Thothblog

Friend-

When I took this job, I made a promise to visit every single one of our state’s sixty-four counties by year’s end.

And in nearly eight months, I’ve visited with folks in every corner of our state, not to talk, but to listen and hear first hand their concerns, ideas and aspirations for the future.

What I’ve found is that people in rural and urban areas across the state want the same things-for themselves and for their families.

They want to earn a decent living for an honest day’s work. They want health care coverage they can count on. They want access to a quality and competitive education for their kids and grandkids.

But they also want a serious conversation on the issues-and they want their opinions heard.

This desire to have a seat at the table is why I made my 64-county promise. It’s why I traveled over 8,000 miles to hear directly from folks across the state about the issues that are important to them.

Folks like Shelly in Frisco, who said we need to stop fighting each other and start fighting for the American people.

Or Dr. Higi in Durango, who told me the health care system we have is making it harder to provide his patients with quality care.

And Randy in Montrose, who’s being crushed by rising health care costs, but isn’t so sure Washington can deliver on meaningful reform.

These are the stories I’ve heard time and time again in my travels across the state-in all 64 counties.

And though I’d much rather stay in Colorado and continue these conversations (Susan and the girls would probably prefer that, too), I’m headed back to Washington all the more convinced that we have some serious work to get done.

Because people all across our state face serious challenges-whether it’s searching for a good-paying job, struggling to pay for health insurance, or trying to put their kids through college.

By putting aside our differences, we can find common-sense solutions to the problems we face and we can build a better future for Colorado’s working families and small businesses.

Sincerely,

Michael F. Bennet
U.S. Senator for Colorado

I am reminded of Ghostbusters II when i read this, as Egon told Louis Tulley, “Short but pointless”.  People want good wages and cheap products.  Really?!  Thank god Bennet went around(on the tax payers dime I would guess) to all 64 counties to figure that out.  People like Nancy Pelosi irritate me because they have shot so far past what is sensible and decent that at least I know if I dialogue with one of them they will be shoveling me shit.  But at least they stand for what they believe.  People like Bennet irritate me even more.  Michael, could you say less with more words???

I could rant and rave about how your policy voting record is shoddy or how you never met a fence you didn’t like to sit on but no real point.  You have once again shown why come the election in 2010 your own party is trying to oust you.  Pick side a man!  Consider your chops busted!

Have any of you had the chance to do this?  This is truly…enlightening.  After watching a daily show from last week tonight I got into quite a tizzy after listening to Henry Waxman bash all non-democrats.  If I were a democrat or republican and heard someone who “represented” me speaking this way, I would be ashamed.

So I came upstairs to email my congressmen and all that.  I got to looking at gov documents and came across the Greenhouse gas inventory EPA document (ended up there after trying to understand some of the earkmarks Degette is trying to put through).  So I am reading through this document, looking at some tables and what not.  Interesting reading.  So I get to this point and I have to reread this a couple times just to make sure I am reading this correctly.  Now unlike our government representatives I will actually present sources, but here is what the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) wrote.  I listed the acronym so no one would read this and think Elephant Pension Allotment or other such nonsense…

It read, talking about contributing factors to why the percentage is higher: “cooler winters and warmer summer conditions in 2007 than in 2006 increased the demand for heating fuels and contributed to the demand in increase for electricity.”
http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads09/InventoryUSGhG1990-2007.pdf   bottom of page ES-3

So think about this for a second.  Greenhouse gases went up 1.4 percent supposedly.  Ok so this lead to it getting warmer…ok 1.4 percent must be a huge increase to change the temperature in such a measurable way, but I will give on the moment.  cooler winters and warmer summers increased the demand for heating fuels.  Ok so because the country was warmer we had to use more fuel to stay….warmer?!  Wait…what???

How does that work?  In what bizzarro world do warmer temperatures increase the need for heating elements?  What editor took of that day and who wrote this to begin with?  Thankfully the EPA is not burdened by that whole cause and effect situation.

“Johnson, get the numbers in the document and add these conclusions, On the double.”

“Uh, sir, these conclusions make no sense when they numbers are right before them.”

” HAH, sounds great Johnson, On the Double!”

Sometimes pointing out the stupidity of certain groups lacks of challenge….

We get it.  Politics is a polarizing topic that is sure to make some come to blows with friends and family alike.  I have many friends that I would never entertain the thought of having a political debate with.  Not because these people are dumb or sophomoric but because one’s views, however they came into being are a myriad of experience, belief and false assumptions.  Many of the friends I have would never entertain having a political debate with me either.  I know I frustrate them because I think for most people, political arguments become a debate of ideology; a debate of passion.  I have no interest in this.  I am the person who plays devil’s advocate.  I am the guy who asks the tough questions and more often then not is left having character attacks flung my way because my questions raise doubts.  Too common sensey for most people I think.

I think this is part of the reason I so love the idea of America.  America itself, she and I are on rocky turf right now.  The idea of America though is something I can get behind.  The Constitution, our fore fathers, struggles and tribulations; they all fire up my passion, a passion for the idea of America. That passion helps me empathize with those people who are passionate about political topics.  Sadly, passion can only help you get your foot in the door as the “BECAUSE!!!” retort does not carry as much weight as some people think.  Lately this has been happening more often than not and I am here to say KNOCK IT OFF.  You want to persuade people to get behind your point of view, make sure you can back up your view.  It doesn’t hurt to take some time to understand the oppositions view either.

First up on the chopping block:  Advocates for Gay Marriage in California.   However, not for the reason people might think.  Advocating for gay marriage is not a bad thing.  On the contrary this is a worthwhile endeavor and if it is a cause important to you, you have my respect.  Unfortunately, 98% of what I heard today had to do with justice not being fulfilled, racism, sexism, equality…so on and so forth.  This is whining.  Same sex marriage is an issue for the state level and the state of California, the majority anyway, voted that they do not feel the two are equal.  I am not offering that this is right or wrong, but the way that the majority voted.  The state judiciary upheld this vote.  Again, doesn’t make it right or wrong just the way it is.  If you feel strongly about it, don’t piss and moan about equality.  Use the process setup to do something about it.  Persuade the people with dialogue, don’t condemn them for having a majority opinion.  The system worked.  Also, definitely do pad your belief with “facts” because when people check those facts, you will look the fool.
California gay Marriage Advocates, consider your chops busted!

Next up, the Republican Party Advocates.  Wow, what to say here.  You lost.  Your party lost it’s way and y’all did some dumb things the last eight years.  Might be time to look up the term fiscal conservative.  No whining about the new president and how he says he wants to be bi-partisan and then isn’t.  Duh.  Use your brains, he doesn’t need you around, you can’t block what he wants to do, and he doesn’t give two craps about being bi-partisan…at least only as much as it takes to get re-elected.
Republican Party Advocates, consider your chops busted!

Ahhh, now for the Advocates for Sonia Sotomayor.  Big news here.  The president, whose base is large parts of female and Hispanics voters, picked a candidate who fit his major criteria: namely that she is a female and that she is a Hispanic.  Embrace it, reverse discrimination works, weee!  This doesn’t mean that she is not qualified for the job or won’t succeed at doing what Obama hopes she will do in the position.  Honestly though, if resume were a leading criteria for public office, we would have many different people in public office.  In an ideal world, someone who says this  “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life,” would not be placed in a position where the mascot is blind lady justice.  Be reasonable about why she was chosen and move on.
Advocated for Sonia Sotomayor, consider your chops busted!

Finally, and I take no pleasure in this, Ann Coulter.  This is an extremely electrifying political advocate who is intelligent and resourceful.  This is a woman who went on the view and got attacked by four angry ladies and held her own.  I like reading her blog, not because I agree with everything she has to say, but because she is passionate and fights for what she believes.  I don’t think this is the best way to discuss politics but I respect her for it and it fits the part she wants to play.  Her current blog post, “Notre Dame Holds First Alan Keyes Fundraiser” is an amazing example of political advocacy gone awry.  Ann, you sound ridiculous.  This sentence, “According to liberals, the right to kill babies was enshrined by the Founding Fathers in our Constitution..” wipes away any credibility you hoped to have on the topic.  The question of life before birth is still a question, clearly not for you, but for many people it is.  You can’t treat that idea as fact.  Not to mention you hold yourself up as a republican.  Why would you ever want a question like that handled on the Federal level.  If you so desperately want to see change in the law.  There’s a process to do so.  Use it.
Ann Coulter, consider your chops busted!