The Denver Post's Dan Haley has one of the sharpest eyes on Colorado politics of any blog out there right now. Yesterday he scouted the 10 most significant state legislative races of the 2006 season - 5 each from the House and from the Senate - as the Republicans fight to regain majority status. (HT: Dead Governors) Admittedly, Haley had to stretch to come up with 5 Senate races, as only 3 (and more likely 2) have a legitimate shot of changing hands: a potential pickup for the Dems in SD 11 in Colorado Springs and a potential pickup for the GOP in SD 21 in Jefferson County (the special election necessitated by Lakewood Democrat Sen. Deanna Hanna's resignation following attempted extortion). You can make a case for my district - SD … [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...]

There's an interesting new Web site on the Colorado political scene - MaddenMess.com. No, it has nothing to do with Monday Night Football broadcasts. If you want to sign an online petition to investigate a serious potential conflict of interest on the part of Colorado House Majority Leader Alice Madden (D - Boulder), however, then what are you waiting for? Accountability in government demands nothing less. Oh, and have we mentioned "office accounts" lately? … [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...]

Colorado's primary elections are upon us. So as Republican candidates in key districts reach the homestretch of throwing slings and arrows at one another, my friend Jessica Corry reminds us in a Sunday column for the Denver Post that the Colorado GOP coalition ain't what it used to be: the big business community has entrenched itself alongside labor unions, bureaucrats, and other "fatcat" special interest groups to work against the guiding principles of limited government and ordered liberty. A major problem, she argues, is that many of the party's insiders simply have not awakened to the fact yet. Should the Republicans wake up to despair then? Not exactly, says Jessica: Republicans, including Beauprez, should find their own real … [Read more...]

A strong message has been sent by Colorado junior U.S. Senator Ken Salazar's rapid-response endorsement of Democrat gubernatorial primary frontrunner Bill Ritter in the wake of Mayor John Hickenlooper's 11th-hour declaration that he wouldn't run. The former Denver District Attorney is his party's best hope to capture the statehouse, now that Hick has bowed out. Salazar's clout and status brought to bear so quickly seems to say that he thinks no other Democrat should enter the primary - and he doesn't even need to mention the low-profile candidacy of Rep. Gary Lindstrom. Meanwhile, every hour of indecision for Boulder liberal Rep. Alice Madden is an hour closer to turning a longshot campaign into a wasted effort. And so many questions … [Read more...]