and there's no one there to hear it, does he still sound like a moron?

This is too funny:

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers was in Pueblo on Wednesday as part of a tour to alert senior citizens to consumer fraud issues, but for some reason the only senior citizens who showed up were a reporter and a couple of police officers.

I hadn't heard about this:

Now, that sheriff could be prosecuted on charges of interfering with a federal operation.

Forrest County Sheriff Billy McGee commandeered two 18-wheelers full of ice from Camp Shelby, a Federal Emergency Management Agency staging area, after five days passed with little relief for residents living without electricity in the wake of the deadly storm.

"Man, I was wanting to hug Brother Billy when I saw that ice. We were glad somebody was there to help us," Walker, who would not give his age, said Wednesday.

McGee had worked out a deal to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of interfering, intimidating and impeding a federal officer, but U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton withdrew from the case without explanation and the Justice Department sent it to federal prosecutors in Louisiana.

Looks like the Justice Department suffers from the same remarkable, unmitigated incompetence and lack of basic human decency as the rest of this right-wing Administration.

YES! There are indeed some very good alternatives that serve both fiscal responsibility, rule of law (current statutes) and justice. The State Senate just passed a bill to the House (SB23) that eventually may result in fewer child offenders doing "hard time" in adult maximum security facilities. But there is a great need for other measures that address the problem of the increased prison population. A new effort has been launched to encourage CO lawmakers to investigate the issue of why low-risk and aging inmates (over 60) are not being given parole or placement in alternative community-based corrections. To learn more, visit your local library and look up Colorado Revised Statutes 17-22.5 (404). These are the official parole guidelines that the State DOC should be using to deny or grant parole. The problem is, they are not using them. For further info. visit the Colorado parole class action website: www.coloradopca.org and download and read the Septermber 16, 2005, Request for Declarator Judgment and related documents.

Does this look like an apology to you?

Senator Wayne Allard:
"I have tremendous respect for and share Senator Feingold's determination to protect the first amendment rights of every U.S. citizen. However, in case of the NSA's surveillance of terrorists, I think Senator Feingold is barking up the wrong tree. We should be looking for new ways to better track and apprehend terrorists, not punishing the President for fulfilling his constitutional responsibilities. We are in war that cannot be won by ignoring the activities of terrorists in our nation. We must be prepared to do what is necessary under the law to protect our country against the possibility of another September 11. To me, that is exactly what the President did when he authorized the NSA surveillance program. Censoring (sic) the President for taking this action in my mind just smacks of political opportunism and does nothing to make our nation any safer."

Sure doesn't look like one to me.

Senator Allard accused Senator Feingold of treason for introducing a censure resolution (seeking to censure President Bush for breaking federal law and lying about it). Here's what Senator Allard said:

"he [Feingold] has time and time again taken on the side of the terrorists that we're dealing with in this conflict."

Click here to listen to the audio clip yourself.

That goes way beyond questioning Feingold's patriotism. That's an outright accusation of treason. Join in demaning an apology from Senator Allard:

www.ProgressNowAction.org/AllardApologize

Crooks and Liars has the video.

A story broke last week that Rick O'Donnell, the Repub candidate for the 7th CD, may have broken the law by hosting the head of the EPA at a recent big money fundraiser. Federal law prohibits government officials from raising money for candidates.

Now, Ed Perlmutter is keeping the heat on by calling on O'Donnell to release the names of everyone in attendance. No links for this. I just read it in a press releases that's being emailed around.

Well here's some good news from today (well sort of, thanks to soon up for re-election John Evans). Senator Deanna Hanna got an excellent bill passed through the Education Committee.

Here's the brief description they give out on the daily calendars down there "Senate Bill 067 -- Suicidal Behavior in Higher Ed." Yikes right? Well, what it does is it would allow Universities to include a waiver for all incoming students to designate a person to call if they are reported to or are observed displaying suicidal behavior. It is "common sense" legislation in my view, I know of several suicide stories from college, and this bill could have possibly prevented at least some of them.

You see, as it stands today Universities are prohibited from contacting or releasing information to ANYBODY in regards to their student body. This is due to current Federal Privacy Laws. However this waiver would allow the appropriate person (designated by each university) on campus to contact whomever the student designated on the form in case they displayed suicidal behavior. Sounds great right, the waiver is optional for the student, and the school actually designs it in the way it feels is appropriate for their campus.

What's the problem? Well, evidently Senator Evans felt like it would be better to have a "pilot program" instead of simply passing the bill as it was intended, to go out statewide. Now, thanks to Senator Evans the wording in the bill will allow for as few as one public university in this state to institute this program over the next two years. [Read: It could also be allowed in ALL state universities, but when it can be as few as one, it seems doubtful it will be all or even close to it]. After the two-year "Pilot" period, the program will be judged and then will either sunset (die) or used at every State School in Colorado.

This is good legislation that has been mucked up by compromise because John Evans isn't sure about suicide prevention, what a shame. Still, a big cheers for Senator Hanna.