Rep. Bob Gardner Threatens Legislation To Stop “Brosurance”

A truly fascinating clip of video from a hearing today of the Colorado Legislative Health Benefit Exchange Implementation Review Committee. GOP Rep. Bob Gardner of Colorado Springs, who voted against the creation of the exchanges but nonetheless serves on this oversight committee, is apparently very upset about the Got Insurance? ads from a pair of Colorado nonprofits–upset enough, apparently, to plan legislation to "stop" such ads in the future. There's no official relationship between the Connect For Health Colorado insurance exchange and the nonprofit organizations who made those ads, of course, and Sen. Jessie Ulibarri responds to Gardner's comments by noting they are protected by the First Amendment.

That's not convincing to Rep. Gardner, who responds that although he is a "First Amendment purist," one can't "yell fire in a crowded theater," and in the case of commercial advertising, we can "impose some limits." Rep. Gardner apparently believes it's possible to make any promotion of the health insurance exchange, directions to it, or even mention thereof illegal without prior permission.

Gardner reportedly intends to use his "last bill number" (legislators are typically allowed to introduce five bills in a session) to introduce a bill to "stop" the "Brosurance" ads. Now, given some of the ridiculous bills that get introduced every year and go immediately to "kill committee," that's not really surprising. But in our experience, on of the surest ways to give something even wider exposure is to try to ban it.

View the original article here

Cory Gardner, Mike Coffman: Call Your Office

GOP Reps. Cory Gardner and Mike Coffman.

A press release from health care advocacy group Protect Your Care Colorado that you'll find curious to say the least:

Even as ads and right-wing OpEds are running praising Representative Mike Coffman for opposing Obamacare, and as Congressman Cory Gardner rails against it on television, their offices are helpfully referring constituents to Colorado’s marketplace, connectforhealthco.com, and helping them #GetCovered by the Affordable Care Act.

According to Carl Dixon from Aurora, “I spoke with a staffer at Coffman's office and he asked me if I was over 65. When I responded yes , he told me I had nothing to worry about. Then I pursued getting info for a family member under 65. He gave me a number for the Exchange.  He offered me a website.  He also stated that one of his coworker's son works for the Exchange and they are having success!” [Pols emphasis]

Another constituent, Stephen Parish, reports, “I called Coffman’s office and spoke to a staffer and asked for help getting started is signing up for the ACA. He was polite and gave me the 1-855-752-6749 number to get in touch with a navigator.”

Other current and former constituents report that the Congressman’s office quickly referred them to the connectforhealthco.com website and phone number, as well as the federal office of Health and Human Services…

“What we have here is a case of ‘don’t do as I do, do as I say’ from Congressman Coffman and Gardner,” said Laura Chapin, State Director of Protect Your Care Colorado. “The ads and their public statements say one thing, but their offices are helping people #getcovered. Instead of voting to shut down the government over the Affordable Care Act and posturing for the TV cameras, Congressmen Coffman and Gardner should be helping even more Coloradans secure access to health care and #GetCovered.”

On the one hand, you can't help but commend the office staffs of GOP Reps. Cory Gardner and Mike Coffman, who are apparently giving inquiring constituents good advice on obtaining health insurance despite the devoted opposition of their bosses to the entire reformed health insurance system under Obamacare. Remember, Rep. Gardner is one of the most vocal opponents of health care reform, who tells a factually questionable personal horror story about his "canceled" plan. Gardner has claimed that the federal insurance exchange website was structured to "conceal the true cost of Obamacare from the American people." Coffman likewise proudly voted dozens of times to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

But is it too much to ask that they have a conversation with their staff, who are helping Obamacare work in Colorado? Like the story of those much-hyped insurance policy "cancellations" this weekend, the gap between what these Republican politicians are telling the press, and what seems to be actually playing out on the ground, cries out for an explanation.

View the original article here

Congressman Gardner: Tear. Down. This. (Blend)Wall.

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Only Nixon could go to China.

Only oil-man George W. Bush could deliver a national Renewable Fuels Standard and create the world's largest wind-energy market.

Perhaps only my Congressman can catalyze a very different conversation on Capitol Hill about the role of renewable fuels in our nation's future. 

With increasing regularity, political attacks masked as journalism have replaced a national press corps that once served as a legitimate arbiter of fact.  As it turns out, the AP article was devoid of a laundry list of facts.  Yet another in a series of well-funded efforts by Big Oil to undermine our march to an economy less-dependent on fossil fuel while building our national economic, security and energy resilience.  (In June of this year, the US Supreme Court ruled against the American Petroleum Institute, etal. on their challenge to E-15.) 

If there is any one thing the renewable fuels industry can count on – this won't be the last time they'll be up against the Big Oil legal team. 

Interests with that kind of money don't like to be told 'no".

If one took the AP story and inserted 'Bakken Field' or 'fracking" for every reference to ethanol, you'd get a more complete picture of the assault on our environment by those industries.  Funny enough, no one on Capitol Hill is calling for an end to the extraction activities of those precious, finite resources.

It isn't that hard to do the math.

There is more-often-than-not substantial costs, both seen and unseen, to "walls" – they can manifest themselves in many ways: physical walls intended to separate the free from the oppressed;  political walls that prevent an engaged public from participatory democracy.  Regulatory walls that maintain monopolistic powers in a theoretical free-markets.  Economic walls that perpetuate poverty and concentrate wealth.

From an energy perspective the United States is the East German-equivalent side of the Berlin Wall.  An economy controlled by Big Oil – an industry long-addicted to public subsidy, parading as a free-market provider of cheap energy.  A government literally occupied by the monied interests of the industry [they have spent in excess of $105 million in lobbyist this year alone]; a society under siege by a hostile climate created by the industries emissions.  A society longing for a different form of energy governance.

Our energy future lies on the west side of the wall.

But first, Congress must "Tear down this wall" – the oil-industry's self-imposed blend wall – used as a shield to insulate itself from a growing, national biofuel supply and to reject any further growth in the industry.

Congressman, let's start a very different discussion on Capitol Hill.  A discussion about the benefits to this nation in eliminating the blend wall; the benefits of an open-market place for liquid fuels produced by rural America.  An infrastructure that gives American consumers a choice.  Let's talk about the economic benefits to rural America, not the least of which is our shared home county of Yuma.  Let's talk about lowering health costs related to the aromatics (benzene, toluene and xylene) that currently make up 30% by volume of the current gasoline supply and displacing them with advanced biofuels. 

Let's set the stage to unleash America's technological and entrepreneurial prowess to lead the world in the Third Industrial Revolution.

Let's start this discussion today amongst your peers in the US House of Representatives. Many of the regions in the US richest in natural resources are experiencing the most extreme depopulation.  There is a significant disconnect between our federal energy policy, rural jobs and infrastructure investment. 

Here's my thoughts on the transition:

* Call for hearings with EPA and demand they exercise their authority under the Clean Air Act to eliminate aromatics from our nation's fuel supply.  A 2007 MATS study conducted by the EPA concluded they could be replaced by ethanol.  At the time the economics of that transition made the transition challenging: we were under-producing ethanol to meet the RFS and oil was trading at $20/bbl.  Today, that equation has flipped.  MATS is not scheduled to be re-visited until 2017.  Call for an early re-opening.  This is one example where EPA action can produce significant, new jobs in rural America by exercising their existing authority -  and it will save us an estimated $36 billion/yr in health costs, too. * Mandate that car manufacturers equip all new cars sold in the United States as flex fuel capable. Before someone in your caucus has a heart attack – I'm not suggesting the consumption of biofuels be mandated.  I'm suggesting we mandate the vehicles ability to do so. Let the consumer be empowered to make that decision.  And the cost of this is low. * Incentivize the retrofit of the legacy (existing) vehicle fleet to maximize the efficient combustion of the fuels. We need smart engines as much as we need smart fuels. Today's combustion engine has changed little in its basic design in over a century.  The reduction in fuel economy with ethanol is a symptom of today's engines not being able to benefit from the octane levels – not an indictment on the fuel. * Call for a doubling of our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, accomplished through a broad network of advanced biofuel plants across the nation – a partnership led by USDA and the Department of Defense.

This isn't a challenge we can solve overnight – but we must begin the transition.  And we can't solve the problem without addressing all components of the system at the same time.  The opportunities for our shared, rural landscapes are too immense to dismiss. 

Before Reagan arrived at the wall to make his speech, some say the inertia of the transition to a free and unified Germany was already in motion. Some say it took a transformative leader to create the tipping point.  In either case, history has been kind to the Gipper.

In this case much of the inertia, too, is already in place.  Farmers investing in biofuel facilities; our very own Yuma County vying to be the alternative energy capital of Colorado.  Rural communities nationwide are experiencing the benefits of this new energy economy.  Our own Colorado State University is leading the transformation. 

What we need is a tipping point.

This is your Berlin Wall moment.

View the original article here

Cory Gardner Gets Grilled–By FOX News’ Megyn Kelly

An unusually interesting clip of FOX News video posted by Rep. Cory Gardner's office on YouTube today:

This is an interview of Rep. Gardner last night by FOX News' popular evening anchor Megyn Kelly. The subject is ads from a pair of Colorado nonprofits released yesterday (blogged here) that have become hotly controversial–mostly as conservatives vented their outrage at the mildly suggestive content of the latest round. A few weeks ago, the "Brosurance" ad for Colorado's health insurance marketplace achieved a measure of virality, but the latest ads targeting women with "Shotskis," and "hot" guys being a motivator for birth control–free under Obamacare–have touched off an even bigger round of nationwide affected outrage from conservative pundits.

With that in mind, Gardner might have been surprised to discover that FOX host Kelly wasn't taking the bait. Kelly notes correctly that the young people targeted by these ads, and important to the success of health care reform, "might be doing keggers," and the ads might therefore be on target. Gardner, by contrast, comes off as stuffy and out of touch–to Kelly as well, though, we admit, maybe not to FOX News' target audience.

As unusual as it might seem on FOX News, this isn't the first time that Megyn Kelly has pushed back on conservatives and sexism. Kelly ripped into Erick Erickson of RedState this year after his diatribe about women in the workforce "hurting our children." In the case of these viral ads, looking past the attention-grabbing concepts, there's an obvious logic in them–as much as any catchy ad aimed at a specific demographic.

Which doesn't happen to be Cory Gardner's.

View the original article here

Gardner: Insurance Website Troubles A Big Fat Conspiracy

Rep. Cory Gardner (R).

Federal contractors responsible for the so-far notoriously glitchy HealthCare.gov, the health insurance marketplace website set up under the Affordable Care Act to provide insurance options in states that chose not to set up a site themselves, today testified before the GOP-controlled House Energy and Commerce Committee. They were there to answer for the considerable trouble the federal exchange site has experienced since launch–far more than in states like Colorado who built our own insurance exchanges. As Politico reports, both Republicans and Democrats had pointed questions about the federal exchange website's embarrassing failures:

Diana DeGette of Colorado agreed. “I want to stress that for the Affordable Care Act to work, these problems need to be fixed, and these problems need to be fixed fast,” she said. “We need to see clear examples of improvement, and we need a timeline for when it will be functional.”

While some Republicans had constructive questions, others couldn't resist taking political potshots that had more to do with their longstanding dogmatic opposition to health care reform that the subject at hand. Some veered into the downright silly with their (to put it mildly) highly speculative conclusions. We're sorry to report that includes Rep. Cory Gardner of Colorado:

Most of the Republicans managed to stay on point and stick to the important questions without drifting into Obamacare-bashing. But not all of them…

Ralph Hall of Texas noted that his constituents “hate the Obama law.” Shimkus declared that “when [Nancy] Pelosi said we had to pass this law to find out what’s in it, we’re finding out.”

Steve Scalise of Louisiana complained that “there are so many broken promises with this law. If you like what you have, you can keep it … Costs were going to be lower.”

Even Cory Gardner of Colorado, who pried out an important admission from Campbell — that CGI had built a browsing feature and was asked to turn it off — didn’t just suggest that decision helped break the website. He suggested it was something darker: a deliberate political decision “to hide the real cost of Obamacare from the American people.” [Pols emphasis]

Got it? It couldn't possibly be that the exchange website was unable to cope with the traffic from actual insurance buyers, let alone millions more armchair policy wonks who would have sat there endlessly querying the system for idle pursuits if a "browsing" feature for insurance rates was enabled. You see, this wasn't incompetence, or inadequate planning, or anything boring like that at all. Like everything President Barack Obama has ever done since becoming president, the breakdowns at HealthCare.Gov are just a cover up for the really bad stuff!

If you get the feeling that even after these startup problems are fixed–pretty much no matter what happens–Gardner and friends are not going to be happy, that's probably because you're right. They won't ever be happy. The rule of Hanlon's Razor states, and we tend to agree, that one should "never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." But in today's unhinged political climate, where's the fun in that?

View the original article here

Journos should should ask Gardner how he’ll actually vote on secession in Yuma County & Congress

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

In college, I led a petition drive to put an question on the student-council election ballot asking students if they wanted the university to stock suicide pills for optional use by students in the event of nuclear war.

The media had to take this seriously, because kids were actually voting on it, and it had its own internal logic, given the Cold War nuclear craziness around us at the time. But what college would stock suicide pills? Obviously, our core goal, even if we were also serious, was to promote our anti-nuclear agenda.

Same with the secession "movement." At it's heart, given the impossible odds of it happening, it's, duh, a media stunt, offering right-wing conservatives a platform to bash moderate Democratic legislation.

But, it's true that 11 counties will be voting to secede from Colorado, and so you can't blame reporters for feeling as though they have to take the stunt sort of seriously, without overdoing it like The Denver Post has done.

But taking it seriously means finding out if serious conservatives actually support it. This week, the New York Times covered the secessionists, quoting county-level GOP organizers and Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper as saying he takes it seriously. But, really, what else can the Democratic governor say?

More interesting is what serious Republicans like Rep. Cory Gardner would do on election day. As a resident of secessionist-hotbed Yuma County, he'll be voting on it next month. And if you take secession seriously, Gardner would eventually be voting on it in Congress, too, if it's gong to pass. Plus Gardner has long-standing ties to secession-organizer Sean Conway.

Will Gardner vote yes? (So far he's been vague.) What about the GOP gubernatorial candidates? Where do they stand?

When something smells like a crazy media stunt, and reporters still have to take it seriously, they should at least give readers enough opinions on the matter so they can try to understand what's really going on. In this case, getting the specific positions of Republicans, whose audiences goes beyond the way-right crowd in the secessionist counties, is key to offering a fair and accurate picture.

View the original article here

Gardner says Obama doing “everything he can” to stop America from abiding by the “rule of law”

View the original article here

Gardner Won’t/Can’t Back Up Health Premium Hike Claims

UPDATE: Via the Colorado Independent, Rep. Cory Gardner's insurer, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, appears to dispute Gardner's claims of a massive premium increase:

The chief marketer for Rocky Mountain Health Plans told the Colorado Independent on Wednesday that policy-holder Congressman Cory Gardner, whose current plan is being canceled, can choose from a “ton” of different plans offered by the company on the Connect for Health Colorado “Obamacare” exchange that opened Tuesday and that he’d find a comparable plan.

“The Congressman can go on the exchange. We’re offering tons of different policies with different benefit levels,” said Neil Waldron. “Probably one of our medal plans would be best. Without knowing particulars, I’d say the cheapest plan available to the congressman would be our Bronze Plan. Looks like that might be in the price range he’s paying now.” [Pols emphasis]

Rep. Cory Gardner (R).

—–

A terrific followup to our questions about the shocking allegation of well over a 100% premium hike in Rep. Cory Gardner's health insurance due to the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. "Obamacare." As FOX 31's Eli Stokols reports this morning, Gardner turned unhelpful when asked for the details supporting this claim–a claim that, without his help, nobody can corroborate.

Gardner, in just his second term, has been using highlighting own personal experience with the Affordable Care Act.

In an interview last Friday, Gardner told FOX31 Denver that his current insurance plan was being cancelled and that premiums for a comparable plan under “Obamacare” are more than double what he’s been paying…

“We were paying about $650 a month for our plan. And the plan that’s most similar to replace it through our current provider goes up by 100 percent more, so it’s from $650 to $1,480.”

Later that same day, Gardner appeared on CNN’s Crossfire and told the exact same story.

Since then, FOX31 Denver has asked Gardner to provide a copy of the letter or to provide additional details about the policies.

Five times.

But Gardner’s office chose not to help corroborate his claims.

We were immediately suspicious of Gardner's claim of a $650 monthly premium increasing to nearly $1,500–not necessarily due to the unreasonableness of either figure, but the simple idea that anyone would be subject to such an increase for coverage Gardner insists is "comparable." Now that consumers are seeing the rates for insurance to be offered through the health care exchange, his claims just don't add up with real-world experience. It shouldn't be a problem to show how these plans are "comparable" in terms of coverage, deductibles, and so forth.

But for whatever reason, it doesn't appear Rep. Gardner wants to do that.

Why do you suppose that is, folks?

View the original article here

Cory Gardner: It’s All Obama’s Fault

Rep. Cory Gardner.

On this first morning of the first shutdown of the federal government since the Macarena was popular, we went looking for statements from Republican members of Congress from Colorado. We figured their explanations for the present state of affairs, given the public's overwhelming view that Republicans are to blame for forcing the shutdown, were the best place to start.

Unfortunately, as of this writing only a statement from Rep. Cory Gardner that actually appeared to be written post-shutdown was available. And boy, is it…we think the best word to describe this is smarmy. In its entirety:

What a sad state of affairs we have come to in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives has passed three continuing resolutions in the past two weeks to keep the government operating, and for the first time since 1995 the federal government has screeched to a halt. Republicans in both chambers of Congress have made attempts to negotiate with a President and his party that refuses to do the same.

It is ironic that on the day in which the federal government shuts down, one of the most harmful bills signed into law now becomes an even bigger burden on Americans, our economy, and our healthcare system.  Even the most outspoken proponents of Obamacare, including some of the most powerful unions in the country, have seriously considered calling for a repeal of the President’s healthcare law altogether.

Lambasting your opponents for failing to compromise while simultaneously refusing to negotiate is pathetic at best. It is time for the President to lead and get off the sidelines. Americans from across the country – including many of my constituents – are understandably upset about our current state of affairs. Quite simply, they expect results and few are working to achieve them.

I am working every minute of every day to free this country from a law that is inherently flawed,  an economy that fosters an underemployed workforce, and politicians who are too focused on saving face. I will not stop this fight, and will work with anyone who is serious about solving our problems – regardless of political affiliation.

No mention in this release of Rep. Gardner's dubious health insurance premium hike claims, but it has all the bravado you'd expect from our favorite spunky up-and-comer from Yuma! Curiously though, nothing about the dispensation sought by Gardner and the rest of the Colorado delegation to keep National Guard engineers working on flood zone repair projects? That's still a priority along with "freeing this county" from Obamacare, right?

Reading this statement, it's difficult to know for sure.

View the original article here

Gardner Works Fellow Republicans For Flood Relief Dollars

Rep. Cory Gardner (R).

7NEWS' Marshall Zelinger reports:

Hundreds of millions in emergency federal highway money will be coming to Colorado.

Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, told 7NEWS that the Colorado Congressional delegation was successful in getting the House Appropriations chairman to lift the $100 million Federal Highway Administration emergency relief funding cap.

"I'm excited that he's given us that promise to do that, to provide the emergency dollars that we need and get that statutory cap lifted as has been done in the past for other disasters," said Gardner…

As a number of liberal outlets including the nationally prominent ThinkProgress noted last week, Rep. Cory Gardner, along with the other three Republicans in Colorado's congressional delegation, voted against a bill funding reconstruction of areas affected by 2012's Hurricane Sandy. In this story, Gardner offers his explanation:

Gardner had already voted in favor of $17 billion in emergency aid for Superstorm Sandy. Before that bill was finalized, $33 billion in additional funds for pet projects were added to the Sandy bill. When Colorado's request was denied, Gardner voted against the emergency aid bill.

"I supported the Sandy package initially, and of course, when the secondary supplemental came through, I opposed it because they refused to put money for Colorado in it," said Gardner. "I was so frustrated this spring, when we had a chance to provide Coloradans disaster aid, just like we were to other parts of the country that had suffered, and of course, Colorado was treated differently."

The stripping of funds for Colorado flood mitigation–by Gardner's fellow House Republicans, don't forget–was a bipartisan sore point for our local representatives, but it didn't stop the Democrats in the Colorado delegation from voting for the final Sandy aid bill. Other Republicans like Rep. Doug Lamborn voted against the Sandy relief bill on ideological grounds that had little to do with provisions for local funding. With that said, the reality of Republican control of the House today means that Rep. Gardner, arguably the most influential Republican member of the Colorado delegation, is going to play a key role in obtaining federal aid for Colorado to recover from this disaster. The fact is, Colorado is likely going to need a comprehensive relief bill: not as many billions as was required for Hurricane Sandy, but Gardner has likely only delivered the first piece of what will ultimately be needed.

Bottom line: there is a justifiable and plain question of hypocrisy here, especially in the greater context of the fiscal debate in Washington. It is plainly hypocritical to vote against disaster relief for others, then expect it when you need it for your own constituents. In the larger debate over the role of government at all levels throughout America today, there are many such hypocrisies.

But for today, with Colorado citizens desperately in need, Gardner will be allowed to defer those hard questions.

View the original article here

Another Posh Junket For Cory Gardner?

Rep. Cory Gardner.

Roll Call's Kent Cooper reports:

The first two of possibly 31 members of Congress have returned and filed a travel report on a wonderful and free trip to Dublin, Ireland, for themselves and a guest. The gifts of free travel were estimated by the paying sponsors to cost between $6,875 and $11,903 for each person…

This type of free trip not only covers the members’ expenses but provides a rare opportunity for the sponsor to cover the costs of a spouse or family member. For members who are not home that much, the free trip is a great payback to the spouse. The spouse or family member has plenty of time for sightseeing and enjoying the foreign city.

The Ripon Society and the Franklin Center sponsored and paid for the Aug. 10-15 trip with an estimated budget of $450,000 to $750,000. The purpose of the trip was to meet with Irish officials and discuss political, economic and trade relations. With an average of only four hours of daily scheduled sessions (probably no attendance taken), the schedule also highlights visits to the Guinness Storehouse, Leinster House – The Irish Parliament, Dublin castle, Powerscourt Gardens, Newman House, Christ Church Cathedral, among others.

Sounds like a great trip, much like the junkets that lobbyist Jack Abramoff used to organize for favored lawmakers–with a small commitment to a "fact finding" or other nominally official duty, padded by ample time for sightseeing, wining, and dining–all paid for by the "foundation" that organized the trip. Longtime readers will recall former Rep. Bob Schaffer's Abramoff-arranged junket to the Marianas islands, where Schaffer "inspected" factories for labor abuses in between parasailing jaunts off the coast of Saipan.

The Colorado Independent follows up–guess which Colorado up-and-comer got invited? 

House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor made the list. So did Colorado Rep. Cory Gardner…

Gardner’s office didn’t return messages Friday afternoon seeking comment. So far two lawmakers have submitted their travel disclosure forms with the amounts the think tanks are to pay.

It will be interesting to hear if Rep. Cory Gardner, Colorado's most upwardly mobile GOP member of Congress, actually went on this junket. It wouldn't be the first such trip for Gardner of course, who brushed with controversy during his first term after being photographed at a cozy and posh meetup at a Florida resort between select Republican lawmakers and the big campaign donors who love them. There have probably been others, too.

Membership has its privileges, and Cory Gardner has earned his reputation for taking full advantage.

View the original article here

This time Gardner says he’s ready to allow government shutdown to repeal Obamacare

(Priorities – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Last month, Rep. Cory Gardner said he'd block an extension of the federal debt ceiling to "reduce the size and scope of government."

Today, Gardner stated on the radio that he'd allow the government to shut down, by holding up annual budget negotiations, in order to repeal Obamacare, explaining that "if the government gets shut down, it's going to be the President's decision to do so."

KOA's Mike Rosen let Gardner's salvo go by as if Gardner were talking about the weather.

Rosen: "Perhaps we can talk about some other items on the agenda, such as the current dispute, even with the Republican Party, about whether Republicans, who have a majority in the House, ought to take a stand now, as the continuing resolution question comes up, take a stand on Obamacare, and refuse to fund it, while at the same time, agreeing with a continuing resolution that would allow the rest of the federal government to operate. Have you got a position on that?

Gardner: I want to do anything and everything I can to stop Obamacare from destroying our health care, from driving up increases in costs. Whether that's through the continuing resolution, I want to defund everything that we can….

Rosen: There's a political concern that if the Republicans stand their ground on this [repealing Obamacare], they are going to be blamed for shutting down the government.

Gardner: Well, I think if the government gets shut down, it's going to be the President's decision to do so. I believe that we don't need to shut down the government because we ought to just lift this health-care bill out of the way and let America work.

Listen to Gardner saying he'll shut down government to repeal Obamacare 8.1.13

Rosen should invite Gardner back for a full discussion about the economic and political ramifications of a move by the House Republicans to block funding Obamacare and shut down the government in the process.

View the original article here

Stock market? Credit rating? They don’t come up as Gardner threatens to hijack debt-ceiling extension once again

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

You may recall that when House Republicans blocked the extension of the U.S. debt ceiling a couple years ago, the stock market went into cardiac arrest and America's credit rating was downgraded.

So are you shocked that Rep. Cory Gardner is on the radio talking about doing it again?

Maybe you're not shocked, but, still, if you presided over a talk-radio show, your brain might tell you to ask a follow-up question when Gardner says he wants to leverage the debt-ceiling extension to push his anti-government agenda.

Gardner told KFTM's John Waters Monday that he sees the upcoming extension of the debt ceiling as an "opportunity to reduce the size and scope of government, and how we can require opportunities to look for savings, look for cuts, and what we’re going to do to grow the economy through common sense tax reform. I think there’s great opportunities for us to get back on track." (Listen here.) 

Gardner is obviously free to push his anti-government agenda in Congress, as well has his anti-abortion one, but why not ask him why he doesn't use the budget process for this? That's where debate about these issues is supposed to take place.

Democrats and Republicans have extended the debt ceiling over 100 times since 1940, with little opposition (until 2011). Reagan did it 18 times; G.W. Bush seven.

Do we really want to risk another credit downgrade, as well as a stock market collapse, to debate budget issues that are properly addressed elsewhere? 

It's a question that Waters should have put to Gardner.

Here's the exchange on KFTM:

WATERS: Uh, we also –coming up later on in the year, we might as well touch on it– we’re going to be up against the debt ceiling again and there’s always those budget issues.

GARDNER: It is. And that’s a big part of the discussion too. And so, what the debt ceiling is, of course, is the maximum that the United States can borrow. Now, what’s unique about the debt ceiling is it’s not a debate about how much more you can borrow to spend new money. It’s about how much you can borrow to pay for money that you’ve already spent. And so, it’s money that has already been spent, and the US has to borrow it in order to keep up with it. And so the debt ceiling limit, in that sense, — we’ve got to use this opportunity to reduce the size and scope of government, and how we can require opportunities to look for savings, look for cuts, and what we’re going to do to grow the economy through common sense tax reform. I think there’s great opportunities for us to get back on track.

Full story: Stock market? Credit rating? They don’t come up as Gardner threatens to hijack debt-ceiling extension once again

View the original article here