I was taken aback yesterday when I read this Grand Junction Sentinel column that sure made it sound like Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes favored a lack of transparency in public utilities rate disclosure. Both a Rocky Mountain Right diarist and fellow RMA/PPC blogger Don Johnson jumped over the comments to assail Maes' views. I called Dan Maes this morning to get some important clarification. Below are my three questions and his brief answers: … [Read more...]
SurveyUSA: Walker Stapleton Up By 10, J.J. Ament Faces Tough Challenge
Last night I posted a quick analysis on the fresh survey data on Colorado's big-ticket 2010 political races. Down the ticket, state treasurer hopeful Walker Stapleton has a 10-point lead on J.J. Ament -- who only a month ago won a resounding victory at the State Assembly. Having bypassed the assembly process, Stapleton successfully petitioned onto the ballot. The big numbers: Stapleton 41, Ament 31, Undecided 28. And according to the crosstabs underneath, Stapleton lead (or at least is statistically tied) among all demographic groups -- age, gender, race, region, etc. Even the pro-Tea Party voters narrowly picked Stapleton over Ament, 37-34. "This poll clearly shows that our message is resonating with voters across Colorado. Voters … [Read more...]
Teflon John Hickenlooper Backs “Crash Tax” for Non-Resident Denver Wrecks
7News reporter Russell Haythorn has a great story today about a Denver proposal backed by Mayor John Hickenlooper to institute a "crash tax" on non-residents who cause traffic accidents on highways inside city limits:Some say it would raise revenue, others say it's a double-tax that would scare visitors away. "It would seem to me to be a little bit stupid," said Dan Trippie who was visiting from New York and rented a car to get around. "I think that's outrageous since I already pay taxes to work in Denver," said Ellen Warp, who lives in Wheat Ridge and works in downtown Denver. Go here to watch the video of the report. Kudos to my Independence Institute colleague Todd Shepherd for cracking the lid on this story. One of his … [Read more...]
Hugh Hewitt Makes Weak Attempt to Bolster Jane Norton’s Poll Showing
Yesterday I actually found myself in a mood to give national radio host Hugh Hewitt a chance to not embarrass himself in talking about Colorado politics. After all, with a great interview early in the show, Hewitt finally acknowledged the existence of rising star and Colorado Congressional candidate Ryan Frazier. (I haven't listened much lately: has Hugh Hewitt finally noticed Cory Gardner, too?) But toward the end of the program Hewitt started following the Jane Norton campaign's lead and bashing the SurveyUSA poll that put Ken Buck ahead of Jane Norton, 53-37. The host asserted in all-too-typical bombastic fashion that the polling sample of 59 percent men vs. 41 percent women wildly skewed the results in Buck's favor. … [Read more...]
Which Ken Buck-Jane Norton Poll Is Most Trustworthy? I Say Magellan
I'm not the only one who has noticed the apparent desperation from the Jane Norton campaign. Fellow RMA and PPC blogger Don Johnson, frequently criticized for showing favoritism to the former lieutenant governor, now says that a Norton victory would make her "the miracle candidate of the year." Among other things, Johnson describes a newly released Norton campaign poll, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies (POS), showing their candidate with a 39-33 lead as "unbelievable." On Tuesday afternoon, upon invitation from the Norton campaign, I joined their press teleconference to discuss the results of this poll -- which contradicts recent polls from Magellan and SurveyUSA showing Buck with double-digit leads. (While Nate Silver's numbers … [Read more...]
Tougher GOP Senate Endorsement: CEA or Andrew Romanoff’s Mom?
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that the Colorado Education Association (CEA) -- the state's largest teachers union -- is not exactly likely to endorse a Republican candidate in a statewide election. Last week the union sent out an email to its members that began:About 20 Association members, representing 40,000 fellow members, recently interviewed candidates for Colorado's U.S. Senate seat. These members decided that CEA should wait until the August 10 Primary Election to recommend a U.S. Senate candidate to our members. The process these members used was to invite all the declared candidates in both major political parties to complete written questionnaires about public education issues and appear for personal interviews. … [Read more...]
Mistakes and Attacks Real, But Not Fatal Cause for Dan Maes Campaign
You rise out of nowhere and make a name for yourself running for the state's highest office, and some (near) certainties will follow: You will make some mistakes that set back your campaign ... or maybe prove its demise; and Others will go out of their way to try to bring you down, too. I'm writing particularly of GOP candidate Dan Maes, whose longshot run for governor of Colorado has all but crashed on the rocks a month before primary election day. Maes would disagree with me vehemently, and I admire his persistence. But the longer his race with front-runner and fellow conservative Scott McInnis drags on, the more voters expect something beyond the "insider" vs. "outsider" paradigm to make up their minds. And we know Maes is way … [Read more...]
Video: Michael Bennet’s Infamous Card Check Indecision Lingers On…
My good friend Amanda from Liberty on the Rocks is at it again, this time asking our appointed U.S. Senator Michael Bennet where he stands on the union card check issue: Michael Bennet has been stuck in indecision on the union card check issue almost since the day he was appointed to office a year and a half ago. Maybe the junior senator figured he doesn't have to answer the question because he cast a backdoor vote for card check via the Craig Becker nomination back in February -- but still losing some Big Labor backing to his primary rival Andrew Romanoff. At least by that time next year we have good reason to hope Bennet won't have to worry any more about constituents pestering him for his opinion on such issues. Leaving behind … [Read more...]
Democrats’ HB 1181 Union Buy-Off: Pushing the State Capitol Panic Button
Update, 5/8: Colorado LOSES has a great idea about what to do with HB 1181. If Republicans can't kill it, the least they should do is offer an amendment to ensure transparency of state employee union finances. In the waning days of the legislative session, is anyone up to the challenge? (H/T Complete Colorado) The Denver Post's Tim Hoover reports today:Days before the legislature adjourns, some Democrats are pushing a proposal that would guarantee unions could still collect dues from state employees — even if the next governor is not union-friendly. The effort comes in the form of an amendment to House Bill 1181, a mostly technical bill dealing with policies of the Department of Personnel and Administration. The bill's sponsor, Sen. … [Read more...]
Sara Gagliardi’s Fiscally Conservative Face Lift Can’t Fix Poor Voting Record
My state representative Sara Gagliardi is working overtime to try to project a fiscally conservative image in the upcoming election. The fact that the two-term Democrat has probably the most vulnerable seat in the state legislature in 2010 has more than a little to do with this truth-bending media campaign. In the course of one week, Gagliardi has published two pieces in the local press to trump up her credentials. First, her July 1 column in the Arvada Press touts the representative's co-sponsorship of HB 1119, aka the SMART Government Act, which she describes as providing "an innovative strategy to running our state using an approach called performance budgeting." The problem is the bill isn't really that innovative. The Democratic … [Read more...]
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