John McCain was in Defiance, Ohio Thursday. A city of about 17,000 that sits 55 miles southwest of Toledo and only 45 miles east of Fort Wayne, Indiana. One would think being so close to two larger cities in two red states that are starting to lean Obama, McCain would draw a huge crowd. No such thing. Not only did McCain’s new pal Joe not show up for the rally, neither did many others. In fact, only 6,000 were on hand to see John McCain and out of those were 4,000 elementary, middle, and high school children, and their teachers. The entire Defiance School District of 2,500 attended along with at least three surrounding schools districts in the area busing their schoolchildren and teachers to fill the remaining seats.

Last week when John McCain was in New Mexico, he almost drew 1000 people. The beginning of October Michelle Obama was in Boulder Colorado, 9,700 people showed up to hear her speak and no one had to bus any children in to fill the seats. When Barack Obama was in Denver on Sunday, he had over 100,000 people show up to hear him speak, a couple hours later he arrived in Ft. Collins Colorado to 50,000 people waiting to greet him. People drive from all over Colorado and neighboring states to listen to both Barack and Michelle Obama and Joe Biden. The Obama’s will be appearing together in Pueblo Colorado on Saturday, that’s about two hours or so from north Denver suburbs but I know many from the north will be making the trek south.

You know John and I feel since you always refer to me as your friend that I may call you John; it does not help matters when your staff is throwing real supporters of yours out of your rallies because of the way they look, because they “might,” protest. Especially in Iowa, at a University, with the college kids whose votes you need.  Yes, there were a few who had protested at another one of your rally’s but the rest were honest to goodness supporters. Too bad, most had already cast their votes. Perhaps that is why only a couple thousand adults showed up in Ohio.

Colorado has a wicked storm brewing over the Rockies’ in the form of Colorado’s Republican Secretary of State, Mike Coffman. Coffman also happens to be running against Democrat Hank Eng for the seat being vacated by Republican U.S. Congressman Tom Tancredo in Colorado’s 6th  Congressional District. A lawsuit was filed in Denver’s federal court Friday against Mike Coffman to force him and his office to reinstate the more than 30,000 registered voters that were recently purged by the Secretary of State. 

Advancement Project, who filed the lawsuit, states Coffman illegally disqualified 26,931 voters by removing them from voter rolls between July 31 and October 31. Federal law prohibits purging voters within 90 days of Election Day unless they have died, been convicted of a felony or requested removal.  In addition, they claim another 14,089 voters were missing from that same list when a comparison was done; those names disappeared between August 15 and October 13.

As if that were not enough another 5,000 newly registered voters aren’t registered due to a check box on the new voter registration forms. In the IDENTIFCATION (Required) section voters were to enter their Colorado driver’s license number, OR Department of Revenue ID number OR if you have neither “must provide the last four digits of your Social Security number”. It goes on to say, “If you do not have a driver’s license number, a Dept. of Revenue Id number, or a Social Security number, you must check the appropriate boxes.” The “NOTE” at the bottom of that section states, “If the identification section is left blank and you do not check the boxes indicating you do not have identification you will not be registered to vote”.  One check box says “I do not have a Colorado Driver’s License or Dept. of Revenue Identification Number”, the other box says “I do not have a Social Security Number”.

Thousands of people put their Social Security number and did not check the box saying they don’t have a driver license; others put both their driver license and social security number without checking any box. What’s the problem? Mike Coffman told County Clerks these applications cannot be registered until “corrected”. While two big Republican counties who have Republican clerks have disregarded Coffman’s order saying other laws favor the voter there are still thousands of new registered voters that as of this writing won’t be given a ballot.

Colorado’s Attorney General and Bush appointee, John Suthers, says in his opinion that “people may use their SSN only if they don’t have a Colorado driver license or ID…” Why wasn’t it worded like that on the registration form, the current wording is confusing. Most people have their SSN memorized but not their DL so it’s logical many would put the last 4 digits of their SSN as a matter of convenience. If a person put their SSN, with or without their Colorado DL number, why would they check the box saying they don’t have a DL if they do? 

According to Mike Coffman, "Voters can rest assured that maintaining accurate voter rolls is our top priority”. I can assure you Mr. Coffman that not many are resting including I’m sure Hank Eng knowing that you are counting the ballots.  

If you are not yet registered, you still have time. The last day to register to vote in Colorado is October 6th. If you are not sure about your status, you can verify your voter registration information online. It will take you less than 5 minutes.

If you have not requested your Mail In Ballot, do so now. We are trying to get as many voting by mail-in ballot as possible to avoid the electronic voting machine problems. You can avoid the long lines, the cold weather, and the grumpy voters by sitting at home taking your time to cast your votes.

You can print off the Colorado Mail-In Ballot Application, fill it out, sign it and mail, fax or email it as a PDF to your County Clerk’s office no later than Tuesday, October 28, 2008. However, don’t wait that long, the election is November 4, 2008 so the sooner the better! It is strongly advised that instead of requesting a mail-in ballot so late you instead go to one of the early voting locations in your county and cast your vote.

If you are a first time voter and you register by mail to vote in the State of Colorado, you are required to submit with your application one of the following forms of identification when you return your Mail-In Ballot Application. DO NOT include original documents with the application. Please submit a copy of one of the following forms of identification:

(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)

Last night, I was in Pueblo, attending the Pueblo Dems’ annual picnic, and this was my message to the 100 or so Democrats gathered at the Pueblo Greenway and Nature Center:

All Hands On Deck!

Throughout the media this morning, you’ve probably heard that we have 60 days until the election. Not in Colorado. In Colorado, folks start voting in less than 30 days! Ballots will be printed and could be sent out by county clerks as early as October 3. By my calculation, that’s 28 days.

28 days to change the world.

By 45 days from now, at least a third of Coloradans who will vote will have already voted. Based on what we’ve seen in 2006 and in the primaries this year, it is safe to assume that less than half of the voters will actually vote in the traditional manner by showing up on November 4th at their precinct polling place.

If you were waiting for the “sprint to the finish line” to get involved, well… we’re there.

Colorado is razor-thin close, and many national experts estimate that Colorado will decide the Presidency. But we don’t only have a Presidency on the line; Mark Udall is facing blistering attacks from those who fear his Colorado values coming to the U.S. Senate, and his vote may be the critical one that gets us to a 60-vote filibuster-proof Senate that can help a President Obama. We have a great opportunity to finally be rid of Marilyn Musgrave in the 4th Congressional District, with Betsy Markey leading most recent polling. And a wave of hard work from volunteers could make Colorado the focus of national attention when we finish with a clean sweep by bringing in Hal Bidlack and Hank Eng to Congress. Finally, the Colorado Republican Party is focused like a laser beam on the 2011 redistricting, and they know they have to take out key Democrats in the State House and State Senate to do so; we’ve got to work hard there.

So, like I said, it’s all hands on deck time. Now, I wouldn’t ask any of you to do something I don’t do myself. Longtime readers of DemNotes know that I spent 2006 criss-crossing the state walking precincts with local candidates. We’re going to do that again this year, walking with candidates all over Colorado, helping with our sweat and shoe leather. And I’ll be staffing phone banks — we’re going to be doing some phone banking tonight at our local party headquarters right here in Canon City.

It’s time.

Knock on doors. Stuff some envelopes. Make some calls.

Without the work of every single Democratic activist, we won’t be able to do this. But if we all work together, we will change the world, and we’ll look back on 2008 as the year Colorado did something pretty darned amazing.

From Obamaland - click the pic, it'll take you there  

(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)

The Pueblo Chieftain today has quite an interesting piece on John McCain that — in one article — gives reason enough why Coloradans can’t afford to support John McCain. In the Chieftain, McCain supports opening up the Colorado River Interstate Compact to renegotiation:

The water compact that Colorado and other upper basin states have with California and Arizona should be renegotiated, U.S. Sen. John McCain said Thursday.

In a telephone interview with The Pueblo Chieftain, the presumptive GOP candidate for president said the water sharing agreement reached in 1922 between seven Western states doesn’t take into account increases in population and the changing water needs.

Here’s the folly with that argument: renegotiating likely means less water for Colorado and more water for thirsty growing downstream states like Nevada and California. Right now, the Interstate Compact truly provides protection for upstream users in Colorado. A renegotiation would only diminish those rights.

If Ken Salazar knows anything, he knows water law. Ken Salazar probably understands water issues better than any elected official in the United States; indeed, it was his work with water law and negotiating water agreements that was key to electing him as our Attorney General in the 1990s. And Senator Salazar knows exactly what McCain’s water proposal would do. Here’s Salazar’s response:

“Senator McCain’s position on opening up the Colorado River Compact is absolutely wrong and would only happen over my dead body,” Salazar said. “It’s an anathema to the fundamental principles of Colorado’s water rights and our compacts.”

The senator said that when the state’s compacts with the lower basin states were negotiated, everyone knew at the time that those states would grow in population faster than Colorado. As a result, the upper basin states’ water rights needed to be protected.

“We did not want California to gobble up all of the water supply on the Colorado River, and they would have done that under the doctrine of equitable apportionment,” Salazar said. “In my view the compact is sacrosanct. I will fight tooth and nail to make sure that it is not opened up.”

I know a little about water issues myself. And from my travels across this state, I can also tell you that Democrats and Republicans alike are highly distrustful with politicians like John McCain that play fast and loose with our water. The phrase, “Whiskey’s for drinkin’, water’s for fightin’!” has much truth for it in Colorado — especially in parts of rural Colorado McCain needs to win heavily in order to compete in Colorado.

John McCain either doesn’t understand or doesn’t care how important water is to Colorado voters. Either way, that is reason enough for many to vote for Barack Obama in November.

Hillary Clinton's name to be placed in nomination

AP Photo: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., pauses for a moment while speaking at a campaign stop

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer 28 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton's name will be placed in nomination along with nominee-in-waiting Barack Obama at the Democratic convention in Denver, an emblematic move intended to unite the party after a divisive primary fight.

 Democrats will officially nominate Obama at the convention but the state delegations will do a traditional roll call for his vanquished opponent as well.

The arrangement — which the rivals-turned-allies agreed to after weeks of negotiations — is intended to help the Democratic Party heal after a bruising primary while mollifying still-disgruntled Clinton backers and acknowledging the former first lady's groundbreaking presidential run.

"I am convinced that honoring Senator Clinton's historic campaign in this way will help us celebrate this defining moment in our history and bring the party together in a strong united fashion," Obama, an Illinois senator, said in a joint statement.

Added Clinton, a New York senator: "With every voice heard and the party strongly united, we will elect Senator Obama president of the United States and put our nation on the path to peace and prosperity once again."

Some 35 million people participated in the Democratic primary, and Obama and Clinton said they wanted to "honor and celebrate these voices and votes."

RICHMOND, Aug. 13 -- Mark R. Warner, the former Virginia governor and a candidate for the U.S. Senate, will deliver the keynote address the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Democratic party officials announced Wednesday.

It was the convention's keynote speech four years ago that launched presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to national prominence. Warner's address on Aug. 26 will be broadcast to millions around the United States.

Warner, who considered running for president, is competing against former governor James S. Gilmore III (R) for the Senate seat. He has taken his name out of consideration to be Obama's running mate.

Read more here

(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)

They’re whistling past the graveyard down at Republican headquarters in Colorado Springs. They’ve got themselves convinced that the Fifth Congressional District is theirs, and there is no way the Democrats have a shot. Heck, they’ve even been successful in convincing some in the media that’s true, too. They’re so convinced, they may be about to nominate Doug Lamborn for a second term in Congress, even though he’s proven to be about, oh, 435th on the list of most effective members of Congress.

Don’t be surprised, though, if you hear the name “Bidlack” shouted out in anger by those same folks at GOP headquarters after November 4. Jay Fawcett certainly paved the way for a Democrat to be competitive here, and let me tell you, Hal Bidlack can win the 5th CD.

Friday night, we came up to Denver to attend a fundraiser for Hal, which I co-hosted. The primary host of the fundraiser was Senator Ken Salazar, and Senator Salazar was introduced by Mayor Wellington Webb. Senator Salazar was clear and unequivocal in his support for Bidlack, and pledged to raise several thousand more dollars to help Hal Bidlack win. The room was packed with several key funders from the Denver area (and beyond), and it was an impressive showing for Hal’s campaign. He even had several folks drive from Canon City and Colorado Springs attend, including El Paso Democratic Chair John Morris and Canon City Councilmember Pat Freda. State Chair Pat Waak was on hand to show her support, as was the Chair of the State Party’s Finance Committee, Frances Koncilja.

Hal gave a stirring and wonderful talk about his values and the key issues in the race — and while I’d heard much of what he said just a couple of nights before at a campaign forum in Canon City, it never gets old. His support for the Constitution alone (he does give President Bush credit for preserving the 3rd Amendment to the Constitution — none of us has had to worry about British soldiers quartered in our homes… yet) is reason enough to support Hal Bidlack.

I want to take this moment to encourage you to stop what you’re doing and donate what you can — even if it is only a few dollars — to Bidlack’s efforts. Here’s a few reasons why your doing so will help Hal win:

The 5th CD is Winnable in 2008:
The winds of change in 2008 are even stronger than in 2006. Just look at the results a couple of months ago in Mississippi, where a special election in the First Congressional District resulted in a lopsided Democratic win. In Mississippi’s First CD, President Bush beat John Kerry by a 62-37 margin — not too different from the margin of victory for the Republicans in Colorado’s 5th CD. More importantly, the victory in Mississippi wasn’t even close; Childers won handily by a 54-46 margin.

Fifth CD Voters Were Malleable in 2006:
In 2006, a couple of key independent polls about a month before the election showed Jay Fawcett and Doug Lamborn in a dead heat. And the internal polls of the Republican Party showed that, too. That’s why the RNCC — the national arm of the Republican Party focused on winning Congressional races — spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking Fawcett during the last month of the election. They even sent in Vice President Cheney to help prop up Lamborn. In the end, that effort worked primarily because Fawcett did not have enough money to respond to the grim attacks on him by the Republicans; while he’d raised more money than any Democrat before him in the Fifth CD, the RNCC simply drowned him with their ability to spend in this cheap media market. But I don’t think anybody doubts that the polls showing a tight race were real, and reflected that voters in the Fifth CD had serious doubts about Doug Lamborn.

The GOP Won’t Be Able to Buy This Race in 2008:
In 2008, the Republican Party had a lot of money to throw at last-minute races like the Fifth CD. This year, the Republicans have had immense difficulty keeping their heads above water financially, and are facing some pretty serious financial abuses in their organization that are under investigation. Meanwhile, their counterparts, the DCCC, have had an amazingly good cycle raising money, and will be able to protect last-minute attacks on challengers in a way they simply were unable to do in 2006. Just as important, a hard-fought Republican primary will leave Bidlack as coming out of August with more cash on hand than his Republican opponent (likely to still be Lamborn). In fact, when you count the loans and debts owed by campaigns, of all of the candidates for the Fifth CD, Hal Bidlack has the MOST cash-on-hand of anybody. His Second Quarter haul of over $100,000 surprised nearly every political observer in Colorado and across the nation, and people in DC are starting to whisper about the 5th CD as a possibility. Here’s the cash-on-hand of all four candidates (minus loans and debts), as of July 23 (the last reporting period):
Lamborn: 64,752
Crank: -20,588
Rayburn: -43,880
Bidlack: 68,368

Of course, if he can’t keep up that financial steam, it won’t matter. That’s where you come in. Go, right now, to Bidlack’s website and donate:
http://bidlack2008.com/contribute.php

If you’re still not convinced Hal can win, think of this. Even if Hal doesn’t win, every dollar spent in his race will result in a rate of return that helps everybody. It means that more Republican money has to go to help Doug Lamborn (or whomever is the GOP nominee). And it means that money won’t be going to people like Marilyn Musgrave, Bob Schaffer, or Republicans running for key State House and State Senate races. It also means that more money goes into organizing a field campaign in the 5th CD — a district where, if Barack Obama or Mark Udall can pull just 40%, it pretty much becomes mathematically impossible for the Republicans to win statewide. By motivating more Democratic-minded voters in El Paso County and the other counties in the 5th CD, it helps build a base that guarantees Democratic victories across the board.

So, once again, I implore you to head over and help Hal:
http://bidlack2008.com/contribute.php

——————————–

One other quick note: I want to welcome Matt Farrauto to the Colorado Democratic Party family. I’ve known Matt for a few years now; he’s been the Executive Director of the New Mexico Democratic Party for several years. His joining the CDP is quite a coup, and we are honored to have him with us. I’ve always been impressed with how Matt thinks and what he has done in New Mexico; his handling of our Communications duties is going to help put us over the top in November. Here’s some of the CDP press release announcing Matt’s new position with the CDP:

“Because Colorado is hosting the Democratic National Convention and has become a competitive battleground state, we are enjoying a new degree of media attention. I am pleased that we could find someone like Matt Farrauto, who brings a unique set of qualifications and experience to the job of Communications Director,” said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak. “He has steady hand and a passion for Democratic politics.”

Matt Farrauto comes to Colorado from New Mexico where he served as the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico from 2005 until late 2007. Prior to being promoted to Executive Director, Farrauto served as spokesman for New Mexico’s Democratic Coordinated Campaign.

Welcome aboard, Matt!

I haven't been around in much the past few days so I'm not sure if this has been posted. Even if it has, it's great to watch again. This took place on Monday in Denver.

Oh, a side note, Bob "Big Oil" Schaffer is sitting right there in the front row, the 40ish man with glass in the suit sitting between two older men, one in a white shirt the other in a suit.

Schaffer, who is currently running for Colorado's Senate seat, is one of Colorado's former Congressman who went to bed with Bush and the oilmen, left after his term and went straight to work for Aspect Energy, one of the first U.S. companies to get oil and gas contracts from the KRG; Schaffer is also under investigation for his role in that. In fact, his campaign is financed almost entirely by the oil companies.

Mark Undall, one Colorado's current Congressman is also running for that Senate seat. 

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 July 26, 2008                                              Associated Press

LONDON (AP) - Maybe the foreign leaders Barack Obama met with on his mid-campaign overseas trip were merely hedging their bets and don't believe he will win the White House this fall.

But that's not how many of them acted.

Jordan's King Abdullah flew back early from Aspen, Colo., to host dinner at his palace, then personally took the wheel of the royal Mercedes to drive his guest to the airport.

"God bless you," Israeli President Shimon Peres greeted Obama the next morning in Jerusalem.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy virtually endorsed the man he called "my dear Barack Obama." He observed puckishly he wasn't meddling in the U.S. election when he suggested Obama follow his own lead by winning the top political office in the United States.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, himself an aspirant for higher office, rarely strayed from Obama's side during a photo opportunity-rich trip to the village of Sderot near the Gaza Strip targeted by Hamas rockets.

And Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced - twice - in the days surrounding Obama's visit to his country that he favors a timeline for the withdrawal of American combat troops that is remarkably similar to the one the Democratic presidential contender favors.

In London, David Cameron, head of the opposition Conservative Party, made sure British as well as American television cameras recorded him with his guest in three separate locations in less than an hour.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was something of an exception. No welcoming remarks for the cameras, no photos of the two meeting in her office. She did issue a statement calling Obama's speech before 200,000 people citing a need for a renewed U.S.-European alliance "a positive signal." But that was after she had embarrassed the presidential hopeful by making it known she did not think the historic Brandenburg Gate was a suitable venue for a political event by a traveling American.

Published Date: 27 July 2008 By Jeremy Watson 

AT LEAST someone was willing to take a walk with him – in public – yesterday. Gordon Brown took some comfort from basking in the reflected glory of the hero of Berlin as they strolled in the Downing Street rose garden.

Wearing almost identical dark suits, white shirts and purplish ties, Brown and Barack Obama smiled for the cameras, shook hands and settled down in basket chairs for a tete-a-tete. Given last Thursday's by-election result, the US presidential candidate may have been pondering that if he is elected to the White House in November, the British Prime Minister could well have changed.

The Democratic party hopeful seemed relaxed as he walked to No 10, pausing briefly to shake the hands of two somewhat startled police officers standing near the door. He turned to television cameras, smiled, waved and said "Hello" before walking in. Brown greeted him just inside the door.

Obama, who last week received a rapturous welcome from a 200,000-strong crowd in the German capital, said he and the Prime Minister discussed a wide range of issues, such as climate change, terrorism and financial markets.

"The Prime Minister's emphasis – like mine – is on how we can strengthen the trans-Atlantic relationship to solve problems that can't be solved by any single country individually," he said. Whether Brown asked him for advice on how to become popular again was not recorded.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

by: David M. Herszenhorn, The New York Times

By a vote of 72-13, the Senate passed a bill on Saturday that grants broad authority to the Treasury Department to spend tens of billions in federal dollars to prevent the collapse of mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and raises the national debt to $10.6 trillion. (Photo: Getty Images)

Washington - Hoping to stretch a safety net under the nation's tumbling housing market, the Senate voted overwhelmingly on Saturday for final approval of a huge package of legislation that includes an ambitious program to save hundreds of thousands of families from losing their homes to foreclosure.

    The housing legislation is the latest in a series of extraordinary interventions this year by the Bush administration, Congress and the Federal Reserve as they seek to limit the risk that shockwaves in the housing sector will ripple across the American economy and the world financial system. In the process, the central bank and taxpayers have taken on what critics warn are incalculable liabilities and risk.

    The bill grants the Treasury Department broad authority to safeguard the nation's two mortgage finance giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, potentially by spending tens of billions in federal money to prevent the collapse of the companies, which own or guarantee nearly half of the nation's $12 trillion in mortgages.

    To accommodate the rescue plan for the mortgage companies, the bill raises the national debt ceiling to $10.6 trillion, an increase of $800 billion and the first time that the limit on the government's credit card has grown to 14 digits.

    The Senate, convening for a rare Saturday session as it neared summer recess, approved the bill by a vote 72 to 13. The measure now goes to President Bush, who has said he will sign it, perhaps early next week, to send a reassuring message to the credit markets.

By Greg Saunders:

When it comes to political campaigns, a lot of effort goes into making sure the candidate is presented well, but it seems like the McCain campaign is asleep at the wheel. For example, take a look at this photo of Barack Obama appearing before a crowd of 200,000 today in Germany :

 AND AFTER