Supreme Court Puts Trump Back On The Ballot

The Supreme Court reversed the Colorado Supreme Court decision that had removed Donald Trump from the primary ballot in that state. The Colorado court had ruled that Trump committed insurrection, and therefore could not run for office.

This is not a surprise. The only surprise was that it was a 9 to 0 decision, with the 3 liberal justices agreeing with the six right-wingers on the court. The court rules that a single state could not disqualify a candidate for national office. They went on to say there would be "disruption and chaos" id a candidate was barred in some states but not in others.

The court cowardly dodged the real question -- whether Trump committed insurrection and should be constitutionally barred from office. Even if the Colorado court did not have the authority to decide that, the U.S. Supreme Court did have that authority. But they did not have the courage.

I hope they will show more judicial courage in deciding whether Trump has immunity from prosecution, but I am not expecting it. They will probably dodge that question also, and make only a limited ruling.

This is the most pitiful excuse for a Supreme Court this nation has had since the awful Dred Scott decision a century and a half ago.

Will The Supreme Court Put Trump Back On Primary Ballots?

Two states (Colorado and Maine) have ruled that Donald Trump is not qualified to be on the primary ballots in their states, and the question will soon be decided in some other states. The Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine Secretary of State both base their rulings on Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

That section of the Constitution prohibits anyone who has engaged in "insurrection or rebellion" from holding "any office, civilian or military, under the United States, or under any State". It seems obvious to me that the phrase "any office" would have to include the presidency.

Did Trump commit insurrection (a violent uprising against an authority or government)? That also seems obvious. On January 6th, immediately before Congress was to meet to count and ratify the electoral votes, Trump urged his followers to go to Congress and stop that vote certification -- and they did so in a violent way (with people hurt, lives lost, and property damaged).

Another state (Michigan) has decided the Fourteenth Amendment does not apply, and said Trump could be on the ballot in that state. Most people now expect the matter to be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Two things could happen. One, they could decide it was up to each state to decide who qualifies for the ballot. Two, they could take the case and either rules Trump was or was not qualified to be on the ballot. 

I think they will take the case. But the conservative majority is extremely unlikely to take Trump off of all state ballots. So there most likely ruling is that Trump must be on all state ballots. They will probably dodge the insurrection issue by ruling he has yet to be convicted of that. 

Should Trump be removed from all ballots - YES. Will Trump be removed from any ballots - NO. After all, they are right-wing Republicans, and right-wing Republicans don't think rules, laws, or constitutional provisions should apply to themselves.

Don't expect this Supreme Court to do the constitutional thing -- or the right thing.

Inslee/Hickenlooper Out Of Prez Race - Will Run State Races

 There are now two less candidates running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

John Hickenlooper dropped out a few days ago. Yesterday, he announced he will run against Republican Cory Gardner for the senate seat in Colorado. This gives Democrats a very good chance to pick up that GOP-held seat.

Yesterday, Washington Governor Jay Inslee also announced that he is dropping out. Instead, he will run for a third term as governor.

These two men were not bad candidates, but they were smart enough to know that 2020 is not their time for a presidential race. It's time for a lot more Democratic candidates to make that same decision (like Gillibrand, Delaney, Williamson, Messam, Ryan, Sestak, etc.). There are no more than about 10 candidates who have even an outside chance of winning the nomination, and Democratic voters have made that clear in poll after poll.

Hickenlooper Drops Out (And A Dozen More Should Do That)

(Photo of John Hickenlooper, from Wikipedia, is by Gage Skidmore.)

On Thursday, former governor of Colorado John Hickenlooper dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination for the 2020 election. Although still popular in his home state, Hickenlooper had been unable to get his presidential campaign going on a national level.

It was obvious that he was going to be barred from the next Democratic debate, with his support continuing to hover around the 1% mark.

But his political career is not over. Many want him to run for the U.S. Senate and unseat Republican Cory Gardner. There have been some Colorado polls showing he would have a significant lead over Gardner if he enters the race.

I hope he does choose to run for the Senate. While I did not support his presidential candidacy, I think he could be a valuable asset for Democrats in the Senate.

Hickenlooper was smart. He could see the writing on the wall, and decided not to waste the time and in a hopeless effort. About a dozen or so more Democratic candidates should do the same. About half of the remaining candidates are unable to get above 1% in any of the polls. They are wasting the voters time with their Quixotic campaigns -- and they should drop out so Democrats can get down to the serious business of judging the real candidates (the ones who have at least an outside chance of getting the nomination).

Note the chart below from RealClearPolitics. Only 9 candidates have an average in recent polls of more than 1% -- and only 6 have an average of more than 2%.

Nevada Becomes The 5th State For Legal Marijuana

(This map on legal marijuana is from governing.com.)

Yesterday (July 1st), Nevada became the fifth state where the sale and possession of small amounts of marijuana is legal. After passing the legalization initiative in the last election, Nevada joined four other states (Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska) in implementing that legalization. They expect the tax on marijuana sales to bring the state about $60 million in revenue in the next two years. I think that's probably a very low estimate.

By early next year, the number of states with legal marijuana will climb to eight states. Massachusetts, California, and Maine have all voted to legalize the gentle herb. The legalization will actually go into effect in Massachusetts on December 15th, in California on January 1st, and in Maine next February.

The genie is now out of the bottle -- and I expect several more states to jump on the legalization bandwagon in the next few years.

Polls For Virginia, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, Indiana

Virginia -- Quinnipiac University Poll (August 9-16) 808 likely voters, 3.5 point moe

Iowa -- Quinnipiac University Poll (August 9-16) 846 likely voters, 3.4 point moe

Colorado -- Quinnipiac University Poll (August 9-16) 830 likely voters, 3.4 point moe

Nevada -- Suffolk University Poll (August 15-17) 500 likely voters

Indiana -- Monmouth University Poll (August 13-16) 403 likely voters, 4.9 point moe

Presidential Polls In Florida, N. Carolina, Virginia, Colorado

Chart was made from a recent NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Marist Poll -- done between August 4th and 10th. A random sample was done of 1,012 voters in Florida, 1,030 voters in North Carolina, 1,026 voters in Virginia, and 1,037 voters in Colorado. The margin of error is 3 points for Colorado, and 3.1 points for the other three states.

This is not good news for "the Donald". If he loses Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia, there really is no path to 270 electoral votes for him. Currently he trails by 5 points in Florida, 9 points in North Carolina, 12 points in Virginia, and 12 points in Colorado.

Clinton Is Leading In Four Important Battleground States

This chart reflects the results of a new NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Marist Poll -- done between July 5th and 11th of a random sample of 794 registered voters in Colorado (moe 3.5 points), 871 registered voters in Florida (moe 3.3 points), 907 registered voters in North Carolina (moe 3.3 points), and 876 registered voters in Virginia (mow 3.3 points).

It shows Hillary Clinton leading the presidential race in all three states over Donald Trump -- by 6 points in Colorado, by 5 points in Florida, by 6 points in North Carolina, and by 7 points in Virginia. This is important because if Trump is to win the White House, he must carry these states (especially Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia).

Right-Wing Terrorist Fails To Cow Planned Parenthood

This photo is the mug shot of right-wing terrorist Robert lewis Dear. On Friday, he attacked the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado -- killing a police officer and two civilians, and wounding five more police officers and four civilians. He gave up after police moved in and surrounded him.

Police have not released information on the terrorists motive for the cowardly attack on innocent people, but it would surprise me a great deal if it was not intended to support the anti-choice movement by trying to terrify those supporting choice, and those who attend Planned Parenthood to receive medical treatment.

If that was his intent, and I don't doubt that it was, then he failed. Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Foundation of America, assured people that Planned Parenthood will continue to offer medical services to those who need it, and will not be deterred by the vicious acts of anti-choice terrorists.

Below is the message Cecile Richards sent to all supporters of Planned Parenthood: 

It is heartbreaking. Our thoughts are with the families of the three people whose lives were lost in yesterday's attack at the Planned Parenthood health center in Colorado Springs. We wish those who were injured a quick and complete recovery.

And, we are deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers who responded with courage to protect Planned Parenthood staff, patients, and community members.

I want every Planned Parenthood patient to know: your safety is our top priority. Planned Parenthood health centers have extensive security measures in place, work closely with law enforcement agencies, and have a very strong safety record.

Planned Parenthood health centers opened their doors again today, in Colorado and across the country. As always, patients were welcomed by extraordinary doctors, nurses, and staff. We will never, ever back away from providing safe, reliable care to the millions of patients who are counting on us to be there.

These doors stay open, no matter what.

It's still too soon to know what exactly motivated this attack. We share the concerns of many Americans that extremists are creating a poisonous environment that feeds domestic terrorism in this country. In the days and weeks ahead, we will continue to stand up for Planned Parenthood patients, staff, and the communities they serve — and it means so much to know that you stand with us, ready for whatever comes next.

Like you, I am full of sadness for the people who were harmed in Colorado. I am also full of admiration for what every member of Planned Parenthood's staff do every day — to ensure that people can get the health care they need, and to work toward a day when we no longer see this kind of violence.

At this moment, our hearts are broken, but our commitment is unchanged. Care, no matter what.

Thank you for standing with Planned Parenthood.

Sincerely, Cecile Richards, President Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Terrorist Strikes In Colorado Springs

While right-wing politicians were busy trying to scare Americans over the possibility of a terrorist attack in this country by islamic jihadists, terrorism struck in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A gunman attacked the Planned Parenthood clinic in that city, killing a police officer and two civilians and wounding nine others (three police officers and six civilians).  But this was no islamic jihadist. It was a white male, and almost assuredly a right-wing christian terrorist.

I'm sure the right-wing will take exception to my using the word terrorist. They prefer that those on the right who commit these horrific acts be called "mentally unstable" or "lone wolf attackers". I find that to be disingenuous. Except for the number of victims and attackers, I fail to see how this is any different from the Paris attacks (which everyone is quick to label as terrorism). In both instances, we have religious extremists attacking innocent victims for a political reason. That is terrorism -- no matter the race, ethnicity, or religion of the attackers.

Hopefully, this will remind (or make clear to) Americans that the biggest terrorist risk in this country is not from islamic jihadists (and certainly not from thoroughly vetted refugees), but from right-wing home-grown christian terrorists (who are almost exclusively white and male). A lot of our politicians, especially Republicans, don't want to admit that -- but that is the reality.

(Photo of terrorist being taken into custody is by Reuters. CBS News identifies him as Robert Lewis Dear, age 59.)

Colorado Voters Prefer Hillary Clinton And Ben Carson

Colorado voters made their presidential preferences known in a new Quinnipiac University Poll. They surveyed 474 Republicans and 404 Democrats (registered voters) in Colorado. The margin of error for Republicans is 4.5 points, and for Democrats is 4.9 points.

For Democrats, Colorado looks the same as other states. Hillary Clinton has a huge 28 point lead over Bernie Sanders (and Martin O'Malley is still a non-entity).

But the results are very different in Colorado for Republicans. Instead of being in first place, Donald Trump (17%) is only in third place -- behind both Ben Carson (25%) and Marco Rubio (19%). Ted Cruz was fourth with 14%. All other candidates got 5% or less.

Marijuana Sales In Oregon Set Record (While Marijuana Arrests Nationwide Are Up)

The legal sale of marijuana has now begun in Oregon, and those sales are breaking records. The previous record for first week sales was about $5 million in Colorado. But the first week sales in Oregon more than doubled Colorado's sales -- coming in at about $11 million dollars.

Oregon officials had originally thought they would gather about $9 million in taxes from marijuana sales, but after the huge first week sales, that number could go as high as $36 million. That's money that won't have to be raised on other forms of taxation.

Oregon, Colorado, Washington, and soon Alaska, are the first to legalize the possession and use of marijuana for adults, but I believe several other states will join them in the next few years. This is just something that makes sense. Marijuana is safer than any other drug -- including ALL legal drugs. It is not addictive, cannot be overdosed on, and doesn't affect driver safety. And the tax benefit is huge (and so could the job creation if many more states join these four).

But while some states understand the benefits of marijuana legalization, many other (and the federal DEA) do not. They continue to ruin the lives of many people, and continue to throw money away by making marijuana arrests. Consider the following:

An estimated 700,993 arrests were made nationwide for marijuana-related offenses in 2014 — up from 693,058 in 2013 — of which 88.42% were for possession. On average, one person was arrested for a marijuana-related offense in the U.S. approximately every 45 seconds (every 51 seconds for possession).

While law enforcement was busy making nearly three quarters of a million marijuana arrests, more than 35% of murders went unsolved, the clearance rate for rape was less than 40%, and for robbery and property crimes, it was below 30%. 

This is insanity. It is a waste of both jail and prison space, and a waste of law enforcement resources. If police weren't wasting time chasing after marijuana users, they could spend more time chasing other types of criminal offenders -- criminals that actually do harm to victims and the country. And we would have the prison space to put those criminals away when they were caught.

Colorado Citizens Still Support Marijuana Legalization

In the 2012 election, the voters in Colorado legalized the recreational use (and taxation) of marijuana by adults. The measure won by a pretty significant margin (55% to 45%). The tax benefits have been very good -- exceeding the expectations of the state government. But what do the Colorado citizens think about legalization now that it has been in effect for a while?

A new poll shows they like what they did. In fact, support for legalization may have even grown since the election. A new Quinnipiac University Poll surveyed 1,049 Colorado voters between February 5th and 15th (with a margin of error of 3 points). That poll showed that currently 58% of those surveyed still support marijuana legalization. Even if you subtract the margin of error, it shows that the support has not declined since the election (and may have increased). The opposition has declined though -- from 45% to 38% (a decline of 7 points).

Colorado citizens now know what people in other states are just learning -- that marijuana is NOT a dangerous drug. In fact, it is much safer than other legal drugs. This has now been verified by yet another scientific study -- a study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports. The study verified what many of us already knew -- that marijuana is the safest of all drugs, and far safer than alcohol (see the chart below).

It is time to stop demonizing this gentle herb, and legalize its recreational use in all 50 states.

Clinton Vs. GOP Hopefuls IN Colorado, Iowa, And Virginia

The Quinnipiac University Poll recently looked at three states that are considered by many to be "swing states" in the 2016 election -- Colorado, Iowa, and Virginia. The GOP starts off behind the Democrats in blue state/red state electoral votes by a significant margin, which means these are three states that the Republicans really need to win to have a chance in the 2016 election.

And the results were mixed for the GOP. For instance, Paul seems to be doing OK in Colorado and Virginia, but does poorly in Iowa. Bush does well in Virginia, but not so good in Iowa and Colorado. Walker does fairly well in Colorado, but not so well in Iowa and Virginia. And Huckabee and Christie trail in all three states.

If the election was held today, I believe Hillary Clinton would easily be elected president. There's still a long time before the 2016 election, but the Republicans have a long way to go to catch up with Clinton (and will probably damage each other in the primary campaign next year, while Clinton will sail through the primaries virtually unscathed).

In Colorado, 1,049 registered voters were questioned between February 5th and 15th, and the survey has a margin of error of 3 points.

In Iowa, 1,089 registered voters were questioned between February 5th and 15th, and the survey has a margin of error of 3 points.

In Virginia, 1,074 registered voters were questioned between February 5th and 15th, and the survey has a margin of error of 3 points.

Majority In U.S. Still Wants Marijuana Legalized

On election day, the number of states that have voted to legalize marijuana doubled -- as Oregon and Alaska join Colorado and Washington in legalizing the recreational use and possession of marijuana for adults. The District of Columbia also voted to legalize the gentle herb, but it wouldn't surprise me to see the Republican Congress overturn the will of the people in D.C.

And there's a good chance that some other states will soon follow suit, since a majority of Americans nationally still support legalization. It will probably be states from either the East or the West, since 57% of the people in those regions support it. It will probably take a little long for voters in the South (47%) and Midwest (45%) to get on board.

The chart above was made from information in a recent Gallup Poll -- done between October 12th and 15th of a random national sample of 1,017 adults, with a 4 point margin of error.

Senate Polls - New Hampshire, Arkansas, Colorado

American Research Group Poll

University of Arkansas Poll

Quinnipiac University Poll

Senate Race Polls In Georgia And Colorado

Public Policy Polling

Rasmussen Poll

Latest Senate Race Polls In U.S.

University of Texas / Texas Tribune Poll

Star-Tribune Minnesota Poll

Rasmussen Poll

NBC News / Marist Poll

NBC News / Marist Poll

NBC News / Marist Poll

NBC News / Marist Poll

NBC News / Marist Poll

NBC News / Marist Poll

Polls - New Hampshire, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas

NH 1 / New England College Poll

CNN / ORC Poll

American Research Group Poll

University of Massachusetts / 7 News Poll

Suffolk University Poll

Quinnipiac University Poll

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Poll

CNN / ORC Poll

Quinnipiac University Poll

Rasmussen Poll