Statistics freak Nate Silver names Zogby ‘worst pollster in the world’
Baseball statistician-turned political fortune teller Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com posts a devastating critique of public opinion pollster Zogby International — replete with enough charts and margin of error figures to make a math geek weep.
Prepaid ‘cash cards’ a pricey way to swipe
Americans are more conscious of debt than ever. Feeling burned by bank overdraft fees of $30 or more, or by credit-card interest rates that can top 25 percent, a growing number of consumers are turning to prepaid, reloadable “cash cards.”
For a large segment of users, primarily low- and moderate-income consumers, these cards function as ersatz bank accounts. These consumers are referred to as the “unbanked” in card-industry parlance. With a cash card, those with poor credit or too little money to meet banks’ minimum account balance requirements can participate in the retail transactions most people take for granted: ordering goods online, paying for items with a quick swipe, getting cash on demand from ATMs.
Sen. Kevin Lundberg plays a great Gen. Buck Turgidson
Ah ha!
Is it possible the Colorado Senate Republicans have been having fun with us all? That this crazy legislative session has all been a go at tongue-in-cheek acting on their part? That they're merely playing at over-the-top local politicians?
Math doesn’t add up in progressives’ complaints against Udall
The overly cautious press statements and stiff senatorial demeanor of newly ensconced U.S. Sen. Mark Udall (and, by extension, his more politically mysterious Democratic colleague Sen. Michael Bennet) have some liberals in a real lather.
But an interesting analysis of President Barack Obama's own growing problems within his political left flank in The Atlantic Thursday examines the real political calculus that appears to be driving Udall and the inartfully dubbed "conservadems" to moderate their tone.
LIVEBLOG: HD 3 vacancy committee meets to elect successor to McGihon
UPDATE: Daniel Kagan will replace retiring state Rep. Anne McGihon representing House District 3, a vacancy committee decided Thursday night.
As Denver came to a near-standstill because of a freak spring blizzard, state House District 3 vacancy committee chair Paula Van Dusen said Thursday, “We’re going to make every attempt, come hell or high water” to hold the meeting to choose a successor to retiring state Rep. Anne McGihon.
If the state House hopefuls, now nine strong, and a quorum among the 100-member vacancy committee can slog to Denver’s University Park United Methodist Church, so can we.
The festivities begin at 7 p.m. tonight.
Ritter declares blizzard emergency, activates National Guard to assist
As the biggest storm of the season continued to pile up deep snow across the state, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter declared on official disaster Thursday afternoon. Ritter activated the National Guard to help rescue stranded motorists and authorized $200,000 for emergency aid, his office announced.
Archbishop Chaput weighs in on Obama-Notre Dame flap, whips up flock, again
Predictably, Denver's outspoken Archbishop Charles Chaput has managed to insert himself front and center in the sturm und drang over "pro-abortion" President Obama's scheduled graduation commencement speech at a Catholic institution of higher education, the University of Notre Dame.
Over the weekend, Chaput gave a speech at a quiet seminary in Detroit, not far north of Notre Dame, and managed to lead U.S. Catholics into pro-life / anti-Obama frenzy and confusion.
And then there were nine — Farquhar withdraws from HD 3 vacancy race
National legislative policy expert Doug Farquhar pulled his name from the running to replace retiring Democratic state Rep. Anne McGihon on Wednesday, narrowing the field slightly to nine hopefuls. Farquhar, a long-time Platt Park resident, notified district officials he had decided against a bid to represent House District 3 because of the time involved but also admitted to The Denver Post he had only recently switched his registration from Republican to Democrat.
Dems: Blizzard won’t stop HD 3 meeting to pick McGihon replacement
Schools and courts are closing, flights are cancelled and the State Legislature is even considering a snow day, but the blizzard blasting Colorado won't keep the state House District 3 vacancy committee from meeting Thursday night to chose a successor to retiring state Rep. Anne McGihon, the committee's chairwoman said.
"No, no, no," HD 3 chair Paula Van Dusen said Thursday morning as the snow fell. "We're going to make every attempt, come hell or high water."
Sarah PAC denies Palin polling in Iowa
Welcome to the Möbius strip that is the Iowa presidential caucus.
Our Iowa Independent colleague Chase Martyn has the skinny on recent pre-, pre-, pre-caucus favorability polling on Sarah Palin.