Redstate.com's Erick Erickson, one of America's most influential conservative voices, today endorsed Ken Buck to represent Colorado in the U.S. Senate.
"I like this guy," Erickson wrote Thursday at Redstate, where he serves as editor-in-chief. "He can win. There are some others in the race, but I think Ken's back ground is going to help him win. He's an aggressive defender of TABOR. He's a prosecutor who sees first hand just how badly bungled the feds have made criminal prosecution in this country. He knows from his day job that when the feds decide to federalize everything, it weakens the states."
Erickson continued, "He's right on the issues. ... We're not going to have to wonder if he's one of those 'split the baby' politicians."
Buck welcomed Erickson's endorsement. "I'm thrilled to have Erick's support. He has been a key national voice in advancing grassroots conservative candidates, including Marco Rubio in Florida," Buck said.
Erickson helped introduce Rubio, then a little-known state legislator, to a national audience last year. Rubio now holds a formidable lead over Gov. Charlie Crist, the Washington establishment's preferred candidate, in the Florida U.S. Senate race.
"Erick's a great conservative, and I'm very happy to have him on our side," Buck said.
U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck today endorsed a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring a balanced federal budget.
"Washington is on a reckless course that bodes ill for our nation�s future," Buck said. "The Obama administration�s budget calls for trillion-dollar annual deficits through the end of the next decade. By 2019, the federal government will spend nearly $1 trillion a year just in interest on a debt that, by then, will total $22 trillion."
"This level of irresponsibility, abetted by Obama�s rubber stamp on the Budget Committee, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, will haunt Americans for decades," Buck said. "It has to stop."
The balanced budget amendment was proposed last week by Sens. Jim DeMint, R-S.C; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Tom Coburn, R-Okla.; and John McCain, R-Ariz.
The amendment co-sponsors also called for a one-year moratorium on earmarks. Buck supports a permanent ban on earmarks. In fiscal year 2009, Congress approved $32 billion in earmarks, mostly for local "pork" undeserving of federal funds.
Buck said, "Through both Republican and Democratic administrations, Washington has proved itself incapable of controlling spending. It is time to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment, and write fiscal discipline into the Constitution."
Ken, pictured with his wife, Perry, at the Colorado Springs Republican Women's Senatorial Forum Jan. 19, got a great reception for his grassroots campaign to be a strong and independent voice for Colorado in the U.S. Senate. If you missed the forum, the blogger "Silverfiddle" provided a good report.
U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck called on Sen. Michael Bennet to join the growing, bipartisan group in Congress and sign on as a cosponsor for the Federal Reserve Sunshine Act.
In an email to Sen. Bennet, Buck stated that "auditing the Federal Reserve operations isn't a political question. It's a simple matter of good government and financial responsibility."
The Federal Reserve Sunshine Act, S. 604, would force the Fed to open its books to the Government Accountability Office. The bill has 30 Senate co-sponsors, and 309 representatives are co-sponsoring H.R. 1207, the House version of the bill. Six of Colorado's seven representatives are co-sponsors. But Sen. Michael Bennet is not supporting this bill.
Sen. Bennet has consistently refused to stand up to big spending in Washington, D.C., which was first seen by his support of the $787 billion "stimulus" package, which he rubber-stamped without reading.
"Congress and the American people should at least find out whether the trillions of dollars the government has shoveled into the financial system have been effective," added Buck. "Future public officials, faced with a similar financial emergency, need to know which measures succeeded, and which were mistakes. The only way to find out is with an independent audit."
From bendegrow.com
November 17, 2009
In the November "Survey of Colorado's political temperature," support for Ken Buck nearly doubled, to 45.6 percent in November from 24.7 percent last month. Support for former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton increased from 22.8 percent to 25.3 percent. Click for complete results.
October 23, 2009
The Douglas County Republicans are a necessary stop for any aspiring GOP candidate. Candidates for Governor, Senator, Congressman and State Legislature come by for the breakfast meetings. Last week’s meeting hosted U.S. Senate Candidate Ken Buck. He was asked questions and eventually identity theft issues came up.
On October 17, 2008 Operation Number Games kicked off. The raid was the brainchild of the District Attorney for Colorado's 19th Judicial District, one Kenneth R. Buck. Ten Law Enforcement Officers raided Amalia's Translation and Tax Service ("Amalia's") in Greeley, Colorado. They seized computers and boxes of paper records. After copying the records, Operation Number Games found 1,338 of Amalia's Clients were using forged social security and idenfication records of other Americans. This was identity theft and felony criminal impersonation as only organized crime can do it.
Just as Kevin Costner made the decision to walk into a world of trouble in enforcing the law, Ken Buck got his share of trouble. This time it wasn't Al Capone but the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado. The ACLU retained six lawyers and filed a massive lawsuit against Ken Buck and Weld County Sheriff John Cooke. Some highlights of the ACLU's allegations are:
Amalia's has assisted thousands of her customers with filing income tax returns.
Seizing the records of felony criminal activity violated Amalia's right of privacy.
Amalia's customers include persons who are not eligible to obtain social security numbers.
Three of the ACLU plaintiffs are "Doe Plaintiffs". They have filed a motion seeking permission to participate without revealing their true identities.
Amalia's serves primarily a community of Spanish-speaking clients, a community that has seen tremendous growth in recent years in Weld County.
Amalia's is damaged because of fear that their spanish-speaking customer will not return.
Amalia is afraid because the District Attorney asserts that continuing the company's tax practice could constitute probable cause for additional future searches.
So how does a person who is not a CPA or licensed tax professional get so many tax customers? Tax Service owner Amalia Cerrillo has filed thousands of tax returns for Mexican migrants since the Greeley meat packers began their recruiting of workers from Mexico. A few years back the INS did a massive raid on the Swift meatpacking plant and carted off illegal immigrants by the dozens. The other meatpackers were largely untouched.
So far, even with six attorneys, the court case hasn't gone as the ACLU has wanted it. They have now appealed the case to the Colorado Supreme Court and the case goes on and on, with D.A. Buck and Sheriff Cooke still defending the right to enforce our laws.
Now Ken Buck has tossed his hat into the U.S. Senate race and is making the rounds.
If selected as the GOP nominee, he will likely run against the foppish appointed senator, Michael Bennet. Bennet, is "to the manor born", having inherited untold millions. To hear him speak is to hear the old style upper class East Coast speech pattern we usually only hear in movies like Trading Places.
Let's look at these two guys.
Ken Buck has worked as a truck driver, high school football coach, ranch hand, school janitor, paper boy, furniture mover, adjunct law professor, prosecutor, and businessman. He went to Princeton for undergrad and to the University of Wyoming for Law School.
Bennet has had a series of appointed jobs, as a Governor's Aide, in the Clinton Administration as Asst. Sec. of State for International Organization Affairs, director of the Anschutz Investment Company, Hickenlooper's Chief of Staff and four years ago got appointed Superintendent of the DPS. Now he's appointed U.S. Senator. Sound familiar? Bennet got into Wesleyan University under the legacy rules because his dad was an alumni and past President of this elite, private school. He later went to Yale Law School, presumably by the same legacy way.
Ken Buck's grandfather first started a shoe repair shop in Greeley in the 1930's. He has long and deep roots in Colorado.
Bennett moved here a few years ago and has much greater knowledge of the foxhunting and country clubs of the East than Brighton, Greeley, Castle Rock, or Pueblo.
Buck is being sued by the ACLU.
Bennet is adored by the ACLU. Their ACLU scoreboard gives Bennet a Lifetime Score of 100%.
Press Release
9-26-09
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ken Buck, a Republican running for the US Senate in Colorado, recently signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). The Pledge commits signers to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”
ATR has offered the Pledge to all candidates for federal office since 1987. To date, 34 U.S. senators and 172 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed the Pledge. Additionally, seven Governors and over 1,100 state legislators have signed the Pledge.
“After the passage of the so-called 'Stimulus Package' better known as the Pelosi-Obama-Reid Spending Give-Away, Americans are desperately searching for candidates and politicians that will protect their livelihoods and put their wallets ahead of the federal government’s coffers,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR.
“By signing the Pledge, Ken Buck demonstrates that he understands the problems of hard-working taxpayers nationwide, but especially the taxpayers in Colorado.”
“I challenge all candidates for federal office to make the same commitment to taxpayers by signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge today,” Norquist continued.
April 17, 2009
JOINING WITH tens of thousands across America, more than 500 people gathered at the Pueblo County Courthouse on Wednesday - income tax day - to protest the profligate ways of government.
Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck traveled to Pueblo to note - as Paul Revere did when he warned colonists, “The British are coming,” - “We stand here today and we warn our fellow citizens that the federal government is coming and they’re coming to take your money.
“This isn’t about being Republican or Democrat or being conservative or liberal. The mess we find ourselves in right now is that the people in power have deceived us, and we have been too complacent . . . “
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Weld District Attorney Ken Buck’s bid for U.S. Senate is welcomed by Colorado Republicans who view him as a tough prosecutor and fiscal conservative, the state’s party leader said. . . .
Buck, a father of two, said he is determined to run because he feels the Republican Party has “lost its way on fiscal issues,” and he wants to help lead the party back to its core principles. . .
Colorado pollster Floyd Ciruli said the Senate seat in 2010 will be targeted as a key battle by both national parties. . . .
Ciruli said Buck has the advantage of being in Weld County, traditionally a Republican stronghold, and has a solid statewide base.
In terms of the state party, “They’re looking for somebody new, somebody fresh and somebody who hasn’t lost, and Buck is certainly as fresh as anyone else. . . . “In my sense, he’s probably as well-positioned as anyone, and I would consider him a very serious candidate,” Ciruli said.”
Loveland Reporter-Herald
June 15, 2009
LOVELAND — Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, currently attempting to prosecute a number of identity theft cases, said illegal immigrants may cost the federal government billions of dollars a year through such actions. . . .
All of the victims, Buck said, were either citizens of Hispanic background or resident legal immigrants.
Greeley Tribune
July 17, 2009
Ken Buck's campaign for U.S. Senate brought in more than twice as much money as that of his Republican challenger in the three-month period ending June 30. . . .
“I think we did very well,” Buck said Thursday. “I was very happy. We've got a recession, and we have a lot of challenges to raising money, and I was really happy with the amount that we raised.”
Buck, a Republican, said in the release that 831 individuals contributed to his campaign in the past two months, with more than 94 percent coming from Colorado.
Greeley Tribune
September 1, 2009
. . . Buck, who made his Republican bid in the Senate race in April to oust appointed Sen. Michael Bennet, said he has been gratified by the strong response to his campaign . . .
“We received literally hundreds of e-mails and phone calls from supporters, to make sure we were staying in, so we made the decision to move forward,” Buck said. “We're moving forward based on the strength of our campaign. We're not analyzing anyone else's campaign.”
The Denver Post
September 25, 2009
Colorado Democrats cheered after the past three election cycles, but Republicans increasingly believe they'll be the ones celebrating in 2010. . . .
Many pundits, including political consultant Katy Atkinson of Denver, see a shift. "Being a Republican will no longer be a liability as it was in the last two elections," she said. …
Last year, 150 people showed up at the annual Douglas County Republican picnic. This year organizers originally expected 200 people but wound up feeding barbecue to 320 guests at the event last Saturday.
"How is hope and change working for you folks?" Senate candidate Ken Buck asked when it was his turn to address the crowd. The boos were deafening.
AP
Greeley Tribune
September 26, 2009
FRISCO — Colorado Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate and governor said Friday they believe voters are weary of Democratic rule in the state and in Washington, D.C., offering an opportunity for the GOP to win back offices lost over the past four years.
They also conceded that the Republican Party has made mistakes and promised to return to the party's core values. . . ..
U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck said Republicans who abandoned the party's core values deserve to be replaced.
“Those Republicans went to Washington and they deceived us and we can't allow that to happen any longer,” said Buck, the district attorney in Weld County.
The Denver Post
September 30, 2009
Today is the last dash for cash as candidates hustle to boost their fundraising totals this quarter. . . .
In the Senate GOP primary, Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck's campaign said he has received "plenty of grassroots donations" after news broke that Washington powerbrokers appeared to be helping one of his opponents, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton.
"A lot of the donations have come in personal envelopes, not campaign solicitation envelopes," said Buck's campaign consultant . . .
One man who gave $500 in June promised to send more after he paid off his dentures. The supporter sent a $100 check this month