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| Mitch Morrissey |
Morrissey was the Denver DA from 2004 until 2017 and organized United Data Connect to use DNA techniques to assist local police solve cold cases. The firm has had several major successes, including recently solving of an even older case – a 1963 murder in Jefferson County.
See 9News story: DNA from Vanilla Coke can ties Nebraska man to Cherry Hills Village cold case
After a month-long fight, Colorado’s leading news voice is out of the Presbyterian/St. Luke’s ICU and improving. He’s been KOA’s top breaking news voice for more than 40 ears. Go Jerry!
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| Jerry Bell | Photo via Vicky Collins Facebook post |
The Democratic Party, after more than a decade of political dominance, is beginning to unravel. The party’s far-left social justice and environmental advocates are challenging the elected center-left establishment. Joe Salazar, an anti-fracking activist, has announced a possible challenge to incumbent U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, who’s up for reelection in 2022. Salazar lost a close race for state attorney general in 2018. Tay Anderson, Denver Public School’s social justice promoter, has hinted he may challenge Congressperson Diane DeGette, fresh from her lauded impeachment performance.
While the Republican Party has struggled to find a center among its many factions – Tea Party, anti-abortion, pro guns, etc. – that could appeal to a majority of Coloradans, Democrats promoted their centrists – John Hickenlooper, Michael Bennet and Jason Crow – into their top spots for competitive seats of governor, senate and Sixth Congressional. But as the state has drifted more Democratic and the party to the left, the discipline is breaking down.
So now both parties, Republicans with the “Big Lie” Boebert faction and Democrats Salazar-Anderson activists are headed for a wild 2022.
Former President Trump had major conflicts with several of his cabinet members and senior staff. There were six people in four years as National Security Advisors. General Flynn had the shortest term in history (24 days) and will no doubt be one of the most famous (or infamous). Two were short-term acting and three survived at least a year: H.R. McMaster, John Bolton and Robert O’Brien, who handled the transition.
Among the seven people who held the title of Defense Secretary, only two had any longevity and were confirmed by the Senate – General Jim Mattis, Trump’s first, and Mark Esper, almost his final (fired shortly after the November election). Both had strained relationships that deteriorated after leaving office.
The national security jobs of Defense Secretary and National Security Adviser had to deal with both the President’s management style, for example, not caring for traditional briefings and communicating by tweets, but also major shifts in previous policy. Mattis’ final disagreement was about Syria. Esper’s relationship became strained as he resisted using the military for the law and order aspects of Trump’s re-election campaign.
Trump also had difficulty getting comfortable with a chief of staff. Not surprising since Trump was not someone who wanted orderly management. He reveled in the spontaneous, the casual and the chaotic. Reince Priebus, the head of the Republican National Committee, was his first, mostly as a nod to the Republican establishment. Priebus made it to July 2017. Former General John Kelly served for a year and a half, leaving as the relationship became increasingly strained. He departed a day after his friend and colleague General Mattis exited Defense. Trump then turned to the Freedom Caucus in Congress and selected Mick Mulvaney (moved out as COVID-19 and campaign became dominant) and finally Mark Meadows, who served during the campaign (started in March 2020) and transition. Staffing an administration and White House is never easy, but the Trump revolving door and general chaos was unprecedented in the modern era.
Americans believe the “greatest threats to U.S. security” today are U.S.-based violent white nationalists groups, eclipsing ISIS, al Qaeda and left-wing extremist groups. Only China, as a foreign power, ranks as a top threat primarily because Republicans name it as their primary threat to U.S. security.
Most recently, the militant far-right groups – the Proud Boys, made famous by former President Trump in his first debate (“stand back and stand by”), and the Oath Keepers – have been most visibly identified by the FBI and arrested as extremist groups that were significantly involved with the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. The President, Congress and the Justice Department (Merrick Garland) have all made violent extremism their top priority for law enforcement.
In Joe Biden’s first 30 days in office, 100,000 more Americans have died from COVID-19. At the inaugural, the RealClearPolitics death toll was 411,000. Biden, of course, starting in his inaugural speech, has made the virus his top priority with more vaccines, vaccinations and regular reports of benchmarks.
The worldwide toll continues to increase, up 450,000 in the last 30 days, with Mexico moving into third place, ahead of India and behind Brazil.
The recent surges in infections, hospitalizations and deaths are having effects on the economy and have pushed back the worldwide recovery in travel. The industry was hopeful that by the end of 2021 some recovery would be seen. But in a new poll, industry officials and experts in 20 countries now put significant recovery more likely in 2022 or later.
California’s death toll (49,000) now exceeds historic leader, New York (47,000). Although the holiday surge appears over and vaccinations and immunity is up, most experts believe the virus and its variants will be a deadly threat throughout 2021.
It is already a political threat with the governor of California near a possible recall election over handling of the virus. Early hero in the fight, Andrew Cuomo in New York, is embedded in a major controversy about reporting nursing home deaths.
The political danger of the virus is not a surprise. Former President Trump’s defeat in November is significantly attributed to his subpar performance in handling the virus. Joe Biden designed his campaign of medical science and empathy to specifically offer a contrast.
