Will Colorado's 6th CD Put Up With An Extremist Congressman Who Insists The President "Is Not An American?"

When far right extremist Mike Coffman picked up the mantle of racism and bigotry from longtime congressman Tom Tancredo and took over his seat in Congress, the 6th district was pretty rural and filled with an awful lot of primitive folks who get all their information from Fox and Hate Talk Radio. A typical political discussion Elbert County-- where Coffman won 80% of the vote in 2010-- might be between people arguing if Limbaugh is as conservative as Glenn Beck or Michael Savage or about how Obama hasn't confiscated their guns yet so he could win reelection and then confiscate their guns. The county is 95.22% white and the median family income is $66,740. It's the most right-wing part of the 6th district and it consistently skewers the election results towards Republicans. President Obama won Colorado in 2008 with 54% of the vote. He took 46% in the 6th district, his second-worst performing in the state. And in Elbert-- a mere 29%! They don't cotton to even moderately progressive ideas there-- and they don't cotton to black people. This year Colorado has been redistricted and the 6th is now officially a swing district with equal numbers of Republicans, Democrats and independents. Had Obama and McCain run inside these new boundaries in 2008, it wouldn't have been a 53-46% win for McCain. It would have been a 54-45% win for Obama.

So, of course, when deranged wingnut Mike Coffman decided to send a message to the storm troopers on the far right, he goose-stepped right down to Elbert County and made his crackpot speech about how President Obama isn't an American. Watch the video up top. It will give you some valuable insight not just about what Coffman said, but about the character of this man and about how cowardly and craven he is as a human being.

We first introduced DWT readers to Coffman's opponent, state Rep. Joe Miklosi, last October. At the time Joe told us why he had decided to take on Coffman and run for Congress and how he had "spent the last decade fighting to promote progressive values in Colorado. We’ve stood steadfast with those who are squeezed between Wall Street elites and an unresponsive government bureaucracy. Our dedication to individual empowerment and our commitment to fairness is reflected in a bluer Colorado... In 2004, I served as the Executive Director for the House Majority Project that won control of the State House for the first time in 40 years. In 2008, I became a candidate myself and was elected and re-elected to the Colorado State House of Representatives. Because of our progressive success, Colorado is stronger, more vibrant, and more livable. While keeping our state budget fiscally sound, our continued support for industries such as renewable energy and biotechnology has resulted in 5,000 new companies. Due to progressive leadership, 13,500 low-income children now receive school breakfast so they can focus their energy on learning instead of when and where they’ll have their next meal. We must continue to advance these progressive values. That is why I sponsored the Colorado Dream Act." But the social issues, for all their importance, isn't the main thing Miklosi is challenging Coffman on.

Energy policy is one of the most important issues in this campaign. The next time you hear the chant "Drill Baby Drill!” I hope you will join me with the call to “Build Baby Build!”

We must build an energy infrastructure for the next generation. We can put thousands of Americans to work building a world class energy grid, clean and renewable energy production, and energy efficient products for our daily lives.

Our dependence on foreign oil has been a defining issue since the 1970s, and our leaders are defined by their failure to act boldly. We cannot truly empower individuals if we are collectively held hostage by foreign energy. Foreign control of energy prices disrupts businesses and families, stagnates economic growth, and undermines cleaner, renewable energy industries.

The billions of dollars we lose each year are directly tied to our staggering trade deficits. Energy independence is both an economic empowerment and national security issue.

After that guest post, the redistricting ended and it became clear that the 6th CD would be a winnable race for a progressive Democrat with a record like Joe's. Blue America endorsed him and, eventually, even the DCCC came to the party. He's one of the only progressives they've given the nod to this year, among the trash heap of conservative and anti-Choice, anti-LGBT, anti-family garbage at the center of their efforts. Today you can find Joe Miklosi on the Blue America ActBlue page. I suspect that the reason Joe made it onto the Red-to-Blue program is because he is being heavily championed by progressive Boulder Congressman Jared Polis. Joe is a movement progressive and he's been getting support from NARAL, the League of Conservation Voters, DFA, Peace Action West, and other groups concerned with the issues and values that motivate progressives.

OMG! Congressman Mike Coffman Has Been Turned Into A Zombie

You'll recall that a few weeks ago, Mike Coffman, the right-wing extremist in a neck-and-neck congressional battle outside Denver with Blue America-endorsed Joe Miklosi, had too much to drink at a campaign fundraising event and went publicly insane. He told a stunned audience of Republicans at the Elbert County Fairgrounds-- unprompted-- what he thinks of this country's elected President: “I don’t know whether Barack Obama was born in the United States of America. I don’t know that. But I do know this, that in his heart, he’s not an American. He’s just not an American.”

Coffman's been in hiding since then, not from the Secret Service or from Democrats, but from the media. Well, Tuesday he finally broke the silence... but I bet he wishes he hadn't taken so many of his wife's painkillers before he did. And God only knows how much Jägermeister he downed to help him to work up the courage to answer a couple of questions from Channel 9 and face the music. Forthcoming he wasn't. Doesn't the NRCC help their most endangered candidates with damage control experts? Coffman sure is in desperate need of a team. All he could muster was a lame one-line talking point to repeated questions. He sounds like a zombie... I mean even more than usual.

9NEWS Reporter Kyle Clark approached Coffman outside a closed door fundraiser Tuesday night after the Coffman campaign ignored several requests over several days to schedule an interview with the congressman.

Coffman reiterated that he misspoke and apologized, but would not elaborate. Coffman offered the same one-line explanation to every question asked, including when he was asked if he would answer any question with a different response.

Coffman had steadfastly refused to speak on camera regarding his May 12th comment at a fundraiser in Elbert County. The comments, recorded and posted online by a Coffman supporter, were first aired by 9NEWS.

...The House of Representatives is on a recess and Coffman has been lying low. On Saturday, he did not show up as expected to an event in Aurora, instead sending an aide who read a statement saying the congressman was sick. Constituents calling Coffman's district office have been told he has no public meetings or appearances during the recess.

The low-profile is a departure for the typically-accessible Coffman, who has appeared on 9NEWS (often at his request) sixteen times over the last twelve months, discussing topics as varied as payroll taxes, wildfire mitigation and the importance of Memorial Day.

When 9NEWS was unable to schedule an interview with Coffman, Reporter Kyle Clark approached him in public.

Their conversation, in its entirety, was as follows:

KYLE CLARK: Congressman Coffman, how are you?

REP. COFFMAN: How are you doing? Good to see you.

KYLE CLARK: Good to see you. You're a tough man to find lately.

REP. COFFMAN: I am.

KYLE CLARK: Can we chat quickly before you go inside?

REP. COFFMAN: Sure.

KYLE CLARK: Alright, fantastic. Why don't we head right over here so we're out of the way. Thank you for your time. I apologize for showing up unannounced. I've been trying to call your staff. They won't return my phone calls. Let me ask you, after your comments about the President, do you feel voters are owed a better explanation than just, I misspoke?

REP. COFFMAN: I think that... Umm... I stand by my statement that I misspoke and I apologize.

KYLE CLARK: OK. And who were you apologizing to?

REP. COFFMAN: You know, I stand by my statement that I misspoke and I apologize.

KYLE CLARK: I apologize, we talk to you all the time, you're a very forthcoming guy. Who's telling you not to talk and to handle it like this?

REP. COFFMAN: I stand by my statement, that I wrote, that you have, and I misspoke and I apologize.

KYLE CLARK: Was it that you thought it would go over well in Elbert County where folks are very conservative and you'd never say something like that in the suburbs?

REP. COFFMAN: I stand by my statement that I misspoke and I apologize.

KYLE CLARK: Is there anything I can ask you that you'll answer differently?

REP. COFFMAN: You know, I stand by my statement that I misspoke and I apologize.

KYLE CLARK: Thank you, congressman.

REP. COFFMAN: Thank you.

9NEWS Political Analyst Floyd Ciruli says Coffman is trapped between apologizing further and antagonizing his conservative base, or digging in and alienating the unaffiliated voters who now make up a third of his newly-competitive redrawn district.

"Clearly he was given the advice by his top funders and best advisors to say nothing," Ciruli said. "The strategy of silence is extremely difficult to pull off."

"It looks like you're hiding," Ciruli said. "It looks defensive. It makes you look vulnerable."

Just how vulnerable Coffman is remains to be seen. He holds a substantial fundraising edge over his Democratic opponent, State Representative Joe Miklosi.

Oh, good idea. You can help Joe Miklosi, a dedicated and independent-minded progressive, beat the zombies (see below) here at the Blue America ActBlue page.

Mike Coffman Is A Deranged Crackpot, Which Is Different From Being A "Moderate"

I was doing some late night tweeting a couple nights ago when a report came over the transom about far right sociopath Mike Coffman going off the deep end at a campaign fundraiser. Since Blue America is supporting Coffman's Democratic opponent, Joe Miklosi, I was happy to get the word out. Here's what Coffman had to say at the Elbert County Fairgrounds-- unprompted-- which stunned even his partisan GOP audience:

“I don’t know whether Barack Obama was born in the United States of America. I don’t know that. But I do know this, that in his heart, he’s not an American. He’s just not an American.”

No one has mentioned if Coffman was high on drugs or drunk but when the story started breaking, his office issued a terse statement: "I misspoke and I apologize.” He misspoke? What is it he meant to say? "...that in his kidney he's not an American?" In his pituitary gland?

Then the next morning I woke up and one of my most trusted news sources, TPM, had the most bizarre tweets about the incident:


And what are they high on? Moderate GOPer? Mike Coffman? Moderate in what way? He only drinks after work? He only kills puppy dogs on weekends, but never during the week? They can't possibly be talking about his voting record. Mike Coffman is one of the most radical right extremists to have ever slipped into the United States Congress-- and that extremism is going to lose him his seat. He replaced Tom Tancredo and he's been more extreme than even Tancredo-- even on Tancredo's signature issue, immigration. Coffman has a 5.57 ProgressivePunch lifetime voting score on crucial roll calls. There isn't a single category of issues on which he could be described as "moderate" in any known universe. Example-- there are 8 subcategories that make up Labor Rights. Coffman scored 0.00. There are 7 subcategories that make up Justice for All: Civil and Criminal. Coffman scored 0.00. Health Care has 17 subcategories; Coffman scored a 0.00 in every single one of them. Housing policy-- o.00. From Family Planning to Fair Taxation to LGBT equality Coffman is consistent: 0.00. Words have meanings. Referring to a radical right extremist like Mike Coffman as a "moderate" turns the world on its head. Maybe TPM has looking for the word neo-fascist and the auto-correct thing kicked in?

And by the way, while we're at it, his opponent has been a leader in the Colorado state legislature for a progressive agenda that will return the state to a more moderate perspective across the board. Helping elect Joe Miklosi is a worthwhile goal-- one that redistricting has made very possible. The sixth district is no longer the red hellhole it was when Tancredo was being elected and reelected-- and when Coffman was picked to succeed him. This is now a classic swing district with equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans and plenty of Independents. That's why Coffman attempted a half-assed apology so fast. Normal voters who haven't been brainwashed by Fox and Limbaugh don't cotton to that kind of talk-- nor to his kind of voting record. If you'd like to help Joe beat him in November you can help at the Blue America ActBlue page.

Happy Earth Day

Today Disney is releasing Chimpanzee, Earth Day. Yesterday we asked some of the Blue America candidates to tell us what Earth Day means to them. Let me pick that up with a short post from Ken Aden, who's running in a pretty red-leaning district in northwest Arkansas.

"As a Renewable Energy Technology Major I understand how important it is that we work together to find a common sense solution to the energy problems that plague us today. Having served in various conflicts overseas, I am firm in my belief that if we invested more in modern technologies such as geothermal energy and solar panel manufacturing then we would not have the majority of the national security problems that we do. Looking back on my military service I can't count the number of times where oil took the main stage front and center and was the sole focus and or concern. We as a country have gone backwards in our thinking. We are technologically advanced, we have a brilliant pool of minds and leading engineers yet we seem focused on only finding that next spot to drill, that next pocket of oil to extract. For me, Earth Day is an opportunity to discuss these ideas and present them in a way that is easy to understand and easy to visualize. Renewable Energy is a main campaign focus of ours in Arkansas because we know that the NW corner of our state is uniquely situated to become a leader in this field, and pave the way for other states to follow. As our next progressive member of Congress, I will work to increase tax credits for businesses that develop renewable energy technologies. I will also make sure that those tax credits aren’t just for Fortune 500 companies because I truly believe that Main Street can and should play as big of a role in helping America achieve energy independence as Wall Street. I will continue to work with local governments in the 3rd District to help attract green energy companies to our area, not only in terms of manufacturing but in terms of power generation as well. Earth Day is great time for us to pause in reflection on what we're doing right, what we need to do better and how we can make our planet not only livable but viable for future generations.

Like Ken, Rob Zerban, the progressive Democrat running against Paul Ryan, whose budget proposal is astoundingly backward on the conservation and environmental fronts, has also devoted a lot of time and energy on ecology in his life. "Environmental stewardship," he told us, "is how I started my public service. I understand that we have but one world, one planet, to call home. With that comes an awesome responsibility to make sure we leave it better for our children. Congress has been sorely lacking in leaders who understand the delicate balance that protecting our environment plays in everything else we seek to do-- from creating jobs to creating memories with our families. I'm proud to follow in the footsteps of the great Wisconsin environmental leaders like John Muir, Aldo Leopold and Gaylord Nelson and I look forward to preserving their great legacy in Congress."  

Not far south and a bit west of Rob's Wisconsin district, we come to the heart of the Prairie State, IL-13, where progressive David Gill is favored to win a seat being vacated by Tim Johnson. Dr. Gill also takes the idea of environmental stewardship very seriously.

To me, there is no more important issue than restoring the health of our planet. I am a man of science, and sadly, the science of Global Climate Change is all too clear: Global Climate Change is very, very real and it's very, very threatening. And it is clearly a result of mankind's dependence upon fossil fuels. It's tragic that we allow politics to enter into this at all, and that we allow the discussion to be muddied by politicians who are bought and owned by oil companies.

The midnight hour is upon us with respect to irreversible climate change-- immediate aggressive action must be taken, or our Earth will be a dramatically different place in 50 years, in 80 years, in 100 years. As our children's children struggle to find clean water to drink and clean air to breathe, they will look back at the irresponsible "leaders" of our generation and shake their heads in disgust and sorrow. Every other issue facing us will be all but moot when our Earth becomes largely uninhabitable by our descendents.

Darcy Burner is running in a new Washington district that starts in the Seattle suburbs and goes clear up to the Canadian border. Even Republicans in this part of the country appreciate Nature. "Forty-two years ago," Darcy recalled for us, "my friend Denis Hayes organized the first Earth Day and changed the way Americans think about our planet. Now we face a climate crisis of unprecedented proportions. But just as we were up to the challenges half a century ago, we are up to these challenges. Here in Washington State, we’ve been creating the next generation of clean energy technologies which will replace the dirty, polluting fossil fuels of the 19th Century. As we celebrate Earth Day, I hope that you all will join me in taking on our challenges both through our public actions and our private choices."

Chris Donovan is the Speaker of Connecticut's House and the battle for a clean environment and a sustainable earth is something he's been dealing with inside his state legislature. He recalls that "One of my first organizing campaigns at the Connecticut Citizens' Action Group (CCAG) was an environmental justice campaign to protect aquifers, ban the land-filling of toxic waste, and to enact a "right to know" statute so that families and workers would know what toxic waste products existed in their workplaces and communities. That campaign was ultimately successful and stuck with me through my time in the legislature, that we could successfully organize to protect our communities from toxic waste, and to protect our environment for our children and grandchildren. I took that lesson into the successful fights to clean up Connecticut's "Sooty Six" power plants and to remediate brownfield sites. Our stewardship of the environment is the most important legacy we can leave to the next generation. Earth Day is a symbol of that stewardship, and of our responsibility, and our goal must be to have a cleaner environment with less reliance on fossil fuels, in order to create a cleaner, more sustainable world."

Eric Griego, represents parts of Albuquerque in the New Mexico state legislature, where he's been a leader on behalf of the values inherent in Earth Day. This morning he told us that he "believes we need more leaders in Congress to fight for bold investments to make America the world leader in the new energy economy and support science to combat global climate change. I will continue building on my consistent record of championing clean energy, conservation and smart growth."

Joe Miklosi has been fighting this battle in the Colorado legislature and he's going up against virulent Climate Change-denier Mike Coffman in November. He has a very pragmatic approach to the problem-- one that has been a winning approach in Colorado where everyone loves the natural beauty, even many Republicans. Joe:

Earth Day is unique benchmark in time for the environmental movement. 42 years ago the first Earth Day Celebration led to the passage of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Thanks to those initiatives, the days when smog choked our cities are over, our water is safer and cleaner, and our communities are more livable and prosperous.

Earth Day is a special reminder that we can grow our economy-- and even spur new American industries, while respecting our environment and national resources. Waves of American ingenuity have been unleashed and new products are been developed for environmentally conscious consumers around the globe.

Opponents of environmental standards have made the same hollow claims for 40 years about the potential loss of jobs. For 42 years they have been wrong and they continue to make these false arguments today. Responsible stewardship actually has created jobs, industries, and cottage industries while making our communities cleaner and more livable. 

In Colorado, our environment is vital to the economy. Earth Day is a reminder that by working together we can make a measurable and lasting difference.

Ann Kuster and Carol Shea-Porter are the two exemplary Blue-America-backed progressives running for Congress in New Hampshire. Both are friends of the earth, in the truest sense of the term. Carol Shea-Porter

I was in high school when the first Earth Day was held, but I was already an environmentalist. My Republican family had taught me to respect nature. My dad had been in the Navy, and he would take garbage out of the water and talk to us about our responsibility to be good stewards on land and sea, but he and his generation did not realize the extent of our problems in the years before Earth Day. Everything came into sharper focus after the first Earth Day, and the battle began to save our planet. Sadly, climate change denial has held us back from treating this effort like the Apollo project, and we have wasted time arguing. In New Hampshire, there was always a bipartisan effort to protect natural resources until recently. Democrats and Republicans worked together to protect our shores, our mountains, and our way of life. Tourism is a huge part of our economy, and we all have a vested interest in preserving our natural resources. But now, the tea party runs NH and they are voting to undo legislation. In Washington, tea partier Congressman Frank Guinta has tried to strip the EPA of its authority to regulate polluters, and his anti-environment votes have earned him an "F" from The Sierra Club. His money comes from the Koch Brothers, oil companies, and others, and he serves their interests instead of the public interest. Granite Staters will change that in November, and I will go back to the Natural Resources Committee and serve the public interest again.

And, we hope, so will Ann Kuster:

Earth Day is significant because it shows the power of an idea to change social behavior. I remember the first Earth Day and when our science class went out to pick up trash on the side of the roads. At that point in time, throwing trash out your car window was normal practice and our highways and byways were cluttered with it. Litter was not a word in our vocabulary. In 42 years we have come a long way. Looking back, what seemed trivial in Junior High School has impacted our lives in incredible ways. Protecting our environment and the health of our people not only improves the quality of life in New Hampshire but also keeps our economy strong.

But we need to stay vigilant. From the New Hampshire State House to the United States Congress, our far right leaders are eroding our environmental protections. I am running for Congress to protect the quality of life of New Hampshire families and the quality of our environment couldn't be more important. Unless we stand up and fight back the attacks on our clean air, clean water and all the rest, we will be passing on a country that has worse quality of life and worse health outcomes for our children and grandchildren. On this Earth Day, lets redouble our collective efforts to do our part for a clean planet.

Lee Rogers, who's running against a classic GOP Nature-hater and environmental destruction machine, Buck McKeon, is a doctor and a father of two young daughters. Like many parents, he looks at the idea of the stewardship of earth's resources through a very special lens. "This weekend," he told us, "I watched Dr. Suess's The Lorax with my 3 year old daughter, Emma. I was amazed to see how quickly she 'got it.' She told me, 'if you chop the trees down, you will be sad.' The problem with Earth Day is that it's only a single day. We need this level of attention to our environment everyday. There are things we all can do to protect our environment; don't litter, recycle, use public transportation, read e-books, drive a more efficient car, and use water and energy saving technology at home. But perhaps the most important thing you can do for the environment is support candidates and legislators who will respect our planet. The uninformed and the science deniers in Congress pose the biggest threat to the health of our world. By being active and informed, we can avoid living in a real version of Thneedville."

You can find all the Blue America candidates on the same page about protecting the air and the water and our stewardship of the environment-- as well as on the same page for much needed campaign contributions.

Strange Being On The Same Side With Darrell Issa?

This week California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, an unlikely proponent of something good for a change as stalwart warrior to stop SOPA, released the Judiciary Committee list of the businesses and organizations pushing Congress for passage of the bill. There were a lot of unsavory characters who spend an awful lot of money legally bribing congressmen on that list.

Odd to find a pillar of the Estabishment like Issa lined up on the same side with the forces that make up Anonymous, which is going absoluely ape-shit over the proposed legislation. "The goal of the so-called 'Stop Online Piracy Act' SOPA is to empower litigious U.S. corporations to police the internet, with the ability to act as judge, jury and executioner," says an Anonymous statement.

"SOPA tramples civil rights laws, fair use, freedom of press and freedom of speech. Under SOPA an average person could be arrested, fined, sued and spend time in a federal prison for so little as uploading a video to YouTube or even linking to one. This law further proves the reality of corporate rule and totalitarianism."

The law is unlikely to be used that way by a Democratic administration-- at least not in theory, though after 3 years of Obama, I'm not buying that-- but what would happen when the next fascist-oriented Republican takes over, a Mitt or Newt? Oddly, one of DC's most high-profile and extreme right-wing think tanks, the Heritage Foundation, is also against SOPA.

"The concern with SOPA is that it enforces private property rights at the expense of other values, such as innovation on the Internet, security of the Internet, and freedom of communication," James Gattuso, Heritage's senior research fellow in regulatory policy, told CNET this evening. While SOPA addresses a "very real problem," he says, it's not necessarily the right solution.

Unlike some Washington advocacy groups that are predictably anti-copyright, Heritage has historically taken the opposite position. It called the Motion Picture Association of America's decision to sue peer-to-peer pirates a "wise choice," and suggested that disrupting P2P networks to curb piracy, an idea that some politicians actually proposed, is a step "in the right direction."

Heritage's criticism is important because SOPA author Lamar Smith of Texas, who has become Hollywood's favorite Republican, is almost certain to win committee approval in early 2012. Then the bill's fate will rest in the hands of the Republican House leadership--which could chose to delay a floor vote indefinitely if the GOP appears divided. (See CNET's FAQ on SOPA.)

"The areas that are the most concern are the obligation of service providers to block resolution of IP addresses and the obligation of search engines to block search results," says Gattuso, whose conservative credentials include working at the Federal Communications Commission during the first Bush administration and for then-Vice President Dan Quayle. "Those get to the core issue of why the federal government could be able to interfere with the way the Internet is operated, and the core issue of what people can say and what information they can get on the Web."

A warning from a group like Heritage, usually a staunch ally of copyright holders, could help to sway undecided Republicans. It's no exaggeration: Ed Meese, Reagan's attorney general who's now a Heritage fellow, seemed to be channelling an MPAA lobbyist when writing in 2005 that "there is no difference between shoplifting a DVD from a store and illegally downloading a copyrighted movie from Kazaa." Heritage's warnings of international "threats to intellectual property rights" date back to at least 1987. And it scores protection of intellectual property rights in its annual Index of Economic Freedom.

SOPA, of course, represents the latest effort from the Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Industry Association of America, and their allies to counter what they view as rampant piracy on the Internet, especially offshore sites such as ThePirateBay.org. It would allow the Justice Department to obtain an order to be served on search engines, Internet providers, and other companies forcing them to make a suspected piratical Web site effectively vanish, a kind of Internet death penalty. It's opposed (PDF) by Internet companies and many Internet users.

While Heritage may be the largest, it wasn't the first free-market group to criticize SOPA.

In a letter to Smith last week, TechFreedom, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Americans for Job Security, and Americans for Limited Government warned Smith that his committee "simply has not spent enough time on this legislation to properly address the complex and important issues at stake." These aren't left-leaning groups by any measure: TechFreedom has argued against Net neutrality, warned against expansive antitrust and privacy regulations, and defended the now-abandoned merger between AT&T and T-Mobile.

"You don't have to be against copyright to be skeptical of SOPA," Berin Szoka, president of TechFreedom, told CNET today. "Even those who will defend copyright (believe that SOPA) would have sweeping unintended consequences. So it's perfectly consistent for conservatives to insist on both the need to enhance copyright enforcement and to be exceedingly careful about how we do so."

The most prominent group on the other side is probably the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has become the most aggressive defender of SOPA, likely because it receives more money in membership dues from Hollywood than Silicon Valley. (Yahoo and Kapersky Lab have dropped out in protest, and Google is under pressure to do the same.) Concerned Women for America and the National Association of Manufacturers have also endorsed SOPA.

Fortunately, you don't have to get into bed with Heritage, AOL or Issa to be against SOPA. The progressive challengers Blue America is backing for House seats are also SOPA opponents. This week Darcy Burner, who's running for the open seat in the Seattle area, released a Send A Nerd To Congress statement that was widely discussed among progressives:

Send a nerd to Congress! Congress has lots of doctors. Congress has lots of lawyers. You know what Congress doesn’t have lots of? Geeks! So when they consider legislation affecting the Internet they get it wrong-- and defend themselves by saying, “I’m not a nerd.” It's time to change that! The Internet is the most important invention of the last 50 years. It has increased the transparency of government; made it possible for grassroots donors to bind together and change campaigns nationwide; and was used to organize the Arab Spring. Over the last couple weeks, Congress has been considering legislation that would destroy the open Internet. It would allow anyone holding a copyright to say that a site-- even just a commenter-- infringed on their copyright-- and the domain name of the site would be revoked without due process. What said Congress? “I’m not a nerd.” Well, we need some nerds in Congress. I was given my first computer at the age of 13. My family couldn’t afford to buy any software, so I wrote it myself. At Harvard, I earned a degree in computer science with a special field of economics. I’ve worked in software in Boston, in Silicon Valley, and at Microsoft. I understand how bad the Stop Online Piracy Act legislation is, and why it's frankly a stupid idea. It’s poorly written, it’s wrong, and it’s done in the name of big corporate interests. I think its time we had a few more nerds in Congress.

A Blue America candidate from Florida who's very much like Darcy, Nick Ruiz, fully agrees with her assessment. This is what he told me this morning:

We should not let private equity interests entangle, censor and criminalize the open-ended architecture that makes the online experience a free and collaborative event. We can't allow that fair use of material and open source collaboration be muzzled by private entities that want to profit at every click of the mouse. That's what's wrong with SOPA, and in many ways, that's what is wrong with America. Everything humanity creates or is engaged in need not be 'profitable' or 'accountable' to Wall Street's definitions of value and control.

Joe Miklosi, the progressive running for the suburban Denver seat currently held by racist teabagger Mike Coffman, expressed a similar perspective. "I am deeply concerned about the piracy of intellectual property," he told me.

Our first priority to protect American ingenuity and creativity must be the strict and firm enforcement of strong international trade agreements that respect the value of intellectual property. Foreign theft of IP costs our economy billions of dollars. Online piracy is a concern at home and abroad. However, our efforts to protect IP at home should not unduly infringe on our 1st Amendment rights. Online discussions, information sharing, and creative expression must be allow to flourish.

Ken Aden, who's running in northwest Arkansas against one-percenter Steve Womack takes an even more aggressive stance:

Neither SOPA nor the PROTECT IP Act (S. 968) address the real problems related to copyright and trademark infringement online and neither will work well from a technological standpoint. TechDirt.com founder Mike Masnick put it best last month when he noted that "the approach put forth by these bills is a joke."

In addition to essentially creating framework for government-sanctioned censorship via DNS blocking similar to the Chinese government's Golden Shield Project, this legislation will have a disastrous impact on the continually growing tech sector of the U.S. economy. The broad definitions in the legislation have the potential to create significant liability for nearly every site online, and the uncertainty surrounding how the legislation could be enforced will have significant effects on job growth in the tech sector.

From changing what is considered a felonious violation of copyright law to allowing judges to determine the best network architecture, to broadly expanding secondary liability, this legislation is a potential disaster for the tech sector and the American people.

Rather than creating an environment to help new innovators create platforms which would actually expand the reach of movies, music, and other forms of entertainment, Lamar Smith, SOPA's author, has simply created legislation that gives lobby groups like the Motion Picture Association of America and the recording Industry Association of America the keys to the proverbial candy store when it comes to protecting their own pocketbooks. That's no surprise since the television, film, and music industry have given him more money in the last cycle than any other contributors.

We need real solutions to allow for the protection of intellectual property that don't put a potential wet blanket on the concept of "fair use," don't result in censorship, and will not stifle technological innovation in this country.

Just as we were about to publish, two more Blue America-endorsed candidates sent me SOPA statements. First, Norman Solomon (D-CA): "While I strongly support the right of creative artists to be compensated for the work they produce, I oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) as an overreaching bill that threatens Internet freedom in our country. We live in an era when the Internet is instrumental to global movements for democracy and openness. I will resist all legislative efforts that threaten Internet openness. We need a more focused, sober approach to combating foreign 'rogue websites' engaged in counterfeiting and copyright infringement. We've got to find ways to protect musicians, filmmakers, writers and other artists without putting into the hands of government officials the hammers that could be used to crush vibrant online sites. The legitimate concerns and interests of creative communities must be safeguarded at the same time that we uphold the sacred principles of free speech."

And we'll finish with Mary Jo Kilroy, the once and future Representative from Colombus, Ohio-- short and right to the point: "The bill risks damage to the structure and design of the internet, could restrict freedom of expression, and impede needed cybersecurity measures. While we should be concerned about copyrights and American intellectual property, this bill will do little to address the problem of on-line piracy."

Supporting the Blue America candidates-- which you can do right here-- will help guarantee that men and women with this worldview are writing laws-- and not just about the internet. If you can, please contribute what you feel comfortable giving. It's a slow time for congressional candidates right now.

Inspiration-- Norman Lear Talks About The Spiritual Inspiration That We All Crave

Earlier today we looked at a kind of political inspiration I was lucky enough to experience at a People For the American Way anniversary celebration last week. It was the opening "act." The evening closed with the organization's founder-- a hero of mine-- Norman Lear. Norman offered a different kind of inspiration, inspiration for the soul and it was probably the best speech I ever heard him give. I was stunned and I hope it comes through for you in the video above. And, believe me, it was far more than just a critique of the right's bumper sticker religiosity. Let me quote a couple of paragraphs:

I can't  believe it has been 30 years since I was startled by the proliferation of TV evangelicals across radio and television--  Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggart, James Robison and Pat Robertson, among others, mixing politics and religion-- and reminding me when I was 9 or 10 years-- of listening to Father Coughlin on the radio-- ranting against Franklin Roosevelt, liberals, the New Deal and, in his case, Jews.
 
I decided to take them all on with a film and started writing one I called Religion-- hoping to savage these TV ministries much in the way Paddy Chayevsky savaged the Networks.
 
And then, one morning I'm watching the Reverend Jimmy Swaggart-- and I see him ask his viewers-- his TV congregation-- to pray for the "removal" of a Justice of the Supreme Court... and it scared the hell out of me.
 
I couldn't wait the 2 or more years it would take to write and make my film, so I made that TV spot you saw a bit of earlier-- the blue collar worker.
 
I paid to run it on a local TV station in DC and it caused so much talk that all three networks--there were only three at the time-ran it on their 7 o'clock news and, like an act of spontaneous combustion-- People For The American Way was born.
 
From that day to this, I haven't gotten up and read my newspapers when I didn't thank God that People For  was there.
 
I take great comfort knowing we have active members and supporters in 50 states - activists who wish for everyone the freedom to read any book or movie of their choice-- create or appreciate even the most challenging art-- who believe the government has no business telling us who or how to love-- members and supporters who truly believe in equal justice and equal opportunity under the law-- who appreciate to their toes the blessings of an independent judiciary...

 
Our government, no matter the party in power, it aches me to say, was of no help in this regard. Often quite the contrary.
 
For example, 30 years ago we had something called the Fairness Doctrine.
 
The Fairness Doctrine, enforced by the FCC, held that the media provide balance and objectivity in its news and discussion shows.
 
So, for example, when People for the American Way saw Pat Robertson espousing only one point of view on a political matter-- and on a religious broadcast at that-- we notified the FCC  and that ministry, often the entire Christian Broadcasting Network, was forced to provide us with equal time to respond. That sounds right, doesn't it? Fair and balanced news reporting?  Where have we heard that before?
 
People For used the Fairness Doctrine so effectively until it was repealed in 1987.
 
On May 13, 1982 I received this letter from the Reverend Pat Robertson, President of the Christian Broadcasting Network:

Dear Norman,

Last week, your organization challenged our program on KTLA in Los Angeles, and yesterday, the sales manager of KTLA called our headquarters and said, "If you discuss anything political on your program, next week we will take it off the air."
 
Norman, you are not merely trying to silence a member of the press, you are trying to silence a prophet of God. I warn you with all solemnity-- Norman, 'Your arms are too short to box with God.' The suppression of the voice of God's servant is a terrible thing!  God himself will fight for me against you-- and he will win. I remain, sincerely yours, Pat Robertson."

 
Unfortunately, too many of us to the left of center tend to laugh at such as this.
 
I am chilled by it.
 
With good reason.
 
On October 1, 1981, hundreds of thousands of people belonging to the Moral Majority received these words  in a newsletter from Jerry Falwell. "Dear friends, I am about to name the man that some people believe to be the greatest threat to the American family in our generation: Norman Lear!"
 
He went on to talk about the filth and sexual perversion that my shows brought into America's living room-- but calling me "the greatest threat to the American family" earned me some hate mail-- and death threats-- one so threatening that my family and partners insisted I secure protection.
 
This religiously stoked hatred threatens humanity everywhere across the globe today-- and it is very alive in our America as well-- and most threatening when it comes with a partisan political tinge. People For has stood as a bulwark against that-- in the press, in the media, and by example.
 
When we produced a two-hour special, I Love Liberty, years ago, our co-chairs were Gerald Ford and Lady Bird Johnson.
 
On the same stage we had Barry Goldwater, John Wayne and Jane Fonda, all contributing to the idea that, fight as we may over policy and ideology, we stand united when it comes to basic American principles.
 
We continue to work toward that end today. 6 weeks ago-- my People for the American way credentials quite in tact--  I accepted an invitation to accompany Nancy Reagan to the Republican debate at the Reagan Library.
 
Her husband, with whom I had a friendly, however  contentious, relationship would have been happy to see me there, I know.
 
That civility is so unlike anything we hear from the Republican candidates as they battle each other. Newt Gingrich, like the others, cloaks everything he says today in a kind of bumper sticker religiosity.
 
We on the left have ceded the God and values talk to the Right and I think it's been a big mistake. The "What's it all about, Alfie?" questions make for the best conversation going. I consider myself as much a believer-- as religious if you will, as the next guy-- but it's MY belief system. I have thanked whatever and whoever is responsible for my being alive with every wake up. Virtually every time I've bitten into a ripe peach or looked into my children's eyes or enjoyed a great laugh in a group, I've been grateful, often to the point of tears.
 
I once asked a great theologian and friend in Vermont to give me the shortest definition he could of "worship." He gave it to me in one word-- "gratitude."
 
You don't agree with that, no problem-- so long as you don't decry it. If worship for you means going to a church or a synagogue or a mosque, reading from a specific sacred text, wonderful. Or if you choose not to believe altogether... I offered my life in a war for you to believe whatever way you do.
 
But it is also my view that we humans and our faith systems are so gloriously complex that you can take any amount of people sitting in the same pews, knee to knee, every Sunday of their lives, reading and praying from the same sacred text-- and like no two snow flakes, no two thumb prints-- no two compacts with the Almighty will be the same.
 
The way we think and feel and relate to the deity is unique to each of us.
 
Our founders clearly intended that there be a level of separation between church and state.
 
I was just trying to build a wall of understanding, of common sense-- to go along with the notion that it's a poor idea to mix politics and religion-- and a good idea-- to back that caution with laws that make that clear.
 
For 30 years, I've brought my perspective to People For the American Way and linked arms and minds and spirits with people of all faiths and experiences who have brought their unique perspective to the work of the organization.
 
What unites us are the promises and guarantees of our founding documents, and the precise language with which they are expressed.
 
The majesty of words and phrases like "Endowed by their creator with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The constitutional guarantee of Equal Justice under the law and the promise of Equal opportunity for all.
 
Then there are the last words of the Declaration of Independence where the founders pledge  their "lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor."
 
"Sacred honor." Feels  antique, doesn't it?
 
We don't sense much of that today, do we? The last time I came across Sacred Honor was watching The Godfather.
 
I want to suggest we lefties start laying claim to what we see as "sacred"-- and serve it up proudly to the Religious Right-- to the James Dobson, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Karl Rove hate-mongers, sheathed in sanctity-- and to the Koch Brother types that fund them-- and use them so effectively for their own political power-grabbing purposes!
 
Over the past several decades, the power-grabbing right has built a powerful infrastructure of radio and TV networks.
 
They've built think tanks, colleges and law schools.
 
And funded political groups that prepped the way for the Supreme Court, in Citizen's United-- to grant Corporations the right to provide any amount of financial backing to a candidate or a cause just like any other average citizen.
 
And all of it carried off with an air of holier-than-thou sanctity-- no less apparent than Pat Robertson's when he told me my arms were too short to box with God.
 
And now, as frightening as it is, where do we find that holier-than-thou sanctity most apparent in politics today?
 
Among the seven candidates attempting to prove in every debate we have seen that they are the right kind of Christian to be the Republican candidate for the Presidency of the United States.
 
In light of the circumstances we liberals and progressives have succumbed to, it is hard to remember that we-- not the right-- WE are the spiritual heirs to those Americans who struggled to end slavery and segregation-- to end child labor and win safe conditions and a living wage for workers.

 And WE are the spiritual heirs to those who conceived of and fought for just about every bit of social legislation in the last century, legislation that everyone, left and right, now take for granted-- and that resulted-- until not that many years ago-- in the most flourishing, hopeful and empowered middle class in the history of nations.
 
And yet, despite being the spiritual heirs to all of that, it is the Right that presumes ownership of everything that pertains to God and to the Flag. 
 
Looking to the future, I will rely on People for the American Way and its sons and daughters in Young People For and Young Elected Officials to continue to fight for that wall of separation between government and religion.
 
I will rely on them  to insure that equal protection of the law covers all Americans no matter their race, religion or sexual orientation.
 
And I will rely on them to claim their share of God and the flag-- by acknowledging  that the God for all believers on the right is the same God  for all believers on the left as well-- and that no one side can lay sole claim to the family values, patriotism and all the other good stuff that stems from that source.

Norman's worry that the left has ceded the field to the bigots and hate-mongers has more than a few exceptions. More and more Christians who have put Jesus and his message of love first have come to politics as part of the battle for human dignity. One, Colorado state Rep. Joe Miklosi, has been endorsed by Blue America in his run for Tom Tancredo's old congressional seat in the Denver suburbs. His progressive political vision is bound up with a spiritual view very similar to Norman's.

"This theme has motivated me to pursue public policy that is more fair and just for every person. It clarifies, for example, my stance to repeal the unjust ‘Don’t Ask, Don't Tell’ law because all people should be able to serve in the United States military regardless of how they were born. The aspiration toward these goals helped to inspire my sponsorship of the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act beneficiaries are good kids, who play by the rules, earn good grades point averages and want to contribute to our society. By creating educational and workforce development opportunities for students we can energize and empower individuals and families and grow our economy for all Americans.

"In regard to Wall Street and economic reform, I respect those that take peaceful action to advocate for an economy that rewards hard work, encourages innovation and investment in education, retools Americans, and produces livable wages.
 
"We can not allow Wall Street elitists to break the rules, change the rules, and keep moving the goalpost, away from hard working families. Because of Wall Street greed and arrogance in 2008, millions of families were robbed of the dreams they worked and saved for, our nation was hobbled, and the Wall Street crowd sauntered into Washington to rewrite the rules again-- to give themselves a bailout. That’s not thrift, it’s theft.

"It is amazing to see so many inspired people-- from and for various points of view-- advocating for change and a fair financial system."

After he watched the video of Norman's speech he had a response that flows from the same spirit: "All across America, progressives and conservatives worship together. Our faith should be a source of strength and inspiration, not a foundation for conflict. In a pluralistic American society, it is important that the government celebrate the diversity of all viewpoints. The American public square is large enough for the Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, the Agnostic, the Atheist, other belief systems to coexist. 
 
"One of my favorite verses in the Bible is from Micah: seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. The Sermon on the Mount and the blessings are another powerful set of teachings that inspire. These transcend politics and political viewpoints and certainly, no one political party can lay claim to owning them. 

"In the end, be motivated by hope and love-- not fear-- especially not fear of others who hold different religious viewpoints. The former leads to a more fulfilled life. The road-map of fear leads to anger, which leads to hate, which leads to suffering. Rather, faith and hope and love teach patience and forgiveness and yes, even acceptance."  
Norman isn't running for office; Joe is-- and you can contribute to his campaign here at the Blue America Act Blue page. There's a reason his campaign slogan is "Not Your Ordinary Joe."

Game-Changer: Redistricting Has Turned Tancredo's Old Seat Competitive Enough To Elect Progressive Leader Joe Miklosi

It's probably important to begin by explaining that once Tancredo retired, he was replaced by someone even more bigoted and even more a captor of corporate interests than Tancredo, back-bencher Mike Coffman. This week we got some terrific news out of Colorado regarding the suburban Denver 6th CD. Any fair assessment of the race would now be that our favorite underdog, Joe Miklosi, is poised to defeat ultra-right radical Mike Coffman. The new district lines transform the 6th District from a grossly RED district where radicals like Tom Tancredo and Mike Coffman have ruled the roost-- to a truly competitive district with a near balance between Republican and Democrat registration. In this classic matchup, we are thrilled to get behind our friend Joe Miklosi whose record of accomplishment as a progressive activist and a state legislative leader are a clear indication that he would be far more than just another dependable progressive voter in Washington.

We profiled State Rep Joe Miklosi here a couple of months ago. Joe has worked in the trenches with Progressive Majority in Colorado where he helped recruit and train a farm team of progressive candidates. In 2004, Joe was the Director of the House Majority Project that won back a Democratic Majority in the Colorado House of Representatives for the first time in decades. In 2008, Joe ran for the state House and was elected by a wide margin. He credits his campaign success to old fashion hard work and personally knocking on thousands of doors. Today, Joe “Not your average Joe” Miklosi is in a highly competitive race for a seat in the U.S. Congress. The district gave Bush 60% against Gore and 60% against Kerry. Although McCain only scored 53% when he faced Obama in 2008, Coffman still won the seat with 61% then and with 66% last year. The new district lines change all that-- drastically, with roughly 33% GOP registration, 33% Democratic registration and 33% independent registration-- a classic swing district.

Coffman may want to dust off the Spanish he learned during a stint at the University of Veracruz in Mexico.

Coffman, a Republican, could find himself in a significantly more Latino 6th Congressional District-- going from a district that had been about 9 percent Latino to one that is about 20 percent Latino. It's also a place that is no longer politically safe for a Republican.

Under the map a state judge adopted Thursday, Coffman would be drawn into a district divided almost perfectly in thirds between Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters-- and a district that includes the city of Aurora... Republicans howled at the decision but said Friday that they needed more time to decide whether to appeal Hyatt's 78-page ruling to the Colorado Supreme Court.

...Coffman did not respond to requests for comment, but even [Colorado GOP Chairman Ryan] Call agreed the Republican incumbent "will have to work harder."

That work likely will include explaining the congressman's recent support of English-only ballots.

The voters in the new district went for Barack Obama by 8 percentage points in 2008 but were fairly evenly split between Republican Ken Buck and Democrat Michael Bennet for U.S. Senate in 2010.

Joe is a progressive leader. When he was a recent guest on Crooks and Liars, he discussed how growing up in a Christian household has reinforced his progressive values. Miklosi is not timid about confronting his conservative colleagues by quoting the Bible passages meaningful to him. Last year, Joe sponsored the Colorado DREAM Act-- not because his state house district has a large Latino population, but because it is economically sensible legislation and because "America doesn’t punish children for circumstances force upon them."

Again, Joe's running in CO-6, the seat recently held by the extremist Tom Tancredo. In fact, Tancredo handpicked the incumbent Mike Coffman to be his replacement. When Coffman was Colorado Secretary of State, he engaged in reprehensible voter suppression and denied the votes of over 2500 of the state’s citizens-- targeting minority and low-income voters. Thankfully, the Colorado courts overturned Coffman’s actions and permitted these citizens their right vote.

In Congress, Coffman has voted to slash Medicare. He echoed Rick Perry and stated that Social Security is "obviously a Ponzi scheme." He is proudly part of Michelle Bachman’s Tea Party Caucus. Coffman pursues a radical social agenda and strives only to thwart President Obama while providing no leadership of his own. 

Coffman, like Tancredo, has been able to push a radical agenda because CO-6 has been heavily skewed to favor the right. But in the reformed district, Coffman is very vulnerable. 

Scratch a little deeper and this race gets even more interesting. Colorado doesn’t have a statewide Senate race or Governor race this year. Thus, Miklosi will be at the top of the local ticket just behind the Presidential contest-- and Colorado is among the top tier, must win states for Obama. This will be one of the most closely watched and fiercely fought House races in the country, and it could have a significant impact on the Presidential outcome. Fortunately, Joe Miklosi is among the most passionate, gritty, and determined candidates out there. If there is a candidate we want in this race-- it is unquestionably Joe! Please consider helping Joe's campaign here.

Blue America Welcomes Joe Miklosi (D-CO)-- Blue Collar Fighting Spirit

And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.- Jesus Christ from Matthew 19;24

Watch that video above of Colorado state Rep Joe Miklosi announcing his candidacy for the congressional seat passed from Tom Tancredo to an even further right crackpot, Mike Coffman. When he ends it with "God bless you," he means it. The first time I spoke with him, we spent more time talking about Jesus' message than I've talked about with every other candidate Blue America has ever endorsed-- not because we endorse people who don't embrace Jesus' message... just because it isn't a topic progressives usually talk about publicly. But Joe isn't "usual." As his campaign motto says, "not your ordinary Joe." Before I tell you what his favorite Bible verse is (the one above is one of mine), let me tell you how I met Joe.

Gloria Totten heads up Progressive Majority, an organization that does on the state legislature level what Blue America does on the congressional level. She told me about Joe months ago when he was considering running. "Joe is an outstanding progressive who has stood firm on the progressive issues we care most about," she told me. "He is a proven leader who is committed to building our movement for the future-- as Progressive Majority's Colorado state director, Joe helped 60 progressives win state and local office. We were proud to support Joe in his bid for the State House and I'm thrilled to back his campaign for the U.S. Congress. Trust me, Washington, DC needs more public servants like Joe-- smart, energetic, committed and passionate for the people."

For the people... and more. This is one of Joe's favorite Bible verses. It comes from the prophet Micah who Christ quoted when asked what does the Lord require of you? You probably don't hear many on the "religious" right espousing this one:

To love justice, to seek mercy, and to walk humbly with the Lord.

Joe is perfectly comfortable talking about messages from Jesus like that-- even if conservatives (see my favorite Bible verse up top) have tried to coopt Jesus for their ideology of selfishness and bigotry, greed and hatred. "This theme," Joe told me this week, "has motivated me to pursue public policy that is more fair and just for every person. It clarifies, for example, my stance to repeal the unjust ‘Don’t Ask, Don't Tell’ law because all people should be able to serve in the United States military regardless of how they were born. The aspiration toward these goals helped to inspire my sponsorship of the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act beneficiaries are good kids, who play by the rules, earn good grades point averages and want to contribute to our society. By creating educational and workforce development opportunities for students we can energize and empower individuals and families and grow our economy for all Americans." 

Who would Jesus kill? Joe doesn't seem to find Jesus wanting to kill anyone. "I oppose the death penalty because we can do better as a society," he said. "We have killed innocent people as DNA testing has verified. We disproportionately kill people from communities of color, as the U.S. Supreme Court recently confirmed. A person rightfully convicted of murder or heinous act should spend the rest of their life in prison." 

Prison is pretty horrible. But our business elites have behaved (badly) knowing full well that the chances that they-- regardless of what they do-- aren't likely to spend much time there. So what about Wall Street? What about OccupyWallStreet. I asked Joe what he thinks about the whole movement. His response:

"In regard to Wall Street and economic reform, I respect those that take peaceful action to advocate for an economy that rewards hard work, encourages innovation and investment in education, retools Americans, and produces livable wages.
 
"We can not allow Wall Street elitists to break the rules, change the rules, and keep moving the goalpost, away from hard working families. Because of Wall Street greed and arrogance in 2008, millions of families were robbed of the dreams they worked and saved for, our nation was hobbled, and the Wall Street crowd sauntered into Washington to rewrite the rules again-- to give themselves a bailout. That’s not thrift, it’s theft.

"It is amazing to see so many inspired people-- from and for various points of view-- advocating for change and a fair financial system."

We're going to have Joe over at Crooks and Liars today at noon (Mountain Time, 11am here in L.A.) to talk about his campaign and why he's running for Congress. I hope you'll join us. And I hope I've presented Joe attractively enough so that you'd like to help him beat that crackpot Coffman. You can do that here on the Blue America page.

Stealing Democracy-- Colorado

Scott Gessler, passionate enemy of democracy

Earlier today we took a look at the Republican Party's attempt at systematic campaign of voter disenfranchisement. It's a campaign that is especially targeting minorities, poor people, the elderly-- though not the rich, white elderly-- and students, groups identified as probable Democratic voters. But Colorado has a far weirder situation. The right-wing Secretary of State, Scott Gessler, has taken it on himself to cut out active-duty military personnel and keep them from voting! It's beyond belief... but it's true. This was from a letter VoteVets.org sent to their members in Colorado this week:

One of the most important rights we have as Americans is the right to go to the polls and cast our ballots in favor of the people we want to represent us in our democracy. For over two hundred years, brave American men and women have raised their right hand and placed themselves in harms way to defend this freedom. But in Colorado, that very right is being attacked, specifically for American troops.

Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler has ordered election officials not to send ballots to American troops serving overseas, in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. We are Colorado residents. We are also Veterans. We volunteered to serve our country and wore the American flag on our right shoulder in harms way. As Colorado Veterans, the idea that Scott Gessler would deliberately prevent our service members from exercising the very freedoms they fight for is offensive, un-American, and wrong.

But Scott Gessler's order is not just unpatriotic; it's also illegal. Gessler is in direct violation of the federal Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act, which requires clerks to mail ballots to all eligible voters in the military.

A week from Saturday, the newest Blue America candidate, Colorado state Rep. Joe Miklosi will be joining us at Crooks and Liars for a wide-ranging discussion of issues. But I asked him this morning how he felt about Gessler's actions. He wasn't amused. "I'm very disappointed by the Secretary of State's lawsuit," he told me. "I have been a champion for efforts to expand voter participation. Last year, I passed a bill in Colorado to allow online voter registration. Colorado's vote by mail program is among the most successful in the nation. The Secretary of State's lawsuit is a tragic step backwards.

"It is shameful to think that our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan might be excluded from our democracy. Those who fight for our freedom, must be afforded every opportunity to participate in our democracy."
The Boulder Daily Camera skewered Gessler yesterday... in a big way. The editorial board doesn't seem to appreciate his apparent hatred of democracy-- or his hypocrisy.

When Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler was running for office, he emphasized his deep commitment to voting access, especially for Colorado members of the military who would vote from afar.

But according to the Pueblo clerk, many of Colorado's military members are among those swept up in the battle between the Denver clerk and Gessler. If those troops didn't return their ballots in the last general election they, and tens of thousands of registered Colorado voters who didn't vote one time, they are considered inactive and will not get ballots to vote in a mail-only election.

The showdown between the Denver clerk, intent on sending out ballots, and Gessler heads to court Friday. The Denver clerk's office said data shows people of color, Democrats and unaffiliated voters will be the voters most impacted by Gessler's interpretation of the law.

Gessler has been an extremely partisan secretary. Right out of the gate, he said he wanted to work a second job, moonlighting for a law firm that is very active representing conservative candidates and political interest groups. Months later, after his office levied a fine to the Larimer Republicans for campaign violations, he reduced that $48,700 original fine to $15,708. He then became the guest star of their own fundraiser to pay off the fine.

When asked about the propriety of that-- would he attend a similar fundraiser by a county's Democratic party-- he replied to a Denver Post reporter: "It would have to be an organization I'm philosophically aligned with."

Well nifty. We have a man driven by his political alignment to ethically questionable lengths in charge of all of Colorado's voters. Boulder County's Clerk and Recorder Hillary Hall chose not to fight alongside Denver. There are about 24,600 registered voters in the inactive/failed to vote category in Boulder County. Only about 1,000 of those appeared to have moved away, according to her office's postal records research.

If you live in the county and didn't vote in the 2010 general election and have not reactivated your voting status, you will be getting a post card-- instead of a ballot-- which will tell you how to get a ballot.

Lawmakers have thus far only offered temporary fixes for this. The whole mess cries out for a real legislative fix-- Hall suggests allowing county clerks to review postal records and send ballots to voters who still live in the county. Another suggestion would be to define "inactive" as someone who hasn't voted for a few years, not just one election. One election should not be enough to disenfranchise the voters, which is all too easy to do with current law and an extremely partisan Secretary of State.

Rachel Maddow's on the case. So is Colorado Common Cause. Jenny Flanagan, their executive director, reminded Gessler that “The right to vote is a fundamental right of every citizen... Denver is doing the right thing and Scott Gessler should not be able to stop Clerk Debra Johnson from sending ballots to legally registered voters." He's trying to disenfranchise 55,000 legally registered voters, almost 20% of Denver's electorate. Maybe he's hoping for a slot on Rick Perry's ticket?

Meet Joe Miklosi (D-CO) The Guy Who Can Rid The House Of Mike Coffman

Somehow I got sucked into some classic Inside-the-Beltway political committee that wastes a lot of time and gets nothing done. I wanted to quit after the first meeting but I let Digby talk me into sticking with it. It's kind of a sociological experiment for me but months later the committee still hasn't done a thing but waste time... but through one of the members I met an extraordinary candidate for Congress, Joe Miklosi, that has made the ordeal almost worthwhile. Joe's running against deranged wing-nut Mike Coffman in a suburban/exurban Denver district that used to be the domain of Tom Tancredo. I know you'll find this hard to believe but {{Mike Coffman}} is actually worse than Tancredo! I asked Joe to introduce himself to DWT readers with a guest post about how the campaign is shaping up:

A BLUER COLORADO

by Rep. Joe Miklosi
candidate for Congress, CO-6

It’s inspiring to be part of progressive change in Colorado-- to watch it go from solid red to now purple, with a bright blue future. Progressives are succeeding in Colorado because they’re fighting to keep the American dream alive by stabilizing the middle-class and protecting vital safety nets for the most vulnerable in our society.

Just 12 years ago, Colorado was a distinctly red state with Republicans in control of both Senate seats, five out of seven Congressional seats, the Governorship, the state House and Senate, and George Bush carrying the state over Al Gore by eight points.

I have spent the last decade fighting to promote progressive values in Colorado. We’ve stood steadfast with those who are squeezed between Wall Street elites and an unresponsive government bureaucracy. Our dedication to individual empowerment and our commitment to fairness is reflected in a bluer Colorado.

Today, Colorado is a purple state beaming with blue anticipation and a host of fresh progressive leadership. As the State Director for Progressive Majority from 2005-2007, I helped recruit, train, and elect nearly 50 local and state progressive candidates. In 2004, I served as the Executive Director for the House Majority Project that won control of the State House for the first time in 40 years. In 2008, I became a candidate myself and was elected and re-elected to the Colorado State House of Representatives.

Because of our progressive success, Colorado is stronger, more vibrant, and more livable. While keeping our state budget fiscally sound, our continued support for industries such as renewable energy and biotechnology has resulted in 5,000 new companies. Due to progressive leadership, 13,500 low-income children now receive school breakfast so they can focus their energy on learning instead of when and where they’ll have their next meal.

We must continue to advance these progressive values. That is why I sponsored the Colorado Dream Act.

Last year, I sponsored two job fairs that helped put people to work. It was a humbling and rewarding experience to see 300 people looking for jobs. It was also an opportunity for leadership without legislation and I am grateful I could help my community.

I’m running in Colorado’s new 6th congressional district, which has been represented by Tom Tancredo and Mike Coffman. Both have relentlessly pursued a radical social agenda characterized by narrow political views that appeal only to a Tea Party base. Vast segments of the population are un-served, voiceless, and unrepresented. That must end now.

Redistricting has afforded us a unique opportunity to reject the extreme and ultra-conservative proposals that have dominated the Coffman/Tancredo era. Now is the time to oust a radical Congressman who just declared Social Security is a Ponzi scheme. We will reject my opponent’s disenfranchisement of people from communities of color, reject their efforts to pull the ladder up from behind them by repealing GI benefits for college education (even though Coffman himself went to college on the GI bill). We will reject efforts to destroy Medicare so that elitist tax loopholes can be protected. And we will reject my opponent’s commitment to ensure dependence on big oil-- his major contributor.

Energy policy is one of the most important issues in this campaign. The next time you hear the chant "Drill Baby Drill!” I hope you will join me with the call to “Build Baby Build!”

We must build an energy infrastructure for the next generation. We can put thousands of Americans to work building a world class energy grid, clean and renewable energy production, and energy efficient products for our daily lives.

Our dependence on foreign oil has been a defining issue since the 1970s, and our leaders are defined by their failure to act boldly. We cannot truly empower individuals if we are collectively held hostage by foreign energy. Foreign control of energy prices disrupts businesses and families, stagnates economic growth, and undermines cleaner, renewable energy industries.

The billions of dollars we lose each year are directly tied to our staggering trade deficits. Energy independence is both an economic empowerment and national security issue.

The American Dream is slipping away for many in America but we can reverse this trend. The promise and possibility of a better and fuller life based on one’s ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth is what the American Dream is all about.

I'm running for Congress – because together with you-- we can restore the American Dream. We can restore job growth. And we can restore economic growth. We can bring real voices and real solutions to Washington. The hard work and progressive principles that are working for Colorado can work for America.

We’re at a critical crossroads in this country. We need your time, talent, and treasure more than ever. Join us so we can work together to restore the American Dream! Learn more at www.JoeMiklosi.com.

No Shame-- None At All: GOP Continues To Purposefully Wreck The Economy To Hurt Obama's Reelection Chances

Unless you accidentally wandered over here looking for mediocre TV show DWTS or mediocre Democratic Party operative DWSTweets, instead of DWT, you've no doubt seen Ken and I railing about the perfidy of Republican elected officials trying-- in many cases successfully-- to undercut the economy of the country and the financial well-being of their own constituents, in the hopes of turning voters against President Obama, a strategy that has borne them some fruit. Yesterday Michael Tomasky explained in no uncertain terms why so many people now think of them as the party of predators.

The four GOP congressional leaders-- John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Eric Cantor, and Jon Kyl-- sent a letter to Fed chair Ben Bernanke warning him against further intervention in the economy. They released the letter the day before the Fed is to announce its next steps Wednesday afternoon. “We have serious concerns,” the letter said, “that further intervention by the Federal Reserve could exacerbate current problems or further harm the U.S. economy.” What that sentence actually means, of course, is that they have serious concerns that an interventionist monetary policy might help the economy in the next 14 months, and thereby help Barack Obama’s reelection chances. ... [T]he Republicans have now covered both bases. Their first dose of poison to the economy has been to ensure that the federal government can’t do anything via legislation to spur economic growth and activity. As with the sentence from the letter above, the way to translate Republican-speak is to assume that the truth is the exact opposite of what they say. So when they say things like “the government can’t create jobs,” they actually know very well that the government can create jobs and can do so rather efficiently and easily, provided that Congress passes, say, a bill providing direct funding for jobs, which could put millions of people to work. So their task, in the name of preventing a Democrat from being a successful president, has been to ensure that Congress do all it can to keep the economy in dismal shape.

And now comes the second dose. If the government can’t create jobs legislatively, then perhaps it can do so through monetary policy. This letter very clearly is meant to pressure Bernanke not to try anything sneaky that might actually lower the unemployment rate before the election. From Robert Reich, on his blog: “To say it’s unusual for a political party to try to influence the Fed is an understatement. When I was Secretary of Labor in the Clinton Administration, it was considered a serious breach of etiquette—not to say potentially economically disastrous—even to comment publicly about the Fed. Everyone understood how important it is to shield the nation’s central bank from politics.”

In the face of things like this, it’s supposed to be controversial that Obama has decided to stop trying to meet the Republicans halfway? Meeting today’s GOP halfway is like letting a sexual predator take your clothes off. You haven’t been touched yet, but things are unlikely to end happily for you.

Ari Berman made much the same point in The Nation yesterday, starting with Miss McConnell's infamous exercise in self-exposure right after the 2010 election. "The single most important thing we want to achieve," he lisped menacingly, "is for President Obama to be a one-term president." Berman writes what most astute observers have seen for months: "Those words have become the guiding light for Congressional Republicans, and explain nearly every decision the GOP has made since the last election. The better the economy performs, the more likely it is that Obama will be re-elected. The longer the recession lasts, the better the chance that McConnell will get his wish. And it goes beyond sabotaging his new jobs program and his proposal to bring taxes for those making over a million dollars a year into some kind of semi-fairness range where they would have to pay the same rates as middle class workers.

With Congress eternally deadlocked because of Republican obstructionism, the Fed is perhaps the only institution that can still give the economy a boost.

The Fed, of course, is supposed to be politically independent and should pursue policies that are in the best interest of the American economy regardless of political pressure. But if those policies happen to improve the economy, which in turn improves Obama’s political standing, then Republicans will predictably resort to their default strategy: just say no.

Late yesterday the Fed basically told the right-wing leaders to take their transparent threats and go suck a lemon. They announced they'll be buying $400 billion in Treasury bonds, which will further lower interest rates and boost the economy by making it easier for businesses to borrow money.

This is now playing out politically with the Rick Perry wing of the GOP, especially a certain eager beaver who would like to avoid a bruising reelection battle and run for VP instead, jumping on board the doomed Ponzi Scheme Special. After initially refusing to go all the way with Perry, Paul Ryan is now an out-and-out Ponzi Schemer. (So is Tom Tancredo's equally psychotic replacement in Colorado, Mike Coffman, an extremist with one of the savviest progressives in Colorado, Joe Miklosi as an opponent.)

On Capitol Hill, it seems they just can’t stop saying “Ponzi Scheme.”

Mitt Romney’s not the only one imploring his fellow Republicans to, please, stop calling Social Security a Ponzi Scheme. The one-time establishment GOP superstar Mitch Daniels did it this week, in an interview with the New York Times. Here’s what that sounded like:

“If there’s a problem with ‘Ponzi scheme,’ it is that it’s too frank, not that it’s wrong,” Daniels said. There’s polling to back him up.

Republicans polled by Gallup recently didn’t have a problem with calling Social Security a Ponzi Scheme (which for the record, it totally isn’t). But independents did, and there are signs that Rick Perry’s continued use of the term could hurt his electability.

So, Romney and Daniels (and others) say, don’t go near it. Apparently nobody told Capitol Hill.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), who already dragged the GOP through a tough entitlement fight over his House Republican budget package, picked up on the phrase today on the Laura Ingraham radio show.

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) joined in on the fun, too. While analyzing one of the presidential debates on radio TV recently, Coffman picked up on the shift in Perry’s rhetoric on Social Security-- namely from “it’s unconstitutional” to “I’m going to fix it and protect it forever”-- and praised it, while also jumping feet-first into the it’s a Ponzi Scheme camp.

Rep. Miklosi was more than a little shocked that Coffman would endanger the vital interests of so many people in the area around Denver they both represent. "Since being elected," he told us this morning, "my opponent has pursued a radical social agenda and served as an obstructionist to all else. He voted twice to destroy Medicare and now he's attacking Social Security. It is hauntingly hypocritical for someone to oppose a woman's choice in every instance, yet so carelessly cast aside a proven and vital lifeline to our seniors."

Late yesterday Boehner had a resolution on the floor, H.R. 2608, sponsored by Sam Graves (R-MO) and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), which amends part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to extend the child and family services program through 2016. All 184 Democrats voted YES, as did 211 Republicans, so it passed, overwhelmingly 395-25. Many of the worst hard-core right-wing extremists, the ones hell-bent on wrecking the social safety net and abolishing Medicare and Social Security even if it were to mean electoral defeat, voted against it, deranged sociopaths like Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Joe Walsh (R-IL), Paul Broun (John Birch Society-GA) and Scott Garrett (R-NJ). Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul were running around making believe they're running for president, so neither voted-- nor did the new sociopath just elected from NY-9 (Bob Turner). But here's the list of the 25 Republicans who voted today, in effect, to end Social Security:

Justin Amash (R-MI)
Paul Broun (R-GA)
John Campbell (R-CA)
Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)
Jeff Duncan (R-SC)
Jimmy Duncan (R-TN)
Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
Scott Garrett (R-NJ)
Trey Gowdy (R-SC)
Tom Graves (R-GA)
Tim Huelskamp (R-KS)
Bill Huizenga (R-MI)
Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Raul Labrador (R-ID)
Doug Lamborn (R-CO)
Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
Tom McClintock (R-CA)
Mick Mulvaney (R-SC)
Ted Poe (R-TX)
Tim Scott (R-SC)
Austin Scott (R-GA)
Sensenbrenner (R-WI)
Marlin Stutzman (R-IN)
Joe Walsh (R-IL)