Last night I decided the mail-in ballot had been sitting too long on my counter, so I went ahead and filled in the bubbles. Time to drop it off now, and contribute my two cents to Colorado’s Republican primary election 2010. Without further ado, here are the decisions I arrived at personally, with some explanation as needed, followed by my predictions: (more…)

On Saturday night I watched in dread as Magglio Ordonez slid into home plate, was tagged out… but never got up. Quickly confirmed to have a fractured ankle, he had to be aided off the field. The number three hitter in my Detroit Tigers lineup, swinging the bat well again after a forgettable 2009, gone for 6 to 8 weeks (2B Carlos Guillen landed on the 15-day disabled list after the same game). A mere matter of days before the non-waiver trade deadline. A season that on the cusp of the All-Star break looked like it could be promising… you can just about write it off now.

A month ago relief pitching sensation Joel Zumaya broke his arm and finished his season while pitching against Minnesota. Less than a week ago third baseman Brandon Inge broke his hand on an inside pitch. With some key rookies providing unexpected contributions, it looked like the Tigers could weather the storm enough with a trade deadline pick-up to make the final piece. Hard to see how that can happen now, at least not without mortgaging away a much more promising future.

Dare I say it, but my Colorado Rockies haven’t looked much better of late. Ubaldo is off his game, the effect of Troy Tulowitzki being out of the lineup for weeks now taking its toll, and the post-break road trip couldn’t end soon enough. Too many holes in the lineup. Inconsistency from the bullpen. Can they catch enough fire to make up lost ground in the NL West race come September? I’m beginning to have my doubts.

For the Tigers and Rockies, if things continue to falter, there is always 2011. But need I go into the trainwreck-like spectacle that is the governor’s race in Colorado? “There’s always 2014….” (more…)

Next weekend is the annual Right Online conference, sponsored by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. Specifically, it will be held Friday and Saturday, July 23-24, in Las Vegas. This is a great opportunity for conservatives who want to learn how they can help neutralize the advantage the Left has accrued in new media and online tools.

A lineup of great speakers is on tap — including members of Congress Mike Pence and Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, John Fund, Judge Andrew Napolitano, and more. Registration is still open.

I’m not able to make the trip (family reasons), which depending on your perspective might be all the more reason to go. But definitely give it a close look and find a great excuse to make a summertime visit to Vegas and learn how to make a difference at the same time.

My state representative Sara Gagliardi is working overtime to try to project a fiscally conservative image in the upcoming election. The fact that the two-term Democrat has probably the most vulnerable seat in the state legislature in 2010 has more than a little to do with this truth-bending media campaign.

In the course of one week, Gagliardi has published two pieces in the local press to trump up her credentials. First, her July 1 column in the Arvada Press touts the representative’s co-sponsorship of HB 1119, aka the SMART Government Act, which she describes as providing “an innovative strategy to running our state using an approach called performance budgeting.”

The problem is the bill isn’t really that innovative. The Democratic leadership in the legislature killed HB 1126, which true performance budgeting would have required legislators to set real priorities and make tough budget decisions. At least HB 1119 is an okay piece of legislation, and not overtly harmful. For Gagliardi, it all goes downhill from there. (more…)

The Rocky Mountain Alliance of Blogs (of which I am a member) and People’s Press Collective (to which I am a contributor) — not to mention the Independence Institute where I work — are all among many co-sponsors of the upcoming First Annual Western Conservative Summit on July 9 to 11 in the south metro Denver area.

Put this one on your calendars. There is a fantastic and diverse collection of speakers slated to come, including: (more…)

A connection of the state of nativity with my state of residence — the state where I cut my teeth on politics with the teeth the state where I’ve come more involved in politics than I ever imagined. Conservative leader Bob Schaffer, former Congressman and current chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education, publicly announced his endorsement in the Republican primary for Michigan’s gubernatorial race in an email sent today to supporters:

Please join me in supporting U. S. Congressman Pete Hoekstra in his campaign to become Governor of Michigan.

With all the attention being paid to campaigns here in Colorado, you’re surely wondering why I’d ask you to join Maureen and me by supporting a candidate in Michigan. The answer is pretty straightforward:

Pete Hoekstra is one of the finest leaders I’ve ever known. (more…)

WHEREAS, on June 2, 2010, at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga masterfully pitched a game against the Cleveland Indians in which he indisputably retired each of the first 26 batters he faced in succession with exactly 80 pitches thrown (62 strikes, 18 balls); and

WHEREAS, Tigers centerfielder Austin Jackson made a tremendous, over-the-shoulder running catch off Indians second baseman Mark Grudzielanek for the first out of the ninth inning; and

WHEREAS, with two outs in the top of the 9th inning, the 27th batter, Cleveland Indians shortstop Jason Donald, grounded the ball to Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who in turn flipped the ball to Galarraga, who clearly touched the bag with his foot before Donald did; and

WHEREAS, veteran first base umpire Jim Joyce incorrectly ruled the runner safe at first; and

WHEREAS, thousands of the paying customers at Comerica Park could see immediately that the umpire blew the call at first; and (more…)

Saturday at the Colorado Republican State Assembly I was privileged to conduct two dozen brief interviews of candidates, officials, dignitaries, advocacy groups and even a few activist delegates. Michael Sandoval filmed and edited the interviews, breaking them up into six chunks and posting them last night on the People’s Press Collective. Warning in advance: The sound issues were challenging with the loud background noise of the Assembly, so some interviews are easier to hear than others. But I invite you to check them out.

If you have limited time, likely the most interesting interview is with newcomer gubernatorial candidate Joe Gschwendtner in video number 5. Others interviewed include: (more…)

A quick video with an important message — one that’s hard-hitting for this father of young children — brought to you by the growing grassroots group Mothers Against Debt. Check it out:

Tonight I am at a loss for words. The great Ernie Harwell — to all of us who grew up with his voice and grew up to love Detroit Tigers baseball, simply “Ernie” — passed away today at age 92, after a long bout with cancer. If you want to know why I’m choked up with tears, here’s a start:

• My September 2009 posting: Thank YOU, Ernie Harwell
• A full-length obituary in the Detroit Free Press
• And a fitting, in-game eulogy by fellow baseball broadcasting legend Vin Scully:

(more…)

Just how politically correct are today’s colleges? Are the faculties at American universities really as ideologically imbalanced as you have heard? What are the effects of that imbalance on students and their futures? Are there any promising and politically achievable reforms for academia?

If these questions pique your interest, then you should look at obtaining a copy of the new book The Politically Correct University, a collection of insightful essays on a range of topics under the theme. Even better, if you live in the Denver metro area, you can meet one of the volume’s editors — Robert Maranto from the University of Arkansas’ Department of Education Reform — this evening at Liberty on the Rocks Red Rocks: (more…)

Last Tuesday I received a review copy of The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado (and Why Republicans Everywhere Should Care by award-winning 9News political reporter Adam Schrager and former Republican state representative Rob Witwer. Despite having a lot on my plate, I found time to read the book in two evenings.

The book is a quick read but remarkably packed with substance. Political insiders who have followed the past three election cycles in Colorado will find a good amount of familiar material, and may learn a few things on the way. Everyone else, buckle up. The transformation of Colorado’s political power structures from Republican to Democratic dominance is a worthwhile and important study — one that points to the importance of a permanent and coordinated infrastructure. But not at state party headquarters.

“Because of campaign finance reform, political parties are essentially dead,” co-author Rob Witwer told me in a Friday interview, when asked what his most significant and startling discovery was in researching the book. “The infrastructure necessary to support a political movement can only be done through a network of non-profit entities.”

Recent electoral history (especially 2004 and 2006) makes Witwer’s case, something he and Schrager lay out effectively in the book. To get a flavor of The Blueprint, simply check out the excerpt printed in yesterday’s Denver Post perspective section. The stunning upset takeover of the Colorado state legislature was launched with a “Roundtable” gathering of the familiar “Gang of Four” liberal money machine.

But their money wouldn’t have won them the power and acclaim if not spent effectively. “What the Left’s donors figured out was you can have a much bigger impact on public policy if you flood local races with resources then if you just chip around the edges on big races,” said Witwer. “And that’s what they did.” (more…)

Yesterday morning I was at the Jefferson County Republican Assembly. If you saw Lynn Bartels’ picture of the sea of signs, you know precisely where I was. There isn’t a whole lot to report on, other than the doughnuts I ate too many of were really good. We forwarded a slate of strong candidates for county office–including incumbents Sheriff Ted Mink, Clerk Pam Anderson, and Treasurer Tim Kauffman–and (hopefully) my next state senator John Odom.

And these events are somewhat like political family reunions — this time with a good amount of new, enthusiastic faces in the crowd. Sources say 980 delegates and alternates in all crowded the El Jebel shrine next door to Denver’s Willis Case Golf Course. That sounds about right to me.

The only disputed Jeffco race was in my House District 27, where despite a temporary procedural “glitch” that held up proceedings, my friend Libby Szabo won a convincing 88 percent of the delegate vote. She looks to carry the Republican banner in one of Colorado’s likeliest pickup opportunities in November. (more…)

Today — April 9, 2010 — will go down as a memorable day. First, my native state of Michigan officially declared it Ernie Harwell Day in honor of what looks very much like the legendary Hall-of-Fame baseball broadcaster’s last Detroit home opener with us (and bless the Tigers, they beat Cleveland 5-2). Can’t say it enough: Thank YOU, Ernie Harwell.

I’ve also learned that lawmakers from my adopted home state of Colorado have declared today David Benke Day, in honor of the selfless, heroic teacher at Deer Creek Middle School who doubtless helped save student lives from a deranged gunman. I’m honored to have met both of these fine, humble men, and am glad to know they share the same commemorative day. They are both most deserving, each in his own way.

But there’s one other reason to make April 9, 2010 memorable: It’s the 145th anniversary of General Robert E. Lee’s famed surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House — most beautifully and eloquently captured in the memoir of General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, The Passing of the Armies — bringing the great hope of peace to an American nation ravaged by the Civil War. (This one is for you, Snags.)

For the two or three of you who might be wondering, a quick update on the Survey of Colorado’s Political Temperature.

Yes, the original plan was to launch the April edition today. But I and others have been busy, and — more importantly — the survey is undergoing a formal re-design to make it sleeker, quicker and easier to take, and more accessible to a wider audience, while retaining its basic substance. Look for the survey to be available all next week in a brand new venue.

Thanks for your interest in Colorado politics.

Luke 24:1-9

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.

9 and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. (more…)

I promised that I would continue to follow up on the story of the secretive Taxpayers for Liberty (TFL) and its reportedly underhanded tactics in Colorado’s U.S. Senate race. For review:

• Taxpayers for Liberty: Who Is This Group Playing in the U.S. Senate Race?
• Time to Denounce Taxpayers for Liberty: Sleazy Tactics & Shadowy Group
• Taxpayers for Liberty Update: Larimer County’s Sue Rehg Tells Her Story

After my initial investigation, the group sent out a press release to declare it was now active in other states, for the first time providing contact information other than a Denver P.O. Box to reach their executive director Andrew O’Neill — who we at least confirmed was not a registered voter here in Colorado.

I decided to give Mr. O’Neill and his shadowy group a chance to rebut my initial findings, to balance the story and present some explanations to clear things up. So I left voice messages with both available TFL phone numbers ( and 720-989-1141) and sent emails to both addresses (mail@taxpayersforliberty.com and andrew@taxpayersforliberty.com) with the following questions: (more…)

CBS4Denver reports: Booster Seat Measure Moves Forward in Legislature. The booster seat manufacturing lobby must be thrilled. But seriously… do parents need the nanny Democrats running the state legislature to impose another burden on us? Is the state going to give me a dollar-for-dollar tax rebate when I buy my mandatory booster seat for the oldest Little Virtus?

It’s amazing how any of us survived to adulthood riding around in those metal deathtraps of yesteryear. Why don’t we just get it over with and require all kids to sit into a booster seat until age 12, and then mandate that every driver and passenger must wear a football helmet and padded body suit?

If they didn’t die a long time ago, personal responsibility and common sense appear to be in their final throes. At least good old Dave Williams was there to inject some rationality into the CBS4Denver story:

“Even though something might be a good idea, it doesn’t mean that the government needs to make it a law, and give more power to the police to enforce what may or may not be a good idea,” said the chairman of the Libertarian Party David Williams.

You don’t have to be a Big L Libertarian to recognize that Senate Bill 110 represents good intentions run amok. Fewer areas of our lives remain unregulated? Empower parents, don’t burden and smother us.

Update: Scanned copy of the March 5 Taxpayers for Liberty letter posted below.

Yesterday I received a strange mailing from a group called Taxpayers for Liberty. (Many of my fellow conservative, politically-active Colorado friends likely received the same.) It’s a self-described 501c4 organization with a Denver P.O. Box and an executive director named Andrew O’Neill — I’m almost positive it’s not this Andrew O’Neill.

I will take time later today to scan and post the four-page letter, along with the attached questionnaire and reply form, so you can see the mailing for yourself. It looks a lot like your standard political fundraising letter, with short paragraphs and heavy on underlined text and bullet points. Suffice it to say, the group Taxpayers for Liberty is very fond of Ken Buck, while railing on Jane Norton for not returning the questionnaire and Tom Wiens for filling out the questionnaire identically but having a voting record, or something like that. (more…)

No political blogging this morning. Instead, a great video tribute to Michigan soldiers who served in the Civil War, with historical music provided by actor and native Michigander Jeff Daniels:

It’s hard for me not to be moved by this tribute, having studied the U.S. Civil War so extensively, having traveled to so many of its battlefield sites, having four ancestors who served in the War (including three who died in the service — one in the 9th Michigan Volunteer Infantry), and having my alma mater Hillsdale College so prominently represented in the 4th Michigan and other regiments:

A higher percentage of Hillsdale students enlisted during the Civil War than from any other western college. Of the more than 400 who fought for the Union, four won the Congressional Medal of Honor, three became generals and many more served as regimental commanders. Sixty gave their lives.

Furthermore, yes, “Michigan, My Michigan” is the official song of my native state.

The 1860s were such a different time in so many ways, and yet there must be some similar sentiments shared by our military personnel on active duty today. Lend a thought or prayer to our troops serving overseas and to their families.