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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent approval of a new emergency contraception medication gives women in this country a new tool to prevent unplanned pregnancy. “For almost a hundred years, women in this country have struggled to legitimize their needs for safe, effective control over their reproductive lives. FDA’s approval of this product increases the options available for women to decide the best time to have their children,” said Dr. Carmen Rita Nevarez, vice president for external relations and preventive medicine advisor at the Public Health Institute.

The FDA’s final approval of the sale and use of ulipristal acetate (UPA), a new form of emergency contraception, which will be sold under the brand name “ella”, reduces a woman’s risk of getting pregnant. Using emergency contraceptive pills in the first few days after unprotected intercourse gives a woman a second chance to prevent pregnancy even if she had sex without using contraception or in the case of contraceptive failure – a missed pill or ruptured condom, for instance.

“We applaud the scientific and evidence-based manner in which the FDA reviewed and approved this promising new emergency contraception,” said Dr. Nevarez, a preventive medicine specialist. “No contraceptive method is infallible and every woman deserves a full range of safe options to help prevent unintended pregnancy.”

Even in countries where highly effective methods are widely used, the rate of unintended pregnancies remains high. Worldwide, some 80 million unintended pregnancies occur every year, representing 38 percent of all pregnancies. In the United States, about 50 percent of pregnancies-some 3 million pregnancies- are reported to be unintended each year. Other countries report similar statistics.

The United States now joins 22 European countries where ella is approved and available.

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The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act — a largely overlooked component of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — has the potential to transform long-term care financing in the United States from a welfare-based to an insurance-based system, according to the latest issue of Public Policy & Aging Report (PPAR).

This installment of PPAR features seven articles that recount the origins of the CLASS Act, analyze the legislation’s key provisions, and explore potential hurdles of implementation.

“We consider this issue of PPAR to represent the best of what the publication has to offer,” said PPAR Editor Robert Hudson, PhD, chair of the Department of Social Policy at the Boston University School of Social Work. “It is timely, informed, and cutting edge. It goes beyond the headlines and delivers detailed accounts of the emergence of the CLASS Act to a broad audience of policy and academic leaders.”

The CLASS Act introduces a voluntary, federally administered insurance program designed to provide middle-class Americans the new choice to plan ahead for personal care and supportive service needs in the face of functional impairment. Enrolled individuals no longer will have to be demonstrably poor or spend themselves into poverty to receive long-term care protection.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at least 70 percent of Americans over the age of 65 will need long-term care services at some point in their lives.

“CLASS is about allowing working Americans to take personal responsibility for planning ahead so they can age with dignity and independence,” said Bruce Chernof, MD, president and CEO of The SCAN Foundation. “CLASS enrollees will have the power to choose the services they want in the setting most appropriate to their needs.”

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By wtfdnucsailor

This is the second in a series of blog posting regarding the plans of the Republican and Democratic candidates for governor, Tom Foley and Dan Malloy. All of the information provided in the posting is from the candidate’s web sites, http://www.danmalloy.com/policy and http://www.tomfoley2010.com clicking on the “Issues” and “Tom’s Plan” selections. The opinions are my own and not cleared with either candidate’s staff. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a supporter of Dan Malloy and worked as a volunteer on his 2006 campaign as well as the current 2010 campaign.

I will begin with some general observations about the plans that the candidates have posted on their web sites. If less is more, then Foley wins hands down. His plan turns out to be seven pages in my word document. The Malloy plan is a whopping forty eight pages with great detail. I guess that is fitting since most Republicans believe less government is better, obviously a short plan will lead to less government. From the Democratic perspective, government is good and Malloy shows just how he plans to shape and change much of the state government in great detail.

Of course, there is no guarantee that either of the candidate’s will do what they lay out on their web site when actually in office, but like a stock prospectus, it is an indication of the plan and direction each candidate will pursue once in office.

I am leaving out much of the explanatory text in the plans and just noting the planned action items. Both plans are written in the first person, so I will keep that same format as I quote or paraphrase from each plan. The reader will have to remember that the occasional “I” is either “Governor” Foley or “Governor” Malloy.

This comparison continues with the prospective governors’ take on taxes and budgeting. Since I started with “Governor” Foley in the last post, I will start with “Governor” Malloy in this post. I will continue this alternate presenting throughout this series of postings.

“Governor” Dan Malloy
We have to be committed to getting our fiscal house in order, budgeting within our means, and being better prepared for downturns in the economy. I will focus our attention on the problem and our resources on the right solutions. I recognize that sensible state budgeting is connected to fairer local budgeting. As governor-after-governor has proven, we simply cannot fix the system without addressing this relationship.
Reform can only be completed with the commitment of a Governor to end our over-reliance on local property taxation. Change starts with fixing education funding and finally meeting our State’s constitutional obligation to provide a fair share to Connecticut’s communities. Sensible state budgeting is connected to sensible local budgeting.

As Governor, I will initiate long overdue comprehensive tax reform for our State. Reform will be guided by 5 key goals. Real tax reform must:
Be sustainable, comprehensive and address the balance of state and local taxation
Provide for a fairer and more progressive sharing of taxation
Ensure a greater and more equitable state share of local funding for schools
Strategically generate job growth and encourage business development
Relieve the local property tax burden on low and middle income seniors, veterans, and individuals who are disabled
To that end, my administration will review and consider the following strategies:
Joining with a number of other states that allow municipalities to tax different types of property at different rates, particularly low and moderate income housing, housing for the elderly, and housing for individuals with disabilities, as done in Minnesota.
Allowing buildings to be taxed at a different rate than land, as is done in Pennsylvania, to encourage smart growth, reduce blight, and encourage property improvements.
Permitting cities and towns to further diversify their revenue sources by levying limited sales and use taxes, as is done in Nevada, to pay for open space and parks.
Instituting revenue sharing and permitting a portion of taxes generated in a municipality to be retained.
Encouraging flexible changes that could allow cities and towns to share in the revenue generated from utility, cable, sales, and hotel taxes.
Expanding personal income tax credits, providing homestead exemptions, or instituting property tax rebates as is done in Kansas, Minnesota, New York, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
We also cannot truly fix our system of taxation without spending more wisely. We also must reduce our reliance on debt and prioritize projects based on their ability to stimulate job growth.
One of the most fundamental budget reforms we should consider enacting is requiring state government to abide by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) – as local municipalities currently do – to gain a more complete and accurate picture of our budget.
Overall, and perhaps most important, we must restore the fundamental goals of state government: to protect the state’s most vulnerable citizens, enhance economic security, provide educational opportunity, maximize public safety, and to promote equity, fairness, and justice.

“Governor” Tom Foley
As Governor, I will veto any attempt by the legislature to raise taxes. I will order a review of state tax policy to ensure the way we tax our citizens and our businesses is fair and equitable, doesn’t put us at a disadvantage versus other states, and supports strong economic growth and job creation.
I will aggressively reduce spending so that we can reduce taxes and still comply with our constitutional requirement to balance the state budget
I will compare our tax rates and tax policy to other states, particularly neighboring states, to be sure our taxes are not driving businesses and working families away from Connecticut
I will aggressively reduce spending so that we can reduce taxes and still comply with our constitutional requirement to balance the state budget
I will increase transparency so that Connecticut taxpayers aren’t being hit with “stealth taxes” they can not see, such as the gross receipts tax on gas stations
I will work with the legislature to agree on a bi-partisan, long term tax policy for Connecticut that is based on sound economic policy and fairness, and which puts an end to the old-world politics of pitting groups of citizens or regions of the state against each other
As Governor, I will act immediately to increase transparency and eliminate deceptive practices. I will have Connecticut adopt Generally Accepting Accounting Principals (‘GAAP’) to reduce financial game playing by the legislature. I will fight to repeal mandates on businesses and towns that raise their costs.
As Governor, I will use my 25 years of executive experience and negotiating skills to bargain hard with the legislature to pass a budget that reduces state spending. I will move to stop Hartford from borrowing to pay for ordinary operating expenses, an irresponsible practice that the legislature is currently using to avoid cutting spending.
I will seek a stronger line item veto and then use it to protect spending reductions and block attempts by the legislature to raise taxes
I will not be afraid to make tough decisions to protect the future of our state
I will work hard to generate a more bi-partisan, cooperative culture in Hartford focused on solving problems rather than partisan bickering and infighting
I will immediately move to eliminate loopholes that allow funds intended for dedicated purposes such as investing in our transportation infrastructure and supporting our schools to be used instead by the legislature for general fund pet projects
I will eliminate other ‘tricks of the trade’ Hartford uses to avoid compliance with our prudent state spending cap and constitutional requirement to balance the budget
I will put an end to the Bonding Commission borrowing to pay for ordinary operating expenses, an irresponsible practice that the legislature is currently using to avoid cutting spending
I will insist that the state upgrade its internet portal to make it easier to use, provide citizens the opportunity to transact more business with the state on-line, and provide more transparent information about what your state government is doing with your money
. I will end the practice of Hartford imposing unfunded mandates on towns and otherwise restricting towns’ ability to conduct their business
I will review and seek repeal of mandates on towns that unnecessarily raise their costs
I will work to assure that Connecticut’s towns have more of a voice in determining state policy and decision-making by holding quarterly forums including town leaders, legislative leaders, and the Governor
I will work with the legislature to produce timely budgets so that towns can better plan their own budgeting
I will work to assist towns who want to participate in regional cost sharing by, for example, allowing joint permitting and otherwise simplifying the process and reducing the cost of complying with state laws

Except for the promise to veto any tax increase by “Governor” Foley, the two plans are very similar. Both “governors” favor the state using GAAP just as cities and towns are currently required to do. Both will bench mark against other states to find best practices. “Governor” Foley also is more specific in what actions he would take to reduce state expenses. Again, it is up to the reader to decide which plan has the most chance for success.

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Democratic nominee for Governor Dan Malloy on the decision earlier this year to cut nearly all funding to the Contracting Standards Board, which ensures that state contracting process is conducted in the most efficient manner possible and in the best interest of the state.

“This decision was short-sighted, and it was wrong,” said Malloy. “Everyone understands that Connecticut is facing dire financial circumstances, but we need to realize the difference between fat in the budget that can be trimmed, and necessary programs that actually save money when properly funded. Stripping funding from our contracting board has made the state less efficient, and it’s cost us money – period.”

As just one example, it’s been reported that privatized bridge inspections in Connecticut have cost an additional $25 million since 2007. Malloy said that savings could be found if the Standards Board was supported and staffed as originally intended, and that those increased savings could then be used directly to fund the board itself in the years ahead.

“As Governor, I’ll work to the fund the board and to undertake an exhaustive review of all state contracts,” concluded Malloy. “Getting our financial house in order isn’t a matter of slashing vital government services and programs until we’re out of the red, as some would have you believe. It’s about being smart about where and how we allocate resources, tracking our progress to make sure we’re being as efficient as possible, and investing in programs that save money. That’s what I did as Mayor of Stamford, and that’s what I’ll do as Governor.”

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By wtfdnucsailor

This is the first in a series of blog posting regarding the plans of the Republican and Democratic candidates for governor, Tom Foley and Dan Malloy. All of the information provided in the posting is from the candidate’s web sites, http://www.danmalloy.com/policy and http://www.tomfoley2010.com clicking on the “Issues” and “Tom’s Plan” selections. The opinions are my own and not cleared with either candidate’s staff. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a supporter of Dan Malloy and worked as a volunteer on his 2006 campaign as well as the current 2010 campaign.

I will begin with some general observations about the plans that the candidates have posted on their web sites. If less is more, then Foley wins hands down. His plan turns out to be seven pages in my word document. The Malloy plan is a whopping forty eight pages with great detail. I guess that is fitting since most Republicans believe less government is better, obviously a short plan will lead to less government. From the Democratic perspective, government is good and Malloy shows just how he plans to shape and change much of the state government in great detail.

Of course, there is no guarantee that either of the candidate’s will do what they lay out on their web site when actually in office, but like a stock prospectus, it is an indication of the plan and direction each candidate will pursue once in office.

I am leaving out much of the explanatory text in the plans and just noting the planned action items. Both plans are written in the first person, so I will keep that same format as I quote or paraphrase from each plan. The reader will have to remember that the occasional “I” is either “Governor” Foley or “Governor” Malloy.

Leading off in both plans is Jobs and the Economy so that is a good place to start the comparison.

“Governor” Tom Foley

1. As Governor, I will focus on attracting new businesses with highly skilled, high paying jobs to Connecticut:
I will have the Governor’s office and our state development agencies focus on the seven industries already identified as having high potential for Connecticut. The industries include:
Healthcare Services
Highly Engineered Manufacturing
Financial Services
Medical Devices
Alternative Energy Research and Development and Manufacturing
Pharmaceuticals
Biotechnology
2. I will immediately take action to make Connecticut more ‘Employer Friendly’:
I will review and work to repeal excessive state mandates, regulations, and fees that make it expensive for employers to hire Connecticut workers
I will change the attitude of our government agencies to be sure they understand the importance of supporting employers and their needs
I will seek to simplify and expedite state approvals for employers seeking to locate in Connecticut or make investments here that will create new jobs
3. I will immediately provide a package of incentives to lenders for extending more credit and capital to small and start-up businesses
4. I will work to develop and market the ‘Knowledge Corridor’ from Enfield to New Haven as a unique national asset combining our well-educated and highly skilled workforce with some of the best academic institutions and infrastructure in the nation
5. I will immediately convene the heads of CDA, DECD, and Connecticut Innovations and order them to prepare a comprehensive plan for bringing businesses to Connecticut including a means for obtaining more coordination and cooperation between them
6. I will order the Commissioner of Transportation and the Transportation Strategy Board to ensure that the needs of employers are incorporated into the state’s transportation master plan

“Governor” Dan Malloy
As your Governor, I will implement a comprehensive road map for economic security that focuses on the following twelve goals:
Listen and Lead.
My administration will engage local officials and business leaders in decisions that will make their communities stronger, and their local economies more competitive.

Use Incentives that Work
Connecticut currently grants in excess of $1.9 billion a year in economic incentives to businesses of all shapes and sizes. My Administration will do a comprehensive review of these incentives; if it can be shown that the incentive has been effective in creating and/or retaining jobs, it should probably stay on the books. If the incentive hasn’t worked, or if it’s outlived its usefulness, then the incentive should be recast in ways that do work, or they should be terminated because they don’t.

Be Bold. Think outside the box. Drive Job Creation
Create a new fund using close to a billion dollars in unused research & development tax credits to leverage new research and advanced manufacturing space, and encourage the participation of state and municipal pension funds to augment the initial investment.
Expand state investment in stem cell research and other cutting edge bio-medical fields.
Aggressively develop the state’s three deep water ports, reducing Connecticut’s brutal and expensive dependence on trucks.
Expand on the Bradley Development Zone to bring a European connection to Bradley.
Make additional investments in the research capabilities at John Dempsey Hospital in order to allow that campus to compete more effectively for important clinical trials, research, and experimentation.

Improve Connecticut’s Business Climate
Two areas need our immediate focus: Energy costs and Health Care costs. If we can lower those costs by 10% or more, we’ll immediately make Connecticut significantly more business friendly, and a favored destination for the entrepreneurs and small business owners that are the greatest job creators in America.
Reducing Energy Costs: As Governor, I’ll lead a statewide effort to promote efficiency, lower consumption, re-focus state investments to target renewable energy, and drive down electricity prices so that our businesses have will have the breathing room they need to grow and thrive
Reducing Health Care Costs: I would support pooling as Governor and look forward to drawing on the experience of my running mate, Nancy Wyman, who spearheaded the effort to extend state prescription drug coverage to municipal contracts.
A Balanced Approach: To be clear, making Connecticut more business friendly does not mean making it less worker friendly I support a smart mandatory paid sick days policy; studies have shown that implemented in the right fashion, this produces a healthier, more efficient, more effective workforce, and actually saves money.
In addition, we need to do a better job of helping maturing businesses to succeed As Governor, I can’t guarantee a company’s success, but I will commit to reforming and simplifying our regulatory system to make success more likely. In these lean times, we cannot afford to provide funding to every company that needs it, but my administration will provide assistance to companies that seek to invest in their future and help make navigating investment options more fruitful.

Succeed in Recruiting Businesses
My administration will identify companies that have great potential to grow in Connecticut, target them for recruitment, and welcome them to our state.

As Governor, I will ensure that recruitment is about community and commitment. My administration will establish recruiting teams comprised of the local chief elected official, local economic development specialists, and other key people such as local and regional representatives from business groups such as local Chambers of Commerce and other “builders” of communities, such as educational leaders, community non-profits, foundations, and Arts and Culture organizations.

My administration will invigorate recruitment by including on these teams a representative from the Governor’s office and key individuals from state agencies related to a company’s industry. And, as Governor, I will be a hands-on partner in the process.

Compete and Win in the High Tech, New Energy Economy
My administration will deliver programs that support entrepreneurs and start-up businesses that grow jobs in technology and research. It will also continue to support home-grown alternative energy and new technologies that help us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
Keep and enhance Connecticut’s own Clean Energy Fund that provides investment opportunities for manufacturing of clean energy components like the photovoltaic cells used in solar energy.

My administration will direct resources toward technologies where Connecticut has a competitive advantage and greater potential for growing and keeping high-skilled jobs and attract and grow cutting-edge companies in three ways:

First, my administration will aggressively identify and recruit cutting edge companies from around the country and beyond.
Second, if a company can qualify under the strict federal and Clean Energy guidelines, my administration will kick-start their success by providing access to a low-interest revolving loan that will not cost Connecticut taxpayers a dime
Third, My administration will also provide companies qualifying for Clean Energy incentives with a team of ambassadors to expedite their opening. Teams will help link companies to local, state, and federal fiscal resources…. Our teams of ambassadors will also provide expertise and legal assistance tailored to the specific needs of these cutting edge companies

Redouble Efforts to Revitalize Manufacturing
As Governor, my administration will extend the same Ambassador service advantages we plan to make available to Clean Energy companies to cutting-edge manufacturers. My administration would also expand key programs, like CONNSTEP and CCAT, that assist small companies in integrating advanced technologies into their production lines and make them part of our Ambassadors’ portfolios.
We will ensure that small, growing manufacturing companies have access to legal, financial and regulatory expertise and assistance so that they neither balk at growth nor fail when they face the complexity of growing into a mid-size company. I will call on a growing cadre of highly talented volunteers in our state – retired senior executives and management experts-who I know want to be part of Connecticut’s economic renaissance. This strategy of seeding our economic garden is not business as usual, it’s an innovative approach that will allow us to grow a manufacturing base that provides for a diverse economy rich in jobs and built to compete and win.

Make a real commitment to move forward on Brownfields
As Governor, I will call for the creation of a $500 million revolving account to assist communities in paying for cleanup and restoration of brownfields, with the expectation that the state would recover all costs on that account in a reasonable time period.

Recognize and Invest in Women and Minority Owned Businesses
By making it my business to listen and learn, I know that women and minority owned businesses account for about 31% of the number of small businesses in Connecticut… As Governor, I’ll re-focus the state’s attention on these critical businesses, and will commit to having the State achieve its investment goals.

Improve and Enhance Infrastructure and Transportation
A Malloy administration would focus resources on projects with a big payoff, rather than on earmarked projects that can be inconsistent with a statewide economic strategic plan.
Investments in transportation projects not only provide jobs, they fuel long-term improvements in our quality of life and our ability to attract, grow and retain companies and their workers.
The Malloy administration will create a team that will represent Connecticut more effectively in our nation’s capitol, and provide the help needed in our state for businesses, state agencies, non-profits, universities and indeed all those who want to compete and win in securing federal dollars to grow our economy.

Institute Benchmarks and Greater Accountability
As Governor, I will identify strategic economic benchmarks to ensure that state resources are allocated as efficiently as possible.

And, my administration would make sure that any state assistance provided for economic development is transparent and that companies receiving assistance are held accountable to the goals they promise

Focus on Workforce Development and Education
My administration will develop comprehensive strategies for enhancing education at all levels, including improving links between workforce training and our key competitive industries, retooling career ladders to keep pace with our changing economy, and ensuring access to affordable, and relevant incumbent worker training. We have to harness workforce development, education at all levels, private sector support and the philanthropic community in this effort.

Forward Thinking
Government can’t fix the economy by itself, nor should it try. But what government can do is help put in place an economic development strategy that makes sense for the 21st century economy, instead of holding onto strategies that were designed for the last century.

We need to recognize and value the critical engines of job growth in our state-the small businesses, run by men and women, and drawn from a diverse group of Connecticut entrepreneurs–that deserve better from state government.

We need to understand the need for balance: that we can grow the economy and create jobs while protecting the environment, preserving what’s best about Connecticut, and promoting fair policies for workers. All while running a game plan that allows us to compete and win in the high tech new energy economy.

We need to engage everyone in this effort, and provide support from state government. We need the energy and expertise of retired business leaders, or retired shop stewards, in fact anyone with experience to mentor and support the growth of Connecticut’s businesses and workers.

Even more important, we need to be mindful of young people in our state – building an economy with their future in mind will guarantee the kind of economy and job opportunities we want in our state now and for generations to come.

I hope the reader does not think that I shortchanged Candidate Foley in this presentation. What you see is what is on the web site. I leave it to the reader to decide which approach they want to see in the next administration, but you have to recognize that Malloy’s plan has more detail and is more complete than the one offered by Foley.

I will compare their plans in other key areas in future postings.

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Nearly 1,100 foodborne outbreaks reported nationally in 2007

Foodborne agents cause an estimated 76 million illnesses annually in the United States. A total of 1,097 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported in 2007 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a CDC analysis. State investigators reported 21,244 illnesses and 18 deaths as a result of these outbreaks. The report also provides the most recent data on how many illnesses were linked to specific types of foods.

“Knowing more about what types of foods and foodborne agents have caused outbreaks can help guide public health and the food industry in developing measures to effectively control and prevent infections and help people stay healthy,” said Chris Braden, acting director of the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases.

Despite health officials’ efforts, the cause of an outbreak—either the food or the foodborne agent responsible—often cannot be determined or confirmed. This most commonly is the case when the outbreak is small. Of 1,097 reported outbreaks in 2007, 497 (or 45 percent) confirmed that one foodborne agent was responsible and in an additional 12 outbreaks more than one foodborne agent was responsible. Thus, in more than half of the outbreaks, a foodborne agent was not identified. Norovirus was the most frequently confirmed foodborne agent (39 percent), followed by Salmonella (27 percent).

Foodborne disease outbreaks due to norovirus occur most often when infected food handlers do not wash their hands well after using the toilet; outbreaks due to salmonella occur most often when foods are contaminated with animal feces. Contaminated foods are often of animal origin, such as beef, poultry, milk, or eggs. But any food, including vegetables, may become contaminated. Thorough cooking kills Salmonella.

The report states that in the 235 outbreaks where one food commodity was identified, the largest number of illnesses listed poultry (691 illnesses), beef (667 illnesses), and leafy vegetables (590 illnesses) as the cause. The CDC tracks 17 food commodity categories. A full listing of the number of illnesses associated with each of the categories is available at: www.cdc.gov/outbreaknet/surveillance_data.html.

Direct access to the Foodborne Outbreak Online Database (FOOD), a searchable database of outbreaks reported to CDC between 1998 and 2007 is available at: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/foodborneoutbreaks/.

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Relying on almost 20 years of experience analyzing state firearms laws, Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV) has ranked the firearms laws of all fifty states in its most recent report, “Gun Laws Matter: A Comparison of State Firearms Laws and Statistics.” The report compares firearm-related statistics, such as gun ownership and gun deaths, and concludes that the states with the strongest gun laws and lowest percentage of household gun ownership tend to have the lowest gun death rates.

“When we juxtaposed our ranking of state firearms laws with state gun death rates, we saw an obvious connection between the two,” noted LCAV’s Executive Director Robyn Thomas. “Policymakers need to know that gun regulation does make a difference.”

The new report displays each state’s firearms law ranking on a map that also indicates how each state’s gun death rate compares to the national average.

In addition, Gun Laws Matter provides examples of the strongest and weakest components of existing firearms laws and lists the states that have enacted them. The report details the laws of the two states at the opposite ends of the spectrum: California, which has the strongest laws, and Arizona, which has the weakest. California, with a gun death rate well below the national average, has enacted a wide variety of laws regulating firearms. These include innovate measures such as requiring handgun microstamping (technology that allows a firearm to imprint a serial number and other information onto a cartridge case when a handgun is fired), banning 50 caliber rifles, and requiring handgun ammunition sales record-keeping.

Conversely, Arizona, which has a gun death rate well above the national average, imposes almost no regulation on firearms and has enacted irresponsible measures such as allowing firearms to be carried openly or concealed without a permit, allowing loaded guns in establishments that serve alcohol, and declaring that firearms and ammunition made and kept in the state are not subject to federal law.

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Great analysis from the Democratic National Committee:

Tuesday’s primaries could not have gone better for the President and Democrats or worse for Republicans. Democrats emerged unified and with strong candidates in races across the country, giving them the upper-hand in close contests for the Senate and for Governorships. Meanwhile, Republicans added to their slate of nominees who are marred by scandal and controversy and who are beholden to the Tea Party’s extreme agenda. In fact, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Tea Party and its candidates are becoming a millstone around the Republican Party’s neck.

In Colorado, the President’s organization successfully road tested its Vote 2010 get out the vote effort with Organizing for America making 11,500 calls and knocking on nearly 3,500 doors in the last four days alone on behalf of Senator Bennet. Republicans, on the other hand, witnessed the defeat of both their establishment candidates for the state’s two marquee races, defeats which are sending the already-cashed strapped Colorado GOP further into chaos. In other races, from Minnesota to Georgia, Democrats are well-positioned for the fall while Republicans are struggling with inter-party battles and extreme candidates who will not appeal to the majority of mainstream American voters.

While the Democratic Party is organized and prepared for tough races this fall, the Republican Party continues to fight a corrosive civil war that is costing them the candidates of their choice, pushing their state parties further into disarray, and may ultimately hinder the GOP’s chances of success this fall.

Here’s a sampling of the coverage of Tuesday’s primaries:

Primaries Are Good News for Democrats; Prove Party Strength:

Politico: Primary night yields good news for President Obama and Democrats. President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, who have been starved for good news through much of 2010, finally received a generous helping Tuesday night. Republicans, meanwhile, were left with several new reasons to wonder whether all the favorable national trends showing up in polls are enough to overcome local candidates who are inspiring little confidence about their readiness for the general election 12 weeks from now. In each of the four states that held primaries Tuesday, the GOP either nominated or gave an overnight lead to candidates tarnished by scandal, gaffes or some other significant vulnerability.

First Read: A good night for the Democrats: Indeed, last night might have been the Democrats’ best primary night of the year (of course the bar is kind of low). Bennet heads into the general election as the favorite in Colorado; John Hickenlooper may very well have locked up Colorado’s gubernatorial race after Dan Maes defeated Scott McInnis in the GOP primary (and Maes won’t get out of the race easily); Roy Barnes has the short-term edge with Georgia’s GOP race still unsettled; and Dan Malloy’s victory over Ned Lamont in Connecticut’s gubernatorial primary probably gives Democrats their better general election candidate there.

Slate: A Good Night for the Democrats. In order for Barack Obama’s party to call Tuesday night a “win,” a number of things had to happen. Briefly: They needed Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Col.) to win his nomination, Ken Buck to win the right to oppose him, businessman Dan Maes to win the GOP primary for Colorado governor, congressman Nathan Deal to win the GOP primary for Georgia governor, and someone besides former Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn.) to win the Democratic nomination for governor of Minnesota. Most of this happened.

USA Today: Obama has a pretty good election night. It looks like a good election night Tuesday for President Obama. First, his candidate in a Colorado Senate primary — incumbent U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet — held off challenger Andrew Romanoff, who had the backing of former President Bill Clinton. A reversal would have renewed the questions about Obama’s coattails that followed Democratic defeats in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia. Obama and other Democrats are also pleased by Colorado’s Republican primary, where the Tea Party-backed Ken Buck defeated “establishment” Republican Jane Norton.

New York Times: Colorado Race Could Reassure Obama and Democrats. Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado, a Democrat who had hitched his star to the fortunes of President Obama, survived a bitter primary challenge on Tuesday, suggesting that at least here in this Western swing state, the much touted wrath of the American voter may not, in the end, be quite ready to sweep away all before it… And in a sign of continuing divisions in the Republican Party, Ken Buck, a veteran former prosecutor, beat Jane Norton, the choice of the party establisment, in the Republican Senate primary in Colorado. And in Georgia, a Republican runoff for Governor was too close to call in a race that saw leading Republicans squaring off against one another in endorsements. Mr. Bennet’s victory in Colorado suggests that for all the anger at establishment politicians and officeholders this year, Democrats and President Obama still retain some political clout in swing states that sided with the party in the 2008 presidential election.

Washington Monthly: Yesterday was arguably the biggest primary day in months, with key contests, up and down the ballot, in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, and Minnesota. As the dust settles, and yesterday’s results become clearer, it looks like the White House and Democratic Party campaign committees have reason to smile.

Republicans’ Corrosive Civil War Rages On, Tea Party Has Best Night Yet

CQ Political Wire: Republican Establishment Loses in Colorado. Anti-establishment Republicans carried the two biggest primaries in Colorado last night. In the U.S. Senate race, Tea Party favorite Ken Buck (R) defeated Jane Norton (R) that sets up a general election this fall against an establishment Democrat, Sen. Michael Bennett (D). In the race for governor, Dan Maes (R) — “an unknown, underfinanced gubernatorial candidate who has never held public office” — defeated former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) for the GOP nomination. He will also face Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) and former Rep. Tom Tancredo (I) in the fall.

First Read: Tea Party Wins Again: Lost in the White House’s and DSCC’s big win in Colorado, the likely second round of overtime for Republicans in Georgia, and perhaps the Democrats’ best primary night of the year was this key development: The Tea Party won yet another key primary. In Colorado last night, Ken Buck held on to defeat establishment-backed Jane Norton, making him the fourth Tea Party candidate to win a Republican Senate primary this year, joining Rand Paul in Kentucky, Sharron Angle in Nevada, and Mike Lee in Utah. And then you have Marco Rubio in Florida, who won his primary by default. On the one hand, the Tea Party is giving the GOP a jolt of energy and enthusiasm heading into the fall. For instance, more Coloradoans last night voted in the Republican Senate primary than the Democratic one; in fact, Norton and Buck both got more votes individually in their primary than Michael Bennet did in his, and Bennet won by a larger margin.

Politico’s Playbook: Tea-Party Triple Crown. –Denver Post: “Ken Buck defeated Jane Norton in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate, setting up a general election this fall that pits an establishment Democrat against a scrappy, Tea Party-backed opponent.” –AP call at 3:48 a.m.: “Businessman Dan Maes rode support from tea party groups to claim Colorado’s Republican gubernatorial primary, defeating former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis. … Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will be the Democrat.” –Conservative state Rep. Mark Emmer had no serious opposition as GOP candidate for governor in Minnesota.

First Read: Could the Tea Party cost the GOP two or three Senate seats? On the other hand, there are legitimate concerns about whether Buck, Paul, and Angle are their party’s best nominees and if they could enable Democrats to win these Senate contests in an environment where nearly everything is going the GOP’s way. John Cornyn and the NRSC have been doing their job this cycle: putting seats in play and trying to recruit the most electable candidates (like Charlie Crist in Florida, Trey Grayson in Kentucky, Norton in Colorado or Dino Rossi in Washington). The problem is that GOP voters are defeating these establishment-backed candidates — or, in Crist’s case, forcing them out of the Republican primary. If Republicans lose two out of four in Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, and Nevada, it’s hard to find a path to the 10 seats they need for control of the Senate. Buck, by the way, does seem to have some outside multimillionaire benefactors. The “Americans for Job Security” organization was restarted, in part, to help Buck get on the Colorado map. The NRSC is going to need a TON of outside money to keep Buck in the game, especially since the entire state GOP is a mess right now, thanks to the governor’s race debacle.

Washington Post: Republicans are heading into the fall armed with candidates who will be challenging to manage. Tea Party favorite Ken Buck’s victory in last night’s Colorado Senate GOP primary is the latest in a pattern: The success of right-wingers in Senate primaries means Republicans are heading into the fall armed with candidates who will be challenging to manage in general elections, thanks to their pronounced conservatism, lack of polish, and unpredictability. Buck follows on the heels of Sharron Angle and Rand Paul, both of whom were powered to primary victories by enthusiasm on the right but are now essentially general-election mine-fields when it comes to their positions and public statements. While there’s no question that Republicans could win in these three races — and other Senate contests are also very competitive, giving the GOP a shot at big gains — this emerging pattern gives Dems a glimmer of cautious optimism amid a very bad electoral environment.

Salon: Tea party one step closer to running GOP’s Senate hopes. The timing should be perfect for Republicans to pick up the Senate seat that will be on Colorado’s ballot in November…. But it’s starting to look like it won’t. In last night’s primary, the GOP establishment’s preferred candidate, Jane Norton, was knocked off by Ken Buck, a favorite of the Tea Party movement. And when Tea Party candidates win GOP nominations in competitive statewide races, it instantly worsens the Republicans’ November prospects.

Time Magazine’s Mark Halperin: Buck Bests Norton. Another Tea Party win and another establishment candidate bites the dust. The NRSC needs to find a third group of minders (after ones for Paul and Angle) to keep Buck from giving away the race with his mouth.

Hotline: Maes Defeats McInnis, Colorado GOP In Disarray. Businessman Dan Maes (R) narrowly defeated ex-Rep. Scott McInnis (R) in the Colorado Republican gubernatorial primary, a result that is giving state Republicans heartburn as they prepare for the general election against Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D)… CO GOPers are scared of Maes’ unproven candidacy, his own ethical troubles, and fundraising issues. Maes, once a fringe Tea Party candidate, surged into the lead in polls as McInnis’ plagiarism scandal dominated local and national media. Maes didn’t help the GOPers’ confidence when he revealed that he believes the U.N. is involved in a nefarious plot to take over Denver through a bike-sharing program.