Mount Virtus

Thank you to the more than 400 people who participated in the February 2010 Survey of Colorado’s Political Temperature. A snapshot of the results in headlines:

• U.S. Senate: Ken Buck Still On Top, Norton and Tidwell Gaining
• Governor: Dan Maes Widens Support Edge Over Scott McInnis
• 3rd Congressional: Scott Tipton Tops Bob McConnell Twice
• 4th Congressional: Cory Gardner Still Stands Above the Field
• 7th Congressional: Ryan Frazier Remains without Rival
• State Treasurer: Ament’s Lead Grows, Hasan Takes Over 2nd
• Interest in GOP Caucus Participation Suggests Bigger Numbers for 2010

The complete release of the survey results is posted below the fold (click “Fullscreen” for better view): (more…)

It really stinks to be the Appointed One these days. As if trailing all potential Republican rivals in the polls (including Jane Norton by double digits) wasn’t bad enough for junior U.S. Senator Michael Bennet.

Then Bennet sticks out his neck, kowtows to Barack Obama to cast a losing vote for Craig Becker and back-door union card-check, only to get this news shortly thereafter: (more…)

A couple weeks ago I pointed out the historic statistical fact that government employees now make up a raw majority of all unionized workers in the USA.

In addition, Colorado’s union membership and density (which includes workers covered by a union contract, regardless of whether they join as members or not) are at historic lows for the past quarter century, and thus presumably for many decades before that as well. Only 7 percent of Colorado workers are union members, and 8.3 percent are covered by a union contract.

Now Barry Hirsch and David Macpherson, the good folks who run UnionStats.com, have pored through Labor Department data and broken down state-level data between public and private sector employment. Did Colorado follow the national trend of shrinking union influence in the private sector but growing union influence in the public sector? (more…)

It’s Friday, a fun time for Colorado Republicans to zing Gov. Bill Ritter for declaring February 12 “Colorado Loves California Day.” I get the humor of all the possibilities. It was last year about this time I made the same point.

But I want to take a different tack, and point out one small reason to love California: Larry Sand and the California Teachers Empowerment Network (CTEN) — which very recently was featured in Townhall magazine for its success in letting Golden State teachers know about their various membership options.

Yes, Colorado loves California in this regard, because we too through the Independence Institute have the Independent Teachers website, which lets teachers in our own backyard know about their membership options. Expanding teacher rights, informing teacher choice: This we can celebrate.

On this 201st anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, no lengthy tributes are needed — I don’t even have time to replicate the modest one I wrote last year for the bicentennial. I did, however, want to take the occasion to recommend a book to you that was recommended to me by fellow RMA blogger Don Johnson about Christmastime.

Lincoln at Peoria by Lewis Lehrman highlights the great turning point in Abraham Lincoln’s political career, the awakening that resulted from the Kansas-Nebraska Act and his powerful October 1854 speech at Peoria, Illinois, which sharpened the distinctly antislavery focus that led to his key role in forming the Republican Party, debating Stephen Douglas in 1858 and ultimately serving as President during our nation’s most trying time. I recommend Lincoln at Peoria among the essential Lincoln books.

But don’t take my word for it. Of Lehrman’s book, Harry Jaffa, the dean of Lincoln scholars, writes:

The Peoria speech was what Socrates would call his “second sailing,” Lincoln’s re-entry into political life, to rescue the principles of the Declaration from the reproach of hypocrisy, to complete the work of the American Founders, and to make possible a new birth of freedom. Lincoln at Peoria laid the foundation for the greatest statesmanship the world has ever seen. We are greatly indebted to Lewis Lehrman’s superb book for helping us to understand why no list, however short, of the greatest speeches of all time could omit Lincoln at Peoria.

Thanks, Don, for the recommendation. Now I pass the recommendation on to all my readers as well.

How often do you hear of a gubernatorial candidate in a contested primary endorsing another candidate in a state senate primary? Oh, I haven’t done any exhaustive research. But it can’t happen too often. What advantage can be gained? I only ask having heard about this: (more…)

An interesting development in Colorado’s Republican U.S. Senate primary: Ken Buck has won the full-spirited backing of influential Red State master blogger Erick Erickson — who among other accomplishments has helped fuel Florida’s Marco Rubio rise from upstart to frontrunner over Charlie Crist.

Can Erick help do the same for Ken Buck here in Colorado? Perhaps. The Weld County DA has a lot of catching up to do on the fundraising front.

Is Buck (or someone else) the grassroots candidate? You help decide by casting your vote before tomorrow (Friday) at 5:00 PM on the latest survey of Colorado’s political temperature.

Update: The intrepid Mike Antonucci has more insights on this story, including the involvement of the National Education Association and the fact that the story first was broken by blogger Lee Doren. Credit to where credit is due.

You may have already heard about this, but just in case not — an original investigation from Fox News:

A seemingly grassroots organization that’s mounted an online campaign to counter the tea party movement is actually the front end of an elaborate scheme that funnels funds — including sizable labor union contributions — through the offices of a prominent Democratic party lawyer….

“This movement is a fad,” proclaims TheTeaPartyIsOver.org, which was established by the American Public Policy Center (APPC), a D.C.-based campaign shop that few people have ever heard of.

“This movement is a fad” — will ironies never cease? (more…)

Nine days ago I pointed out the number of vulnerable Colorado state house Democrats who voted to push through the “Dirty Dozen” tax hikes. Today it was the state senate’s turn. Based on my recent projections, much of the voting activity makes sense.

Take a quick look at today’s Senate Journal, and what do you see? All Senate Republicans unanimously voted against each and every one of the tax hikes. Hooray for them. Too bad the Democrats have the majority and were able to pass all nine bills with either 18 (the bare minimum) or 19 votes.

One Democrat running in a vulnerable seat voted No on all nine tax hike bills, giving her a singular distinction among the entire house and senate majority caucus: Sen. Gail Schwarz. You think this is motivated by anything but genuine political fear? I wonder what the Dems’ polling is showing them about Senate District 5. But with 21 Democratic senators, her vote was a throwaway. (more…)

Update, 2:45 PM: Politico picks up on the story, too, noting that Bennet’s vote “could have significant repercussions for his election campaign.”

A strong sign that Colorado’s Appointed One, junior U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, is feeling the primary heat from Andrew Romanoff. Kowtowing to President Obama, the SEIU and Big Labor: Bennet was one of the 52 Democratic votes to confirm Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board.

The good news? Becker’s confirmation was defeated. The man is an SEIU attorney with avowedly radical, anti-individual rights views that would trample under foot the rights of business owners and workers who would rather not toe the line for labor leaders.

A vote for Craig Becker was a vote for backdoor union card check, for depriving workers of the secret ballot in union workplace elections. Even Democrats Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln saw the move for what it was, and joined Republicans in the successful filibuster.

But not Michael Bennet. His vote to confirm Craig Becker may leave him in a less vulnerable place for the primary election, but in a clearly indefensible place for a general election matchup. Colorado wants an independent vote in the U.S. Senate, not a rubber-stamp for the radical agendas of the Obama administration. If Bennet is hoping nobody would notice, he’s out of luck.

Todd Engdahl at Ed News Colorado reported Friday on two educational tax credit bills (HB 1295 and HB 1296) being introduced in the legislature, and closed with this comment:

While the proposals could make for interesting debate, they’re expected to fail for three reasons: 1) Democrats control the legislature, 2) the education lobby, and 3) most lawmakers don’t want to fiddle with school finance or tax credits when the state budget is in the tank. [emphasis added]

The first two reasons are rather straightforward. Of course, Democrats don’t want to devolve power from the education establishment. And of course, the iron triangle of CEA, CASE and CASB would oppose the slightest effort to grant authentic private school choice to taxpaying Colorado parents. (more…)

Ever since Governor Bill Ritter signed the executive order laying out a welcome mat to unionize state government, I’ve wondered if and when the Colorado WINS labor organizing coalition would lobby for the Democratic majority in state government to entrench their status through legislation.

Given the state of the budget and the tons of political capital Democrats are spilling to push through their series of tax hikes — one of which is even opposed by Pueblo labor interests — prospects for comprehensive union legislation have faded dramatically.

But Colorado WINS has other means to extend its reach, and grow its dues-paying membership base, inside Colorado government. As Dave Ohmart of Colorado LOSES points out, reluctant state employees are being cajoled into joining in order to have “a voice in decisions about their work environment.” So states a complaint filed by Sgt. Jeff Hotchkiss of the Pueblo correctional facility. Is such activity in violation of the terms of Ritter’s executive order?

A Colorado LOSES survey shows that at best, state employees have a mixed opinion of WINS. And that while many didn’t “give a crap” back in the summer of 2008, many more seem ready to oust WINS of its exclusive bargaining rights. Stay tuned….

At this point, ramming through the Dirty Dozen tax hikes has Colorado Democrats in such political hot water, why not just go ahead and swim in it? That must be the reasoning behind the effort to make things even worse by changing the temporary tax hikes into permanent tax hikes.

It used to be about half the bills would eventually reduce the respective tax rates to their current level. Not anymore:

Republicans believe that Democrats are using the current budget crisis as an excuse to permanently raise taxes on Colorado families and businesses. “If the tax increases are only meant to help the state fill the budget gap, as Democrats claim, then why aren’t we making them all temporary?” asked Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield.

Then there’s HB 1193 in particular. As Rossputin points out, Colorado Democrats are going to drive Overstock.com’s affiliate program out of the state with this legislation. That is, unless they regain their senses first. As I noted before, HB 1193 passed the state house by the narrowest of margins (33-32), with Democrat Wes McKinley as the deciding vote.

Will the majority party in our state senate wise up, are they just simply Stuck on Stupid? Many of these bills will end up in conference committee, which will just increase the harsh glare of public scrutiny on the Democrats’ bad policy and terrible politics. Sayonara.

Another year has come and gone. Today Mount Virtus is 6 years old, which perhaps puts me in the ranks of Colorado’s political blogging ancients. I have a few graying hairs to show for it. My blog’s 6th birthday also means 99 years ago today one of our greatest Presidents — Ronald Reagan — was born. It’s also Waitangi Day in New Zealand. But that’s neither here nor there.

I’m not sure how exactly to headline the new Rasmussen poll on potential Colorado U.S. Senate race matchups. Three weeks ago I highlighted the fact that Jane Norton’s lead over the Appointed One Michael Bennet was widening, and that Bennet was dropping across the board against all potential Republican challengers.

The results this time aren’t altogether so clear. Yes, Jane Norton has an even greater 14-point advantage over Bennet, but her presumed 12-point lead over Bennet’s Democratic primary challenger Andrew Romanoff has slipped to 7 points.

GOP contender Tom Wiens — who just reported a hefty but heavily self-funded fourth quarter — may have leveled off. But he lost a little ground against both Bennet (6-point lead dropped to 4) and Romanoff (5-point lead dropped to 2).

Finally, however, defying the evidence of any potential polling trend, Ken Buck roughly kept the same lead over Bennet but pushed ahead of Romanoff — going from a 1-point to a 6-point advantage.

With this slight but sudden change of fortune, Weld County DA Buck is the only one of the three Republican contenders who performs better against the former Colorado speaker of the house. But for those expecting Michael Bennet’s big money and heavy-hitting endorsements to help him secure his party’s nomination over Andrew Romanoff, Jane Norton has all appearances of being the GOP’s strongest hope — even if the 14 points may be somewhat of a stretch.

Of course, you can challenge (or uphold) the conventional wisdom by letting us know your predictions on matchups for this and other major statewide and Congrssional races on our latest survey of Colorado’s political temperature.

On a related side note, Rossputin relates at length his positive impressions of Jane Norton from their recent in-person meeting.