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Happy 229th Birthday, USA

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...." HAPPY 229TH BIRTHDAY, USA! May you all safely enjoy your Independence Day weekend celebrations with friends and family! … [Read more...]

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RMA Back in the MSM

Devoted fans of Clay Calhoun and View from a Height finally get to see what two of the Denver area's finest bloggers look like in the flesh (or at least in digital photography), thanks to the Denver Post today with a Jim Hughes article on "Colorado activists" playing a role in the Judge Roberts confirmation hearings. Here's one interesting graf in the story: In addition to NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado, the coalition includes the American Association of University Women, the Colorado Education Association teachers group, the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains and the Colorado National Organization for Women. [emphasis mine] I can't be the only one bold enough to ask why the state's largest teachers union (and why … [Read more...]

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Hail to the Lion… and JoePa

If you love a good college football game, I believe you saw one of the best last night... though for awhile it seemed like it would never end. Penn State's 26-23 triple overtime victory over the courageous Florida State Seminoles (after a combined 5 missed kicks) was one for the ages - literally. The Nittany Lions' 79-year-old coaching legend Joe Paterno - after a couple of truly abominable campaigns - won redemption with a Big Ten title, an 11-1 record, and the Orange Bowl crown, by defeating 76-year-old Bobby Bowden's squad. The two men have combined for 713 coaching victories (more than some Division I-A programs have earned in their entire history), but determining who would win No. 713 was in great suspense throughout as the Lions … [Read more...]

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Let Him Eat Waffles… and Explain Himself

If you're in the Denver area this Sunday and looking for something to do, then get out the butter and the maple syrup: Republicans in Douglas and Arapahoe Counties have invited Senator Ken Salazar to join them for a waffle brunch, and they're inviting you, too. After running on a conservative independent platform that included allowing the President's judges to receive fair up-or-down votes on the Senate floor, Colorado's junior senator and failed Dairy Queen franchisee Ken Salazar has completely flip-flopped. The spokesperson for the citizen activists, Republican Party district captain Laura Teal, says they have invited Salazar to join them to explain why he has switched his position and joined the hyper-partisan liberal Democrat … [Read more...]

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Jolly Good Show

In a startling development that may have had something to do with one malodorous world leader's derogatory comments about a neighboring country's cuisine, London edges out Paris for the 2012 Summer Olympics bid, in spite of a failed grassroots protest. Joyful Brits take to Trafalgar Square to celebrate the city's first Olympic Games since 1948. How 'bout some fish'n'chips and a toast to Mr. Chirac? … [Read more...]

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Statehouse Dems Want MORE Tax Dollars

Reading this story in today's Rocky Mountain News, I'm reminded that I wasn't the only one who sat and suffered all day through yesterday's School Finance Interim Committee meeting at the State Capitol. Weeks before, the Interim Committee (under the direction of State Senator Sue Windels, D - Arvada) charged a task force of school officials, school finance experts, and a variety of interest group representatives to come up with a report making recommendations for a new way to fund K-12 public education in Colorado. The Task Force has sat through the series of meetings, as have I, listening to a variety of presentations, the details of which I will not bore you with. But today's story in the Rocky reflects the problem with the … [Read more...]

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Weaker GOP Bends to the “Moderate” Faction

The Rocky Mountain News follows up on yesterday's published announcement of senior Republican State Senator Norma Anderson's announced resignation in advance of her scheduled final legislative session. Term limits were set to end her nearly 20-year legislative career, but we also can get a little better picture why she decided to step down early. Four GOP candidates had already filed to take her place in the heavily Republican district in southern Jefferson County, but insiders know that one is the handpicked, surefire winner. The vacancy committee meets within the week to decide on the replacement among the following: Justin Everett: a native of the district, a credentialed & principled conservative with strong political skills, a 2004 … [Read more...]

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Update on Teachers’ Union Complaint

While I plan to blog on this more at length later this week, I wanted to pass on the information about today's hearing of the complaint by Fort Collins parents Wayne Rutt and Paul Marrick against the teachers' union. A good summary update can be found over at "From the Desk of...." Let me just add these observations of the tedious all-day affair: the CEA / PEA legal team passed up the chance to cross-examine the complainants' campaign expert Rich Beeson and instead filed another motion to dismiss, mostly on flimsy charges (the judge ruled against them on all but one count). It was a sight to see when Marrick's and Rutt's attorney Scott Gessler unloaded both metaphorical barrels on the union's political expert Craig Hughes. The … [Read more...]