Mount Virtus

Anyone suffering from a severe case of paranoia and the irrational attraction to political parties, candidates, advocacy groups and blogs that lie and manipulate, sacrifice every shred of honor and decency in the quest for political power, and haven’t had a serious thought or policy idea about national security in years, may want to sign up on the new Progress Now “No-Spy List.”

They can start on the road to recovery by reading this post, while the rest of us will continue to avoid phone calls to and from al-Qaeda agents abroad.

But hey, if you think protesting National Security Agency wiretaps of terrorists is a winning issue, who am I to stop your campaign of fear and misinformation?

It looks like the Hilary ‘08 campaign has hit its first big hiccup.

Last week’s rumors were true - the decision was made official this morning: Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman has again bolstered his campaign with the announcement that former Speaker of the House Lola Spradley will be his running mate.

Spradley, who has been welcomed to the team with open arms, expressed her support for her new running mate’s vision and philosophy. Among other things, she brings the credentials of a highly-respected term of legislative service and a strong base of popularity in the region of Pueblo and southeastern Colorado. There is excitement and enthusiasm among grassroots supporters across the state for Holtzman’s decision and for the direction his campaign is headed. Following in the wake of last week’s favorable poll numbers from an objective and reliable source, the Holtzman campaign is gaining some real momentum heading into the March caucuses.

Cross posted at Holtzman v Beauprez.

All I can say to this tidbit is please, please, please… That Hugo Chavez endorsement could go a long way with a significant segment of the California electorate.

The new reliable Rasmussen poll on the potential matchups in the upcoming Colorado governor’s race has created a stir among the state’s Republican insiders. Former University of Denver president Marc Holtzman benefits most from the news: his bona fides as a credible statewide candidate have been established. Not only is the ground game among GOP activists from the Plains to the Front Range to the Western Slope gaining him momentum with the party’s base, the new Rasmussen poll affirms his legitimate status as a potential successor to Governor Bill Owens. Michael has some initial RMA analysis of the survey you should check out.

As a Holtzman supporter (full disclosure), I’m certainly pleased by the news - which is generating some buzz out there in the blogosphere:
- Of course, the Dead Governors started quite a conversation -
- Students for Holtzman comes to life with the good news that their candidate beats the currently declared Democratic frontrunner Bill Ritter in a head-to-head matchup -
- Over at Red State, partisans spread the polling news from the Centennial State and provoke some bickering between supporters of the two candidates (at least someone noticed holtzmanvbeauprez over there) -
- A discussion thread is underway at Free Republic on the same topic -
- Terri at GOPUSA Colorado has posted the information -

The earliest echoes of national interest into the important Colorado gubernatorial race… you know where you need to look to stay updated on what will be going on. The next important date on the calendar here is March 21, when Republicans convene in their caucuses to select delegates to the State Assembly - scheduled for May 20. A candidate needs to earn at least 30 percent of the delegates’ support to get on the primary ballot. And then the Beauprez-Holtzman showdown likely will gain a lot of steam. Stay tuned.

Cross posted at Holtzman v Beauprez

I’m off to the Leadership Program of the Rockies (LPR) Retreat at the Broadmoor this weekend for a fantastic time. If you don’t know what I’m talking about or would like to learn more, you can read posts from one of LPR’s most enthusiastic alumni here, here, and here.

Look forward to a Mount Virtus report from Colorado Springs on sessions and speeches from Ann Coulter, Hugh Hewitt, Kate O’Beirne, Stephen Moore, Mike Rosen, and more.

Kudos to two of the state GOP’s rising stars for proposing the most responsible legislation I’ve seen yet regarding how to handle the influx of Referendum C dollars. Reps. Josh Penry [memo to Lynn Bartels & editors - Penry, not Henry] and Cory Gardner are leading the way with a couple of different plans to create a rainy-day fund to save state money rather than spend it frivolously on new programs. I’m glad to see these two Republican lawmakers out in front on this issue, and hopefully the Democrat-majority legislature can avoid the temptations to empty the pocketbooks and instead follow a sound plan for the future, much like your average Colorado family has to do.

Keep an eye on these pieces of legislation: I have a feeling they will be very important factors not only in the 2006 election but beyond.

Our junior United States Senator from Colorado, Ken Salazar - have the Left-liberal pressure groups inside the Beltway caused him to forget who he represents, or does he really feel this way? A key Salazar quote from today’s Rocky Mountain News:

“There are members of the U.S. Supreme Court that I very much disagree with. Clarence Thomas, for example, I think is an abomination when you contrast him to the leadership and principles of someone like Thurgood Marshall. I’ve been in front of the court and I know the justices.”

Think for a minute: When was the last time you heard a sitting Republican elected official call Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Stephen Breyer or John Paul Stevens an “abomination”? With rhetoric like that, they would be accused of kowtowing to right-wing Christian fundamentalists and creating an atmosphere of hate and intolerance. However, if you’re left-of-center and an elected Democrat, like Ken Salazar, you can preach to the Beltway choir about the “abomination” of a conservative black judge and scarcely bat an eye. But out here in Colorado, a few people will stand up and take notice. They already are…

Update: Despite all the organized attacks and less than balanced media coverage on Sam Alito, Rasmussen has released a poll showing 50% of Coloradans favor his nomination while 37% are opposed. Again, Senator Salazar is more in step with Left-wing Washington interest groups than the folks here at home.

Karen Crummy of The Denver Post reports this morning that the Marc Holtzman campaign is courting former House Speaker Lola Spradley as his gubernatorial running mate. The salient observation from the article is that Spradley does not fit the campaign’s recent anti-establishment tone. Republican consultant Katy Atkinson astutely observes that Holtzman “could be trying to balance the ticket.”

To me it appears that Holtzman may be backing off the strident attack footing that resulted in some bad press last week. Floating Spradley’s name as a potential running mate might refocus and stabilize the direction of his unconventional, heavily grassroots campaign. Spradley, who hails from tiny Beulah north of Pueblo, was Colorado’s first-ever female Speaker of the House. While she has her conservative bona fides with a solid legislative record and open opposition to last fall’s Referendum C tax increase, she may be most regarded in some circles for joining Democratic Congressman Mark Udall to lead the charge in the 2004 campaign to mandate the use of renewable energy. As such, Spradley was an articulate spokesperson for an overwhelmingly successful statewide ballot initiative.

Although we have yet to hear the names of any other potential Holtzman running mates, his campaign could do a lot worse than to add Lola Spradley to the ticket. The news Colorado political insiders would wait to hear is whether she would accept such an offer.

Meanwhile, in other campaign news, Pueblo School District 60 Superintendent Joyce Bales (a reported “education adviser” to the Holtzman campaign) has accepted a new job in California, according to today’s edition of the Pueblo Chieftain. Bales will be noted for trying to buck the status quo on some matters and bring creative efforts toward academic improvement in Pueblo.

Cross posted at Holtzman v Beauprez.

All evidence to the contrary, Colorado’s Democrat “wine-and-cheese” crowd think they have not only the more fashionable but also the more popular positions on all the so-called social issues. When Republicans make a proposal to allow school districts to teach intelligent design, a collective tsk, tsk arises from the elite quarter. We’re reminded of Democrat Speaker Andrew Romanoff’s poignant quote from the 2005 legislative session about budgets vs. bestiality, and the sound of snickers can be heard between sips of Merlot.

But when Democrats announce a proposal to give marriage benefits to homosexuals, the “wine-and-cheese” crowd fawns in awestruck delight. “Forget the budget, and accountability to the taxpayer, now THIS is a winning issue!”

Let me say I agree with Michael on this one: please refer the measure to the vote of the people. Tim Gill and company will spend millions promoting the issue, there can be a good and healthy debate, Democrat legislative candidates will have to decide whether to associate themselves with it, and the conservative base will be further energized to turn out in November.

Since neither party seems able to resist the temptation, let Democrats continue to delude themselves into thinking they have the enlightened corner on social issues - especially this one. The stage is being set for an intense 2006 electoral battle in Colorado.

People who confidently presume to know the mind of God in major world events have always unsettled me. Often I think they must not be reading the same inspired Scriptures that I do. About 10 days ago I took Rev. Pat Robertson to task for his remarks about Ariel Sharon: both presumptuous and inappropriate.

Yesterday, New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin got in on the act, with his claims that the hurricane that struck his city and the Gulf Coast region was some kind of retribution for the Iraq war. At least Robertson’s claim had some loose connection to actual Old Testament prophecy. Nagin went even farther out on a limb, appropriating Divine purposes to suit his views on American foreign policy.

Yet I can guarantee the outcry and response from the MSM will be much less this time, in part because it doesn’t fit the meme for people on the Left to be branded “religious fanatics.” That, and they’re focused on Nagin’s foot-in-mouth observations about “chocolate” on Martin Luther King Day.

More true humility is what is needed - and that includes me.

Hat Tip: LaShawn Barber

Yesterday I wrote an open letter urging Rep. Bob Beauprez to support Rep. John Shadegg in the upcoming House leadership elections. An astute commenter pointed out that I was “too late” - linking to a site I had not seen that says Beauprez has already committed to supporting current House Majority Whip Roy Blunt. Assuming the complete accuracy of this list, it is important to note the following:

As he burns up cell phone minutes this weekend, Shadegg is likely to secure endorsements from previously uncommitted members of the group. And today his spokesperson went even further, issuing a statement asserting that they “already have defections from the Blunt list.” Lastly, as Richard Cohen sagely noted in this week’s issue of National Journal, endorsements in secret ballot leadership races must be taken with tablespoons of salt.

Let’s hope that Rep. Beauprez does the right thing.

This morning I sent the following letter to my Congressman, U.S. Representative Bob Beauprez of Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, regarding the important upcoming decisions for new leadership in the House:

As an active Jefferson County Republican and supporter of your candidacy in the past two elections, I have a concern shared by many within the party that I would like to share.

Regarding the upcoming elections of GOP House leadership, I believe it is of the utmost importance for the sake of the party and the country to select leaders a) who are completely untainted by any dealings with Jack Abramoff, b) who are proven and committed fiscal conservatives (opponents of pork & earmarks), and c) who understand that lobbying and campaign finance are not reformed by more laws and regulations but by significantly reducing the largesse of the federal government.

I believe following this path will begin the process of leading to several important things:
a) Restore the confidence of fiscal conservatives in the party that most closely has reflected their principles in the past;
b) Restore the confidence of the American people in the honesty and integrity of Republican Congressional leadership; and
c) Remove the Abramoff and lobbying scandal issues from the discussion for the 2006 Congressional elections so officials can focus on more important matters like Iraq, immigration, tax reform, and the like.

An important resolution signed by many influential center-right bloggers addresses this topic directly here. An important set of questions for any potential House GOP leadership candidate can be found here.

At this point, Arizona Congressman John Shadegg of all the candidates best reflects the ideals I have set forth to be the next Majority Leader. Congressman Beauprez, I do hope that representing the 7th Congressional District of Colorado, you can give strong consideration to supporting Rep. Shadegg or someone of like mind and background. Thank you for your time and for your hard work representing our district and our party in Washington, D.C.

I urge other conservative-minded Republicans out there to contact your Representative (if he is also from the GOP), as well, concerning this important issue. I will keep you notified of any response I may receive from his office.

Update: Joshua has more insights on Beauprez and the House leadership race.

As a principled and purposeful conservative Republican partisan activist who believes in the power of ruling majorities to shift debates and move agendas, and as an American dedicated to the highest ideals in the stewardship of our government, I gladly contribute my humble and wholehearted support to the following petition at NZ Bear (and encourage other center-right bloggers to join the growing list):

An Appeal from Center-Right Bloggers
We are bloggers with boatloads of opinions, and none of us come close to agreeing with any other one of us all of the time. But we do agree on this: The new leadership in the House of Representatives needs to be thoroughly and transparently free of the taint of the Jack Abramoff scandals, and beyond that, of undue influence of K Street.

We are not naive about lobbying, and we know it can and has in fact advanced crucial issues and has often served to inform rather than simply influence Members.

But we are certain that the public is disgusted with excess and with privilege. We hope the Hastert-Dreier effort leads to sweeping reforms including the end of subsidized travel and other obvious influence operations. Just as importantly, we call for major changes to increase openness, transparency and accountability in Congressional operations and in the appropriations process.

As for the Republican leadership elections, we hope to see more candidates who will support these goals, and we therefore welcome the entry of Congressman John Shadegg to the race for Majority Leader. We hope every Congressman who is committed to ethical and transparent conduct supports a reform agenda and a reform candidate. And we hope all would-be members of the leadership make themselves available to new media to answer questions now and on a regular basis in the future.

Signed,
Ben DeGrow, Mount Virtus (Rocky Mountain Alliance)

Yesterday, as promised some members of the Rocky Mountain Alliance sat down for 30 minutes with Gov. Bill Owens. The Kestrel has already posted his thoughts, while Joshua was in attendance, too.

While we talked about a range of issues, mostly stemming from his State of the State Address earlier in the day, the Governor gave the sense of a leader committed to defending and extending his legacy in his final year in office.
Read the rest of this entry »

Colorado’s madcap Lefties over at ProgressNow have taken their disingenuous use of statistics to a new level today, with a press release “responding” to Governor Owens’ State of the State speech, sent out within minutes of its conclusion. I have yet to find a copy of the release on their Web site but have pasted the email message below, followed by a response to their egregious selectiveness and gross mishandling of K-12 education statistics (that’s my area of expertise - I’ll let others dismantle their other assertions):

Read the rest of this entry »

Recently I highlighted a quote (among several) from “moderate” Republican State Representative Mark Larson about his disgust with the party’s social conservatives, claiming for himself the mantel of a “Goldwater Republican.” Today there’s an excellent Opinion Journal article by Andrew Busch, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, documenting “The Goldwater Myth” that the Arizona Senator’s 1964 Presidential campaign was more about libertarian small government principles than moral and cultural conservatism. It seems to be not an uncommon mistake to make this false characterization and therefore a must-read for those who otherwise conveniently and passively might have let recent American political history be rewritten for whatever purposes.

The Holtzman for Governor campaign once again shows it’s working hard, announcing its status as the first campaign to be certified to conduct voter registration drives.

“Our campaign is on track for victory in August and November,” said GOP gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman. “And one of our key goals is to increase voter participation so more Coloradans will help select not only the Republican nominee in August, but also the state’s governor next fall.”

Back in Holtzman’s November meeting with members of the RMA, he stressed his plans to rebuild the party structure. The campaign is about much more than just the candidate’s leadership, personality, and qualifications, though those are significant considerations, too. The campaign’s plan to hold voter registration drives in key counties across Colorado should yield results that benefit not only Marc Holtzman but the Republican Party as well. Kudos to the Holtzman team.

Cross posted at Holtzman v Beauprez