Mount Virtus

Last night I kindly berated national talk show host Hugh Hewitt for his ignorance pertaining to Colorado Republican politics. Apparently, he’s in our state today and has an opportunity to listen, learn, and change his ways.

One guest who is scheduled to appear on his show this afternoon (sometime between 4 and 6 PM on 710 KNUS) is Matt Arnold to promote his important project Clear the Bench Colorado. Go here to find out more about Matt’s radio appearance and the cause you should consider supporting.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our September survey of Colorado’s political temperature. We had 500 people take the survey — down somewhat from last time, but still a very strong showing. We appreciate it very much.

Some already have started to ask about the release of the results, so let me share the (tentative) plan. Here goes:

1. Over the weekend we will compile and organize the top-line results for public display, and I will post them here first thing Monday morning. This should include how the candidates fared (and compared to the July survey), as well as which issue statements received the strongest expressions of agreement or disagreement
2. We have outsourced some cross-tab analysis to see how support with some candidates correlates with some other key questions. At this point, we anticipate rolling out this more in-depth analysis toward the latter part of next week. If you have any burning desires to see any certain questions broken down by demographic or some other issue, please leave a comment or send an email today, and we’ll take it into consideration

Thanks again for all your participation. And don’t hesitate to share any feedback about this survey that we might be able to use as we look ahead to crafting the next one.

First, it was Michigan-Ohio State football. Then it was the whole litany of Cleveland sports. The near-weekly disembarkation into the world of popular and classic movies. Of late, national radio host Hugh Hewitt has shown another entire topic about which he would be better served staying silent as opposed to demonstrating his ignorance: I speak of Colorado politics.

Memo to Hugh — Get away from the coasts, get out of the Beltway and the smog, and visit Rocky Mountain flyover country again. In the meantime, read up on Josh Penry, and watch this national video clip from Fox News: (more…)

Update: Tying the knot complete on this post, Jared Polis (along with fellow Colorado Democrat Diana Degette) was one of the 75 members of the U.S. House who voted today against ending taxpayer funding of ACORN.

Based on original research, Complete Colorado’s Todd Shepherd brings forward some interesting insights on Boulder Democrat Congressman Jared Polis’ personal financial stake in the “medical tourism” industry and his strong political support for increased government intervention in the health insurance market:

But here’s the rub: Jared Polis has made a long-term bet on the worldwide success of health care markets that have less regulation rather than more. Draw any conclusion you like, but there is no escaping the fact that BridgeHealth does not send patients to the United Kingdom or Canada to receive their health services. In fact, assuming those two countries have a mechanism to verify the citizenship of people applying for health services, non-citizens couldn’t possibly go to either country for medical tourism. Yet at the same time, it would be incorrect to conclude that Polis’ company is sending patients to places like India and Mexico by default.

(more…)

Wednesday Quick Hit: On some issues there’s plenty of room for debate and disagreement, but it seems to me that terminating federal taxpayer funding of ACORN is a cause we all should be able to rally around.

Jane Norton launched her U.S. Senate campaign today, and with it this video:

The video speaks for itself, but I’m hoping my readers will compare it with another video. (more…)

Trying to build on Lefty hitman David Sirota’s smear that the anti-Obama Care movement is characterized by “racist undertones” leading to rampant death threats, the 5280 blog recounts:

He isn’t the only public figure in Colorado to be threatened for digging into the intricacies of the health care debate. Last month, Congressman John Salazar received a death threat during a protest in Grand Junction, leading his office to contact Capitol police and the FBI, according to The Pueblo Chieftain.

Umm, does 5280 not read the Denver Post? (more…)

News came down this evening that Patrick Swayze succumbed to his battle with pancreatic cancer and died at the age of 57. We Coloradans especially can be grateful for his heroic vigilante service in the early years of World War Three. The 30-something high schooler and his brave band just may have provided the morale needed to ultimately turn the tide in our favor. Then again, the Red Army’s decision to dedicate so much resources to taking over a rural town and school may have factored in somewhere as well: (more…)

When you are in the bottom tier of candidates in the crowded primary field for Colorado’s Republican U.S. Senate primary nomination, you have to do what you can to attract attention. Enter the physically fit and environmentally responsible grassroots candidate Luke Korkowski, who today announces: (more…)

Update 2: NRSC responds again: “Your correction is incorrect. Neither of the folks you mention are NRSC fundraisers in any way. We do have a fundraising department but neither of the people you mention work for the NRSC or are contracted by us. Magda El-Tobgui raises money for Sen. Cornyn personal leadership PAC and she has a number of clients as well – but that’s all separate and apart from the NRSC.”

So the official organs of the NRSC are not connected to these fundraisers, but NRSC chairman John Cornyn is. You can decide how important the technical distinction is. I regret the error and again have updated the headline and text to reflect the greatest possible accuracy. The bottom line to me is clear: Jane Norton is the D.C. Republican establishment candidate.

Update: NRSC responds: “What’s frustrating though is when falsehoods are spread – and your item below – from the headline on down — is not true. Neither Magda El-Tobgui and Robyn Swift are NRSC employees or are on the NRSC payroll. So to state that they are “NRSC Fundraisers” is false. Magda El-Tobgui has her own independent business and counts Senator Cornyn’s personal leadership PAC, along with other Senators and candidates, among her clients. This is no different than any of the other dozens of DC-based fundraisers that are employed by incumbents and candidates. She is not employed by the NRSC though and your item stating otherwise is not accurate.”

Also, I regret that the comments are turned off for this post. It’s a glitch I haven’t been able to remedy yet, and hope to have it fixed soon.

In the Denver Post‘s red-carpet column for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jane Norton, the main reason we are told why her rivals aren’t credible candidates is:

When she jumps in — scheduled for this week — Norton will clear from the field a few of the contenders who have had trouble raising money. [emphasis added]

Well, I’ve heard from several different sources (who understandably don’t want to disclose their identity) that the National Republican Senatorial Committee and other GOP bigwigs have been trying to blacklist non-Norton Republican Senate candidates with national donors. Hard to prove? Yes. But it helps to explain why Ken Buck nearly bowed out of the contest before a slew of support urged him not to bow to the “shenanigans” of “Washington, D.C., insiders”.

Today enter a new piece of evidence: the invitation (PDF) for the main Washington D.C. September fundraiser for Jane Norton. What’s so interesting about it? The fundraisers for Jane Norton for Colorado are Magda El-Tobgui and Robyn Swift. Both of them are NRSC fundraisers, and El-Tobgui is also a fundraiser fundraisers for NRSC chairman John Cornyn‘s and his Alamo PAC (see below):

• Invite to June 2008 NRSC fundraiser for John Cornyn’s re-election hosted by the NRSC (PDF)
• Invite to July 2009 Alamo PAC fundraiser (PDF)
• Invite to Alamo PAC fundraiser this coming weekend (PDF)

(more…)

Five weeks ago the Sunday Denver Post editorial page featured a piece by columnist Vince Carroll that made short shrift of the U.S. Senate candidacies of Ryan Frazier and Ken Buck, while making the pitch for Bob Beauprez. The Post‘s management clearly was using its editorial heft to tout Beauprez as the GOP’s great hope to defeat Ritter-appointed incumbent Michael Bennet.

Well, two weeks later Bob Beauprez officially announced he was NOT tossing his hat in the ring. So now the Post is rolling out the red carpet for Jane Norton. Witness today’s column by editorial page editor Dan Haley straining the bounds of credibility to tout Norton’s virtues and dismiss her opponents. (more…)

Update: Michael at Best Destiny and Rossputin share their separate recollections of 9/11/01 and where our nation is eight years later.

Eight years ago today, with no substitute teaching job awaiting me, I slept in. My dad woke me. The TV was already on with scenes from the World Trade Center. The horror unfolded before my eyes. Minutes after I started watching the second plane hit the South Tower. Everything changed in a moment. It was a long day that grew into a long week.

Looking back, I can only think: Never forget. Stand strong. Never falter. Never surrender.

In that spirit the Colorado State University College Republicans are making a special commemoration today: (more…)

On the eve of Jane Norton’s official entry into Colorado’s U.S. Senate fray comes from Rasmussen Reports what figures to be the last poll of the race without her for awhile. In this survey, the top two early Republican contenders were paired up separately against Bill Ritter’s incumbent appointee Michael Bennet.

The biggest clear takeaway from Rasmussen? Whether attributable to an unfriendly climate for Democrats, to his own lackluster performance, or to both — the indecisive Bennet is vulnerable.

Other insights? The ascendant but still little-known Ryan Frazier fares better than Ken Buck, standing even with the Democrat:

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds Bennet ahead of Buck 43% to 37%. With Frazier as the opponent, Bennet is essentially even. The numbers are 40% for Frazier and 39% for the incumbent. [emphases added]

To be fair, there is a limited amount that polling more than a year out from a general election can indicate — even more limited than polling done a month before the election.

But this is encouraging news for a Frazier campaign that has been working hard to get off the ground. At one of his latest stops touring the state, the 32-year-old Aurora councilman drew a crowd of 100 near Durango to listen to citizens’ concerns and share his ideas on energy, education, and fiscal responsibility.

Last week I pointed out that financial concerns might end up pushing the Colorado Springs Gazette to abandon its longstanding position as a beacon of limited government, personal liberty, and fiscal sanity. Well, buckle up, because it’s started happening really quickly.

Witness today’s Gazette editorial co-signed by publisher Steven Pope and John Weiss, publisher of the Lefty Colorado Springs Independent, pulling out the big scare to support a tax hike on the city’s ballot.

However, it’s not clear the new Gazette management has considered all of the implications of the property tax increase (H/T Sean Paige).

If the Gazette losing its independent, libertarian voice concerns you in the least, now is the time to speak up.

Update, 9/11: About 24 hours later, the Denver Post catches up — but does offer some more detail about Norton’s first day of scheduled appearances. Let the campaign good times roll….

Not that this news will shatter any earth, but you can say you read it here first: Jane Norton is making her candidacy official next Tuesday morning, September 15, with a 9 AM appearance in the Denver Tech Center followed by an 11 AM appearance in Colorado Springs.

To little surprise, the “exploratory” phase of the campaign appears to be a brief formality.

A cynic might conclude that Norton wanted to publicize her announcement while the September 2009 Survey of Colorado’s Political Temperature was still open (as of 2:30 this afternoon, there have been 232 responses). But I judge it to be a simple coincidence.