TheracetosoundlikeRepublicansison

The race to sound like Republicans is on for Colorado Democrats

posted at 9:21 pm on August 4, 2014 by Mary Katharine Ham

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Here’s Andrew Romanoff’s first ad. I’ll give him audacity, standing in a beautiful Western landscape dotted with doomsday infographics where bison should be with a D next to his name and claiming to be for balanced federal budgets. Rich. Romanoff is running against Rep. Mike Coffman, one of national Democrats’ top targets. Romanoff was on the national scene most recently in 2010 when he lost the Democratic primary for Senate to Michael Bennett.

The Denver Post:

It’s an ad that Romanoff hopes will cast him as financially responsible in a district where he needs to win over plenty of moderates.

But the ad drew howls from Republicans who questioned Romanoff’s sincerity and picked apart his state legislative record.

“Let’s hope Speaker Romanoff is booking this advertisement on Comedy Central, because the idea Romanoff is a fiscal conservative is comedic,” said a statement from Coffman’s campaign manager, Tyler Sandberg. “As the Democratic leader of the State House, Romanoff led the crusade against fiscal restraint. He crammed down over a billion dollars in new taxes and fees on senior homeowners and small businesses and championed numerous outlandish taxing and borrowing schemes rejected by Colorado voters.”

In other adventures in emergency moderation, Gov. John Hickenlooper, Sen. Mark Udall, and Romanoff, as reported in Politico, have all three come out against environmental activists’ anti-fracking measures, which are supposed to be on the ballot this fall. First, Hickenlooper scrambled to subvert the effort with some kind of compromise legislation but failed. Today, he and the very liberal Rep. Jared Polis, who had formerly backed the measures, got together to decide that Polis would pull his support, allowing his deeply held values take one for the team.

That agreement among Gov. John Hickenlooper, Rep. Jared Polis, environmental groups and the oil and gas industry creates an 18-member task force that will study fracking in Colorado and present recommendations to the state legislature. In exchange, they’ve asked that organizers pull two pro-fracking and two anti-fracking measures and that a lawsuit against the city of Longmont be dismissed.

“We have an obligation to develop (energy) in a way that is safe for our residents, supports jobs and the economy, respects private property rights and protects our health and environment,” Hickenlooper said.

The task force will be charged to find solutions that minimize land-use conflicts near homes, schools, businesses and recreational areas. The state is seeking a balanced approach, he said, one that will represent diverse concerns from oil and gas, agriculture, environmental and health groups and local governments.

It was not immediately clear that the compromise necessarily means all four ballot initiatives will be removed. It seems activists would have the ability and option to go forward if they wished to, but it’s at least nice to see these uncomfortable fissures in the other party get some coverage for a change.

Probably best to have a little distance from these activists lest they bring the tactics of their European brethren to the States.

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Tags: Andrew Romanoff, Balanced Budget, Colorado, fracking, John Hickenlooper, Mike Coffman

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CO:CookPoliticalReportdowngradesHickenlooper’sreelectionchances

CO: Cook Political Report downgrades Hickenlooper’s reelection chances

posted at 7:41 pm on July 18, 2014 by Mary Katharine Ham

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Gov. John Hickenlooper is considered the more likely of the state’s two big Democratic incumbents to hold on to his seat in November but the landscape may be changing quickly. The Cook Political Report changed Hickenlooper’s race against former Rep. Bob Beauprez from Likely Democrat to Leans Democrat today.

Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper has watched his political fortunes rise and fall during his first term. A year ago, he might have been among the most vulnerable incumbents up for re-election after suffering losses on some of his biggest priorities. Then polling taken earlier this year indicated that his position had improved. It helped that Republicans had a crowded field of candidates….

…At this writing, polls indicate that Hickenlooper might have a race on his hands after all, particularly after botching an attempt to apologize to the state sheriffs’ association for signing several gun control measures.

Yet another data point in the quest to figure out this big purple prize. Noah described the polling as it stands earlier this week:

An NBC News/Marist poll… showed Hickenlooper beating Beauprez with 49 to 43 percent support. But these results were called into question on Wednesday by the release of a Quinnipiac University poll of the Colorado governor’s race.

That survey found Beauprez, a figure who has not held federal office since 2007, has remarkably low name recognition. 31 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of the candidate while 25 percent said they viewed him negatively, but a staggering 43 percent said they had not heard enough about Beauprez to form an opinion. Even though voters know nothing about him, Quinnipiac’s survey reveals that they are prepared to give him a shot. The poll found Beauprez leading Hickenlooper with 44 to 43 percent.

Beauprez’s strength in this survey has everything to do with Hickenlooper’s weakness. The poll found Hickenlooper’s favorability rating collapsing from 51 percent in April to 43 percent today. 48 percent approve of the job he has done in office while 46 percent disapprove. 42 percent of respondents said Hickenlooper deserves reelection while 48 percent disagreed. Those results were reversed in April.

It is hard to square these results with NBC’s. The NBC/Marist poll found a comparable number of voters had no opinion or had never heard of Beauprez (38 percent), but it also found that Hickenlooper’s job approval rating is 19 points above water (54/35 percent). Similarly, NBC found voters in the Centennial state have a favorable impression of their governor (51/36 percent).

As Colorado Peak Politics puts is, “these numbers leave very little room for error. Unfortunately, Hickenlooper is terribly error prone.” Indeed. We’ve seen him in action before.

And, Guy Benson flagged the Quinnipiac poll showing Gardner with a two-point lead over Udall:

Gardner and Udall have each consolidated their respective bases, with independents cutting ever so slightly in favor of the Democratic incumbent. In most national polling, independents are leaning heavily toward the GOP this cycle, so Colorado appears to be anomalous. Notable is the fact that this poll is among registered, not likely, voters — so if nationwide trends hold up, November’s electorate could tilt further in Gardner’s favor. On the other hand, the Colorado Left’s operation has been ruthlessly effective at turning out voters in recent cycles. In 2012, RealClearPolitics‘ final polling average showed Barack Obama very narrowly leading Mitt Romney in the state; the president ended up carrying Colorado by a comfortable five-and-a-half points. The GOP hasn’t won a major statewide race there since 2004. All of which is to say that while this survey is no doubt welcome news to the Gardner campaign, there is much work to be done.

Colorado’s a tough nut to crack for Republicans, but they’re certainly well positioned for potential statewide success at this point in the cycle.

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Tags: bob beauprez, Colorado, Cory Gardner, John Hickenlooper

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OnehorriblepollforColorado’sDemocraticgovernor

One horrible poll for Colorado’s Democratic governor

posted at 1:21 pm on July 16, 2014 by Noah Rothman

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Colorado, once a reliably Republican state, looks more blue than purple these days.

Even amid 2010’s Republican route of Democratic candidates across the country, Colorado surprised much of the political establishment when Democrats won both statewide races. In 2012, the Centennial State again voted for President Barack Obama by more than 5 points, cementing its status as a premier member of the Democrat’s impenetrable Blue Wall.

This year, Colorado voters will again head to the polls and, on paper, Republicans in this state are far better positioned than they were in 2010.

In a deft maneuver, Ken Buck, a former district attorney who ran for Senate and lost in 2010, agreed to run for Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO) seat so that the sophomore congressman can serve as the GOP’s federal candidate this year. The straight-shooting political handicapper Stuart Rothenberg recently said Gardner “may well be the best GOP challenger in the country.”

The GOP is similarly blessed in that Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper faces off against former Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-CO) this year. In 2010, Hickenlooper was the beneficiary of a local GOP civil war. That year, the party’s gubernatorial nominee, local businessman Dan Maes, had to contend with former Rep. Tom Tancredo who also ran for governor as an independent. Even though both candidates split the conservative vote, however, Hickenlooper still emerged on election night with 51 percent of the popular vote.

In spite of the fact that Colorado Republicans seem to have their act together, the party still faces an uphill battle in the state. A set of surveys released on Tuesday appeared to confirm that the state is prepared live up to its reputation as a reliable member of Democratic Party’s new majority coalition.

An NBC News/Marist poll released Tuesday showed Centennial voters favoring incumbent Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) over Gardner by 48 to 41 percent. The poll also showed Hickenlooper beating Beauprez with 49 to 43 percent support. But these results were called into question on Wednesday by the release of a Quinnipiac University poll of the Colorado governor’s race.

That survey found Beauprez, a figure who has not held federal office since 2007, has remarkably low name recognition. 31 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of the candidate while 25 percent said they viewed him negatively, but a staggering 43 percent said they had not heard enough about Beauprez to form an opinion. Even though voters know nothing about him, Quinnipiac’s survey reveals that they are prepared to give him a shot. The poll found Beauprez leading Hickenlooper with 44 to 43 percent.

Beauprez’s strength in this survey has everything to do with Hickenlooper’s weakness. The poll found Hickenlooper’s favorability rating collapsing from 51 percent in April to 43 percent today. 48 percent approve of the job he has done in office while 46 percent disapprove. 42 percent of respondents said Hickenlooper deserves reelection while 48 percent disagreed. Those results were reversed in April.

It is hard to square these results with NBC’s. The NBC/Marist poll found a comparable number of voters had no opinion or had never heard of Beauprez (38 percent), but it also found that Hickenlooper’s job approval rating is 19 points above water (54/35 percent). Similarly, NBC found voters in the Centennial state have a favorable impression of their governor (51/36 percent).

It will take a lot more data to get a clearer picture of how the race in Colorado is shaping up. But if Hickenlooper is as much of a drag at the top of the ticket as Quinnipiac suggests, the GOP is poised to benefit in a number of down-ballot races.

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Tags: bob beauprez, Colorado, Cory Gardner, John Hickenlooper, Mark Udall

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DemocraticColoradogovernorexaltsObama’spoolgame,is

Democratic Colorado governor exalts Obama’s pool game, is not helping

posted at 10:41 am on July 14, 2014 by Noah Rothman

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President Barack Obama has taken a lot of flak for indulging his penchant for posing for photographs at inopportune moments or taking vacations amid domestic and international crises. The president’s approach to the border crisis may be his most brazen display of contempt for those concerned with the flood of illegal minor immigrants crossing the southern border.

Since the start of this crisis, Obama has been photographed dismissive playing billiards and drinking beer. From there, the president engaged in some in crass campaigning just miles from a southern border he steadfastly refused to visit. Next, Obama will head off for a 15-day vacation in Martha’s Vineyard at the beginning of August.

The president would probably like for his casual frivolity in Colorado ahead of two days of Democratic fundraisers in Texas to simply disappear from the public consciousness. Unfortunately for him, Obama’s pool partner, Centennial State Gov. John Hickenlooper, is not helping in that effort.

The Wall Street Journal was able to secure an exit interview from Hickenlooper after his historic game with the president – perhaps more historic than he would prefer – in which reporters sought the governor’s impressions of Obama’s game. In that debriefing, Hickenlooper delivered an over-the-top, Kim Jong-illian appraisal of the president’s billiards ability.

The Journal sets the stage…

Like a champion, Hickenlooper entered the crucible of play ready to display every ounce of his aptitude. He told reporters he “felt pretty good” about his chance against the 44th president.

“And then, literally before my eyes he ran like four balls,” Hickenlooper marveled.

Without ceremony, Hickenlooper recalled, Obama humbled the Colorado governor before his constituents.

“I was playing as hard as I could possibly play,” he added, a conspicuous bead of sweat likely escaping his brow as he recalled this moment of shame.

Again!

“I still had four balls on the table when he nailed the eight ball,” the governor stressed

Amazing! Again!

“He was making long shots with a difficult angle,” the governor confessed. “I didn’t know people in Hawaii played that much pool. Evidently they do.”

“The man is a shark,” Hickenlooper sycophantically concluded.

What a powerhouse that Obama is. At least, in the pool hall. It makes you wonder what would have happened to Hickenlooper’s family had he merely offered a modest evaluation of the president’s game.

Meanwhile, the latest of another summer of controversies and scandals continues to weigh Obama down with just three months to go before the midterm elections. Perhaps Democratic voters will be energized enough by the party of flippancy amid crisis to head to the polls in November, but that seems unlikely.

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Tags: Barack Obama, border, immigration, John Hickenlooper

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Goodnews:Obamahavin’funasbordercrisis

Good news: Obama havin’ fun as border crisis deepens

posted at 11:21 am on July 9, 2014 by Allahpundit

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I’m not surprised that righties like me and Becket Adams would notice this. I am a little surprised that less conservative brows are starting to furrow. This guy’s supposed to good at media management, isn’t he?

2008: Hope and change. 2014: YOLO?

Obama reacts as he is greeted by a man wearing a horse-head as he walked the streets of downtown Denver. pic.twitter.com/QNqnXKzwzm

— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) July 9, 2014

Obama has a beer with Gov. Hickenlooper at the Wynkook Brewing Company bar in Denver. pic.twitter.com/NT4gK7YMY1

— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) July 9, 2014

President Obama has a beer and shoots pool with Gov. Hickenlooper at the Wynkoop Brewing Company Bar. pic.twitter.com/UgDIUw6cc7

— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) July 9, 2014

Someone at the pool hall in Denver offered him a hit of weed too. O ignored him, but at the rate he’s going it’ll be worth asking him again in 2015, around the time that Iran’s building its first nuclear weapon.

Anyway, furrowed brows:

It does seem weird for Obama to bro out with horse head Denver dude but not be able to visit the border.

— daveweigel (@daveweigel) July 9, 2014

Lefty Michael Tomasky sees Katrina potential here if Obama doesn’t at least pretend to take this surge of illegals seriously:

For one thing, there is the specific parallel of the flyover: Obama was going to Texas for a fundraiser but wasn’t planning on going to the border? I usually try to ask myself what I’d be saying if a Republican did X, and if a Republican did that, I’d be teeing off. It’s not defensible.

Second, Obama is at a really vulnerable point in his presidency, I think, not dissimilar to the point George W. Bush was at in August 2005, when Katrina hit. Then, Bush’s approval rating was generally in the mid-40s, as Obama’s is now. Hanging on, but vulnerable to one straw that could break the camel’s back…

I don’t understand it. I covered New York mayors. When a crisis hits, you go. If it’s 3 in the f***ing morning and way out in some part of Staten Island you’ve never even heard of, you go. Obama should have been in Texas or California or Arizona last week.

He wants O to visit the young illegals who’ve just come across and kick a soccer ball around with them or something, “a Pope Francis-esque gesture of some kind.” Which, I guess, explains why Obama’s so reluctant to go. It’s not that going to the border will signal that he “owns the issue,” it’s that liberals want him down there acting like Jesus for illegals at a moment when he’s eager to show he’s, ahem, serious about border enforcement. If he goes to the border, shakes hands with a few BP officers, poses for the requisite photo of him peering through binoculars with a concerned look on his face, but doesn’t visit with any kids from Central America, the amnesty shills in his base will grouse that he’s sold them out again. He’s trying to get them to manage their expectations for what he can do unilaterally on legalization. If he disappoints them again, they’ll be less likely to cooperate.

But none of that explains the good times with Horsehead and the new Choom Gang in Denver yesterday. Why do that when even liberals are nervous about the optics here? I assume O’s thinking (a) that the public’s attention span for all news not related to missing jumbo jets is now down to about 35 minutes, which means this will all be distant, distant memory by the time people go to vote in November, and (b) he’s going to infuriate border hawks pretty soon anyway when he issues his mass amnesty for the millions of adult illegals who are already here. In which case, why not laugh in their faces while doing it? Where’s the fun in being a lame-duck king who can rewrite federal law on a whim if you have to walk around looking grim and pretend-worried all the time? Next time someone offers him a joint, he should take it. Choom on, big guy.

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Tags: amnesty, border, crisis, Denver, horse head, illegals, immigration, John Hickenlooper, obama

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Video:Coloradowaitresseswhocarrymorethanjust

Video: Colorado waitresses who carry more than just drinks

posted at 2:41 pm on July 8, 2014 by Ed Morrissey

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In Colorado, they take their gun rights seriously — even if their elected representatives forget to do so. In a segment this morning, CBS News featured the waitresses of Shooters, a popular restaurant in Rifle, Colorado, who carry food, drinks, and firearms on the job. The owner began carrying her pistol openly and the staff followed her lead — and now the restaurant has embraced the concept, even offering training for concealed-carry permits that has a free burger and fries to go along with the class:

The town is called Rifle. The grill is called Shooters. So it’s no surprise that the waitresses have an unusual dress code, CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen reports.

“I am carrying a Ruger 357 Blackhawk,” said Ashlee Saenz, a waitress at Shooters. “I like the old style revolvers, and I just like big guns.”

When owner Lauren Boebert started carrying a gun openly, which is legal in most parts of Colorado, the waitresses accessorized as well. …

“Maybe if someone wandered in from New York City, from Washington D.C., they might be a little worried, said Doug Yajko, an area doctor. “But the local people, plus the people in western Colorado, are not going to be worried by someone with a handgun.”

Funny you should mention that, Doc. Rolling Stone has a featured interview with Michael Bloomberg out today, who helped push some of the gun-control legislation that Governor John Hickenlooper signed and then regretted. Bloomberg dismisses the efforts of the NRA’s recalls in Colorado, sniffing that they targeted communities with no roads, or something:

Has running Mayors Against Illegal Gunsfor the last eight years made you more or less optimistic about this issue?
Well, there are 16 states that already have [background checks], and they’re populated states. So there’s a big chunk of the country that’s already protected by these laws. And, yeah, you’re not going to get everybody until you get to a tipping point, but the fact that you save a lot of lives is not something to sneer at. And the fact that you can’t save every life is not an argument not to try to save any lives.

In Colorado, we got a law passed. The NRA went after two or three state Senators in a part of Colorado where I don’t think there’s roads. It’s as far rural as you can get. And, yes, they lost recall elections. I’m sorry for that. We tried to help ‘em. But the bottom line is, the law is on the books, and being enforced. You can get depressed about the progress, but on the other hand, you’re saving a lot of lives.

Colorado Springs has no roads? I wonder if Bloomberg knows that they have indoor plumbing, too. (I’ve been there and can confirm this personally, in case anyone wonders.) Nothing says we relate to you like a mayor of New York City assuming that the locals haven’t yet heard about asphalt yet. That’ll surely help Hickenlooper, who was recently forced to admit that he consulted with Bloomberg on gun control after denying it in a meeting with law enforcement. Sharks gotta swim, bats gotta fly, and elitists gotta impose nanny states, y’know.

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Tags: Colorado, gun control, gun rights, John Hickenlooper, Michael Bloomberg, open carry

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Hickenlooper:Onsecondthought,Ididtalkto

Hickenlooper: On second thought, I did talk to Bloomberg about gun control

posted at 10:01 am on June 17, 2014 by Ed Morrissey

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It’s bad enough for an executive to have to perform a walk-back. How about when an executive has to walk back the walkback? Jazz took note of Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper’s strange apology to law enforcement last week when his gun-control efforts backfired. Well, his apology has also backfired, thanks to Hickenlooper’s selective memory and the clear data record.

In this clip from Revealing Politics, Hickenlooper chides one questioner for asking why the governor talked about the gun-control agenda with Michael Bloomberg rather than the sheriffs. “Let’s stick to the facts,” Hickenlooper rebuked Weld County Sheriff John Cooke. “I never talked with Mayor Bloomberg.” Really?

No, not really, reported Fox’s Denver affiliate KDVR:

Complete Colorado, which first reported the governor’s statement, had already obtained phone records from Hickenlooper’s cell phone showing that he did speak with Bloomberg last year.

Additionally, the conservative website Revealing Politics posted edited video of the exchange.

On Monday afternoon, Hickenlooper’s office acknowledged that the governor spoke carelessly.

“The governor often jokes about his ability to put his foot in his mouth, because he does,” said Eric Brown, the governor’s spokesman. “It is well established that Gov. Hickenlooper spoke with Mayor Bloomberg, as well as NRA President Keene and many other stakeholders in the gun safety debate. In fact, the governor released phone records on this matter.

“When the governor told an audience of sheriffs that he had not talked to Bloomberg, the governor was attempting to convey he never had a conversation with Bloomberg that influenced the decision he made. In no way did the governor intend to mislead the sheriffs or anyone else.”

Really? The point of the question was to ask why Hickenlooper talked with Bloomberg rather than law-enforcement leaders in his own state. Clearly, the intent of the answer was to avoid answering that question by misleading Cooke and the other sheriffs into thinking that no such conversations took place. I don’t know how the dictionaries at the Colorado capital define “mislead,” but Merriam-Webster defines “mislead” as “to lead astray :  give a wrong impression.”

This still leaves the question open to Hickenlooper. Why would he seek advice on a Colorado law-enforcement issue from a former mayor of New York City rather than the law-enforcement leaders in his own state, especially since the latter would have to enforce whatever law Hickenlooper got passed? The walkback from this walkback of the previous walkback should be fascinating.

Maybe Hickenlooper’s office can contract with the people who did the credits to this film. Either that, or they can start talking about llamas!

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Tags: Colorado, gun control, John Hickenlooper, Michael Bloomberg

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ColoradoGovernorapologizestosheriffsoverguncontrol

Colorado Governor apologizes to sheriffs over gun control laws

posted at 6:31 pm on June 15, 2014 by Jazz Shaw

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Something strange is afoot in the Centennial State and it has to do with Governor Hickenlooper. After signing on to a gun control bill which had plenty of people upset – to the point where some of his own law enforcement folks were suing him – he has suddenly apologized.

Governor John Hickenlooper is offering an apology to some of his fiercest rivals on the issue of gun control: Colorado’s sheriffs.

The governor’s mea culpa came Friday when he spoke before an assembled group of sheriffs from around Colorado.

A Hickenlooper spokesman confirms that the Governor apologized to the sheriffs for not meeting with them prior to the passage of gun control bills they opposed. Hickenlooper also said his administration didn’t do a good job anticipating pushback on gun control. According to his spokesman, Hickenlooper pledged better communication in the future.

This is curious. The GOP – with Tom Tancredo as their candidate – has been hot on the Democrat Governor’s heels for a while now, particularly since the signing of the gun control law. But as recently as last month, the conventional wisdom was that the crisis was past, Hickenlooper was out of the woods, and was sitting on a somewhat slim but still manageable seven point lead in the polls. He’s been faced with a number of other decisions which have drawn some of the attention away and mended a few fences, including some controversial drilling legislation and his veto of a water management bill which environmentalists had been pushing for.

But if things were looking cozy enough to save his seat at the Governor’s mansion, why offer an olive branch to the Sheriffs now? Moe Lane at Redstate (where I first saw the story) asks what may be the pertinent question.

I wonder what John Hickenlooper’s internal polling is telling him?

Good question. We haven’t been hearing as much chatter from the RGA about Colorado for a little while, but now I’m wondering if this seat is back in play?

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ColoradoseeingrecordChristmasgunsales posted

Colorado seeing record Christmas gun sales

posted at 1:01 pm on December 28, 2013 by Jazz Shaw

What was on your Christmas wish list? Some books or DVDs or a shiny new vuvuzela? How about a nice 16 gauge over under shotgun? If you’re a resident of Colorado, you may have gotten that last item under your tree, as gun sales have seen a considerable uptick at the end of the year. Our Townhall colleague, Michael Schaus, takes a very humorous look at an extremely serious subject.

Coloradoans, apparently, like their guns. The great state of New New York (AKA: Colorado) is on track to break the previous record of total gun sales in the state… At least, that’s according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. By year end, Colorado will have conducted tens of thousands more background checks for gun purchases than ever before in state history.

Some of the up-tick in firearm purchases could be contributed to gun enthusiasts’ desire to buy up firearms before legislators and a certain governor (ahem*Hickenlooper*ahem) choose to outlaw the practice. Advocates of recent gun control laws, however, are suggesting the increase in background checks are a result of “universal background checks’; and are therefore proof that the new laws are keeping Coloradoans safer.

“Dozens of criminals would be walking around with a gun right now if not for the new law,” said Rep. Rhonda Fields, a Colorado legislator with no apparent capacity to digest the meaning of the word “criminal”. Because, ya know, dozens of criminals tried to purchase a firearm from drug dealers, gun runners, and fellow gang members – only to find out that they were unable to pass the required background check. “Oh well,” they said to themselves when their fellow criminal reported the unfortunate denial from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. “I guess I’ll just go back to being an unarmed, and passive, member of society.”

Colorado is one of the big states to talk about when it comes to Second Amendment rights. This could be because of the new gun rights restrictions they passed, the elected officials who were recalled because of it or those who turned tail and ran rather than face the wrath of liberty minded voters. Or maybe because it’s just so darned fun to say “Hickenlooper.” But no matter the reason, as Schaus points out, they still have more than their fair share of politicos who seem to be clueless about the realities on the ground.

“The bottom line is, background checks work,” said Democrat State Rep. Mike Foote, one of the bill’s sponsors. “It keeps guns out of the hands of felons and domestic violence offenders.” Well, sure… It keeps guns out of the hands of anyone who bothers to hassle with following the law. It does nothing to prohibit illegal sales among criminals with criminal intent.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Colorado citizens likely committed a new crime this Christmas when they unwittingly circumvented the new gun laws by giving a gun as a gift to family or friends. Unless that gun was accompanied by a background check form, and processed through a federally licensed dealer, the generous gift has just indicted two otherwise law abiding citizens.

By all reports, efforts at passing new gun control laws in Congress remain stalled, but not dead by any means. At the state level, anti-second amendment enthusiasts have achieved far greater success. Colorado isn’t the only place, and their restrictions actually pale in comparison to both New York and Colorado’s draconian legislation which not only immediately established gun registry lists but resulted in gun confiscation. But at least some states’ voters have begun to seriously push back. Obamacare may still be the signature issue of the 2014 elections on the national level, but look for gun owners’ rights to be part of the focus in the states where this fight is far from over.

Tags: Colorado, gun rights, guns, John Hickenlooper, Second Amendment

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