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...]

Straight from the reporter's mouth Lynn Bartels, political writer for Denver's Rocky Mountain News, gives some personal insights in a long Q & A she had yesterday over at The Dead Governors website. Bartels proves to be candid, often witty and self-deprecating, but above all fair-minded. She may lean a little left of center but she's by no means an agenda-driven journalist. That being said, it is interesting to point out what Clay has already highlighted: Bartels stated flat out that Bob Beauprez can win any office in Colorado he runs for. That must have been a real downer for the Dead Governors and their "Draft Hick" campaign to get the Denver mayor on the statewide ballot. Another interesting passage in the interview is the … [Read more...]

It's been a few months, but the Mile High Delphi crew is back online with their insightful and statistical analyses of Colorado politics. Two interesting summary quotes from a recent Blogicus Maximus post: "...[We] put the probability of the GOP taking back the State House at 80%" and "...[We] will begin our probability of either party controlling the State Senate next year at 50%." Read the basis for their predictions. Colorado Republicans have serious reason for hope and optimism in 2006, but a lot of hard work, discipline, and funds are going to be needed to make Mile High Delphi out to be a true genius. … [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...]

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...]

It is fairly safe to say that Colorado voters gave Democrats the majorities in both houses of the state legislature last fall because of their promise to "fix" the state's budget problems. Events this week on two fronts show why voter trust was misplaced. First, Democrats tried to renege on a small compromise they made in HB 1194 (aka the "no refund for you" Romanoff rip-off) only a day after the House approved the bill to send to voters as Referendum C on this fall's ballot. Part of the deal to make HB 1194 more fiscally palatable involved the suspension of 19 different tax credits during the plan's five-year tenure. The next day Democrats tried to push a late bill into committee that would have instantly restored a $38 million child … [Read more...]