Colorado could be at epicenter of battle for Senate control

Colorado’s extremely tight Senate race—at this point too close to call -- could play a crucial role in control of the Senate and the future direction of both political parties.
Most polls show incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Udall just slightly behind his Republican challenger, Rep. Cory Gardner.
"It's hugely important nationally," according to Colorado political analyst Eric Sondermann. "The number one theme of election night is going to be the battle for control of the U.S. Senate. Colorado is at the epicenter of that battle."
Udall easily won election to the Senate the same year Barack Obama accepted his party's nomination for president in a triumphant outdoor ceremony in Denver. Things have definitely changed.
"The president, obviously his popularity and approval ratings are in the tank," Sondermann said. “It is very tough being a Democrat in a swing state, particularly running for federal office."
Gardner has relentlessly worked to tie Udall to the president. At a recent campaign event he repeated his mantra, "I don't know if you've heard this or not, but Mark Udall has voted with the president 99 percent of the time."
For his part, Udall has continually hammered Gardner about reproductive issues for women, pointing out that Gardner has supported "personhood" amendments to the state constitution in two previous elections.
Those measures went down to defeat and Gardner said he does not support a similar amendment on the ballot this year.
"Reproductive freedom is a big deal for millions of Coloradians," Udall insisted. "If Congressman Gardner hadn't built his political career on trying to limit those freedoms, we probably would be having some other conversations."
However, focusing on this issue may not have worked out as well as Udall had hoped. The Denver Post cited it as one reason it chose to endorse Gardner, saying, "Udall is trying to frighten voters rather than inspire them with a hopeful vision. His obnoxious one-issue campaign is an insult to those he seeks to convince."
Sondermann asked if the strategy had backfired. "It doesn't seem to be having quite the punch and quite the impact that it's had for Democrats in past cycles,” he said. “I think it's left voters saying, 'What else do you have?'"
Colorado has seen a revolving door of big political names trying to tip the balance in favor of their party's candidate. Mitt Romney, Chris Christie and Jeb Bush for Gardner; Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Michele (though not Barack) Obama for Udall.
But the race's importance transcends this election. Both parties are watching Colorado to figure out which strategies will work and which won't in the 2016 presidential race.
Colorado's demographics are the reason: like the nation as a whole, the state is almost evenly divided between registered Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters with a growing Hispanic population.
Making things even more interesting, for the first time this year every registered voter has been sent a ballot in the mail. So far, official voter turnout numbers show that Republicans are voting in much larger numbers than either their Democratic or unaffiliated counterparts.

Some ObamaCare patients with high deductibles turning to community care centers

When ObamaCare patients learn their deductible is so high they’re unlikely to get any reimbursement, they often wind up in places like the Denton, Texas Community Care Center.
"There are quite a few, and I saw another one today, where their deductibles are so elevated that they can't afford them," said Dr. Flippo Masciarelli, chief physician at the center, which was designed to treat indigent patients.
Robert Laszewski of Health Policy and Strategy Associates noted, "You're going to the doctor, you're paying (a) premium, and because of this really high deductible, you're not getting any benefits."
The administration pushed insurance companies to keep premiums low, but that also created high deductibles, about $5,000 per person for the least expensive plan, as well as narrow networks of providers.
But most people buy based only on premiums.
"They don't even look at what their deductible is going to be," said Dan Mendelson, CEO of Avalere Health. "They don't look at the cost of the medications that they're on. And they don't look at the...network that they have."
Masciarelli said,"one of the ladies we saw said she called eight primary care offices before she found us..." The rest would not treat people on her plan. 
Rosemary Gibson of the Hastings Center and author of "The Battle over Health Care,” said many people find themselves in the same predicament. "People are scrambling to find a doctor who will see them, who will accept their insurance, who's in their network.  And if they can't, where they end up going is the safety net, which includes community health centers."
If the doctor these patients find orders additional tests or treatment, even those with ObamaCare are sometimes forced to go without.
Masciarelli said patients are honest about their problems. "They'll say you can't believe what this would cost me. I can't afford that. And they're trying to scrape together some money to get it done sometimes or, frankly, occasionally they'll say I'll just wait and see if things get worse."
That, he said, goes against the whole idea of preventive care, supposedly one of the advantages of ObamaCare, leaving many patients wondering what they're getting from the plan.
Health economist John Goodman said, "They go to community health centers because it's free or almost free and or very low charges. And that's why they're doing it. So they were coaxed to go into the ObamaCare system, they're paying premiums over there. And now they're asking what did I get for my premium? I'm having to go outside the system to get health care."
Masciarelli agreed. "We do get asked that question at times, yes, wondering you know, I have this product. I can't even use it. " 
Millions signed up after the president said premiums would be less than their monthly cell phone bill. But now, even those the law was most designed to help still must pay for their own care.
That may explain why the health care act remains unpopular.The latest Fox News Poll from October 25-27 found that by a 46-26 percent margin, more voters think ObamaCare “went too far” than “didn’t go far enough.”
It also is why so many Republicans have mentioned it in their campaign ads, with one source saying it was the leading topic in mid-October, with Republicans running 12,000 ads on health care.

Wisconsin mail carrier probed after allegedly dumping GOP political mailers

M.D. Kittle –  Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night may keep postal carriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. But partisan politics, now that may be another matter altogether.
An investigation has been launched into a Neenah, Wisconsin postal carrier who allegedly dumped into a recycling bin hundreds of political advertisement mailers from the campaign of Mike Rorhkaste, Republican candidate for Wisconsin’s 55th Assembly District, Rorhkaste tells Wisconsin Reporter.
Neenah Postmaster Brian Smoot, who was alerted to the incident on Thursday, confirmed that there is an ongoing investigation into the matter, and referred Wisconsin Reporter to the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service. OIG representatives there did not return several phone calls seeking comment Sunday.
“I am not allowed to comment because it is an active investigation,” Smoot said of accusations that the unidentified mail carrier mishandled the political literature.

Group: Terminally ill woman follows through on decision to end her life, dies in Oregon

A terminally ill woman who had decided to end her life after being told her illness would be long and painful has died, advocacy organization Compassion & Choices said Sunday.
Brittany Maynard, 29, who moved to Oregon where the “Death with Dignity Act” allows people to choose to die using medication, was diagnosed with a progressive brain tumor called glioblastoma multiforme. The average life expectancy is 14 months.
Compassion & Choices said in a statement that Maynard took lethal drugs prescribed by a doctor on Saturday and was surrounded by her family. 
"She died as she intended - peacefully in her bedroom, in the arms of her loved ones," the statement said. 
The group said the Maynard family has asked for privacy. The family did not release a separate statement confirming the death. 
Her story went viral after she posted a video on her website, The Brittany Maynard Fund, explaining her decision to end her life rather than try to fight the disease.
“If all my dreams came true, I would somehow survive this,” she said in a video. “But I likely won’t.”
Maynard chose Nov. 1 to die, but later said she would decided to postpone the day, saying she still shared enough joy and laughter with her family and friends that “it doesn’t seem like the right time right now, but it will come because I feel myself getting sicker; it’s happening each week.”
Maynard’s last days were spent completing a bucket list that included a trip to the Grand Canyon, and surrounding herself with her family.
The California native was diagnosed with a progressive brain tumor shortly after her wedding last year.
In a video, Maynard said the worst thing that could happen to her --- the most terrifying aspect – would be to wait too long and her autonomy be taken away by the disease.
In the video, Maynard said she takes walks with her family and husband, which “give her the greatest feelings of health I have these days” and that her condition continues to worsen every day.
About a week before she filmed the video, Maynard had her most terrifying set of seizures, two in a day, which is unusual.
“I remember looking at my husband’s face and thinking ‘I know this is my husband but I can’t say his name,’ and ended up going to the hospital for that one.”
Dan, her husband, said they were taking things one day at a time.
“You take away all the material stuff, all the nonsense we seem to latch on to as a society and you realize that those moments are really what matter,” he said.
Maynard hopes that after her death, her husband can be happy and have a family.
Maynard said she has gained 25 pounds in the past three months because of her prescription medications and that she finds it hard to look at herself in photos or the mirror because her body has become so unrecognizable.
Since Maynard’s story went viral, she has been working to raise awareness of end-of-life rights by working with Compassion & Choices, and The Brittany Maynard Fund. She has also been traveling and spending time with her family.
“Sadly, it is impossible to forget my cancer. Severe headaches and neck pain are never far away, and unfortunately the next morning I had my worst seizure thus far. My speech was paralyzed for quite a while after I regained consciousness, and the feeling of fatigue continued for the rest of the day,” Maynard said on her website.
“The seizure was a harsh reminder that my symptoms continue to worsen as the tumor runs its course. However, I find meaning and take pride that the Compassion & Choices movement is accelerating rapidly, thanks to supporters like you,” Maynard said.
Maynard had said she planned to die in her bedroom at home surrounded by her husband, mother, step-father and best friend.

World Trade Center reopens for business 13 years after 9/11 devastation

Thirteen years after the 9/11 terrorist attack, World Trade Center is opening for business again.
Conde Nast will start moving Monday into One World Trade Center, a 104-story, $3.9 billion skyscraper that dominates the Manhattan skyline.
It's the centerpiece of the 16-acre site where the decimated twin towers once stood and where more than 2,700 people died on Sept. 11, 2001, buried under smoking mounds of fiery debris.
"The New York City skyline is whole again, as One World Trade Center takes its place in Lower Manhattan," said Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that owns both the building and the World Trade Center site.
He said One World Trade Center "sets new standards of design, construction, prestige and sustainability; the opening of this iconic building is a major milestone in the transformation of Lower Manhattan into a thriving 24/7 neighborhood."
With the construction fences gone, America’s tallest building is considered by Conde Nast CEP Chuck Townsend as the, “most secure office building in America.”
About 3,000 employees will join the 170 expected to move in Monday in 2015. The publishing giants will take over five floors of the building.
The building is 60 percent leased, with another 80,000 square feet going to the advertising firm Kids Creative, the stadium operator Legends Hospitality, the BMB Group investment adviser, and Servcorp, a provider of executive offices.
The tower overlooks the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Its aim is to honor those who died in the terrorist attacks.
For years, the grisly pit where workers found mostly body parts was dubbed the "ground zero" of the aerial terror attack.
At night, the incandescent steel-and-glass behemoth can be seen from vessels in New York Harbor approaching Manhattan.
Soon, an observation deck will be open to the public.
The eight-year construction of the 1,776-foot high skyscraper came after years of political, financial and legal infighting that threatened to derail the project.
The bickering slowly died down as two other towers started going up on the southeast end of the site: the now completed 4 World Trade Center whose anchor tenant is the Port Authority, and 3 World Trade Center that's slowly rising.

Ballot issues on abortion, pot, guns have potential to boost Election Day turnout

Nearly 150 ballot measures across the country -- including ones on abortion, guns and marijuana -- will be voted on Tuesday, key issues that have the potential to influence voter turnout in state and national races.
Voters in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia will vote on measures that would allow recreational use of marijuana for adults.
The measures in Oregon and Alaska would allow for the retail sale of pot to anyone old enough to drink. The measure in the District of Columbia would make it legal to grow and possess marijuana, but not sell it.
And in Florida, residents will decide whether to make their state the 24th to allow marijuana use for medical reasons.
The measure has divided the rivals in Florida's closely contested gubernatorial race between Republican incumbent Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, who supports the proposal.
The debate in Florida usually generates talk of young people potentially flooding the polls. But seniors, who flock to the state to retire, are the most reliable voters and could be key to the outcome of the measure.
A total of 147 ballot measures will go before voters on Election Day, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Three measures related directly or indirectly to abortion have sparked sharp debate in several states.
In Colorado, a "personhood" amendment would add fetuses to those protected by the state's criminal and wrongful death act. Opponents say it could lead to a ban on abortions. Supporters say it's intended to strengthen protections for pregnant women.
Colorado Sen. Mark Udall  is relying on women voters to help him win re-election in his close race with Republican challenger GOP Rep. Cory Gardner.
Similar measures are on the ballot in North Dakota and Tennessee.
In Massachusetts, voters will decide on a ballot measure to repeal a 2011 law authorizing development of a slots parlor and up to three resort casinos. The state has none now.
Washington voters will be faced with two competing gun-related measures.
One seeks background checks for all gun sales and transfers, including private transactions. The other would prevent any such expansion covering purchases from private sellers.
Six states require universal background checks for all sales and transfers of firearms. Washington's law, like the federal law, requires checks for sales or transfers by licensed dealers but not for purchases from private sellers.
Colorado and Oregon have measures that would require labeling of certain genetically modified foods. Each proposal would apply to raw and packaged foods produced entirely or partially by genetic engineering, but would not apply to food served in restaurants.
Midterm elections typically have a lower turnout than election years with a presidential race. And voter enthusiasm is often lower for the party that occupies the White House.
A recent study by Tufts University found turnout is higher in states with a referendum, compared to states without them and that the situation is particularly more prevalent in midterm elections. The study also found that the increased turnout can be attributed to “campaigns that use a ballot measure to mobilize voters.”
However, media coverage of the issue also appears necessary to increase the turnout, according to the study.
In Florida and elsewhere across the country, a greater percentage of seniors vote than any other age group, and their share of the total electorate is even more pronounced in years without a presidential contest.
President Obama has tried in the closing weeks of the midterms to appeal to African-American voters, who typically cast ballots for Democratic candidates, to get out and vote.
The African-American turnout will be vital to Democrats’ hopes in states such as Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana and North Carolina that will help determine control of the Senate.

Puppet Cartoon

Orman's Republican 'clown' comment in Kansas offends Dole, Sen. Roberts

Kansas Independent Senate candidate Greg Orman’s suggesting on Friday that top Republicans barnstorming the state for GOP incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts is nothing more than a “Washington Establishment clown car” got a sharp response from former Kansas GOP Sen. Bob Dole.
“I don't think I've ever been called a ‘clown’ before. I'm disappointed by Mr. Orman's statement," said the 91-year-old Dole, who was also the GOP presidential nominee in 1996 and served 35 years in Congress.
Orman, in an unexpected, too-close-to-call race with Roberts, made the remark at a campaign stop.
"Mr. Orman’s personal attacks and disdain for Senator Dole and other Republican leaders have no place in this campaign,” Roberts said. “If he wants to attack me, that’s fine because I’m used to being attacked by liberals. But Mr. Orman owes Senator Dole an apology.”
He also told Fox News on Saturday the comment was a “cheap shot” and proves how out of touch the Orman campaign is because nobody running for public office would ever criticize Dole.
“It’s unfortunate,” Roberts said.
The Orman campaign told the Kansas City Star that the candidate did not intend to slight Dole or anyone else at the rally.
Orman has based his campaign on his disdain for both major political parties.
But Democrats and Republicans have something the Kansas City businessman could really use right now: an established get out the vote operation.
In most elections, making sure that friendly voters cast their ballots is more important for a candidate in a race's final days than wooing new supporters.
Roberts, who is seeking a fourth term, has several thousand GOP campaign workers and volunteers armed with the latest voter information who are making sure his likely supporters vote in person or by mail, in addition to Dole and other Republican heavy weights helping him on the campaign tour.  
This week, the National Republican Senatorial Committee dispatched a top operative to help oversee his phone bank, door-knocking and transportation efforts.
Orman, 45, hopes that a quickly assembled turnout effort using new voter data techniques and about 800 volunteers will make up for his lack of a party apparatus.
Orman, whose campaign surged in September when the Democratic challenger dropped out of the race, is trying to appeal to voters disgusted with partisan gridlock in Washington. He is especially targeting registered independents, who make up 30 percent of Kansas' electorate, along with any Republicans tired of Roberts, 78, after his four decades in Washington. Forty-two percent of GOP voters supported Roberts' opponent, a Tea Party advocate, in the primary.