GAG RULE: Hick Embrace Of Dunlap Sends Democrats Underground

Published on May 24, 2013 by

We are not sure if it is officially imposed or not, but this much is clear…the Colorado Democratic establishment has a self-imposed gag order in effect in the aftermath of their man Johnny Hick’s decision to save Nathan Dunlap’s life.

The one exception to the rule seems to be Rep. Rhonda Fields who said she was “saddened” by Hick’s decision. Fields’ son’s murderers are now sitting on death row besides Nathan Dunlap.

John Morse wouldn’t return Lynn Bartels’ calls.

Rick Palacio never misses a chance to say something even when he has nothing to say.

Denver DA Mitch Morrissey might be busy dealing with his own rape prosecution (or lack thereof) scandal, but surely the loquacious prosecutor could find time to weigh in. So far he hasn’t.

Where in the world did all the elected Democrats under the Gold Dome go?

It doesn’t take a smoking gun memo to see that a gag order is in place.

The one time Democrats don’t want to trash talk about their big and bold liberal agenda is when it involves intervening on behalf of a mass murderer.

Scared of the political ramifications of Hick’s decision? Of course they are. Democrats in Colorado, your cowardice makes us want to gag.

 

PeakFeed: Second Amendment Event on Tuesday in Colorado Springs

Published on May 24, 2013 by

Join three of the 55 Colorado Sheriffs who have filed a lawsuit over Democrats’ radical anti-gun legislation for an event on Tuesday, May 28 at the Freedom Financial Expo Center in Colorado Springs.  The event will support the lawsuit and will feature Independence Institute’s Dave Kopel, an expert on Second Amendment issues.

Date: Tuesday, May 28

Time: 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Who: Independence Institute’s Dave Kopel, plus El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa, Weld County Sheriff John Cooke, and Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith

Location: Freedom Financial Expo Center, 3650 N. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Tickets: $5, may be purchased here.

Kopel serves as the research director for the Independence Institute, as well as an associate policy analyst at the Cato Institute and adjunct professor of Advanced Constitutional Law and the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law.  He was a critical voice in testifying at the Capitol about Colorado’s pending gun legislation.

Several Colorado organizations and companies have also joined in the lawsuit, including Outdoor Buddies, a non-profit dedicated to assisting disabled individuals; licensed firearms dealers, Magpul, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the Colorado State Shooting Association, the Colorado Farm Bureau, the Colorado Outfitters Association, and Women for Concealed Carry.

Read about the civil rights complaint here.

 

ROX IN A BOX: Dunlap’s Victim Clobbers Hickenlooper’s Chief Of Staff Roxanne White Over Pro-Dunlap Statements

Published on May 24, 2013 by

Never maybe in the history of Colorado has a staffer…a staffer…played such an outsized factor in determining the outcome of a major issue in the way Roxanne White, Governor Hickenlooper’s Chief of Staff, apparently drove the outcome of the half-assed commutation of Nathan Dunlap.

Now Roxanne White gets to eat cake.

Listen to this heartbreaking interview with Dennis O’Connor, the father of Colleen O’Connor, with Michael Brown on 630KHOW yesterday, where he describes his interactions with the governor and the role Roxanne White played in helping save mass murderer Nathan Dunlap’s life.

Brown asks Dennis what he would say to the Governor if he had the chance:

You can listen to the full interview here. Truly heartbreaking.

As we reported prior to the Dunlap decision, Roxanne White was threatening to resign if Hickenlooper didn’t save Dunlap’s life. It’s a sad day in Colorado when the governor takes his lead from his staffer, rather than the victims’ families.

 

Steve Laffey: OUT

Published on May 24, 2013 by

Well, that was quick. Former Rhode Island Senate candidate, Steve Laffey, announces the end to his ever-so-brief gubernatorial run. Full letter after the jump, where he essentially endorses Tom Tancredo.

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HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE: Democrat Victors Emboldened to Push Radical Agenda

Published on May 24, 2013 by

Last weekend, the Denver Business Journal’s Ed Sealover reviewed interviews conducted with seven Democrat legislators who were elected in 2012′s most competitive races to see how their promises on pro-growth issues tied to their votes and sponsorships this year. Sadly, but not unexpectedly, these lawmakers’ actions were largely hostile to the interests of job creators in our state.

Andy Kerr: Supported a bill to place a $1 billion tax hike on the ballot this year; co-sponsored a bill that required state contractors to hire at least 80 percent of their employees from Colorado (not the first time Democrat lawmakers looked to meddle in private sector HR policies).

Evie Hudak: Worked to kill a measure to let companies submit statements on how a particular bill’s fiscal impact affects them.

Brittany Pettersen: The only bill that Pettersen co-sponsored that was related to business was a requirement for the Secretary of State to find out if new businesses filing for licenses were minority-owned.

Tracy Kraft-Tharp: Like Hudak, helped kill a measure to let companies submit statements on how a bill’s fiscal impact would affect their business or businesses.

Daniel Kagan: Worked to promote a bill to expand damages available in discrimination lawsuits filed against small businesses.  According to the DBJ, business lobbyists felt that this bill was one of the worst in the entire session.

Linda Newell: Worked to increase regulations against the oil and gas industry.

Max Tyler: Worked with Kagan and other Democrat lawmakers on the bill to increase damages against small businesses in cases filed for discrimination.

All of these Democrat lawmakers were elected last year in tight races, with some failing to claim a majority vote in their districts due to third party candidates on the ballot. Unfortunately, all of them promoted measures that harmed job creators and our fragile economic recovery.

 

Scott Gessler: IN (Sort Of)

Published on May 23, 2013 by

Secretary of State Scott Gessler filed papers today for a 2014 run for Governor, but, per Lynn Bartels, his political director says a final decision on a run is a week away.

 

Tom Tancredo: IN

Published on May 23, 2013 by

Former Congressman and 2010 gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo announced a run for Governor in 2014 on 630KHOW this morning.

 

HIDING FROM HICK’S DECISION: Democrats Slow To Respond To Gov’s Cowardly Clemency Of Dunlap

Published on May 23, 2013 by

Denver DA Mitch Morrissey has been absent from commenting on the Dunlap decision, despite testifying against the death penalty repeal at the Capitol this year

When Governor Hickenlooper announced his cowardly decision to grant a reprieve to cold-blooded mass murderer Nathan Dunlap yesterday the reaction across the state was swift and brutal. One group in particular, however, was slow to offer comment or reaction – elected Democrats.

Afraid to anger the de facto head of their party in Colorado, Democrats have offered little to no comment on the story dominating headlines and dinner table conversations.

There has been a striking silence on the part of a number of notable Democrats, such as Senate President John Morse, who helped kill a death penalty repeal effort in 2009, or Denver DA Mitch Morrissey who testified against repeal at the legislature this year.

As far as we can tell, Rep. Rhonda Fields is the only notable to offer comment, saying she was “saddened” by Hick’s clemency cop-out. Even then the comment came a day late in a written statement.

As The Denver Post‘s Chuck Plunkett reports:

“I respect the governor’s decision-making authority to grant a reprieve,” Fields writes in her statement. “However, as a victim of a horrible crime and on behalf of other victims and their families, I am saddened by the governor’s decision yesterday.”

The Aurora Democrat, of course, has a personal interest in the death penalty debate. Her son and his fiancee were killed by the other two members of Colorado’s death row. She remains supportive of the ultimate penalty.

Good on Plunkett for getting Fields on the record, but we have to ask: where are the rest of the Democrats on this earth shattering bit of news?

 

Peak Feed: Hickenlooper’s Dunlap Decision Proven Unpopular

Published on May 23, 2013 by

We tried to warn Colorado’s Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper that doing anything but allowing convicted Chuck E. Cheese killer Nathan Dunlap’s execution to proceed would not be well-received by Coloradans.  Yesterday, Hick granted a “temporary reprieve” for the killer.  Today, the Denver Post was kind enough to chronicle just how unpopular this move has been with its readers.  With just 12% of the population agreeing with his decision, it must be a dark day for Hick.  See image below for results.

 

BETRAYED: Victims’ Families Lash Out At “Coward” Hickenlooper

Published on May 23, 2013 by

Governor Hickenlooper’s cowardly decision yesterday to save mass murderer Nathan Dunlap’s life via executive order has been met with a furious reaction across Colorado. Most furious were the victims’ families, who have been waiting 20 years for justice.

Pic via 9News

The Denver Post reports on the anger among the victims’ families towards Hickenlooper:

Reactions from the families of those slain during the Chuck E. Cheese’s killings were as intense as they were different after Gov. John Hickenlooper announced he would halt the execution of Nathan Dunlap.

“The knife that’s been in my back … was just twisted by the governor,” said Bob Crowell on Wednesday after a conference call with Hickenlooper.

Crowell’s daughter, Sylvia, was among the four killed by Dunlap in December 1993 after the ex-employee hid in a bathroom until the children’s restaurant closed, then shot the five people working.

Hickenlooper contacted the families before his official announcement of an open-ended reprieve for Dunlap, 39, just three months before his scheduled execution in August.

“I don’t think its right that he sat in jail longer than my son was on Earth,” Sandi Rogers, mother of 17-year-old victim Ben Grant, said in an interview last week. “I’ve always felt if you are truly evil, then you need to not be on this planet.”

CBS4 happened to be interviewing Bob Crowell when Hickenlooper had a conference call with the victims’ families, where family members trashed Hickenlooper as a “coward”:

DENVER (CBS4) – Gov. John Hickenlooper indefinitely delayed the execution of convicted killer Nathan Dunlap on Wednesday and CBS4’s Jennifer Brice was with the parents of one victim when the governor had a private conference call with the families.

Brice was sitting in Bob Crowell’s kitchen with him as he was on phone with the governor. His daughter was killed by Dunlap at a Chuck E. Cheese 20 years ago.

During this conference call Brice could hear the other victims’ families yelling at the governor, saying things like, “Dunlap is an animal,” and “How could you do this?” And, “This is a coward’s way out.”

Watch the full CBS4 segment after the jump:

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