Take a gander at what is competitive in CO.

Is it any wonder that Marilyn Muskrat and the RNCC and their 527 allies are saturating the airwaves with lies and fabrications, if they didn't think that Angie Piccione is a real threat?

What we may be seeing is the backlash against Muskrat's negative campaign advertising and utter shameless, and probably illegal use of his military picture, of a disabled veteran of Bush's Iraq war to mouth the slander of "cut and run".

Chris Bowers, of MyDD.com, has the numbers and analysis- the polls from over fifty House races are currently showing campaigns within the single digits. Here they are (and yes, it really is this many)":

Republican held seats
AZ-01, AZ-05, CA-04, CA-11, CA-50, CO-04, CO-05, CO-07, CT-02, CT-04, CT-05, FL-13, FL-16, FL-22, ID-01, IN-02, IN-09, IL-06, IL-10, IA-01, IA-02, KS-02, KY-03, KY-04, MN-01, MN-02, MN-06, NV-02, NV-03, NH-02, NJ-07, NM-01, NY-03, NY-19, NY-20, NY-24, NY-25, NY-26, NY-29, NC-08, NC-11, OH-01, OH-02, OH-15, OH-18, PA-04, PA-06, PA-07, PA-08, VA-02, VA-10, WA-08, WI-08, WY-AL

Democratic Held Seats
GA-12, IN-07, IA-03, IL-08, VT-AL, WV-01

Chris has these suggestions for action:

Here are some other good actions you can take: Google Bomb the Elections--It isn't too late to join in.
Do More Than Vote--Take action no matter where you are.
Call for change--Participate in the most sophisticated and effective progressive voter contact program.
Google Bomb the Elections--It isn't too late to join in.
Do More Than Vote--Take action no matter where you are.
Call for change--Participate in the most sophisticated and effective progressive voter contact program.
Let's make these next nine days something we will never forget.

Can the Republicans stand scrutiny for the Medicare drug prescription Plan D "doughnut hole"?

Steve Gilliard of "THE NEWS BLOG" finds this out via the AFL/CIO action:

Granny Get Your Gun…Oops, Make That Donuts

by James Parks, Oct 27, 2006

Seems like in Allison Park, Pa., near Pittsburgh, the biggest threat to public security is 40 senior citizens carrying donuts. Yesterday, staff at Rep. Melissa Hart's (R-Pa.) district office called for three armed police from nearby Hampton Township to disperse the group of seniors, all members of the Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans (PARA), who sought to deliver donuts to Hart's office to protest the new Medicare law.

The AFL-CIO is urging members to call Hart's office and tell her: Shame on you for treating your own constituents like criminals simply because they wanted to express their opinion. You can call Hart at her Allison Park office at 412-492-0161 or at her Ellwood City office at 724-752-0490....

Join our call for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to immediately intervene in the investigation as to whether Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez's campaign broke federal or state laws by illegally accessing the highly restricted National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.  

Over the weekend Republican Governor Bill Owens made a request to investigate Beauprez’s campaign through his own Department of Public Safety.

Yet for the reasons cited below, Owens' request regarding Beauprez is compromised due to major conflicts of interests.

Background:

Beauprez's campaign has used information in an advertisement against his opponent with records on a "Carlos Estrada Medina." (Rocky Mountain News, 10/11/2006)

Last Wednesday, October 11, 2006, Beauprez's campaign told a 9News reporter that they found the records on Medina "in federal criminal databases, the guy's information matches up." (RMN, 10/14/2006)

But on Friday, October 13, 2006, Beauprez's campaign backed off from that statement claiming that they "deduced" the records from campaign researchers using a criminal database. (RMN, 10/14/2006)

Now Beauprez's campaign claims that the records used in the ad on Medina "are out in the public domain." (Denver Post, 10/15/2006)

Beauprez's campaign, however, has not yet shown where one can find the cases "in the public domain."

Beauprez's campaign, while admitting the Medina documents had an FBI number printed on the file, refuse to disclose the source. (DP, 10/15/2006)

Extensive research by both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post has been unable to independently verify that the California case exists or whether Medina's aliases match the cases alluded to in the ad. (DP, 10/15/2006)

Owens has asked a division of the State Department of Public Safety to investigate whether Beauprez's campaign illegally accessed the NCIC. (DP, 10/15/2006)   Yesterday Owens’ office claimed that the Department of Public Safety is “nonpartisan” and that a request for the FBI to intervene is “ludicrous.” (RMN, 10/16/2006)

Clear conflict of interest with Owens' request:

* Owens directly oversees the Department of Public Safety in which the investigation is being requested. Joe Morales is the head of the Department of Public Safety and is an Owens cabinet member appointed by Owens. (RMN, 11/18/2003)

* Owens is the co-founder of the "Trailhead Group" a 527 political committee which has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking Beauprez's opponent. (DP, 8/25/2006)

* Owens also has been actively publicly campaigning for Beauprez across Colorado. (Pueblo Chieftain, 10/10/2006)

* Morales has given $1,000 to the Beauprez campaign, the maximum donation allowed by law.  (www.FollowtheMoney.org)

* We learned this morning that the Deputy Director of Public Safety, Mike Acree, is also a Beauprez supporter, and gave the maximum of $1,000 to the Beauprez campaign in this election cycle.(www.FollowtheMoney.org) Acree also serves on the Executive Committee of the Douglas County Republican Party and allegedly is the Beauprez Douglas County Coordinator. (www.dcgop.org )

Click here to add your name to the call for the FBI to intervene in the Beauprez investigation:

Link

Criminal Penalties:

An improper use of the NCIC database is subject a number of violations at both the federal and state level. (RMN, 10/15/2006) These include:

Federal statutes:

* It's a crime to intentionally access a federal computer without authorization or to exceed authorized access. Penalty: First offenses are punishable by one year in prison and fines.

* Knowingly conveying or receiving federal records. Maximum penalty: 10 years in prison and fines.

* Conspiracy to defraud the United States. Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison.

State statutes:

* Public officials can be charged with official misconduct for using their authority to maliciously harm someone or violate state law. Penalty: 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

* Embezzlement of government property by public servant. Penalty: Three years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Join our call for the FBI to intervene in the investigation as to whether Beauprez’s campaign violated one or more of these laws:

Link

Representative Matt Knoedler (R-Lakewood) continues to put special interest lobbying ahead of Colorado's families.

Why?

Because Knoedler's other job is "Public Policy and Lobbying" for one of the highest priced law/lobbying firms in the country.

Instead of recusing himself on key votes, he has made a number of votes placing other interests over that of his constituents including:

--Voting against school based health centers for kids. (HB06-1396)
--Voting against K-12 schools, including preschool, kindergarten classrooms and teaching of history, culture and civil government. (SB05-200)
--Voting against stopping price gouging at the pumps during an emergency. (HB06-1251)

Click the petition below and join me in calling on Knoedler to discontinue his "Public Policy and Lobbying" practice if he wishes to represent his constituents:

Link

As you may have read in Sunday's Denver Post, State Representative Bill Berens (R) recently accepted a check for $20,000 from the Colorado Oil and Gas Association. [Denver Post, 10/8/06]

The Oil and Gas Association is one of the largest lobbying groups in Colorado, spending huge amounts of money trying to influence our legislators. [Colorado Common Cause]

It's unclear whether or not this cash gift to Berens violates existing Colorado law. But it's certainly inappropriate for him to take such an enormous amount of cash from an industry group with millions of dollars of business potentially riding on his decisions as a legislator.

Click on the link below and demand that Berens to do the right thing and return this check or donate it to charity:

Link

Why is Lamborn silent?

Call for Lamborn to stand up

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
CONTACT: Bobby Clark
(303) 991-1900

Denver: ProgressNowAction called for Doug Lamborn to ask Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to step down from House leadership. The group launched a petition to thousands of people in the Colorado Spring's area days after Hastert campaigned with Lamborn in that area.

"That Hastert protected Foley and left children to fend for themselves is so outrageous even national conservatives are calling on Hastert to resign as Speaker," stated Bobby Clark, Deputy Director of ProgressNowAction. "Lamborn should be calling on Hastert to step down from House leadership."

This past Saturday, September 30th, House Speaker Dennis Hastert visited Colorado Springs to campaign with Lamborn and raise money for his race. That's the same day that the Washington Post reported that Hastert had admitted knowing a year ago about inappropriate contact between Republican Congressman Mark Foley and a young boy serving as a page for the House.

Reports that Speaker Hastert knew about Foley's predatory actions, yet covered it up and left children to fend for themselves, has led even many national conservatives to call for Hastert's immediate resignation.

"So far Lamborn, who was campaigning with Hastert as this story was exploding, has said nothing," noted Clark.

The petition, Link , asks Lamborn to return the money he raised from Hastert's visit and request that Speaker Hastert immediately resign from leadership in Congress.

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Call for Musgrave to ask for Hastert's Resignation:

Call follows Speaker's visit to her district

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
CONTACT: Michael Huttner
(303) 931-4547

Denver: ProgressNowAction called for Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave to ask Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to step down from House leadership. The group launched a petition to thousands of people in Musgrave's district days after Hastert campaign with Musgrave in her district.

"That Hastert protected Foley and left children to fend for themselves is so outrageous even national conservatives are calling on Hastert to resign as Speaker," stated Michael Huttner, Executive Director of ProgressNowAction. "Musgrave needs to defend American values and ask Hastert to step down."

Just over a week ago Marilyn Musgrave campaigned with Hastert in her district and touted her record of "defending American values." But so far, Musgrave has been silent about Hastert's scandalous cover-up and failure to stand up for children.

This past weekend the Washington Post reported what Congressional Republican leaders apparently already knew--that House Speaker Dennis Hastert has covered up inapprorpriate sexual conduct involving Republican Congressman Mark Foley and young boys serving as House pages.

The petition, Link , asks Musgrave to call for Hastert's immediate resignation from leadership and return the money she raised from his visit.

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