The middle of August can be the grueling days of a Colorado ballot initiative campaign. When you're spending thousands of investor dollars trying to convince voters that a tax increase is not a tax increase, and your poll numbers are stagnating considerably below 50 percent, you need to find a laugh somewhere - for the sake of mental health, if nothing else. Taking out the pent-up angst with some jocular lampooning of your political opponents can be not only amusing but cathartic. Let them go ahead, I say, if it makes them feel better while spending money trying to confuse Coloradans about the state of the economy and the nature of the tax increase. But when the pro-Ref C crowd seeks to be serious with its radio commercials, it can be … [Read more...]

With Rutt Bridges' announcement that he won't pursue the Democratic nomination for governor, the crazy speculation begins. First, this obviously doesn't mean Bill Ritter is a shoo-in or even the anointed frontrunner for the Dem ticket. Second, the way Bridges stepped down suggests the party leadership is trying to rally the troops around someone else. So who do Pat Waak and Company want to run? Senate President Joan FitzGerald has been out on the stump with union organizers bashing Wal-Mart. With such a play to the base, maybe she is the logical choice. Rumors are also floating around Congressman Mark Udall and Mayor John Hickenlooper, but I'm on the wrong side of the aisle myself to give a good insiders' assessment. Finally, … [Read more...]

Vincent Carroll of the Rocky Mountain News reports that the Referendum C campaign has hired radical activist LeRoy Lemos as a consultant. As Carroll aptly describes him: Here's a fellow who can hardly open his mouth without accusing authorities somewhere, anywhere, of bigotry, coverup or some other lurid offense and whose October recreation includes joining the likes of Ward Churchill in suppressing the constitutional rights of those who march in the Columbus Day parade. I don't think your average, shrewd, middle-of-the-road tax hike supporter wants Lemos to be the face of his cause. Of course, though, he's not there to appeal to the independent or moderate voters who the pro-C campaign should be targeting at this point for support. … [Read more...]

Great advice (cough) for Colorado Republicans from consultant Katy Atkinson, via leftie columnist Diane Carman in today's Denver Post: support the forever tax increase known as Referendum C. Most of the column comes off as smarmy, coy, elitist, and patronizing. But what did you expect? Conservative Republicans in Colorado have always known that Carman has their best interests at heart... right! Remember this piece from the Post a couple weeks ago? Friendly observations from Denver's liberal media about how the ballot issue is dividing Republicans along its fault lines. There is some measure of truth, of course, but certainly overblown. On Monday, the Post's voice of reason David Harsanyi recorded this exchange with Republican National … [Read more...]

(Yawn) Kudos to the Rocky Mountain News, for the insider political coup of the season. The Denver daily did some sleuthing homework, conducting a "DNA Test" on one of the Dead Governors to confirm the identity of freelance writer and registered JeffCo Democrat Jason Bane. The hot political site's contributors maintain that the rest of their identities will not be disclosed. The challenge is on. Since I discovered this site months ago, I've readily classified it as a center-left-leaning political blog with plenty of gossip and sometimes reliable information. Learning part of its little secret doesn't change any of that for me. (End Yawn) … [Read more...]