To Colorado Democrat legislative leaders Joan Fitz-Gerald and Andrew Romanoff, "Nice try." The "Wish away the immigration issue, Supreme Court decision, and Special Session" card just wasn't available, so they made the next best possible political move: threatening to call their own special legislative session. Unfortunately for them, the analysts quoted in the Rocky Mountain News are right on: "It's completely an idle bluff," said Eric Sondermann, a political consultant. "In this particular poker game, the governor holds all the high cards. "The Democrats are trying to exert any leverage they have in how the call for the special session is crafted so that the governor doesn't craft it too narrowly," Sondermann said. "At the end of … [Read more...]

Marc Holtzman deserves a round applause for choosing the high road today. He has poured a lot of his life and energy and resources into this race, and things certainly did not proceed as he had hoped. No doubt, when he really started pushing his candidacy a couple years ago, this is not how he foresaw it all coming to an end. To do what he did today was difficult, but honorable: "Let’s have no tears," he said at his campaign headquarters, "only memories of great experiences together." Holtzman said he called Congressman Bob Beauprez, his GOP rival, this morning after learning of the supreme court’s decision. Holtzman said he is endorsing Beauprez. Give Marc some time to get away, get some R & R, get married, etc. Then let's … [Read more...]

Once in awhile I read Rocky Mountain News editor Vince Carroll's "On Point" column and just have to say "Ditto." Today is such a day: No one who runs for governor is unambitious, and everyone who runs is a risk-taker willing to throw the dice. But in Holtzman's case, ambition and risk-taking seem to have been on steroids the past few months. They've propelled him into scorched-earth tactics that now conclude with a clever legal argument for why the high court should ignore the plain language of the law. Ronald Reagan, Holtzman's hero, believed "it was the role of the judge to interpret the law, not to pre-empt the rights of the people and their legislatures by making the law" (October 1987). Holtzman no doubt believed this, too - … [Read more...]

Have you stopped and thought about this irony? The survival of the Republican primary campaign of gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman - steeped in the claim that he is the only credible candidate in strong opposition to illegal immigration - now appears to hinge on the same hopes that have removed the anti-illegal immigration initiative from the ballot: attorney Marc Grueskin and a new interpretation of the law from the activist Colorado Supreme Court. Read that again. Let it sink in. You'd have to think it was a comic parody, but it's sadly all too real. This was the only bright spot for the underdog: While that decision was a blow to Holtzman, Hyatt also rejected a challenge to the qualifications of many of the paid … [Read more...]

The Dead Governors are right to question the credibility of anonymous bloggers claiming to be College Republicans who have jumped ship to support Ritter. There isn't time to deconstruct the alleged confession line-by-line. Either this is a very clever liberal ploy or a CR member who is very gullible and wishy-washy. Regardless, anonymity on the 'Net undermines credibility. Until there is clarity and context and elaboration, such an announcement should be taken with the molecule of salt it deserves. And even then... … [Read more...]

Marc Holtzman writes in an electronic letter that I received: The Republican Party is about issues, ideas, agendas, and -- just as importantly -- ballot access. What about the rule of law?, asks Rocky Mountain News editor Vincent Carroll: "You're allowed to vote anywhere in the state for a statewide candidate," observes Mark Grueskin, the attorney trying to get GOP candidate Marc Holtzman on the August primary ballot. "Why can't you get signatures from anywhere in the state." Um, maybe because that seems to be against the law? Holtzman chirps endlessly about the rule of law being flouted by illegal immigrants. Now he has a chance to do his bit to shore up respect for the legal system: Tell his attorney to drop his attempt to … [Read more...]

John Andrews certainly has a point - I have tried to make the same ultimate argument (see here and here and most recently here). "Your statements on immigration are not credible as long as [Mark Grueskin] is your attorney," the conservative Colorado statesman wrote. Marc Holtzman would be wise to listen. … [Read more...]

What a telling week this may turn out to be in the race for Colorado's governor and state legislature. In the wake of an overreaching decision from the state Supreme Court: 1. Marc Holtzman's campaign slips further into irrelevancy by clinging to judicial activism in order to stay alive. His lawyers - one of whom argued before the Supreme Court to have Defend Colorado Now's initiative removed from the ballot - are calling on a judge to loosely interpret the law to allow him on the ballot in the first place. 2. Bill Ritter's campaign may want to reconsider its very loud and leadership-lacking "no comment" on this very important and momentous issue. 3. Bob Beauprez, the Republican choice for governor, has been out in front on … [Read more...]