Left Turn

Twitter founder Biz Stone on Fresh Air

February 17th, 2011, 11:58 pm by klynch

If you’ve got 38 minutes to spare, or even 10 or 20, check out yesterday’s episode of “Fresh Air with Terry Gross,” which featured an insightful and engaging interview with Twitter co-founder Biz Stone. Lots of topics were covered, but what I found most interesting was about 8 minutes into the interview when Stone discusses the role and responsibility of communication services like Twitter, Facebook, Google, etc. He brings up some intriguing ideas about what it means for these tech players to be “neutral:

“It’s important for us to remain a neutral technology provider, but we do believe that the open exchange of information is very important and can have a positive impact on the world.”

Of course, as Stone elaborates, this comes with the caveat that the service could be used for “ill”:

“While we don’t always agree with a lot of the information that’s being transmitted on Twitter, we still feel strongly that it should be allowed to flow, to be transmitted.”

Later in the interview, Stone talks about social networks more broadly, discussing their global significance in deep terms:

“People all around the world are realizing that we’re not necessarily citizens of a particular state or a particular country, but citizens of the world…I think that the Internet and social media tools are making the world a smaller place and they’re strengthening humanity…and I think that’s an incredibly important thing because this kind of global alignment of thought among individuals around the world – think of what we can do in the years to come if we are this connected and if we are kind of thinking along the same lines…”

Whoa. Talk about a double-rainbow.

Posted in: Uncategorized • Biz Stone • Terry Gross • Twitter | 2 Comments »

O’Reilly vs Obama: Super Bowl interview

February 6th, 2011, 10:34 pm by klynch

Who knew Super Bowl Sunday could be educational? In a short segment from a rare interview with Bill O’Reilly – the first of his presidency – President Obama fielded questions on Egypt, health care, and the Packers. The interview was somewhat over-hyped, and ended up just being anti-climatic, in general. However, it was valuable in demonstrating the consistency of Obama’s recent messaging, highlighted and arguably “launched” at the State of the Union address; namely, he and the Dems are looking forward, not backward.

Obama scored a point by reiterating a powerful argument he made in the SOTU address: despite some admitted faults of the health care law, it’s better than nothing, and we should work on maximizing and improving it, rather than rehashing all the arguments of the last two years. Through this defense, he draws a stark line between the backward-looking Republicans and the forward-looking Democrats. Point – Obama.

He scored another point on the health care debate by framing it in a way that should be attractive to most conservatives and independents: “each of us should be responsible for our own health care.” It’s unfair that uninsured people who go to the emergency room get subsidized by insured folks. Making everyone have some sort of health care insurance solves this problem and improves market efficiency.

And lastly, he made a clear point that his focus for the next two years is the economy, period. In this regard, he’s beginning to sound a lot like Clinton (1992 unofficial campaign slogan: “It’s the economy, stupid.”)

As I mentioned above, all of these points were also salient in Obama’s SOTU address. For an excellent analysis of that speech, see Joe Klein’s piece in the most recent Time. Best takeaway: “He [Obama] made the Dems the party of optimism and the Republicans the party of root canal.”

Welcome to the next two years (hopefully).

Posted in: Uncategorized • Bill O'Reilly • Obama | 6 Comments »

Unsustainable public pension funds

January 26th, 2011, 10:44 pm by klynch

In case you missed it, last week’s cover story in the Colorado Springs Independent was powerful. It highlights a problem I’ve been complaining about for awhile – public employee pension funds are bankrupting our state and many others.

The Dems and most liberals have traditionally aligned with labor and teacher unions, but looking forward, I hope a new brand of Dems begins to emerge – one focused more on fiscal sustainability and prudence rather than bowing to unions. Retiring at 55 and getting paid more than $100,000 year on the taxpayer dime makes no sense to me; it’s completely unfair. Yes, there was a day when the private sector was so much more lucrative than public jobs that pensions were a necessary carrot, but that day has passed. Welcome to the new normal.

Posted in: Uncategorized • public pension funds | 6 Comments »

2012 election picture, part two

January 22nd, 2011, 12:41 pm by klynch

Earlier this week, Denver–based political analyst Floyd Ciruli provided even more insight on the 2012 elections, specifically focusing on the critical role Colorado will play.

He says that both parties see the state as a “critical swing state” and that “we can expect to see 2010 midterm expenditure levels and negative advertising on steroids.” I’m sure we’re all looking forward to that, ugh.

A Dem guv and both Democratic Senators (Bennet and Udall) will help the party, but the Republicans swept all lower offices in the midterm and they benefit from Obama’s low approval rating. Plus, history is on their side: Ciruli says that Republicans “have a longer track record of taking Colorado in presidential races, even with weak candidates, like Bob Dole.”

With one of the most closely balanced electorates in the nation, our state is a microcosm for the national election. When it’s all said and done, they might end up changing the saying to “As Colorado goes, so goes the nation.”

Posted in: Uncategorized • 2012 Presidential election • Floyd Ciruli | 2 Comments »

Bleak 2012 picture for Dems

January 19th, 2011, 11:06 pm by klynch

The recent announcements by Democratic Senators Joe Lieberman (CT) and Kent Conrad (ND) that they will not seek re-election has many pundits theorizing about the pivotal November 2012 elections. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty ugly picture for Dems, made all the clearer by NPR’s “All Things Considered” in a piece today that profiled the future elections.

Dems currently hold a 53-47 advantage in the Senate, but they will have 23 seats to defend in November’s election, while the Republicans will only have to defend ten. And in order for the GOP to take control of the Senate, they only need to pick up four seats.

Of course, picking up a seat against an incumbent is challenging, but luckily for the GOP, there are a TON of (for lack of a better word) old Democratic Senators up for reelection: Daniel Akaka from Hawaii is 86 years old; Herb Kohl from Wisconsin is 75. California’s Dianne Feinstein is 77. Ben Nelson from Nebraska will be 71 years old.

It’s not too hard to imagine some (or all) of these Senators retiring instead of facing yet another bruising election battle. And that will leave some serious open-seat opportunities for the Republicans.

Luckily for us Coloradoans, our Democratic Senate seats are safe until Mark Udall is up for reelection in 2014, and by then it could be a whole other ball game…

Posted in: Uncategorized • 2012 election • Democrats • Joe Lieberman • Kent Conrad • Republicans | 2 Comments »

Assault weapons and high-capacity gun clips

January 18th, 2011, 11:20 pm by klynch

I know that a lot (too much, arguably) has been said about the recent tragic shootings in Arizona, but my good friend (thanks, Andrea!) just alerted me to these two excellent pieces on gun control that I think are worth a read.

“What if 31 shots had been only 10?” (Mother Jones)

“Jared Loughner’s American history”, (Rachel Maddow blog)

Instead of arguing over the vitriolic political rhetoric, the pieces focus on the simple fact that if gunman Jared Loughner had not had such a high-capacity gun clip (i.e. one that enabled him to fire off 31 bullets without needing to reload), he would have done less damage. Assault weapons – and let’s not kid ourselves here, there is no reason someone would need a gun that can fire off 31 rounds without needing be reloaded unless he/she wanted to assault lots of people very quickly – like the one Loughner used were banned during the Clinton administration, but the ban expired in 2004 during Bush’s reign and it was not renewed.

In his autobiography My Life, Clinton eloquently summarizes his dogged fight in 1994 to pass the assault weapons ban like this:

“The NRA was…determined to prevail [on opposing the assault weapons ban]…so that Americans would retain their right to ‘keep and bear’ rapid-fire large-magazine weapons designed for one purpose only: to kill a great many people in a hurry. These weapons worked; crime victims shot with them were three times more likely to die than those whose assailants fired regular handguns.”

Seventeen years later, we’re still struggling with the same issues. As the old adage goes, those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Worth noting: as Rachel Maddow points out, the U.S. is the most heavily armed country in the world, with 90 guns for every 100 American citizens. The next most heavily armed country, you ask? Yemen, a distant second with only 61 guns per 100 citizens.

CORRECTION: thanks to our poster tinmah for pointing out that I mistakenly wrote that assault weapons like the one Loughner used were banned in the 1994 federal assault weapons ban. The weapon that Loughner used, a semiautomatic Glock handgun, was indeed not banned in the 1994 legislation; only the high-capacity magazine that Loughner used was banned. Thank you for clarifying, tinmah, and I apologize for that inaccuracy. As for the quote from Mr. Clinton, you’ll have to argue that with him…

Posted in: Uncategorized • Bill Clinton • gun control • Jared Loughner • MotherJones • Rachel Maddow | 18 Comments »

I miss Michael

January 18th, 2011, 12:16 am by klynch

Last week, while I read how incoming County Commissioner Peggy Littleton, in her first meeting as such, made an appeal for more frequent prayer to open future meetings, I couldn’t help but think how much I wished Michael Merrifield would have won that spot.

Merrifield, a term-limited legislator, opposed Littleton in November’s election for District 5 County Commissioner; he lost. But if he hadn’t, I’m pretty sure he would not have opened his first public meeting as County Commissioner by saying, “I’d like to encourage my colleagues to have, at a minimum, prayer together every Tuesday…I’d like to have us…start out truly with God first, country second and service as our third most important item we do.”

I know it’s constitutional – a 1980s Supreme Court case ruled that legislative bodies can start session with prayer without violating the U.S. Constitution – but just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. Opening your first public meeting as a County Commissioner with a headline-grabbing action like appealing for more prayer needlessly isolates your constituents who don’t believe in “God,” believe in a different “God,” or just believe in the importance of the concept of separation of church and state.

Is it “crazy liberal” of me to want my elected officials to spend their time talking about things other than the need for religion during their legislative sessions? It’s not that religion isn’t important to me, I just think that it doesn’t need to exist in the legislative sphere and I don’t support politicians who do.

Despite all the headlines, in actuality, Littleton’s appeal is of very little consequence. It simply means that every Tuesday and Thursday Commissioner meetings will now begin with prayer. The symbol of it all is unfortunate though: our city and county already have a negative image as an intolerant place of Bible-thumpers and religious zealots; stories like these certainly don’t help.

Posted in: Uncategorized • Michael Merrifield • Peggy Littleton | 1 Comment »

Teflon John

January 13th, 2011, 6:31 pm by klynch

Our new guv Hickenlooper is getting some serious inches in the national press.

Yesterday, NPR’s “All Things Considered” covered him in a four-minute piece that ruminated over whether his “nice guy” demeanor and Teflon-like ability to withstand criticism would be enough to get our state through a possible $1.5 billion budget shortfall.

And last week, the New York Times Magazine published a long feature on Hick’s background and path to the Governor’s office, littered with words like “gleeful self-mockery,” “buffoonery,” “eccentric,” and “freewheeling” to describe his style. The piece ended with some prophetic surmising about Hick’s political future:

“Hickenlooper, who is 58, says he has no ambitions for higher office. To be more accurate, he says there’s no point in having them, because he’s too unorthodox a Democrat to be recruited for, and supported in, a national race. Still, assuming his first term as governor goes well and he’s re-elected in 2014, it’s hard not to believe that there will be at least a few murmurs from Democratic operatives, and a few stirrings within Hickenlooper himself, about the presidential race of 2016. And it’s just as hard not to wonder if, at some point, an unorthodox, boundary-blurring candidate will be what both parties decide to trot out for a change.”

Sounds like a pretty good script to me!

Let’s not jump to conclusions too soon though; the real challenge will be the next four years and steering us through our state’s serious budget crisis. If anyone can do it though, it’s Teflon John.

Posted in: Uncategorized • John Hickenlooper • Teflon John | Post a Comment »

Who will be the new face of the Republican party?

January 13th, 2011, 2:16 am by klynch

In this week’s Time Magazine, Mark Halperin offers an insightful take on the party’s emerging leaders (or lack thereof). He points out the paradox of a strong, ascendant Republican party without any clear mantel-bearer to take on President Obama: you’ve got the somewhat boring, straight-laced McConnell and Boehner, and then lots of what Halperin calls “Capitol Hill minibarons” – Senators John Kyl and John McCain, House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan, and their incoming freshmen brethren – not to mention those vying for RNC Chairman Michael Steele’s job.

Of course Halperin doesn’t forget to include Republican big-state governors, like Rick Perry (Texas), John Kasich (Ohio), and Rick Scott (Florida). I would also throw in rising star Marc Rubio, Florida’s freshman senator, and the perpetually good-looking Congressman from Arizona, Ben Quayle. And whatever happened to Bobby Jindal? Oh yea, never give the opposition party’s response to a popular president (see Bobby Jindal circa February 2009).

Should be interesting to see how these emerging leaders duke it out!

Posted in: Uncategorized • Ben Quayle • Bobby Jindal • John Boehner • John Kasich • John Kyl • John McCain • Marc Rubio • Michael Steele • Mitch McConnell • Paul Ryan • Republican party • Rick Perry • Rick Scott | 1 Comment »

Hickenlooper inauguration speech hinges on “the kitchen table”

January 11th, 2011, 11:19 pm by klynch

Earlier this morning amid frigid Colorado temperatures, Democrat John Hickenlooper was inaugurated as our state’s 42^nd governor. His 15-minute speech was long on metaphor, from cracked nest eggs to rough economic waters.

Among his metaphoric gems was a fresh, creative take on the tiring “main street” metaphor: ”the kitchen table.” Here’s a brief excerpt:

“Along the way, we found ourselves sitting at a number of kitchen tables. The kitchen table is where household decisions are made. It’s where parents write grocery lists, and kids do their homework. It’s where families share their laughter and concerns, their joys and sorrows. There, in the heart of a family’s home you can feel the heartbeat of Colorado. Let me tell you, that heartbeat is strong.”

Kudos to Hickenlooper’s speech-writer. There are few things that conjure up more vivid images of good ol’ wholesome, down-to-earth, family values than the all-American kitchen table. Hickenlooper used this metaphor throughout his speech, saying that while “our families may sit around different kitchen tables, the talk is all the same…our first task, our highest priority is jobs.”

Hickenlooper went on to outline three fairly nebulous Executive Orders that would spur economic development and increase government efficiency and effectiveness. He ended by bringing it back to the kitchen table, encouraging all citizens to “join us at Colorado’s kitchen table and help plan our future, because this is Our Colorado.”

If you’re interested, you can watch the speech in its entirety here.

Posted in: Uncategorized • Colorado governor • Hickenlooper • inauguration | 1 Comment »