Ever get that unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth? No, not the one you get after you eat your wife’s meatloaf. I’m talking about the bitter beer face you get after reading some irrational lefty article or watching some silly liberal commentator on MSNBC. It’s a pretty gross feeling, but we’ve got the perfect solution: 1st Amend Mints. In order to “alleviate the bad taste left by the liberal media.” And thanks to Bill Husted over at the Denver Post, the cat’s out of the bag: our mints work wonders. So the next time you’ve got that nasty taste in your mouth, or you want to impress that special conservative in your life, turn to the Independence Institute for minty pleasure.

This is the greatest ever! You have GOT to check it out! The union-funded, and all too ironically named Protect Colorado’s Future, created this fun attack ad featuring State Senator Nancy Spence, Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier, and yours truly. I’m honored they chose to put me in the same company as those two, as that only strokes my limitless ego. However, they should have featured more pictures of me instead of the much more attractive and distinguished Senator Nancy Spence, my initiative co-sponser. Nonetheless, the ad works wonders in getting the word out about our ballot initiative. The ad’s message was so over the top and baseless, both 9News and CBS4Denver ran pieces exposing it. 9News ran the ad against their “Truth Test” while CBS4Denver gave it their “Reality Check.” Needless to say, the ad did about as well as I did in calculus freshman year. But keep it coming, we love this stuff.

© 2008, Benjamin Hummel. To see more cartoons like this go to www.politixcartoons.com.

As part of his effort to move himself closer to the political center, it has been rumored that Barack Obama is considering support for legislation like Colorado’s own Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Upon hearing of Barack’s alleged change of heart, Mr. TABOR himself, Doug Bruce, was recently spotted at an Obama rally here in Colorado. It was reported that Bruce came away from the rally “fired up” and “completely sold” on the ideas of both change and hope: two concepts Bruce admittedly frowned upon before attending. No cameramen were known to have been harmed at the event.

Polling shows the leaked photo will do little to harm the Obama campaign. Campaign officials declined to comment about the possibility of offering Bruce the vice presidential slot on the national ticket.

In the first ever major pronouncement on gun rights, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Americans do have a right to own guns for self defense and hunting. The split decision is certainly good news for Second Amendment advocates but what does it mean to proponents of gun control, and should Americans be concerned about the Court’s lack of consensus? Those are just a couple of the questions that I pose to Independent Thinking guests David Kopel and Patricia Kramer, president of the Colorado Chapter of the Million Mom March/Brady Campaign. Tune in tonight at 8:30 p.m.; repeated the following Tuesday evening at 5 p.m.

A while ago I had a chat with Fred Barnes and told him what was going on here in Colorado. I told him about the “gang of four,” their deep pockets and influence, and how Colorado was being used as a test tube for loony ideas to be later exported to unsuspecting states. Fred was interested, but needed to see what was going on for himself. Fast forward to this year’s ATF Party. Fred came out as one of our guests of honor, had some fun, spoke to the crowd, and learned a bit more about what is called the “Colorado model.”

“There’s something unique going on in Colorado that, if copied in other states, has the potential to produce sweeping Democratic gains nationwide. That something is the “Colorado Model,” and it’s certain to be a major topic of discussion when Democrats convene in Denver in the last week of August for their national convention.”

Getting the cover of the Weekly Standard is huge, but I think it signifies just how important this story is. The anti-freedom forces cultivated a strategy that involves a ton of money and a multi-pronged attack at all levels of media. This is in addition to throwing money and influence behind unrecognizable candidates in nearly all levels of government.

“Dan Haley, the editorial page editor of the Denver Post, told me he realized a clever, new tactic was being pursued when he received a glossy mailer late in the campaign backing a firefighter who was the little-known Democratic challenger of a Republican incumbent. The firefighter had obviously not paid for the expensive piece of campaign literature. The firefighter lost, but other Democratic challengers won.”

It’s great that Fred’s article will bring sweeping exposure to this issue, and coupled with the DNC in our backyard in a month, the Colorado model will be under the national spotlight. That being said, I believe the time is ripe to turn the tide toward the forces of freedom. We here at the Independence Institute will continue to lead the way, you can count on that.

In an attempt to be even more “green” than they already are, Boulder County passed an ordinance attempting to encourage recycling and reduce trash disposal. And as we all know, the only way to achieve this noble goal is to implement a form of price control, or as One Way Trash owner Mick Mahoney calls it, price fixing. Because let’s face it, trampling business owner’s property rights is a small price to pay when saving a few cans of trash. In our latest ivoices.org podcast, Ben DeGrow sat down with Mick to discuss Boulder’s latest foray into enviro-hysteria and how it’s interfering with his livelihood - his business.

Along with inventing the Internet, Al Gore can be credited with nearly single-handedly inventing climate hysteria. His Michael Moore-esque “documentary,” An Inconvenient Truth, has spawned endless criticism from an endless array of critics, however, as this Heartland Institute PSA points out, hefty criticism often does nothing to stop the left’s propaganda juggernaut. Including criticism from the British High Court, who ruled that the film contained too many scientific errors to be shown in classrooms without a warning and/or presenting opposing viewpoints. Sadly enough, Governor Ritter has proclaimed his intention that every K-12 student “understand climate change.” Our little friend Eddie, over at Ed is Watching, is scared that he might soon be indoctrinated, not educated with propaganda like this.

Our 6th annual Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Party this past June was the best ever. We had more people, more guns, more booze, more cigars, and more fun than ever before. After shooting clay pigeons via shotguns in the morning, the crowd settled in with booze and cigars. Dave Kopel addressed the crowd to a standing ovation, and spoke about the huge second amendment Supreme Court victory. Then the Capitalist Pig Jonathan Hoenig took the stage and was followed by the Weekly Standard’s executive editor, Fred Barnes. Both Jonathan and Fred did a good job riling the crowd up. If you didn’t get a chance to go this year, don’t fret. My minions have created a wrap-up video to get you all psyched on going next year - which promises to be bigger and better than this year.

Here’s an event that might drive the locals a little crazy:

From the Property Rights Project,

Rights Rally Schedule
Boulder Property Rights Coalition
Boulder Band Shell- at Broadway and Canyon
Saturday, July 26, 2008
1 to 5 pm

Fun, exciting celebration of our American rights! Music, entertainment, and a chance to exchange views with other people concerned about our rights and freedoms (and how to keep them!). Taco feast, watermelon, and soft drinks.

1-1:30 Gather at the Boulder Band Shell Introductions Kids Say The Darndest Things Interviews (bring your kids!) Make Signs Sign Petition

1:30-2:00 The amazingly hilarious Don Wrege will parody old favorites (ie. Don’t Fence Me In, This Land Is Your Land…) lampooning the archaic adverse possession laws, and anything else that pops into his wacky mind.

The Inside Scoop on the new adverse possession cases (25, and counting! 15 in June alone). Personal stories 3-5 minutes each.

2:00-3:00 “Too Much Jones”, the fabulous, incredibly popular band, specializing in freedom and rights songs and popular favorites.

3:00-3:30 The Gimme-A-Break Dancers.

Lawrence the Magician will magically disappear any and all American rights you feel are under threat. Just roll them in up in scroll, label it, and he will Presto Change-o evaporate them!

3:30-5:00 “Too Much Jones” will play until close.