As yet another torpedo is shot into the Maes campaign, it is time for him to call it quits.

What should have been a success story for citizens in action against the establishment and our government has gone horribly wrong.  Supported by the Tea Party and 9/12’ers, Dan Maes was on the fast track to the state capitol but that train had slowed to a crawl in recent weeks and new revelations have derailed it entirely. 

The governor’s race in Colorado was seen as one of the most winnable for Republicans.  Democrat Bill Ritter’s complete and utter failure leading the state opened the doors to a landslide victory for the right, even with Teflon John Hickenlooper taking up the left’s mantle. 

Maes won the Republican primary fair and square but the number and depth of his follies have grown.  The latest revelation that he willfully exaggerated his experience as a police officer in Kansas is a torpedo in the sinking ship that was his campaign.  The fact is that Maes’s problems are too numerous to overcome and serve to ensure failure in November.   

Well-respected blogger Ross Kaminsky submitted a letter to Maes urging him to get out of the race.  He wrote to Maes saying, “While I believe your pro-liberty instincts are genuine, your candidacy is hopelessly damaged by one mini-scandal or gaffe after another.”

The Republican Governors Association has refused to help him and potential donors are keeping their wallets shut.  Now former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president Hank Brown has announced he is withdrawing his endorsement of Maes.  Putting it politely, Brown said, “I’m beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate.”

It is likely only a matter of days before others like Wayne Allard, Bill Armstrong and Pete Coors yank their endorsements as well. 

Former congressman Bob Beauprez told the Denver Post, “If Dan really is committed to the best for Colorado, as well as to the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing.”

Like Beauprez, Brown and Kamisky, I implore Maes to get out of the race immediately – it is time to go.  If he does, there is still a chance Republicans can get someone on the ballot that actually has a chance to stop Hickenlooper.

• On the net:  Colorado Statesman – Pressure mounting on GOP candidate Maes to withdraw from guv race

Update, 9/2/10, 4:10am - The Hill is reporting Pete Coors has withdrawn his endorsement of Maes.  ”[I]t would be in the Republican party’s and Colorado’s best interest if Dan would step down so that a more competitive situation with a new, unifying candidate could be put forward,” Coors is quoted as saying.

Other’s have jumped ship in the last 24 hours including State Senator John Andrews, RedState.com’s Erick Erickson and Tea Party organizer and Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland.

Update, 9/3/10, 8:47am – The editorial boards of the Denver Post and the Colorado Springs Gazette are urging Maes to get out of the race:

• Denver Post – Maes needs to drop out now; With election deadlines looming, the disgraced candidate must step aside and allow Colorado voters a credible Republican choice
• The Gazette – Gazette calls on Maes to drop out; It is the honorable thing to do

One homeowner in Colorado has won the right to fly the Gadsden Flag but another in Arizona continues the battle.

Thornton, Colorado resident Eric Smith has won his battle with the East York Villas Homeowners Association and will be allowed to fly the Gadsden Flag without harassment.  To the southwest in Laveen, Arizona, Andy McDonel is having a much tougher time and has enlisted the help of the ACLU. 

Both men fought for their right to display the bright yellow Gadsden Flag bearing a rattlesnake and the phrase “Don’t Tread On Me.”  The flag is steeped in history going back to the founding of this nation and has been used by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps over the past 235 years.

Their homeowners associations (HOAs) however saw the flags as political speech and as symbols of the Tea Party.  The groups sent Smith and McDonel letters demanding the flags be taken down.

This past week Smith learned that his HOA would no longer press him on the issue and he would be able to proudly fly the flag.  Lawyer Elina Hindley who represented the HOA sent a letter stating, “Please be advised, we have discussed this situation with the board of directors and the board has decided to allow the Tea Party flag to remain displayed on your property. Thus, you may disregard the request contained in the original letter.”

It appears McDonel’s disagreement will be a much longer and drawn out process.  The Avalon Village HOA told McDonel that his flag must come down and classified it as “debris” under the “garbage” section of the covenants.

In a letter from their lawyer last week, the association maintains that the Gadsden Flag does not fall under Arizona’s Community Association Flag Display Statute, a law enacted to ensure residents within covenant controlled communities could fly flags. 

McDonel has refused to comply and his case has received a great deal of publicity from not only local Arizona news outlets but FOX News and the New York Times as well.  The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has sided with McDonel and sent a letter to the association on McDonel’s behalf. 

The ACLU argues that the Gadsden Flag’s military history affords it protection under Arizona law.  They point out that a previous disagreement between a homeowner and an HOA over the Gadsden Flag in 2003 was the driving force behind the law.

McDonel is chronicling his fight with the oppressive HOA on a blog and has vowed to keep the fight going.  Today he told the Times, “It’s a patriotic gesture.  It’s a historic military flag. It represents the founding fathers. It shows this nation was born out of an idea.”

I find it interesting how on one hand the left is dismissive of the Tea Party, 9/12′ers or individuals that they think might be a bit too much on the side of the United States Constitution.  On the other hand however there is obviously a sense of fear as episodes like this show.  They worry about a possible revolution - and maybe they should indeed be scared.

Update, 9/2/10, 5:55am – Mr. McDonel is now being represented by Dessaules Law Group in his battle against his HOA.  Attorney Jonathan Dessaules has submitted a letter to the representative of the Avalon Village Community Association taking them to task for pressing  a case against McDonel for flying the Gadsden Flag. 

Most eloquently, the closing of the letter states:

The right to fly an American or military flag of their choosing out of deep respect for those who risk their lives for freedom is not among those rights to be surrendered for the sake of neatly manicured lawns and other benefits an association offers.

Head on over to McDonel’s blog for all the latest in his battle. 

New polling shows that the American people aren't buying what Democrats are selling. (Rasmussen Reports)

The disillusionment with the “hope and change” brought to the nation two years continues to grow.  According to a new poll, voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on the top 10 issues of the day from education and the economy to ethics and taxes.

Many Americans drank the Obama Kool-Aid when they voted in November 2008.  They believed this man and his fellow Democrats could actually help the country.  As the effects of the snake oil wear off, Americans are awakening to the reality that they were sold a bill of goods that is doing nothing but hurting the nation.

New polling released by Rasmussen yesterday shows a sea of change in the electorate’s thinking.  On every single one of the top 10 key issues we face, Republicans now lead Democrats. 

On issues like national security, immigration, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this isn’t surprising.  Americans have always realized that Republicans are more likely to do what is necessary to protect our nation than Democrats. 

The same holds true for taxes.  Despite his promises, President Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress and Senate have passed a full slate of taxes that have done nothing but hurt Americans.  Their actions have stifled businesses and brought the economy to a halt while holding unemployment high.

What is most interesting about the poll – and troubling for the left – is that Republicans now lead on issues that Democrats are typically strong in.  Education, health care, the economy, Social Security and government ethics have all tilted to the Republicans. 

An awakening is underway amongst the electorate and come November, Democrats will understand.  The blinders have been pulled off and Americans now clearly see the type of oppressive, heavy-handed, Socialistic government Democrats envision for us and they don’t like it.

Debate should be welcomed - not silenced. (iStockphoto / Stefan Redel)

Earlier this week we took note of the Weld County GOP’s efforts to force its members to tow the party line.  While certainly troubling, they aren’t the only GOP group to take this type of action.  The Jefferson County GOP apparently goes so far as to forbid its members from contributing to non-Republican candidates.

From the Jefferson County GOP bylaws:

ARTICLE III.  MEMBERSHIP
Section 6. Eligibility of Voting Members.
Verifiable public support of a candidate opposing a Republican nominee in a general election shall be cause for suspension of all privileges on the JRC, including voting and shall be cause for being publically requested to resign.  This action shall be accomplished in accordance with V.3.A.1 herein. 

As I stated previously, it is well within any group’s rights to place these requirements on their members.  However, that doesn’t mean it is something they should do or something that is wise. 

As a party, we Republicans need to grow our tent and part of that means we need to welcome discussion and debate, not stifle it.  Placing harsh restrictions on anyone’s First Amendment rights is going to drive  people away – not draw them in.

The protections afforded in the First Amendment apparently don’t apply within some parts of the GOP.

Feeling the heat from the electorate and worried about an up swell of dissent within its ranks, the Republican establishment has apparently begun to crack down on members’ freedom of speech.  The Chairman of the Weld County GOP recently sent out an email to committee members telling them that “inappropriate comments” that do not wholly support Republican candidates are strictly forbidden. 

In the email sent to the county’s executive and central committee members, Karen Pelzer points out that their bylaws say these officers “will not publicly support any candidate other than Republican candidates.” 

• Read the text of the email below the fold

This of course comes in the wake of a primary win by Dan Maes who most rational Republicans know has virtually no chance of beating the Democratic nominee, John Hickenlooper.  Tom Tancredo’s entry has split the conservative base of our party causing a great deal of concern with the party establishment.

Pelzer goes on to outline what this ban on free speech includes.  Members are forbidden from speaking against a GOP candidate or in favor of a third party candidate in any public forum including meetings, letters to the editor, radio shows, and responses to a reporter’s questioning. 

The ban even goes further to include the member’s personal blogs and personal Facebook and Twitter accounts.  She orders the members to delete any comments they have posted in any medium that do not support the GOP’s candidates. 

Perhas the most puzzling – and amusing – part is when Pelzer says, “Does this mean that you can’t have your personal opinions? ABSOLUTELY NOT!  You can freely express your personal opinion in whatever private settings you choose.”

Pelzer goes on to tell members, “I would sincerely hope that you would take that a step further by ensuring public comments you make reflect positively on our candidates and the party in general.” 

In other words, blindly support the GOP candidates whether they are worthy of your vote or not. 

As a private organization the GOP is well within their rights to make this demand of their officers and membership.  However, doing so only serves to further widen the split within the party. 

Many longtime party faithful, myself included, are sick and tired of a select few dictating to the rest of the party.  This episode underscores all that is wrong with the establishment.

Email from Karen Pelzer, Weld County GOP Chairman, to county executive and central committee members:

From: “Weld GOP” <[Email address redacted]>
Sent: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:25:14 Pacific Daylight Time
To:
Subject: Important Information for Executive and Central Committee Members

TO:                  Weld County Executive Committee Members

Weld County Central Committee Members

FROM:            Karen Pelzer

Chair, Weld County Republican Party

DATE:             August 22, 2010

SUBJECT:      By Law Refresher

Now that the primary election is over, we have a slate of candidates going forward to the General Election for the Republican Party.  As many of you are newly elected to your positions on either the Executive Committee or the Central Committee for the Weld County Republican Party, I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of one section of our bylaws, which is important that you all know about. It states:

Section 11.       In partisan elections, members of the Weld County Republican Central Committee and/or Executive Committee will not publicly support any candidate other than Republican candidates or they may be removed by the Executive Committee by a 2/3 majority vote of those present at a regularly scheduled meeting.

We had a lengthy discussion around this subject at our State Executive Committee  Meeting last Friday. It resulted in a resolution which basically says that we respect the process and support all candidates who are put forward by the process (please see full resolution in the next section below).  We had a similar discussion at our Executive Committee meeting this past Tuesday.

As members of the Weld County Executive and/or Central Committees, we are the face of the Republican Party in Weld County. As such, we are held to a higher standard in our public communication, and must adhere to the guidelines set forth in the bylaws which govern us.

This would apply to any public comments for a non GOP candidate with your name attributed to it, and would include things like:

• Letters to the Editor
• Opinion Pieces Submitted for Publication
• Reponses to a Reporter asking for your opinion
• Original posts by you or responses from you to another’s post on social media vehicles such as Facebook or Twitter.
• Blogs
• Calling in to radio shows
• Speaking at a public meeting

Generally speaking, if it’s in the public domain, you need to guard your comments. This is tough to do. Part of the reason you are on these committees is because you are an activist with strong opinions that you want to share.

I need to let you know that I have had several reports of inappropriate comments on Facebook pages belonging to members of the Executive Committee and members of the Central Committee, promoting the Constitution Party candidate for Governor.  Since these comments are in the public domain, they are not permitted in accordance with our bylaws.

I would therefore ask each of you to review any comments you may have posted on Facebook, Twitter, blog sites, etc. If there are any inappropriate comments, please remove them.

We need to be vigilant to ensure that any comments in the public domain do not support non GOP candidates.  As members of our governing body, I would sincerely hope that
you would take that a step further by ensuring public comments you make reflect positively on our candidates and the party in general.

Does this mean that you can’t have your personal opinions? ABSOLUTELY NOT!  You can freely express your personal opinion in whatever private settings you choose.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to call me at any time. I will do my best to help clarify.

As always, thanks for your help!

Michael Bennet is distancing himself from President Obama and the failed policies that are sinking the country. (RNC)

The only thing tanking faster than the economy is President Obama’s approval ratings.  According to the latest Gallup tracking poll, a mere 41% of Americans approve of the job he is doing while 52% disapprove.  Recognizing this, Democratic candidates across the nation are not seeking the president’s help with their November election campaigns. 

The challenge for candidates like Colorado’s own Senator Michael Bennet is whether to run with or run from any help the Obama offers.  Most have clearly decided it is better to distance themselves from a president who is presiding over a failing economy and pushing the nation far left of what their constituents’ believe.

When asked about getting help in his election campaign from Obama, Bennet told George Stephanopoulos on ABC, “We’ll have to see.”  Bennet was also quick to dismiss claims from the White House that the president helped him in his primary win against Andrew Romanoff. 

Bennet is not alone – Other Democrats facing growing discontent amongst the electorate are running from the president.  One Democratic insider told the National Journal, “He is a walking radioactive disaster.” A new video released this week, below, makes light of the issue showing candidates bailing out of Air Force One rather than let the president help them.

The Republican primary was a disaster featuring two candidates not fit to hold the office, let alone run a small business or write a paper about water.  Scott McInnis, the political insider, was torpedoed when it was discovered that in addition to his other endeavors he was a plagiarist.  Then of course we have Dan Maes, the man who won the nomination despite being unable to keep track of campaign finances or run his own business. 

Dan Maes may be the nicest guy in the world but his shortcomings are too numerous and the questions about his past are too big to overcome.  He claims to have a well-tuned business acumen and yet records indicate no business he has launched has been successful.  His income in fact in years past has fallen below the poverty level. 

Then of course we come to his pick for Lieutenant Governor.  Had he picked someone with some semblance of current name recognition and with solid credentials (read Josh Penry), Maes could have at least help his standing.  Instead he chose former state legislator Tambor Williams. 

Williams certainly brings more legislative experience to the table – more so than Maes does at the top of the ticket.  She has been billed as a “moderate Republican” however, to be quite blunt, Williams is a RINO.  Her past support of Referendums C and D and her liberal stance on abortion which seems to include allowing partial birth abortions, take her far outside what I would consider “moderate.” 

I will give Tom Tancredo credit for this – he called McInnis and Maes out for their failures and the fact that neither has a chance against Hickenlooper in November.  Yes, Tancredo’s bid as a candidate with the American Constitution Party will siphon votes from Maes but it really doesn’t matter – Maes wouldn’t have a prayer going solo in a head to head contest anyway. 

Yesterday state GOP chairman Dick Wadhams delivered a message to Maes from Tom Tancredo – If you bow out, I will drop my third party bid.  This would open the door to the selection of a candidate who may actually have a chance of defeating Hickenlooper.

Of course Maes declined and in doing so assured the inauguration of John Hickenlooper as the next governor of Colorado.  The newly minted leftist governor will assuredly take the state down the same road to ruin that the President of the United States has taken the nation and that is sad to see. 

Election Day is a long ways off but at least the Republicans have plenty of time to write that concession speech.

Did you earn the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration? If not, feel free to wear it anyway and claim you were awarded the medal – activist judges say that is perfectly fine.

Wannabe veterans now have free reign to lie and claim military service and awards that they did not perform or receive thanks to two recent rulings by activist judges.  Two cases, one in Colorado and one in California, were the first to challenge the Stolen Valor Act, a 2006 law meant to protect the honor of our nation’s heroes. 

Many cases of civilians claiming military service or veterans claiming awards which they were not entitled to have come to light in recent years.  Some of these people used false claims for personal gain, often at the expense of those who truly earned the awards.  It was with this in mind that Congress passed the Stolen Valor Act which punishes violators with up to one year in prison.

The first case involved Rick Glen Strandlof.  Strandlof claimed to be an ex-Marine who won the Purple Heart and Silver Star – despite having never served a day in uniform in his life.  More than his claims, Strandlof launched the Colorado Veterans Alliance using it to advance his anti-war politics.  He was hailed as a hero by many left-leaning politicians desperately seeking veterans that supported them including Congressman Jared Polis – until his deceit was uncovered by suspecting veterans. 

Last month, U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn dismissed the case saying that there wasn’t “a compelling reason to restrict that type of statement.” 

Can you say WTF?

This was followed by a ruling yesterday by the leftist 9^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California saying that it was perfectly okay for Xavier Alvarez of Pomona, CA to say he was a Medal of Honor winner.  Alvarez was a water district board member that claimed he won the nation’s highest award while serving in the Marines. 

Alavarez challenged the ruling based on the First Amendment’s protections of free speech.  The court, widely accepted as the most liberal in the nation, agreed.  As reported by the Associated Press:

A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with him in a 2-1 decision Tuesday, agreeing that the law was a violation of his free-speech rights. The majority said there’s no evidence that such lies harm anybody, and there’s no compelling reason for the government to ban such lies.

The dissenting justice insisted that the majority refused to follow clear Supreme Court precedent that false statements of fact are not entitled to First Amendment protection.

These activist judges clearly are acting based on some demented interpretation of the United States Constitution.  Freedom of speech does not protect someone who commits an act of fraud which is exactly what these men were guilty of.  They willingly and knowingly portrayed themselves as something they are not for personal gain and they should be punished.

Chalk this one up as yet another case of activist judges stepping well outside the boundaries our Founding Fathers placed around them and all branches of government.

The Gadsden flag flew during the first mission of the United States Navy in 1775. One Thornton HOA says that it can't fly in our neighborhoods today.

The history of the Gadsden flag and its coiled rattlesnake and “Don’t Tread on Me” motto can be traced back 235 years to the birth of our nation.  Despite its distinguished past rooted in Americana, Thornton homeowners in one Homeowner Association (HOA) controlled development are being told to take them down.

None other than Ben Franklin admired the rattlesnake noting that, “She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage.”  Paul Revere went so far as to add it to his newspaper the “Massachusetts Spy.”

In 1775 the Continental Congress established the United States Navy to help fight the burgeoning war for independence.  Continental Colonel Christopher Gadsden presented the bright yellow flag with the rattlesnake to Commodore Esek Hopkins, the newly minted commander-in-chief of the Navy, as he was to set sail on his first mission.

Since that time, various versions of the Gadsden flag have flown proudly across this great land.  After a hiatus, the United States Navy started flying the Navy jack after the September 11^th terrorist attacks.  This flag is a direct descendent of the Gadsden flag. 

The navy jack traces its roots to the Gadsden flag and flies proudly over United States Navy vessels today.

According to 9News, Thornton homeowner Eric Smith and his neighbor have been flying the Gadsden flag for nearly a year.  Both recently received a letter from the East York Villa’s Homeowners Association saying, “Tea Party flags are not permitted. Please Remove.”

• Video: Watch the 9News report below

In 2005 the Colorado legislature passed Senate Bill 100 which protects the flying of the American flag and military flags – even in covenant controlled areas.  It is unclear whether the fact the Gadsden flag traces its roots directly to the United States Navy qualifies it as a military flag despite its use as a Tea Party symbol in the last year or two. 

Certainly there is little doubt that Mr. Smith’s flying of the flag has offended the liberal sensibilities of his neighbors.  Given that we live in left-wing dominated Adams County it is actually a bit surprising it has taken them a year to complain. 

I too proudly fly the Gadsden flag 24/7 and I freely admit that despite my being a proud veteran of the Navy, I don’t do it because of its military history.  I fly it to express my disdain for the current state of affairs in our nation – something which of course is well documented on these pages.

In the case of Mr. Smith, he says he is a registered Republican and doesn’t appreciate it being called a “Tea Party flag.”  That may be the case but unfortunately this is what happens when a homeowner lives in an HOA controlled development. 

HOAs have their good points but certainly we have many times seen them overreach and tread on (pun intended) their residents.  These neighborhood Nazi’s are more than willing to step all over the 1^st Amendment and anything else that gets in their way. 

I certainly sympathize with Mr. Smith and wish him luck in his fight with the HOA.  However, homeowners are well aware of the covenants that are in place when they buy a home.  If they failed to read them or fail to adhere to them, that is their fault and not the HOAs.