Musgrave Must Go

Support Betsy Markey

2009-09-13T22:42:00.003-06:00

Who rid the 4th Congressional District and the United States Congress of Marilyn Musgrave? Betsy Markey is who.

Please thank her for that and for doing a great job. Click here to make a small contribution to Betsy Markey's reelection campaign!

Bye, bye, Marilyn

2008-11-23T18:27:00.002-07:00

Politico:

Two weeks after the brutal loss, Musgrave still hasn’t called her opponent to concede or to congratulate the victor, as is not only textbook but also mannerly to do.

Moreover, Musgrave’s ill manners bleed into her own team. Rumor has it she still — 14 days later — hasn’t even thanked her campaign staff. (Again, textbook.)

Rocky Mountain News:

SORE LOSER

Ousted Colorado Rep. Marilyn Musgrave is making national headlines - and not the good kind. Under the headline "Nobody Likes a Sore Loser. Even in Washington," Musgrave scored a withering 78 ranking - approaching "utterly shameless" - on Newsweek's The Dignity Index, described as a survey of "dubious behavior that measures, on a scale of 1 to 100, just how low you can go."

It's been real.

Musgrave opposes Medicare

2008-04-23T23:06:00.001-06:00

Squarestate reports that Marilyn Musgrave is one of the radical few who supports screwing over state governments as well as the elderly and infirm of the 4th District.

Would you call this compassionate conservatism or family values?
The bipartisan Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act places a moratorium until March 2009 on [the Bush's Administraton's drastic medicare/aid] regulations, and passed today by a vote of 349-62 after being reported by the Energy and Commerce Committee by a unanimous vote of 46 to 0 and receiving support from all 50 Governors.
Total cuts for Colorado proposed by the Bush Administration and agreed to by only 62 legislators, including our two warm-hearted Christians Marilyn Musgrave and Doug Lamborn: $787 Million over five years.

GOP county commissioner DIDN'T rape man

2008-04-22T09:48:00.001-06:00

TalkingPointsMemo.com - Usually, it's not a good thing when a Republican elected official gets caught with hundreds of tapes of himself having sex with prostitutes. But for Cumberland County Commissioner Bruce Barclay (R), it was his lucky day.

Arbeit Macht Frei

2008-04-10T14:25:00.003-06:00

"The workers were smiling; they were happy."

- former CD-4 Congressman and Marilyn Musgrave predecessor Bob Schaffer.

It turns out that Republican Bob Schaffer has a history with Jack Abramoff and the worker exploitation on the Marianas Islands, which MusgraveMustGo has written about before in relation to Schaffer's protege, Marilyn Musgrave.

Let's point out the obvious

2008-03-31T07:27:00.000-06:00

In today's Coloradoan:

Let's pretend that Rep. Marilyn Musgrave is not in the pocket of big oil and gas. Let's assume that Marilyn really believes in protecting tax breaks for big oil and gas at the expense of renewable energy investment here in Northern Colorado.
So why would we want such a wrong-headed person representing us in Congress?

Tom Tripp,
Fort Collins

Musgrave opposes renewable-energy tax credits

2008-03-24T08:42:00.003-06:00

Marilyn Musgrave: still in the pocket of Big Oil. The Coloradoan reports:

Colorado is banking on it.
Everyone from Gov. Bill Ritter and state legislators to university researchers and city officials is dreaming about Colorado striking gold through the new energy economy.
That is why some people were surprised when Rep. Marilyn Musgrave voted against federal legislation extending renewable-energy tax credits that passed the House last month.

Surprised?

"The renewable energy credits would be paid for by reductions in tax credits for the oil and gas industry and would not add to the federal budget deficit. With oil at more than $100 a barrel, many folks think the petroleum industry needs no 'incentive' to look for oil."
Musgrave voted against House Resolution 5351 to extend $18 billion in tax breaks to public and private utilities in order to produce renewable energy.
The bill also provides incentives for biodiesel production and installation of alternative fuel stations - a movement Ritter has heavily promoted statewide.
The bill also promotes energy conservation and efficiency through tax breaks for net metering and credits to homeowners who make energy-efficient improvements to their property.
The bill, passed 236-182, is funded by eliminating tax breaks traditionally given to the oil and gas industry and is currently in the Senate.

Follow the money:

OpenSecrets.org, a nonprofit organization that follows campaign donations, showed Musgrave has accepted $10,000 from the oil and gas industry in the 2008 election cycle and nearly $125,000 since taking office.

Uh-oh! One Hastert buddy goes down

2008-03-10T11:25:00.005-06:00

Uh oh! It looks like Marilyn Musgrave pal Denny Hastert -- previously featured here -- didn't exactly leave his congressional district in order for his Republican cronies.

After he slunk off into the night and abandoned his seat (makes it easier to rake in the big bucks as a lobbyist), they had to hold a special election to fill it. This seat has been in Republican hands since the Ford administration!

Congratulations to Democratic Congressman-elect Bill Foster! Your constituents said "Hell No!" to more Republican cronyism.

One Hastert buddy down. Plenty more to go!

Rubberstamp Musgrave

2008-02-29T08:33:00.001-07:00

Coloradoan LTE:

It wasn't bad enough that our grandchildren's future has been mortgaged for the benefit of war profiteers such as Haliburton, who are now taking their huge earnings overseas to avoid U.S. taxes. Today, it was announced that we have just experienced the highest rate of inflation (16 percent) in 16 years. According to reports, this increase was linked to price rises in gasoline, energy and drugs, products of the same industries receiving special treatment and subsidies from Republican-passed legislation under the current administration. We shouldn't be surprised at who's getting welfare now!
Not only do we need to remove the current spendthrift administration, we need to get rid of the rubber-stamp Congress, including Marilyn Musgrave, who has also allowed this to happen, along with replacing outgoing Sen. Wayne Allard with someone who will do the right thing.

Charlotte Miller,
Fort Collins

Musgrave's cash flow problem

2008-02-19T07:25:00.003-07:00

Coloradoan:

The National Republican Congressional Committee could have a harder time this year helping Rep. Marilyn Musgrave hang on to her 4th District House seat due to a serious cash shortage.
The NRCC, the House Republicans' fundraising arm, began the 2008 election year with $5.5 million in the bank and debts of $2.9 million.
Its Democratic counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, had $35 million on hand and debts of $1.4 million.
Two years ago, the NRCC spent $1.8 million on Musgrave's campaign. She won in a three-way race with 46 percent of the vote - the lowest winning percentage in all of the 2006 House races.
Although the NRCC will raise a lot more money between now and Election Day, it's doubtful the group will catch up with the DCCC, and it will be hard-pressed to match what it spent on Musgrave's behalf in 2006, said Nathan Gonzales, political editor for the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report.

Fiscal hypocrisy

2008-02-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this just say it all?

Q She’s no Jeff Flake (an Arizona Republican who is probably the most outspoken opponent of congressional earmarks) but, she is a fiscal conservative.

A: Well, most fiscal conservatives believe that fiscal conservatism ends at the district boundary. Pork is a project in somebody else’s district.

Q: Isn’t that hypocritical?

A: That’s political.

"A cultural war like this"

2008-02-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

Memory lane:

I believe that when you're in a cultural war like this, you have to respond with equal and hopefully greater force if you want to win this battle. But this battle [gay marriage] is the most important issue that we face today, and what an honor it has been to serve in the United States Congress and carry the Marriage Amendment...The future is grim unless we do what we need to do to win this battle.
-- Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), September 2006, at the Family Research Council's "Values Voter Summit."

Marilyn Musgrave and the Establishment

2008-02-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

This must make fiscal conservatism proud!

Most conservatives who are serious about earmark reforms, including yours truly, support Jeff Flake to fill the vacant spot on the Appropriations Committee.

However, a reliable source tells me Rep. Marilyn Musgrave has been "encouraged" to run in order to prevent the House Republican Steering Committee from having to pick Flake.

The hope is that Musgrave will be viewed as sufficiently conservative enough to serve as a consolation prize.

This, of course, is merely a ploy. Real conservatives who care about fiscal discipline should settle for nothing less than Jeff Flake on the Appropriations Committee.

Musgrave ill-serves us

2008-02-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Musgrave ill-serves us

A second attempt by the House of Representatives to override the President's veto of a bipartisan bill to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program failed by 15 votes. As with the first attempt, Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave sided with the president.
From the beginning, Musgrave's dissent experienced a hailstorm of criticism in our district. Considered the most vulnerable to re-election, the House Republican leadership provided her cover by giving her sponsorship of an alternative expansion bill. Its framework replicated a position paper published about the same time by the strongly-conservative Heritage Foundation. Musgrave pretended authorship and broad support (49 Republican co-sponsors) to her constituents. Then, prior to Congressional recess last December, she joined the majority to merely renew SCHIP for another year.

ADVERTISEMENT

SCHIP renewal may have given Colorado security in providing health-care services to presently-qualified, low income children for the next two years. However, the absence of additional revenue via expansion through the failed, bipartisan bill is a significant reason our state legislature will table health-care reform this year.
A Blue Ribbon Commission, formed by Republican Gov. Owens in 2006, recently published carefully considered recommendations to dramatically bring health-care costs under control, as well as cover 85 percent of 180,000 Coloradans presently uninsured. In stark contrast to Musgrave's own bill - dormant since being filed - its provisions include SCHIP expansion and subsidization up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level income scale to purchase private insurance.
Congresswoman Musgrave's ruse has ill-served the people of Colorado.
C.J. Black,
Fort Collins

Hatred is unjustified

2008-01-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

A local letter to the editor addressing two of Marilyn Musgrave's delusional, rageful, and hoarse-throated supporters.

Hatred is unjustified

Hardly a week goes by without Tom or Mary Bender damning the liberals for all the problems in America. Who are these liberals that wield so much power that they are destroying the Benders' "Right Wing Utopia?" Every extremist group seems to need a "whipping boy" to justify their agenda.
Liberals were not responsible for turning a budget surplus into the largest budget deficit in U.S. history. They also were not responsible for a barrel oil costing $100, health insurance premiums increasing by 70 percent, a Medicare drug program written by pharmaceutical lobbyists, millions of manufacturing and high-tech jobs exported to China and India and a war responsible for 4,000 American lives and 13,000 critically injured. They also were not responsible for the discriminatory EEOC rule that allows corporations to cancel health insurance for retirees over 65.

The Benders regularly heap praise on Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave. Now that she does photo-ops at gas pumps and soup kitchens, we are supposed to believe she truly represents her constituents. Try scheduling a meeting with her to discuss health care or pension reforms and see how far you get. Her staff has built an impenetrable wall that protects her from any controversial meetings. The average person would have more chance of scaling Mount Everest than breaching that wall.
The Benders should recognize there is room for dissenting opinions in America. No matter how much they hate liberals, they have a constitutional right to an equal say in America's future. That is the foundation of a true democracy.
John Kotson,
Fort Collins

We don't need Musgrave

2008-01-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

We don't need Musgrave

Tom Bender, in his Jan. 14 letter, sees Rep. Marilyn Musgrave as the "champion" of "working, lower-income, seasoned citizens" like himself. His "champion" has voted:
A. Against raising the minimum wage for working, lower-income citizens;

B. Against expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Plan to include more families of working, lower-income citizens;
C. Against allowing the government to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices for lower-income seasoned citizens on Medicare;
D. For taking billions of dollars of child support away from working, lower-income citizens.
Our working, lower-income citizens, seasoned or not, don't need anymore champions such as Musgrave.
Marilyn G. Greene,
Fort Collins

Greeley steelworkers demonstrate

2008-01-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Coloradoan:

Demanding Congress take immediate action to protect Americans from the dangerous threat posed by the millions of lead-laced toys and other unsafe products that are imported, the United Steelworkers (USW) of Greeley and their families will demonstrate at 11:30 a.m. today at the office of U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, 822 7th St. in Greeley.

Musgrave fails district

2008-01-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

Musgrave fails district.

According to the Colorado Department of Housing, in Colorado, foreclosure filings increased 31 percent from 2005 to 2006. Projections for the full year of 2007 further suggest a greater percentage.
A bipartisan bill passed the House of Representatives in mid-September titled "House Resolution1852: Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007." It will go to the Senate in early 2008. The vote was 348-72, with 12 not voting. All three Republican congress members from Colorado voted nay. This includes "our" Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave. The estimated cost, by the Congressional Budget Office, is $1 per family in the United States.
Nowhere is the foreclosure problem greater than in Colorado's 4th Congressional District. The city of Greeley had the highest foreclosure rate of any metropolitan area nationwide. In Weld County, a total of 393 properties were entering some stage of foreclosure in September. This is one foreclosure for every 168 households (Denver Business Journal, Oct. 11, 2006)."
The bill will lower down payments; increase loan limits; support housing counseling to help subprime home buyers and borrowers who are late on their mortgage loans; adjust "reverse" mortgages for seniors; raise the FHA multifamily loan limits; and increase the "Affordable Housing Fund."
I find it ironic that when our congresswoman made a "poor tour" of Larimer County this fall, she failed to discuss why she voted against those who are clearly experiencing great loss when they had their home foreclosed. I urge readers to ask her about this vote when she comes into your store or has one of her "public" chats.
Ann Molison,
Fort Collins

Musgrave votes against Eastern Plains

2007-12-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

The Lamar Daily:

Arkansas Valley to benefit from appropriations bill
Funding for water conduit, Ports to Plains included
On Tuesday The United States Senate followed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday, passed an omnibus appropriations bill securing key funding sources for several projects throughout the Arkansas Valley and eastern plains.
Projects receiving funding through the appropriations bill include the Arkansas Valley Conduit and the Ports to Plains project. The omnibus spending bill also included a provision placing a one year moratorium on the proposed expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site.

But with no help to Marilyn Musgrave:

Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, U.S. District 4, voted against the legislation.

Any questions?

Musgrave privateering in your wallet

2007-12-20T23:01:00.000-07:00

One Dick Heyman writes in the Fort Collins Coloradoan:

Part of the privatization plan was the reconstruction of Iraq in which 360 tons (yes, tons) of cash was sent to Iraq of which $8.8 billion (yes, billions) was never accounted for. It is pretty clear that Bush fellow travelers did right well by themselves, but this is not unprecedented in history. A "letter of marque" was permission from a government (usually a royal government) that allowed private ships to attack the merchant ships of an enemy nation and keep all or most of the treasure. These agents were called privateers. This is a common synonym for pirates.

The problem in Iraq is that these privateers were not getting the treasure from an enemy nation but from the American people. Well, maybe I missed something among all the rhetoric and the American people are the enemy nation to the Bushies.

Wouldn't it be nice if we had a representative of the PEOPLE who would have the courage to question how $8.6 billion of the American taxpayer's money had disappeared down a rat hole dug by the President of the United States?

Normally I would try to rabble rouse and call for outrage and a letter writing campaign to our congresswoman, Marilyn Musgrave. That, of course, won't work. Musgrave approves of everything that "W" does and wouldn't try to stop any theft he condones. Could it be that she has a black patch over one eye and a parrot on her shoulder, as well?

'Nuff said.

Larry Craig is not gay

2007-12-09T10:54:00.001-07:00

Writer claims: 'Bush is not a moron'

2007-12-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

Bush is not a moron

I would like to apologize publicly to George Bush. For years I had thought he was a moron and now I realize he is not; he thinks we are morons. First he lied to get us (plus more than 3,000 other Americans, now dead, plus tens of thousands wounded) into a war to take revenge on the guy who tried to kill his father, to subvert the planned Iraqi attempt to convert oil sales from dollars to Euros and to be at last the Big Man he never was. Then he lied to get us to believe he had not lied. Some fell for that; some didn't.

Recently, he and his henchmen (including the draft-dodging Dick Cheney, the Dr. Evil of American politics) have rattled the sabers regarding the theocracy of Iran, threatening to drop a number of large bombs on them if they do not give up their idea of making H-bombs.

A recently released National Intelligence Estimate indicates that Iran halted its weapons program in 2003, but Bush acted as though this was news to him. In fact, his National Security adviser, Stephen Hadley, has said that the report was given to Bush three to four months ago. How does the non-moron react to this? He tells us that this good news is bad news, that Iran is a greater danger than ever because these revelations reinforce the need for international pressure against Iran, that Tehran's secrecy shows it cannot be trusted. Whatever happened to the quaint custom of tarring and feathering?

Charlie Calisher,
Fort Collins

Musgrave opposes Farm Bill in DC; supports it at home

2007-12-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

Marilyn Musgrave is a real piece of work. First of all, she opposes expanding poor children's access to health care, by voting against SCHIP.

Just as bad, she votes against the 2007 Farm Bill, which not only helps farmers but provides millions of dollars of funding to needy families around America. Then Musgrave comes back to the Fourth District and yammers away at much she's for the 2007 Farm Bill. Get it? Not only that...she has the gall to do it at a food bank for needy families.

Standing in the volunteer line at the Food Bank for Larimer County, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave said Tuesday she was concerned about the impact on low-income families in Larimer County if the 2007 Farm Bill, stalled in the U.S. Senate, doesn't pass by the end of the year.

Musgrave feeds the Coloradoan a bunch of BS ('But I voted for it in committee!') even though she voted against it when it counts. She goes further! Saying she'll continue fighting for something she's on record opposing.

Musgrave, who is a ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, said she is ready to fight for the increased funding.

"There is a lot at stake here," Musgrave said. "I have made my strong opinion on this issue be known to President Bush and my colleagues, and I will continue to fight for (the bill's) passage."

We bet Bush was real impressed, Marilyn. Your opinion on the subject is about as strong as a wet noodle.

It seems the local media is okay with letting Musgrave get away with these lies, dutifully writing up her photo opportunities. Too bad for the people who live here, especially the tens of thousands of uninsured Colorado children you keep voting against.

Go visit Musgrave Watch for more observations.

Marilyn Musgrave two-faced on mining

2007-11-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Marilyn Musgrave has refused to support sensible reform of the 1872 Mining Act, preserving the ridiculous public giveaways to environmentally destructive special interests. She'll write letters about stopping one uranium mine when the public is paying attention, but when it comes to votes protecting watershed from mining overall, Marilyn Musgrave screws the CO-04 public over yet again. Musgrave has received thousands of dollars from mining PACs over the years.

Forty percent of the streams in the West are already polluted by mining, according to the EPA. Not only that but cities Musgrave represents, such as Fort Collins and Greeley, get their drinking water from public land rivers and streams.

Musgrave abandoned us

Rep. Marilyn Musgrave has been a vocal opponent of the proposed Weld uranium mine, even though she has no say over its permitting. But when she had a chance to take action to reform the 1872 Mining Act, she voted "no." Musgrave didn't walk the talk when she had the power to greatly improve our antiquated mining law that governs uranium mining on public lands.

Musgrave showed her true colors with her vote against practical, balanced mining reform. She voted against modernizing mining rules to protect our water supplies, wildlife habitat and neighboring communities from mining's negative impacts. She voted against requiring mining companies to clean-up their messes while leaving taxpayers holding the bag for expensive Superfund sites. Musgrave's vote to keep the old mining act means she's content to allow multi-national conglomerates to buy our public lands for the ridiculously low 1872 price of $5 an acre. When she voted against requiring mining companies to pay royalties to taxpayers, she indicated its ok with her to give our natural resources away for free to international corporations.

I guess it's easy for Musgrave to speak out against an unpopular mine but much harder to represent regular citizens and taxpayers instead of wealthy special interests. We're fortunate that a majority of our representatives were willing to step up to the plate to vote "yes" to update our mining laws.

I encourage Sens. Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard to follow the House's lead to support the reform of the 1872 Mining Act.

Barbara Liebler,
Fort Collins

Sign ProgressNow's petition telling Marilyn Musgrave to change her ways.

Marilyn Musgrave opposes SCHIP

2007-10-14T18:45:00.000-06:00

Musgrave is against a common sense bill that will keep poor children from getting sick or becoming undernourished.

Troops & Veterans deserve better than Marilyn Musgrave

2007-09-25T21:15:00.000-06:00

Marilyn Musgrave: Full of it [UPDATED]

2007-09-21T10:32:00.000-06:00

In order to try and look busy, Marilyn Musgrave is resorting to making stuff up, according to Randy Fischer and John Kefalas.

It is important to note that Powertech has yet to submit an application for mining in the Nunn/Wellington area. In addition, the state of Colorado is a so-called "agreement state." This means that the U.S. NRC and the state have entered into an agreement that gives Colorado the sole jurisdiction over radioactive materials, including uranium mining. Therefore, there is no public comment being taken at this time by either Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board or the NRC on this or any other uranium mining projects in Colorado, contrary to a recent article by Congresswoman Musgrave.

Go read where Marilyn Musgrave makes up stuff about stopping uranium mining.

UPDATE:

The Greeley Tribune points out Musgrave's fluff.

U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Fort Morgan, said last month that she'd succeeded in getting the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend its comment period regarding procedures for uranium mining.

Powertech's opponents felt somewhat edified, until Powertech and Democratic lawmakers pointed out that the NRC has no permitting authority here, so that comment extension was moot.

It's good they are catching on. Maybe they should fact check her next press release.

Musgrave should be supporting students

2007-09-14T14:32:00.000-06:00

You won't see local papers write an article about Marilyn Musgrave's votes. You'll see plenty of articles about her latest photo-op though.

Allard, Musgrave should be supporting efforts to defray college costs

In a recent vote, Congress passed the College Cost Reduction Act overwhelmingly in both houses. The bipartisan bill takes roughly $20 billion in subsidies given to private loan companies and diverts the money directly to students in the form of larger Pell Grants. In addition to an increase in funding, the legislation also expands loan forgiveness programs for public servants and fights to keep the interest rate at 3.4 percent.

As a student at the University of Colorado at Boulder, I thank all of our congressmen for their bold leadership in ensuring a safe and productive future for our country's youth.

I would also like to ask our two congress members from Colorado -- Sen. Wayne Allard and Rep. Marilyn Musgrave -- why they voted no on the largest education spending bill since the GI Bill after World War II. I would like to know why they speak so much about the future of our country but pass on efforts to safeguard it. I would like to know why their platforms speak of the importance of higher education, yet they choose not to fund it.

Colorado is ranked 48th in the country for higher education funding. So why did our leaders (including presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.) choose to leave students in the pitfalls of loan debt and rising tuition costs?

Dan Omasta is chairman of the CoPIRG Student Chapters and a student at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

These truths to be self-evident

2007-07-18T18:16:00.000-06:00

"The Declaration of Independence says that we hold these truths to be self-evident that all are created equal. Equal. I stand for equality of all American citizens. Equality. No asterisks…no parentheses…every American should have equality under the law.
You know what a threat is to marriage? Divorce is a threat to marriage. You know what else is a threat to marriage? Infidelity is a threat to marriage. Domestic violence is a threat to marriage. Losing your job is a threat to marriage. Marriage is not a threat to marriage. I support equality."
- Angie Paccione

Musgrave refuses public scrutiny

2007-07-15T08:08:00.000-06:00

In the Denver Post:

Lamborn outspent at least five of Colorado's six other U.S. representatives, The Gazette reported. The second-highest total reported was $19,000 by freshman Democrat Ed Perlmutter.
The newspaper said GOP U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave did not respond to requests for her mailing expenses.

Musgrave endangers 4th CD seat

2007-07-15T07:54:00.000-06:00

4th CD seat at risk

The Republican Party apparently has decided it is going to forfeit its long hold on the 4th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
What else can be concluded by their "gathering around Marilyn Musgrave" so there is no Republican primary in 2008?
I am astonished at the state of denial my party is in regarding what can only be described as the "Musgrave problem."
Musgrave is a horrible example of a "representative." Since her first election, she has alienated an unbelievably large number of her constituents - supporters and opponents alike. The numerous actions of an arrogant, disrespectful, condescending and blatantly unresponsive nature by Musgrave and her various staff members are too numerous to mention here. They have been consistently this way since her election in 2002. Any and all recent claims of change are simply a public relations stunt and not factual.
It is time the Republican Party finally admits that Musgrave is not deserving of their support. It is time for a real leader to step forward. If that doesn't happen, the Republicans can kiss goodbye their long control of this office.
There are many like myself. I volunteered my time, donated money to her first campaign and did all I could to help her win. I'll never make that mistake again. I haven't voted for her since and will absolutely never again vote for her - or anyone who supports her.
Wake up Republicans, or you will lose this seat!
Ron Klein,
Berthoud

Musgrave's cronies

2007-07-15T07:49:00.000-06:00

Musgrave's 'constituent' meetings really for cronies and elected officials

Letters to Editor
July 11, 2007

On June 29, the Tribune reported that Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., was meeting with 400 "invited" constituents from around northern Colorado at Johnson's Corner. This group consisted of elected officials, town employees, state lawmakers and "others." I fail to see where the term "constituents" comes into play. Might I suggest the term "cronies and other political hacks."

I went to Musgrave's last "constituent" meeting where she failed to answer any "constituent" questions. But then again, I was the only one asking questions and not whipping out my checkbook.

In attempts to ask questions of her staff, I continue to hear of the "bipartisan efforts" of Musgrave. I guess that's why she belongs to the bipartisan party.

Joe Williams, Loveland

Musgrave: Bullying people most important thing in America

2006-09-24T11:46:00.000-06:00

She's at it again! Marilyn Musgrave is so out to lunch it's no wonder she's going to lose!!!

Protecting traditional marriage is the most important issue Americans face today, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave said Friday, as she called on social conservatives to support candidates like herself who oppose same-sex marriages.

Speaking at the Family Research Council's 2006 Values Voter Summit, Musgrave, a Fort Morgan Republican, said she agrees with those who say legalized gay marriage would destroy religious freedoms.

Angie Paccione isn't putting up with that kind of crap!

Musgrave's opponent in the election, Democrat Angie Paccione, called Musgrave's comments outrageous.

"It's one more example of how out of touch she is with Colorado," Paccione said in a telephone interview. "Holy smokes, we're at war, we've lost nearly 3,000 people and thousands more are maimed.

"We have over 46 million Americans without health insurance. Weld County, one of her counties, led the country in (mortgage) foreclosures. You think they care about the federal marriage amendment?"

Angie on the blogs

2006-09-24T11:42:00.000-06:00

Angie has another great Daily Kos post

And Musgrave Watch interviews Angie on his blog:

Renewable sources of energy to generate electricity and power our vehicles will translate into a more secure America. Because of our abundant natural resources here in Colorado, it means that our rural communities will see tremendous economic benefit while showing the rest of the country that energy independence is possible.

We are already seeing that. In June, I visited Front Range Energy’s ethanol plant in Windsor. Sterling Ethanol has a plant operating in Sterling, and another one is under construction in Yuma. Soon, we could have more plants in places like Fort Morgan, LaSalle, and Walsh.

Supremacist kronies

2006-09-24T11:38:00.000-06:00

This Daily Kos post spells it all out: Marilyn Musgrave is the public face for some of the worst extremism in America!

Pombo coming to Greeley!!!!

2006-09-14T19:33:00.000-06:00

Speaking of "ethics," Marilyn Musgrave is bringing the biggest special interest kingpin in the Congress, Richard Pombo, to Greeley on Monday!!!

A House committee will hold a hearing in Greeley next week on whether the
Preble's meadow jumping mouse should continue to be protected under the
Endangered Species Act. The hearing was initiated by Rep. Marilyn Musgrave,
R-Colo., and will be chaired by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., a critic of the
Endangered Species Act.

A fierce dispute arose earlier this year about whether the mouse is a
distinct creature with a dwindling population, or is the same as a more common
species and undeserving of protection. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is
considering whether the mouse should stay on the endangered species list.

The decision affects nearly 31,000 acres in Colorado and Wyoming designated
as critical habitat to help the mouse recover.The mouse has become a symbol of a
broader debate between property-rights advocates who want to scale back the
Endangered Species Act and wildlife advocates who want to ensure enforcement of
the law is science-driven.

Next week's hearing is being billed as "abuses of the Endangered Species
Act: the so-called Preble's meadow jumping mouse."

She's bringing one of the biggest lowlifes in Congress to her district?

Ethics, schmethics

2006-09-14T19:22:00.000-06:00

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/091206/pork.html

Most RSC members enjoy pork
By Jonathan Allen
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.) is one of the House’s harshest critics of pork-barrel spending. A member of the conservative Republican Study Committee, he was one of 20 lawmakers who voted 19 times in May and June to strike earmarks from appropriations bills. He refers to himself as Tom “Pork Buster” Feeney.

Marilyn Musgrave used to say less pork means a more ethical congress. But Marilyn's about to lose her job, so that changes things.

Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) is directing three earmarks worth $900,000 to
the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and another $650,000 to projects
in Fort Collins and Greeley.

Hypocrite.

Marilyn's company

2006-09-12T11:22:00.000-06:00

Meet Larry Pratt:

Larry Pratt runs the Gun Owners of America, one of Marilyn Musgrave's biggest backers. Like James Dobson, Tony Perkins, and Lou Sheldon, he's just one more right wing extremist Marilyn looks up to.

This is in the University of Northern Colorado paper:

To the average reader, the fact that Marilyn Musgrave brought Kris Kobach to the University of Northern Colorado campus on Sept. 1 means little.

The significance of Kobach's appearance — and the fact that he accompanied Musgrave — comes from Kobach's relationship ties to leaders of extremist groups.

In 2004, Kobach ran for Congress in Kansas and took money from a special interest Political Action Committee run by the wife of John Tanton, who works with Wayne Lutton to publish white supremacist literature. Lutton now edits The Social Contract Press, which sponsors publications that claim America has a biblical right to kick people out.

I can't help but wonder: Is that really what Jesus would do?

Kobach is also affiliated with the right wing Gun Owners of America (they think the NRA is a bunch of socialists), whose executive director is Larry Pratt. Pratt used to edit an anti-Semitic publication, participates in militia activities and addresses white supremacist and Christian Identity organizations. Kobach took money from these people to go to Congress.

Thankfully, he failed.

It should also be noted that Kobach said the bill supporting a guest worker program for the illegal immigration problem is "a time bomb that is just waiting to do a lot of damage."

I find this interesting since Kobach also claims he supports a strong American economy. Perhaps the issue of immigration only goes skin deep for Kobach.

As a taxpayer, student of UNC and constituent of Marilyn Musgrave, I feel she should neither be bringing individuals like Kobach to our campus, nor should she be honoring any individual coming from backgrounds of discrimination, intolerance and hate.

There comes a time when we all have to take a stand to stop such blatant disregard of other human beings.

There is a safe and reasonable way of dealing with the immigration problem in America and Musgrave has proven to me that she is not capable of handling it.

Heck, Marilyn took money from these same people. She uses Lou Sheldon's group to run her fundraising, and they buy their lists from racist hate publications. She is in Tony Perkins' pocket, and he's played in David Duke's kiddy pool. The KKK endorse her. Anything else?

Moral Majority: Keep 'em out of church!

2006-09-12T11:17:00.000-06:00

Marilyn Musgrave is part of the Jack Abramoff-Tom DeLay machine, which is kept filled by the Chinese labor sweatshop system the GOP has set up on the Marianas Islands. This radio report tells how they did it. Marilyn Musgrave sits on two committees, Education/Workforce and Resources, which oversees the slave labor conditions on the islands. Marilyn Musgrave has done nothing.

Remember when Ralph Reed lost? Reed was supposed to have a Moral Army come out to save his ass, but they didn't show up. Dengre has a simple explanation:

A consensus is building about the Reed defeat: Forced Abortions are bad for the GOP.

It has been 11 Years since Jack Abramoff began his work to protect a system of sweatshops, human trafficking, force prostitution and forced abortion on the Commonwealth of North Mariana Islands (CNMI).

The Holy Rollers are generous when it comes their leaders spread war, misery, and pestilence. But when it comes to forced abortions, suddenly GOTV doesn't seem so holy, holy, holy. There's more!

Japko said her friend was forced to work overtime most days, even when she did not want to, and had "to sneak out" of the compound whenever she wanted to attend church services.

Especially when the Marilyn's protection racket conspired to keep laborers from going to church!

The GOP record

2006-09-12T11:08:00.000-06:00

Record? What record?

Republicans are planning to spend the vast majority of their sizable financial war chest over the final 60 days of the campaign attacking Democratic House and Senate candidates over personal issues and local controversies, GOP officials said.

In other words, don't look behind the curtain.

Mariana paradise

2006-09-09T10:12:00.000-06:00

In June National Public Radio looked at how Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff used the Marianas Islands in their corruption machines.

Even though Marilyn Musgrave sits on two committees that can stop the slave labor, forced abortions, child exploitation, and money laundering, she's done nothing.

Finish this sentence...

2006-09-09T10:10:00.000-06:00

Finish this sentence...

Marilyn Musgrave and Angie Paccione walk into a bar. Seated on the barstools are two parrots, an orangutan, a priest, a minister, a woman playing a saxophone, Spider-Man, a gay guy, three forest rangers, Hawkeye Pierce, Hillary Clinton, President Bush Jr., three chickens that escaped from the Super-Duper Market and Jo-Jo The Dog-Faced Boy. The bartender says, "What'll you have, Ladies?" And in unison, Marilyn and Angie say .......

Musgrave on the ropes

2006-09-07T00:02:00.000-06:00

Angie Paccione tops $1 million raised, and now the Denver Post has a story on how vulnerable Marilyn Musgrave is.

Dissatisfaction nationally with Republicans and aggressive campaigning by a Democratic challenger have some questioning whether Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave's Colorado seat is in jeopardy.
"There is something going on. This race is now competitive," said Amy Walter, senior editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which analyzes the country's congressional races. "Musgrave is vulnerable."
The report recently rated Musgrave as in danger of losing her seat to Democratic state Rep. Angie Paccione. And the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved $630,000 of television ad time for the race. U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., who heads the committee, said in a recent interview that it was closely eyeing the race.

Rumsfeld Must Go

2006-09-06T23:38:00.000-06:00

Like night and day, Angie Paccione shows she's no rubber stamp.

Rep. Marilyn Musgrave said, "The Democrats are simply looking for a scapegoat for the election season and they've selected Rumsfeld."
The Republican lawmaker said said Rumsfeld is an advocate for the U.S. policy to win the war on terror by giving the Iraqi people the ability to defend themselves and then bring U.S. troops home.

"Instead, the liberal Democrats in Congress want to continue to advocate cut-and-run policies that lack a commitment to win the ultimate war on terror," she said.

State Rep. Angie Paccione, Musgrave's Democratic challenger, endorsed the call for Rumsfeld's resignation.

"Donald Rumsfeld has been attacking patriotic Americans for criticizing the administration's incompetence and corrupt leadership," she said in a quote. "Americans are looking for real security, not slogans. He should be removed."

Gay marriage does its work

2006-08-31T20:47:00.000-06:00

Sliding up the slippery slope: This is clearly the fault of homosexuals who want to get married. But it's just an "alternate lifestyle," according to Tucker Carlson.

"Late for work"

2006-08-31T20:27:00.000-06:00

The Muskrat Hunter discovers Marilyn's attitude towards strangers, from the Westword archives:

One of the most bruising battles of the current election has been the heated contest between state senator Marilyn Musgrave and state senate president Stan Matsunaka, squaring off for the 4th Congressional District seat being vacated by Bob Schaffer. But according to Greeley attorney Richard Blundell, whatever licks Musgrave, the Republican candidate in a heavily GOP district, delivers to Matsunaka can't possibly be as damaging as the bang-up job she's already done on his clients, Ken and Susie Sandoval.
According to a lawsuit recently filed by Blundell in Adams County, motorist Musgrave rear-ended the Sandovals' automobile when they were stopped at a red light in Brighton last year. Blundell claims that not only did Musgrave drive "with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of others," but she refused to use her cell phone to summon help and told the Sandovals that no accident report was necessary.
"Believe me, the cops don't have to be called," Musgrave reportedly said. "I know, because my husband is an insurance agent." After exchanging insurance information with the Sandovals, Musgrave left the scene, claiming she was late for work, Blundell says.
The lawsuit alleges that Ken Sandoval, a heart-transplant recipient and recent stroke victim, "was in obvious substantial pain and discomfort as a result of being injured" in the crash, but Musgrave offered no assistance. "She acted like it didn't make any difference to her," Blundell says. Although the damage to the Sandovals' car exceeded $1,000, well above the $500 limit beyond which an accident report must be filed, Blundell says his clients believed Musgrave and never bothered to contact the police. If they had, he adds, Musgrave "could have lost her license for leaving the scene of an accident."
The Sandovals filed suit after Blundell contacted Musgrave's insurer (and her husband's employer), which offered a paltry $4,500 to settle the case; the Sandovals' medical bills now total around $15,000. Musgrave campaign manager Guy Short did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
But in an October 23 column published by the Longmont Daily Times-Call, Musgrave called for tougher state limits on civil litigation and blasted "the predatory tactics of American trial lawyers." (She also slapped Matsunaka, calling him her "trial lawyer opponent.") Incensed, Blundell fired off a letter to the paper that has yet to be published. "I think people should know why she wants to take away the right to sue," he fumes.

Theocratic dumbassery

2006-08-31T20:07:00.000-06:00

Here's some dumbassery. Dr. James Kennedy, right wing Christian supremacist, is trying to link Darwin to Hitler. The ADL calls them idiots for trivializing the Holocaust to support the Creationist agenda in the public schools. Here's Kennedy on his plans for your kid:

The Christian community has a golden opportunity to train an army of dedicated teachers who can invade the public school classrooms and use them to influence the nation for Christ.

Yeah, you guessed it, Marilyn Musgrave is tight with the Coral Ridge Ministries nutjobbers:

Musgrave said much of her inspiration to enter politics came from Dr. Kennedy. “When I first started listening to D. James Kennedy on Truths That Transform,” she said, “I was so encouraged that there was a minister of the Gospel that said what was right and what was wrong, and what our responsibility was as Christians in this great nation.”

“Those kind of things just grew in me through the years, and then, here I am [today] voting on moral issues. I just want to say to the Christian Statesman staff, Dr. Kennedy is a hero for me.”

Must be real comforting always having some loony televangelist telling you all of your anger and prejudice is just God talking to you.

Kennedy is one of the founders of the Dominionist movement, which is just a fancy way of saying he's for theocracy. Wake up people!!!!

Caving in to Richard Pombo

2006-08-24T11:38:00.000-06:00

Marilyn Musgrave opposes wilderness designation for Rocky Mountain National Park. Why? Because she's in the pocket of Richard Pombo, Chairman of the House Resources committee. This is the same guy who helped Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay keep the the petri dish of capitalism and forced abortions in place in the Marianas Islands.

Now Pombo is telling Musgrave that she's against wilderness designation for the park. And it's screwing over Colorado.

“I quite frankly don’t understand,” said Suzy Blackhurst, communications coordinator for the Estes Park Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “Every local authority has said they want it. Why are they discounting that?”

Musgrave even admits what Richard Pombo has got to say means more to her than what the citizens of Estes Park say. This was in the Estes Park Trail Gazette in August:

“I don’t know exactly the reasons why they are holding this up,” said Wertz.

The answer may lie far from Colorado.

“I talked to the chairman of the Resources Committee (Richard Pombo, R-CA) regarding what does wilderness designation mean,” said Congresswoman Musgrave. “The Resources Committee says that when something is designated a wilderness area it restricts access. We need to be well aware of what designation means.”

It means that Pombo's buddies aren't going to be able to log the life out of it!

Opposition to wilderness designations because they will restrict access is a recurring issue within the House Committee on Resources.

Republican California Congressman and rancher Richard Pombo, who is currently running for re-election, is the chairman of the House Committee on Resources. Pombo and members of the Committee have often been criticized for being opposed to legislation that would expand wilderness areas.

Outside magazine’s online edition (May 2005) described his insistence on allowing mechanized access to areas designated wilderness.

“No fan of wilderness designation, he also sent his committee members a stern memo suggesting that wilderness bills would not get past his desk unless they allowed for ‘mechanized access,’ which includes vehicles like logging trucks.”

Pombo and the committee favor a multiuse policy for national parks.

Meaning: drill it, mine it, log it, so that corrupt special interests from outside of Colorado make billions, while Marilyn Musgrave's constituents pay the price.

Marilyn and Wayne Allard came up with some lying smoke and mirrors crap, but Mark Udall called bullshit. Save Rocky Mountain National Park from Marilyn Musgrave!

Musgrave on Immigration

2006-08-24T11:35:00.000-06:00

Another Greeley Trib letter:

Musgrave 'finesses' on immigration

Letters to Editor
August 23, 2006

Unfortunately the term "both ways" has already been taken for the 2006 election. It would be an excellent title for Rep. Musgrave as she continues to finesse her position on immigration. With recent data indicating that 20 percent of our state's population is Latino, it is no wonder that Musgrave wants it "both ways."

According to Musgrave's Web site: (http://musgrave.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx? DocumentID=37271) border security can be strengthened by: "Hire additional border patrol agents and immigration officials to give our borders the attention they need. Stiffen penalties for employers that hire workers who entered our country illegally and forge or do not verify their status."

But, in 2005, she voted to eliminate funding to add 550 additional border agents and 200 additional immigration investigators, voted against increased fines for companies that hire illegals, voted for setting caps on monetary penalties for hiring or employing illegal immigrants.

Which way is it? Musgrave has been the beneficiary of large corporate contributions from Cargill, ConAgra, and Tyson Foods, which in some cases have been cited for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. Maybe K Street trumps Main Street? Maybe she's preoccupied with gay marriage and flag burning? Maybe it's time for a change.

Paul Hesson, Loveland

Build the Network

2006-08-23T08:56:00.000-06:00

ProgressNow rules!

At 30,000 members strong the ProgressNowAction network is poised to have a major impact on the November election in Colorado. For the next two weeks, lets grow the network even stronger so progressive Coloradans are heard at the polls.
Participating in the contest is easy. Just use the simple online form on the contest page linked below to invite your friends to join the network. If you recruit 20 people to join the network you'll automatically receive a pair of "Both Ways Bob" flip flop sandals. The people who recruit the most new members can choose from the list of prizes, in order of finish.
Click on the following link for more details or to send invitations to your friends, family, and co-workers right now:
http://www.ProgressNowAction.org/GrowTheNetwork
Please also take a few minutes to watch a Grow the Network contest video that some of your fellow network members helped create. It will put a smile on your face and inspire you to grow this network so that together we can make our progressive voices heard in November.
Please forward this email to your friends, and thank you for helping grow the network! If you have any questions, simply reply to this email or call 303-991-1900.
Sincerely,
Bobby Clark
Deputy Director

Greeley Tribune letter

2006-08-23T08:53:00.000-06:00

Greeley Tribune letter:

Musgrave is shameful

Letters to Editor
August 22, 2006

In my profession, factual accuracy and intellectual integrity is everything, in both teaching and scholarship. This is why it is shameful that Marilyn Musgrave represents the students, staff, and faculties of Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado.

Despite her confessed ignorance of medical science and Terri Schiavo's clinical condition, she took to the floor of Congress last year to declare, "When we talk about a permanent vegetative state, I am offended by that. Terri smiles and acknowledges the people that love her when they come to see her. She cries when they leave. How heartless are we to call somebody like Terri Schiavo a vegetable? What are we thinking?" Never mind the medical facts, or the overwhelming public sentiment that family members rather than extremist politicians should make end-of-life decisions. Musgrave apparently knows best and will continue to vote for laws that shred our families' privacy and dignity.

Family, friends, and acquaintances of mine around the country shake their heads in amazement that a well-educated citizenry with two premier Colorado universities has sent Musgrave to Congress not once, but twice. Let's not do it again.

Ann M. Little, Greeley

How special is Marilyn?

2006-08-23T08:49:00.000-06:00

How special is Marilyn Musgrave? Angie Paccione has a new website: http://specialinterestmarilyn.com

Kevin Lundberg has got to go

2006-08-21T09:08:00.000-06:00

The Angry Right in Colorado, at Squarestate.

Cronyism comes to CO-04

2006-08-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

Marilyn Musgrave brought Dennis Hastert to her district.

“The fight on the (House) floor is between people like Marilyn Musgrave who believe in strong values, Christian values and individualism versus the people who believe in bigger government,” Hastert told the crowd of 75 donors.
Hastert’s 20-minute speech focused primarily on drawing lines between liberals and conservatives, the role of tax cuts in stimulating the economy, and the need for immigration reform that starts with border security.
He thanked Musgrave’s donors and volunteers and urged them to continue to fight to send Musgrave and the “family values she represents” back to Washington, D.C.

This is the guy Jack Abramoff called, "a reliable ally for his clients," a millionaire landowner thanks to being in public office, a draft dodger who thinks he can lecture John McCain on "sacrifice."

Marilyn Musgave works for this guy.

In play, baby!

2006-08-21T08:58:00.000-06:00

Is CO-04 in play for the Dems?

John McIntyre
Fri Aug 18, 6:48 AM ET

Colorado's fourth congressional district is not the kind of seat Republicans can afford to see seriously in play after Labor Day if they hope to retain control of the House of Representatives in next year's Congress. The district is reliably Republican: President Bush carried it in 2004 with 58% of the vote. Yet a newly released poll by SurveyUSA for KUSA-TV in Denver gives the incumbent Republican, Marilyn Musgrave, a small four-point lead, 46% to 42%. A Democratic poll done by Strategic Services in June pegged Rep. Musgrave's lead at a mere point.

More troubling for Ms. Musgrave is the 8% going to Reform Party candidate Eric Eidsness. Colorado was one of Ross Perot's best states in his third-party bids for President in the 1990s, and Mr. Eidsness is a legitimate threat to garner 5%, or more, of the vote in November. The SurveyUSA results indicate Mr. Eidsness siphoning 7% of Republican voters versus only 2% from Democrats.

Most analysts still rate this contest as "Republican favored" but there are early warning signs that Ms. Musgrave may be in a dogfight to hold on to her seat, especially given that her winning percentage of the vote in 2004 declined to 51% from the 55% she captured in 2002.

While the Reform Party candidate aspect mitigates some of the national implications of this race, it is another piece of evidence suggesting that Democrats are indeed well positioned to potentially pick up the 15 seats they need to capture the House.

Angie Paccione in New York Times

2006-08-16T09:35:00.000-06:00

The New York Times has a big story on Michael Schiavo, who is campaigning against grasping harpy politicians who want to use their power to make your medical decisions.

Mr. Schiavo, who won a scorching legal battle to remove his brain-damaged wife’s feeding tube, also remains furious at lawmakers in Tallahassee and Washington who intervened in the case. Hence the creation last winter of TerriPAC, a federal political action committee aimed against politicians who tried to stop Ms. Schiavo’s death, and the debut of Mr. Schiavo, a newly remarried, self-described normal guy, as a political weapon in this year’s midterm elections.

He is an unpolished speaker, sometimes abandoning sentences midstream or grasping for the right words. He did not vote or follow the news until recently, he says, and had never heard of a PAC until strangers suggested he start one late last year.

Then on the visit to Musgrave's office:

Mr. Schiavo also hand-delivered a caustic letter to Representative Marilyn Musgrave, Republican of Colorado, who outspokenly opposed Ms. Schiavo’s death, and endorsed her Democratic opponent, Angie Paccione. He attended a bloggers’ convention in Las Vegas in June to raise his profile in the online pundit world, being host of a “privacy roundtable” at the Riviera Hotel.

“He is the human face of government intrusion,” said Ms. Paccione, explaining why she accepted Mr. Schiavo’s offer to appear with her at a news conference July 12. “We need more individual citizens like him to step up and put an end to it. People trust somebody who looks like them, talks like them and has their experience.”

As opposed to people like Marilyn Musgrave, who thinks it's the government's business to interfere in your life decisions.

Michael Schiavo's letter to Musgrave.

Angie on rural communities

2006-08-12T12:33:00.000-06:00

Angie Paccione is in the Greeley Trib too, talking about farmers and ranchers and energy independence.

First, renewable energy improves America's security while putting dollars into farmer’s pockets. While special interests work to keep us dependent, farmers and ranchers feel firsthand the effects of our political and economic dependence on foreign oil from unstable regions. Production and transport costs affect their bottom line. To start, we need to keep more energy dollars local, through consistent support for small wind systems, wind farms, bio-fuels, solar, cellulose ethanol and the ability to sell surplus energy locally and regionally. Community energy independence makes America energy independent.

"Sofistikation"

2006-08-12T12:29:00.000-06:00

Poor Marilyn. The Greeley Tribune's columnist, Mike Peters, is making fun of her again.

So, there I was, driving safely on the Greeley streets, eating a cinnamon roll, drinking coffee, reading a book and listening to Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee on the radio, when all of a sudden, Our Favorite CongressGal Marilyn Musgrave is on the radio and she says, "I just wish the Tribune was a little more ... (thoughtful pause) ... sophisticated.''

One thing leads to another . . .

Hence (How about that, Marilyn? "Hence" is a really sophisticated word) Hence, if we put all the meanings of the word together, "sophistication" means "an overbearing,tiresome woman who sucks the lifeblood out of people who don't agree with her."

Gee, Marilyn, does that sound like somebody we know?

Pro-Torture proud

2006-08-10T09:07:00.000-06:00

Bush in bid to protect top staff:

The Bush administration has drafted changes to the War Crimes Act that would protect US policymakers from possible retrospective criminal charges for authorising humiliating and degrading treatment of detainees, according to lawyers who have seen the proposal.

The move marks the administration’s latest effort to deal with how the US should treat people taken into custody in President George Bush’s campaign against terror.

Musgrave in Loveland

2006-08-10T08:59:00.000-06:00

Business owners and managers are invited to tell U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave their thoughts on health care at 1 p.m. Thursday in Loveland.
The hearing is conducted by the Small Business Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment, and Government Programs. Musgrave and fellow subcommittee member John Shadegg, R-Ariz., will attend.

The hearing, titled "Health Care and Small Business — Real Options for Colorado Businesses,” will be at the Loveland City Council Chambers, 500 E. Third St. in Loveland.

This is hilarious. Musgrave is so concerned with looking congressional that she forgets to actually work. Not going to work.

Heroic Washington cronyism

2006-08-08T12:59:00.000-06:00

Remember when Marilyn Musgrave defended Tom DeLay?

Musgrave issued a statement, calling DeLay "a talented leader (who takes on) Washington's unwillingness to reform." "I support Tom DeLay because of his success and stewardship in creating change, which, as a result, have made him a prime target for several slanderous claims," the statement read. "Instead of debating the merits of substantive policies that are helping Americans in their daily lives, MoveOn is playing a game of distraction by creating ever-changing accusations about Leader DeLay."

No joke.

Now another one of her cronies, Bob Ney, is out of a job. Here's how John Boehner convinces these people to do what he wants:

House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) met with Ney last week to urge him to step aside, reminding him that with a son in college and a daughter nearing college age, he will need money, according to several congressional Republican aides. If he lost his House seat for the party, Boehner is said to have cautioned, Ney could not expect a lucrative career on K Street to pay those tuition bills, along with the hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees piling up.

Wow! Now that's standing up for the integrity of the institution! Heroic leadership! I wonder how he gets Marilyn to say "yes."

Oh yeah, and Marilyn Musgrave only took $5,000 from Bob Ney.

Workin' hard

2006-08-08T12:35:00.000-06:00

Here's some Rocky Mountain Politics for you, Musgrave style:

Lamborn Election Day shenanighans–via Musgrave staff
Tuesday August 08th 2006, 9:44 am
Filed under: Uncategorized

Word on the street has it that staffers and volunteers from Cong. Marilyn Musgrave’s campaign were out last night pulling up all the signs at polling places for all the opponents of Doug Lamborn in CD-5. They were reported to Colorado Springs Police who ignored the situation.

Their plan was to give Lamborn an advantage by causing the other candidates, whose remaining sign resources would obviously be dwindling in these last hours of the primary election, to scramble to provide a presense for voters coming into the polling place.

It’s just another in a long line of election games by the Lamborn campaign.

And it's Musgrave's boy Jon Hotaling who got loaned to Doug Lamborn, whose Colorado Christian Coalition bro' Mark Hotaling who has been such a busy, busy boy these days. Looks like all it got them was an FEC investigation.

Musgrave in trouble

2006-08-08T12:32:00.000-06:00

Musgrave's in trouble, says the Greeley Tribune. Even the farmers are pissed:

Nathan Gonzales, political editor of the Rothenberg Report, says Musgrave is still highly regarded in conservative circles. But a key voter base may be slipping away.

Some Republican farmers who supported her in 2004 are questioning whether she is fighting hard enough for their interests, said Jimmie Dean of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, which does not endorse candidates.

"Not enough dollars have been coming back" to farmers, Dean said.

Roland Naibauer, president of the Weld County Farmer's Union, puts it bluntly.

"She hasn't done much for agriculture," he said. "She should do a better job or quit."

In particular, Naibauer thinks she hasn't worked hard enough for drought relief. Musgrave pushed for an emergency appropriations bill containing $4 billion for farmers suffering from drought, but despite her efforts, the money was cut from the final bill.

Musgrave did successfully petition the Farm Service Agency to open up conservation reserve lands in several counties, including Weld, to emergency haying and grazing because of tough drought conditions.

Nevertheless, Ray Peterson, a La Salle cattle rancher who voted against Musgrave in 2004, is poised to do it again in November.

"I'd vote for Paccione," he said. "She seems to be more concerned about our water issues."

Musgrave twice brought in Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., to Weld County to give farmers a chance to speak directly to federal decision-makers.

"These town meetings don't go anywhere," Peterson said. "I'm not impressed."

Source: SquareState

Debate!

2006-08-08T12:30:00.000-06:00

The Musgrave Watch says Marilyn Musgrave has agreed to a debate in CO-04!

Loony promises

2006-08-04T09:11:00.000-06:00

The loonies were out in force for the Fifth District Focus on the Family debate (go Jay!). Here's the nuttiest

Rayburn, a retired Air Force major general, framed several answers in terms of what “we as Christians” would do. As he has throughout the campaign, he described the war in Iraq as a battle against radical Islam and said establishing a democracy in Iraq would send a message.

“That will open up hope within these countries for the gospel of Jesus Christ to change hearts,” he said.

Rayburn and Bremer, a former El Paso county commissioner, said they believe God had called them to run for office.

“I want to be God’s man in Washington,” Bremer told the crowd. “I want to represent the heart of this district . . . whether people who are saved and working side by side with you or whether people who are unsaved.”

Creepy. But showing that he's truly God's Knob, Doug Lamborn takes the cake:

Lamborn bragged he had already been assured help by Rep. Marilyn Musgrave to obtain a seat on the armed services committee, but would also seek a seat on the Ways and Means Committee.

Udall smackdown on Marilyn

2006-08-03T10:08:00.000-06:00

Marilyn Musgrave has been looking stupid for delaying protecting Rocky Mountain National Park. So she got Senator Wayne Allard to sign onto an opinion editorial that supposedly explains how much she gives a crap about the park. Here's how they try and make Marilyn look smart:

Unfortunately, not enough has been done since to adequately address the economic impacts that would result in the event of severe environmental conditions such as insect infestation, and more also needs to be done to address concerns pertaining to water.

Now, Congressman Mark Udall has issued a smackdown on Marilyn:

I am confident that when the senator and Musgrave read the legislation and fully understand it, they will support it.

The bill is based on recommendations to Congress by President Nixon. It has the support of the Bush administration and, more importantly, of the park's neighbors, including Estes Park and Grand Lake and both Larimer and Grand counties.

Since Marilyn "sits" on the subcommittee for national parks, isn't it her job to read it?

It's right here, Marilyn. Go read.

Creepy Musgrave Crawlies

2006-08-03T10:03:00.000-06:00

Musgrave Watch has interviewed Eric Eidsness, the Reform candidate, and here's the Musgrave Machine for you:

Political Operatives Interfering with My Candidacy: The seminal moment that I know I could not run as a Republican came at a luncheon at Red Robin restaurant in Longmont on November 30, 2006 between myself, Monica Sweere, one of my campaign supporters, and two political operatives I believe were sent to me by former Congressman Bob Schaeffer. Schaeffer gave Marilyn his organization, his staff and ultimately her congressional seat.

One of these two operatives was an instructor of Schaeffer’s resuscitated “Leadership Program of the Rockies” which is training operative throughout the state for other than altruistic reasons, in my opinion. The other operative was a side-kick who made claims of associations and accomplishments that were upon checking, simply lies.

The two (who had spent considerable time leading up to that meeting to gain my trust and confidence) made a proposition to me to the effect that if I did not run against Marilyn in the primary, and instead ran in the seat being vacated by Angie Paccione, then I would get “a lot of money” and in 2010, when Marilyn stepped down from her congressional seat, I would be the “anointed one”.

When I asked who authorized them to make this proposition, the answer was, “Senator Wayne Allard”.

It was not the offer per say that turned my stomach; it was the arrogance, lies and duplicity that surrounded the whole experience. It may be “politics as usual” (and I had seen this as a Presidential Appointee in the 1980’s first hand), but such behavior is repugnant to me and I will always fight it.

Allard, of course, denied even knowing these two young bucks (and I believe him, of course). Bob Schaeffer, whom I subsequently confronted, neither confirmed nor denied that he sent these people. He did everything he could do to deflect my probes. These two young men have never given anything to their country, never served in appointed or political office, never bore arms for their, lied through their teeth, and, in the end their arrogance was emblematic of the Republican Party of today.

Marriage Saved!

2006-07-30T10:46:00.000-06:00

Pentagon Develops New Tank To Defend Marriage

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Colbert Report remembers Ralph Reed . . .

2006-07-25T10:40:00.000-06:00

. . . by way of Marilyn Musgrave's Ghost Suite fundraising!

Jack Abramoff crony Ralph Reed's butt is Holy Toast, and Crooks and Liars has a tribute to the Christian Coalition creep that mentions Marilyn Musgrave and Suite 777:

Colbert skewers Ralph Reed and the entire Christian Coalition in this segment. Ralph says that his values will win in November, which brings us to–The Word:

Video-WMP Video-QT

There are a few people that have received an A ratings from the CC and are in a wee bit of trouble with the law.

In memory of Ralph Reed:

Colorado Representative Marilyn Musgrave. The Christian Coalition gave her a perfect score. And now this good woman is being accused of running her campaign out of her official office, which is illegal. She explained she was just running it out of the same building in Suite 777.

Her critics point out that there is no 777 in that building. The truth is it's just that non-believers can't see it.

(By way of SquareState)

Bob Watson: Political payback

2006-07-23T11:10:00.000-06:00

The one and only Muskrat Hunter uncovers the "quid pro quo" behind the latest Marilyn Musgrave attack ad. A District Attorney is in one of Marilyn's radio ads, playing Mr. Law & Order, attacking Angie on illegal immigration. Except the Karl Rove playbook is a little screwed up since it was Angie who created a state police unit that will take apart human smuggling and trafficking networks.

They'll say anything, won't they?

Especially when Marilyn Musgrave turns a blind eye to the immigration crisis on the Mariana Islands!

And, according to the Muskrat Hunter, it turns out that DA Bob Watson is actually just using his public office to engage in a little political payback for Marilyn.

Well, since Bobby "Doc" Watson got his back scratched (and the DA job) in 2004, he's all 'bout helpin' out tha Muskrat by doin a lil smearin' on Angie in 2006. That's right, the Muskrat has rolled out her pet District Attorney, Bob Watson, to do a smelly *paid for hit* on Angie. Think of it as metaphorical-like dog poo.

But there's even more irony to this sordid little tale. It was because of the fundraising letter Marilyn sent out for Bob Watson in 2004 that she got in trouble for abusing her office privileges, using her position for political favors, and misleading the press.

Yup, because of her favor for Bob Watson, Marilyn landed on the 13 Most Corrupt Members of Congress list, according to her hometown paper, the Fort Morgan Times. Now she thinks that corruption is paying off for her, because she's using DA Bob Watson to use his official office to attack Angie. Marilyn likes using people for her dirty work.

'Cause Marilyn sent her letter from a "suite" that didn't exist, Suite 777: The Ghost Suite.

The tale begins in early August when the newspaper publisher from Musgrave's hometown of Fort Morgan obtains a copy of a "Dear Friend" mailing sent by Musgrave from Suite 777.

The mailing is a letter written by Musgrave endorsing Bob Watson of Sterling, who, at the time, is campaigning to become district attorney.

Musgrave tries to intimidate the media:

Musgrave even goes so far as to call the newspaper publisher ignorant and ignanomous -- even though ignanomous isn't a real word.

The tale unfolds further with the publisher, undaunted by Musgrave's attempt at intimidation, continuing to search for the reason Musgrave is so upset with his column.

In late August, the publisher has his answer. An official with the House franking office in

Washington, D.C., verifies that his office reviewed the Musgrave letter prior to its mailing and had to approve it as campaign stationery.

The official states he believes the letter was deliberately written to appear as congressional stationery.

What makes the letter "campaign" stationery as Musgrave claims, are the words Suite 777 shown as the 5401 Stone Creek Circle address from where the letter originated.

Musgrave's congressional office address is listed as 5401 Stone Creek Circle, Suite 204 on her congressional Web site.

It's all there, folks.

This has been another edition of I'm A Fool To Do Your Dirty Work, here on Musgrave Must Go. Plenty more links at The Muskrat Hunt.

Capitalist perfection

2006-07-22T09:03:00.000-06:00

Marilyn's Muffs does some serious shit-talking:

Women who worked in the Marianas Islands’ factories were tricked into signing contracts by being told they would work in “U.S. factories” and some faced forced abortions when they became pregnant. Marilyn helped make this possible.

WTF?!?!?!

Alright. Part of the Tom DeLay-Jack Abramoff scheming was to the Marianas Islands, a US protectorate, exempt from national labor and immigration laws. Can you spell, S-W-E-A-T-S-H-O-P, boys and girls? Only in this case, it's got an American flag sown on it.

As Tom DeLay preached his pro-business/anti-regulation theology in the US, his model of perfection was far from the mainland. The U.S. protectorate of the Northern Mariana Islands -- 14 islands in the North Pacific -- have become something of a free-enterprise petting zoo for DeLay and those he wishes to convert to his way of thinking.

Who can be against these guest workers?

Despite the growing public awareness of work conditions in the islands, Tom DeLay's defense of the status quo remained unshaken. In 1998 DeLay co-authored a letter with House Majority Leader Dick Army (R-TX). The two men, writing to the islands' governor, expressed how "impressed" they were with the Marianas' "commitment to advancing the principles of free markets, enterprise, tax reform and other innovative approaches to governance."

Ship in the Chinese labor. Seize their passports. Keep in sweatshops. Abuse them. Tell them to get backroom abortions if they want to keep their jobs. Ms. Magazine blew the lid off all of this crap.

With few economic options, pregnant workers often feel they have no choice but to visit one of Saipan’s underground abortion providers. At least four acupuncture clinics offer pills to induce abortions, according to a local translator and former garment worker.

“I’ve driven four Chinese women to get abortions here,” he says, pointing to an inconspicuous cement building with red Chinese lettering and an English sign that reads “Acupuncture, Herbs, Massage Oils.” “I see girls whose bleeding did not stop, and on two incidents I had to take the girls to the hospital.”

Now that's what we call Right To Work!

How did Tom DeLay, who called this the "perfect petri dish of capitalism," keep his Congress Cronies from doing anything about this?

Abramoff, using his close ties to Republicans in the House, worked mightily to block such reforms.

Many of his efforts focused on the House Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over U.S. territories, including the Marianas. Although members of both houses of Congress and both political parties repeatedly pushed to bring the Marianas under federal immigration and minimum wage laws, not a single legislative attempt has succeeded—most killed in the House Resources Committee.

Hello, Mr. Pombo!

Miller has also requested that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the current House Resources Committee chair, Richard Pombo (R-Calif.), launch a full investigation of Abramoff’s dealings in the Marianas. So far, Pombo has yet to hold a hearing, but Miller says he will continue to push.

“It’s so ironic that people who talk about themselves as having family values are allowing these guest workers to be exploited in the harshest possible ways,” says Miller. “Their money and lobbying allowed the continuation of the worst of human behavior. Hopefully, now DeLay’s influence is diminished and there’s an opportunity to provide some protections.”

Guess who else sits on the House Resources Committee!

America's own Chastity Belt: Marilyn Musgrave.

Which one is the clown?

2006-07-20T20:56:00.000-06:00

Somebody at Scripps Howard thinks Bob Martinez is full of crap:

Congressional Republicans turned a private tragedy into a political circus last year when they intervened in the case of Terri Schiavo.
Against the wishes of her husband, the judgment of her physicians, the weight of public opinion and more than a decade of court rulings, Congress attempted to overturn an order allowing Terri Schiavo's feeding tube to be removed, 15 years after she fell into a brain-damaged, "persistent vegetative state," with no hope of recovery.
It was an undisguised campaign of pandering to "pro-life" zealots, made all the more disgraceful by the rhetoric that accompanied it. Politicians spoke as if they were better qualified than Schiavo's own doctors to evaluate her condition. Some trafficked in innuendo about the motives of her husband, Michael Schiavo, who believed that he was carrying out his wife's own wishes when he sought to have artificial nutrition and hydration removed.

Angie blog on Kos

2006-07-19T18:24:00.000-06:00

Marilyn Musgrave's vote-getting anti-gay amendment got killed again yesterday. Michael of the Musgrave Watch links to a blog post by Angie Paccione on Daily Kos:

As an evangelical Christian, I draw tremendous strength from being able to share my faith. However, I draw the line when it comes to imposing faith on other people. I live my faith, I don't legislate it. That's how the Framers intended it, and it's our duty to honor that. That's what it is to pursue happiness.

Angie raises $60k more than Marilyn!

2006-07-16T19:49:00.000-06:00

Uh . . . isn't this the kind of thing that's supposed to be impossible?

ANGIE PACCIONE OUTRAISES MARILYN MUSGRAVE BY $60,000
Sen. Ken Salazar congratulates Paccione on a successful quarter.

FORT COLLINS -- State Rep. Angie Paccione outraised her opponent Marilyn Musgrave by $60,000 in the second quarter.
Paccione raised more than $301,000 to Musgrave’s $241,000, according to the candidates’ second quarter filing with the FEC for Colorado’s Fourth Congressional District. Paccione’s second quarter numbers are nearly double what they were last quarter, while Musgrave’s donations have dropped $34,000 since last quarter.“We’re gaining unbelievable momentum, while Marilyn is actually going backward,” Paccione said.

Michael Schiavo blogs

2006-07-16T19:46:00.000-06:00

Michael Schiavo has a great diary up on his visit to Colorado. Come back soon, man!

How much trouble do you think one person can cause in 48 hours in Colorado? Apparently, if you're the pro-life community, big government right-wingers or the Colorado Republican Party, the answer is quite a bit.

Getting up at 3:00am to catch my 6:00am flight, I was in Denver just before 8:00am Wednesday morning Central time. After breakfast at our hotel, I was honored to meet Colorado Rep. Angie Paccione (Pa-cho-nee) who we all hope will defeat far right-wing Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave this November.

Check out some video on Angie and Michael's drop-by.

Leadership at Estes Park

2006-07-16T19:41:00.000-06:00

Yup. It's official. Marilyn Musgrave has blown itin Estes Park. The Estes Park Trail Gazette on Angie Paccione:

“The people of the 4th CD cannot endure another term of Marilyn Musgrave,” said Paccione when she announced her candidacy in 2005. “She has grown too close to the special interests in Washington, leaving her out of touch with the people here at home.”

The Fort Collins democrat pointed to Musgrave’s lack of action on designating Rocky Mountain National Park a wilderness area as a perfect example of not acting on behalf of those who sent her to Washington.

“What is she waiting for?” said Paccionne. “Why does she oppose wilderness designation? Everyone else is on board, but apparently Marilyn has missed the train.”

Paccione noted that the Estes Park Mayor and Town Board, July of 2005, voiced their public approval of the wilderness designation. The Park already has been managed as wilderness for decades and draws approximately three million visitors each year.

“Why won’t she listen to the local governments in her district or support the local economy?” Paccione asked. “She’s out of touch with the citizens of Estes Park, and out of touch with all Coloradans, who consider Rocky Mountain National Park a state and national treasure.”

Ningún voto para usted

2006-07-16T19:32:00.000-06:00

So the Klan-endorsed Marilyn Musgrave voted for the Voting Rights Act renewal, but not before trying her darndest to gut it. She voted for every anti-American amendment the extremists brought up. They spent all day saying that making it harder for those certain someone Americans to vote was good for America.

At least the Poste de Denver noticed:

Antes de que la ley final pase, los representantes republicanos Bon Beauprez de Arvada y Marilyn Musgrave de Fort Morgan, se unieron a Tancredo de Littleton y a Hefley de Colorado Springs, en la votación para una enmienda fallida que hubiera retirado el requerimiento de una papeleta de votación bilingüe. Esta requiere papeletas de votación bilingües para distritos cuyos votantes tienen limitaciones para leer el inglés.

“Si usted está votando, usted debe ser ciudadano americano,” dijo el viernes el portavoz de Tancredo, Will Adams. “Si usted es un ciudadano norteamericano, entonces usted debe ser proficiente en el idioma inglés.”

Schiavo goes to Musgrave

2006-07-12T17:58:00.000-06:00

Michael Schiavo, center, delivers a letter to the office of Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., on Wednesday, July 12, 2006, in Loveland. (AP / Loveland Reporter-Herald)

Michael Schiavo and Angie Paccione went to Marilyn Musgrave's Loveland office today. Michael delivered a letter about Marilyn's loony speech last year.

Text of Michael Schiavo’s Letter to Marilyn Musgrave

Dear Congresswoman Musgrave,

I had hoped to meet with you today to ask you a few questions about your past actions and words regarding myself and my family. I am hand-delivering this letter to your office because you and some of your colleagues have gone too far in your attempts to infringe upon the rights of and violate the privacy of Americans.

Your outspoken and misguided attempts to have Congress overrule the legal courts and overturn the private medical decisions made by my family and my wife, Terri, were entirely inappropriate.

Why do you and Tom Delay think it is a national priority to inject yourselves into the private lives of Americans, as you did with your disgraceful behavior around Terri’s tragic situation?

Last year you said you were “offended” by discussion of Terri’s state. Well, Ms. Musgrave, I’m offended by your lack of respect for my rights and my family’s rights. On the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, you dared to render a medical opinion on Terri’s condition, even though you had never met her, and despite your admitted ignorance of medical science and of the law. Ms. Musgrave, I am offended that you would attack others out of ignorance.

You ignored Terri’s wishes, the expertise of countless doctors, the authority of the law, and the principles of our nation. I am offended by such indifference. I continue to believe that you took advantage of my family’s situation for political gain without regard for who you hurt. While I sought only dignity for Terri, you played to the camera, and you played to a waiting crowd of political extremists.

I’ve heard you claim to be for less government. But how is it less government when you misuse the power of Congress to place your own opinions ahead of the actions of my family?

Simply put, Ms. Musgrave, who gave you the authority to speak for me, my wife or my family, and to play politics with such a tragic situation?

Don’t you think it is time for you and other members of Congress to promote family values by protecting the rights of American families instead of trampling on them? Would you not agree, Ms. Musgrave, that enough is enough?

I await your response.

Sincerely,

Michael Schiavo

Marilyn's Muffs

2006-07-11T22:45:00.000-06:00

Musgrave Watch has got it right:

After chuckling and then reading each of the Dirty Dozens...it sobered me up a little bit and I had to reflect on them.
You've got to take a minute and read through them...then wonder how we as voters let this happen...

See what he means.

Michael Schiavo and Angie Paccione team up for privacy

2006-07-11T22:41:00.000-06:00

A Daily Kos post says that Angie Paccione and Michael Schiavo are going to pay Marilyn Musgrave's office a visit!

On Wednesday, June 12th, Michael Schiavo, the husband of Terri Schiavo, along with Colorado Congressional District 4 candidate Angie Paccione, will deliver a letter to the main Colorado office of Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave in Loveland.
Michael will hand out copies of his letter and along with Angie Paccione, discuss Musgrave's interference in his private life at a press conference at 10:30 a.m. in Denver that same day.

Just like when she tried to stand in the way of stem cell research, remember when Musgrave joined that salivating angry bandwagon last year?

Mr. Speaker, there are doctors in this Chamber, there are lawyers in this Chamber, there are judges in this Chamber. I am none of those, but I am an elected Member of Congress. I am also a mother. Tonight in this gallery my daughter sits. I think of my daughter, I think of my other three children, and I think of the day they were born. I think of the milestones in their lives and the love that I have for them. I think of the lengths that I would go to protect my children as adults even if they had an injury. I think of the lengths that I would go to, to care for my children. I would die for my children. I would do anything for them.

My heart is raw when I hear the things about Terri Schiavo and her mother and her father and her siblings, because I just lost my brother in November. I think of how my life changed in an instant and all the lives of those who cared for him. We talk about a family decision. What about Terri's mom and dad? What about her siblings? What about the people who cared for her and nurtured her as she was growing up? Do you not think they know what Terri wants?

When we talk about a permanent vegetative state, I am offended by that. Terri smiles and acknowledges the people that love her when they come to see her. She cries when they leave. How heartless are we to call somebody like Terri Schiavo a vegetable? What are we thinking?

When we think about this case, we need to think about the message that we are sending to our children and our grandchildren. What we do in this Chamber tonight is as important as anything we have done in defending our Nation, in doing the things that we do as Members of Congress. When we react to the Terri Schiavo case, when we think about this legislation tonight, we need to think about the future and the message we are sending to our children and our grandchildren. (March 20, 2005, 109th Congress, 1st Session,151 Cong Rec H 1700)

More holy than you!

What a phony!

No Kolorado for You!

2006-07-11T22:38:00.000-06:00

The one and only Muskrat Hunter finds the Klan is in Colorado, having a wonderful time. Wonder why they feel so comfy?

Kenney got busted

2006-07-11T22:36:00.000-06:00

Musgrave Watch got Musgrave campaign manager Shaun Kenney to agree to an email interview. Then Kenney got busted by a higher power. You bastards!

Gunny Marilyn

2006-07-09T13:48:00.000-06:00

Musgrave Watch links to the New York Times's smackdown on Marilyn Musgrave:

The rate of firearm death for children 14 years and under is almost 12 times higher in this country than in 25 other industrialized nations combined, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet there was the law-and-order majority caving in to the gun lobby.

Representative Marilyn Musgrave, the Colorado Republican who dared to put this proposal on the floor, offered a shabby logic: Locks on weapons don't stop the slaying and maiming of children, they only make "personal protection more costly."

She drew 42 Democrats to join 188 Republicans in the majority with an argument that summoned an old skit about a sleazy toy dealer peddling lethal toys to children.

Here's another editorial smackdown:

The competition is stiff, but Rep. Marilyn Musgrave may have earned the dubious distinction of introducing the most inane measure on Capitol Hill this year -- and offering up the most inane rationale for it.

Ouch.

According to Musgrave, the trigger law is "burdensome" and drives up the cost of guns. "Lawn mowers can be dangerous," she argued -- out loud -- on the House floor. "Should we mandate that all lawn mowers be sold with a blade lock?"

Shamefully, the majority of her colleagues found her silly argument -- bolstered, as always, by fond memories of campaign donations from the gun industry -- persuasive.

So proud.

Help Bill Winter

2006-07-07T16:02:00.000-06:00

Help Bill Winter win the Map Changers contest, sez SquareState.

Colorado's Pombo

2006-07-02T13:56:00.000-06:00

Because screwing Rocky Mountain National Park isn't enough, since the Western Slope needs a good dose of exploitation. The Denver Post explains:

Last Thursday, the House approved Resolution 4761, a Pombo bill which would open America's coastlines to oil and gas drilling.
The bill also would require the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to make faster decisions about allowing natural gas drilling on public lands. If the BLM missed the new deadlines, believe it or not, the energy companies' drilling plans would be deemed approved. The provision upends the normal legal requirement that the BLM consider the environmental harm that drilling could do before giving the energy companies the go- ahead. Indeed, if Pombo seriously wanted to improve the BLM's efficiency, he would help get proper funding for the bureau. As it is, his proposal would just let energy companies delay the BLM effort in order to skirt several important environmental laws.
Lastly, Pombo is pushing to further lower the oil-shale royalty rate. It's ridiculous that at a time the federal treasury is carrying such a deficit, Pombo would give a new tax break to some of the country's biggest energy companies.
Last fall, moderates beat back many of Pombo's most extremist efforts. They will have to do so again now.

Guess how Musgrave voted.

Save Rocky Mountain National Park from Marilyn Musgrave

2006-06-29T12:41:00.000-06:00

Everyone's wondering why Marilyn Musgrave won't support Rocky Mountain National Park. Let's introduce you to one of Marilyn's best friends in the corrupt Congress, Richard Pombo. He's all for giving away America's conservation heritage to condo developers and miners. It's like a religious mission for these yahoos!

And since Marilyn is Colorado's gift to the committee that oversees the park, we've got trouble!

The Loveland newspaper's editorial page wonders too. In fact, they pretty much call Marilyn a hypocrite:

Designate park as wilderness

The gateway towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake are in favor of it.
So is Larimer County. Boulder County is on board. So are officials in Grand County.
Everywhere you look, the powers that be can find no reason not to officially designate most of Rocky Mountain National Park a protected wilderness area.
In fact, 90 percent of the 265,828-acre park, most of it rugged backcountry, is already managed as if it were wilderness. It’s essentially been that way since 1964, when the Wilderness Act was signed into law. The park has also been on the books as an official candidate for designation since President Nixon made that recommendation in 1974.
So, why isn’t the current legislation that would make the park an official wilderness sailing through Congress like an eagle on the wing?
To realistically make it through their respective committee hearings and gain bipartisan support, the legislation — S. 1510 in the Senate and H.R. 3193 in the House — needs consensus backing from Colorado’s congressional delegation.
It doesn’t quite have it, yet.
Our own 4th CD Rep. Marilyn Musgrave says she wants an economic analysis of the Rocky proposal before she’ll throw her support behind it.
It’s odd that she didn’t ask for the same sort of study before signing on as a co-sponsor — along with 2nd CD Rep. Mark Udall and 7th CD Rep. Bob Beauprez — of similar legislation to create the 20,000-acre Browns Canyon Wilderness Area in the Pike and San Isabel national forests.
That legislation was sponsored by fellow Colorado Republicans Sen. Wayne Allard and Rep. Joel Hefley.
The Rocky legislation is sponsored by Sen. Ken Salazar and Udall, both Democrats.
So Musgrave wants an economic analysis? Here it is: Roughly 3 million visitors — and their wallets — make their way to Rocky each year to take in the grandeur of snow-capped peaks and to catch a glimpse of elk and other wildlife.
Quite simply, wilderness is what all these people come to bask in.
Their visitorship is the economic engine driving places like Estes Park and Grand Lake, and its leaders know how valuable the park is. Estes Park’s mayor recently called Rocky the town’s “golden goose.”
There is no salient reason not to have Rocky on the books as a protected wilderness area, officially a place where, as the Wilderness Act says, “the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” A place of “primeval character and influence” and with “outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation.”
Sounds like a place that should remain untrammeled by partisan politics.
Also sounds like a place we’d like to visit.

Handy Facts

2006-06-29T12:34:00.000-06:00

These are some handy facts for us:

Facts are handy things to have when writing, and Tom Bender could have used a few more when he wrote his June 13 Soapbox. Here are some examples:

Someone in the Bush administration leaked the identity of a CIA operative to the press, compromising her mission and threatening national security. This would fit Bender's definition of "corruption bordering on treason and the internal sabotage of America." President Bush has not told us who this person is.
Nearly all of the "across-the-board tax relief" went to the rich.
Bush did not exactly put more money in taxpayer's pockets. He gave them a cash advance on the giant credit card called the national debt. Taxpayers and their children will have to pay the money back, with interest.
Bush inherited a $230 billion surplus, which he promptly spent, and then borrowed more. To date, he has put us $910 billion deeper in debt.
The unemployment rate in 2000 was 4 percent. Today, it is 4.6 percent. In 2000, the number of unemployed was 5,692,000. Today it is 7,591,000.
It was not the "appeasement of evil" that allowed the 9/11 terrorists to attack. None of them came from the Axis of Evil; most came from countries we consider to be our allies.
Marilyn Musgrave, the "champion for American troops and veterans," got a rating of zero from the Disabled American Veterans for 2004 and 2005. She opposed expanding access to TRICARE health insurance for reservists and voted against giving bonuses to National Guard troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Tom Glatzel,
Fort Collins

Heckuva job, Hector

2006-06-25T13:30:00.000-06:00

Marilyn Musgrave: Clueless on small business.

This was in Business Week:

"I think very highly of chairman Manzullo, and he recommends our new guy, Steven Preston. He's from Illinois, and he has a good background in finance. From what I've heard, Mr. Preston specifically is going to focus on disaster assistance. After the scrutiny that Mr. Barreto got, Steven Preston will be very conscientious in that area. I'm not saying Barreto wasn't. I'm just saying that you get a lot of scrutiny when people are in desperate straits. I think Mr. Barreto has served us well, and I look forward to this administrator. "

Marilyn Musgrave sits on the House Small Business Committee. It supposedly oversees things, like say, the Small Business Administration. That's where George Bush sticks fundraising cronies, where they proceed to screw up when it's crunch time.

So when Marilyn Musgrave sends dispatches from Planet Marilyn about what a great job everyone's doing on disaster assistance at SBA, it's time to take a closer look. Because the Small Business Administration, not to mention George Bush & Co., has blown it so big on Katrina assistance.

Hector Barreto, who "has served us so well," was called "The SBA's version of Mike Brown" because he just so unqualified to get the job in the first place. It's no accident it was called "The Slow Business Administration":

The committee chairwoman, Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), began the session by pointing out that the Small Business Administration had, at that time, processed only 10 percent of 28,540 applications for disaster loans from small businesses in the Gulf Coast area and had approved only 3 percent of them. Mr. Barreto responded with a long and self-pitying description of how difficult things remain in the Gulf, how emergencies are not really his responsibility and how much his agency's performance had improved lately.

At one point, Barreto forgot to tell Congress it needed money and had to shut down. Duh.

And on Barreto's watch, the abuse of 9/11 loans was so outrageous, even Congress had to step in and do something. The Associated Press issued the ass-kicking that probably got Barreto out of there:

The government's $5 billion effort to help small businesses recover from the Sept. 11 attacks was so loosely managed that it gave low-interest loans to companies that didn't need terrorism relief — or even know they were getting it, The Associated Press has found.

And while some at New York's Ground Zero couldn't get assistance they desperately sought, companies far removed from the devastation — a South Dakota country radio station, a Virgin Islands perfume shop, a Utah dog boutique and more than 100 Dunkin' Donuts and Subway sandwich shops — had no problem winning the government-guaranteed loans.

For Marilyn Musgrave, this is call "success."

RFD

2006-06-23T22:18:00.000-06:00

http://www.registerfivedemocrats.com/

Simple idea:

Our sole reason for existence at Register Five Democrats (RFD) is to get Democratic candidates elected to Congress and the Senate for the 2006 midterm elections. In order to attain this end, we at RFD intend to register as many progressive voters as is humanly possible for this election. Don't just sit on your butt and complain about the ugliness of the Bush administration. Get active! Become a member of Register Five Democrats.

More equal than you!

2006-06-23T15:13:00.000-06:00

ProgressNow says Send Marilyn Musgrave a Message:

Last week Marilyn Musgrave voted herself a pay raise -- a $3,330 increase, bringing her up to nearly $170,000 a year. Tell Musgrave to support a minimum wage increase for working families in Colorado too.

Congress has passed 9 pay raises for themselves since the last minimum wage increase in 1996. Meanwhile, 8 million Americans are still stuck far below the poverty line at $5.15 an hour. The buying power of the federal minimum wage is currently at its lowest level in 51 years.

Fortunately, Cololado voters will have the opportunity on the November ballot to vote on a minimum wage increase in this state. If Musgrave can vote herself a raise, she can support one for Colorado's working families. Call on Musgrave to endorse the citizens' initiative in Colorado to raise the minimum wage by completing the form below.

Too busy doing . . . what?

2006-06-23T15:04:00.000-06:00

Congress.org is putting up these "power rankings" of all the congresspeople. Looks like ol' Marilyn is coming up just a little short in the Influence Department.

Four years, four committees, majority party, Tom DeLay's plaything . . . you'd think she'd slightly more influence than zeeeeeeero!

Follow the crooks

2006-06-21T23:08:00.000-06:00

Marilyn Musgrave's heroes:

House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) made a $2 million profit last year on the sale of land 5 1/2 miles from a highway project that he helped to finance with targeted federal funds.
A Republican House member from California, meanwhile, received nearly double what he paid for a four-acre parcel near an Air Force base after securing $8 million for a planned freeway interchange 16 miles away. And another California GOP congressman obtained funding in last year's highway bill for street improvements near a planned residential and commercial development that he co-owns.

Here's the rotten details:

In 2002, Hastert was driving to a parade in Sycamore, Ill., when he saw a post-and-beam house he fell in love with, according to Dallas C. Ingemunson, a longtime friend and ally of Hastert's who made the land deals for the speaker. Hastert struck a deal with the owner on the spot, purchasing the house near Plano, Ill., and 195 acres for $2.1 million.
In February 2004, Ingemunson, treasurer of Hastert's campaign committee and chairman of the Kendall County Republican Party, established Little Rock Trust #225. A week later, through the trust, Hastert and his business partners purchased a 69-acre parcel for $340,000, providing road access to part of Hastert's farm that had been landlocked. Hastert owned a quarter of that parcel.
In May 2005, Hastert transferred the 69 acres of previously hemmed-in land from his farm to the land trust. That summer, Hastert personally intervened during House and Senate negotiations over a huge transportation and infrastructure bill to secure two separate earmarks, $152 million to help build the Prairie Parkway through Kendall County and $55 million for an interchange 5 1/2 miles from his property. President Bush signed the bill into law on Aug. 10.
Then, on Dec. 7, Little Rock Trust #225 sold the Hastert parcels to a subsidiary of the Robert Arthur Land Co. for nearly $5 million. The deal netted Hastert a $2 million profit.

Musgrave's boss.

Hardly workin'?

2006-06-21T09:30:00.000-06:00

We're in the middle of a do-nothing Congress, so how is Marilyn Musgrave spending her time?

June 29, 2006 8:00 am

Rise and Shine Breakfast with Majority Whip Roy Blunt in Honor of Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave
Capitol Hill Club$1000 per PAC & $500 per individual RSVP to Amanda Ackerman-
Phone:(703)249-8593 Fax:
(202)318-2572 Email: Amanda.Ackerman@therainmakers.biz

Tough work, if you can get it.

Musgrave Watching

2006-06-18T21:19:00.000-06:00

Musgrave Watch announces he's back! And so are we . . . .

Sorry we didn't get around to covering covering dogshit-gate, a Weld County Dem's smelly protest against the bullshit Marilyn has been stuffing in our mailboxes at taxpayer expense. Here's the lowdown, along with some opportunistic horseshit thrown in for fun:

Her bill to treat homosexuals as sub-human is expected to go before the House this summer . Her spokesman, Shaun Kenney, has never seen anything like the package that was delivered on the evening of May 31.

"This is June," said Musgrave spokesman Shaun Kenney. "It's not October or November, and already we're getting poop stuck in our mail box. It's gutter politics. It's disgusting. It's beyond mudslinging. It just does not have any place in politics. It's unethical campaigning."

The poo wasn't just left in a mailbox of Musgrave's Greeley office, though. No, it was shoved through the mail slot of Musgrave's office. While it is reprehensible, it doesn't appear to have been a form of "campaigning."

Even more shocking than the act was the fact that Yvonne Ensz, 63, used an easily traceable envelop. She made only a half-assed attempt at blacking out the preprinted address, leaving her nine-digit zip code readable.

D'oh! Here's how the 2004 Green Party CD-4 candidate, Bob Kinsey, explains it:

If there is a law against misusing noxious substances, there is also a law against misusing congressional franking privileges. U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave misused that privilege in the 2004 campaign of which I was a part.
The fluffy, full-color image pieces she sent out, supposedly to inform citizens about what is going on in Congress, were a blatant misuse of her franking privilege and of government printing services paid for by taxpayers of both parties. These mailings were offensive trash. They were also evidence that Musgrave may have been breaking the law.
The only way the 4th Congressional District can stop this noxious behavior is to replace Musgrave with Angie Paccione. The Democratic Party record with regard to legal use of the frank is much better than Musgrave's.
Shame on her and not on Kathleen Ensz or whomever discovered the appropriate symbol to protest this substantive pollution of our laws and our waste dumps ("Delivery to Musgrave office downright disgusting," June 9).
Musgrave must go!
Bob Kinsey
Denver

Here's how He explains it:

Some people might think shoving an envelope full of dog doody into a mail slot is funny, but unlike your local police department, national-security-oriented bloggers like myself see it for what it truly is, a biological attack launched by Francoliberalislamunists from Mexico.

Guess they needed to keep the locals from mentioning the fact that Marilyn has once again re-introduced her gay marriage amendment. She waits for it to die in the Senate, to then introduce it in the House? What's the point? Oh right, gay-baiting doesn't need much logic.

Bob is mad about Marilyn wasting tens of thousands on her version of publiclly funded campaigning, but we've been having a lot of fun with it here at Musgrave Must Go!

And Coloradans are still waiting for Marilyn to disavow the Ku Klux Klan endorsement. Sheesh.

Education? Not so much.

2006-05-31T18:15:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately, this paper isn't really online, but Marilyn Musgrave just had a bizarre interview with the Fort Collins Weekly.

. . . a recent interview with Musgrave, who telephoned from Washington D.C., was cut short when she had to attend to other matters. Although the Fort Collins Weekly offered to continue the interview at another time to allow her to more fully highlight her accomplishments, Musgrave never called back.

Since Musgrave sits on the Education Committee, her "accomplishments" here are particularly noteworthy:

For one thing, despite having strong feelings about education--she is married to a schoolteacher and has served on local school boards as well as the House Education Committee--she can't immediately name anything she's done for schools in her time in Congress.

"I'm not thinking of anything on the federal level right now, I'm sorry, " she says when asked what she's done to reduce the impact of the federal No Child Left Behind Act on rual schools even thouh she says she favors more flexibility in the law."

Roundtable Luncheon for Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave

2006-05-30T11:41:00.000-06:00

June 13, 2006 11:30AM
**RESCHEDULED** Roundtable Luncheon for Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave and special guest The Honorable Rob Portman

Charlie Palmer Steakhouse 101 Constitution Ave. NW Washington, DC
Host requested contribution of $2000 and Attendees requested contribution of $1000

Please Contact Amanda Ackerman to confirm new date and venue for RSVP : Call (703)249-8593. Fax to (202)318-2572 or email to AmandaAckerman@TheRainmakers.biz

http://www.nrcc.org/contents/events/

District 4’s marbled meat mother Marilyn Musgrave has announced a fundraising dinner in the Washington D.C area June 16th. And oh what fun it will be, with recommended contributions of $1000-$2000 it better come with a change of pants!

The question that always comes to my mind when an elected official holds a fundraiser out of state is, who is going to attend? Certainly not very many constituents from her district are gassing up at $3.00/gl. to travel 3 days for a $1000 lunch. So maybe those D.C area cats with special interests will show support?

Rep. Musgrave, Charlie Palmer’s offers a fabulous roasted Hudson Valley foie gras with a granny Smith apple tarte tatin and red delicious apple butter on their menu for just $21.

Wingnut Alert

2006-05-28T10:20:00.000-06:00

Folks, go check out the Muskrat Hunter, who's posting a couple local pictures of one of the local bigots. With folks like this "saving" marriage, it's giving the "institution" a bad rep.

And this comes just after the Hunter exposed the Ku Klux Klan's raving endorsement of Marilyn Musgrave.

Assembly homophobia

2006-05-21T09:49:00.000-06:00

The stakes are clear:

Musgrave is against homosexual marriage, and Paccione is soliciting donations from gays in San Francisco, she said.

The last thing Marilyn wants is "them" having a political voice. Meanwhile, Angie Paccione rises above this "Us" versus "Them" crap. What makes for better representation?

KKK, CCC, David Duke, and Tony Perkins

2006-05-19T13:32:00.000-06:00

The blogger Wash Park Prophet fills us in on the KKK's relationship with the usual suspects:

There have even been Ku Klux Klan connections to Colorado politics in recent history.
[T]he Family Research Council (associated with - and at the time a part of - Focus on the Family) paid former KKK leader David Duke $82,000 for - you guessed it - a membership list from the KKK.
It really isn't surprising that politicians like Musgrave win KKK approval. Indeed, both Republican Representative Tancredo's anti-immigrant movement and Marilyn Musgrave's Christian conservative movement have intellectual roots in the second KKK, the incarnation that dominated Colorado politics in the early 1920s.

James Dobson founded Focus on the Family, remember. More from The Nation on Tony Perkins, boss of the Family Research Council, the one who bought the KKK's list:

Four years ago, Perkins addressed the Louisiana chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), America's premier white supremacist organization, the successor to the White Citizens Councils, which battled integration in the South. In 1996 Perkins paid former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke $82,500 for his mailing list. At the time, Perkins was the campaign manager for a right-wing Republican candidate for the US Senate in Louisiana. The Federal Election Commission fined the campaign Perkins ran $3,000 for attempting to hide the money paid to Duke.

Recognize any more names?

The Council for National Policy (CNP), an ultra-secretive, right-wing organization, was the outcome of that meeting. The CNP hooked up theocrats like R.J. Rushdoony, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell with wealthy movement funders like Amway founder Richard DeVos and beer baron Joseph Coors. As DeVos famously said, the CNP "brings together the doers with the donors."

Tip of the iceberg. Colorado is the ground zero of the Dobson-Perkins-Coors corporate-theocrat machine that is trying to push extremism and hate into America's heart in order to destroy the Constitution.

Musgrave is just some of its acne -- but it's spreading.

Republicans split in Larimer

2006-05-19T12:44:00.000-06:00

The Daily Reporter-Herald interviews a lot of Larimer County bigwig Republicans about the health of the party, and it isn't a pretty sight:

Former Larimer County Republican Party Chairman and House District 51 Rep. Bill Kaufman said there’s a disconnect between the party leadership and the party’s traditional base: the business community.

Pro-business Republicans tired of infighting and wedge issues are forming a group outside of the county party. Tee hee.

Scott said business leaders do not want to leave a legacy of crumbling school and highway systems.
“A mindless, anti-tax approach would shift the burden to the next generation and would make us fundamentally noncompetitive in the quest to get good jobs for our people,” Scott said.

Why is the party such a mess? Why does it eat its own (like Democrats)?

The Christian Coalition of Colorado helped shape the party’s executive committee in 2003, said former party chairman Ed Haynes. The committee manages internal party functions and sometimes participates in vacancy committees.
Haynes said the coalition presented a slate of candidates who were strong Musgrave supporters.
Candidates who did not support Musgrave, or those who could not be controlled, did not make it onto the slate of candidates, Haynes said.
Haynes said it happened in all counties in the 4th Congressional District.
He’s not sure how successful the campaign was elsewhere, but in Larimer County, it worked.
“They were very successful in getting very strong Marilyn supporters on the board, instead of supporting all Republican candidates,” Haynes said.

Knuckle under -- or you're out! Some BS for you:

Larimer County Republican Party Chairwoman Nancy Hunter said there’s not a divide in the party. She said people discuss and debate, but there is not a split. She said there is no litmus test to be a candidate.

Want to know just how much the party is a wing of the Musgrave campaign? - the article doesn't point this out - but this Nancy Hunter day job is at Marilyn's Loveland office! Talk about "owning" the party machine!