Face The State Staff Report
In a confidential internal memorandum obtained by Face The State (PDF), the Colorado Democracy Alliance outlines a roster of "operatives" who worked for Democratic victory in the 2006 general election. The document outlines specific tasks for various members of the state's liberal infrastructure, including a campaign to "educate the idiots," assigned to the state's AFL-CIO union. Among the operation's intended targets: "minorities, GED's, drop-outs."
Individuals named in the document, marked "CONFIDENTIAL," "for internal use only," and "DO NOT DISTRIBUTE," are high-level elected Democrats including House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, former Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, as well as Gov. Bill Ritter's press aide and former campaign chief Evan Dreyer. All are specially marked as "off-the-record or covert."
Mentioned as a "critical contact" was Dominic DelPapa, a partner at Ikon Public Affairs. DelPapa was at the center of recent controversy stemming from the February leak of a confidential memo he authored detailing a multi-million dollar "foot on throat" attack on Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer, among others.
CoDA is one of 18 state-based versions of the nationally focused Democracy Alliance, a self-described "investment partnership of business and philanthropic leaders" funding liberal infrastructure nationwide. For more information about the Democracy Alliance in Colorado, see day one and two of Face The State's week-long series on the group.
In a podcast released by the DNC Host Committee Tuesday, national Democracy Alliance founder Rob Stein explains the need for large, secretive donor networks. "We do not have the infrastructure that the right has built, yet," he said. "But there has never in the history of progressivedom (sic) been a clearer, more strategic, more focused, more disciplined, better financed group of institutions operating at the state and national level."
In the same podcast, Laurie Hirschfeld Zeller, the newly installed executive director of CoDA, explains her organization's mission. "Our job is to build a long-term progressive infrastructure in Colorado while we're conceding nothing in the short term in terms of progressive goals at the ballot box."
Zeller had high praise for the state's liberal establishment, specifically naming America Votes, New Era Colorado, Progressive Majority, the Latina Initiative, and ProgressNow as partners in CoDA's coalition building efforts. "CoDA works with all these organizations," she said.
The Bell Policy Center, a liberal think tank involved with CoDA, was praised for its work fighting to dismantle Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. She characterized Colorado's constitutional requirement for voter approval of tax increases as "arcane."
According to Zeller, CoDA operates "in a structure that provides privacy to members." Under current law, this structure is as a taxable non-profit organization that allows individual donors to give anonymously to shared causes. She described the structure as a "fiscal irrigation system" designed to "provide a harvest later this fall."
Stein, the DA founder, said state groups like CoDA have fired "a warning shot to conservatives in America."
"Conservatives have nothing comparable to possibly compete with it, and they better watch out," he said. Colorado was chosen as a test case for exporting DA's national model, due in part to the "significant wealth" of liberal donors living here.
"It's not just individual donors," Zeller said of CoDA's financial underwriting. "One of the things that has been crucial in making the work of the Colorado Democracy Alliance effective in Colorado has been our partnership with institutional donors and activist organizations in labor, particularly," she said. "That's been a major part of how we get our work done here."
According to Zeller, CoDA's giving is concentrated in five general funding categories: leadership development, communications, "research and ideas," "civic engagement" and "constituency development."
"We embrace the 'progressive' label in our giving and the strategic role we play in Colorado politics," she said.
Despite sweeping gains for political liberals both in Colorado and nationally, Stein believes his coalition can do a better job of communicating with voters.
"It feels scary, because we don't have the message down right," he said. "[But] We're being more businesslike - we're being more professional."
What is this?
On October 3rd, 2008 Roark says:
I hate to be the first one to ask but what is this "Leave No Trace Strategy" initiative the Colorado Democracy Alliance is involved in? From the context it looks to be associated to some type of fund raising or fund funneling but what are they working to "leave no trace" of?
And why?
"Attention JULIE WELLS"
On October 3rd, 2008 Back in MI says:
Attention JULIE WELLS
Attention JULIE WELLS
Attention JULIE WELLS
Attention JULIE WELLS
NOTE All these snake oil groups are run by a handful of people - a complete FRONT. See where Julie Wells is the accounting contact for likely all of them!
Coordinating 527's and elected officials is breaking the law
On October 3rd, 2008 Back in MI says:
How about some Republican "Distraction Lawsuits" ?
Also, there is nothing to hide here as far as sources of the DOC. It is clearly a real document and part of the CO Dem Plan of mis-information, distraction, and really bad politics.
This is what UNION MEMBERS pay for with their dues. And will there be investigations - NO. And will the press hound these "operatives" - NO. Will 60 Minutes do a newstory on CORRUPTION in the CO DEM PARTY - NO. Will ZERObama be forced to appologize for his party Practices yet again? - NO.
This type of activity is not even new - "Coloradians for Life" - MY #$@#$!
The CO GOP needs to invest about a thousand new groups that exist only in a fax machine that faxes to newspapers - Let's see.... "COLORADIANS FOR LIFE - NOT ABORTION"; CO DEMS FOR PALIN NOW; NEW DEMOCRATES FOR COLORAO; FAMILY VALUES IN CO NOW; CO LIFE FIRST; PLEASE DON'T KILL THAT BABY IN CO; AMERICANS FOR JOBS IN CO NOW; THE COLORADO END GOVT ABUSES OF CHILDREN PROGRAM; get my drift!!!! Anybody can do it - just form a group and start sending "press releases" via fax to all the news outlets.
It is so easy anyone can do it.
Glad CoDA reads Face the State!
On October 2nd, 2008 RadioBabe says:
The Colorado Democracy Alliance has issued the following statement:
"Whoever provided the documents to Face The State has forged, altered and falsified critical material. The Colorado Democracy Alliance would never have used such offensive language to describe the work of labor unions or the progressive community."
I would like to know where I can get a copy of the CoDA statement, and since CoDA is alleging forgery can (and will) it produce the originals? Or does the secret society simply want media scrutiny to go away?
Idiotic Education
On October 2nd, 2008 spazdog says:
I guess the real idiots are the one that don't vote. Regardless of the outcome, I would thoroughly enjoy seeing ALL of the crooks who put us in this situation be held accountable.
The self-serving parasites don't deserve bread and water rations for putting us in this situation as a nation.
Their actions are summed up best by a website I saw called www.dogboywear.com
Pissing people off by putting yourself first does damage to the individual as well as everyone else in their surroundings.
Planning ahead.
On October 2nd, 2008 1uncle says:
The demos created millions of democrats on welfare by breeding the least educated to the least educated-then dumbed down the schools for them perhaps so they want get too smart. All this to keep themselves in office.
More than anything else, we must stop political parties spending money on special interest groups. Our(?) banking problem is bad loans to them and now it is arranged to buy houses for them. I feel sorry for poor people. We were in the depression. But it does no good for the country to keep making them just to keep lieing,cheating demos in office.
Educated Idiots
On October 2nd, 2008 TuxLady says:
I LOVE this topic because "Educated Idiots" (The Strange Case of the Two Dianes) is the first chapter of my book, "The Auduacity of Common Sense" available at www.audacityofcommonsense.com Read the first chapter on the site, FREE. You can also pick up my second book, "We ARE Sarah Palin" free.
Get Chapters 4 & 5 free as it deals with the events leading up to and those of The Great Depression. It is scarily similar to today's scenario.
Devon Young
Everyone should call 303.710.2856
On October 2nd, 2008 scolorado says:
Everyone should call 303.710.2856 to ask about this, since it is the phone number listed as the coordinator of "Educate the Idiots".
Obviously, they call minorities, "GEDs", and drop-outs, "idiots".
No big surprise to me that the coordinator is the AFL-CIO under Carolyn Siegel.
EDUCATED IDIOTS
On October 2nd, 2008 ONTIME says:
Are the Dems going to teach them how to be better thieves than the one's they already have in the congress or that marketed misfit they have for a candidate?
Voter Fraud
On October 2nd, 2008 NObama ever says:
A six pack of beer would be enought for the will full idiots who will never be educated! Since Obama thinks there idiots and morons isn't insulting them? Why are Obama and the dems doing this? Because in real polls Obama is down 6-10% Gallop and Rasmussen poll this way 40% Dems, 20% GOP, 20% Blacks and Muslim, 10% Independents! Zogby said Obama needs to give America a reason to vote for him other than Bad Bush and McCain is an extenion of Bush policies when McCain is opposite most of Bushs Ideas! Barry Obama has given no one any reason to vote for except his ego and lack of any credible experience, Zogby who has presidicted elections about 99% and with in .25% said get ready for Oboma to lose by the largest margin ever, because most people not accorn voters are not comfortable with Obama and have a lot of reservations about him, I trust Zogby not Gallop who over sample dems and alike 30%, so true numbers Obama is losing by 8-10% today! Don't allow the liberal media to dictate how you vote look of the head NBC saying Obama is the winner! Look at the debate tonight Palin will rip Biden into little pieces, I hope she asked about Biden comment of Rosevelt getting on TV in 1929 when the stock market crashed to to calm people down? Think if anyone else said that would be laughed out of campaign, a little liberal MEDIA BIAS! TV ROSEVELT 1929 hm Bidens is a 36 year Senate do nothing but mouch off the public political hack that should never talk again! Call your congress men today tell them to vote NO because it now is 850 billion with 150 billion of DNC pork including funding Obama ACCORN VOTER FRAUD GROUP, 443 pages of insane DNC voter fraud pork barrel spending, the first time out the Dems put 20% of the 700 million 14 billion dollars to SOROS backed MUSLIM AFILIATED OBAMS ACCORN voter fraud group, why because their internal polls has the dems losing the House and Senate by huge margins because the Pelosi and Reid are at 6% aproval, if the can't win they cheat! Obama in Nov, 25-28 of voters support him, he loses 49-50 states not even Hawaii because it will be over by 6.30- 7.00 pm Eastern standard time!!!
Colorado Democracy Alliance
On October 2nd, 2008 Colorado Democr... says:
The Colorado Democracy Alliance has issued the following statement:
Whoever provided the documents to Face The State has forged, altered and falsified critical material. The Colorado Democracy Alliance would never have used such offensive language to describe the work of labor unions or the progressive community.
Can CoDA provide proof?
On October 2nd, 2008 RadioBabe says:
I would like to know where I can get a copy of the CoDA statement, and since CoDA is alleging forgery can (and will) it produce the originals? Or does the secret society simply want media scrutiny to go away?
Andy Eppink
On October 2nd, 2008 Andy Eppink says:
Dems need the pervasive support of morons to win?? What a surprise!!
educate?
On October 2nd, 2008 JTWestside says:
If they were educated they would be Republicans.
Colorado Dems 'Educate the Idiots Campaign' Targets 'Minorites,'
On October 2nd, 2008 EastCoaster says:
Democrats should spend less time working on being "businesslike" in campaigns and spend MORE time being "businesslike" in allocating the hard-earned taxpayers' money in Washington.....
Recommended video: "Burning Down the House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RZVw3no2A4&feature=iv&annotation_id=even...
illegal?
On October 1st, 2008 RadioBabe says:
Is it legal for elected officials (and those campaigning) to coordinate with 527s?