress I am frustrated that we have not been able to make more progress on spending cuts in a CR for the full year, but in my mind, a vote in favor of this CR is a vote for spending cuts of a magnitude many in this House have never seen. I could not vote against cutting wasteful government spending. It’s as simple—and as important—as that. I cannot pass up the opportunity to support good reforms that will work to better our country and cut spending.

Gardner gave a longer explanation to the Greeley Gazette. Now I know that much has been made about how insignificant the cuts were in the CR. I get that. I want to see Obamacare and Planned Parenthood (PP) defunded as much as the next guy. But a cut’s a cut. That’s a different direction we’ve been going for a long time, even if it is for only three weeks. It’s six billion dollars I don’t have to pay, and six billion dollars my children and grandchildren don’t have to pay.

Four months ago I was elected to Congress as part of a statement by the American people that they were tired of the way Washington operated. The people indicated that they wanted a change in the way that business was conducted. They gave us a message: stop the reckless spending, stop Washington from mortgaging our children’s and grandchildren’s futures, stop kicking the can down the road and make the tough decisions that need to be made.

Since the vote, there has also been some infighting going on, some infighting going on with one group attacking the other. As far as I can tell, not all congressional Republicans that voted for the CR are going this route. There are some, like Gardner and Mike Coffman voted for it simply because it cut spending. I’m not so naive to think that there aren’t some personal attacks going on within the party in Washington. But let’s not paint all of those that voted for the CR with the same brush.

Now, I’m also not so naive that I don’t worry that the House will eventually cave in and give up on long-term spending cuts. We’ve all seen it happen before, and the longer this thing drags out, the more opportunities exist for that to happen. Sooner or later Obamacare and PP funding will have to be addressed, as well as a large number of other government programs that have no reason to exist. But I also understand that Republicans only have control over one half of Congress, so options are limited.

Will a government shutdown be necessary in the future? That hill to die on is still out there. Will Cory Gardner stand up with us at that time, when there are no other options? I have no reason to believe he won’t. This budget war is, like any other war, is full of individual battles. So far, we’ve won the small battles. So long as we don’t quit before it’s over, we will continue to win.

The first time I heard Cory Gardner speak I was impressed with how much time he took to talk about his family. It was clear to me that he’s a family man first. That he cared so much about his own family led me to believe that he’d also care about mine. So far he’s done nothing to show me I was wrong with that assessment. He’s been a consistent vote for cutting spending since he arrived.

As the 4th District of Colorado’s Representative, I will continue to rein in the overbearing hand of the federal government, and I will cut wasteful spending as I was sent here to do. I will be relentless in fulfilling these promises. The time has come to craft a government that exists to serve its people, and not to burden them with a crushing debt that prevents their progress and harms their prosperity.

In the end, an opportunity presented itself to cut spending, however little that might be. The people of the fourth congressional district of Colorado voted to send someone to Washington to reign in out-of-control spending. Cory Gardner stood up and voted for that cut. I stand with him.

Night Twister

Look! The description even tells us how awful this is!

Rifle has natural-gas wells. Fracking a relatively new drilling method known as high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing that carries significant environmental risks is performed in Colorado. (Kevin Moloney, The New York Times )

Just look at the list of terrible things they use to do this:

…over a million gallons of wastewater that is often laced with highly corrosive salts, carcinogens such as benzene and radioactive elements such as radium, all of which can occur naturally thousands of feet underground. Other carcinogenic materials can be added to the wastewater by the chemicals used in the hydrofracking itself.

This is terrible. This atrocity has to be stopped. Did you SEE the picture of our beautiful mountains? The article goes on to tell us much more about how these toxins are finding their way into our drinking water supply via wastewater plants that were not designed to handle it. Dan Quigly the previous secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources tells us,

In shifting away from coal and toward natural gas, we’re trying for cleaner air, but we’re producing massive amounts of toxic wastewater with salts and naturally occurring radioactive materials, and it’s not clear we have a plan for properly handling this waste

This is terrible. This atrocity has to be stopped. Did you SEE the picture of our beautiful mountains? But wait. At the end of the article, they quote Dave Neslin, executive director of the Colorado state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission,

In Colorado, the majority of fracking fluids and produced water is recycled and reused.

Oh. They reuse the most of the fluids. But what about what’s left?

No fluids are sent to wastewater treatment plants. For the fluid that is disposed, 60 percent goes into regulated deep waste-injection wells

Oh. You mean it goes back to where it came from.

20 percent evaporates from pits

Oh. You mean that part just evaporates harmlessly.

20 percent is discharged to surface water under permits from the state Water Quality Control Commission.

Oh. The rest is disposed under permit per state guidelines.

But….but…..Did you SEE the picture of our beautiful mountains? THIS MUST BE STOPPED!!!

Night Twister

Two years ago I wrote a general diary about the internment of Japanese during WWII. I think it’s an important subject to revisit from time to time. Tyranny is always lurking at our doorstep, and will find his way in if we fail to work to keep him out.

This year I decided to share the story of the SSgt Kazuo Masuda of Santa Ana, California. SSgt Masuda was a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated unit in U.S. history, having received seven Distinguished Unit Citations.

SSgt Masuda’s father was arrested on Dec. 7, 1941. He and the rest of the Masuda family were interned in Jerome Relocation Center, Arkansas and Gila River Relocation Center, Arizona until July 19, 1945; more than a year after their Kazuo was killed in action. He received the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroic actions. He was a second-generation Japanese American U.S. citizen, or nisei as they were referred to at the time.

By direction of the President of the United States, under the provisions of the Act of Congress, the Distinguished Service Cross is awarded posthumously to Staff Sergt. Kazuo Masuda, Infantry, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action on 6 July, 1944, near Molino a Ventoabbato, and from 27 to 28 August 1944, on the Arno river near Florence, Italy.

On 6 July, 1944, while his advanced observation post was the target of heavy mortar and artillery barrages, Staff Sergeant Masuda crawled 200 yards to the mortar section, secured a mortar tube and ammunition, and returned to the observation post. Using his helmet as a base plate, Staff Sergeant Masuda single-handedly directed effective fire upon the enemy for 12 hours, inflicting heavy casualties and repulsing two major enemy counter-attacks.

On 27 August, 1944, Staff Sergeant Masuda voluntarily led two men on a night patrol across the Arno river and through the heavily-mined and booby-trapped north bank. Hearing movements to his right he ordered his men to cover him while he crawled forward and discovered that a strong enemy force had surrounded them. Realizing that he was trapped, he ordered his men to withdrawal while he boldly engaged two enemy automatic weapons. At the sacrifice of his life, he enabled his comrades to escape with valuable information which materially aided the successful crossing of the Arno river.

The gallant heroism and selfless devotion to duty of Staff Sergeant Masuda exemplify the finest tradition of the Infantry of the Army of the United States. Presentation is made to his next of kin, his sister, Mary Masuda.

After the family was released, Mary moved to Orange County, only to be threatened when she arrived. Later that year, she was presented with SSgt Masuda’s Distinguished Service Cross by General Joseph W. (Vinegar Joe) Stilwell. Later, at a rally in his honor, Gen Stilwell said,

The Nisei bought an awful big hunk of America with their blood. Those Nisei boys have a place in the American heart, now and forever. We cannot allow a single injustice to be done to the Nisei without defeating the purpose for which we fought…

Who, after all, is the real American? The real American is the man who calls it a fair exchange to lay down his life in order that American ideals may go on living. And judging by such a test, Sergeant Masuda was a better American than any of us here today.

Then Army Captain Ronald Reagan had this to say,

Blood that has soaked into the sands of a beach is all of one color. America stands unique in the world, the only country not founded on race, but on a way–an ideal. Not in spite of, but because of our polyglot background, we have had all the strength in the world. That is the American way. Mr. and Mrs. Masuda, just as one member of the family of Americans speaking to another member, I want to say for what your son Kazuo did, thanks!

The struggle continued later in 1948 when his remains were returned. The family wanted him to be buried at the Westminster Memorial Park cemetery in Orange County, but restrictive covenants barred anyone not of Caucasian ancestry. He was finally allowed to be buried there after significant pressure from government and other organizations.

We enjoy our freedom today thanks to men like SSgt Kazuo Masuda who fought even as his own family had their freedoms taken away. We must always remember how fragile that freedom is, and how we will constantly have to fight against forces, both internal and external, that want to take it away.

Night Twister

There was a story in the news about three years ago that caught my attention. A woman was stabbed in a convenience store in Kansas. Customers, rather than render aid, actually stepped over her to continue about their business. Some even stopped to take pictures with their cell phones, but no one helped her. She was eventually transported to the hospital where she later died.

I don’t know the political affiliation of the people in this store, but I do know the attitudes about life that come from those on the left. While it’s true that not every liberal is pro-abortion, their platform is specifically and intentionally written with a lack of respect for life. This position permeates their attitudes towards life in every area.

If is their lack of respect for life that allows them to support the abortion machine, support infanticide, apologize for murderers, and yes, blame their opponents for the actions of a madman.

In the same way, the conservative response was generally of prayer for the victims. When respect for life is the foundation of your philosophy, this will always be the proper reaction. Those that think we can ignore or compromise on life are wrong. It is the one area where we cannot give ground. If conservatives ever lose this foundation, we will lose the most important distinction that we have, and our nation will truly be lost and beyond hope.

Respect for life is not just about fighting against abortion, but it begins and ends there with the most vulnerable victims of all. Our founding fathers knew the nature of men, and created a system of government best suited to restrain the worst within us. They understood that, but for the Grace of God, there go I.

Night Twister

Colorado State University recently completed a study on the economic feasibility of increasing the usage of renewable energy. The results of this study were published in the world-renowned science periodical, The Coloradoan. Another stimulus-funded study of the obvious? No, what we have here is simply a heavy dose of reality for academicians who aren’t willing to match their rhetoric with their pocketbook. Some of the quotes in this article are quite humorous.

Fort Collins campus President Tony Frank acknowledges that the 2008 plan to “rapidly” become carbon-neutral won’t be a reality for decades because the university can’t afford to make major changes right now.

It took them two years to figure this out? Business owners have been saying for much longer that forcing draconian cuts in emissions would harm their bottom line. Apparently it’s acceptable for businesses to absorb the increased costs, but not a university.

One major challenge for CSU is that its emissions have actually been going up in recent years. In fiscal year 2006, CSU emitted 217,070 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Those emissions rose 7 per-cent by 2009.

An expanding business generates more emissions. Who knew?

For us, you’d have to really jack up tuition and put it toward plans like that.

Really? You mean mandating a huge reduction in emissions would require a business to pass on those costs to its customers?

We could save a lot of energy by sending the students home, sending the researchers home. But that’s not what we do here.

Colorado State University learned more about basic economics here than they ever could have from a government-funded study. While I’d love to believe that this knowledge will be passed on to the greater academic community, I just can’t imagine that it will. The irony of their own comments are completely lost on them.

Night Twister

We had mixed results here in Colorado. We picked up two House seats, but lost the Governor’s and Senate races. We picked up statewide offices for SoS and Treasurer, and we regained control of the State House, but lost our initiatives to remove some liberal judges and assure healthcare choice.

The Governor’s race was a perfect storm, and enough ink has already been spilled over that race. Suffice it to say that we need to find a way to encourage better candidates to run and stay in the race so we aren’t stuck with such inferior choices that eventually leads to doom. We didn’t remove some liberal judges, but the numbers improved and I think we can eventually get there with more voter education (more on that later).

Of greater interest to me was evaluating the Senate race and the healthcare choice initiative. It is my belief that we failed due to the large number of single-issue voters in Colorado that do not understand the minds of the voters. I’ll begin with the Senate race.

The two primary reasons for Ken Buck’s loss were allowing Michael Bennet to run against his own record and paint Buck as an extremist. There will be many that will argue there were other factors, such as a lack of GOTV effort at the end and pulling money for races in other states at the last minute. Certainly a lack of funds contributed to allowing Bennet to successfully run against his record, but none of these other factors affected the left’s success in getting voters to believe Buck was too extreme for them.

Single issue groups have always put out candidate questionnaires, but these have become much more specific lately. While I think it’s very important to know where a candidate stands on the issues, there’s a fine line between getting answers and giving ammunition to the opposition. While it may feel good to get all the answers that you want, if in the end it actually helps elect those opposed to your cause, what good does it do?

This brings me to the Personhood Amendment. Ken Buck supported this initiative early in his campaign, and his opponents eventually used it to make clearly false statements about him, but this perception stuck. I voted for this amendment, but I also knew it would be a polarizing force, and was an attempt to take too large a bite off the apple at one time. This leads me to the healthcare choice initiative.

Any other election, this would’ve easily passed. Unfortunately it ended up being a victim of something as simple as a number. Amendments 60 and 61 (and referendum 101) were poorly-written and didn’t even have the support of the base, and therefore had no chance. Add to this Amendment 62 which was too much of a reach, and people just decided to vote no on the 60s.

I’m not a fan of voter initiatives in general, as it goes against a representative form of government. It would be better that voters held their representatives accountable and replaced them when they overreach. That doesn’t seem to be the case often, and I prefer that voters live with the consequences of their inaction. That said, initiatives like 63 that are intended to specifically reverse government overreach (i.e. Obamacare) are ones I can get behind.

I know a lot of people aren’t going to agree with me, and they’re going to continue to pursue their narrow agenda, and thereby continue to elect Democrats that are completely opposed to their goals. Sure, they’ll feel good about themselves, and convince themselves that they’re sticking to their principles, but I believe there’s a way to do that and still make progress in the right direction too. My proposal contains two parts.

The first part is getting the various groups to find areas where they can work together, instead of focusing on differences. Just to suggest and example that I’ve seen in a few places, the defunding of Planned Parenthood. This would appeal to several groups, social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, and even libertarians. Social conservatives want to see the number of abortions reduced, and fiscons and libertarians don’t see this funding as something the government should be involved with. I believe that candidates that come out in favor of such ideas would find wide support and avoid being labeled as extreme. I’m sure there are many other ways the different factions could find ways to work together.

The second part of this proposal is to get groups to focus their energy on education. One of the complaints I often hear from people about the first part of my proposal is that they’re being forced to shut up and get in line. I’m not advocating this at all. What I am saying is, that we should look for areas where we can make progress now, and concentrate on educating others on areas where we can’t so we can make more progress in the future. We should wait until the climate is more favorable, rather than forcing candidates to voice a position on issues that are currently unpopular. There are some good organizations out there already doing this type of work, such as the Independence Institute. They’re focused on education about fiscal issues, transparency, education, and others.

I believe if we continue down the same path of forcing candidates into corners, we will continue to lose elections. I believe there’s a better way forward, one of mutual cooperation and respect. We find ways to work together where we can, and wait and educate where we can’t. If we don’t, we will continue to elect Democrats and lose even more ground. I don’t see how that’s in anyone’s best interest.

Night Twister

The Good

Cory Gardner won in CD-4 over Betsy Markey. Markey won in 2008 due to several factors, primarily because Marilyn Musgrave’s popularity waned on all sides, and the popularity of Obama in Colorado. Markey joined the bluedog democrats, but voters in CD-4 saw through this and rejected her due to her consistently liberal voting record. Cory is a small businessman that has been in state politics for awhile. He’s from the eastern plains, so look for him to champion small business and farm interests. He will be a consistently reliable vote for fiscal and social conservatism.

Scott Tipton won in CD-3 over John Salazar. Salazar had been in office since 2004, and previously held his own due to a moderate voting record, but like Markey, he voted consistently Reid-Pelosi agenda. This win along with CD-4 puts the rural areas of Colorado back in Republican hands.

The GOP also won back the state House, by an extremely thin margin of 33-32. This should dampen the fears that Democrats would have a free hand at redistricting.

The Bad

Ryan Frazier lost to Ed Perlmutter. This one is still puzzling, but I’ve come to the conclusion that CD-7 is bluer than previously thought. It was the right candidate in the right year, and yet the election just wasn’t that close. Unless the demographics change naturally in this district, it’s likely to be a comfortable Dem hold just like CD-1 and CD-2.

Ken Buck lost to Michael Bennet for the open Senate seat. There are a lot of reasons why Buck lost this race. Certainly having the NRSC pull money out last minute prevented Buck from being able to respond to last-minute attack ads. Not only were these ads grossly misleading and out-of-context, but they were relentless. The tense primary didn’t help, with both candidates slinging mud at each other. Buck’s campaign was inexperienced, and that showed with Bennet being able to successfully run against his own voting record. Buck decided to run far to the right to distinguish himself from Norton, and then during the general tried to move back towards the center, but for many independent voters, they just didn’t buy it.

The Clear the Bench Colorado efforts didn’t pan out, although the State Supremes received fewer retention votes than last time around, so at least it raised awareness.

Proposition 63, the healthcare choice initiative, went down, primarily due to the number assigned to it. Amendments 60 & 61 were poorly written, 62 was another attempt to define life beginning at conception, which failed miserably last time. People just decided to vote no to all of them.

The Ugly

What a debacle the Governor’s race was. Not only did the democrat get over 50% of the vote, but it most likely affected other races. And to think this all started out with Bill Ritter having about the same chance at re-election as mbecker’s dead white cat. The establishment pushed McInnis (knowing full well of his plagiarism issues), the Tea Party backed an unknown candidate in Maes who it turns out was running for Governor because that’s the best job he could find in a slow economy, all the while the best candidate in the original field ended up slinging mud at our eventual Senate candidate.

The state GOP has a lot to answer for, starting with Dick Wadhams. It doesn’t really matter how you paint it, a true leader knows in the end he shoulders the responsibility either way. We’ll probably have to start with a clean slate before we begin to make progress again. The Tea Party needs to evaluate their own failures. No Tea Party-backed candidate or initiative was successful in Colorado, although I’m sure the enthusiasm helped other downstream races that were won.

As for me, at least I gained a congressional representative that will listen to his constituents. All my other representatives are democrats, which means they’ll find new ways to spend money they don’t have and charge it to my children and grandchildren. The voters in my city even voted for higher property and sales taxes. I can’t do much about the property taxes at this time, but I can certainly start shopping in the neighboring communities to avoid the sales tax, and that’s exactly what I plan to do, along with a lot of other people I know. Businesses will continue to move out to Timnath, Windsor & Loveland, but that’s what happens when you try to become Boulder North.

Lots of local work still to do….

Night Twister

P.S. My biggest disappointment of all was the failure of Denver’s Initiative 300. It’s clear there’s no intelligent life in Colorado anymore, so I was secretly hoping we’d find some elsewhere and maybe…just maybe…these aliens would vote Republican.

The only people left that don’t know it’s over for Maes are him, his family, and supporters who’ve gone so far down the road there’s no turning back. Here’s a recap for those of you that haven’t been following this race.

1. Dan Maes can’t raise money.

2. Maes beats McInnis in the Republican Primary, mostly because many Republicans couldn’t pull the lever for either one.

3. Evidence comes out that Maes was never the successful businessman he claimed to be.

4. Evidence comes out that Maes padded his resume by misrepresenting his involvement in a case while a member of the Kansas Police Department.

5. Maes plays fast and loose with campaign finance law.

6. Maes blames the victim in an attack on Tom Tancredo.

7. A Maes supporter insinuates Tancredo tried to cut an illegal deal with Maes.

8. Maes is his campaign’s 2nd-largest expenditure.

9. Oh, and Maes can only raise 1/10th the money Tancredo has raised in the same time period.

It’s too late to get Maes off the ballot, but it’s not too late to elect someone that will govern Colorado immeasureably better than John Hickenlooper, and that’s Tom Tancredo. In the latest Rasmussen poll, Tancredo has pulled within four points of Hickenlooper.

If it makes you feel any better Dan, we’ll call it a draw. Just do us a favor and roll aside so we can complete our quest to the Governor’s mansion.

Night Twister

Almost two weeks ago I wrote this. I truly believed it was in the best interests of Coloradans, especially in the long term, to continue to support Dan Maes in the Governor race. That all changed for me this weekend when I read about Dan Maes giving aid and comfort to the enemy:

I would say that John (Hickenlooper) absolutely brings that kind of moderate business acumen and business experience that Republicans in Denver proper really like. We’ve seen several major Republican businessmen back John Hickenlooper, so I would absolutely trust the Mayor when it comes to the economic health of our state and the business community more so than I would Tom.

Enough is enough. It’s one thing to realize you have no shot at winning. It’s quite another to prop up the liberal Democratic candidate that thinks the government creates jobs over the other conservative in the race. John Hickenlooper would continue the same failed policies of Bill Ritter. Maes isn’t content with just going down with his ship, he’s going to make sure Tancredo goes down with him.

While I argued for some time that it would hurt the Colorado GOP if Maes didn’t get 10% of the vote, and thereby cause the party to lose their majority status, I believe that Governor Hickenlooper would cause much more damage to Colorado, both in the short and long term. There are many here in Colorado that feel the same way. Ross Kaminsky. Ben Degrow. Rocky Mountain Right. Just peruse the diaries at the People’s Press Collective and you’ll see many others agree.

Each day that goes by sees Dan Maes lose more support. The only thing left for him to do is to try to hold on to enough support to ensure that Tom Tancredo can’t win either. As most of you know, Tancredo isn’t my favorite politician. But as it sometimes goes in politics, you have to go with the best you have. Even though it goes against my own principles (I’m eating no small share of crow here), this is the exception to the rule. I also understand that the rules at this site also prohibit supporting a third-party candidate. Regardless of the reasons why the GOP ended up with Dan Maes as its candidate, the time has come to dump him and support Tom Tancredo for Governor. The polls have tightened enough that if we all rally around him, he has a real chance to win.

We can’t afford to allow Hickenlooper to redistrict the state that would give the Democrats a majority for the next ten years. While important, the name placement of GOP candidates for the next four years is less so. We also can’t afford the additional taxes, fees, and loss of more of the TABOR laws and jobs that would certainly come with Hickenlooper at the helm.

I would urge all Coloradans to join with me and my fellow bloggers in voting for Tom Tancredo. Tom can lead, and while he won’t be the ideal Governor, he will turn Colorado back in the right direction. That’s more important in this election cycle than anything else.

Night Twister

The larger issue here though is whether we abandon our principles just because we have a terrible candidate. What I’m referring to is, Conservative in the primary, Republican in the general. Do we really mean that, even in a worst-case scenario such as this one? Dan Maes was selected as the Republican candidate for Governor by the majority of Republican voters in the primary election. Are we really going to abandon everything that’s been talked about over the past years and get behind Tom Tancredo after he kicked our Party to the curb and contributed to this mess?

I took a lot of grief on this site during the Senate primary election when I wouldn’t get behind the RS and Tea Party favorite Ken Buck. I eventually voted for Jane Norton, because I believed she would have a better chance against Michael Bennet. I still believe I was right because Buck continues to struggle to pull away in a race that should have been a slam dunk. Regardless, once the race was over I let it go and will vote for Ken Buck in the general election. He wasn’t my choice, but he was the choice of the majority of the Republican voters in Colorado, and it is my duty to respect that choice and remain loyal to the Party. You say it’s not the same situation? Of course it isn’t. But how bad does a candidate have to be to decide we have to kick them to the curb? There are other candidates out there that are going to get trounced because they aren’t very good, but no one’s jumping ship on them.

Neither Dan Maes nor Tom Tancredo will win this election. Neither one has shown any willingness to put the needs of the citizens of Colorado over their own egotistical needs. But there’s a larger issue at stake. According to the voter laws in Colorado, if the candidate for Governor for the GOP does not gain at least 10% of the votes, the party will lose it’s Majority status on the ballot. That means all GOP candidates will be given minority party status for all elections for four years. That’s everything from local state House member to the Presidential candidate in 2012. Even though it shouldn’t be the case, the order of names on the ballot matters. The Democrat candidate for every election in Colorado for the next four years will be first on the list, and the GOP candidate will be mixed in with the Libertarians, Greens, etc.

The time for Dan Maes to do the right thing has passed. That’s unfortunate, but it is what it is. It’s time for Republicans to do the right thing now, in spite of the egotistical actions of Dan Maes and Tom Tancredo, and that is to get behind and vote for Dan Maes for Governor.

Night Twister

I sure wish they could bottle this stuff so we could give it to the rest of the GOP politicians.

P.S. Meg Whitman for California. Because she looks way better than Arnold in a dress.

P.P.S. You have to read what the heckler was saying to understand that last bit.

Karen Crummy at the Denver Post reports that former CO Senate President John Andrews has withdrawn his endorsement of Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes. Andrews met with Maes to encourage him to drop out of the race so the Party can choose another candidate with a chance to beat the democratic candidate John Hickenlooper in November. Andrews, who as late as yesterday said Maes had his unwavering support, told the Post today,

As a conscientious Republican who earlier voted for Dan, I cannot support a manifestly unfit nominee. He has flunked his job interview with the people of Colorado in the weeks since Scott McInnis faded. The party should cut Maes loose if he does not resign the nomination.

He also stated that he would write in Jane Norton on his ballot. Jane would certainly be a front runner for the nomination should Maes drop out as would former candidate Tom Wiens.

Other Colorado politicians to call on Maes to exit the race include former Congressman Bob Beauprez (CO-07) and former Senator Hank Brown. What is still unknown is whether Tom Tancredo would keep his promise to drop out if Maes did. If he didn’t, Hickenlooper would still be pretty much assured he would be elected.

Michael Sandoval at the National Review Online has more on this story.

Night Twister

Imagine if you couldn’t speak for yourself, and there was no one to tell your story for you. Well, now there is.

Night Twister