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Colorado News Miner 146
Kiros, Bottoms and Marx craziness, bad election rules, Barney Ford, Peters visits Trump, and more.
by Ari Armstrong, Copyright © 2026
More on Kiros
Republican? Maybe Republicans ran someone sensible against Kiros? Nope. Here's a line from Christy Peterson's platform web page: "No to chem-trails, toxic weather modifications." Sheesh.
James on Kiros: Scott James riffs on my recent column about Melat Kiros. He says that Kiros trying to distinguish calls to end the state of Israel from antisemitism "is moral laundering with footnotes." He writes, "Asked about the Boulder firebombing, Kiros would not plainly call it antisemitic, saying she did not know what was in the perpetrator's heart. Colorado's political hall monitors can spot a microaggression from space, but when Jews are attacked, suddenly we need emotional forensics." He adds that Joe Oltmann's antisemitism "should embarrass every Republican with a pulse and a Sunday school memory." He adds, "You can criticize Netanyahu. You can criticize Israeli military decisions. You can criticize settlements, borders, aid, strategy, and every elected official in Jerusalem. But when your framework treats the existence of the world's only Jewish state as the core problem, do not act surprised when people hear antisemitism knocking at the door."
More Criticism: Jimmy Sengenberger says Kiros in her 9News interview was "justifying terrorism." The progressive Colorado Pols has out three pieces: "Disqualifying: Melat Kiros Rationalizes Killing Jews," "Melat Kiros Proved Us Right And Then Some," and "Fellow Progressive Candidates Finally Condemn Melat Kiros." John Fund: "If anything, Kiros is more radical than AOC." Phil Weiser criticized Kiros over her comments about the terrorist act in Boulder.
WSJ: The Journal correctly notes that Kiros is a self-described socialist, but then bizarrely includes Phil Weiser in the "socialist left." It offers no evidence for that, of course. There's hardly any difference between the views of Weiser and Bennet.
The Left's Boebert: Sun: "Republicans’ new strategy in Colorado: Tie every Democrat to Melat Kiros."
Primary Upates
Team Bottoms Claims Election Rigging: Because of course they do. Trent Leisy, "communications director" for Scott Bottoms, said Victor Marx pulling ahead in the primary (as of Wednesday evening) was sign of "election fraud." Bottoms supporter Joe Oltmann posted, "The elections are fraudulent. . . . The fraud is real, the elections are fake." Via Kyle Clark. These assholes will claim that any election that doesn't go their way is rigged.
Stupid Rules: Assuming his lead holds, the "reluctant exorcist" Victor Marx will be the general-election Republican candidate for Colorado governor with around . . . 5% of active voters in the primary (or around 15% of primary ballots cast). Our primary rules are stupid and wrong. As I've said, we need unified party-free primaries with the same ballot-access rules for all comers, and preferably with approval voting.
Bounced Ballots: 9News: "More than 1,000 unaffiliated voters already disqualified in Colorado's primary after returning both ballots."
Marx vs. Homelander: Metzger: "Who said it: Colorado governor candidate Victor Marx, or Homelander?" Of course any direct comparison between the two is unfair; Homelander was a mass murderer, while Marx's homicides, if any, can be explained by coercion, self-defense, or combat.
Quick Takes
Barney Ford's Declaration of Independence: History Colorado: "Sir, I have thought seriously and deliberately upon this matter, and have finally come to the conclusion that I am entitled to my liberty." 1848. Ford also is buried at Riverside Cemetery (see next).
Silas Soule's Grave: Riverside Cemetery, where one of Colorado's greatest heroes is buried (Soule), along with many other important historical figures, is in serious disrepair. Now Denver Water might help, Skyler McKinley reports. Offhand I wouldn't be opposed to the cemetery being acquired and managed by Denver Parks.
Fentanyl Ballot Measure: CCJRC is opposed. I agree with them.
Peters Visited Trump: And Trump lied his ass off about why Peters was sentenced to prison. It's sort of remarkable to me that this is how Polis chose to blow up his legacy.
Polis Fired Clemency Board Members: Jack Healy: Polis "fired two members of his clemency board after they spoke out against his decision to commute the prison sentence of the election denier Tina Peters."
Tax Funds for Conspiracy Mongering: Sean Biddle went to "Freedom Fest" (so-called!) so you didn't have to. "The Douglas County Board of Commissioners were willing to give Ganahl and Hunt $25,000 for the event," based partly on Hunt's declaration that the event was "nonpartisan." Ha! See also Erik Maulbetsch.
Illegal Powered Bikes: Jennifer Brown: "Douglas County restricts use of electric dirt bikes, off-road scooters after rash of crashes." Good. These are extremely dangerous for users and passers-by alike. Some will proclaim freedom here, but we all pay for public sidewalks and streets. If you want the freedom to ride a bike go to appropriate sites or grow up and follow the rules.
Funeral Abuses: Alex Tabarrok points out that heavy regulation of funeral businesses does not prevent abuses. It definitely reduces competition and increases prices.
Workplace Defense: Allison Sherry: "Mary Ann Moreno, then 72, had been working as a Circle K store clerk for 16 years when a man came into the store in October 2020 and was acting erratically. He got close to her behind the counter and had two knives, according to court records. She pushed him before he eventually stole some cigarettes, the records say. The next day, Circle K fired her, saying she instigated the scuffle. Moreno got an attorney and sued." And won.
House Printing? Michael Booth: "Azure’s 3D printers in Montbello can build a $70,000 home out of 100,000 recycled plastic bottles in just a couple of days." Also: Factory Housing.
1968 Brighton Flower Strike: Quentin Young has the history. Sometimes business owners really do impose policies bad for them and bad for workers, so union action can serve as an important corrective.
Gerrymandering Stalls: Krause: The state Supreme Court squashed proposals.
Foster Kids: Yes, foster parents should use a child's preferred name and pronouns and not physically abuse the child. (Spanking already is disallowed, as it should be universally.)
Gun Suits: Krause: "Lawsuit challenges Denver, state over gun and magazine bans." Also: "Lawsuit filed over rules aimed at Colorado gun dealer records."
ICE and Dougherty Tangle: Following a road-range incident involving shots fired, Boulder DA Michael Dougherty reasonably wanted to prosecute the individuals responsible. But ICE, after dramatically mischaracterizing the incident, moved to deport the men. See CPR.
Three Firefighters Died: A dreadful story. Photos from the procession.
What Happened to Parental Rights? Republicans are the pro-parent party unless they're not. Newsline: "Doctors at Children's Hospital Colorado cite federal threats as they refuse to offer [transgender] care to minors despite court order." To summarize my views: The federal government should not be involved, hospitals have a right to offer such care if minors and their parents consent, hospitals also have a right not to offer such care, and people have a right to sue for damages in various contexts. I also think parents should be deeply skeptical about the need for such interventions.
Alan Berg: Quentin Young remembers.
Trump vs. Jeffco Schools: Melanie Asmar has updates.
Christian School: Ann Schimke: "A controversial public education co-op that spearheaded a 'public Christian school' in southern Colorado last year [since closed] will lose a member in August, putting its existence in jeopardy."
Religious Enrichment? Schimke: The former leader of the "public Christian school," Quin Friberg, "is pitching a new venture that involves public funding for students who opt out of public schools: overseeing homeschool enrichment programs." He "asked the Pueblo County District 70 school board to consider contracting with a nonprofit he created last month called Keystone Education Services." Terrible idea. This hijacking of some enrichment programs by various religious-right figures has been a terrible for secular homeschoolers.