Feedback Friday

“Weren't the cops the ones who rioted and brought a black eye on Chicago in '68? And al Qaida sleeper cells are really a big threat? This is silly.”- Posted by Lee in response to Ritter stuck on ‘68

Dear Lee-

Yes, the cops rioted. But saying “Chicago just has bad cops” is not an actual crowd control plan. Also the protesters did egg on the cops. The classic civil disobedience goal is to get those in power to over-react. One would have to assume that at least some of the protesters have that goal in mind when they come to Denver. One should also bear in mind that cops rioting wasn’t the only thing America found objectionable during that convention, even if it was the most photogenic. To the extent that Ritter can plan to mitigate some of those circumstances, as governor, he should.

As far as Al Qaida goes, yes, they are active in the US, including Colorado. The way you prevent future 9/11s is by police work, not treating threats as “silly.” Of course, if you have some specialized knowledge that tells you all of this is silly, please pass it on. If for example, you work in law enforcement or domestic counter intelligence and you think the threat of another terror attack in the US is overblown, please email us and cite specifics. We’d be happy to hear it.  

“Garza Hicks shouldn't be on this list. I agree with Colorado Index on this. Last year she was elected by a vacancy committee and sworn in after the deadline for bills.”- Posted by Denverite in response to the Top Ten Republican Mediocrities

Dear Denverite-

Yes, Colorado Index has been particularly bitter about PolitickerCO. They cling to their blog and blame others who aren’t like themselves. Why? Economics: We get paid to write and they don’t!

We particularly like their hard-hitting expose of Wally Edge’s columns that says: "Wally Edge, who is a real person and who lives on the east coast is very unlikely to have written [them].” As one of our colleagues points out: “This is a stunning development!”

If you’d like to know more about the “real” Wally Edge, you may click here.  

“So why is Dave Schultheis running for the RNC position? It doesn't make very much sense to me. Why does the GOP complain about having a small bench and let elected officials scoop up even the crumbs?”- Posted by Goper in response to the Top Ten Republican Mediocrities

Dear Goper,

You’ll have to ask Senator Schultheis why. The larger question is why the GOP leadership thinks it’s a good idea to let him do it. Someday the GOP will figure out that expanding their numbers is a good thing, rather than excluding people based on an ideological purity test. They might even learn that lesson in this presidential election.  

“I just want to know where Harvey's numbers are. Hopefully he'll release soon and then he can put an end to the farce.”- Posted by Ted’s Friend in response to Armstrong tops $220,000

Dear Ted’s Friend,

You’re kind of a weird friend huh?

Harvey raised a more respectable $42,000 for the quarter which puts him just a whisker shy of $78,000 for the campaign. His problem lies in the fact that his two major opponents have both raised $450,000 apiece.

But don’t expect Harvey to drop out. We think he’s in for the duration of the campaign. And why not? He knows he can’t win, but he can improve his position by being a spoiler for one candidate or the other.

“The news won't get any better either for [Schaffer]. He's done like dinner. The DSCC is gonna keep up this pressure all summer long. Looks like another Democratic triumph come fall! Go Obama baby!”- Posted by Et Tu GrassRoots in response to Bob Schaffer, Jack Abramoff is calling

Dear Et Tu-

Schaffer will probably get past all the Abramoff links. It’s early yet. His main worry is in fundraising. He’s not done badly, but he’s been out-classed by Udall finance-wise. He probably won’t be able to make up for lost ground there. However he seems to be hanging around in the polls and the polls also indicate Obama doesn’t necessarily match up well in Colorado with McCain.

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend. We'll see you on Monday!