Mount Virtus

Denver Post news columnist David Harsanyi tells the truth today about the manufactured “controversy” about Hope Online Learning Academy, which uses technology, adult mentors, and a research-based curriculum to reach struggling students who have fallen through the cracks of the public education system.

Read Harsanyi’s piece, and ask yourself why Senator Sue Windels and the Colorado Education Association want to use a more rigorous standard to judge an innovative, alternative education program than they would care to use to judge traditional neighborhood public schools.

Here’s one hint: Hope doesn’t employ unionized teachers. (Forget whether some poor kids in Denver and Colorado Springs might thrive in the online learning environment rather than dropping out of school altogether.)

To summarize …

To the Right: Have you read National Review? Some investigative journalism done there shows that the Dead Governors (aka Colorado Pols) is funded by liberal sugardaddies Gill, Stryker, and Polis.

Dead Governors: Nuh-uh. Are not. Our views and agenda may happen to closely align with the wealthy Lefties, but we’re raising all our own money through paid advertising. You can’t trust that National Review anyways.

To quote the Pols: “We’ve never had financial backing at any point, nor is it required to do what we do; it really doesn’t cost much money to keep a blog running every month.” No, but it sure can be a nice incentive for giving your time to the cause.

If it hasn’t been said here clearly before, it should be said now: the Pols site has a distinct and definite liberal bias, one that has only become more and more pronounced. Are they funded by Gill et al.? There appears to be compelling evidence from a credible source, though the debate isn’t settled. And even if the accusations somehow are nothing more than wild rumors, they have been able to sustain life because of the clear connection between the Pols’ agenda and bias and those of their alleged benefactors.

(Sigh. Where are the wealthy conservatives who want to subsidize this blog so I can come back and adamantly deny it later? )

One final note: I’m not sure whether it’s more sad or amusing to see the anonymous bloggers on either side of Colorado’s political spectrum bickering now that the election is over. To the Right and Colorado Pols seemed to get along quite swimmingly about many things during election season, like taking turns throwing stones at the Beauprez campaign. (Not that it wasn’t always an easy target, but there is something to be said for a little self-restraint.)

Regardless, liberal Democrats have been doing a fine job purchasing political power for themselves in Colorado. The question is who is awake enough to do anything about it.

As always, whenever this important holiday time arrives, there are many things to be thankful for: the grace of God, a loving and faithful wife, a healthy and beautiful baby daughter, the freedoms we hold dear in the United States, creature comforts & blessings beyond number, Jim is back home from the hospital … I could go on and on.

But just two important passages to quote for reflection on the eve of Thanksgiving Day 2006. First, a psalm of David from the Scriptures:

Psalm 103:1-5 (NASB)

Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;

3 Who pardons all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases;

4 Who redeems your life from the pit; who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

5 Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

And Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation that set aside the holiday we still observe today. Let’s not forget its intended purpose:

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union. [emphases added]

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Driving in the car this evening, the conversation somehow turned to what the recognized names are for residents of different states. As my wife and I talked through the list, some were easy: Californians, Texans, Coloradans. But a few stumped me. I have to admit … Connecticut? Utah? Wyoming? What do these people call themselves?

Those of us born and reared in the Great Lakes State know that the proper and unique term to reflect our grand marine heritage is Michigander. What other state adds -der to the end? Nope, none of ‘em. We’re proud of that … and of our 11,037 inland lakes.

For the almost official list, I found this handy page from a Web site called “The Morning News.” It even seeks to find geographical correlations by posting a color-coded map of the United States based on inhabitants’ self-described terms. For those who joined me in wonderment over some of the states I mentioned above, the official designations respectively are Connecticuters, Utahans, and Wyomingites.

PS to the people at “The Morning News”: Yes, Indiana natives really do prefer the term “Hoosiers.”

Since the Denver Daily News link in my previous post comforting fiscal conservatives was broken, here is essentially the same piece printed in Sunday’s Pueblo Chieftain.

Anyone out there who may wonder what exactly it is I do for a living, this terrific piece from the New York Times (gulp … yes, I said it) - complete with a photo of my boss Jon Caldara and a quick mention of my place of employment - gives a glimpse into the working world I inhabit. You may get an inkling of what it is I do … just an inkling, though.

A great weekend to all, and M GO BLUE … Beat the Buckeyes!

Please read my post-election analysis on the fallout from the Democrats’ victory in Colorado, published today in The Denver Daily News, including this stirring conclusion:

The Independence Institute’s role could hardly be more important now. More than ever we will work to expose the big government agenda and to educate Coloradans about the value of personal and economic liberty in addressing the issues our state faces.

The “eternal truths of the Declaration of Independence” will help to guide us through the rough waters of the near future.

Conservatives need to stop and do some serious reflection, then press forward. Unlike the Statist Left, our hopes don’t rise and fall alone on who is empowered by the reins of government.

I for one plan to enjoy this Saturday’s Wolverine victory over Ohio State, spend time with family at Thanksgiving, and prepare mentally and spiritually for the special Yuletide season. 2008 will be here before any of us know it, with a little 2007 to come in between.

An interesting thought experiment by the Cato Institute’s Andrew Coulson, in the new American Spectator. Check it out.

A short reprieve from my all-too-brief blogging holiday to point your attention to the response of Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn to last night’s election results:

The overriding theme of this election, however, is that voters are more interested in changing the culture in Washington than changing course in Washington, D.C. This election was not a rejection of conservative principles per se, but a rejection of corrupt, complacent and incompetent government.

Read it all. Dr. Coburn not only has the correct diagnosis but the correct prescription. We need more statesmen like him. (HT: Dennis Prager)

What can I say? I underestimated the anti-Republican sentiment, both in Colorado and nationally. But I would caution members of the political Left from reading too much into this as some sort of ideological shift in their direction.

Nationally, it represents a failure of many GOP officials to live up to their principles and a weariness with the war in Iraq. Maybe a mandate to raise the minimum wage … after that, voters may be asking themselves what they were thinking, but sometimes they feel they have no choice but to kick out some of the bums only to find different bums in charge. C’est la vie when it comes to politics.

Worthwhile reads:

- Philip Klein in The American Spectator

- John Podhoretz in New York Post

- Hugh Hewitt

Congratulations to Colorado’s new governor Bill Ritter, who will have larger majorities in both houses of the state legislature to push forward the Democrat agenda. Be assured the eyes of this blog and others will be fixed on the overreaches that are sure to come.

The charge then is clear to Republicans in this state. Having reached bottom, it is time to rebuild. Like the national party, it is time to return to a soul of fiscal conservatism. Let’s hope then that the silly flirtation with “Big Government Conservatism” is over. Republicans planning for 2008 should watch some game tape from 1994.

Good news from Colorado: Amendment 43 won, Referendum I lost, Amendment 44 lost, GOP has control of State Board of Education (no big surprise).

Concerning the RMA, let me briefly observe that Michael is right, and I am waiting with interest to read post-election commentary from Joshua.

As the GOP needs time to go into retreat, then, so will this blog for awhile - at least on matters of politics and public policy.

In the meantime - M Go Blue, Beat Ohio State!

Complaints in Colorado about problems with voting machines are not isolated to Denver, despite the heavy media attention focused there. I’m hearing secondhand that complaints have been registered “across the state,” including more heavily Republican areas such as south Jeffco. Why then would the Colorado Democratic Party sue only to keep Denver’s polls open to 9 PM? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why.

Any legally registered voter in line to vote at their proper polling location at 7 PM - no matter where across the state - has to be allowed to vote. Until we see enough evidence to compel us otherwise, the problems across the state have to be seen as manageable through current laws and procedures.

Regardless, no special preference should be given to voters in one part of the state over another. The judge should throw out the Democrats’ politically-motivated scheme and keep the rules in place. Why the courtroom maneuver? Could Ritter be in trouble? When the judge tosses out the frivolous suit, might some Dem leaders get on the stump and say they were robbed? Let’s hope the election aftermath stays cleaner than that.

Please remember as the controversy unfolds that the city and county of Denver is administered and run by Democrats. The new voting system in Denver has been heavily advertised and promoted to make sure the city’s largely Democratic voting population knows what to do. Heck, Mayor John Hickenlooper went on TV with ads telling people to get out and vote early.

For a stronger, more concise take, go to Thinking Right, where Jim is angry about the Election Day lawsuit.

And remember, the problems are not just being reported in Denver, which for obvious reasons is the most visible example of what has transpired.

Rahm Emanuel told the Washington Times that he’s “nervous” about his party’s prospects in the House on Election Day, following the final round of polls. The expectations have been built up too big, and whatever gains the Dems do make after today will seem like a disappointment.

The Republican Party’s Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) program in Colorado is second to none. Having seen it function firsthand, I can honestly say that the quality and quantity of work being done here outstrips not only what was accomplished in the state in 2004 and 2002, it also is quantifiably doing the best job of any state in the country.

Who will benefit the most? Statewide candidates like Mark Hillman (Treasurer), Mike Coffman (Secretary of State), and Brian Davidson (CU Regent). Congressional candidates Marilyn Musgrave and Doug Lamborn are on to victory, while Rick O’Donnell finds new life in his bid to upset Ed Perlmutter and the pundits.

State house candidates like Affie Ellis (HD 29), Bill Crane (HD 27), & Ramey Johnson (HD 23) in Jeffco find a clearer path to victory. And don’t forget Matt Dunn (HD 38), Anne Yeldell (HD 53), & Bob Caskey (HD 55), to name a few more. Sitting state senators like Ed Jones and Lew Entz will sure appreciate the boost, as will challengers like Matt Knoedler, Dick Sargent, and Luis Alvarez. Maybe enough of them can win to keep the GOP’s minority status from shrinking further in the senate, while perhaps a governing majority in the state house is within reach.

Lynn Bartels’ story in today’s Rocky Mountain News is all the talk inside the GOP phone banks and precinct-walking headquarters around the state:

The goal: Call 12,000 supporters in Jefferson County in one day.

The reality: Republicans, working out of a grubby strip mall in Wheat Ridge, called 19,441 voters on Saturday.

And they knocked on 14,540 doors that same day.

“Oh, my goodness!” gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez said Sunday, high-fiving Rob O’Regan, field director for the Colorado Republican Party.

Steve Jensen, chairman of Beauprez’s Jefferson County campaign, told the candidate about a call he had placed Saturday.

“The woman said, ‘Hold on, there’s somebody at the door,’ ” Jensen said. “And it turned out to be our people out there knocking.”

High-five!

It’s crunch time.

Beauprez is behind in the polls and the national mood favors Democrats, but you’d never know it, judging by the GOP’s get-out-the-vote efforts throughout the state.

“We have yet to see a Democrat,” said Steve Truebner, who is helping direct the GOP voter turnout effort. “I think you’ll be surprised on Election Day.”

What exactly this means for election results remains to be seen. But it’s got to give folks like Pat Waak, Tim Gill, Pat Stryker, Michael Huttner, and The Dead Governors a little bit of extra sleeplessness.

One of the closer races in Colorado figures to be the contest for state treasurer. If for some reason you are reading this blog and haven’t voted yet, here are five reasons to support Mark Hillman, the only candidate for State Treasurer who has (as circulated by email):

1. Balanced a state budget. In the State Senate, Mark has done that seven times. He knows that the value of government must be balanced against the cost of government to Colorado families and businesses. (His opponent has never been elected by the people.)

2. Business experience. Mark owns and operates his family’s farm near Burlington, where he has grown wheat for the past 13 years. He knows firsthand about hard work, long hours and sound financial planning. (His opponent has never owned, operated or even worked for a business.)

3. Proven leadership experience. Mark was elected Majority Leader and later Minority Leader of the Colorado Senate because he earned the respect of both political parties.

4. A record that taxpayers can trust and families can count on. Mark knows that real wisdom and common sense come from real people - not from lobbyists and bureaucrats. For putting taxpayers first, he’s been named the Taxpayer Champion and honored by Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, and countless others.

5. Earned the endorsements of the Rocky Mountain News, Pueblo Chieftain, Greeley Tribune, Grand Junction Sentinel, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Canon City Record, Salida Mountain Mail and Boulder Weekly - as well as the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Association of Realtors, Colorado Association of Homebuilders and Colorado Civil Justice League.

On this Election Eve, here’s some interesting information. If you know someone who is a member of the Colorado Education Association (CEA) or American Federation of Teachers (AFT)-Colorado - our state’s teachers unions - you might want to point them to this Web page (compliments of Independence Institute research).

Here are some selected tidbits of information on how union members’ money has been spent on Colorado’s elections in 2006:

According to reports available on November 2, Colorado teachers unions have given $1,481,043 in combined contributions to political parties, candidates, and registered 527 political groups in 2006. The Colorado Education Association (CEA) and four of its local affiliates, along with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)-Colorado, have given more than $1.15 million to 9 different 527 political groups, including:

- CEA and 3 local affiliates (JCEA, DCTA, BVEA) have given $256,000 to Main Street Colorado
(Rocky Mountain News editor Vincent Carroll twice exposed Main Street Colorado, once for “the most recklessly irresponsible and false ad of the year” and again for a “sleazy falsehood” in a campaign mailer)

- CEA has given $200,000 to Citizens for Progress
(Denver Post columnist Diane Carman called this group’s political ads against gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez “deceptive”)

- CEA and affiliates have given $157,334, and AFT-Colorado $10,000, to Citizens for Colorado
(Denver Post noted Citizens for Colorado is “a Democratic group funded by millionaires Rutt Bridges, Pat Stryker and Tim Gill”)

- CEA has given $74,300 to Clear Peak Colorado
(Denver Post said Clear Peak Colorado is an “independent political group working for Democratic causes;” one cable company pulled a “shameless” Clear Peak TV ad because it contained “a lie”)

And this:

More than $300,000 of the teachers unions’ $321,429 in direct party and candidate expenditures have funded the Democratic party and 70 of its candidates. Roughly $20,000 has gone to the Republican party and 8 of its candidates. Not counting the 527 groups, nearly 15 times as much teachers union money has directly supported Democrats over Republicans.

Any surprise that when it comes to the most trusted occupations that teachers are near the top of the list but union bosses are near the bottom? Show a teacher you care by pointing them to this information.

Democrats may be kicking themselves - or John Kerry, or a good economy, or the common sense of the American people - on Wednesday for squandering a big chance. All hopes for a massive electoral “wipeout” (a la Chris Matthews) to take over Congress, seem to be fading as Republicans have the momentum going into tomorrow’s national elections. I stand by my earlier predictions.

Thank you to Democrat Senate District 22 candidate Paula Noonan for taking the time to respond to my post on her heated election campaign with some clarifying comments. I responded to some of her remarks in the comment box.

Additionally, some of her claims could not be independently verified and may deserve further scrutiny (e.g., I can find no evidence that Sheriff Ted Mink has withdrawn support from Mike Kopp’s campaign). Of course, it is a little late for the purposes of this election to unearth these claims, unless one of my readers has a source.

Or what does anyone think about invoking the name of Ted Haggard to attack Mike?

Do I think Beauprez’s campaign is in bad shape? Yes, I’m not stupid. But the Republican running for governor is NOT trailing by 22 points - as reports the Rocky Mountain News this morning.

Take a closer look at the poll numbers, conveniently released on the day before the Republicans’ big Get-Out-The-Vote kicks off. Among other things, this same survey showed Amendment 43 losing 41-40, which is way off from what other polls have shown. The sample of “likely voters” is 37% Republican, 38% Democrat, and 25% Independent. That turnout model is a little skewed, I suspect. And doing phone polls during the day on Monday through Wednesday will likely distort results, too.

(One other note: The one-note anti-Beauprez vitriol of ToTheRight’s bloggers is most recently manifested in their inability or unwillingness to critically assess a SurveyUSA poll which appears to confirm their gleeful preconceptions. Do you really believe these numbers are accurate? I know you don’t like the GOP’s choice for governor, but think about the effect an uncritical assessment of this polling data may have on other candidates you do support.)

My message to GOP voters & volunteers is not to be affected by the polling reports. The race for governor will be considerably closer, and every vote you make will benefit our other Republican candidates in the battle for the state house, state senate, state treasurer, secretary of state, etc.

Look … even the libs over at ColoradoPols are skeptical of this poll. There will be plenty of time to be upset about the defeats we may experience after Nov. 7, but let’s not get demoralized now and multiply those defeats. There is a lot at stake during the final 96 hours.