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Home Archives for Colorado Politics

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Few Tears Shed for Disappearance of Colorado Lefty Propaganda Machine

(Cue music to "Mrs. Robinson") "Where have you gone, Colorado Media Matters? A state barely notices you're through ... Woo, woo, woo...." Nice ("don't let the door hit you on the way out") post-mortems from Slapstick Politics and Rossputin. Curious silence from the various Lefty blogs I've read, though. Maybe they are just relieved that the embarrassment is gone. As for me, I feel bad I've already wasted the last 5 minutes of my life... … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, My Life, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: 5 minutes, Colorado Media Matters, embarrassment, gratitude, Lefty blogs, life, Mrs. Robinson, music, post-mortems, relieved, Rossputin, Slapstick Politics, state, wasted

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Rob Witwer Tells National Audience about Colorado’s Blue “Rocky Ride”

Some of you may remember many months back when Fred Barnes at the Weekly Standard gave national coverage to "The Colorado Model". Certainly a fine piece in its own right, but you'll find an even more detailed and insightful piece along the same lines in the new issue of National Review, written by my friend and former state representative Rob Witwer. Check out "Rocky Ride". By reading the piece, I learned that Rob and Adam Schrager of 9News (a Wolverine and a history major, a double-plus) are co-authoring a full-length book along the same lines titled The Blueprint: How Democrats Won the West (and Why Republicans Should Care). I plan to read their book (apparently scheduled to be released in 2010) after I get caught up and read … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: 2010, 9News, Adam Schrager, book, co-author, Colorado Model, detailed, double-plus, fine piece, Fred Barnes, history major, insightful, national coverage, National Review, new issue, released, Rob Witwer, Rocky Ride, state representative, The Blueprint, The Principled Politician, Weekly Standard, Wolverine

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Is Dennis Apuan Still Boulder’s Own Representative in El Paso County?

Face The State follows up on a Complete Colorado lead about Democrat State Representative Dennis Apuan. He is the lead sponsor of a resolution honoring fallen soldiers (PDF), but he also has been arrested as an anti-war protester. Jeff Crank, former Republican Congressional candidate and current Colorado Springs radio host, wants to know why Apuan is hiding from his 2003 arrest. The following response was fired back from the Democrats' press office:Statement from Rep. Dennis Apuan (D-El Paso) Date: Fri, Mar 6, 2009 "Six years ago, long before I was an elected official, I participated in a peaceful prayer vigil at Peterson Air Force Base. With a group of religious leaders, I peacefully expressed my opposition to the use of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, PPC, property rights Tagged With: answering, anti-war protester, arrest, Boulder, Colorado Springs, community service, Complete Colorado, Congressional candidate, Democrat, Democrats, Dennis Apuan, district, El Paso County, Face the State, fallen soldiers, Fort Carson, issue, Jeff Crank, lead sponsor, military personnel, nuclear weapons, Peterson Air Force Base, prayer vigil, prepared statement, press office, property, questions, radio host, religious leaders, Republican, resolution, response, rest, state representative, Sunday School, trespassing, views

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

“Union in Practice” vs. “Union in Theory” Highlights Card Check Danger

Update: Face The State has more, including Colorado WINS' rude treatment of state representative Amy Stephens. As teased last night to our handful of Blog Talk Radio listeners... If I try to come up with something witty, you can leave it to Mike Antonucci of the Education Intelligence Agency to come up with something even wittier. A few days ago I brought your attention to the most recent exploits of Dave Ohmart and his Colorado Loses, a vocal minority of state employees opposed to Governor Bill Ritter's gold-plated invitation to unionize their workplaces. Apparently, Dave wasn't greeted so kindly by union organizer Ryan when he decided to tag along for last week's Colorado WINS union event at the State Capitol featuring Ritter as … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Bill Ritter, Blog Talk Radio, card-check, Colorado, Colorado Loses, Colorado WINS, Dave Ohmart, Democrats, Education Intelligence Agency, Governor, Mike Antonucci, practice, rally, recent exploits, State Capitol, state employees, theory, unionize, vocal minority, wittier, witty, workplaces

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Forget Stem Cell Ethics Debate, What About Diana DeGette’s Political Career?

This morning you can read the Denver Post's glowing "DeGette relishes stem-cell research triumph" by Michael Riley - in which the only dilemma is not the ethics of harvesting cells from dead unborn babies (or now, thanks to President Obama, spending taxpayer money to do so) but to what extent Denver's liberal Congresswoman will have a successful political career now that her pet issue has been passed into law. Or, if you actually want a thoughtful and critical approach to the issue, you can go back and refresh yourself with Yuval Levin's masterful deconstruction of Diana DeGette's book Sex, Science, and Stem Cells (H/T David Harsanyi). I hope that the Post isn't trying to imply from Riley's article today that the ethical debate … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Climate Hysteria, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, Journalism Tagged With: adult stem cells, anthropogenic global warming, approach, Barack Obama, book, breakthroughs, Congresswoman, critical, cultural elite, David Harsanyi, deconstruction, Democrat, Denver, Denver Post, Diana Degette, dilemma, embryonic, ethical debate, ethics, harvesting, liberal, media elite, Michael Riley, political career, political elite, President, refresh, representative, stem-cell research, taxpayer money, thoughtful, unborn babies, Yuval Levin

2/7/2026 By Ben 3 Comments

The Colorado Blogosphere is on a Roll … and It’s Only Wednesday

Too much good stuff out there, too little time. Here's a quick Wednesday morning roundup of the best from the Colorado blogs (in no particular order): Rocky Mountain Right brings attention to Governor Bill Ritter's lavish overseas business trip on Colorado taxpayers' dime during a very tight budget situation Now your 10 dollars (or more) can go a lot further in helping the Independence Institute promote transparent government in ColoradoRossputin points to a hilarious Scott Ott spoof on embryonic stem cell research and global warming (did he read yesterday's post?) Michael at Best Destiny observes some irony from Al Gore concerning global warming and moon landings Rossputin also points to Gateway Pundit's detailed litany of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Climate Hysteria, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Energy, Fiscal Policy, General, Journalism, liberty, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Poor Timing of FasTracks Tax Announcement Only Tip of Iceberg

It's kind of surreal to find these two headlines in the same edition of the Denver Post: Colo. jobless at 21-year high: "The unemployment rate hasn't been this high since April 1988, when it was at 6.7 percent. It is also higher than the 6.3 percent rate reached during the depths of the dot-com bust from 2001 to 2003." Doubling FasTracks sales tax gets nod: "On Wednesday, a majority of the Metro Mayors Caucus tentatively approved a plan to salvage FasTracks by asking voters for another 0.4 percent sales tax. The mayors, hoping to see the entire $6.9 billion expansion finished by 2017, are gambling that voters will maintain support for the project despite higher costs and some of the weakest economic conditions in the past … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Energy, Fiscal Policy, General, PPC, RTD, transportation Tagged With: alternatives, benefits, collision, costs, deceptions, Denver Post, disproven claims, edition, encroachment, expansion, expensive, expert, FasTracks, headlines, higher costs, Independence Institute, inefficient, irony, jobless, land use, laughable timing, light-rail plan, majority, mayors, metro Denver, Metro Mayors Caucus, more, overpriced, Randal O'Toole, report, RTD, sales tax, skeptical, sorry, striking, support, surreal, tip of the iceberg, Titanic, transportation, unclean, unemployment, voters, weak economic conditions

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

RIP, Rocky Mountain News

Update (3:15 PM): Here is a hot-off-the-presses iVoices podcast, with Jon Caldara and Dave Kopel discussing the end of the Rocky Mountain News era: Only one more edition of a 150-year-old Denver journalistic institution before the axe falls. We knew the day was coming, but the sudden realization is still striking. More often than not, the Rocky's editors have provided a sensible, Rightward-leaning balance to the liberal Denver Post. That will be missed. It's a sad day for many good people - some of whom I have agreed with much more than others - who only have left the guarantee of one day of work and two months of pay. Here's wishing them all the best in landing on their feet somewhere soon. Even as we reflect back, the local … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, Journalism, My Life, PPC Tagged With: balance, Denver, Denver Post, edition, editors, El Presidente, Joshua Sharf, journalistic institution, lament, liberal, local media landscape, opportunities, rapidly, reflect, Rocky Mountain News, sensible, shifting, striking, sudden realization, untimely demise

2/7/2026 By Ben 3 Comments

“Stand Up for Liberty!”

Update: El Presidente has posted a video recap of the different speakers at yesterday's rally. Earlier today was the kickoff rally for Colorado's new Gadsden Society. About 70 to 80 people showed up on a Sunday afternoon at the State Capitol. Tell your friends to come out and join us for the next one. Check back for updates. Pictures of today's gathering below the fold (more pictures and video of the event should be available soon at Slapstick Politics and the People's Press Collective): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: air guitar, audience, Aurora, candidate, chants, Christopher Gadsden, citizen activists, city councilman, CU Regent, David Williams, Democrat, Denver Post, flag, Gadsden Society, higher education, Jeff Sacco, Jefferson County, Justin Longo, landmark, Lenina Close, Liberty for All, Liberty on the Rocks, Linda Sasenick, Morgan Carroll, Peoples Press Collective, rally, Rand, Republican, Ross Kaminsky, Ryan Frazier, special districts, Stand Up for Liberty, State Capitol, state senator, surreal, Tom Lucero, Transparency, U.S. Senate, Wes Dickinson

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Democrats’ Anti-Taxpayer Shell Game Demands a Principled “Party of No”

The other half of Colorado Democrats' shell game rolled through the state senate last night - with one of the longest debates on a state legislative bill in recent memory. Senate Bill 228 would repeal the state general fund's 6 percent spending limit and allow additional funds to be diverted from transportation to pet government programs (now mainly supported by Democrats). It's the latest in a series of actions by Governor Bill Ritter to raise taxes and grow government without asking the people of Colorado first. So much for confidence in his own agenda. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics, PPC, transportation Tagged With: amendments, ask first, Barack Obama, Bill Ritter, children's future, Colorado Democrats, compromise, confidence, debate, debates, Democrats, diverting funds, economy, expense, funding stream, general fund, government expansion, government programs, Governor, grow government, Harry Reid, hog wild, ill, Lefty bloggers, legislative bill, longest, Nancy Pelosi, party of No, programs, raise taxes, repeal, Senate Bill 228, shell game, solve, spending limit, State Capitol, state constitution, state senate, transportation, unfettered, vision, welfare state

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Inside

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    • Colorado Ballot 2008
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  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
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    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • The Westfield Gardener
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Writer / Editor For Hire

About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

Recent Posts

  • AI-Enhanced Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of Teen Innovation
  • My Baker’s Dozen of Top 2023 Reads
  • Common Learning Disabilities in Children
  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
  • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition

Colorado News

  • Colorado Senate News
  • Complete Colorado
  • Independence Institute
  • Loveland Politics
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National News and Politics

  • Drudge Report
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  • National Review
  • Politico
  • Real Clear Politics
  • Reason
  • The Washington Times
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  • Wall Street Journal
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Blogs Extraordinaire

  • American Thinker
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  • E!! The True Conservative Story
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  • Instapundit
  • LaShawn Barber
  • Lileks
  • Little Green Footballs
  • Michelle Malkin
  • NRO's The Corner
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Completing the Blogroll

  • Alarming News
  • Black Five
  • Blogs of War
  • Eduwonk
  • Flypaper
  • Fraters Libertas
  • Historical Conversations
  • IMAO
  • Jay P. Greene
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Christian Commentary et al.

  • Kevin Pierpont
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Conservative and GOP Sites

  • Backbone America
  • Cal Thomas
  • Colorado Republican Party
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  • Mark Steyn
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Colorado Blogs

  • American Kestrel
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  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 1.0 (Archive)
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  • Rossputin
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  • The Spot (Denver Post)
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Other Sites

  • Technorati
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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
  • The Business Word
  • The Daily Blogster
  • View from a Height

To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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