This post will stick to the top until January 15. Please scroll down for newer postings.

Okay, you political junkies out there: Come on, admit it. You’ve missed the Survey of Colorado’s Political Temperature since we announced the last results in November.

Well, the survey is back and better than ever — with fewer, better-organized issue statements, as well as the opportunity to predict head-to-head general election matchups in all the different Colorado races. You only have until next Friday, January 15, at 5:00 PM local Mountain time to get it done. You know you can’t resist. What are you waiting for?

Click here to take the January survey

The best news of all is that with the 2010 election year upon us, the Survey of Colorado’s Political Temperature will re-appear the 1st Thursday of each month. So once you complete this survey, you can start counting down the days until the February edition is unveiled.

Check back here by Monday the 18th for January’s results. Meanwhile, here’s the full press release announcing the new survey (as always, click fullscreen for a closer look): (more…)

There’s no stopping the forward press of time. I’m not so sure about turning 33 today, but at least my name isn’t Josh. A few months ago the combination of age and name seemed so charmed. They were a pair of Colorado wunderkinds: one 33-year-old Josh making strides towards one of Colorado’s most powerful positions, the other 33-year-old Josh newly occupying the other.

Josh Penry was making giant strides toward the Republican nomination for governor. Then one day in November the plug suddenly was pulled on his campaign. Now he isn’t even running for re-election to his own state senate seat in 2010. What’s going on?

But he’s on Cloud Nine compared to Josh McDaniels, who yesterday felt the bitter sting of missing the playoffs in his first season as an NFL head coach, losing 8 of the final 10 games after starting 6-0. Add in the turmoil with Brandon Marshall and other Bronco players, and it looks like the bandwagon is emptying for the time being. Where does he go from here?

I still have high hopes for 33. After all, so far it doesn’t seem much different than 32. The year’s work has just begun. I’m back in the fight.

In his latest offering, former state legislative leader Mark Hillman praises the “freedom nationally, virtue locally” National Freedom Initiative of Colorado’s own Kevin Miller — not the first time it has crossed my path. It was last year about this time I wrestled a lot with the role social conservatism should play, and something that never strays too far from my mind.

Therefore, I’m very intrigued by this initiative — which, of course, is not altogether new, but rather a very sensible clarification and reformulation for our current political context. The opportunity definitely is there:

• To educate many social conservatives on the vital and wholly compatible value of liberty and limited government
• To build a strong bridge between the Right-leaning faith-based community and the Tea Party & 9/12 movements (where I’m sure a lot of overlap already exists)
• (At the least) To have ongoing, important debates that can help hone views and broader strategies heading into the 2010 election and beyond

Just maybe, Miller is vying to be the Frank Meyer for a new generation of the conservative movement. For more, watch Miller and state senator Ted Harvey hash out the issues on a recent episode of Independent Thinking with host Jon Caldara (parts 1 through 3): (more…)

Three days ’till Christmas, this will give you some holiday cheer. PJTV’s Steven Crowder takes an up close & personal look at Detroit, the once proud Motor City a mere hollow shell of what it once was (H/T Red State).

The recent Clint Eastwood flick Gran Torino gave you a glimpse of what Detroit has become. But Crowder goes even deeper into the hollowed-out blight, pervasive poverty and unemployment, and the worst schools in America in his didactic tale concerning the fruit of decades of welfare state policy, Big Labor cronyism, and corrupt city government: (more…)

For having an outside perspective, Red State editor Erick Erickson makes one of the most insightful observations about Colorado’s Republican Senate primary:

Why exactly must we support Jane Norton in Colorado instead of Ken Buck? I’m not saying I am or am not, but why must I? Lots of people think we must because the same guys in Washington who said Charlie Crist was our best hope in Florida say she is in Colorado….

…Ken Buck has a very real shot and Norton is about to suffer some very serious high dollar blows about her support for suspending TABOR a while back. We need not go with the inside the beltway wisdom just because the beltway wisdom wants us to go with Norton. We should watch, study, observe, and see where things are heading before going with either Buck or Norton.

Could hardly have stated it better myself.

With posts like the recent one I wrote highlighting Ken Buck’s momentum in head-to-head matchups with Michael Bennet, I have been pegged as a Buck sympathizer. Not so. I am nowhere close to choosing a candidate to back in the primary. Norton’s campaign has received most of the pomp and national establishment backing. From time to time I may take the opportunity to add a little balance to the coverage.

Like Erick, I firmly believe the pro-liberty grassroots and bloggers “should watch, study, observe, and see where things are heading before going with either Buck or Norton.” At least that’s where I am these days.

Harry Reid says he has 60 votes to pass the Obama Care monstrosity — Is he telling the truth? We’ll see. But if it wasn’t a given before, then passing this bill means Colorado will spend most of 2010 preparing to say “good-bye” to the short-lived disastrous Senate term of Michael Bennet.

As Red State reports, three key procedural votes remain:

• Early Monday morning to end debate on a “manager’s package” of amendments (383 pages being read and live-blogged by RMA’s Don Johnson, if you want to see some of what’s being shoved down our throats)
• Tuesday to end debate on Reid’s health care proposal as amended by the “manager’s package”
• Wednesday for final passage of Obama Care in the U.S. Senate

So speak up. Go here to take action and send an email to all your elected Representatives in Congress. Here’s what I sent — part automated Freedom Works message, and part Mount Virtus on a righteous rant: (more…)

Today brings a difficult reminder of how quickly time passes. It was exactly one years ago that the Rocky Mountain Alliance lost a charter member, and I lost a good friend and Christian brother: Jim Cannon. From our point of view, he left us all too soon. But God knew just when to bring him home.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have known Jim, and for the positive impact he had on my life. Here is the eulogy I was honored to deliver at Jim’s memorial service last December.

And here is a passage from Revelation 21 to lift our thoughts heavenward: (more…)

And I thought I was anal. (H/T Betsy’s Page)

Now if someone could help with the AP’s whole ideologically-driven, selectively sloppy investigation problem.

Ever the libertarian wit, Denver Post columnist David Harsanyi highlights some “lessons in capitalism” based on a new USA Today investigation that finds safer meat at your local fast-food restaurant than in the government’s National School Lunch Program for poorer students.

“Doesn’t the USDA care about the children?” Harsanyi asks with more than a hint of sarcasm.

Seeing his thoughts in writing made me think: Perhaps we should be giving poorer students vouchers to buy Happy Meals for school lunches? I don’t know about the value of such an idea as a practical policy prescription. However, the mere fact I’m bringing it up might make some heads spin in the USDA office on the floor below the Independence Institute where I work.

Let’s see if anyone comes storming upstairs after this is posted ….

ARVADA–Add one more to the list of Republican candidates for Colorado’s 7th Congressional District. This morning at DiCicco’s Restaurant in Old Town Arvada, U.S. Navy veteran and former McCain presidential senior staff member Lang Sias told a crowd of about 20 supporters that he was officially throwing his hat into the ring to challenge incumbent Congressman Ed Perlmutter.

Sias — an Arvada resident and father of two (soon to be three) — touted the need for “mature, commonsense, fiscally conservative principles” in Washington, D.C., as well as for bringing down the federal debt and reforming tax and trade policies. Calling on his national security credentials, he observed: “There is evil in the world, and we can’t ignore it or charm it away.”

Acknowledging his status as a formerly registered Democrat, Sias said his goal is to run an inclusive campaign, “to reach out to the great forgotten middle.” (more…)

Update, 12/14: This evening during the 10:00 hour I will be discussing the Every Member Option political refund on the Jon Caldara Show — listen live at 850 KOA. We’ll be focusing on the response of Colorado’s largest local teachers’ union in the December edition of the JCEA Insight (PDF), just as we did on this recent iVoices podcast (click the play button below or follow this link):

Update, 12/11: Tomorrow (Saturday) at 1:30 PM local Mountain time I will be discussing the Every Member Option political refund and other union issues on Grand Junction’s “Getting It Right” show with Rick Wagner. You can listen live on AM 1100 KNZZ. On Sunday evening at 7:30 PM local time I will be on Denver’s Backbone Radio with John Andrews to discuss the same topic. Listen live on AM 710 KNUS.

Update, 12/8: You have two chances tomorrow morning to hear me talk about the CEA’s Every Member Option political refund (December 15 deadline). At 11 AM, I’ll be on the Mike Rosen Show (AM 850 KOA). At 11:30, I’ll be on the Jim Pfaff Show (AM 560). Thanks for listening!

Update, 12/4: I am slated to be on the Jeff Crank Show Saturday at 8:30 AM to explain the Every Member Option refund deadline to a Colorado Springs-area audience. A podcast of the appearance will be available here after the show.

Update, 12/3: Jon Caldara highlights the “sinister” response of certain union officials to the Every Member Option refund message.

Update, 12/2: Gotta B Right and Tony’s Rants and Business Word take notice of the EMO political refund option for teachers, too. … So has Combs Spouts Off. Looks like the word is spreading …

Are you a Colorado public school teacher? Or perhaps a friend or loved one? If so, do you or (s)he belong to the union? Are you interested in getting back your money that the union spends on politics? If you answered Yes to these questions, then the following video about the Every Member Option (EMO) political refunds is for you:

You can cut to the chase and go straight to the CEA’s EMO online refund request page, or find all the information you’ll need for the EMO refunds from CEA and local unions on the Independent Teachers website.

Or go ahead and listen to an EMO overview and some frequently asked questions on a 3-minute podcast by clicking the play button below (if you can’t see the player, or it doesn’t work, click here to listen):

In any case, the information is only valuable if teachers know about it and act on it by December 15. (Teachers in the AFT union have a political refund, too, but no deadline to request it.) Then they’ll have to wait to next school year. So please help spread the word!

A few items to commend to readers:

• Michelle Morin has eloquently recounted the historical origins of Thanksgiving
• Mr. Bob has posted a nostalgic video of a Thanksgiving greeting from our former president Ronald Reagan.
• Don’t forget you can find my 2008 series of “What I’m Thankful For” on one convenient page

With that, I’ll leave a Thanksgiving meditation from Scripture, Psalm 145 (with passages that caught my attention highlighted in bold):

1 I will extol You, my God, O King,
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
6 Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And I will tell of Your greatness.
7 They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and merciful;
Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
9 The LORD is good to all,
And His mercies are over all His works.
10 All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD,
And Your godly ones shall bless You.
11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power;
12 To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
14 The LORD sustains all who fall
And raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to You,
And You give them their food in due time.
16 You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.
18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also hear their cry and will save them.
20 The LORD keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.

No politics today, nothing that juicy or intriguing to break the fast on the eve of Thanksgiving. If you’re bored over the holiday and looking for some amusing reading — especially if you’re looking to stage a new play or produce a new movie — then check out the two-act script I completed earlier this year titled Al Gansee: The Shot Heard ‘Round Cambria.

The synopsis will give you the flavor:

In the early 1960s, a tiny Midwestern farm community has been transformed into a Marxist workers’ paradise upon the return of a charismatic native son and his Russian KGB companion. Now leading a Socialist Union that bears his name, Chief Comrade Al Gansee confronts the desire for territorial expansion and transmission of his ideals. Gansee, his wife Mary Beth, his KGB “left-hand man”, a 10-year-old Amish pyromaniac girl and the rest of the eccentric band of modern-day utopians march off to the Battle of Cambria and an infamous gunshot that promises to transform the lives of its participants and the once sleepy community for years to come.

So without further ado, here is Al Gansee: The Shot Heard ‘Round Cambria in its entirety (as always, for easy reading, click “Fullscreen” to begin): (more…)

The exciting opportunity for a Republican pickup in Senate District 16 with a departing incumbent Democrat Dan Gibbs has taken some interesting turns in the past week. State senate minority leader Josh Penry’s most highly touted replacement was Cheri Gerou. But the HD 25 representative told me today her current seat is “where I plan to stay.” So count out Gerou.

Then there’s Ali Hasan who, while refuting my initial speculations that he might contend, had suggested Jeffco GOP chair Don Ytterberg as a great candidate. However, Ytterberg says he has no desire to take another shot at SD 16 and is dedicated to his current work. “I made the commitment to work for the success of our party and I will do that to the best of my ability,” he said.

But as of today the Republican Party finally has an Evergreen businessman willing to jump in and battle for the open SD 16 seat. No, not that Evergreen businessman, the one who has expressed a firm commitment to the governor’s race and was left out of the crafting of the unity “Prosperity Platform.” (more…)

I am slated as the keynote speaker this coming Monday, 7 AM, at the Jefferson County Republican Men’s Club (follow link and scroll down for information). The topic? “What Do Teachers Unions Negotiate from You?” Find more about my areas of research here.

As Don at Business Word notes, the Ryan Frazier campaign yesterday touted a list of endorsements from “nearly one hundred influential Coloradans” in his bid to be the next Congressman from the 7th District. Yes, the list contains the names of some heavy-hitters — including Phil Anschutz, Pete Coors, Attorney General John Suthers, and former Governor Bill Owens.

But at least as telling to me is that Ryan Frazier has earned the support from both my friends Jessica Corry and Libby Szabo, the last two Republican candidates for state senate District 19. Why so significant? Jessica is a young up-and-comer from the more libertarian wing of the party. Libby is more of a traditional conservative and a longtime activist well known in Jefferson County Republican — especially Arvada (House District 27) — circles.

The fact they both (along with many other Republicans of prominence at different levels) have thrown in with Ryan Frazier is an important sign that he has picked up necessary traction after switching from the U.S. Senate race five weeks ago.

Sealing the deal with the grassroots should be a major focus for Frazier in the few months leading up to the caucuses — especially with primary opponent Brian Campbell (among others) and potential primary opponent Jimmy Lakey lurking out there.

This evening the Independence Institute celebrates its 25th anniversary with a sold-out Founders’ Night dinner featuring keynote speaker P.J. O’Rourke. It should be a good family reunion of sorts. Count me as one of the crazy, freedom-fighting cousins.

No one in the area is better at leveraging the media spotlight than my boss Jon Caldara. Witness today’s perfect-pitch feature by the Denver Post’s Jessica Fender:

Asked what has allowed Colorado’s free-market think tank, the Independence Institute, to live long enough for a 25th-anniversary celebration tonight, the organization’s famously bawdy president offers a joke.

“Embezzlement,” says Jon Caldara. “Embezzlement and glossy black-and-white photographs of politicians in compromising positions.”

It only gets better from there. (more…)

Introducing the top-line results from the 3rd edition of the survey of Colorado’s political temperature. Participation dropped to 281, but results still demonstrated some remarkable consistency. As always, thanks to those of you who took the time to help out!

Coming later in the month will be an analysis of some key crosstabs and correlations. But for now here’s a quick rundown of the survey’s top-line results:

• In the U.S. Senate race, with Ryan Frazier dropping out of the race, momentum has grown behind Ken Buck as the candidate with the most support and behind Jane Norton as the strongest candidate — an interesting dynamic given the credible rumors circulating at Rocky Mountain Right
• Josh Penry was on track for his best showings in both support and perceived strength, before he withdrew from the governor’s race–reducing his lead in one column and erasing it in another
• Ryan Frazier (7th Congressional), Cory Gardner (4th Congressional) and J.J. Ament (State Treasurer) have built strong leads in their respective races
• Demographically speaking, the group of participants in this poll was slightly more Republican, older, male, married, and white than the September sample
• Distaste for the “public option”, Bill Ritter’s management of state fiscal policy and Colorado Supreme Court partisanship grew even stronger
• Confidence remains high that incumbents Ritter, appointed U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, and Congresswoman Betsy Markey all will be defeated in 2010, while incumbent status within the Republican Party and national party interference are viewed with even less respect

For more details, read the release below (click “fullscreen” for easy viewing): (more…)

Because I’m finally getting around to putting out a press release (below the fold) with the important details — click on “Fullscreen” for easy readability: (more…)

Last year at this time I was in the middle of writing a 20-part blog series on “What I’m Thankful For.” While I have no plans in reprising the series for 2009, I have created a new permanent page on the site with links to each post — from “The Legacy of My Grandparents” to “Vision” and everything in between.

Eleven days until the official Thanksgiving holiday, and it’s never too early to start reflecting on the need for more gratitude in each of our lives.