December 14, 2007

Democrat in a pickle in CO-2

Usually, when I write anything involving the words "Democrat" and "Colorado," it's to point out what a stellar job Democrats have done in kicking GOP butt in the state. But not today!

From Politics West:

Boulder Democrat Jared Polis was slammed by opponents Thursday after releasing a television ad blasting corporate "war profiteers" in Iraq - including two companies in which the congressional candidate owns stock.

Within hours of the ad's release, an opposing campaign pointed out Polis is invested in companies whose names scroll across the screen as he laments lining "the corporate pockets" of war contractors.

Polis countered that his opponents for Congress - former state Senate president Joan Fitz-Gerald and Boulder conservationist Will Shafroth - also own stock in mutual funds including some of the same companies.

Polis, an Internet entrepreneur and former chairman of the state school board, said he wasn't "much of a trader or investor" and did not deliberately invest in any of the companies profiting from the war.

He called his investments in mutual funds no different than Fitz-Gerald and Shafroth's "asset strategies."

Fitz-Gerald's campaign, though, called him out on hypocrisy.

"I don't believe either Will or Joan has a TV commercial up on the air at the present time," criticizing companies they invest in, said Fitz-Gerald campaign manager Mary Alice Mandarich.

Polis financial disclosure form filed with the U.S. House said he earned at least $15,000cq from Tetra Tech in 2007, at least $200 from General Dynamics and from $100,000 to $1 million from Raytheon Company.

Raytheon was not listed in Polis commercial, but is in the top 100 Iraqi war contractors, according to the Center for Public Integrity. After Fitz-Gerald's campaign researched P...

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December 14, 2007

The fantastic Charles Krauthammer

Charles Krauthammer has a great piece running today at NRO (and I presume also the WaPo, though I trawled past NRO first this morning, so can't be sure).

In it, he points out that one's religious devotion shouldn't confer special status where politics is concerned-- even though several candidates (and not just Republicans, I might add) are trying it on. He says he "hasn't exactly invented hot water" with this argument, but I have to say, his point feels rather novel and noteworthy, particularly in the context of this campaign.

Krauthammer is right to point out Obama's playing of the religion card (I've noted his links with the likes of Rick Warren, which he's all too keen to exploit, before). But what's noteworthy is that other Democrats, in the context of this campaign, have been willing to make religion an issue, too. Take for example Hillary, who as the Economist has noted evidently considered becoming a Methodist minister-- something she's been happy enough to raise in the context of her campaign, presumably in an effort to counter Obama's own straight religious (as opposed to more issues-based) appeal to certain voters.

Then, of course, we have Huckabee and Romney-- the dynamic duo duking it out over immigration, taxes and yes, it would now appear, theology, with Huckabee making comments about Mormons believing that Jesus and Lucifer and brothers (and subsequently apologizing) and Romney getting offended about his faith being put front and center when just a week ago, he was claiming you can't have freedom without religion, and doing something quite similar (though without regard to a specific doctrine).

To me, all of it feels a ...

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December 14, 2007

Liz on Libertarian Politics Live tonight, 8PM EST

Tonight, I'll be guesting on Libertarian Politics Live. You can tune in by clicking on the link. Oh, and I'll be talking presidential politics...

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