Update to ‘Both Ways Betsy’ where I criticized Congresswoman Betsy Markey for her latest TV ads.

Referring to the 2008 TARP bailout legislation,  Markey claims in her ad, “Maybe it’s my 20 years as a small-business owner, but these Wall Street bailouts really offend me… No one ever gave me a bailout.”

I reminded readers of the other bailouts that didn’t offend her quite so much because she voted for them. That’s bad enough, but now I find out (courtesy of a reader) that during the 2008 campaign Markey criticized then current Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave for — guess what? That’s right, opposing the TARP bailout — the bailout that she finds so offensive.

In a Wall Street Journal article dated September 24, 2008, Musgrave stood up to the president (and many others in her own party) and opposed TARP. She said at the time:

For years, Americans on Main Street have heard about the lavish excesses of Wall Street. We heard about their mansions, exotic cars and, above all, record profits… Now, the party is over, and the same bankers are asking working families across the country to bear the consequences of their excess and greed. I refuse to burden families already struggling with soaring energy and food prices with bailing out investment banks that made bad decisions.

The WSJ also spoke with Markey who scolded Musgrave, calling her opposition to TARP a “hasty move.”

Ms. Markey called her opponent’s statement a “hasty move” that demonstrated her inability to cooperate on important issues in Washington. ‘A lot of experts are still looking at options, and my opponent has already made up her mind’ she said in an interview Tuesday. Ms. Markey added that, like many in Congress, she wanted changes to the original Treasury Department proposal, such as requiring any rescue bill to include greater market regulation and to protect taxpayer money.

Maybe Markey wouldn’t have voted for the original TARP bailout but not because bailouts “offend” her but because it didn’t go far enough. Let’s send Congresswoman Markey a new pair of flip-flops, she is wearing out her current pair at a rapid pace.

That’s the nickname that my friends at Complete Colorado have hung on freshman Democrat Congresswoman Betsy Markey.  And it seems appropriate. An article from The Hill and featured on Complete Colorado describes Markey’s new ad campaign where she pretends to be offended with congressional approval of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, a.k.a. TARP.  In fact she claims:

Maybe it’s my 20 years as a small-business owner, but these Wall Street bailouts really offend me… No one ever gave me a bailout.

Bailout is just another word for cop-out…And here in Colorado, that’s not how we do business.

Oh please. Does she honestly expect me or any other voter in the 4th CD to believe that she would have stood up to Nancy Pelosi and voted “No”? Since the vote was taken in October 2008, before she was in Congress, there is no way to know how she would have voted. I guess we are supposed to take her at her word. As someone who has kept track of her voting record, I would bet dollars to donuts that Markey, who went against the wishes of her constituents and with Pelosi on Obamacare, cap and trade, card check and the stimulus, would have voted yes.

Markey has yet to prove that she has or can challenge her party’s leadership. She may be a blue dog democrat, but she’s one with all bark and no bite.

In a video appearance before the Western States Transportation Alliance, Congresswoman Betsy Markey “spends the whole beginning of this greeting talking about potential taxes to pay for spending in a surface transportation bill” reports Who Said You Said, which posted the video.

Markey’s implication that taxpayers aren’t sending enough of their money to Washington begs a couple of questions. First, what has Washington been doing with the money it already has? Let me answer that in part.  A new project of mine, Mothers Against Debt (check out MAD on FaceBook too), reported that the Federal Highway Administration gave Arizona $1.25 million to build special squirrel bridges “so they don’t end up on the menu at the road kill cafe.”

Second, the federal government will spend roughly $3.7 trillion this fiscal year. If infrastructure is a proper function of government, why isn’t Washington prioritizing its budget so that infrastructure gets funded appropriately?  Let me answer that one too, because roads and bridges aren’t a priority for those currently in power.

So let’s clarify all this.  Squirrels are a higher priority than drivers and taxpayers. No wonder our children’s national debt is more than $13 trillion.

Every year I watch the Greeley Stampede Independence Day Parade. Usually, I am half of the broadcast team for 1310 KFKA. This year, Scooter McGee took my place so I could simply enjoy the parade from the comfort of the mobile studio. Because I didn’t have to broadcast, it afforded me the great luxury of observing the crowd as onlookers watched the parade. And as I have done for the last few years, I provide my parade observations:

First, it was held on Saturday, July 3, to accommodate Sunday religious services, which I think is a kind gesture but it’s odd having the 4th of July parade on July 3rd. This really messed up my internal calendar.  Today, feels like Sunday instead of Monday.

Second, it’s still boring. I’ve been critical of the Stampede parade in the past because it is sterile.  A few years ago, the Stampede Committee put a stop to the traditional water gun fights.  They also put a stop to throwing candy and politics.  As a result, the parade is dull and one dimensional.

There is one thing that really struck me — how they received elected officials, candidates for office and their supporters. The reaction seemed to reflect the mood of a country that has little faith in its political institutions as the economy continues to falter.

When the Democrats, including Congresswoman Betsy Markey, Denver Mayor and gubernatorial candidate John Hickenlooper, and senatorial candidate Andrew Romanoff, passed by my spot, there was no booing, hissing, clapping, cheering or jeering. There was nothing — just erie silence.  The only attention they got was when my colleague George Gray briefly interviewed all three for the parade broadcast.

Last year , Markey was met with silence as well.  But this was different.  It seemed directed at the entire political class. I have no idea if they got the same reception along the rest of the parade route but it was nothing but silence from my position.

In this very conservative community, Republicans didn’t fare much better. There were polite claps but not the usual cheering.

This tells me that candidates, especially incumbents, will have to work a little harder for every vote.  This is a tough crowd.

Congresswoman Betsy Markey has time to play  UPS union member and get some TV face time:

But she has no time to answer constituent questions or questions from me.  Questions that I have posed to Markey’s office that have gone unanswered:

• Before the Cap and Trade vote I sent several emails asking which way she was voting. Neither she nor her office ever responded, but apparently she did speak with Denver Post columnist Susan Greene.
• After her yes vote on ObamaCare, I asked her to come on my show to explain her vote.  Her spokesperson Ben Marter responded once but never with any available times for an interview.
• Immediately after Mexican President Calderon’s address to Congress I sent an email to Marter asking if Congresswoman Markey stood and applauded when Calderon criticized the new Arizona law on illegal immigration.  I also asked if she supported his characterization of Mexico’s violent crime being traced to the US and the sunset of the “assault weapons ban.”
• On Saturday, I sent an email asking her position on legislation requiring states to allow collective bargaining for first responders, especially considering that both Fort Collins and Weld County voters have rejected such measures.

Markey delivers for UPS but not answers for voters.  Thanks to WhoSaidYouSaid for keeping an eye on Betsy Markey.

A little noticed article in the Fort Collins Coloradoan raises some big questions.  The newspaper reports that bills introduced into both the House and Senate would provide tax cuts for small breweries such as the Fort Collins Brewery and New Belgium Brewing Company.  The purpose of both pieces of legislation is too make the breweries more competitive with larger breweries and to create jobs:

Paul Gatza, director of the Boulder-based Brewers Association, said research conducted at Harvard indicates that the bill would create 2,700 jobs in the first 12 to 18 months and an additional 375 for the next four years for the nation’s breweries.

‘A company the size of New Belgium could save around 12 percent on its annual federal excise bill every year,’ Gatza said. ‘For everyone else in the Fort Collins region, it would mean a 50 percent cut on federal excise tax.’

Congresswoman Betsy Markey, whose district includes both the Fort Collins Brewery and New Belgium Brewing Company , is a co-sponsor of the House bill.

Now for the rest of the story…

Does Markey’s support for tax cuts signal a change in economic and political philosophy?  Could the woman who voted yes on Cap and Trade and ObamaCare, two enormous tax increases, suddenly realize that tax cuts actually spur economic activity and create jobs? Color me skeptical.

Or could her support for the tax cuts be for a different purpose?  According to the Federal Election Commission, New Belgium founder Jeff Lebesch and CEO Kim Jordan donated $4800 each to her campaign. I’ll let you decide, but at least now you know the rest of the story.

In video captured by Who Said You Said, Congresswoman Betsy Markey asks “since when did hope and change become a bad thing?”

I’ll answer that. When the national debt exploded and now is over $13 trillion, more than $42,000 for every man, woman and child in the United States. And if they have the nerve to be taxpayers, then their share of the debt is more than $117,000. Throw in ObamaCare, “stimulus,” nearly 10 percent unemployment, cash for clunkers, card check,  cap and tax and other reckless spending, and I can honestly say that under this Congress and the Obama administration, hope and change are horrible things.

The Denver Post, in a house editorial, appropriately asks “What are Colorado Democrats up to?”

The question is in reference to HB 1408, recently introduced redistricting legislation that would strike all statutory “neutral criteria for judicial determination of congressional districts.”  In other words, let our courts redistrict at will. Think CD 7, with its odd shape that includes northwest Denver Metro communities from Wheat Ridge, Arvada and Lakewood to rural, eastern Adams County.

The current criteria is supposed to help ensure that Colorado’s congressional districts

• Are as much as possible,  mathematically equal to one another based on population.
• Do not unnecessarily divide political subdivisions such as counties, cities and towns.
• Do not unnecessarily divide communities of interest that are connected by factors such as ethnicity, culture, economy, trade area, geography and demographics such as the Western Slope or the Eastern Plains.
• Are as compact and simply drawn as possible.

Again, think CD 7 and that’s with the statutory criteria.

So again, what are the Colorado Democrats up to?  The Post answers its own question:

Democratic leadership has introduced a bill that would whack a big part of congressional redistricting law from the books.

Just house cleaning, the Democrats say, not to worry.

Color us skeptical.

Nothing is more political than the re-drawing of congressional boundaries, and both political parties have engaged in their share of strategy (and shenanigans) over the years to better position themselves to capture or retain seats in Congress.

As I reported, via Boulder Democrat blogger David Thielen, the Democrats plan to redistrict to keep seats safe — in particular Betsy Markey’s. Democrat Congressman Jared Polis answered the Post’s question at the Boulder County Democrat Assembly when he said:

Now going in to speaking for Betsy Markey - “the fighting 4^th Congressional District.” Talking about the tremendous impact and difference that Betsy has made (boy is that true!). Then discusses getting Betsy in this time, then with redistricting we can make her seat safe (I think Betsy can hold it without redistricting - but hey, every little bit helps)

So the answer is that Colorado Democrats want to redistrict to their advantage.

It’s no news flash that Congresswoman Betsy Markey’s bid for a second term to represent the 4th CD is in doubt.  However, if Markey wins re-election and Democrats retain control in the state house, they have plans to make sure Markey’s seat is never again in jeopardy.

David Thielen, a Boulder County Democrat and contributor to the Huffington Post, blogged during the county assembly and provided some insight as to their strategy courtesy of Democrat Congressman Jared Polis who spoke on Markey’s behalf:

Now going in to speaking for Betsy Markey - “the fighting 4^th Congressional District.” Talking about the tremendous impact and difference that Betsy has made (boy is that true!). Then discusses getting Betsy in this time, then with redistricting we can make her seat safe (I think Betsy can hold it without redistricting - but hey, every little bit helps)

In other words, the Democrats plan to change the boundaries of the 4th CD to Markey’s benefit. Republicans in the 4th CD, consider yourself warned. As I said at the Weld County GOP assembly when I spoke on behalf of Scott McInnis, the election of 2010 is the most important in a very long time.