Update, 1/19: (H/T Business Word) According to Denver Post political editor Curtis Hubbard, Maes’ 4th quarter campaign take is actually lower than the previous quarter. And his campaign treasurer “seems to be missing in action” to turn in the report. It almost goes without saying that this adds up to seriously bad news for the upstart candidate.

Perhaps the biggest knock against the upstart Republican gubernatorial campaign of Evergreen businessman Dan Maes has been his weak fundraising. He only pulled in $12,194 during the third quarter, from a total of 37 contributors.

No one realistically expects Maes to achieve fundraising parity with frontrunner Scott McInnis (who brought in $544,779 and $479,575 in the two recent reporting periods, respectively). But it would help Maes’ cause greatly to be in the same league.

While Dan Maes’ fourth quarter fundraising report has yet to be posted on the Colorado Secretary of State’s campaign finance website, he did offer me a sneak preview with an email note sent late last night: (more…)

Today’s editorial from the liberal- leaning Denver Post urges Colorado Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet to vote against the “bad medicine” of Obama Care. If that doesn’t tell you how blindly out of touch the national Democratic Party has become, and the political dangers awaiting them on the near horizon, I’m not sure what will: Maybe a “Massachusetts Miracle” by Republican Scott Brown?

Update, 1/22: Two other Republican candidates — U.S. Senate hopeful Ken Buck and 7th CD contender Ryan Frazier — also have signed the “Repeal It” pledge.

The Club for Growth has created a “Repeal It” pledge for candidates running for Congress in 2010. It reads:

I hereby pledge to the people of my district/state upon my election to the U.S. House of Representatives/U.S. Senate, to sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health care takeover passed in 2010, and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government.

There’s a cause the majority of Coloradans (and indeed, Americans) can rally around. Kudos to Republican 7th CD candidate Lang Sias for being the first non-incumbent from our state to sign (GOP 5th District Congressman Doug Lamborn also has signed).

Just because Sias is the first Colorado candidate to sign and have his name appear on the “Repeal It” site, I would be greatly shocked if others in the 7th CD race — not to mention candidates for the U.S. Senate and other Congressional districts — did not join him shortly.

Way to keep it classy, Mark Udall! From a 9News report (H/T Complete Colorado):

Sen. Mark Udall is wading into a hotly contested special election on behalf of a fellow Democrat, and it’s his use of the word “tea-baggers” that has upset some conservatives.

The fundraising e-mail is on behalf of Martha Coakley, a Democrat, who is facing Republican Scott Brown in a tight race to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts.

Udall’s e-mail reads, in part, “Martha’s opponent is receiving millions of dollars in support from far-right tea-baggers across the country, claiming him as one of their own.”…

A campaign representative for Udall, who is not up for re-election until 2014, issued a statement in response to an inquiry by 9NEWS.

“Over the past year, multiple media outlets have used the term as a short-hand reference to tea party activists,” the statement read. “That is what was intended by the campaign and nothing more.”

Apparently, the extent of Colorado’s senior U.S. Senator’s experience with “media outlets” is MSNBC and Lefty blogs like the Daily Kos. As 9News notes, even NPR has added the term to its “dirty word filter.” Maybe taxpaying Coloradans should add Udall to their “dirty politician filter.”

The 2010 survey of Colorado’s political temperature is in the books. A formal rollout of the top-line results is coming on Monday. But you can get a first glance throughout the evening as El Presidente highlights the raw results on People’s Press Collective.

Thanks to everyone who participated. With 714 participants, this is the most popular edition yet. Come back and make your voice heard again in February … Onward and upward for 2010!

Update: Incumbent Democratic state treasurer Cary Kennedy raised $70,000 in the last quarter and has $173,674 on hand — which puts her squarely between Stapleton and Ament.

With state campaign finance reports due today, GOP state treasurer candidate Walker Stapleton boasts another strong fundraising quarter:

DENVER—Republican businessman Walker Stapleton announced today that he has now raised more than $310,000 for his 2010 campaign to unseat Democrat incumbent State Treasurer Cary Kennedy. That figure includes over $65,000 raised in the last quarter of 2009.

Stapleton’s efforts leave him with more than $270,000 cash on hand….

A quick glance on the Secretary of State’s new campaign finance reporting site shows that Stapleton’s chief Republican rival J.J. Ament pulled in just under $50,000 during the final three months of 2009. He has $93,676 on hand.

As of 5:25 PM, incumbent Democrat Cary Kennedy had yet to file a report. I’ll post an update for comparison when I see that it’s come in.

By comparison, Republican treasurer candidate Mark Hillman — running uncontested in the primary — at this point four years ago had $125,415 in the bank.

In December I noted that Rasmussen’s survey of the Colorado U.S. Senate matchups showed a significant momentum swing for Republican Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck. One month later, the results from Rasmussen tell a somewhat different story.

If you have been reluctant to describe fellow Republican Jane Norton as the frontrunner … well, “facts are stubborn things,” John Adams once said. Norton has pushed her lead over incumbent appointee Michael Bennet from 9 points to 12 and is nearly at 50 percent (49-37). Buck’s lead over Bennet ticked up one point to five (43-38), while the recent invisible campaign of Tom Wiens has grown a similar lead of 44-38. (more…)

Just in case you missed it, an interesting and provocative series by the Telegraph of London. Following up their 2007 lists, this week they have released new lists of America’s 100 Top Liberals and 100 Top Conservatives. It’s sure to spark some debate from across the Pond (over-rating Matt Drudge jumps to the top of my mind) … anyway, check it out.

I don’t agree with attorney general John Suthers on everything, but kudos to him for taking some bold stands recently. Of course, there is his active role in participating and speaking out against the Obama Care Nebraska bribe in the U.S. Senate. Then this week came Suthers’ three-fourths endorsement of the Clear the Bench Colorado cause, another bold move.

Lesser known, but also important today for those procrastinators out there, is the Attorney General’s Twitter endorsement of the Survey of Colorado’s Political Temperature. While the endorsement came with the original survey in July, the January edition is closing up at 5 PM today, so… Time to Take the Survey!

And thank you, Attorney General John Suthers!

Another Obama Care backroom deal? Yes, and who can keep track of them as they go by? This one from the Alliance for Worker Freedom:

After a Tuesday meeting between White House officials and union leaders, the two sides reached a health care deal that would exempt union health care plans from new taxes. While plans with similar benefits are likely subject to tax rates as high as 40%, health care plans negotiated under union managed collective bargaining agreements will remain tax-free.

“The decision to exclusively tax non-union health care plans represents the latest and most egregious sop to Democrat’s most loyal ally – big labor,” said Brian Johnson, Executive Director of The Alliance for Worker Freedom. Johnson added, “Unions got the legislation they were lobbying for while getting the rest of the country to pay for it; and Burger and Stern aren’t even registered lobbyists!”

I know, I know. You’re scarcely impelled to bat an eyelash anymore, much less jump out of your chair and fly into an indignant rage. Corrupt, special-interest Chicago-style politics has become synonymous with the so-called attempt by Congress and the Obama administration to reform health care.

Help back Scott Brown in Massachusetts and secure the 41st vote to block the monstrosity of Obama Care.

Everybody knows about the devastating earthquake in Haiti, so I don’t need to recount If you can find it in your heart and the means to provide, will you please join me and thousands of other generous Americans in giving to one of the worthy organizations out there that provide urgent relief? Two of the causes I recommend:

• World Vision provides “life-saving relief supplies – including food, clean water, blankets, and tents — to children and families devastated by the earthquake and aftershocks in Haiti.”
• Project C.U.R.E. delivers “much-needed medical relief.”

And, of course, please keep the victims, rescue workers and families in your prayers.

Update: I’ve also uploaded a copy of the opening speech from Mike May’s counterpart in the Senate — minority leader Josh Penry, who sounds a strong note on the need for government reform. He’s not running for governor, but when it comes to this issue, go Josh go!

Today kicks off the legislative session down at Colorado’s State Capitol. Because of a federal grant deadline, action is already swiftly underway on some education bills.

Meanwhile, Republican House minority leader Mike May helped to kick things off with a speech that shows not only his party’s serious face to bring some fiscally conservative backbone to tackle some of the state’s looming problems, but also his own good humor. Full text of the speech below the fold: (more…)

While I agree with Don Johnson that Republican Scott Brown is still the underdog in the Massachusetts special election to fill Ted Kennedy’s U.S. Senate seat, the latest Rasmussen poll showing some powerful Brown momentum against Martha Coakley (shaving the lead from 9 points to 2 in less than a week) gives me greater hope.

And I’m not alone. The conservative gang over at Red State is fired up with confidence (apparently Democratic internal poll numbers are plummeting, too, and signs of panic in the Coakley camp are growing evident). Less than a week now to see how this plays out and affects Obama Care and sets the stage for the 2010 national elections.

No doubt this is an important race, and one I’ll continue to keep a close eye on. After all, we know what a “Massachusetts miracle” would mean for Colorado’s appointed Michael Bennet.

Yesterday evening the Colorado Republican legislative staff hosted a blogger round (or square as the case may be) table discussion on some of the looming issues on the eve of the legislative session. Topics of discussion ranged from public employee pensions to medical marijuana to government transparency.

Rather than provide a recap, I’ll point you to the thoughts of liberal blogger David Thielen — whom I finally met in person and sat next to during the discussion. Though he was outnumbered about 15 to 1, Thielen held his own and was treated well. His Colorado Pols essay reviewing the event was honest, fair-minded and lighthearted — which: (more…)

A friend brought my attention to this story on CNN about people who have watched the blockbuster movie Avatar developing depression:

James Cameron’s completely immersive spectacle “Avatar” may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.

My first and only reaction was to recollect one of my favorite quotes:

If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy, also we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another world. – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Profound but true. A realization that marks one of the first steps on a fallen soul’s journey into the arms of his holy Creator and loving Savior.

I am probably one of a handful of people in the metro Denver area who has yet to see Avatar, but if James Cameron’s visually stunning moneymaker awakens some people to begin inquiring about their eternal spiritual state, then it will have done some good in spite of itself.

It’s up to those of us who follow Christ to faithfully share the good news.