What, wha, whu?

I'm sure Bob Schaffer had nothing to do with this. Yeah, right.

First from 9News:

A Denver businessman testified in federal court this week against charges that he bilked the government of millions in an attempt to test an alternative automobile fuel.

Bill Orr solicited money from investors and from the federal government in a purported effort to develop a fuel that would be more efficient and less polluting. Prosecutors say Orr misrepresented his research results and business prospects to obtain a $3.6 million grant from Congress.

Orr admitted he paid himself more than $500,000 of the federal funds during two years of research and development work. He said he obtained the grant with the help of Congressional aides whom he met while working on other fuel and environmental issues.

Specifically, Orr worked with politicians on Capitol Hill when he tangled with the Environmental Protection Agency in the 1990s...

Just another corrupt business man trying to graft the government? Perhaps, but as ColoradoPols reminds us:

The criminal case going to the jury concerns allegedly fraudulent representations made to the federal government by Orr's National Alternative Fuels Foundation (NAFF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. According to the criminal indictment, NAFF received over $2 million in grant money to research a new fuel additive. Specifically, the indictment alleges that NAFF submitted false documents--including bogus scientific testing--to the EPA in support of the grant request from 2001 to 2004. Orr is also alleged to have solicited almost $600,000 from private investors to "research" this fuel additive, most of which was deposited into his personal bank account.

We're shocked 9NEWS only notes that Orr "worked with politicians on Capitol Hill," since there is much more to the story: the Director of the National Alternative Fuels Foundation during 2004 and 2005 was former Rep. Bob Schaffer.

Schaffer served as Director of the NAFF from October 2004 until March 2005, just two months before the nonprofit was administratively dissolved. By May of the following year, Orr had been indicted. This is critical because according to documents we've seen, Orr continued to make these allegedly false reports to the EPA through at least December of 2004--well into Schaffer's tenure as Director.

The matter gets further dirty when we learn that one of the other folks who was indicted in this matter and plead out is a Scott Shires. And guess who was the registering agent of Bob Schaffer's Board of Education campaign? None other than the same Scott Shires.

Bob Schaffer - The View from Mount Macaca

How to create an effective political ad

Someone better send this over to Wadhams - STAT! - before he performs a Macaca on Bob Schaffer's campaign:

1. In a TV commercial where you talk about proposing to your wife on Pikes Peak, what mountain should you show in the background?

1. Pikes Peak in Colorado
2. Mt. McKinley in Alaska

Correct Answer: a. But Schaffer’s commercial features shots of the famous Alaskan mountain. Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich’s spokeswoman commented: "While Alaskans can understand why Bob Schaffer would promote our beautiful mountain, I hope he doesn’t expect Alaska to cede North America’s highest peak to the State of Colorado."

2. Where is your favorite place to go for outdoor sports?

1. Skiing at Mary Jane
2. Hiking in the Great Sand Dunes
3. Climbing in Eldorado Canyon
4. Fly Fishing in the Fryingpan River
5. Parasailing in the Mariana Islands while on a “fact-finding” trip – paid for by a Jack Abramoff front group, of course.

Correct Answer: Coloradans would probably accept a, b, c or d. But Schaffer seems to prefer the last option, as the Denver Post reported in several front page stories.

3. If you’re a Congressman elected to represent Colorado’s 4th district, what part of the world should you accomplish the most for?

1. The Eastern Plains of Colorado
2. Ukraine

Correct Answer: a. But Schaffer once bragged to the Denver Post that, “I’ve accomplished more in that country [Ukraine] with less effort than I have in my own district.” [Denver Post, 12/15/02]

4. Just to cover all the bases…where is Colorado?

Bob Schaffer/Jack Abramoff strategy reversed by Bush bill signing

Despite what most Modern Republicans say, government can actually do good things for people:

Abramoff lobbied against extending U.S. protections to Mariana islands, Schaffer carried out Abramoff strategy in attacking human rights advocates, opposing change

President Bush today signed a bill that overwhelmingly passed both houses of Congress to extend U.S. labor law to the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. In the most notorious Washington lobbying scandal in recent history, the islands hired jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff to represent them in opposing the change, and Abramoff enlisted the help of Republican members of Congress including Bob Schaffer, who carried out a strategy that had been literally designed by Abramoff himself.

“The exploitation of workers on the Mariana islands comes to a close today, but only because Congress finally rejected attempts by jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his crony Bob Schaffer to allow the human rights abuses to continue,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said. “Abramoff was able to delay this much-needed reform for years by corruptly influencing the Republican Congress, but with Abramoff safely behind bars and Schaffer safely at home in Colorado, it finally passed this year. Now that an overwhelming bipartisan majority and the president have endorsed this reform, maybe Bob Schaffer will apologize for his shameful assistance of a corrupt lobbyist who was helping the factories exploit their workers.”

• Bill an explicit repudiation of the Shaffer-Abramoff position. The new law signed today extends U.S. immigration laws to the Northern Mariana islands and “was a response to concerns about unfair immigration policies and labor practices for workers in the islands’ garment industry. In part, it is also a response to the legacy of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, whose clients included the territorial government.” [CQ, 4/29/08]
• Schaffer Took Trip to Marianas Islands Funded by Jack Abramoff Front Group. Last week, it was reported that a finding trip to the North Mariana Islands taken by Schaffer was partly arranged by the firm of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Schaffer, along with his wife, stayed for free at a “palm-studded beach resort” and met with clients of Preston- Gates, according to a copy of the trip’s agenda archived in Schaffer’s congressional papers. Schaffer’s $13,000 trip was paid for by the based Traditional Values Coalition, which Schaffer described as a religious group “concerned with human rights.” Later investigations showed that TVC was a front group for Abramoff’s lobbying operation. [Denver Post, 04/10/08]

There's more about the principles and actions of Bob Schaffer, Republican candidate for the Senate, at the link.

Idiots of the Right-Wing

It sounds like some crappy B-movie, doesn't it? Cue the scratchy soundtrack because unfortunately, it's the reality we're all forced to live in. Let's take a gander at what's been going on over at SweatshopvUdall.

Ben "Independence Institute" DeGrow continues to whine about Mark Udall's support for a Dept. of Peace years ago. He tries to bring it into the conversation (using Politico's Jeremy Pelzer's interviews with both Senate candidates) regarding the proposed CO constitutional amendment wrong-headedly defining a fertilized egg as a person. There's one big difference here: the Dept. proposal is in the past (not an issue this cycle) and anti-choice nuts are working to put the proposed amendment on this November's ballot. Idiot.

A tale of fundraisers was brought to the table. Dana Perino, Bush's press secretary, was the "guest of honor" at one in Colorado for Bob "Sweatshop" Schaffer. A Drinking Liberally chapter hosted one in California for Mark Udall, which DailyKos proprietor Markos attended. Ben's take? No one is talking about Sweatshop's fundraising from CO and Udall's fundraising from out of state. I guess that means Sweatshop if ready to return money raised from outside CO.... I didn't think so. The only story from the two fundraisers is Schaffer's planned continuation of Bush's disastrous policies contrasted with Udall's plans to move this country forward and implement solutions to the crises Bush has laid at his successor's feet. That's not hard to grasp.

The Democratic presidential nomination process will not result in anything careening out of control in Denver in August. I know how much Republicans enjoy and support disrespect for the law, but seriously, grow up. Oh and take a look at your own nomination process, idiots. McSame has been the presumptive nominee for how long and he still can't garner more than 75% of the primary vote? By all means, keep looking into the neighbor's yard while your friends trash yours.

By the way, does anybody get the impression that if Republicans had anything real to bring up, they wouldn't be losing seats in Congress all year? The politics of distraction and destruction aren't working anymore, idiots.

What would a Schaffer blog be without constant attacks on environmentalists? According to Sweatshop's president, Udall isn't doing anything about today's gas prices. Apparently, it's environmental special interests that prevent the United States from becoming more energy self-sufficient. What?! All Sweatshop & Co. (heh) want to do is drill, drill drill. Pay attention: we cannot drill our way to energy security. Further, we absolutely should have a discussion about who's doing, and not doing, what to alleviate today's gas prices. First and foremost: the freaking President. What has his giveaway of billions upon billions of dollars in the form of corporate welfare done to improve energy self-sufficiency? Energy corporations have taken those taxpayer dollars and given them to their stockholders. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have effectively shut down any meaningful progress toward enacting legislation. People across Colorado and the nation recognize this. As gas prices continue to hurt our pocketbooks, it will become clearer everyday that sending Big Oil Bob to Congress won't help. Environmentalists are at fault. Or something. Idiots.

Nancy Pelosi is the boogeyman. This is hilarious. Dick "Macaca" Wadhams is obviously reading and distributing the popular talking points du-jour because this pathetic phrase is being used across the country. Unsolicited advice: keep using it, idiots. More than one Republican have already lost their race by demonizing Pelosi. There's no reason why Sweatshop Schaffer should play alone in that toxic sandbox.

Energy is Udall's weakness. Whatever. The kids over at SweatshopvUdall will never convince people that they honestly think Udall should tell the oil corporations to build more refineries. Why? Those corporations have been swimming in billions of taxpayer dollars for years without building and maintaining refining capacity. The time to start that was 30 years ago. Also, conservatives always scream when a proposal to mandate corporations do something is proposed. Their faux assistance is laughable. The SPR is nearly full. Stopping shipments would make millions of barrels of oil available to consumers today and in the near future, which while not the ultimate solution, would actually do something. Sweatshop's plan to drill wouldn't bring a drop of oil to the market for years, idiots. Revoking the corporate welfare oil companies are receiving would actually do something as long as that money were directed toward developing technologies in the market. Technologies exist today that would boost the diversity of our energy portfolio. Republicans like Bob "Sweatshop" Schaffer have stood in the way of their deployment for years.

It will not take much deliberation to come to the conclusion that electing another Big Energy friendly Republican will not improve our energy price problems.

Bob Schaffer and his Big Oil Bosses aren't going to like this

Mark Udall stepping up with some well thought out and reasonable proposals for the gas price crisis that is smashing the middle class:

Suspending the stockpile of oil for the SPR is part of a six-point plan Udall is pushing that will lower gas prices, protect consumers and help redirect America’s economy. The plan includes both immediate market relief and long term, necessary changes:

IMMEDIATE MARKET RELIEF: Suspend stockpiling oil in the SPR (H.R. 5473)

In 2004, Goldman Sachs estimated that filling the SPR raised oil prices by as much as 25 cents a gallon - when gas prices were much lower than they are today. Udall is cosponsoring a bill to limit America’s contributions to the SPR when gas prices are high. Later this month, Udall will again join several colleagues in writing to President Bush, urging him to order a temporary suspension of SPR purchases to help lower demand.

LONG-TERM, NECESSARY CHANGES:

Crack Down on price gouging (H.R. 594)

Speculators have contributed to oil prices increasing 82 percent in the last year. While these have been regulated markets in the past, more and more new investment tools are outside of regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or any other federal government oversight. Udall is backing a bill to give the CFTC oversight over additional energy commodities trading and to establish civil and criminal penalties for price gouging.

Consider Suspension of the tariff on ethanol imports

Rep. Udall is looking into ways to temporarily suspend the 54-cent-per-gallon ethanol import tariff, to support more ethanol coming into the country, increasing fuel supplies and lessening the pressure on prices.

Stop subsidizing the oil and gas industry

The Republican Congress passed an energy bill in 2005 that included about $2.6 billion in tax cuts for the oil and gas industry – an industry that has seen record profits in the last few years. Udall strongly supports removing some of the unneeded tax credits for this industry, specifically the tax credit for taxes paid to foreign governments and the deduction for domestic manufacturing activities for major oil and gas producers.

Increase oil and gas drilling in certain areas

Rep. Udall supports expanding exploration and development in appropriate areas both onshore and offshore, as long as it is done in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner. He also supports a bill cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-AZ, that relaxes the current embargo that prevents U.S. oil companies from competing to develop oil offshore from Cuba, where companies from other companies are currently drilling (H.R. 3182).

Push renewable energy alternatives – promote cellulosic ethanol and the Production Tax Credit

Increasing America’s use of renewable energy sources will also help address supply in future years by providing a more diverse energy portfolio. Cellulosic ethanol has great potential to not only lower our gas prices, but also our food prices as we move away from corn-based ethanol. Udall has been a strong supporter of this critical R&D, much of it done in Colorado at the National Renewable Energy Lab.

“Increasing our renewable energy use won’t solve all of our country’s energy problems, but in Colorado we have the wind, the sun, and the brain power to be a national leader in this area,” said Udall. “My set of proposals, taken together, provide a common sense path to reducing pain at the pump today and moving our country further toward increased energy independence. First and foremost we need to suspend filling the SPR – that is the one action that will most help consumers today and I urge the President to take this critical step.

I'm sure Bob would say let the big tax breaks for oil companies keep working their magic on that ever elusive "free market" that corporate Republicans always talk about.

Say goodbye to Forced Abortion Bob Schaffer

I'm sure SvU will just say it's all part of some big blue colored lying machine, but facts are facts. More of which can be found at SchafferFacts.com.