Reply With Quote
only because the ed up recall voting laws and the debate around them caused a super low turnout, mainly just gun fellators.
http://news.yahoo.com/2-colo-lawmake...065302400.html
DENVER (AP) Two Democratic state lawmakers who backed tighter gun laws in the aftermath of mass shootings have been kicked out of office in a recall election promoted by both grassroots activists and the National Rifle Association.
Senate President John Morse lost by just 343 votes Tuesday in a swing district in the Republican stronghold of Colorado Springs but Sen. Angela Giron lost by a bigger margin in a largely blue-collar district that favors Democrats.
The NRA said the election sent a clear message to lawmakers that they should protect gun rights and be accountable to their cons uents, not to "anti-gun billionaires" a swipe against New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who supported Giron and Morse.
Democrats will still maintain control of the state Legislature and the laws are expected to remain in place.
"The loss of this senate seat is purely symbolic," Morse said.
"It's a shot across the bow to prove that Colorado isn't a colony of Michael Bloomberg or John Hickenlooper. We are a people who believe in personal freedom, including the Cons utional right to keep and bear arms," potential Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo said Wednesday.
Hickenlooper, who kept a low profile during the campaign, said he was disappointed in the election's results.
"It's now time we refocus again on what unites Coloradans creating jobs, educating our children, creating a healthier state and on finding ways to keep Colorado moving forward," he said in a statement.
Angered by new limits on ammunition magazines and expanded background checks, gun-rights activists tried to recall a total of four lawmakers but only succeeded in launching efforts against Morse and Giron. It was the first for state legislators since Colorado adopted the procedure in 1912.
Democratic state Sen. Angela Giron gives her concession speech after she lost in a recall vote in Pu The recalls were seen as the latest chapter in the national debate over gun rights and, for some, a warning to lawmakers in swing states who might contemplate gun restrictions in the future. But the vote also exposed divisions between the growing urban and suburban areas and more rural areas in a state where support for guns hasn't really been a partisan issue. Dozens of elected county sheriffs have sued to block the gun laws and some activists are promoting a largely symbolic measure to secede from the state.
The gun control debate was one of the most emotionally charged of Colorado's legislative session this year. President Barack Obama added to the attention on the Colorado Statehouse as his administration unsuccessfully pushed Congress to enact similar gun controls.
The debate was prodded by the mass shootings at an Aurora movie theater in July 2012 and at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December. The new gun laws were major victories for Colorado Democrats, who rallied majorities in the House and Senate this spring to pass them without Republican support.
Both legislators voted for 15-round limits on ammunition magazines and for expanded background checks on private gun sales after the 2012 mass shootings in Aurora and Newtown, Conn.
Reported contributions to Morse and Giron totaled about $3 million, dwarfing the amount raised by gun activists who pe ioned for the recall, though some independent groups didn't have to report spending. Both the NRA and Bloomberg contributed more than $300,000 to the pro- and anti-recall campaigns.
"This should serve as a warning that the Democrats in the Legislature must be more balanced in the upcoming session. Governor Hickenlooper should also realize that his inability to control the Legislature could be very costly," said state senator and GOP gubernatorial hopeful Greg Brophy.
Morse, a former police chief in a Colorado Springs suburb, was first elected to the Senate in 2006. He will be replaced by Republican Bernie Herpin. Giron will be replaced by former Pueblo police officer George Rivera.
.
only because the ed up recall voting laws and the debate around them caused a super low turnout, mainly just gun fellators.
By the NRA.. lol
http://news.yahoo.com/2-colo-lawmake...065302400.html
DENVER (AP) — Two Democratic state lawmakers who backed tighter gun laws in the aftermath of mass shootings have been kicked out of office in a recall election promoted by both grassroots activists and the National Rifle Association.
Senate President John Morse lost by just 343 votes Tuesday in a swing district in the Republican stronghold of Colorado Springs but Sen. Angela Giron lost by a bigger margin in a largely blue-collar district that favors Democrats.
The NRA said the election sent a clear message to lawmakers that they should protect gun rights and be accountable to their cons uents, not to "anti-gun billionaires" — a swipe against New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who supported Giron and Morse.
Democrats will still maintain control of the state Legislature and the laws are expected to remain in place.
"The loss of this senate seat is purely symbolic," Morse said.
"It's a shot across the bow to prove that Colorado isn't a colony of Michael Bloomberg or John Hickenlooper. We are a people who believe in personal freedom, including the Cons utional right to keep and bear arms," potential Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo said Wednesday.
Hickenlooper, who kept a low profile during the campaign, said he was disappointed in the election's results.
"It's now time we refocus again on what unites Coloradans — creating jobs, educating our children, creating a healthier state — and on finding ways to keep Colorado moving forward," he said in a statement.
Angered by new limits on ammunition magazines and expanded background checks, gun-rights activists tried to recall a total of four lawmakers but only succeeded in launching efforts against Morse and Giron. It was the first for state legislators since Colorado adopted the procedure in 1912.
Democratic state Sen. Angela Giron gives her concession speech after she lost in a recall vote in Pu …The recalls were seen as the latest chapter in the national debate over gun rights — and, for some, a warning to lawmakers in swing states who might contemplate gun restrictions in the future. But the vote also exposed divisions between the growing urban and suburban areas and more rural areas in a state where support for guns hasn't really been a partisan issue. Dozens of elected county sheriffs have sued to block the gun laws and some activists are promoting a largely symbolic measure to secede from the state.
The gun control debate was one of the most emotionally charged of Colorado's legislative session this year. President Barack Obama added to the attention on the Colorado Statehouse as his administration unsuccessfully pushed Congress to enact similar gun controls.
The debate was prodded by the mass shootings at an Aurora movie theater in July 2012 and at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December. The new gun laws were major victories for Colorado Democrats, who rallied majorities in the House and Senate this spring to pass them without Republican support.
Both legislators voted for 15-round limits on ammunition magazines and for expanded background checks on private gun sales after the 2012 mass shootings in Aurora and Newtown, Conn.
Reported contributions to Morse and Giron totaled about $3 million, dwarfing the amount raised by gun activists who pe ioned for the recall, though some independent groups didn't have to report spending. Both the NRA and Bloomberg contributed more than $300,000 to the pro- and anti-recall campaigns.
"This should serve as a warning that the Democrats in the Legislature must be more balanced in the upcoming session. Governor Hickenlooper should also realize that his inability to control the Legislature could be very costly," said state senator and GOP gubernatorial hopeful Greg Brophy.
Morse, a former police chief in a Colorado Springs suburb, was first elected to the Senate in 2006. He will be replaced by Republican Bernie Herpin. Giron will be replaced by former Pueblo police officer George Rivera.
.
How did they do in 2012?
A symbolic abuse of the recall system
The people have spoken
DNC Chair On Colorado Recalls: ‘This Was Voter Suppression, Pure And Simple’
“The recall elections in Colorado were defined by the vast array of obstacles that special interests threw in the way of voters for the purpose of reversing the will of the legislature and the people,” Wasserman Schultz said in a statement. “This was voter suppression, pure and simple.”
“Colorado voters are used to casting their ballots by mail, but because of lawsuits filed by opponents of common-sense gun reform, voters were not mailed their ballots in this election,” she elaborated. “Those who intended to vote in person did not learn their polling locations until less than two weeks before Election Day. Tuesday’s low turnout was a result of efforts by the NRA, the Koch brothers and other right-wing groups who know that when more people vote, Democrats win.”
http://www.nationalmemo.com/dnc-chai...re-and-simple/
It's just a stupid use of recall. Recall should be reserved for major grievances, not because you didn't like how someone voted. That's why we have election cycles. Especially considering the law is going to remain in place. This accomplished nothing.
@ quoting Wasserman Shultz.
How much did the recall election cost? Was that a good use of taxpayer funds considering the law remains in place?
Would you support a recall of Rick Perry if you thought it would be successful?
You are just whining because it was liberal democrats that got punked in the election.
sort of like how conservatives are continually getting punked nationally
If he did something unethical I would support a recall, otherwise, that's what an election cycle is for. Not everyone is an ideologue like you.
"Giron's district in Pueblo County, where Democrats comprise 47 percent of all registered voters and Republicans just 23 percent, Democrats have the vote lead, but there's a catch. Pueblo is a blue-collar, blue-dog Democratic town and 20 percent of the voters who signed pe ions to recall the senator were Democrats."
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingne...ay-morse-giron
Some of them but really they need to incentives for better voter participation.
Interesting look at the demographics and contributions.
http://atlasproject.net/daily-blog/a...orado-recalls/
This is another favorable indicator for Democrats, as Republicans trail badly in the money race. In total, Democratic groups have raised over $2.6 million and spent almost $2.3 million in the two races. Republican interests have raised not even $523,000 and spent less than $482,000. Clearly, Democrats are taking the recall threat seriously and are both better funded and better organized.
No. THey just need to wait for the next election.
Interesting look at the demographics and contributions.
http://atlasproject.net/daily-blog/a...orado-recalls/
Morse — whose county strongly backed Mitt Romney in 2012 —
yeah really interesting...
so a politician votes for something like b/g checks and gets recalled by the NRA? what a ing country you assholes taint with your shilling for the gun industry.
2nd Amendment? marans!
"Much of those hefty sums has been spent on advertising. According to CMAG, the recalls have seen 2,490 spots air on broadcast TV as of September 3. Democrats dominate the airwaves with 2,346 of those spots. Despite with the national attention and conservative groundswell generated by these recalls, Republicans have aired just 144 spots on broadcast. All of that Republican advertising has come from outside groups, too, whereas most of the Democratic ads (1,252 spots) have originated from campaigns. Overall, outside groups account for 49.7% of the broadcast spot count. (A complete compendium of all advertising in the recalls can be found at the end of this post.) Note that these numbers do not account for the spots run only on cable, for which we do not have data."
They were recalled by the rural residents of CO that were tired of the Democrats bull , this was about more than just gun rights.so a politician votes for something like b/g checks and gets recalled by the NRA? what a ing country you assholes taint with your shilling for the gun industry.
2nd Amendment? marans!
This article is so full of .
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/color...ry?id=20227650
This time was supposed to be different.
After Newtown, Aurora and Tucson, gun-control advocates saw their best chance in a generation to tighten the nation's gun laws. That's how the argument went, at least.
But election results Tuesday in Colorado may serve as stark reminders of the continued power of the gun lobby. Two Democratic state senators lost their jobs because of new gun laws they helped pass, in races that played out as testing grounds for national messaging on both sides of the debate.
In a state that's trending Democratic and has seen terrible gun violence firsthand, money flowed in on both sides over the seats of two obscure state lawmakers. The results directly undermine hopes that new gun restrictions can be political winners, and are likely to further sap what momentum was left for tighter federal gun laws at the congressional level.
"Obviously, this is not going to be helpful," said Matt Bennett, a vice president at the centrist Democratic group Third Way, which has been working closely with the White House and key senators on federal gun-control efforts. "The NRA picked their spots carefully, and they went after them hard. There's always setbacks in the gun debate -- always."
The effort to recall Colorado Senate President John Morse and state Sen. Angela Giron was designed to send a message that would be heard far beyond the Rockies. Gun-rights groups originally sought to recall five Democrats from office -- enough to flip the majority to Republicans -- but would up getting enough signatures only to target the two who were recalled Tuesday.
Both lawmakers had supported a package of new gun restrictions that, among other things, expanded background checks into private sales and banned the sale of ammunition magazines holding more than 15 rounds.
The laws were part of a flurry of post-Sandy Hook, state-level action that saw tighter restrictions in states including Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Colorado.
Winning passage in Colorado was a signature achievement, given the gun culture of the West. Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, a possible 2016 presidential candidate, abandoned previous skepticism over new gun laws to sign the measures.
With the battle joined, national money flowed in, including $360,000 from the National Rifle Association and additional backing from the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity.
Liberal groups rallied to the senators' defense, with Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz calling it the "worst election you've never heard of."
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg personally cut a $350,000 check. Bloomberg and his group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, wanted to send a message that backing new gun laws isn't dangerous to political survival. Notice this article conveniently left out the total contributions....................In total, Democratic groups have raised over $2.6 million and spent almost $2.3 million in the two races. Republican interests have raised not even $523,000 and spent less than $482,000. Clearly, Democrats are taking the recall threat seriously and are both better funded and better organized.
Giron, one of the ousted lawmakers, told The New Republic in August, "For Mayors Against Illegal Guns, if they lose even one of these seats, they might as well fold it up."
In the aftermath of the twin defeats, Bloomberg's group and its allies were explaining the results by emphasizing local factors, including vote-by-mail limitations and particulars about these two districts. Both elections were decided by a tiny sliver of voters -- Giron lost the more lopsided race, by some 4,000 votes -- and their opponents were able to flood pockets of the state with cheap ads because only two senators had their jobs on the line.
"Full speed ahead," Mark Glaze, executive director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, told ABC News on Wednesday. "The lesson of yesterday is one we already knew: You can cherry-pick elections, spend a lot of money, and defeat and elect candidates. We will do exactly the same."
Glaze noted that the new gun laws will remain in effect in Colorado, potentially saving lives. His group -- along with the more-established Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the relatively new Americans for Responsible Solutions, started by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband -- were providing an effective counter to the NRA's muscle, he said.
"The NRA, for two decades, was the only player in contests," Glaze said. "No one would show up to defend legislators, to protect the public. Now, lots of states are passing background-check laws and saving lives and living to tell the tale. The country has reached the tipping point, and there is now a counterpoint to the NRA."
Still, efforts at the federal level are stalled, if not stopped entirely. In April, the Senate rejected a pared-down bill expanding background checks, despite a bipartisan compromise that was being championed by the White House.
"This was a pretty shameful day in Washington," a visibly angry President Obama said in the aftermath. "If this Congress refuses to listen to the American people ... then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters."
That's, in part, what makes Tuesday's results problematic for backers of gun control. They learned again that for all the emotions such issues can stir, people on the other side of the issue are more motivated to do something about it at the ballot box.
A Pew Research Center survey from May found that nearly half of gun owners see gun policy as an important voting issue, compared to just one-third of those who live in households without guns. Gun owners are also more likely to say they wouldn't vote for candidates who don't share their views on gun control.
Families of gun victims aren't giving up hope. They're seizing their latest lobbying opportunity next week, when a Senate panel convenes a hearing about controversial "stand your ground" laws that came to light during the George Zimmerman trial.
Third Way's Bennett said the recall results showed the importance of careful messaging. Voters in Colorado largely approve of the new background checks, he said, but the ammunition limits were easier to run campaigns against.
"People hated the magazine ban, but they really liked background checks," he said. "In the context of the congressional debate, there is some comfort there, even for folks in purplish states."
But with the congressional agenda getting more crowded by the day, the latest setback was difficult to digest for backers of gun control.
"It's been real hard to get any oxygen around here for anything," Bennett said
Examples of incentives?
Make it compulsory. National holiday.
Something needs to be done.
GOP types such as yourself seem to love to pat their backs on low turnout offseason elections and pretend 'the people have spoken.' It's not just isolated to this either. That and gerrymandering is how the GOP has maintained legitimacy.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
