This latest posting in the "Lamborn Files" comes via the esteemed Colorado Independent (see the Extended Post Text).  Where we learn that the lesser Congressman from Colorado Springs has pronounced his policy for providing Veterans Administration (VA) benefits only to deserving (according to his confused definition) veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and standing against his delusional tide of undeserving vets suffering from PTSD.

Wendy Norris lays it out pretty clean and to the point reporting this story.  But, there's the rest of the story to consider.  Lamborn's conduct is an indictment both of his inadequacy to represent the people of the heavily military 5th CD, but also of his Party's penchant to picking, choosing (discriminating) and ultimately denying the right of Americans to adequate healthcare.

Perhaps in earlier decades a Congressman could get away with making such statements.  In the age of C-SPAN such an allowance and forgiveness for being horrifically wrong cannot go unanswered and without penalty.  While it is shocking that Lamborn would disregard the pleas of the supporting Veterans organizations, the silence of those groups in response to Lamborn’s offense is an even greater indictment of their often brazen Conservative posturing.

It is fortunate that America is not facing a Republican controlled US House.  With the likes of Lamborn in charge such a deserving and important piece of legislation could very well have been defeated.  Don’t hold your breath waiting for the national vets groups to thank the Democratic Congress, or criticize a Republican.

This is a clear example of the long-running self-destructive practices of the veterans and military advocacy groups.  Regardless of the truth and obvious merits of Democratic introduced policies and legislation it is all too often the reaction of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign War and others to side with the Republicans who have inexplicably sided not with soldiers and veterans, but with off-shore defense contractors and mercenaries.

The past few months have provided a dizzying series of messages in the blogosphere praising or persecuting the new President of the United States (POTUS). Thankfully, Salon.com produced an “over the nation” report on the Republican Party today that deserves more attention, and a more in-depth analysis (from yours truly, naturally).

Here’s the Salon.com link - The state (by state) of the GOP

Once again, Dick Wadhams’ penchant for media attention provides the clue for how to defeat him and continue the GOP decline:

"This notion that Colorado has suddenly become a Democratic state is preposterous. I think Democrats who have a grip on reality know that." -- State GOP chairman Dick Wadhams

The lesson from Dick is a hard and true fact of politically strategy from today to 2012, and unfortunately, too many high level Democratic leaders are positively oblivious to the concept. While basking in the glory of Barack Obama’s victory, I am seeing too many messages ignoring recent losses and weaknesses going into future ballots. This kind of complacency and false posturing is a formula for a disaster in the 2010 General Election.

Salon.com is absolutely correct by highlighting the dominance of the GOP at the county and community level. Even in Larimer County, the Democratic Party leadership is mute on the loss of a seat on the Board of County Commissioners. Reveling in the glory of former Democratic Party Chair Betsy Markey defeating Marilyn Musgrave is apparently too intoxicating to take a clear look at the dangers of the political landscape.

The most recent addition to the GOP dog-pack nipping at the heels of Congresswomen-Elect Betsy Markey, CU Regent Thomas J. Lucero, is having an identity, or at least residency, crisis. According to his CU Regent biography he lives in Johnstown. But, the press release he sent to the Loveland Reporter-Herald includes (R-Loveland) after his name (see the extended text).

According to the Managing Editor of the Reporter-Herald those 10-characters between parentheses are sufficient evidence to tout him as the "home town" candidate.  This is the second time that the Reporter-Herald has announced his candidacy in the past two-weeks crediting him as a Loveland resident.

Since the newspaper doesn’t seem to understand investigative journalism, or even the need to confirm information sent by politicians in a press release, I made a few checks.  First of all other Colorado newspapers have reported Mr. Lucero’s home as Johnstown.  Then there is the information on his CU Regent biography that lists his home as, surprise, Johnstown.

The CU Regent biography goes a little further to specify that Mr. Lucero is a Johnstown businessman and civic leader.  So while it is getting hard to figure out which former dairy farm is now part of Johnstown, or which corn-field is Loveland’s $6 Million dollar investment in the future, a person with ambitions for the US Congress should know what address to go to at the end of the day.

When he ran for CU Regent Tom knew that he lived in Johnstown.  The Colorado Secretary of State record shows his campaign committee address from the 1997 campaign season as 1015 WS 1ST ST/PO BOX 921 JOHNSTOWN, CO 80534.  That’s the same Post Office box that’s on the CU Regent Biography.

Further evidence of Mr. Lucero’s inaccuracy in the press release to the Reporter-Herald is found through the Dex.com online telephone directory.  No surprise here that there is no listing for Thomas J., Tom or “T” Lucero in Loveland.  This is inconclusive since Dex doesn’t account for the phenomenon of people with only a cellphone and no landline at their home.

Next in my bag of tricks is the Larimer County Assessor website for property records.  It’s reasonable to believe that an independently wealthy pizza magnate would own his home.  Curiously, a search for any person with the last name of Lucero owning property in the County doesn’t show a Thomas in Loveland, but there is one in Fort Collins.  Sorry, for dragging that guy into this mess.

So, I guess it comes down to this.  Almost a month before Betsy Markey is even provided the respect and courtesy of being sworn-in as a Member of Congress ( “MC” as my former Congressman and professor is known to say) we have the curious case of a GOP wanna-be getting ready for the 2010 contest.

For several years now the evidence of the Alberto Gonzales gang's manipulation of the Federal Civil Service within the Department of Justice has been well publicized. The fact that right-wing political ideologues were being approved for career professional positions based on social issue orthodoxy, rather than competence and qualifications, is yet another blight on the scandalous legacy of the current occupant of the White House.

Today's report in the Washington Post reveals that this practice of burrowing right-wing political operatives into the Civil Service is also in-place in the scientific agencies. Perhaps this is the mis-administration's strategy for making permanent the Republican obsession for combating the truth of science with their twisted political and social priorities.

The Center for Public Integrity is soon to release their "Broken Government" study. The fund-raising teaser release promises 120 specific cases. This kind of investigative effort to hold the Bushies accountable as the mis-administration fades into oblivion is crucial.  Revealing and acting on the depth and breadth of this conspiracy is vital to the success of any reforms and corrects to the offenses of the past eight years.

The Obama-Biden Administration will be stretched and tested to uncover and flush-out these right-wing activists who have burrowed their way into the Civil Service like so many termites. The evidence of these infestations must be met with quick action.

Executive appointees selected for positions above these people must be prepared to take every possible action within the laws and regulations of the Civil Service structure to either get them dismissed, or make it too hard for them to stay and accomplish their nefarious goals. Attention to the selection of the Administrator of the Office of Personnel Management will be a key to success in this area.

Various Executive agency inspectors general must be supported in investigating these political opportunists. IF they are found to be substantially unqualified for the job description that they were hired to fill, then it should be clear grounds for dismissal as an unlawful appointment.

The Obama-Biden appointees who are saddled with these burdens must enforce clear, precise and enforceable performance standards. When confronted with qualitative requirements to enforce and perform based upon laws and regulations that these infiltrators are likely to hold ambitions to undermine and avoid, could more easily force them to resign.

Even in its demise the minions of the current mis-administration are appearing to be increasingly unwilling to follow the current occupant of the White House and the vice out of Washington. This certainly adds to the challenge and urgency of establishing the new administration's executive leadership. Too many months and too many acting, caretaker, leaders in the executive departments will make it all the harder to untangle the tentacles of the Bush parasites.

Bob Schaffer's out of touch, wrong on critical issues rap-sheet grows by the day. I found this latest charge in Ed Quillen's column in the Sunday Denver Post.

Read the whole column online at http://www.denverpost.com/quillen/ci_10799075

or scroll down to the extended post text.

The Referendum A test still carries a lot of weight with me.  Once again here's a case where Bob Schaffer sided with big-monied interests and against Colorado farmers, ranchers and communities.

Hopefully, he'll be sliding into the dustbin of Colorado political history by 10:00 PM on November 4th.  Being too cozy with the "drill baby, drill" crowd of oilies is bad enough, but working on the wrong side of water policy is unforgiveable.

PS - If you get a chance, drop a complimentary email to Ed (his email link at at the end of the Extended Post Text).  It is so hard to find something worthy of praise in the Denver Post these days that we should encourage Ed to continue his good work.

Reports are coming in that Barack Obama's Colorado appearances today were record breaking. One Democratic Party insider says that the Denver Rally pulled in over 100,000 supporters.

I was within a softball toss of Barack in Fort Collins. One early estimate claims 45,000 attended; it sure looked like a lot more than that to me.  The Eastern half of the CSU Oval was filled with people, and more were crowded into the Southwest quarter of the Oval.

If I were priviledged enough...I would paste in one of my low-res pictures of the crowd.  But, even Barack said that the setting was incredible.  The trees surrounding the Oval were in full color.

Barack's message has evolved, even from the acceptance speach at Mile High.  Focused, positive and thoroughly inspiring.

I was struck by several uses of "the future" today.  Each time was full of hope and desire for the best for all Americans.  Barack's comments were on-target for a number of topics:  the economy, healthcare, primary education, secondary education, jobs and how John McCain is out of touch.

The program started with a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and an a capella performance of the National Anthem.  Betsy Markey gave one of her best speaches as did Governor Bill Ritter.

Other news organizations will have a full transcript of the speach.  The press contingent was impressive.  But, news coverag does not compare to being there...being there to see the future President.

The Rocky Mountain News weighs-in this morning with a good report on the growing revelations of the GOP voter suppression agenda. Curiously, this shows in Colorado as a fight between the GOP Secretary of State and two strong GOP County Clerks.

The County Clerks, Republicans Scott Doyle (Larimer) and Pam Anderson (Jefferson), are holding the line for what is right and just in the face of CD-6 Candidate and Secretary of State Coffman's fixation on a questionable policy. This year's election controversy is increasingly looking like valid charges of radicals in the GOP deliberately using technicalities and irrational procedural hoops to deny eligible citizens the right and opportunity to vote.

The contemporary "voter fraud" cries of the GOP are a manufactured issue with the sole purpose of suppressing likely Democratic voters. There is no problem other than the radical conservatives seeing their political clout wither with each succeeding election. The facts of the miniscule number of REAL cases of Federal and State voter fraud charges and convictions in recent history defy the hysteria of the GOP.

Doyle and Anderson are providing leadership and good public policy for all of Colorado. Too bad that there is some other influence keeping Mike Coffman from recognizing, and acting on, that good example. Maybe it is too much for him to run for Congress and be responsible for a fair election.

Read the Rocky's full story online at:

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/oct/22/secretary-of-state-stands-by-registration-check/

This was not the one-word headline I expected to see in this morning's Foreign Policy magazine Morning Brief email.  Similarly, the Financial Times brought gloomy articles confirming the depth of the current fiscal decline.

"Falling by more than 20 percent over seven straight trading days, the U.S. stock market's recent performance now meets the standard definition of a crash."  - FP Morning Brief, 10 October 2008

this is the first attention grabbing fact from FP.  Realistically a seven point consecutively repeated 20% downward trend line is what I've always called a "death-slide." 

It's a very effective way to get the attention of executive decision-makers and mid-level managers.  I've seen motivation and attention to detail factors show a marked increase. 

"Investors have lost an estimated $8.4 trillion dollars so far this year, with the Dow Jones industrial average sinking another 678 points or 7.3 percent Thursday."  - FP Morning Brief, 10 October 2008 

My proposal is to add this figure to the existing National Debt burden enacted by the current occupant of the White House.  In addition to being a condemning legacy of this presidency, it should be a lesson in who, and how, to elect the next president.

Personally, I'm watching the value of my supposedly solid Federal employee Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account in a similar decline.  Holding a large percentage of my shares in a Standard & Poors 500 fund isn’t such a happy place at the moment.

One of the most disagreable experiences I've had during this year's political campaign came when national, and local, groups viciously attacked the integrity, motivations and message of General Petraeus. Yet, on Wednesday the conservative Heritage Foundation heard policies and concepts from Petraeus that confirm the campaign platform of Barack Obama.

The complete story from the "Washington Independent" is in the Extended Post Text (via Foreign Policy magazine's Daily Brief service). This is an online news outlet associated with Colorado Confidential.

This can't stay a minor story. Petraeus' comments must be shared, and the Obama campaign should advertise these policies and tactics with enthusiasm.

Part of the value in this this is seeing a competent national leader, Obama, openly discuss a strategic vision and mission for the US military.  Now we're seeing that a widely praised general is able to accept that mission and describe the operational policies and tactics to accomplish what is apparently Barack Obama's security policy in opposition to McCain's irrational Iraq fixation.

BREAKING - Sunday, September 7th 

Perhaps this should be counted as a media watch victory.  R-H editor Ken Amundson published a lengthy apology and signifcant policy change for the telephone call-in column.  Still, the R-H won't publish even their own editorials online.

In addition to the election season curtailment of political LTEs to 200-words, Amundson will not allow comments on individual candidates to be published in the call-in line column.  At least this could slow down the Right WingNut lies and slurs in one Colorado newspaper.

///original post/// 

Among the wide range of Colorado newspapers the Loveland Reporter-Herald rests in a unique place between hometown paper and loyal arm of a conservative media group. But, on Tuesday September 2, 2008 the R-H crossed a dubious line by publishing an anonymous telephone message claiming that assassinating Brack Obama is acceptable because he is inexperienced.

 "All you Democrats take what you're saying about Sarah Palin, and that's what all of us Republicans are saying about Obama.  He's way too inexperienced for the job.  I would much rather have a little inexperience at the number two position than the No. 1 position.  The only way to get rid of that experience in an inexperienced president is either by impeachment or assassination." (emphasis added)

Political commentary is expected in America, but advocating one of the worst crimes for the offense of "inexperience" is truly despicable.  By publishing this rant without edit, or disclaimer is an indictment of complacancy  and possibly even accessory by the Reporter-Herald.

In response to my my protest of this publication the Managing Editor of the R-H, Ken Amundson, provided this response:

I also reacted negatively when I read that comment this morning. I have taken steps internally to deal with it.

Ken Amundson

Today's edition of the R-H makes no mention of the offending comment.  It seems that Mr. Amundson's true definition of dealing with it internally is to ignore it and hope the issue dies.

The Extended Post Text holds the necessary information for others to join me in demanding that Ken Amundson and the Reporter-Herald take responsibility for this incident, cooperate with Federal authorities to determine if there really is a threat to Barack Obama, and publish an apology with a condemnation of inciting the public to illegal, criminal acts that undermine the political process in America.

UPDATE - Monday, 11 August 2008 

Thanks to JJ for pointing out a new report on the mis-administration's latest action victimizing and disenfranchizing veterans from their Constitutional right to vote.  Now we have to account and protesting language of the Connecticut Secretary of State (see the extended text).

This is a true case of "support the troops" and how the Bushies don't!  It is past time to tell the Congressional incumbents (especially the Senators) and the Democratic challengers in the race to the replace terrible trio (Musgrave, Lamborn and Tancredo - all of his potential successors are same, same anyway) that this cannot stand.  There is enough time to repair the damage, but only if VA Secretary Peake is immediately forced to revoke his rule.

Original Post: 

Well, here we go again...time for another Secretary of Veterans Affairs to resign. This time we find that another arm of the George Bush mis-administration has made a dubious legal interpretation, trampled on the rights and benefits of veterans and is denying any wrong-doing.

You have to read the entire New York Times story to believe the depths of this tragic scenario.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/washington/13vote.html?_r=1&th=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&emc=th&adxnnlx=1213380801-cdMfMk8+agmsFLoE3VAdHw

This is a bizarre and deplorable action on the part of the mis-administration of the current occupant of the White House.  Refusing to facilitate voter registriation is definately not prohibited by the Hatch Act.  It's really disappointing that former Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) remains silent on this controversy.