Ritter lays out renewable-energy plan -
Rocky Mountain News-April 27,2006

Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter released a seven- point plan Tuesday that he says would combat rising fuel costs while creating jobs in the state. Ritter endorsed an ambitious goal of generating 25 percent of the nation's energy from renewable resources by 2025.

" Colorado needs strong, responsible leadership that offers 21st-century answers to what has become one of our most urgent and important problems," Ritter said.
Both Republican candidates for governor, Congressman Bob Beauprez and businessman Marc Holtzman, also have said they support renewable energy but neither has released as detailed a plan as Ritter.

In touting his "New Energy Economy," Ritter offered a mix of investment in renewable energy, higher efficiency standards and greater research and development in cleaner fossil fuels.

Ritter noted that Colorado grows corn and soybeans that could be used to produce ethanol and bio-diesel fuels. He also pointed to the windy Plains as an ideal location for turbines that can generate electricity through wind power.
Ritter said that beyond natural resources, Colorado also boasts a brain trust that he would bring together to work on energy policy. He said the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the state's universities, entrepreneurs, ranchers and farmers would all be called on to advise his administration.

" In conversations with people in the renewable-energy industries, I can tell you, they are hungry for leadership," Ritter said. By investing in cleaner energy, Ritter said, the state also could reduce greenhouse gases that threaten tourism and Colorado's water supply.

" We aren't talking about global warming; we're talking about local warming," Ritter said, pointing to a recent study on climate change that showed the Colorado ski industry could face extinction by 2050

Dems will have choices at primary
By Kiersten J. Mayer
Staff Writer, Douglas County News-Press
04/13/2006

Local Democrats will have choices in multiple primary races come Aug. 8, including Senate District 30, House District 43 and county commissioner in District 1. Some party members attribute low voter turnout by Democrats to a lack of primaries in Douglas County." We believe that four contested primaries among well-qualified [Democratic] candidates will encourage many to change registration and participate in the August process," said Maritza Carrera, Highlands Ranch district captain and county assessor candidate. Paul Thompson, chairman of the Douglas County Democrats, said party members are excited to have primaries.
" Old-timers in the party now don't remember that happening here, and now we have four of them," he said.There's a possibility of having Democratic candidates for all contested races in Douglas County, which hasn't happened in many years, he said.

Democratic candidates competing in virtually all local races is healthy, said Mark Sheffel, chair for the Douglas County Republicans. The parties put forth their best candidates based on the strength of our message. For the Republican Party, competition is welcome. " The fact that there are Democrats in [Douglas County] races is a good thing because it provides a good opportunity for Republicans to put out to the voters their message," he said. "We want to win, not because we're the only candidate who's running, but because of the strength of our message."
Sheffel said he and fellow Republicans maintain that message and what their party's candidates offer to the electorate is better than what is offered by their Democratic counterparts.

Douglas County has more than 28,000 active registered Democratic voters out of almost 137,000 active registered voters. Republicans have about 71,000 active voters. Douglas County has nearly 37,000 unaffiliated voters.
" We have an opportunity now to change the rubber-stamping of development and to consider, seriously, the need for mitigation of the effects of development," said Jerri Hill, Democratic candidate for District 1 county commissioner. Hill, an attorney from Parker, ran unsuccessfully for district attorney in 2004. Developers should have technical expertise and proof of the availability of resources rather than letters of intent to provide resources or services, she said. Hill said she's not a no-growth candidate, but sees difficulties with uncontrolled growth - especially for water and traffic issues.

Open space is also a priority for her as it has been for the present county commission, and Hill wants to expand that open space philosophy.
The historically strong Republican presence in Douglas County isn't a matter of dominance versus non-dominance, said Sheffel.

The electorate of a county is a constantly changing and dynamic factor and the role and the goal of Republicans is reaching out and convincing people that the Republican Party and Republican candidates offer the best representation and the best. " We have been very successful at that over the years and anticipate continuing to be successful," he said. "But that's because it's a continuing process not because one reaches dominance. We're certainly not going to rest on our laurels and be cocky based on past success."

The last day to change party affiliation for the August primary is July 10, said Carole Murray, Douglas County clerk and recorder.
Unaffiliated voters may declare a party at the polls and vote with that party's ballot at that time. Those who are already on county voter rolls as affiliated with a party may not change parties at the polls, she said.

In House District 43, Democrats Ed Behen or Allen Dreher will face either Republican Frank McNulty or Bryant Doyle in the November general election. Lois Huff has announced her bid for House District 44 against Mike May, R-Parker. House District 45 will be filled by assembly in May.

In Senate District 30, Democrats in August's primary will choose Shelly Tokerud or Craig Ziesman to run against Republicans Ted Harvey or Mark Baisley.
In Douglas County, Democratic candidates include Barbara Horan for clerk and recorder; Kim Steenhoek for treasurer; Maritza Carrera for assessor; Karen Yankus for coroner; Gordon Brown or Jerri Hill for District 1 county commissioner; Kevin Land or Laura Harper O'Donnell for sheriff. A candidate for county surveyor will be chosen by the party's vacancy committee.

Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.

To The Point..
by Joel LaChance (Denver Post, April 14, 2006)

In my mind, the bottom line on immigration is this: Are U.S. consumers willing to pay more for goods and services if businesses hire only documented workers?

Local Legislators missed their chance for
C and D input
By Jerry and Joel Lachance- 2/2/06
http://www.highlandsranchherald.com

Remember the story of the "Little Red Hen"? The little red hen worked tirelessly to make a fresh loaf of bread. She planted the wheat and carefully tended it. She then cut the wheat, ground it into flour and made a fresh loaf of bread. All the while she asked her friends for help. They refused. But when the loaf of bread was done, they wanted to eat it and enjoy it along with the little red hen.
That story came to my mind after reading "Legislators eye Ref C Funds" HR Herald, Jan. 26, 2006. Let us explain. Neither our State Representative, Ted Harvey, nor our State Senator, John Evans, campaigned for nor supported the passing of Referendum C and D. Yet now both are quick to give input on just how the money from the passing of Referenda C should be spent! Where were they during the bi-partisan campaign for Referendum C and D? Republican Governor Bill Owens, along with many other Republicans in our state, as well as Democratic Leader of the House Andrew Romanoff, the Democratic Party, and countless businesses composed of people from both parties, Chambers of Commerce across the state, worked side by side to promote the passing of these Referenda. But let it be said, many Republicans, who are now discussing how the money should be spent, did not indeed support either Referendum.
Of course Referenda D did not pass, which was primarily earmarked for transportation - just where Evans and Harvey would like to see the money spent! Now that there is money available from Referendum C, (which was specifically earmarked for K-12 and Higher Education and Health Care), they now want to use the money to improve transportation projects in Douglas County. Where were Harvey and Evans when others were promoting the passage of these Referenda? Sure we all would like to see roads improved not just in Douglas County but across our state. But the fact remains, Harvey and Evans let our county down when they did not support these Referenda.
If Referenda D had passed the Ridgegate Interchange at I-25 in Douglas County would have been a done deal - funds for that interchange would have been there without dispute.
Shouldn't our legislators be held accountable for what the people voted for? Next time such legislation comes around, perhaps Harvey and Evans will work as hard as the Little Red Hen. But, do they even deserve a next time around ?

I would like the opportunity to respond last week's very uninformed letter to the editor by my counterpart Rick Murray, Chair of the Highlands Ranch Republican breakfast.
Rick, please ask your kids to "Google" the words "Highlands Ranch Democrats" for you. You will discover that Highlands Ranch is home to one of the most vibrant Democratic constituencies in Colorado.
We did not wait for Ken to act on your cue to organize the local Democrats. We started two years ago, and now offer over four venues a month for Democrats to meet in Highlands Ranch. Rick, while you may not know we exist, other local Republican leaders know us and many of your disenfranchised constituents have found places to actually think about issues and socialize with like-minded residents in our community - our monthly book club, movie club and socials.
Your base should worry about a leader that does not know basic facts about its opposition. Let me clue you in. The Highlands Ranch Democrats meet at the Library on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. State leaders like Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff have been our guests. We even made the front page of the Herald on that occasion. So much for not bringing interesting speakers. Bill Winter, now running in Congressional district 6 against Tom Tancredo has been a regular since we started.
An eye exam might also help you see our Adopt A Highway sign on westbound C-470 at University. Simply paying attention to the most basic political document - the Ballot - should have gotten your attention too. For the first time ever, in 2004, there was a Democrat on each line of a typical Highlands Ranch ballot.
Rick, another technological marvel is an Excel spreadsheet. Using it shows things that we both know. In Highlands Ranch, Republicans far outnumber Democrats in registration. Using it competently shows that our candidates score about double our registration numbers, and that Highlands Ranch has a tendency to vote left of center on many issues such as Fastracks. As for Referendum C, while Douglas County voted 49-51 against, HD 43, which approximates Highlands Ranch, voted 54-46 for. Might it be because our ground organization is getting stronger every day? Or might it be because we make politics fun and healthy for mind and body - no eggs and bacon at our meetings...
By the way Rick, you mention in your letter that the press is "privileged" to attend your monthly meetings. Unlike you, it is we who feel privileged when the press attends our meetings. And another detail - we never charge anyone to attend any of our meetings. A little less arrogance and little more homework are in order Rick!

One of your letter writers attempted to educate us this week on the "liberal slant" of the Highlands Ranch Herald. Sadly, his list of charges is typical of those who see "liberal" bogeymen everywhere they look.
In fact, if the Herald were guilty of even one of those charges, he should have been able to provide a specific example. I went back and looked, but no, there weren't any in his letter. It should have been easy if his claims were true.
Although the unproven charges and lack of specifics in recent weeks have been disturbing, the widespread usage of labels is even more disturbing. Why do so many people have such a devotion to labels? When people use these labels, they switch off their brains and stop listening.
They believe that the labelee isn't really human, and doesn't deserve respect. When they apply these labels to the media, they reject anything they see or read that doesn't conform to their view of the world. When they use these labels on elected officials or candidates for office, they can easily question their motives, or see evil in everything they say or do. I challenge all of your letter writers and columnists to think about what they say. How would things be different if we actually debated the issues honestly with facts and logic, instead of wasting time by calling each other names or by hurling insults.
This weekend at church, my pastor asked, "Are we descendants of the Pharisees, or of Christ?" It seems that those who insist on labeling people are the new Pharisees - quick to judge and slow to feel compassion or understanding. The next time you feel compelled to use one of those labels, ask yourself, "What label would Jesus use?" and then act accordingly. You might be surprised at the results!
P.S. Yes, I did run for the Colorado legislature in 2004, and yes, I did lose my race. I am not ashamed of the results, and anyone who thinks that they can insult me or hurt my feelings because of my loss is sorely mistaken. I am proud to have been part of American democracy in action, and I hope I stand as an example to everyone who believes in America and in the right of the voters to have a choice when they cast their ballots. This is not the Soviet Union and we do not live in a single-party dictatorship. I respect every American who puts themselves and their reputation on the line by being a candidate for public office, no matter what party they represent, and everyone else should, too.

June Brown wanted to put a neutral bumper sticker on her car. The 79-year-old housewife-turned-political-activist didn't want to alienate her Republican neighbors with her first-ever bumper sticker.
The "if you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention," sticker on her '94 Oldsmobile, the family's second car, does not align itself with one party or another, June said. "The old adage is don't talk about religion, sex or politics," Gordon Brown, June's husband, said. But June and Gordon said they are tired of not talking and are ready to start acting. Instead of sleeping late, dealing gin rummy or playing golf, the couple will be spending their retirement organizing.
The two formed the Lone Tree Democrats, whose members have been crawling out of the woodwork one by one since the group's first meeting in August.
The group has been in the works since last spring when the couple met up with another likeminded Lone Tree resident. "We all expressed the feeling that we were the only Democrats in Lone Tree," said 79-year-old Gordon, a retired chemical engineer and former Republican.
Much to the trio's surprise, nearly 550 Lone Tree residents are registered Democrats in three of 10 precincts. After sending letters to each household, 25 party faithfuls showed up for the first meeting. "We thought maybe two people would come. We were shocked," June said. The library closed at 9 p.m., forcing the newly formed group to continue its first meeting in the parking lot.
In conjunction with the Highlands Ranch Democrats, the group will be sponsoring the Progressive Movie Club, which will show liberally slanted movies alternately at the Lone Tree and Highlands Ranch libraries. The next movie, "Weapons of Mass Deception," will show at the Lone Tree Library Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. And although the movies often lean to the far left, Gordon said the Lone Tree Democrats will avoid "single issue" politics and strive to create an open forum for the free exchange of ideas. "We don't want to preach," Gordon said. "We want to educate and look at issues in their entirety as opposed to some ideologically fixed viewpoint."
At the next meeting, Jan. 10, Dianne Bailey, vice chair of the Douglas County Democrats, plans to educate the group about precinct organizing.
In a power-point presentation accompanying a conference call by party chair Howard Dean, a graph showed that only 10 more votes per precinct would have changed the election in 2004. "Our major thrust right now is to get to work and make a difference in the 2006 election."
The group says it would like to activate each of the 10 precincts in Lone Tree before election time.
Bill Winters, the candidate running against Rep. Tom Tancredo in the 6th Congressional District, is scheduled to speak to the group March 14. The group meets the second Tuesday of every month in Room A of the Lone Tree Civic Center at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Gordon Brown at 303-790-8264.
http://www.lonetreevoice.com.

I found last week's letters about Bill Winter's challenge to Tom Tancredo to be quite interesting. One writer wasted no time in trotting out the L-word, accusing reporter Robyn Lydick of a "liberal slant," whatever that is. The writer didn't see fit to provide any examples of bias, though, but did manage to include several misrepresentations. The writer claimed, "She even allowed Mr. Winter to accuse Rep. Tancredo of running a 'Crusade,' which is an obvious anti-Christian statement..." However, the actual quote from Bill was, "I'm not on a crusade and I don't have an agenda." This Christian didn't sure see any mention of Tancredo in that quote, or any attacks on my religion, either. In fact, a group called "U.S. Border Control," which often reports favorably on Tancredo's immigration-related activities, has a highly complimentary story about Tom and his "crusade."
Another writer twisted Bill Winters comments about Tancredo's failure to represent the interests of the Sixth District into a diatribe about "pork" spending. Despite the fact that Colorado houses several large military installations and defense contractors, for every dollar Colorado sends to Washington, D.C. in taxes, only 80 cents comes back in federal spending! It sure doesn't seem unreasonable to ask what Tancredo has done for his district, but Bill was attacked for simply pointing out this disparity!
It's not surprising that Tancredo's votes don't match the views of his constituents on jobs, education, health care, the environment, or national defense, since most of his money comes from PACs whose interests are diametrically opposed to the needs of real people in our district. As for pork spending, Tancredo talks a good game, but his voting record is nearly 100% aligned with the champion of pork, Texan Tom Delay, who is currently under criminal indictment for corruption. We should also note that Tancredo has been one of the top recipients of campaign cash from Tom Delay.
There is nothing biased about making sure that everyone in our district knows the truth about Tom Tancredo. This is a man who has pledged to abolish public education, who has publicly backed terrorists in Iraq, who lied when he said he would only serve three terms in Congress, and who accepted tainted cash from Tom Delay. It seems to me that we're the ones who deserve an apology - from Tancredo.

Round Four of ‘"Thrilla" in America
by Frank R. Morris
http://www.dougzilla.org

Prepare! The 2006 onslaught of the Karl Rove Hate and Fear Show is about to begin. This media circus has worked for two Presidential elections and one Congressional election. The idea is to scare the living Beelzebub out of Americans that “coming in your neighborhood soon are the evil terrorists who will blast you, drug you, chemically destroy your family, and biologically reduce you to blobs of protoplasm” Scouts honor! Card one: Security.

It does not matter where you live. The Scourge is coming. The Black Death. The Big Bad Wolf. Mongols and Vikings have formed an alliance. There will be a mushroom cloud in your future - and here’s the catch - unless you vote for Republicans. It’s a matter of national security, children! Only testosterone-driven Neo-Cons can make this country safe. The weenie Democrats are asleep at the switch and do not know that the enemy is at the gates.

I can sniff the ads emanating from the pig yard. “Vote Republican! Why? Because the Wimp faction - those sissy girly-men - don’t have a pint of fight among the lot of them. Where is their chest hair? Where were they when we were attacking Iraq? They don’t have guts. They want to negotiate and use diplomacy and follow silly surrender games with the U.N Not us Republicans. Each white man of us knows might is right, power should be used in a Shock and Awe fashion, and that the only thing terrorists understand is what comes out of the barrel of a gun! And, as for guns, we think everyone in America should be wearing one on her or his hip. That’s the solution to everything. No terrorist will want to come to our country once we are armed with 50 caliber sniper rifles in every home. Security is the issue! Raise the color on the Terrorist bar code. (Anything to win, anything to scare Americans to vote R, anything to sway public opinion will be used in extremis).

Pardon me while I barf.

Card Two. War President. George Bush is the War President. He has been the War President since 9/11. The War President needs a sympathetic Congress. If Dems were to win, they might question the Iraq War instigated by the War President. That would be bad, bad, bad. Why? Because democracies must flourish in the Mideast and the Iraq War initiated by the War President cannot be challenged by unpatriotic Senators or Congressmen who do not agree with everything said by the War President. (There is no need to instigate a reality check and point out that terrorists have multiplied since Bush’s war, Hamas won the Palestinian democratic election or that, in Iraq’s December elections, a Shia theocracy won out in Southern Iraq thereby cancelling rights for women and the Kurds in the North want their own country. Why is reality ignored? Because we have a War President who has the bully pulpit with the media).

Remember, kiddies, that the Iraq War is really about the War on Terrorism. Only an extreme cynic would think that it had anything to do with oozing oil. If you oppose the War President you are for the terrorists. No doubt about it. Bush is the War President and he can spy on American citizens, jail American citizens as enemy combatants without legal options, and torture people if he wants to because he is “protecting the American People. 9/11. 9/11. 9/11. 9/11. 9/11. Hail to the Chief.

Card Three. God. The word “God” has been used to justify a thousand wars including the present one. If you haven’t noticed, Pat R., Jerry F., and James Dobson are frequently on mainline media trumping war and the War President. Ugly liberal Christians, Muslims, and Jews are not invited to speak on television. The Pat, Jerry and James show contain ultimate truth so why should anyone else be allowed an opinion? If you do, you are in danger of hellfire. Who wants to spend the next several trillion years burning without even a glass of water handy?

In days gone by there was a song for children in churches: “Jesus wants you for a sunbeam to shine throughout the land”. Now the song is apparently changed to “God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and all the angels in heaven want you to vote Republican. Otherwise, you are an immoral, hateful, nasty, trash-talking Democrat”. So, if you want to join the moral majority, love your family, and get ice cream on Sundays, you must-have to-ought vote R. Watch out and don’t shout because Santa Claus is coming to town.

God - the Ultimate Weapon. St. Rove wants this card waved to high heaven.

Card Four: Taxes. In old Chicago days, the way to get votes was to give a beer to a drunk, buy a bottle of Ripple for a wino, or purchase a burger for someone in welfare housing. “Vote early and often” was the motto. Now, the Republican pitch is to cut taxes. “It’s not the government’s money, it’s the people’s money” whines Governor Owens of Colorado. Lecherous old democrats “tax and spend”. If you believe in mindless bureaucracies, big government, and giving your hard earned money to D.C. politicians, you are a blood-greedy Democrat..

Less is more. Subtraction is multiplication. We can wage war and cut taxes. The deficit is nothing. We can afford guns and butter and cut taxes. Do you believe in college aid, building infrastructure, or, Godlets forbid, helping people or solid helping yourself? Vote Republican.

For any idle egg head professor who thinks cold reason can influence American voting by pointing out that government and special interest hand-outs have grown recently, don’t waste your breath. Propaganda is all. Truth has nothing to do with perception. As long as the media is complicit, Democrats fail in attacking back, and the War President has the bully pulpit, reality is dead. The tax con is just as good as the Chicago Machine's buying of a wino, drunk, or bum.
*************************************************************************

Well, there you have it: Karl Rove's winning formula in a nutshell.

Will the American People actually awaken and discover there are no nuts under any of the four shells in the political shell game? Or will they keep nuts in office?

A big 'boo-hoo' to the two opinion writers in the December 22, 2005 Herald. It sounds like they feel a bit threatened that Douglas County may actually have a challenger to go up against Congressman Tom Tancredo. Leave it to far right extremists to start their attacks and lies early on the very able challenger Bill Winter.
The first sign of this smear campaign is their cry about "the liberal media." Now that's a good one, especially here in Highlands Ranch. How sad it is that ideologues cry "liberal media" when a story is contrary to their expected propaganda. Herald reporter Robyn Lydick has written pieces ad nauseam about the monthly Republican breakfast meetings and the numerous Republicans that represent our county and state Rep. Ted Harvey, the county commissioners, Attorney General John Suthers, etc. And, what about the fact that for the past year right wing columnist Mark Schoenrock has written a weekly dribble in the Herald with no counterbalance. Liberal? Yeah, right!
The two writers must have taken a page out of Karl Rove's campaign strategy book, too. They were both attempting to spin what Bill Winter actually said in the Dec. 8 article. Nowhere in the article did Winter ever state he thought Tancredo should have sponsored "more pork." Preposterous. This is an educated community; do they really believe that these misrepresentations will fly here?
It was also hilarious to see that one of the writers called for the Herald's editor to reject publishing Ms. Lydick's interview with a newly announced 2006 candidate for Congressional District 6. Since the article had been printed, the writer then said the Herald should "issue an apology to Rep. Tancredo on these pages." Are we to expect a newspaper to issue an apology for printing an interview with a political candidate? Since when does a newspaper editor cut stories just because it doesn't suit a political agenda?
Oh, that's right; this is the way our newspapers are supposed to work in America today. That is, to print one side, one opinion, and one ideology with all other ideas couched as un-American. Well, I believe most of the thinking residents here, of any political persuasion, find that reprehensible.

This is a test. This is only a test. Well, actually, not only a test. I am curious, though, if this will be printed.
Why would I think that it wouldn't be? In the past few weeks I've spoken to several Highlands Ranch residents that have sent opinion letters to the editor of the Herald over the last nine months - all of them on different issues and none of which have been printed. I'm sure most of the readers of this paper have noticed the lack of opinions, too. Our voices have been strangely silent for many months.
However, in the November 10 issue of the Herald, I saw that the Highlands Ranch Metro Districts General Manager Terry Nolan is now writing a column. Yes, our local community officials are able to write a monthly column explaining their upcoming initiative to consolidate the Metro Boards. Do they have a right to do this? Of course. However, the problem comes in when the citizens aren't allowed to have a dialogue about this issue, or any other issue, in the "free press." I certainly hope Editor Jeremy Bangs hasn't forgotten that journalists owe their loyalty to the public, not governmental or corporate entities.
If you're reading this letter now, there may still be a glimmer of hope that Highlands Ranch residents will be able to speak up on an issue and provide another view in our local community paper. We should all be watching for, and participating in, the discussions.

He's a native-born Coloradan, adoptee, former teacher, coach, veteran of two branches of service, former aide to Sen. John McCain and an attorney. He has worked as a civilian contractor on the Top Gun aircraft.
Now he wants to be the Democratic representative for Congressional District 6.
He announced his intentions Nov. 28. His federal election paperwork is filed. He will file soon with the Colorado Secretary of State's office.
Bill Winter graduated from Littleton High School in 1982 and left for Marine boot camp at 17.
"The first thing they have you do is sign the oath of enlistment where you swear to defend the country from all enemies, foreign and domestic," Winter said. "That oath is still binding. I served my time, 10 years, fighting foreign threats. It's to fight the domestic threats that I want to run for office."
Winter said serving would continue what he has done for his life: serve people and serve the nation. "I was approached and recruited to run," he said. "Left to my own devices, I would not have run."
That doesn't mean he thinks he will simply be a candidate taking on a Republican incumbent to show that some Democrats live in Douglas, Jefferson and Arapahoe counties.
"I think I can win," he said "There is no question I am 10,000 times more qualified than (Rep.)Tom Tancredo. For one, I really am from here and second, I actually care about people. I'm not on a crusade and I don't have an agenda. I will represent all the people of the district. I won't be owned by the Democratic Party."
The registered Democrat has critiques of both his party and the Republicans.
"Reagan, Bush senior and, to an extent, Clinton, promoted policies that benefit the wealthy," Winter said. "Money stayed and grew with the wealthy but we have the resources to allow everyone to be reasonably well-off to some point. Look at how much money sped away with the rest of us struggling for basic needs like health care. We need a new paradigm in this country."
Polarization between the Republican and Democratic parties is a symptom of a fractured country, Winter said. "That started with the Reagan campaign and really came to a head with the (George) Bush-(Michael) Dukakis race (in 1988) with Lee Atwater (former President George Bush's campaign manager) and his protégé Karl Rove's campaigns," Winter said. "The electorate is split in half with 50 percent so discouraged they don't participate. We need to get past Rs and Ds. We need to stop saluting donkeys and elephants and salute our flag."
The Democrats have also dropped the ball, Winter said."Democrats have failed very badly, take abortion for example. Pro-choice versus pro-life. That's a BS choice. Pro freedom is how I'd redefine it. Conservatives need to get out of private life. They have been shoving the federal government into private life as much as possible. And they say the Democrats are for a nanny state, when they try to tell us who we can and cannot marry, what to do with our reproductive organs and what we can and cannot do at the end of our life."
On abortion, Winter said both sides really have the same desire: as few abortions as possible. "We need to provide access to family planning, contraception, and health care," he said. "It's no coincidence that the abortion rate dropped under Clinton and raised under Bush."
Congressional District 6 is not truly represented in Washington, D.C., Winter said. "Tom Tancredo is filling a seat, but he isn't representing CD6. Of 435 representatives, he is in the bottom 10 for getting things done for his district. There's a guy from Alaska who gets a $500,000 bridge built to an island of 50 people and this schmuck hasn't brought anything home. No legislation has passed under his name, he's not getting federal funding, he's just off on his crusade."
Winter also opposes continued involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Anytime you go to war, you have failed, failed as human beings, failed to find a solution. War is not an answer," he said. "There are exceptions, the Civil War and World War II, we had to stop Hitler and Mussolini and the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia more recently."
After the war, the nation will need to heal from scars made by the deep divisions over the war. "I am going to Washington to unite the district and the county. I'm not going out bashing on Tancredo. Democrats in 2004 didn't run for something, but against George Bush. I want to run for the interests of CD6. We can have unity despite whatever differences we have," Winter said. "The reason we fight each other is a divide and conquer mentality. Let's talk about what we have in common. I'll listen to what people want from the federal government. I'll listen and then go and get it. The bottom line is I work for them. I think Tancredo has forgotten that."
To contact Robyn Lydick, e-mail rlydick@ccnewspapers.net or call 303-794-1606 ext. 1007.

In his Oct. 27 column, Mark Schoenrock says that we must "stay the course" in Iraq. Unfortunately, the Bush administration has never had a consistent policy for Iraq in the first place.
On Sept. 17, 2001, Bush said that Osama bin Laden was the "prime suspect" in the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. On March 13, 2002, talking about Osama bin Laden, Bush said, "...I don't know where he is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him."
In August 2003, Condoleezza Rice said, "Let us be very clear about why we went to war against Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein's regime posed a threat to the security of the United States and the world. This was a regime that had pursued, had used, and possessed weapons of mass destruction." Weapons inspectors have since verified that there were no weapons of mass destruction of any significance in Iraq after 1994.
In November 2003, Bush changed his mind about WMDs and national security. Bush's war in Iraq was now part of an American obligation to extend freedom and democracy throughout the Middle East.
Dick Cheney is still claiming that Saddam Hussein and al-Queda had worked together, implying that Hussein was personally involved with al-Qaeda's terrorist actions on September 11, 2001, even though no evidence has been found to support this claim.
Now, Bush has a new reason. Bush wants to sacrifice American troops to keep Iraqi oil fields out of the hands of insurgents, even though he has insisted all along that oil had nothing to do with invading Iraq.
Schoenrock tells us that 116 Iraqi military and police battalions are operational, whatever that means. Yet, America's top generals testified before the U.S. Senate just a couple of weeks ago that the war in Iraq is going worse than ever, and that only one out of 119 Iraqi army and security battalions can operate by itself in combat situations without U.S. military backup. This means that after 30 months of U.S. efforts, only 750 men out of 200,000 can be relied upon to operate and obey orders independently in combat situations.
The truth of the matter is that Bush and Cheney, et al, wanted to remove Saddam Hussein through any means necessary, and they justified their decision by fixing intelligence regarding terrorism and WMDs. High-ranking officials within the Bush administration also committed treason in mid-2003 when they disclosed the name of an undercover CIA agent in a bungled attempt to silence critics of their Iraq war policies, and then tried to cover up their actions.
Schoenrock says that the media doesn't report the good news in Iraq because of media bias. The sad truth is that the media doesn't report the good news in Iraq because there isn't any good news to report.

Authoritarianism and Reason
By Frank R. Morris

In Autumn 2005 the majority of the American People have finally caught on to the gross incompetence of the George W. Bush Administration. They are beginning to understand the crony capitalism, the greed, and the value decisions that mean long term harm to our country.- items like the enormous deficit, the lack of investment in infrastructure, the miserable foreign policy that has alienated the world, the failed Iraq War that may inflame the entire Mideast, and the increase of poverty that bodes problems for the future.

No matter the demonstrated ineptness in daily decisions by the White House, about forty per cent of the populace still cling to Bush. It is astounding. How do they manage to hang in there despite the preponderance of data? Certainly, some inherited the Republican label, don’t study issues, and ignore and quickly dismiss any data that argues against their old position. Some fear the loss of a Republican identity since the historic issues of their party are under siege within and, therefore, cling all the more fiercely to this Administration as their last hope. Then there are those who have benefitted by the tax cuts and make their decisions on their own bottom line - I hesitate to call them ‘greed heads’.

After adding all the above followers, we are left in the mid-twenties in terms of support for George W. Bush. To view and listen to these folk is to encounter a form of cognitive bewilderment. They have a ready rap gleaned from the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, and O’Reilly. Still, those shrill and fascistic voices, in and of themselves, could not accomplish the feat against the mounting mountain of evidence that shows the descent of our country under the failed leadership of Bush and Cheney. What, then, is the common element of ex-military, fundamentalist evangelicals, and the angry white male southerner - the three largest groups of supporters? It is certainly not that the military has been helped with the recklessness of Iraq, that the truth, love and justice of Jesus has been furthered, nor that the historic Republican view of small federal government has been championed in the past five years.

The answer must come from a look at Twentieth Century history and analytic psychology.

I
Followers and the Authoritarian Personality

The Jewish community during the Twentieth Century were specially attuned to the Authoritarian Mind because pogroms, persecutions and everyday prejudice stemmed, repeatedly, from those of that mind-set. Joseph Adorno, Hannah Arendt and writers of Holocaust literature repeatedly showed how mindless followers adapt to authoritarian figures who come on like they are pure, know all, and are beyond reproach. The historical judgment is that it is those of the Authoritarian Mind who are ultimately the most dangerous, They literally approach the Bible, the Constitution, and religious creeds in a zombie-like mode. They keep a tight rein on emotions and maintain equilibrium by repression of anything challenging their system. They fear that, if they are not so tight wound, they would be licentious. In other words, they live by moralistic (not moral) self-righteousness. (Given just that little bit of information, it is clear why the remaining Republicans are fierce on sexual issues and hate someone like Bill Clinton). In our time, the person of this persuasion looks to Cheney, then Rumsfeld, then Rice, then Bush, then one of the radio, television, or blogs that give the pablum of total baby security.

The seldom spoken truth is that the person chained to the Authoritarian Mind never grows up. He or she swings from teat to teat through life, from one supposed authority to another, with the continuity being the refusal to own individuality and personal freedom. This is quite ironic because the rhetoric of those with this personality makeup inevitably develop rhetoric that emphasizes others to be mature and responsible. The foundational truth is, however, that their rhetoric means to live a life of repression of basic human needs and wants. The result is unfortunately a troop of automatons - men of business, clerics, true believers, and obedient housewives who follow the dictates of authoritarian husbands. This is not pretty, but my task in this paper is to explain how, against all evidence, this group still clings to the hem of the Bush Administration.

The person who risks individuality is not so inclined. Having given up sugar teats, the person looks at science, at literature, at art, and, for that matter, all of past and present life for honest clues on truth, love, and justice. The chained are not so. They fear such freedom. They hunker down into the next bit of absoluteness (and absolution) provided by a preacher, a business man, a talking head, a politicia