Mount Virtus

I asked before if Bill Ritter called the bluff of Big Labor with his veto of Senate Bill 180. If we’re to judge by last Friday’s union-organized rally, then Ritter made a mistake. To see what I mean, take a step over to Face The State’s slideshow, and see signs like “Why does Ritter hate fire fighters?” and “Ritter lied to my dad” (or just Senator Lois Tochtrop’s angry expression).

Of course, Ritter didn’t make a mistake from the standpoint of choosing good policy over bad policy. But he has made four mistakes surrounding this issue:

1. Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep. Backroom campaign promises can come back to burn you. As observed at ColoradoPols and demonstrated by the little girl’s “Ritter lied to my dad” sign, Colorado’s Democrat chief executive apparently promised something like SB 180 (and probably even stronger) to the fire fighters union to win their support. Whoops.
2. If you intend to veto a bill, tell your party to kill it earlier. With Democrats in charge in both the state house and state senate, Ritter could have conveyed that he didn’t want to be forced into make a very public and politically damaging decision on SB 180.
3. Don’t keep harping on the veto to the media. From today’s Denver Post: “The bulk of Ritter’s end-of-session news conference revolved around his vetoes of the labor bills.” (H/T Rocky Mountain Right)
4. When you get called on your mistakes, don’t get caught astroturfing to save your hide. Again, Rocky Mountain Right made a great catch here. A minor offense compared to the first three, to be sure, but it keeps the fires stoked (no pun intended) in the blogosphere and gives the story more traction than it otherwise would have.

Meanwhile, I’ll continue to sit back, prop my feet up, and enjoy the show. Will there be more mistakes to come?

Update, 6/4: Thanks to a comment left by Politically Correct Death author Francis Beckwith, I refer you to his newer and more relevant book Defending Life. I’ll have to check it out myself very soon.

Update, 9:30 PM: My final thought (for now) on the matter, from Doug Wilson: “The question is whether you would be willing to reduce a society to anarchy for the sake of saving that kid, when you (should) know that the anarchy you introduce is going to be responsible for the deaths of far more children than you managed to save.” And for further edification, I will commend the thoughts of Dr. Albert Mohler as being squarely right on the matter.

Thanks to one of the more thoughtful liberals I know, David Thielen, a link to this morning’s post about Dr. George Tiller and Private William Long was added in a ColoradoPols diary. Here are some of the more colorful comments it generated, along with my replies. (more…)

Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 29th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. Guests for tonight’s show are a pair of political newcomers making longshot bids for statewide office.

Evergreen businessman Dan Maes will join us to talk about his grassroots campaign for Colorado’s Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010. Causing a stir in the local blogosphere this week, U.S. Senate hopeful Cleve Tidwell will make an appearance in the latter half of the program to discuss his candidacy.

If you miss the live show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus.

I participated in the latest edition of Right Wing News’ “Rightosphere Temperature Check”. In case you’re wondering, I happened to vote with the majority on each of the seven A or B questions. Digging further into the details likely would yield more disagreement, but when you only have two options….

Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 28th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. Guests for tonight’s show are:

• Longtime GOP political consultant Patrick Davis to dissect the state of play in Colorado’s major statewide races for 2010, as fields of Republicans seek to challenge Governor Bill Ritter and appointed U.S. Senator Michael Bennet
• Jessica Corry from the Independence Institute, to talk about the ongoing budget controversies at the University of Colorado and possibly the increasing attention on the drug legalization debate

If you miss the live show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus.

Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 27th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. We hope to dedicate this episode to a review of the good, the bad, and the ugly from the recently concluded legislative session in Denver. Our special guest will be Representative Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, vice chair of the Republican Study Committee of Colorado.

If you miss the live show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus.

(Co-authored by El Presidente and Ben DeGrow)

We were privileged with the opportunity last Saturday to sit down and conduct an exclusive half-hour two-on-one interview with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ryan Frazier (Frazier’s two GOP primary contenders are Weld County district attorney Ken Buck and businessman Cleve Tidwell). The conversation was wide-ranging and informative. We left with a clearer picture of the candidate’s vision and the campaign’s direction.

We began by bringing up a recent article in The Hill that portrayed Frazier as part of a “band of centrists”, and asked him what he thought of the characterization. He responded: “I’m Ryan Frazier, and I do what I believe to be right. I’ve never been much for labels…. I’ll leave the labeling to the press.” Though he did choose the word “principled” to describe his philosophy, he was fairly adamant about not being categorized into a box.

Nor did Frazier express any dismay that Beltway Republican Party bigwigs have taken a wait-and-see approach to his candidacy (all the better in light of NRSC’s recent Florida endorsement): “I’m not really concerned about folks in Washington DC. I never expected to be their number one choice. As a matter of fact, I think that’s why our candidacy can be so significant. Because we’re not the establishment. We are a grassroots campaign…. I’m not as concerned about whether they think I’m a top choice.” (more…)

Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 26th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. We have two guests on tap – both Colorado Republican statewide candidates in 2010 to discuss their respective campaigns and related issues:

• At 8:45, U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck
• At 9:30, Colorado Secretary of State candidate Scott Gessler

If you miss the live show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus.

If we are to be successful, pro-liberty groups and individuals are going to have to be more collaborative. There is strength in numbers. To a good extent, this movement has begun in Colorado — with the People’s Press Collective, Liberty on the Rocks, and other projects. But plenty of work remains to be done on many levels. Kudos to all those in the trenches.

On the most recent episode of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio we talked with blogger and online activist Ken Marrero about — among other things — his work with the national Tea Party movement and the development of a group called American Liberty Alliance. It turns out that as of today Ken is now the executive director of this national grassroots movement.

It’s an evolution of the spontaneous energy behind the Don’t Go Movement and the need to develop greater collaboration, as explained by outgoing director Eric Odom. I especially commend to you — in addition to the fronts for fighting major federal encroachments — the emphasis on local action: (more…)

I have a friendly rivalry going this season with blogger Civil Sense from The Colorado Index. Today seemed like a good a time as any to point it out. Baseball is a long season, but his Cleveland Indians have slipped to the worst record in the Major Leagues after back-to-back home shutout losses to my Detroit Tigers.

Tonight’s 4-0 victory was great, but the finish couldn’t match the 1-0 thriller on Friday — when Tigers ace Justin Verlander carried his two-hit shutout into the ninth inning. Grady Sizemore came to the plate with one on and one out when … well, watch for yourself:

Yep, that’s my boy: Curtis Granderson. And my Detroit Tigers a game out of first place and six games ahead of Cleveland. Ouch, Civil Sense. Ouch. (It can’t feel good for Indians fan Jeff, either.)

The good news for the Indians is that 80 percent of the season is left to play.

It’s official: Baby Virtus has verbally acknowledged her “da-da”. Today was worthy of a big smile! Unfortunately, it came more than a week after she started saying “mama”. But I can’t complain too much … her big sister said “da-da” first. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s Me 1, The Lovely Mrs. Virtus 1.

Perhaps, though, Baby Virtus will follow in big sister’s footsteps some day, and proclaim me “superdaddy”. Of course, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard that one, too. But having two happy, healthy, smart, beautiful, growing girls in the house means lots of joy and lots of surprises.

As promised in the closing moments of this week’s edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio, here is information on this Saturday’s event “Conservatism Is Not a Dirty Word” (PDF), co-sponsored by the Denver University College Republicans and Denver Women’s Republican Club.

• When? Saturday, May 9, 10 AM to noon
• Where? Lindsay Auditorium, Sturm Hall, University of Denver
• What? Panel discussion, followed by Q & A
• Who? The panel features Republican National Committeeman and former state senator Mark Hillman, Aurora city councilman and likely U.S. Senate candidate Ryan Frazier, talk radio host and assertiveness trainer Karen Kataline, past chairman of the Colorado Republican Business Coalition Jim Noon, Step 13 founder Bob Cote, and yours truly

For more information, contact: Jan Bonnett, DWRC 303-815-8950 or jan@janbonnett.net; Kevin Poyner, DU College Republicans 719-337-3026 or kpoyner@du.edu. Hope to see you there!

Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 25th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. Our confirmed guest for this week is Ken Marrero, an entrepreneur and one of the leading bloggers on the Right, better known to many as Tennessee’s Blue Collar Muse. A possible guest from the Colorado state legislature also may join us, but these being the final hectic hours of the session we’re playing it by ear.

If you miss the live show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus.

Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 23rd edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. Our confirmed guest for this week is Matt Arnold from Clear the Bench Colorado to discuss his grassroots campaign to recall four state supreme court justices. We also hope to have on Senator Mark Scheffel, R-Parker, to talk about the contentious state budget debate.

If you miss the live show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus.

It’s been awhile since I’ve done any sort of book review. But having just completed Adam Schrager’s The Principled Politician: The Ralph Carr Story, it seemed an apt time to change that. Those who won’t want to miss this book include students of Colorado history, fans of the World War II era (especially the home front), and anyone interested in a sadly forgotten inspirational story that seems foreign in today’s all-too-jaded and polarized world of politics.

As introduced to readers in The Principled Politician, Ralph Carr (1887-1950) — Republican governor of Colorado from 1939 to 1943 — was a rare model of statesmanship. Fittingly, he held deep admiration and adulation for our nation’s 16th president Abraham Lincoln. He recognized the value of Lincoln’s political maxim — “A universal feeling, whether well or ill founded, cannot be safely disregarded” — and sought to balance it with a commitment to upholding and advancing the ideal of equality under the law. (more…)

Update VI, 4/16: Here are some pictures taken by Jimmie H. Butler at yesterday’s rally in Colorado Springs. Re-posted with permission:

Update V, 4/16: My brother-in-law has a great set of photos from yesterday’s Denver event. Slapstick Politics has begun to post video from the well-attended festivities at the West Steps of the Capitol. Rossputin has some “Post-Tea Party Thoughts” that includes photos, video, and an interactive poll question.

Here is a great site that is tallying attendance reports from Tea Party events all across the country. I’ve already notified the site operator with a few reports from Colorado locations he hadn’t yet received.

Update IV, 10:00 PM: Over at Free Colorado, Ari has a good initial analysis and a slew of pictures from Denver’s event. Face The State’s coverage and slide show can be found here. Zombyboy has a nice spread of photos and some interesting thoughts as well.

Lovers of liberty need only scoff at these half-hearted Saul Alinsky disciples.

Update III, 3:45 PM: My source from Colorado Springs says about 4,000 people showed up at the Tax Day Tea Party rally there earlier today.

Update II, 3:10 PM: Other Colorado Tax Day Tea Party estimates … Fort Collins = 1,000, though one attendee reports on Facebook that it was closer to 2,500 … Grand Junction = 2,000, where speaker Ryan Frazier announced he is moving forward as a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate … Debbie Buckley reports 60 to 70 attendees, mostly first-timers, up in the mountains at Frisco … Awaiting word from other locations – please drop me a line if you have an update …

Update, 2:30 PM: Returned a little while ago from the Denver Tax Day Tea Party. It was HUGE. The Denver Post says “more than 5,000 people” were there, and I’d be hard-pressed to disagree with that estimate. People were flocking in and out. An upbeat crowd – enthusiastic, energetic, waving signs, cheering. No problems with Lefty disturbances that I could see.

Stay tuned to this site and to the People’s Press Collective and Rocky Mountain Right for more coverage and photos of the event.

It’s Tax Day, and that means it’s time for Colorado taxpayers to (Tea) party:

• El Presidente has all the details you’ll ever need to find a rally near you, as well as other key links
• Randomridge has printable advice on how to deal with potential Lefty disturbances at the rallies
• Rossputin gives us some compelling (and visually-enhanced) reasons why Tax Day is “a time to mourn and protest”
• Just getting involved as a pro-liberty activist, and wondering where to go from here? Check out this great resource “Getting Connected in Colorado”, compiled by fellow Rocky Mountain Alliance blogger Night Twister
• After The Tea Party is another great resource to find out how to stay active

Sadly, if the legislative calendar is to be trusted, it looks like the majority Democrats in the state house have opted to avoid debate on the budget (SB259) and Pinnacol theft (SB281 and SB273) today. Maybe that will give more lawmakers time to come out and visit with the concerned constituents coming to their doorstep today.

We’ll see … Expect a follow-up report later.

“Breaking” news from the Dead Governors: Marc Holtzman won’t be running for governor.

Hey, don’t yawn at me like that. — Oh, I see … you’re yawning at their headline? — So what you’re trying to say is the Dead Guvs aren’t exactly the source of breaking news for things happening on the Republican side of the aisle here in Colorado? — Okay, okay, call me Captain Obvious. But I’m not the only one around here….

Sources also have shared with Mt. Virtus a sneak peek at some possible upcoming headlines from the Democrat Pols blog:

Breaking: Bill Owens Says He Doesn’t Want Governor’s Job Again

Breaking: Jane Norton ‘Not in the Mix’ to Take On Ritter

Breaking: Bruce Benson to Stay at CU, Won’t Vie for Governor’s Chair

Breaking: Ward Churchill NOT a GOP Candidate to Replace Ritter

Breaking: Tim Gill Rules Out Controversial Republican Run for Governor

Breaking: Lindsey Vonn Rumored to Pass on Gubernatorial Campaign

Breaking: Carmelo Anthony Opts for Playoffs Over Ritter Challenge

Breaking: Fray Duo Slade and King Reject Statewide Campaign Rumors

Breaking: Amazing Race Star Mom Says 2010 ‘Not Right’ for High Office

Hey — By the way, did you hear Jay Cutler won’t be the Broncos’ starting quarterback next season?

I couldn’t resist commenting on this one – from the Wall Street Journal’s Best of the Web:

“What if it was ‘Oh, the gay one,’ or ‘Oh, the Asian kid?’ ” asks Maggie Kwok, head of the Penn State Veterans Organization in an interview with the Daily Collegian, PSU’s student newspaper. She is referring to a “training video,” prepared by the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services office, depicting “worrisome student behavior.”

The office swiftly removed the video when it prompted a kerfuffle, but the PSU College Republicans preserved it on YouTube. It’s a fascinating documentation of academic prejudice.

Why bring this one up? I find the video not only bizarrely condescending in the generic sense, and for all the cogent reasons James Taranto elaborates on if you read the whole piece.

But there’s also the personal connection. For two years I worked as a teaching assistant at none other than (you guessed it) Penn State. (more…)