Mount Virtus

It’s not often I advise readers to tune into a television program. Here’s an exception: this Friday night at 10 PM Eastern (9 PM Denver local time) on ABC, John Stossel brings his free market instincts and no-nonsense approach to tackle the issue of education. I encourage you to watch “Stupid in America: How We Cheat Our Kids” (or set the VCR or TiVo if you’ve got big plans on Friday).

Re the Judge Alito confirmation hearings, I can’t say it much better than Paul Zummo at ConfirmThem:

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Tomorrow is Colorado Governor Bill Owens’ eighth and final State of the State Address. The legislative session has once again kicked off under Denver’s golden dome, and Owens is going to do what he can to set the agenda with a Democratic majority in the legislature.

Mark Salley, Deputy Secretary for the Governor’s Office, has invited members of the Rocky Mountain Alliance to sit down and chat with the Governor after his big speech tomorrow. A big thanks to Gov. Owens and to Mark for setting up this meeting for the second straight year. Please check back tomorrow for a report.

Events in the Senate District 22 GOP intraparty contest to replace recently-resigned Senator Norma Anderson (see earlier posts here and here) just took another twist. Mike Kopp, one of the candidates who lost out to Kathleen “Kiki” Traylor in the Vacancy Committee’s Saturday decision to replace Anderson (Barb Neville and Guy Heil were the others), has filed a formal complaint with the Secretary of State alleging the procedure was handled illegally. I obtained a copy of Kopp’s press release, which is also reprinted in full at the Dead Governors’ site:

State Senate District 22 Candidate Mike Kopp notified the Secretary of State’s office today that the vacancy committee for SD22 failed to meet its statutory requirements. According to official documents released by the Senate District 22 Vacancy Committee, it did not give six days notice before meeting January 7.

Colorado law requires a minimum of six days notice before a legislative vacancy committee may meet to select a replacement for a vacant seat. Kopp’s attorney, Scott Gessler stated, “It is obvious that the law was violated.”

According to Gessler, the call of the Senate District 22 Vacancy Committee was sent out to committee members on Tuesday, January 3, four days before the meeting instead of the statutorily mandated six days.

Kopp said, “One thing I’ve learned from observing former Senator Anderson is that the process is more important than the person. The rank-and-file Republicans of Senate District 22 should not be harmed by a hurried secret meeting.” According to Gessler, the vacancy cannot certify a replacement for Anderson and the remedy is to have the governor appoint Anderson’s replacement.

This action strikes me as nothing less than politically imprudent. Whether true or not, having submitted his name to the Vacancy Committee and come up short, Kopp gives the appearance of being a sore loser. Kopp was unavailable for further comment on his decision, though I will be glad to update the post with any clarifying remarks he may wish to share. His primary opponent Justin Everett, who took the high road and chose to bypass the committee, said:

Look at this mess over the Vacancy Committee. You have a Senator that’s been there too long picking her successor and now you have Republicans suing Republicans. We went down this road with County Commissioner Rick Sheehan last year. Enough is enough! It’s time for new blood and a fresh start.

A new article in the Evergreen Canyon Courier has allegedly misstated a fact surrounding the replacement process. According to the article, Everett filed paperwork with the Vacancy Committee for consideration, a claim that the candidate vehemently denies and for which has already sought a printed correction. Everett sent me a scanned copy of the article in question (at time of posting the story was not available on the Web site), which I have uploaded here.

Stay tuned, because the saga doesn’t appear to be over in south Jeffco. Everett once again deserves to be applauded for rising above the fray of the Vacancy Committee.

Update: Mike Kopp has offered the following extended comment about his decision:

Citizens rightly expect integrity at every step in the election process. The vacancy committee did not follow fairly basic state law and I owed it to my supporters to take a stand.

On each of the legal and ethical merits, he well may be correct. What will result from the complaint? We’ll have to wait and see. But Kopp will have to work hard to fight the perception that the complaint was generated by “sour grapes.” All the GOP candidates in this race would do best to focus most on the upcoming election process, starting with the Caucus Meetings on March 21.

Well, it’s official - no surprises, really. As I indicated earlier, inside sources knew that Kathleen “Kiki” Traylor would win the vacancy committee’s nod to replace resigning State Senator Norma Anderson in south Jefferson County’s District 22. The response from my friend and favored SD 22 candidate Justin Everett shows strength, confidence, and savvy - and I’ve reprinted it here in full:

The Power Brokers have hoodwinked average citizens like you and me once again.

Our outgoing State Senator was a key architect and top campaigner for Referendum C. During this important upcoming legislative session, she has left citizens of our District and the State of Colorado in a lurch by resigning and leaving us with an untested successor. This is a true disservice to the citizens of our District and the State of Colorado. This resignation truly hurts Republican’s ability to ensure that Referendum C’s tax increase is spent according to the voter’s intent.

The Power Brokers handpicking a successor for our District is the type of inter-party politics we’re all fed up with; we’re tired of these Power Brokers choosing candidates for average citizens. By allowing this failure of participation in the Party process, it will hurt our chances in the 2006 election.

We must be committed to the citizens of our District, and make sure we have a choice on who will best represent and serve our community. I grew up here and care deeply about our District, and I’m not going to let these Power Brokers run our District into the ground.

It’s time to take charge and make a statement by choosing our own candidate for State Senate.

We look forward to making the case for our candidacy and our vision for Colorado – and will truly value your support.

God Bless the State of Colorado,

Justin

Let this blog stand as another voice for caucuses over coronations, for conservative principles over convenience, for courage over complaisance. Whether you join me in supporting Justin’s candidacy or not (though he has again proven himself by wisely and boldly staying above the Vacancy Committee fray), will you join me in calling for a robust, open, and fair contest to represent the Republican Party in Senate District 22 this fall? It’s the right thing to do for a party that wants to show confidence in the men and women who make up its heart & soul, a party that stands on principles but carries its message to people of different persuasions, to a party oriented toward the future and grooming young leaders. For the Grand Old Party, may it ever be!

Self-interested Congressional Republicans need to wake up to first principles and their own political future, and they need to heed the words of John Fund in today’s Opinion Journal:

It’s fitting that Rep. Tom DeLay is returning to his seat on the Appropriations Committee now that he is gone for good as House majority leader. It was his years serving in that “favor factory” that gradually turned him into a purveyor of pork who last fall claimed there was no more budget fat to cut. His departure gives Republicans a chance to return to first principles. If they don’t, they may face a political drubbing.

Many Republicans have forgotten that as government grows, its increased power to grant favors or inflict pain attracts more people who would abuse the system. Sen. John McCain once told me that “the best long-term answer to corruption is a smaller government.” Indeed, disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff observed a decade ago, “More money available from government is blood in the water for sharks.” He proved to be one hungry shark.

If the GOP response to the Abramoff scandal is merely to enact “lobbying reforms,” the party will skirt the problem that underlies the corruption: runaway spending. “The 2001-2005 period marks the transformation of the Republican party from its traditional role as a win-or-lose guardian of limited government to that of a majority government party just as comfortable with big government as the Democrats, only with different spending priorities,” says Chris DeMuth, president of the American Enterprise Institute.

That’s dangerous ground, given that the GOP base still believes in smaller government. Mr. Abramoff steered campaign cash to and hired staffers from members of both parties. But in 1994, after 350 members of both parties had been tarred by the House bank scandal, it was Republicans who were able to exploit it because Democrats controlled Congress.

Memo to the GOP:

… These would make a good start, anyway…

I can only speak for myself, but I stopped listening to Pat Robertson years ago. As for his recently stated opinions? Not only does he falsely presume to know the mind of God, his remark lacked all sense of balance, tact, or compassion. Perhaps the televangelist has a “divine” interpretation of Ariel Sharon’s “significant improvement” following brain surgery?

Consider this post a permanent record of dissociation from Robertson’s bizarre and presumptuous public pronunciations - and best wishes for Ariel Sharon’s recovery. May God’s will be done in the lives of both men.

I ditto Michael, Guy, and the Mile High Rev on this point. But ScrappleFace has the best take on the story… hands down.

I’m probably not the first one to tell you to read Mark Steyn’s new article, “It’s the Demography, Stupid.” Reading it may be the equivalent of having a bucket of cold water splashed on you while you’re lying asleep in bed. But you may be glad you woke up when you did. Simply a must-read.

Yesterday, in a larger post about the attempt of moderates within the Colorado GOP to flex their political muscle, I highlighted a caustic reaction from State Representative Mark Larson (”Colorado is not a right-wing, neo-con state,” he said). Today The Durango Herald has more on the intraparty debacle surrounding Larson’s sudden withdrawal from the state senate race, which includes a harsh email exchange with a local GOP leader.

The battle brews over Larson’s alleged refusal to make amends for his 2004 endorsement of U.S. Senator Ken Salazar. As he weighed a decision to run for the State Senate back in May, Larson sought to explain himself in a local Cortez Journal news story:

“I imagine I would get some Democratic votes and Jim would get some Republicans,” Larson said. “I think the Salazar endorsement was the only thing some (Republicans) have had heartburn with me on. I think Republicans are pretty big tent and supportive of me and my last seven years in office.”

Funny how some GOP “moderates” demand party loyalty from fellow Republicans with a more conservative point of view, but don’t expect to face any ramifications for endorsing the Democratic candidate in a major Senate race and refusing to apologize for it. You can’t have it both ways. Which is of more importance: the Republican Party or Mark Larson?

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The Rocky Mountain News follows up on yesterday’s published announcement of senior Republican State Senator Norma Anderson’s announced resignation in advance of her scheduled final legislative session. Term limits were set to end her nearly 20-year legislative career, but we also can get a little better picture why she decided to step down early.

Four GOP candidates had already filed to take her place in the heavily Republican district in southern Jefferson County, but insiders know that one is the handpicked, surefire winner. The vacancy committee meets within the week to decide on the replacement among the following:

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If you love a good college football game, I believe you saw one of the best last night… though for awhile it seemed like it would never end. Penn State’s 26-23 triple overtime victory over the courageous Florida State Seminoles (after a combined 5 missed kicks) was one for the ages - literally.

The Nittany Lions’ 79-year-old coaching legend Joe Paterno - after a couple of truly abominable campaigns - won redemption with a Big Ten title, an 11-1 record, and the Orange Bowl crown, by defeating 76-year-old Bobby Bowden’s squad. The two men have combined for 713 coaching victories (more than some Division I-A programs have earned in their entire history), but determining who would win No. 713 was in great suspense throughout as the Lions and ‘Noles battled intensely for field position & first downs.

PSU’s freshman kicker Kevin Kelly also won redemption after missing potential game-winning kicks in regulation and the first extra session. When he narrowly slid the 29-yard field goal through the uprights in triple overtime, the exhilaration that the game was over (at last) and that Penn State had won brought a big smile to my face.

A PSU alum (where I earned my masters degree) & State College resident for 2 years, I know just how much the life of that area revolves around Paterno and Penn State football. Hope springs eternal in Happy Valley, and today after a long and excruciating contest, all true fans raise their voices and sing:

Hail to the Lion, loyal and true,
Hail Alma Mater, with your white and blue,
Penn State forever, molder of men,
Fight for her honor, fight, and victory again!

Congrats to both sides for a well-fought struggle and to JoePa, senior QB Michael Robinson, injured All-American LB Paul Posluszny, and all the Nittany Lions for enduring to emerge victorious.

But for most fans, it’s just the prelude to tonight’s long-awaited BCS National Championship game.