Mount Virtus

"Happy to come back to Michigan, but I miss the mountains!"

Ben on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About Ben
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Writer / Editor For Hire
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
  • Archives
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
  • The Westfield Gardener
Home Archives for PPC

7/7/2010 By Ben Leave a Comment

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...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC

7/7/2010 By Ben Leave a Comment

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...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Energy, Fiscal Policy, liberty, PPC

7/6/2010 By Ben Leave a Comment

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...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC

6/28/2010 By Ben Leave a Comment

Don’t Delay: Register for July 9-11 Western Conservative Summit

The Rocky Mountain Alliance of Blogs (of which I am a member) and People's Press Collective (to which I am a contributor) -- not to mention the Independence Institute where I work -- are all among many co-sponsors of the upcoming First Annual Western Conservative Summit on July 9 to 11 in the south metro Denver area. Put this one on your calendars. There is a fantastic and diverse collection of speakers slated to come, including: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Christianity and Faith, clean government, Cultural Conservatism, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC

6/24/2010 By Ben 1 Comment

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...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, liberty, National Politics, PPC

6/22/2010 By Ben Leave a Comment

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...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, liberty, media bias, National Politics, PPC

6/21/2010 By Ben Leave a Comment

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...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, liberty, PPC

6/21/2010 By Ben Leave a Comment

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...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, liberty, PPC

6/21/2010 By Ben 1 Comment

Numbers Don’t Back Norton Camp’s Attempt to Disparage SurveyUSA

Colorado's big political buzz since Sunday has revolved around the Denver Post / 9News / SurveyUSA polling on the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. The governor matchups pretty much reflect Rasmussen's recently released results, but the latest poll also puts Scott McInnis at a 2-to-1 advantage over fellow Republican Dan Maes in head-to-head support for the primary. On this point PPC blogger PerlStalker is correct about Maes' chances:That’s a lot of ground to make up before the August primary. I doubt that he can do it with so little time left. Don Johnson and others have been highlighting the most newsworthy result: Ken Buck's 53-37 advantage over Jane Norton in the Republican showdown for the U.S. Senate contest. The response from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, liberty, National Politics, PPC

6/19/2010 By Ben Leave a Comment

Dan Maes Responds: “I would never attempt to hide taxes and fees…”

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...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Energy, Fiscal Policy, liberty, PPC

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • …
  • 82
  • Next Page »

Inside

  • About Ben
  • Archives
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
    • Colorado Ballot 2014
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Passion and Purpose:
    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
  • The Colorado Observer

National News and Politics

  • Drudge Report
  • Hot Air
  • National Review
  • Politico
  • Real Clear Politics
  • Reason
  • The Washington Times
  • TownHall
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Weekly Standard
  • World Magazine

Blogs Extraordinaire

  • American Thinker
  • David Harsanyi’s Blog
  • E!! The True Conservative Story
  • EIA Intercepts
  • Evangelical Outpost
  • Hugh Hewitt
  • Instapundit
  • LaShawn Barber
  • Lileks
  • Little Green Footballs
  • Michelle Malkin
  • NRO's The Corner
  • Power Line
  • Red State

Completing the Blogroll

  • Alarming News
  • Black Five
  • Blogs of War
  • Eduwonk
  • Flypaper
  • Fraters Libertas
  • Historical Conversations
  • IMAO
  • Jay P. Greene
  • Mike Anderson
  • Mullings
  • Professor Bainbridge
  • Right Thinking
  • Right Wing News
  • Right Wing Nuthouse
  • Shot in the Dark
  • Talking Points Memo
  • Virginia Postrel
  • Volokh Conspiracy

Christian Commentary et al.

  • Kevin Pierpont
  • Sharper Iron

Conservative and GOP Sites

  • Backbone America
  • Cal Thomas
  • Colorado Republican Party
  • Colorado Republican Study Committee
  • Dennis Prager
  • Denver Metro Young Republicans
  • Free Republic
  • Heritage Foundation
  • Jefferson County Republican Party
  • Mackinac Center for Public Policy
  • Mark Steyn
  • Michael Medved
  • Rush Limbaugh

Colorado Blogs

  • American Kestrel
  • Bob Agard
  • Colorado Charter Schools
  • Colorado Peak Politics
  • Colorado Pols
  • Colorado Right
  • Conservative Libertarian Outpost
  • Coyote Gulch
  • Ed Is Watching
  • Free Colorado
  • Jeff Crank Show
  • Mark Hillman
  • Patient Power
  • PirateBallerina
  • Protein Wisdom
  • Reagan Girl
  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 1.0 (Archive)
  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0 (Archive)
  • Rossputin
  • Stop the ACLU Blog
  • The Spot (Denver Post)
  • We Stand Firm

Other Sites

  • Technorati
  • Word Press

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

Copyright © 2025 RSS Feed · WordPress · Log in