In case you’re like me and didn’t listen to the Peter Boyles Show this morning, then you’ve probably missed this gem from our state legislature. As reported by Colorado Senate News:
A memorial to honor soldiers that have sacrificed their lives fighting the War on Terror could be derailed following objections from one Democrat lawmaker.
“It is disrespectful to the families of fallen soldiers to drag this memorial into the political mud,” said Sen. Mike Kopp, R-Littleton.
Kopp sponsored the 2007 legislation that created the War on Terror Fallen Heroes Memorial. Rep. Paul Weissmann, D-Louisville, was the only lawmaker to oppose the proposal. Now Weissmann is saying the memorial should be renamed since President Barack Obama declared an end to the War on Terror last March….
Click here to listen to the audio of Senator Kopp’s interview with Peter Boyles (note: large file).
Three takeaways: (more…)
Just a reminder that Colorado Democrat State Treasurer Cary Kennedy’s re-election hopes are fragile this year. Yesterday I received a fundraising email from Bill Ritter. After touting the incumbent’s record, the message reads:
Cary Kennedy is facing a well-funded challenger who is related to George W. Bush and has tapped into his family’s national fundraising network. His campaign is funded mostly by out-of-state donors.
Fortunately, Cary’s grassroots fundraising network is keeping up, but she needs everyone’s help to stay competitive….
I found it interesting that though there is a busy 3-way Republican primary going on to challenge Kennedy for the treasurer’s position, Bill Ritter makes Walker Stapleton the bogeyman. Yes, Stapleton has raised the most money, but J.J. Ament is cleaning up the endorsements and grassroots support. And newcomer candidate Ali Hasan has been very visible.
I’m not sure whether Ritter thinks there’s more leverage to be gained by resurrecting former President Bush or by raising the specter of out-of-state fundraising. But in any case, the low-hanging fruit must make the Democrats’ best pitch in the state treasurer’s race. And that’s good news for whichever Republican survives to challenge Cary Kennedy in the general election.
Say what you will about yesterday’s Health Care Summit. Obama and the Democrat leadership didn’t make the case for expanded government control of medicine and didn’t move the ball politically in any way to help ram through the Obama Care monstrosity.
In Colorado, that has to be especially unsettling for 3rd District Congressman John Salazar. Dick Morris has listed Salazar as one of 30 House Democrats who voted for Obama Care the first time but are “vulnerable” and “frightened of the voter backlash.” And now the Summit has given him no political cover. The more he hears from unhappy constituents, the more likely he is to come to his senses and try to save his own hide politically.
Meanwhile, don’t forget there are two fine Republican candidates running for the chance to take down Salazar: Scott Tipton and Bob McConnell.
Interestingly, 7th District Democrat Ed Perlmutter didn’t make Morris’ list. I would argue he is at least as vulnerable as Salazar, but for some reason maybe he hasn’t come up with reason to be “frightened of the voter backlash.” At least not yet.
A good reminder that not only is Big Labor anything but monolithic but also that the Democrats potentially face a very competitive primary for Colorado’s U.S. Senate seat: The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has endorsed the Appointed One, Michael Bennet.
While rival Andrew Romanoff has won backing from the Teamsters and UFCW, Bennet at least finally has gained something for putting his neck out to try to ram Obama Care through Congress.
Interestingly, The Atlantic (edited by Michael Bennet’s brother) reports the same story about the SEIU endorsement and then selectively notes: (more…)
It’s been a big week so far for GOP 7th Congressional candidate Jimmy Lakey. On Sunday he won a plurality of votes from viewers of the North Denver candidate forum. Then today, word broke on the liberal Colorado Pols blog that Tom Tancredo is endorsing Lakey — though no confirmation as of yet has been published by the candidate himself.
Finally, Jimmy Lakey was introduced to a national audience in a one-segment appearance on the Hugh Hewitt Show. In general, Lakey came across well on the interview, though the format was too tight to be very informative to the general listener.
My gripe is with the interviewer, and reminded me of why I had stopped listening to Hugh’s drive-time program for many weeks. Tom Lucero isn’t the only (or even the leading) Republican candidate in the 4th Congressional, and the same can be said of Jimmy Lakey in the 7th. (more…)
This day was coming sooner rather than later: Governor Bill Ritter retreated to a private room to sign into law nine anti-business, job-killing tax hike bills.
This action completes the trifecta of Democrat one-party rule under Colorado’s Golden Dome. On February 1, all Democrats in the state house voted to push through at least one of the tax hikes (and all but one voted for a majority of them) — including vulnerable incumbent Representatives Sara Gagliardi, Dianne Primavera, Dennis Apuan, Christine Scanlan, Jim Riesberg and Randy Fischer.
Then on February 10, all but one Democrat state senator jumped on board to support the “dirty dozen” — including Bruce Whitehead, Linda Newell and Lois Tochtrop. Two weeks later to the day we have Ritter finalizing the tax hikes on everything from candy to software.
The passage of these destructive and politically unpopular measures sets the clock ticking to Election Day (250 days to be exact), and gives fiscally conservative Coloradans the continued opportunity to work to end Democrat Party rule at the State Capitol. A roundup of some reactions from Republicans.
Update, 3/1: Jeffco Public Schools has posted a response letter from Dr. Benke. I think it about says it all.
The story of the heroism of Deer Creek Middle School math teacher David Benke is a compelling one. A Jefferson County schoolteacher like many others who went to work yesterday, placed into an unexpected moment of high stress and great danger to those around him, he acted as we all would hope to act under similar circumstances.
His initial action to stop the shooter at Deer Creek very well may have saved lives. By all accounts, he also is a man far less interested in his own instant fame than in the well-being of his students who were subjected to this violent attack.
For all these reasons, it is fitting and proper to acknowledge Dr. David Benke as a hero. For he is more deserving than many in our modern celebrity age who have gained the appellation. (One small way to make the acknowledgment that promotes the best in civil society, you can join the “Dr. David Benke is a hero” Facebook page — 11,700 strong and growing as I write this.)
I had the honor to meet Dr. Benke briefly several years ago at an education-related meeting. My vague impressions are of a thoughtful man, a man of modesty and integrity. Now add courage to the profile.
Be thankful for Dr. Benke and the other Deer Creek staff members who acted to stop the gunman. With God’s help, may many of us be able to do the same if confronted with a similar crisis situation. Now our prayers go out to the injured students and their families, as we thank God that more students were not hurt, or worse.
About four months ago the Colorado Supreme Court decided that judges have a role in deciding how the state’s public schools are funded. In a Colorado Daily column I explained why this decision in the Lobato case was bad policy and a dangerous precedent.
You also can listen to Professor Joshua Dunn bring his expertise to bear for an 8-minute iVoices podcast we recorded last October — click the play button or follow this link:
One of the big takeaways from Dunn’s conversation is that most states realize the bad policy and bad consequences of adequacy lawsuits and are moving away from them. Colorado is out of sync for its courts to be sanctioning such action.
So why am I bringing up the Lobato case today? It seems that the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) and Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) are actively urging local school boards to agree to help pay for the lawsuit against the state. That way, you the taxpayer can help fund both the plaintiffs and the defense … Seriously? (more…)
In case you hadn’t noticed, this isn’t a normal election year. If it weren’t 2010, a political outsider like Dan Maes arrayed against the political establishment, tons of money and a campaign organization would be little more than a nice guy also-ran, and yesterday’s Denver Post piece would be pure fantasy:
Although Maes had no previous political experience, a cultural movement was forming across the country with a focus on pressuring the Republican Party to return to its core conservative values and principles. That movement played a substantial role in elevating Maes’ campaign from a “no chance” to a “what if.”
“My base emerged while I was looking for a base,” Maes said. “I had a message and they had a message, and it was the same.”
But 2010 is different. Why? Because we can talk reasonably about Dan Maes as a serious “what if” candidate, and it’s not just a matter of good timing. (more…)
This event Sunday is one you don’t want to miss:
North Denver Candidate Search 2010 Forum
A forum hosted by the people, for the people.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Doors open at 2:00 p.m.
Forum starts at 2:30 p.m.
The Pinnacle Events Center
1001 West 84th Avenue
Denver, CO 80260
(Located 10 blocks west of I-25 on 84th Avenue. It is on the north side of 84th Avenue, and has more than ample parking)
$5.00 admission fee. There will be door prizes. Seating is limited – consider registering earlier rather than later. (more…)
A quick retrospective on a crystallizing moment for the still-nascent Tea Party movement that looms so large over the Colorado and American political landscape today. The grassroots upswell against Washington D.C.’s big government bailout and spending sprees already had started to take shape and pick up steam, when one year ago today CNBC’s Rick Santelli delivered his famous rant on the floor of the Chicago Merchantile Exchange, delivering a name that has stuck to a movement — and has been embraced with pride: (more…)
So today we have the sad story of a frustrated nutcase named Joseph Stack who committed suicide by flying his plane into an Austin, TX, building that houses some IRS offices — after leaving behind a rambling manifesto. Hopefully a singular outlier, and not an inspiration or the start of a trend in these trying economic times.
Hot Air’s Allahpundit deconstructs Washington Post contributor Jonathan Capehart’s column, which insinuates some sort of connection with the Tea Party movement and omits key passages and phrases that show the suicide attacker was anything but a lockstep Right-winger.
Closer to home, we have John Tomasic at the Colorado Independent. To his credit, Tomasic notes that Stack “was not right or left.” But then he somehow feels impelled to add that he “may or may not have been a Tea Partier.” (What if I also observed that he may or may not have been a supporter of MoveOn.org?) (more…)
One year and one day after President Obama came to Denver to sign away hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars into generational debt for the creation of some government jobs (and in the process, taking out some in the private sector), he’s coming back. This time Obama will be here to help save another job: the political career of the Appointed One, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet.
Republicans and liberty-loving Coloradans aren’t frightened by the visit. Probable GOP nominee and Bennet challenge Jane Norton shows as much, taking to the airwaves. Can anyone say Chris Christie? Scott Brown? Hey, CNN polling now shows even the President’s own political future in jeopardy with the American people. The more public the appearance, the more Obama does to harm Bennet’s fading chances — even if he helps our junior U.S. Senator raise some campaign cash along the way.
This isn’t about the general election, though, it’s about the primary. One that despite Obama’s and Bennet’s hopes would go away has materialized into an all-too-real challenge from former state house Speaker Andrew Romanoff. Exactly why it’s not Dick Wadhams or Jane Norton or the GOP telling President Obama to stay away. But as Westword reports (H/T Complete Colorado), it’s former Democratic state legislator and respected local elder party statesman Polly Baca.
The times they are a-changin’…. It will be interesting to see what other kind of local responses the President’s arrival elicits. Stay tuned to PPC.
Sick of the Winter Olympics? Looking for something to do? Here’s a show you should tune into tonight (and not just because two of my liberty-loving friends are on it):
Studio 12 “Tea Party Movement”
Wednesday, February 17 at 8:00 pm on Channel 12 / 12.1
(more…)
Quick update from the state treasurer’s race. Dick Murphy — former Deputy State Treasurer and one of the most respected and expert conservative figures I know in the area of school finance (and public finance generally) — has come out vocally behind candidate J.J. Ament (official campaign release touting endorsement below the fold): (more…)
