Slapstick Politics

• Hate Crimes: Killing Both Liberty and Equality

  By Julian Dunraven, J.D., M.P.A.

  Honorable Friends:

  Stunned. Appalled. Deeply saddened. Angry. I remember feeling all of these emotions as I watched the tragic story of Matthew Shepard’s brutal slaying unfold in the media back in 1998. It was with great satisfaction that I watched the conviction and incarceration of his murderers. [...]

  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 30, 2009, 8:30am EDT
  

• Meghann Silverthorn for Douglas County School Board

  By Julian Dunraven, J.D., M.P.A.

  
  Honorable friends:
  
  This election cycle, the People’s Press Collective has fielded one of its own as a candidate. Meghann Campos Silverthorn, a long time writer for the PPC and Slapstick Politics, is campaigning to serve on the Douglas County Board of Education here in [...]

  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 20, 2009, 5:23pm EDT
  

• BEWARE THE BISCUIT

  A hilarious article from The Times about Biscuits, and other deadly British institutions.
  
  An estimated 25 million adults have been injured while eating during a tea or coffee break, with at least 500 landing themselves in hospital. Putting this into perspective, this makes having a biccie a more [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 16, 2009, 8:09pm EDT
  

• That's Racist!

  Political correctness gone loco:
  
  Dozens of quangos and taxpayer-funded organisations have ordered a purge of common words and phrases so as not to cause offence.
  
  Among the everyday sayings that have been quietly dropped in a bid to stamp out racism and sexism are “whiter than [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 06, 2009, 1:07am EDT
  

• Programming Note

  **Update--Fear not, vanguard of the people! Despite counterrevolutionary propaganda to the contrary, El Presidente will continue to provide bloggage and commentary on Colorado politics. For the time being, however, he'll be hanging out more at People's Press Collective. Your implacable leader does have a few other irons in the [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 08, 2009, 8:18pm EDT
  

• A Note On Mobs

  Ben DeGrow has an excellent overview and link roundup of the Democrats' attempt to paint tea party protesters and anti-ObamaCare advocates as an unruly mob.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 06, 2009, 3:13pm EDT
  

• Influential Blogger Not Seeking Office In 2010

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Embargoed until 2089)
  August 6, 2009
  
  Underemployed Smartass Blogger Opts Out of GOP Senate Race
  
  Independent, Maverick Hope’n’Changer Has Better Things To Do
  
  (His Parents' Basement)—Pajama-clad chickenshit People’s Press Collective blogger and itinerant Independence Institute groupie El Presidente has, after careful consideration and extensive' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 06, 2009, 8:00am EDT
  

• No Climate Tax Pledge

  
  
  Partial transcript:
  Hello, I'm Senator Jim Inhofe from Oklahoma, and I am proud to be one of the hundreds of lawmakers on all levels of government to sign the Americans for Prosperity "No Climate Tax Pledge." This pledge states clearly that climate change legislation should not be' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 05, 2009, 2:33pm EDT
  

• Only A Test

  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 05, 2009, 1:15pm EDT
  

• Barack Obama--Teleprompter In Chief

  
  
  Brought to you by Republican Princess. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 05, 2009, 11:26am EDT
  

• Economic Development . . . For No One

  Government waste--often disguised by agencies with well-meaning titles like "Office of Economic Development"--is frequently cited as having at least a marginally positive effect on those it is intended to help. More often than not, however, that wasted taxpayer funding goes absolutely nowhere and benefits precisely NO ONE:
  The Office [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 05, 2009, 9:19am EDT
  

• Two Cities, Same Result: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs See Hundreds Rally Against ObamaCare, Outnumber Pro-Obama Factions

  **Update 3--Media bias? Colorado Springs Gazette ignores the anti-ObamaCare rally completely
  
  **Update 2--Americans for Prosperity has video and several more photos up from the Colorado Springs rally
  
  **Update 1--Approximately 1000-1200 anti-ObamaCare rallyers showed up in Colorado Springs, easily eclipsing the incredible turnout in Denver yesterday [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 29, 2009, 4:00pm EDT
  

• Obama’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009: What You Don’t Know May Kill You

  By Julian Dunraven, J.D., M.P.A.
  
  Honorable Friends:

  Yesterday, the people of Denver demonstrated that they have far more sense than their Congresswoman does when 700 of them rallied on the State Capitol steps to voice their opposition to President Obama’s health care bill.
  
  The President has been working [...]

  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 29, 2009, 8:30am EDT
  

• Hundreds Attend Anti-Obama Care Rally In Denver

  
  Hundreds (500-700) attended yesterday's anti-ObamaCare rally in Denver during the lunch hour.
  
  **Update 8--Hundreds more in Colorado Springs rallying against government-run health care, where only a "handful" of ObamaCare supporters showed up
  
  **Update 7--Hundreds attend rally against government-run health care in' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 28, 2009, 1:51pm EDT
  

• No Dominant GOP Choices Emerge: Frazier Beats Out Rivals; Penry Ties for Support, But McInnis Seen As Stronger

  Approximately 600 people completed the July Colorado Political Temperature survey.
  
  Open online from Thursday, July 9, 8:00 AM MDT, to Friday, July 17, 5:00 PM MDT, the survey gauged opinion on prominent policy issues, philosophy, and political dynamics; as well as candidate preference and assessment questions for five [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 24, 2009, 12:53pm EDT
  

• Not All Republicans Are Clueless About New Media--Taking Aim At Gov. Ritter On Waxman-Markey

  **Update--ColoradoPols is impressed:
  We have to admit we were also impressed with the speed Sen. Jim Imhofe's office had this video packaged and distributed through a wide viral network--all the way down to our own community talking-point beacons. Clearly they're getting better at this. The problem is that, as [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 22, 2009, 12:16pm EDT
  

• Milton Friedman Remembered: Friedman Legacy For Freedom Lunch

  FYI:
  
  The Independence Institute invites you to celebrate the legacy and ideas of Milton Friedman with us at lunch July 31, 2009, on what would have been his 97th birthday. We are proud to present Dr. Barry Poulson, Professor of Economics at the University of Colorado and Senior [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 21, 2009, 12:32pm EDT
  

• Costly Green Jobs--The Pueblo Example; Gov. Ritter Refuses To Endorse Waxman-Markey

  In Pueblo, Colorado 450 new "green" jobs cost $32 million, or around $71,000 per job:
  
  
  
  Here is the poster used in the video above:
  
  
  During today’s Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, Gov Bill Ritter refused to endorse the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 21, 2009, 11:30am EDT
  

• Ryan Frazier To Make Senate Run Official In Coming Weeks

  From a press release this afternoon (no link yet):
  “In a little over two months, we undertook efforts to weigh support for our positive and forward-looking vision. Since that time, we have gained momentum from people responding to our direction because they are looking for positive change. A New Way [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 15, 2009, 3:46pm EDT
  

• Polling Colorado: Taking Colorado's Political Temperature July 2009

  Do you think that Colorado's Supreme Court is, on balance, too partisan?
  
  Are TEA Parties an effective method of voicing opinions on the size of government and taxation?
  
  Is Health Care reform, also known as “single payer” program, on balance a good idea?
  
  Do you dislike party' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 13, 2009, 1:52pm EDT
  

• Churchill Billed For Legal Expenses, May Top $50K

  Heh--may be as high as $50K.
  
  Pravda takes up Churchill's cause.
  
  Big post-decision link roundup at PirateBallerina.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 09, 2009, 2:48pm EDT
  

• Taking Colorado's Political Temperature--July 2009

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  July 9, 2009
  
  Time to Take Colorado's Political Temperature
  Right-Leaning Bloggers Want to Know Where YOU Stand!
  
  Two of Colorado's most established and respected conservative voices in the political blogosphere invite the state's political observers and activists to share their opinions in an online survey' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 09, 2009, 8:00am EDT
  

• Sen. Inhofe On Cap And Trade: Meaningless WIthout China And India On Board

  Cap-and-Tax Cap-and-Trade dead in the water without support from China and India, who have vowed not to imperil their economies and lower standards of living:
  "It’s no surprise that during today’s G8 meeting, China, India and other developing nations refused to accept mandatory emissions controls on their economies," [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 08, 2009, 4:14pm EDT
  

• Breaking--Ward Churchill Denied Reinstatement

  **Update 6--Ross Kaminsky provides an excellent detailed breakdown of Judge Larry Naves' decision in the Churchill lawsuit; more reactions on Churchill's failed lawsuit at Drunkablog, including a roundup of links; comprehensive followups at PirateBallerina (Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), including [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 07, 2009, 12:51pm EDT
  

• Expensive Phone Bill? Excess 911 Fees Stack Up

  The Independence Institute's Todd Shepherd uncovers the excessive fee revenues generated by 911 tariffs that form a large portion of your costly monthly phone bill:
  Suppose you choose a monthly cell phone plan that will charge you $59.99 every month. So how in the world does your final bill' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: July 07, 2009, 11:13am EDT
  

• July 4 Break--Link Roundup

  I'm off to the fetid swamp of power nation's capital for a much needed break--in the meantime, check out the following links for an excellent roundup of political news, analysis, and events.
  
  Enjoy those freedoms while they last--and keep up the good fight for liberty!
  
  Liberty on [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 30, 2009, 2:34pm EDT
  

• Move America Forward: Troopathon

  Support the troops with donations for care packages--Michelle Malkin has the background, Andrew Breitbart is co-hosting, special guests (like Rush Limbaugh and Jon Voight) will appear throughout the eight hour live webcast, and the goal is $1 million:
  
  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 25, 2009, 2:18pm EDT
  

• Senate 2010: Ryan Frazier--"A New Way Forward"

  Quite impressive effort to kick off Frazier's broader introduction to Colorado's voter population--combining stirring clips from his stump speech and a nice blend of visual imagery in a longer format than the soundbite campaign ads we are accustomed to:
  
  
  
  "Capitalism over socialism, freedom over slavery, life over" [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 23, 2009, 12:39pm EDT
  

• "The Big List": 2010 State House And Senate Races

  Jeremy Pelzer (formerly of PolitickerCO and 5280) has a complete rundown of announced, projected, and speculative candidates for Colorado House and Senate in 2010 (to be continuously updated):
  
  2010 House Candidates
  
  2010 Senate Candidates
  
  Jeremy's blog Mile High Politics is sure to be [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 22, 2009, 11:01am EDT
  

• Liberty On The Rocks BBQ; Pre-ATF Party: Freedom Underground - Nanny State Policy Panel

  Freedom Underground - Nanny State Policy Panel
  Friday, June 19, 2009
  

  The Warwick Hotel, (The former Playboy Club) 1776 Grant Street, Denver, CO

  
  

  
  

  ***Don’t forget to sign up for the ATF Party the next day!***
  
  Listen to Jon Caldara [...]

  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 20, 2009, 8:22pm EDT
  

• DMYR June Meeting Featuring Lynn Bartels And David Harsanyi

  Join Denver Metro Young Republicans on June 23rd for our June General Meeting. This month we are pleased to welcome members of the local Media, including Lynn Bartels (formerly of the Rocky Mountain News) and David Harsanyi, reporters from the Denver Post. They will discuss the media’s role in [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 19, 2009, 1:12pm EDT
  

• Fiery MEP Daniel Hannan In Denver

  
  
  The Honor of Your Presence is Requested for a Special Evening With
  MEP Daniel Hannan
  Friday, June 26, 2009
  Cocktail reception 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
  Grant-Humphreys Mansion
  770 Pennsylvania Street, Denver, CO 80203
  
  Daniel Hannan is a writer and journalist, and has [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 18, 2009, 2:37pm EDT
  

• Denver International Airport Receives Nearly $500K In Farm Subsidies

  Who knew?
  Over the course of 12 consecutive years beginning in 1995, Denver International Airport has managed to rake-in just under half-a-million dollars in commodity subsidies from the U.S. Federal farm program. The airport owns roughly 18-thousand acres of wheat fields adjacent to the main terminal property and runways. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 17, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
  

• Socialized Medicine No Joke

  
  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 16, 2009, 10:02am EDT
  

• Liberty On The Rocks Red Rocks--Special Guest Tom Tancredo

  Liberty on the Rocks Red Rocks will be hosting special guest Tom Tancredo:
  Look for us at Old Chicago (weather permitting, on the rooftop patio) at 145 Union Blvd, Lakewood, CO for happy hours (5:00 pm to 7:00 pm) on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month! Mark your [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 14, 2009, 6:22pm EDT
  

• R Block Party Family BBQ

  PLEASE JOIN
  
  
  
  THURSDAY JUNE 18
  
  SEE ATTACHMENT FOR DETAILS
  
  We invite you to join us at this casual event for Republican fellowship and to meet some of the candidates and elected officials including Ryan Frazier, Cleve Tidwell, Dan Maes, Walker Stapleton, [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 12, 2009, 5:20pm EDT
  

• Jonah Goldberg On Liberal Fascism

  The bestselling book Liberal Fascism is now out in paperback.
  
  Jonah discusses the ongoing necessity to push back against the Left's intentional misuse of the term for political purposes to bash conservatives and libertarians. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 12, 2009, 1:55pm EDT
  

• Betsy Markey On Health Care: A Tea Party Rally

  Fort Collins Tea Party organizers will urge CD-4 Rep. Betsy Markey to vote against President Barack Obama's plans for socialized medicine "government-run, single-payer health care" at noon on Saturday, June 13th at Washington Park behind the Fort Collins City Hall building. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 12, 2009, 1:38pm EDT
  

• Free People, Free Markets: The Foundations Of Liberty Course

  
  
  The Independence Institute is proud to offer a first-of-its-kind course on the moral and philosophical case for free market capitalism:
  
  Free People, Free Markets: The Foundations of Liberty!
  
  The class will take place on 5 Saturdays, from 9am to noon, starting June 27th and ending [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 12, 2009, 12:01pm EDT
  

• FBI shuts down gun range, calls it "militia training camp"

  The FBI is investigating a Washington state gun range that is supposedly "serving as a militia training camp."
  
  What is notable is that the range was shut down because of "violation of commercial zoning laws," although the gun range has been around for a while. The owner, Jim [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 10, 2009, 5:31pm EDT
  

• RMA 2.0: Rocky Mtn Blogs Radio Show #30

  **Every Tuesday--next show June 9, 8:30 pm.
  
  
  
  The Blog Talk Radio version of the Rocky Mountain Alliance. A weekly discussion about politics--national, state, and local--featuring RMA members bloggers led by featured host and producer Joshua Sharf, with rotating co-host duties [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 09, 2009, 3:32pm EDT
  

• Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier On 9NEWS' "Your Show"

  Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier answered viewers' questions on 9NEWS' "Your Show" this past Sunday.
  
  Frazier's GOP primary opponent Ken Buck appeared on the show in May.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 08, 2009, 11:14am EDT
  

• D-Day 65th Anniversary

  
  
  BlackFive has an enormous D-Day blogburst roundup, with tons of great links.
  
  Ben DeGrow has excerpts from General Dwight D. Eisenhower's D-Day charge and President Ronald Reagan's 40th anniversary commemoration.
  
  President Barack Obama noted the passing of one Normandy veteran on the eve [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 06, 2009, 12:07pm EDT
  

• 20th Anniversary Of Tiananmen Square Massacre June 4, 1989

  The NYTimes has an extended feature on the "Tank Man" photos from June 4, 1989--including a never before published photograph of the unknown hero just before his encounter with the tanks near Tiananmen Square.
  
  Here is the video:
  Blog post from June 4, 2007--just after I [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 04, 2009, 10:26am EDT
  

• On Astroturfing--Or How Not To Make Friends On The Internet

  Earlier in the week, good friend and fellow blogger Rocky Mountain Right brought forward evidence that demonstrated a bad-faith, astroturfing campaign by or on behalf of the Cleve Tidwell for US Senate campaign.
  
  Ben DeGrow provides additional examples of what appears to either be a hijacking of [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 02, 2009, 12:48pm EDT
  

• RMA 2.0: Rocky Mtn Blogs Radio Show #29

  **Every Tuesday--next show June 2, 8:30 pm.
  
  
  
  The Blog Talk Radio version of the Rocky Mountain Alliance. A weekly discussion about politics--national, state, and local--featuring RMA members bloggers led by featured host and producer Joshua Sharf, with rotating co-host duties [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: June 02, 2009, 12:44pm EDT
  

• Ryan Frazier At R Block Party

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: May 31, 2009, 7:33pm EDT
  

• VP Biden Town Hall Ticket Snafu

  Clueless Joe Biden's "town hall" had ticket issues this morning:
  Coloradans who dutifully lined up at the Crowne Plaza Hotel downtown this morning got a rude shock when they were told the tickets to see Vice President Joe Biden in Denver this afternoon were gone before the give-away was' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: May 26, 2009, 12:21pm EDT
  

• RMA 2.0: Rocky Mtn Blogs Radio Show #28

  **Every Tuesday--next show May 26, 8:30 pm.
  
  
  
  The Blog Talk Radio version of the Rocky Mountain Alliance. A weekly discussion about politics--national, state, and local--featuring RMA members bloggers led by featured host and producer Joshua Sharf, with rotating co-host duties [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: May 26, 2009, 9:39am EDT
  

• Unidine: If Government Ran Restaurants (Like Universal Health Care)

  (h/t Ken) Imagine the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld, only worse--run by the government--"No choice for you!":
  
  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: May 21, 2009, 11:06am EDT