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Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 187

Bad Instincts

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 187: Bad Instincts

America’s First Openly Gay Governor

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“Colorado entered a new era of Democratic political dominance Tuesday as Jared Polis was sworn in as the state’s 43rd governor, promising to make the state’s booming economy fairer and health care more affordable,” the Denver Post reports.

“Polis’ longtime partner, Marlon Reis, and their two children stood with him for the ceremony on the west steps of the state Capitol. He took the oath at precisely noon, his left hand on a siddur, a Jewish prayer book.”

“In his first speech as governor, Polis celebrated the diversity of the state and recognized the historic moment: Polis is the first openly gay governor elected to lead a state. He also is Colorado’s first Jewish governor.”

Polis Trolls Republicans on Debt Limit Bill

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Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) “introduced his personal debt limit wish list on Thursday, poking fun at moves by House Republicans who, not in jest, may attempt to tie an increase in the debt ceiling to a host of GOP policy proposals,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“It would tie a $1.5 trillion debt limit increase to such demands as immediate enactment of any bill he sponsors without so much as a word of debate and a shifting of the House’s working hours to between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. ‘because Representative Jared Polis is an evening person and does his best work at night.’ The proposal also would also require all Republicans to drop their efforts to repeal the 2010 health-care law and instead ‘personally endorse the law’ by signing their names to it in the U.S. code.”

“And it would impose silence on conservative Rep. Steve King (R-IA) on topics ranging from same-sex marriage to cantaloupes.”

Bill Seeks to Block Steve King from Legislating

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Rep. Steve King (R-IA) “proposed a bill this week that would block the courts from hearing cases that could legalize same-sex marriage, so Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) has proposed a (satirical) bill to block King from legislating,” the Huffington Post reports.

“Polis’ office issued a press release on Friday announcing the Restrain Steve King from Legislating Act, playing off King’s Restrain the Judges on Marriage Act. Polis’ fake bill would prevent King from ‘abusing taxpayer dollars by substituting the judgments of the nation’s duly serving judicial branch of government with his own beliefs.'”

About Political Wire

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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