My must read of the day is "Friendly Fire Over Colorado Fracking Could Cost Democrats the U.S. Senate," in Time:
With a nail biter election on the horizon that flip control of the U.S. Senate, the biggest concern of many Colorado Democrats is one of their own—a wealthy congressman named Jared Polis who is pushing statewide ballot initiatives that party strategists fear could increase Republican turnout in November.
Polis has introduced and is helping garner enough signatures for a state ballot effort would restrict oil and gas fracking, a major issue in his home district where four of the five biggest towns have banned it. […]
Meanwhile, Democrats have privately and publicly called on Polis to withdraw the initiatives and compromise, but he has refused to do so, saying the Democratic base supports these moves. While that is true, the fracking issue could motivate Republicans more, by making the oil and gas industry front and center this election year.
Democrats are going to sink their own ship in 2014 and if they do, they can probably thank their environmentalist billionaires.
The majority of the vulnerable Senate seats this cycle are in energy producing states—most notably Louisiana, but Colorado has the potential to be flipped and they're one of the top ten energy-producing states. Doubling down on things like preventing fracking is one way to help Republicans pick up those 6 seats to take the Senate.
The Colorado Senate race is incredibly close—why not help your guy win right now and gain a substantial lead? You can't do much with your legislative agenda if your party isn't winning. The push by people like Polis and Tom Steyer is politically shortsighted. It could cost Democrats seats, and losing control of the Senate hurts their cause in the long run.