The resurgence of “We The People” in the form of local citizens banding together in grassroots civic action organizations to defend our constitutional rights is THE political story of the year 2009 in America…

Clear The Bench Colorado Director Matt Arnold is both proud and humbled to have been invited as a guest speaker to several such groups over the last several months - beginning with the massive (7000+) crowd at the Tax Day Tea Party rally at the Denver Capitol and continuing through several events throughout the Spring (examples here, and here) and Summer (examples here, here, and most recently, here) of 2009.

The Grassroots Revival continues - even intensifies - this week.  Clear The Bench Colorado Director Matt Arnold is speaking at an event every night this week, continuing tonight with an appearance at the South Denver 912 Project forum starting at 6PM at the Phillip Miller Library in Castle Rock.

Last night (Tuesday) in Golden, tonight (Wednesday) in Castle Rock, and Thursday evening in Windsor - to the politicians at the Capitol in Denver, and the unjust justices of the Mullarkey Court: in case you haven’t noticed, We The People have you surrounded!

Join Clear The Bench Colorado and the Grassroots Revival in restoring “power to the people” - get active, get involved, raise your voice and help to restore accountability to the Colorado judiciary by exercising YOUR RIGHT to vote “NO” on retaining the four unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, not rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your voice (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote to retain unjust justices in 2010!

The resurgence of “We The People” in the form of local citizens banding together in grassroots civic action organizations to defend our constitutional rights is THE political story of the year 2009 in America…

Clear The Bench Colorado Director Matt Arnold is both proud and humbled to have been invited as a guest speaker to several such groups over the last several months - beginning with the massive (7000+) crowd at the Tax Day Tea Party rally at the Denver Capitol and continuing through several events throughout the Spring (examples here, and here) and Summer (examples here, here, and most recently, here) of 2009.

The Grassroots Revival continues - even intensifies - this week.  Clear The Bench Colorado Director Matt Arnold is speaking at an event every night this week, beginning tonight with an appearance at the ROAR (Revive Our American Republic) forum starting at 7PM in Golden (see website for directions).

Tonight in Golden, tomorrow (Wednesday) evening in Castle Rock, and Thursday evening in Windsor - to the politicians at the Capitol, and the unjust justices of the Mullarkey Court: in case you haven’t noticed, We The People have you surrounded!

Join Clear The Bench Colorado and the Grassroots Revival in restoring “power to the people” - get active, get involved, raise your voice and help to restore accountability to the Colorado judiciary by exercising YOUR RIGHT to vote “NO” on retaining the four unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, not rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your voice (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote to retain unjust justices in 2010!

Clear The Bench Colorado Director Matt Arnold spoke last Thursday at a candidate and issues forum hosted by local grassroots organization R Block Party.

Video coverage of the event has been provided courtesy of TL James of Peoples Press Collective - “if you’re getting your news from the mass media, you’re not getting the news.”

Get involved in defending YOUR rights - vote “NO” on retaining the four unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who have been taking away your rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, not rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your voice (Sound Off!), your contributions, and “NO” vote on retaining these unjust justices in 2010!

Another busy weekend for Clear The Bench Colorado - Director Matt Arnold made multiple radio appearances, including the first national exposure for the grassroots movement to restore accountability to the Colorado judiciary (and set an example for defending the rule of law nationwide…) and appeared at several events as well.

The Clear The Bench Colorado weekend actually began a day early, commemorating Constitution Day on Thursday with an interview on the SengCenter radio show (listen to the podcast at SengCenter).

The weekend wrapped up (well, the official part of it anyway - the Clear The Bench Colorado crew enjoyed watching the Broncos defeat the Browns, 27-6, on Sunday) with an appearance at Saturday’s Save Our Constitution rally at the Capitol building.  Although not among the speakers at the event, Clear The Bench Colorado was mentioned by more than one person at the podium, and CTBC Director Matt Arnold “worked the crowd” and spoke to numerous individuals “one-on-one” while handing out information about the judicial accountability movement.

The highlight of the weekend was, without a doubt, the Clear The Bench Colorado national radio debut on the Hugh Hewitt show, broadcast live from Denver.  Nationally syndicated talk show host and commentator Hugh Hewitt was in town for multiple events (including a debate on healthcare reform with Paul Campos on Thursday evening) but capped his visit (I’m sure he felt that the Broncos drubbing of the Browns on Sunday was NOT the highlight of his stay) with Friday’s broadcast.

(Matt Arnold of Clear The Bench Colorado speaks with Hugh Hewitt during Friday’s broadcast; Photo courtesy of TL James of Peoples Press Collective, post on Hugh Hewitt visit to Colorado)

Although the actual interview took up only one segment of the show’s first hour (beginning at about 24:30 into this podcast of the show), Hugh mentioned Clear The Bench Colorado at several points during the show, including our Facebook presence (”Clear The Bench Colorado” fan page and Facebook group), Twitter feed (http://www.twitter.com/ClearTheBenchCO) and, last not least, the critically-important financial contribution link.  Most importantly, Hugh lent his support to CTBC’s quest to restore accountability to the Colorado judiciary, nowhere better expressed than in his statement that:

“I could have had any Colorado politician that I want today” on the show (specifically listing gubernatorial candidates Scott McInnis and Josh Penry, Senate candidate Ryan Frazier, and 4th Congressional district candidate Tom Lucero) “but of all those people… I asked Matt Arnold to come on, because you’re not looking for office, you’re looking to change things…” (Podcast, about 25:10)

Join Clear The Bench Colorado in “changing things” - restore accountability to the Colorado judiciary by exercising YOUR RIGHT to vote “NO” on retaining the four unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, not rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your voice (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote to retain unjust justices in 2010!

Clear The Bench Colorado Director Matt Arnold joins Hugh Hewitt on KNUS 710 AM between 4-6PM Friday, 18 September (not the full two hours, but the exact segment is not known at press time) to discuss the Mullarkey Court’s repeated assaults on the Colorado Constitution, on the day after this year’s Constitution Day (the 222nd anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution).

Tune in to learn more about why you should exercise YOUR right to vote “NO” on retaining the four unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, not rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your voice (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote on retaining unjust justices in 2010!

Clear The Bench Colorado Director Matt Arnold joins Jimmy Sengenberger on his “Seng Center” radio show Thursday at 6PM (KRCX 93.9 FM or online at regis.edu/krcx) to discuss the Mullarkey Court’s repeated assaults on the Colorado Constitution, honoring the occasion of this year’s Constitution Day (the 222nd anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution).

If you missed the broadcast, check out the podcasted show online - shows are posted every weekend at www.SengCenter.com. 

Tune in to learn more about why you should exercise YOUR right to vote “NO” on retaining the four unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, not rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your voice (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote on retaining unjust justices in 2010!

No Friday Funnies this (last) week - instead, Clear The Bench Colorado joins millions of Americans across the country in somber remembrance of the 9/11 attacks on our nation.

What does this have to do with holding our Colorado Supreme Court justices accountable to the rule of law and the Colorado Constitution?  Quite a lot, actually…

As a proud veteran of the U.S. military (including service in the Colorado Army National Guard), I take my oath of enlistment - “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of Colorado [emphasis added] against all enemies, foreign and domestic”  - seriously; very seriously.

Many of our elected (and unelected) officials seem to have a much more cavalier attitude towards their own oath of office.

Our Supreme Court justices also swear an oath on taking office, which begins:  “I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Colorado.”

Note that the oath of office does not state that ”I will support only those parts of the Constitution I like or with which I personally agree or empathize.”

Yet the Mullarkey Court has consistently ruled against the Colorado Constitution’s Article X, Section 20 (TABOR) in every case it has heard - despite the clear intent and letter of the law that “[i]ts preferred interpretation shall reasonably restrain most the growth of government.”

The Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) are oathbreakers - and dishonor the service of the men and women of the United States military and law enforcement agencies who put their lives on the line to support and defend our Constitution.  They have proven themselves unworthy of the high office they occupy, and must NOT be retained in that office following the November 2010 elections.  Vote “NO” on these unjust justices!

Another important lesson of 9/11 is that individuals matter - and fighting to defend your rights, and your lives, is the only way to preserve your rights (and your life, in extremis) when under attack.  The true heroes of that day were not only the firefighters but also the ordinary citizens who acted to save lives - and the brave passengers on Flight 93 who fought back against the hijackers on the 4th plane and died not as victims, but as American heroes.

We can no longer be under any illusion - as the passengers on Flight 93 discovered - that our rights and lives are NOT under attack and threatened by enemies both foreign and domestic.  The nature of the threat (and appropriate response) are different, but the need to take action, to defend your rights - are the same.

Freedom isn’t Free - Defend YOUR Constitution, and exercise YOUR right to vote “NO” on retaining the four unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your constitutional rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, not rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your comments (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote on retaining these unjust justices in 2010!

Welcome to another edition of the Clear The Bench Colorado Friday Funnies - this week, a change of pace from the August “Dog Days of Summer” series (featuring cute & cuddly Colorado canine spokespup Nola) with a view from inside the courtroom.

Although the casual viewer may dismiss this clip as a mere farcical parody of real courtroom procedure, the judges in this sketch display about the same level of legal logic and respect for the rule of law as our own Colorado Supreme Court’s “Mullarkey Majority” in many of their recent decisions.

How else to explain the clear violation of the Colorado Constitution’s explicitly worded prohibition of tax increases without a vote of the people in the notorious “Mill Levy Tax Freeze” case just last March, justified with ridiculous re-wording, tortured terminology and semantic shenanigans?

And just as “nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition“, nobody expected - or even much noticed, at the time - the Mullarkey Court’s “November Surprise” ruling that allowed new taxes to be re-designated as “fees” in order to bypass TABOR (and that pesky requirement to allow people to have a say in tax increases).  Like the late arrival of the inquisitors in this sketch, it’s taken some time for the implications of that case to “make the scene” - but the quadrupling of the “marriage fee”, substantial increase in “vehicle registration fees” along with punitive (and unconstitutional) “late fees” due to the “FASTER” Colorado Car Tax, and of course Governor Ritter’s recent proposal to impose a new Gun Tax as part of his plan to “balance the budget” - are certainly torturing Colorado wallets.

Colorado, it’s time to get up out of the “comfy chair“ and exercise YOUR right to vote “NO” on retaining the four unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your constitutional rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, not rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your comments (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote on retaining these unjust justices in 2010!