Let's face it: the State Board of Education is way off most people's radar. Even some highly politically-tuned people who know the names of their state representative and state senator couldn't tell you much about the Board, let alone the name of one person on it. Nevertheless, the Rocky Mountain News issued its endorsements of State Board candidates today. Well, here's the quick skinny for the uninitiated: the State Board of Education has a variety of supervisory duties over the state's public school system. A Board can do many things to support critical education reforms, such as charter schools and online education. Currently, the Board is made up of 4 Democrats and 4 Republicans - one from each Congressional District and an … [Read more...]
No on Amendment 42
Even the center-left Denver Post editorial board can agree on this point: the proposal to put inflation-indexed minimum wage increases in the state constitution (sometimes known as Amendment 42) is a bad idea. Straight on. Coming soon, for what it's worth ... my sample ballot on all the issues before Colorado. … [Read more...]
Rocky: Turning Around the State House
This year, Colorado Republicans' best chance at success will come at retaking the State House. Despite all the money of liberal 527s and rich guys being poured into the campaign, the off-presidential election year, Republican voter demographics, all 65 seats up for grabs, a strategy motivated by 2004's humiliating defeat, and a reasonably good slate of candidates all add up to a good chance for the GOP to retake the State House. Today the editors of the Rocky Mountain News endorsed their slate of State House candidates from the metro Denver area, including the following Republicans in currently held Democrat seats: Aimee Rathburn (HD 1) Ramey Johnson (HD 23) Affie Ellis (HD 29) Rex Pierce (HD 31) Even counting the mistaken … [Read more...]
My Tigers Beat Down the Yankees
The Detroit Tigers have dispatched the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series with a convincing 8-3 victory at Comerica Park today. Great pitching beats "the greatest lineup ever." The $195 million Yankee nation payroll humbled by Motown's finest. My friends, I am all smiles on this fine day. Hats off to great Tiger pitching - Jeremy Bonderman, Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Jamie Walker, Todd Jones, and "The Gambler" Kenny Rogers. In the last 3 contests the pathetic pinstripes mounted only 6 runs compared to Detroit's 18. Everyone in the lineup contributed to the series victory, but it seems fitting and proper to mention each one by name - Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Sean Casey, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Guillen, … [Read more...]
Mark Foley
Not much needs to be said on this topic, but I decided to address it anyway. Michelle Malkin has the right message: "Deal with it." So here's how I see the players in a nutshell ... 1. Mark Foley - sick, depraved, abusive, only beginning to face the consequences of his sin, unable to make right what he did to his victims, greatly in need of redemption and God's mercy 2. The victims - should be left alone and out of the spotlight to allow them and their families to seek the healing they need 3. Republican Congressional leadership - culpable for every day they knew this vile behavior had occurred (as exhibited in the infamous IMs) ... there is honest disagreement concerning whether Speaker Hastert and others knew about this … [Read more...]
Pizza Guy for Governor
Last Friday night my wife & I saw a gubernatorial candidate delivering pizza to our neighbors across the street. I heard you snickering over there ... what, you don't believe me? Who was it, you might ask? Not this guy (I doubt he's STILL paying off law school debt), and definitely not this guy (I'm sure his staff has realized personal pizza deliveries do not belong in a successful campaign). Maybe you're scratching your head. No, it's not "the only pro-choice candidate for Governor of Colorado" (presumably no relation to the Fonz, though Libertarians might get more votes with him on the ticket). Keep guessing ... If you thought it was this guy, you might have imagined a very colorful waltz from the car to the front door, with … [Read more...]
GOP Super Saturday: Jeffco Style
Poll numbers for Colorado Republicans have been less favorable than any would like to see, but in the crucial weeks leading up to the 2006 election the Party is putting another weapon into play: volunteers. I was pleased to see several dozen volunteers show up at GOP Victory Headquarters in Wheat Ridge this morning to see Rick O'Donnell and the legendary Hugh Hewitt. After a brief rally, volunteers split up to work their separate state house districts - dropping literature, making phone calls, stuffing mailers. I was told many more volunteers who never showed up at Victory HQ went to work hitting the streets this morning. Jeffco's big "Super Saturday" volunteer push is part of a statewide GOP effort. So if you're a registered Colorado … [Read more...]
New Poll Shows Beauprez Down Only 3 Points
Finally, Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez has something to be cheered about: a Wall Street Journal/Zogby poll released shows Beauprez trailing Democrat rival Bill Ritter by 3 points (margin of error +/- 4 points). In light of two recent polls that showed a much more distinct advantage for Mr. Ritter, I wouldn't stake my credibility on this survey signifying a huge momentum swing in the Republican's favor. More polling data over the coming weeks will have to corroborate some sort of trend. At the same time, it has to be sobering news for the Ritter bandwagon and perhaps can energize the GOP base here in Colorado. Yes, the Beauprez campaign got a late start. My druthers would have been to see a more aggressive … [Read more...]
The NIE: Putting Iraq in Perspective
I usually leave the details of the bigger issues of the GWOT in the hands of experts more capable than I. If you want to pick a fight on this issue, take it up with one of them. Let me start by answering a few common questions about Iraq that get tossed about. 1. Have we made mistakes in prosecuting the war in Iraq? Yes (but isn't that every war?) 2. Is the violence in Iraq between Shi'ites and Sunnis troubling? Yes (but civil war can still be averted) 3. Are American forces viewed as friendly liberators by most of the Iraqi population? No (but many more are eager to make the democratic experiment work on a permanent basis) 4. Therefore, it was a mistake to go to war in Iraq, right? Wrong! 5. Were there other justifications for going … [Read more...]
Supremes to Decide Union Member Rights
If there's one case I'm going to be following in the U.S. Supreme Court's new docket, it's this one: The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to decide whether public employee unions must get special permission before spending some workers' dues on political causes. Justices accepted an appeal from the state of Washington that involves fees paid to the Washington Education Association by teachers who decline to join the union. Those workers still can be charged dues by the union to help pay for labor negotiations that affect them. But they can't be forced to pay for the union's political activism, under a string of Supreme Court rulings that reach back nearly 30 years. At issue is whether the union needs teachers to say "yes" before the … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 205
- 206
- 207
- 208
- 209
- …
- 256
- Next Page »