NEWS AND OPINION:
“They’re scum. They’re horrible people, they are so illegitimate. They are just terrible people. Some of the people in the press are honorable. But you’ve got 50 percent who are terrible people.”
— Republican front-runner Donald Trump, describing the news media at a campaign rally in Atkinson, New Hampshire on Tuesday.
AND MEANWHILE OUT IN BOLDER BOULDER
Just in case they don’t have enough to do, journalists attending the third Republican debate in Boulder, Colorado, on Wednesday have been invited by the thriving local marijuana industry to pay a call on select retailers.
“Coming to the GOP Debate? Meet cannabis industry leaders and go behind the scenes at a local marijuana retail store,” advises the National Cannabis Industry Association, which has organized an afternoon tour and meet-and-greet at a local dispensary that sells legal recreational and medicinal pot with such names as Permafrost, Trainwreck and Chunk Diesel.
“The upcoming debate will focus on jobs and the economy. Colorado’s legal, regulated cannabis businesses are on track to ring up more than $1 billion in sales in 2015 alone,” the association reasons, noting that some 20,000 people are employed by the cannabis industry in the state.
“Marijuana policy came up during the Democratic debate in Nevada, where a law similar to Colorado’s is set to appear on next year’s ballot,” said Mason Tvert, a spokesman for the Denver-based Marijuana Policy Project. “It stands to reason that the subject will come up in Boulder, where the victor would be free to celebrate with marijuana instead of champagne.”
AND MORE BOULDER…
Activists also have plans for Boulder: ProgressNow Colorado will parade two 14-foot puppets done up to resemble GOP presidential hopefuls Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio — accompanied by a banner that says, “Koch puppets, who is pulling their string?” Yes, well. The puppets will be marched through streets near the University of Colorado, site of the Republican debate itself and home to many students reportedly vexed that only 150 debate tickets were made available to them.
“Since Bush and Rubio won’t face the students, our Koch puppets will stand in for them — if anything a more truthful representation,” declares Amy Runyon-Harms, president of the group.
“The Republicans are there to debate at an officially sanctioned event. That’s what we do. But there’s always a sideshow from the opposition. That’s what they do,” counters a GOP strategist.
CONSERVATIVES TAME BOULDER
Meanwhile, the American Conservative Union has brought a mini conservative political action conference to Boulder. The organization is hosting “Battleground CPAC: “Rumble in the Rockies,” which includes appearances from such luminaries as Matt Schlapp, chairman of the group, former New York congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle and Townhall.com editor Katie Pavlich.
Grass-roots training is in the mix, parsing over social media strategies, coalition building and strategic ways to move the often unmovable middle-of-the-road crowd. Mr. Schlapp himself will moderate a discussion titled “How Do We Recover From the Obama Regime?” A debate watch party is planned in the ballroom of a hotel, along with, yes, an after-debate party.
“We’re bringing conservative muscle to Colorado because Colorado is in play. The 2016 election could come down to Colorado — so we do consider this a battleground,” spokesman Ian Walters tells Inside the Beltway.
ONE MORE VIDEO, AND THEY GET WORSE
The 11th undercover video offering evidence that Planned Parenthood profits by selling aborted fetal tissue has been released — containing graphic details about abortionists who prize intact fetus heads for unthinkable reasons.
“State-level criminal investigations must press charges, and Congress’ new select committee must pursue a deep and comprehensive accounting of Planned Parenthood’s atrocities against humanity,” says David Daleiden, director of the Center for Medical Progress, which produced the multiple videos.
Will America hear more about it from the major broadcasters? Not likely. According to an in-depth study by Media Research Center analyst Katie Yoder, of the 16 hours of undercover video footage gathered, ABC, CBS and NBC have aired just over one minute of coverage on the matter since the first video was released on July 14, and never once included the word “baby” in their accounts, Ms. Yoder says.
FEARLESSLY MANLY
Let’s hear a hearty huzzah for “Heavy Lifting: Grow Up, Get a Job, Raise a Family, and Other Manly Advice,” by National Review columnist Jim Geraghty and Cam Edwards, columnist and radio host for the National Rifle Association.
“What has happened to men in America? Once upon a time, men in their twenties looked forward to settling down and having children. Today, most young men seem infected by a widespread Peter Pan syndrome,” the astute authors observe.
“Unwilling to give up the freedom to sleep late, play video games, dress like a slob, and play the field, today’s men wallow in an extended adolescence, ostensibly unaware that they’re setting themselves up for a depressing, lonely existence,” they note.
Mssrs. Geraghty and Edwards are happily married 40-year-olds, by the way; their publisher is Regnery. The gents may be amused to know that their book is currently rated No. 1 in “gender studies” by Amazon.
POLL DU JOUR
• 56 percent of Americans say it’s worth shutting down the U.S. government to reduce government spending.
• 43 percent say a shutdown would be worth it to block the nuclear deal with Iran.
• 36 percent say a shutdown would be worth it to repeal Obamacare.
• 26 percent would back a shutdown to defund Planned Parenthood.
• 21 percent say a shutdown is worth it as a bargaining chip to obtain a policy goal.
Source: An AP/GFK poll of 1,027 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 15-19 and released Tuesday.
• Prattle, poesy, predictions to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
