A change of command ceremony will be held at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado on May 19.

Team coverage of the Warrior Games from Colorado. Also, SECDEF Gates and other top U.S. officials join Afghanistan’s president Karzai for a tour through Arlington National Cemetery.

One would think that the Democrats, ever since President Obama stumped unsuccessfully for certain gubernatorial and senatorial candidates, would have taken a lesson from those losses and rethink their strategy. And that’s not counting the retirement announcement by Indiana senator Even Bayh yesterday.

What they are doing instead brings the possibility of the GOP making some inroads as the mid-term elections are 8 1/2 months away.

Obama, once again, is putting his teleprompter skills and popularity – or lack thereof – on the line as he’s going to make a Western road trip, with one of his stops being Nevada. His stop there is big, since that’s where Harry Reid calls home. Obama is also going to Colorado on Thursday to try and revive the flagging fortunes of Senator Michael Bennet, who’s trailing both Republicans vying for his seat.

Thursday also will find Obama in Las Vegas at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser, with Friday finding him at events in the city with Reid.

The Obama road trip looms large for both parties, as the Dems are vulnerable in a few states (North Dakota, Delaware, Nevada, Arkansas and Pennsylvania) while five others are up for grabs (Colorado, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and New York).

It is speculative as of right now to predict how the Obama road trip will pan out, but I suspect that the people who attend these events in both Nevada and Colorado will be none too pleased when the President arrives. And can you blame them? Even Obama’s gift of gab can’t save the senators who are up for re-election in November.

Look at Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts. That should tell you everything you need to know about the candidates and more importantly, Obama.

Nat sent this in:

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -  Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) released the following statement today in advance of the expected Christmas Eve vote on passage of H.R. 3590, the final Senate version of the Democrats’ government takeover of health care: 

“The taxpayers of Colorado deserve better than to have their two Senators vote for a bill that will be passed only because of Harry Reid dolling out kickbacks, carve-outs, and sweetheart deals for more than a dozen Democrat Senators.  It’s shameful that Democrat leaders in the Senate are buying votes and making state by state exemptions throughout the bill that Coloradans will have to pay for.  I call on our Senators to do the right thing – reject this bill and reject the backroom political deals that have paved the way for its passage.”

“Not only is this Senate bill going to create massive new mandates, raise taxes, cause people to lose their current insurance, and cut care for seniors, but now thanks to Harry Reid’s last minute deals Colorado taxpayers will be paying for the $300 million “Louisiana Purchase,” the $100 million Nebraska “Cornhusker Kickback,” Vermont’s $600 million Medicaid bonus and a slew of sweetheart deals for other states.” 

“It makes no sense to endorse this kind of blatant and shameless vote buying, especially to pass a bill that is so poisonous.”

Meet Aaron Siebers. The 27-year-old Denver man, a Blockbuster employee, was skateboarding yesterday afternoon when he fell and ripped his uniform pants. Due to work last night–and concerned about getting “written up” by Blockbuster superiors for not wearing his work-issued khakis–Siebers came up with a harebrained idea.

Instead of just calling in sick, he stabbed himself in the leg and showed up at work claiming to have just been attacked by three Hispanic males. Siebers, who told cops he was assaulted as he walked toward the Blockbuster in Edgewater, had a deep stab wound in one leg and several other minor cuts on his face and stomach. As investigators began hunting for the assailants, they reviewed surveillance video from outside a Target store where Siebers claimed the attack occurred.

The footage, however, showed no such assault. Confronted by cops, Siebers, pictured in the below mug shot, admitted that he had stabbed himself. He told investigators about the skateboarding accident, the resulting ripped pants, and how “he did not want to lose his job so he stabbed himself in the leg,” according to an arrest affidavit sworn by Officer Shawna Naumann. As a result, Siebers was named in a criminal complaint charging him with filing a false report and obstructing police, both misdemeanors.

Good job, Aaron. Due to your quick thinking or lack thereof, you have been bestowed the latest The Republican Temple Homer Simpson Citation.

Jim sent this in:

Two terrorist suspects in Colorado and one suspect in New York were arrested on charges of making false statements to federal agents in an ongoing terrorism investigation, according to information provided to the National Association of Chiefs of Police’s (NACOP) Terrorism Committee. FBI agents in Colorado arrested Najibullah Zazi, 24, a resident of Aurora, Colorado who is a legal permanent resident from Afghanistan, and his father Mohammed Wali Zazi, 53, a resident also of Aurora and a naturalized U.S. citizen from Afghanistan.

In addition, FBI agents in New York arrested Ahmad Wais Afzali, 37, a resident of Queens, a borough of New York City. Afzali is also a legal permanent resident from Afghanistan.

Each of the defendants has been charged by criminal complaint with knowingly and willfully making false statements to the FBI in a matter involving international and domestic terrorism. Najibullah Zazi and Mohammed Zazi are scheduled to make their initial appearances on Monday in federal court in the District of Colorado. Ahmad Afzali is scheduled to make his initial appearance on Monday in federal court in the Eastern District of New York City. If convicted, each faces a potential eight years imprisonment.

“The arrests carried out are part of an ongoing and fast-paced investigation. It is important to note that we have no specific information regarding the timing, location or target of any planned attack. As always, however, the American people should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to their local authorities,” said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

According to affidavits filed in support of the three criminal complaints, the FBI is investigating several individuals in the United States, Pakistan and elsewhere, relating to a plot to detonate improvised explosive devices within the United States.

Records from U.S. Customs and Border Protection reveal that, on August 28, 2008, Najibullah Zazi flew to Peshawar, Pakistan from Newark International Airport in New Jersey via Geneva, Switzerland and Doha, Qatar. CBP records further reflect that Najibullah Zazi traveled from Peshawar to John F. Kennedy International Airport, in New York City, on or about January 15, 2009.

According to the affidavits, on or about September 9, 2009, FBI agents observed Najibullah Zazi depart his residence in Colorado in a rented car. He drove to New York City, arriving the following day, and spent the night at a residence in Flushing, Queens (“the Queens Residence.”)

On September 10, 2009, New York City Police Department detectives met with defendant Afzali, whom the NYPD had utilized as a source in the past. According to the affidavits, the detectives questioned Afzali about Najibullah Zazi and others and showed him photographs of Najibullah Zazi and others. Afzali allegedly told the detectives he recognized Najibullah Zazi and several of the men in the photographs.

According to affidavits, on September 11, 2009, defendant Mohammed Zazi placed a call to Afzali which lasted approximately 20 minutes. That same day, the FBI intercepted a phone conversation between Mohammed Zazi and his son, Najibullah Zazi. An affidavit alleges that, during the conversation, Mohammed Zazi told his son that he had spoken to Afzali who had informed him about being visited by law enforcement and shown photographs. Mohammed Zazi told his son that Afzali would call him and he advised his son to speak with Afzali “before anything else,” according to the affidavits.

In the midst of this phone call, Najibullah Zazi allegedly received a call from Afzali, who discussed his meeting with law enforcement the day before. According to a draft summary of the transcription, Afzali allegedly stated: “I was exposed to something yesterday from law enforcement. And they came to ask me about your characters.” Afzali also allegedly asked Najibullah Zazi about his last trip to Pakistan and added, “Listen, our phone call is being monitored.”

According to the affidavits, in another intercepted phone conversation on Sept. 11, 2009, Najibullah Zazi told Afzali that his car had been stolen and that he feared he was being “watched.” Afzali allegedly asked if there was any “evidence in his car,” and Najibullah Zazi said no.

That same day, FBI agents conducted a legally authorized search of Najibullah Zazi’s rental car, which was parked near the Queens residence. During the search, agents found a laptop computer containing  images of nine-pages of handwritten notes. According to the affidavits, the notes contain formulations and instructions regarding the manufacture and handling of initiating explosives, main explosives charges, explosives detonators and components of a fusing system. On September 12, 2009, Najibullah Zazi flew from La Guardia Airport in New York to Denver.

On September 16, 2009, FBI agents interviewed Najibullah Zazi in Denver. According to an affidavit, when he was asked about and shown handwritten notes regarding explosives found on his laptop computer, Najibullah Zazi falsely asserted that he had never seen the document before and stated he had not written the notes.

On September 17 and 18, Najibullah Zazi was further interviewed by the FBI in Denver. According to affidavits, Najibullah Zazi admitted in the interviews that during his 2008 trip to Pakistan, he attended courses and received instruction on weapons and explosives at an al-Qaeda training facility in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, or FATA, of Pakistan.

The affidavits allege that, on September 17, Afzali was interviewed by authorities in New York where he falsely asserted in a written statement that he did not tell Najibullah Zazi or Mohammed Zazi that authorities had approached him seeking information about Najibullah Zazi. According to the affidavits, Afzali also falsely asserted that he never told Najibullah Zazi that they were being monitored on the phone and that he never asked Najibullah Zazi about evidence in his car.

The affidavits further allege that, on September 16, Mohammed Zazi was interviewed by FBI agents in Denver where he was asked whether anyone had called him and told him about his son’s activities and any trouble regarding his son. According to the affidavits, Mohammed Zazi falsely stated that he had never called anyone in New York other than his son and he had never received a call from anyone in New York. He allegedly revised his statement to say he had received one call from an individual who informed him that his son had missed his flight. According to the affidavits, Mohammed Zazi was later asked if he knew anyone by the name of Afzali and he said he did not.

These prosecutions are being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the District of Colorado, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

The investigation is being conducted by the New York and Denver FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces, which combined have investigators from more than fifty federal, state and local law enforcement agencies .

Nat sent this in:

(WASHINGTON, D.C) -  Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) today released the following statement regarding President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress on health care reform:

“The President has already given 27 speeches entirely on health care and another 92 in which health care was a prominent theme.  This is also Obama’s sixth prime time appearance in eight months, surpassing the records of all other presidents.  Americans don’t need another speech from the President on health care, they need a different plan.”

“The President’s speech was intended to assert his leadership on the Democrats’ sputtering agenda.  Something he should have done months ago.  The President has been doing a lot of talking, now we will see if he’s been listening to the American people.”

“I heard loud and clear from my constituents this August that the current Democrat proposals are unacceptable – they won’t help reduce costs and they’ll kill millions of small business jobs.  Americans don’t want the creation of a government run insurance plan that will lead to the takeover of the health care economy, paid for by almost a trillion dollars in new taxes – regardless of the President’s rhetoric.”