Personal Portfolio
I’m frequently called by Colorado and national media as an expert on Colorado politics. Here’s a sample of clips and quotes.
“I want to be very clear: It is not on those of us who voted for compassion, intelligence and decency to empathize with Trump supporters. It is on those who voted for Trump not once but twice to atone for the abuse they inflicted on the country.” ~OpEd in Colorado Newsline
“A nation that began as a rowdy protest against authority is seeing a white supremacist President and his equally authoritarian party declare that things and symbols are more important than the injustice and human suffering that led to the uprising in the first place. They rail against graffiti and broken windows as the death toll from an out of control pandemic approaches 150,000, millions remain unemployed, and parents are rightly terrified of sending their children back to school.” ~OpEd in Colorado Newsline
“Cory’s problem was the state has changed and he did not,” said Laura Chapin, a Democratic consultant and fierce Gardner critic. “The voting demographics of Colorado do not lead to future career plans for Cory Gardner.” ~Colorado Sun
“Neither did Denver based Democratic communications strategist Laura Chapin who at first, was so exasperated with Gardner that she could not deign to guess about his next moves.
“He has so thoroughly disregarded what people in this state care about,” Chapin said. “I just don’t give a damn.”
But Chapin eventually said she does think lobbying is in Gardner’s future.
“I assume he’ll get a lobbying job,” Chapin admitted. “I’m sure he’s got some sweet lobbying gig lined up somewhere with some firm. He has no political future in Colorado, that’s for sure.” ” ~Colorado Times Recorder
Laura Chapin, a Colorado-based Democratic strategist, said that despite Gardner’s strength among Republicans, the composition of the state’s electorate makes him “flatly outnumbered.”
“Cory Gardner sealed his fate when he endorsed Trump, and there’s not going to be a whole lot else beyond that,” she said. “His only hope is holding onto his base and picking up unaffiliated voters magically. It’d take a lot of split tickets, and that ain’t happening.” ~ Morning Consult
“At this point, personal and physical safety is the most important consideration,” said Laura Chapin, a Colorado-based Democratic communications strategist. “Doing large-scale, in-person events absolutely sends the wrong message about (the pandemic), and I don’t see Democratic campaigns doing that.” ~ Colorado Newsline
Client Portfolio
I do some of my best work on articles I’m not actually in. Here are some recent news articles I’ve generated for clients.
There were so many lies in Douglas Groothuis’ recent commentary on abortion I’m not quite sure where to start (“THE PODIUM | Abortion isn’t health care — not even close,” Feb. 10). It’s insulting to doctors and patients alike. ~ Colorado Politics
Anti-abortion zealot Abby Johnson, who spoke at the Republican National Convention, attended the pre-attack rally and tweeted a picture of herself. Another anti-abortion militant, Tayler Hansen, filmed himself inside the Capitol building when a woman was killed by police. ~ Colorado Newsline
Plenty of these hopefuls have declared Colorado’s senatorial contest to be the most important in the country, and Madden is no exception. In her words, “There’s no path to a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate without Colorado.” ~ Westword
There’s nothing honest, accurate or reasonable about Prop 115. It’s an illegal and nefarious effort to revoke the hard-won medical rights of women. Vote no. ~ Aurora Sentinel Editorial
Alaska Wilderness League Action says it will spend six figures spreading an ad that criticizes Sen. Cory Gardner’s record on the environment and public lands. The ad, seen here, is being broadcast in the Denver television market and online. ~ Denver Post ‘The Spot’ Newsletter
“Proposition 115 is bad for all of us. It will result in unnecessary maternal deaths. It will force many women through suffering few could imagine. And it will make Colorado a less desirable place for all physicians to work.” ~Colorado Sun Opinion
“”I need to make this perfectly clear to Jeff Hunt or any other abortion opponent attempting to make this noxious argument: There is no comparison to slavery. That horror stands alone in its definition. Attempting to compare slavery with abortion rights is obscene and it is racist.”” ~ Colorado Newsline OpEd by Dani Newsum (their #8 most-read of 2020)
“I am a Colorado doctor, and I provide abortion care. Supporters of Proposition 115 say that banning abortion later in pregnancy is a reasonable, middle-ground measure – but this is a lie. Proposition 115 serves only to mislead and divide Coloradans, harm pregnant women at an incredibly vulnerable time in their lives, and open the door for legislation banning all abortion at the earliest stages of pregnancy.” ~Aurora Sentinel, OpEd by Dr Rebecca Cohen
“Reproductive rights group NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado has broken away from its national affiliate and will re-brand under a new name, Cobalt.
The group wants to continue pushing for reproductive and abortion rights, Cobalt President Karen Middleton told Next with Kyle Clark. The purpose of the transformation is to focus on more Colorado-specific missions like elections, as well as fighting state ballot measures intended to limit access to abortion.” ~ 9News/KUSA (Note: Karen Middleton led the 6 pm broadcast of HeyNext on Jan 23)
“Colorado’s leading reproductive rights organization — NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado — is splitting with its national affiliate in order to solidify the state as a stronghold for abortion rights while many other Middle America states are enacting restrictions.” ~Colorado Sun
“We worried that Proposition 115, sold as a reasonable ban prohibiting abortions during the second half of pregnancy, would have a chance in a purple state like Colorado. We are relieved that it did not pass. Women from across the nation come to Colorado seeking abortion care when their home state denies them the medical care they need. Bravely, some of the women who have had late-term abortions came forward to share their heartbreaking stories of love and loss. These women reclaimed the narrative surrounding abortion, helping to remove stigma and shame and replace it with human faces.
Opponents of abortion should take this loss for what it is and refocus their efforts on supporting pregnant women, especially teens, promoting access to birth control and comprehensive sexual education, and boosting adoption programs and foster care services. There is so much need.” ~ Denver Post No on 115 Closing Editorial: Colorado’s clear election-day message on abortion for Justice Amy Coney Barrett
National News Stories
“What we see with this ban is it would potentially impact people who are already facing the most barriers,” said Dr. Rebecca Cohen, an OB/GYN in the Denver area who is campaigning against the initiative. . ~ The 19th
“We’re all sighing a breath of relief this evening,” said Karen Middleton, executive director of the reproductive rights group Cobalt, which was part of a coalition formed in the spring to fight the proposed restrictions.
“I am grateful that Colorado voters have once again said no to intrusion on decisions about abortion access,” she told CNN. “Colorado will continue to remain a safe haven for people to access abortion care in a moment where we don’t know what might happen at the Supreme Court.”
Middleton added, “I’m hoping that this margin helps slow down the idea that they should be running these measures in other states.” ~CNN
Over time, other states have adopted abortion restrictions, but Colorado has remained a strong outlier, said Karen Middleton, president of the abortion-rights group Cobalt. Middleton warned that the ban would affect residents and others from across the country who depend on Colorado for care, especially later in pregnancy.
“This ballot measure is trying to shut down abortion care in a state that is considered a safe haven, or a place of last resort for many people,” Middleton said, adding that “any limitation right now — when we don’t know what the courts might do — feels like an additional burden on anyone who might need access to this care.” ~ NBCNews.com
Karen Middleton, president of the abortion rights advocacy group Cobalt Advocates, said the ballot measure is “another wake-up call that folks that support and advocate for abortion rights need to be much clearer about what abortion means.”
“Win or lose this ballot measure,” she added, “we have to guard against seeing it replicated in other states. ~Washington Post