Unbelievable!! Do these people know no end to lunacy? I think it is time that we start requiring anyone running for an elected office to take a sanity test. This is getting beyond stupid.

It's one thing to have the kooks supporting people in our government. It is another to have the kooks working IN the government.

This is already beyond stupidity. Where were these complainers when Bush/Cheney authorized tapping phone lines, reading our emails, and blowing our national treasure chest building roads, hospitals, and schools for the Iraqis, while our own infrastructure went to the dogs?

These nutjobs are always on the wrong side of the tracks. They complained when Clinton / Gore won and, despite rightwing opposition to the WH budget plans, our economy was just fine. It must suck needing Beck, Lintball, and Palin to do your thinking for you.

Eris is right. We should require exams for candidates rather than the Republican suggestion to test voters. That would be a much better approach. After all, the rest of us are required to have education, experience, skills, good credit, and tests (including drug tests) to qualify for our jobs.

In thinking about the John Birch Society and early conspiracy theories about fluoridation of water, perhaps we should test the water in "red states" for lead. I don't know but something is causing these people to have no rule of reason.

Is there no end to the tea bagger and repug idiocy? Do they care that nothing they say makes ANY sense whatsoever? What a bunch of nut cases!

I would be in favor of a very tough Examination. It would start with what is actually in the Constitution. Some Supreme Court cases would be nice. Candidates running on their religion would actually have to know what is in the Bible. To be fair then environmental candidates would actually have to understand some science. They would also need to know that socialism is when the government owns the means of production. Communism is government by all people. What are the true virtues of Conservatism or Liberalism?

Mr. Maes should think about some interior decorating in his office. This would be a good start.

http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2010/03/03/tin-foil-hut/

Well said bellingham! how can a candidate hope to represent the population when they have no idea about what they're trying to represent. I think that all candidates should get a test, and their results be made public, so that voters actually know what they're voting for.

REALLY???!!! With all of the economic and social problems America is facing, this is the hot political topic of the day?? This is nothing more than old fashioned, grade school level name calling that has been somehow elevated to the level of national attention.

Sadly, most of the comments on this string have followed the horrible example that has been set by our illiustrious politicians and is nothing more pitiful, childish behavior. Is this is all we, as Americans, are worried about? Hopefully not.

There will never be a true recovery of job numbers, economic opportunity or rational thought in this country untill WE THE PEOPLE elect candidates of honesty and integrity that will uphold the Constitution, can stop fighting and actually remember that BOTH PARTIES can agree and compromise. That is what this country was built upon.

If you are sick of this type of behavior by our public employees, give them a pink slip this November and vote these bums out. Remember, they represent us. Anyone representing a corporation caught engaging in this type behavior would be fired on the spot and a politician is no different. They work for us. Do your research, check the history of the candidates and make an informed choice. STOP VOTING FOR CANDIDATES LIKE THESE!!! If not, All is lost.......

I'm beginning to wonder - and this is sort of off topic but does relate to an actual government working for the people - why do we even have a Senate? If the House is representative of the people, what the hell are the Senate? At this point, they have managed to bring legislation to a halt. I am just interested in what the heck they are there for? Anyone know?

Why can't they bring up a bill, discuss it, and then vote on the damned thing - up or down. Why does it have to watered down or amendments that have nothing to do with it added to it. Why all the shenanigans? We need to boot these posers out, especially McConnell, Boehner, Cantor and others of the do-nothing Senate.

"Pissed off and ready to go"

You got to be kidding right. Boy those across the aisle must really be running low on material today.

GASP! An International Illuminati UN One World Government Bicycle Plot to take over the world!

Somebody hsa stopped taking his meds it seems...or needs to be put on some. Oye..

Well it is a red bike after all. lol

Thinking about it now, I'm not sure I would want to be riding a red bike around -- it may make me a marked man.

A bit suspect to say the least but deflection usually comes into play at some point. I was waiting for them to attack the legalization of marijuana article. From their earlier posts though I think it might be safe to say they have migrated to friendlier sites. :^)

Dontcha' know it CA!

They can run but they can't hide - we all know who they are! lol

CA,

Most conservatives are secure in their beliefs and respect the people of Colorado, their right to pick their representatives and do what ever they want with bicycles. Really, what is there to argue? This has national importance?

It evidently does, especially if you are insecure and feel the need to de-legitimize and discredit the opposition by making nebulous associations and emotionally charged, juvenile characterizations instead of arguing the issues.

"It evidently does, especially if you are insecure and feel the need to de-legitimize and discredit the opposition by making nebulous associations and emotionally charged, juvenile characterizations instead of arguing the issues."

Isn't this EXACTLY what Dan Maes was doing? Sure, you can point at us and say that's our tactic, while ignoring when your side does it. It still doesn't make it right. Just something to chew on.

LA,

I'm not on Maes side and I'm not defending him. I have too much money invested in Giro carbon fiber helmets, Specialized carbon fibre cycling shoes, carbon fiber tire pumps, etc., to argue for that nut, among a lot of other reasons.

So CA wants to try to marginalize us by taking a cheap shot, call us ring wing neo-con tea baggers and challenge us for not defending this idiot? No big deal. Sad maybe, especially considering CA is bright and has the facility to argue the liberal view point more articulately than almost all others on this site, but again no big deal. And besides, the other libs lap it up. Check the votes for that piece of espistomological profit to mankind.

Is it EXACTLY what Dan Maes was doing?

Saying something like this "could threaten our personal freedoms" is asinine, but is it the same as childish name calling? They are both asinine.

If you take politics emotionally, it evidently is probably difficult make that difference, or distinction.

Thanks for your comment LA.

Bob- We just need a good laugh and the tea partiers are providing it:)

No, Bob, they are not the same. This is a "belief" that this man has. I really doubt it, but obviously a little voice told him this might make good policy and political points to be paranoid and try to spread more fear which is the usual policy of the Republicans. When that is done, do you not think we have a responsibility to say something about it? The MSM is flooded with so much crap, lies, insanity, and this has now been going on for almost 2 years, that to just stand by and not counter and point out and say what needs to be said is a dereliction of my duty as a citizen. These are people who want leadership positions in your party!!! These people are idiots, mindless, uneducated, uninformed idiots. I am sick of their crap. Chuck Grassley's pull the plug on Grandma. Deathers, Birthers, 10thers, idiots one and all, and if you are in those groups, you as well. The dumbing down of America is almost complete, and this Maes idiot is just the product of that Republican ideology of divide, fear monger, and do nothing for your country but feather your nest. Sharron Angle is an idiot. Sarah Palin is an idiot. Rush Limbaugh is a freaking idiot, and Glenn Beck is so far off the screen that I believe he needs to be institutionalized.

This is not what government is supposed to be about. But it is what you want it to be about. Every little nook and cranny of paranoia and fear-mongering, and looking with suspicion on everything and everyone.

I am 67 years old. I have every right and freedom that I have always had. I don't mind paying my taxes. They provide me with roads to drive on, schools for my kids and grandkids and greatgrandkids. I wish that they were run better, but at least we have schools. If you want to have your own sets of rules and regulations for how the country can run and you so hate this government, go freaking secede, all of you go live in Texas or somewhere and let us make what's left of the country into the best it can be, instead of you freaking idiots. You all want you very own special taxes, and your very own special rules, and your corporate masters, despite the fact they do nothing for you. You all want whatever it is you have, and you don't care what you take from others to get it. If you had any brains at all you would know that statistically there is very little middle class left, that the gap between uber rich and poor is constantly widening, and yet you pander to these people who can never get enough or have enough. You want a government not of the people, but of your own little pea-brained ideas on how things should be for you. You care nothing for others, you will not stand up for integrity and truth. Both sides are political, but I can tell you also that one side is a lie-swilling spewing machine that is out of control and if we do not stop every one of those lies, then they become truth. The Republicans are a bunch of idiots. I used to know some I would call my friends, because they were tempered and moderate. I don't even recognize Repubs as a party, just the cult of Beck, Limbaugh, Palin, McConnell, Boehner, Louis Gohmert (he's a real freaking idiot). How can you allow these people to express their ideas and adopt them as your own. Where is your character?

I will not let one lie of idiocy go through without mocking it, slapping it down. I am sick of it!

"Pissed off and ready to go". Great job, Anthony Weiner!

Maritza / Cathy,

Latest studies reveal that 20% of Americans identify themselves as liberals. If you want to call anyone, or everyone else Beck booger heads, please feel free to amuse yourselves.

Hey Bob, when I was in school, only about 10% or less of students consistently got A's. I was always in the top 1% personally, but I digress. Maybe those people were all stupid. Maybe I'm stupid. However, as most people know, those who score well in the classroom usually represent the best and brightest. Just as those who perform well in athletics often go on to greatness, so does academics set the bar for future achievement.

You say "studies", when you should have said "polls" (a poll is NOT a study). Hate to say this, but you're definitely no A student.

Regardless, if most people identify themselves as conservative, that isn't saying much. Most of the people I went to school with are C students. Shall we start trusting the C students to run everything? What did the C students do in school that was so outstanding?

Bicycles were actually born in Kenya.

You know this is all Obama's fault. This darn Kenyan's!

You know this is ALL Obama's fault. These darn Kenyan's and their communist bicycles!

[gross sarcasm]I won't be satisfied until I see Obama's afterbirth[/gross sarcasm]

Cobra Commander...LOL! Awesome!

LOL any GI Joe reference gets my Comment of the Day :)

Rupert Murdoch owns Fox News.
Rupert Murdoch is Australian
Australians have national healthcare
National healthcare is Socialist
Therefore . . . Fox News is a Socialist propaganda tool!!

@JK:

Sounds like a Glenn Beck train of thought to me. xD

Teabagggers republicans and bush apologists, we know you're reading this - this would be a great time to jump in and agree that this stupid, and yet another fine example of your brand of inflammatory BS!!!

But then as always, your silence on certain topics speaks volumes more than what y'all could possible say anyway...

Maybe we could actually learn something from somebody else too.

Clarke, Have you lost your mind? There is no room for us to learn anything from anyone else around the globe! You know that even when we are wrong, we are right!! Please remember we are Americans and all we say and do will always be the right way ....................And remember, if you disagree with this theory of "we are always the best and always right about everything" then you can never be a true patriotic american!!!!! Just ask any lunatic right winger.

Yeah I know. Someone needs to tell those guys to stop cooking in aluminum.

You trying to climb on that nut wagon Rick.

PARANOIA

The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives is not a UN plot! It is a voluntary program that offers advice on ways that local governments can save money and green spaces. The program isn't run by some UN High Priestess hell bent on forcing her will upon the cowering and unsuspecting masses, it is a gathering of mayors and local officials from around the world who offer advice and discuss local problems. At the end of the day they come up with some voluntary initiatives and a list of practical solutions to common problems. RUN FOR THE HILLS EVERYBODY!!!

Maybe the Mayor of Denver should have a discussion with his counterpart in oh........Mexico City or Beijing about air pollution. Maybe the Mayor of San Francisco should counsel the Mayor of Tijuana about single-use plastic bags.

Why is that funny? Maybe they should. Why can't the mayors of large cities have a convention and share ideas on municipal governance for the benefit of all? You righties are so terrified of ideas it is becoming startlingly absurd at this point.

That's why I shave every day. Fidal Castro has a beard and I don't want to be assocated with a commie.

Radagast, I agree completely.

U.N. law? Since when does the U.N. have laws? Treaty? Did Denver sign a treaty with the U.N.?
The U.N. can't dictate policy to a US city. Get over it. Maes is a loon. Period. End of story. Take off your foil hat. The helicopters are not looking for you.

Do you really think that the mayor is doing this unilaterally? Of course the city council voted on it. And this program is an INITIATIVE. It is not a law, but a voluntary set of suggestions put together by municipal representatives from around the world. It's like if all the mayors of all the cities had a convention and came back with some pamphlets on how to promote the use of downtown districts. It's just advice and if the mayor wants to rent bicycles because he heard about it at the UN, then so be it.

Leave Joe and the teabagger republicans alone Steve. They like to be scared it's what keeps them going day in and day out, it's what drives them that and lies.

That is what the Denver Mayor (Hickenlooper) and the City Council did. Someone should ask Maes if he has any facts about any involvement by any UN anything. He is just trying to get some media attention since Tancredo issued an ultimatum that neither Maes or McInnis could beat Hickenlooper so drop out or he would run as 3rd party.

Mayors can't sign treaties period. Where are you getting that from? Just because an idea comes from another country or the UN doesn't mean a mayor or governor or even the president can't or shouldn't take it up. A good idea is a good idea regardless of where it comes from.

This is just another example of Tea Party paranoia about world government, the UN, and anything that sounds "green". They'll be claiming there's a plan to require people to ride bikes next. When you don't need any evidence or proof, you can just making any paranoid claim you want.

And by the way, please don't post here, Joe, until you can prove you've stopped beating your wife.

"When has the UN ever sided or done anything to promote the well being of the United States"

Dude, the UN was virtually set up by the US when they became the lone superpower of the world post WWII. It has been an instrument for US imperialism ever since - plus the security council with the majority of the votes resting with the US has veto power over the institution. You should of learned too that the UN is powerless when the US wants to be completely LAWLESS(as was the case with the illegal war in Iraq) - i.e. when it doesn't even want to follow the rules it setup for the rest of the world.

Nothing in your argument changes my opinion. No one is forcing anyone to provide bicycles. The bicycles can be rented. Anyone can be a source of inspiration for ideas as far as I am concerned. Didn't Hitler have something to do with the VW Bug being developed.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler gave the order to Ferdinand Porsche to develop a Volkswagen (literally, "people's car" in German, pronounced [ˈfɔlksvaːɡən]). The epithet Volks- literally, "people's-" was also applied to other Nazi sponsored consumer goods such as Volksradio. Hitler required a basic vehicle capable of transporting two adults and three children at 100 km/h (62 mph). The "People's Car" would be available to citizens of the Third Reich through a savings scheme, or Sparkarte (savings booklet),^[7] at 990 Reichsmark, about the price of a small motorcycle (an average income being around 32RM a week).^[8]

Surprisingly, he wasn't thrown out of the party as a communist.

Try Korea buddy. Learn to read some history before you spout your paranoid rantings.

its hard for anyone even maybe fox to make this look good when someone says a bicicyle program involving only 400 of them threatens our social freedoms. I am not even sure Breitbart could make this look good.

Treaty may have been a poor term to use. Committment, agreement, compliance.

I'm not paranoid about anything green, in fact I'm a big supporter of lowering our dependence on fossil fuels.

Florida Dem....you by far are the most uninformed and bigoted person I've seen post in quite awhile. What do you know about the Tea Party? What Tea Party "initiative" states that it is against ecology, lowering America's dependence on fossil fuels or promoting green activities? Does a well thought out opinion that differs from yours bother you that much that you have to resort to accusing anyone that doesn't agree with you of being a wife beater?

That's abusive and maybe you should discontinue posting here until you understand a little about Newsvine ettiquette.

As far as my post being ill informed....before I commented I spent the time to go to the ICLEI website and do my research.

Part of Agenda 21:

(h) Further development of international environmental law, in particular conventions and guidelines, promotion of its implementation, and coordinating functions arising from an increasing number of international legal agreements, inter alia, the functioning of the secretariats of the Conventions, taking into account the need for the most efficient use of resources, including possible co-location of secretariats established in the future;

http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/res_agenda21_00.shtml

Using the framework of some of the UN ideas to develop local programs is reasonable. But I am against any UN say in the creation of United States laws. Why? Because I didn't have the opportunity to elect those that serve in the UN offices, they do not represent the citizens of the US and have no motivation to act in those voting citizens best interests.

I was under the impression from the Declaration of Independence that is what this country was founded on.

Where iis there anything in there about money? Where is there anything about the U.N. dictating anything? The U.N. can't force Denver to do anything.

Actually it sounds like good advice to me. What are you scared of?

Where in there does it say an international organization will dictate policy to individual cities in the US? It doesn't. What it is is a wishy-washy woohoo we're awesome way of saying, "we think people should treat each other better." It's a nice thought, but it's the UN version of a Coke commercial. It depends on everyone else to do something. Hickenlooper did. He put in the B-share program, because he thought it was a good idea. He was not forced to and the UN did not tell him how to do it. The city council voted on it and agreed with Hickenlooper that it was a good idea.

There is no international plot here.

That sounds like some forward thinking community planning and some advice we could all benefit from. If more people read those words and took them to heart instead of freaking out about where the advice is coming from, the world would be a better place.

Well, shoot, no one said we were committing to "engage in a continuous and constructive dialogue, inspired by the need to achieve a more efficient and equitable world economy". The only continuous and constructive dialogue I have is with the voices inside my head!!!

"This is all ... disguised but will be exposed" is conspiracy-nut talk for "I see evil where no one else does, and I will be vindicated!" Of course the reason no one else sees the evil is that there just isn't any there - this UN "partnership" for "continuous and constructive dialog" is just a way of exchanging ideas.

I suppose the TP (Tea Party, also Toilet Paper) nuts are terrified of an "exchange of ideas"; after all, you can't play in a game of marbles if you've lost all yours.

Is it something State Governments should be into? I thoughts treaties were Federal. The devil is in the details. I didn't think the government could force me to buy health insurance because they thought I should. How long before the good intensions here morph into requirements equivalemnt to treaties?

A) International and regional cooperation and coordination

• Promoting an international trading system that takes account of the needs of developing countries

2.10. Accordingly, the international community should:

(a) Halt and reverse protectionism in order to bring about further liberalization and expansion of world trade, to the benefit of all countries, in particular the developing countries;

(b) Provide for an equitable, secure, non-discriminatory and predictable international trading system;

(c) Facilitate, in a timely way, the integration of all countries into the world economy and the international trading system;

(d) Ensure that environment and trade policies are mutually supportive, with a view to achieving sustainable development;

(e) Strengthen the international trade policies system through an early, balanced, comprehensive and successful outcome of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations.

Learn to read.

This partnership commits all States to engage in a continuous and constructive dialogue

You cannot have a dialog if the participants do not commit. There is no demands to meet obligations. Constructive dialog might mean discussing that this initiative doesn't work because tea partiers keep hitting cyclists on red bikes.

More UN paranoia from the fringes of American society. We've become dumber and dumber over my lifetime. Conspiracy theories flying all over the place. Nevermind that conspiricies on the magnitude of this stuff requires thousands of people being able to keep their mouths shut (not likely). Hell, pretty soon the loons on the right are going to start saying we didn't land a man on the moon, the holocaust didn't happen, fluoride's a commie plot to render our virile males sterile (oh yeah, they've already said that - sorry) and the earth is actually flat and it's just a plot by islamofacistliberalsocialistcommienazis to enslave us all.

I will not vote for people who just pander to the lowest IQ's out there. I fear for my country, I really do. China's graduating 16 engineers to every 1 of ours. Our allies think we're nuts. We've cut taxes to the point that people think they can have something for nothing (remember when the right used to believe that there's no such thing as a free lunch?). We're going through the same things that brought down Rome. Debt, ignorance, reliance on mercenaries, uh excuse me "contractors", xenophopia. Welcome to the new dark ages.

Oh Lord, please get me far, far from the madding crowd

We're going through the same things that brought down Rome. Debt, ignorance, reliance on mercenaries, uh excuse me "contractors", xenophopia.

Interesting -Rome was the central power which controlled much of the world. It fell when the controlling "mercinary military" power was broken. In your philosophy,aren't you thinking the US is more like Rome. Apparently xenophobia was justified (like paranoia if they really are out to get you.) The barbarians in the West and the Muslims in the East brought down Rome.

In your analogy, who is Rome and the empire?

Well he should be for the bike initiative then, instead of $44K in mileage expenses he can bike the campaign trail.

Oh, by the way, the B-Bicycle program in Denver was created without costing a single taxpayer dollar.

How you figure? Isn't this taxpayer money? A lot of it?

Program Funding

Funding for the EECBG Program under the Recovery Act totals $3.2 billion. Of this amount, approximately $2.7 billion will be awarded through formula grants. In addition, approximately $454 million will be allocated through competitive grants, which will be awarded through a separate, future Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). A request for information (RFI) has been released (September 14, 2009) for feedback from EECBG stakeholders on this planned FOA. The RFI closes on September 28, 2009. The remaining funds will be used to provide a suite of technical assistance tools to state, local, and tribal grantees.

400 bicicyles...must add billions to our national deficit, this is all reckless spending(sarcasm). Maybe you think Obama's policies is reckless spending, but 400 bicycles, really?