Ugly independent political spending in Colorado tripled in the last election cycle

It will come as no surprise to Coloradans force-fed a fire-hose stream of ugly and untrustworthy campaign election material over the last two years that independent spending– spending directly tied to no candidate and mostly free of accountability– more than tripled in the state from 2008 to 2010. This according to a recent report released by watchdog group Follow the Money, which singles out Colorado for study. The authors report that, although the state has relatively strong disclosure laws, larger changes in campaign finance rules have let loose here as everywhere in the country a storm of money and a sea of roiling paperwork that can cover over as much as it reveals.

Anti-regulation U.S. Chamber of Commerce pouring record sums into lobbying

The Obama years have so far been a predictable boom-time for the army of anti-regulation lobbyists paid by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Center for Responsive Politics reports that the Chamber spent $276 million over the past two years lobbying against, among other things, health care reform, environmental protections and Wall Street regulations. The Chamber is the number-one spender on lobbying this year as in years past, but it is outdoing itself, setting records in its own outrageous largess. In just the last three months of 2010, the Chamber spent $50.9 million on lobbying at the federal, state and grassroots levels. That’s a step down from last year, when in the last financial quarter as health and financial industry reform were being discussed in DC, the Chamber spent $79 million from October through December to defeat or water-down Democratic legislation.

West Virginia mine accident highlights moves to boost Colorado coal industry

Recent moves by the both the Obama administration and Gov. Bill Ritter to bolster Colorado’s coal-mining industry come at a time when the obvious risks – beyond the global climate change debate – are at the forefront of national attention…

Aspen Chamber, U.S. Chamber still clashing over climate change bill

Aspen’s ongoing war of words with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce continued this week, with a Chamber rep standing his ground on climate change legislation and policies.

According to the Aspen Times, Peter Havel, executive director of the southwest…

Aspen Chamber votes to call out U.S. Chamber for global-warming policies

The Aspen Chamber Resort Association’s board of directors Tuesday voted 12-2 to take on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for its questioning of global warming science and other policies it’s adopted that are aimed at thwarting climate-change legislation, according…

DC lobbyist lawfirm bipartisan in hosting Colorado campaign fundraisers

Today, U.S. Senate candidate Jane Norton’s army of big-name lobbyist supporters are hosting another fundraiser for her in DC, this one at the Williams & Jensen lobbying lawfirm townhouse near the Capitol. Tomorrow, it’s Sen. Michael Bennet’s turn. He’s…

Aspen biz group eyes taking on U.S. Chamber for its climate-denying ways

More Colorado companies and business organizations are piling on with the Obama administration in an escalating war of words with the rigidly conservative U.S. Chamber of Commerce over climate change and other points of contention.

Earlier this month, a number…

Colorado firms skewer U.S. Chamber for fighting climate change legislation

Count a growing number of Colorado businesses among those deeply disenchanted with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over its stance that climate change legislation is largely based on junk science and will further derail the American economy.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce to stop global warming by frivolously suing it!

U.S. Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., one-time nominal GOP leader and no tree-hugger by anyone’s measure, came to Colorado this week and proclaimed that he believed in the scientific and practical evidence of climate change. His proclamation amounted to acknowledgment…