Democrat Unity Crumbles Over Fracking – Colorado Observer, Valerie Richardson, 3-13-14

A host of ballot initiatives that limit oil and gas extraction through hydraulic fracking are moving through

Rep. Jared Polis

Colorado’s title setting process. Some have the possibility of severely limiting gas and oil exploration and production in the state, and some of the initiative will do immense mischief to local government governance.

It is ironic that Jared Polis, now a congressman, is one of the backers of these initiatives, which may well divide the Democratic Party in a tough election year. Polis, due to his gay rights agenda and personal ambition, was one of the founders and financers of the original Democratic Party takeover of Colorado politics.

Quotations from the Observer:

“We spend all this time talking about the terrible divisions in the Republican Party between the Tea Party and the [establishment]—well, that’s exactly what you’re watching here with the Democrats,” said Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli.

At one end is Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, who famously drank fracking fluid to show his support for the fossil-fuel industry. At the opposite end is Democratic Rep. Jared Polis, who is reportedly the secret moneybags behind the anti-fracking measures aimed at the November ballot, according to Fox31’s Eli Stokols.

Support from the multi-millionaire Polis “would really make those initiatives very, very viable,” said Ciruli.
“If you’ve got Polis funding them, you’re in a whole different situation, because he is a very high-profile Democratic officeholder,” said Ciruli. “It definitely is a huge problem. It both fractures the base and could clearly damage certainly the governor’s race, because he [Hickenlooper] is not eager to alienate some environmentalists, and this puts in high relief that he’s not on their bandwagon, that he’s supporting gas and oil.”

See Colorado Observer: Democrat unity crumbles over fracking