Mount Virtus

What a telling week this may turn out to be in the race for Colorado's governor and state legislature. In the wake of an overreaching decision from the state Supreme Court: 1. Marc Holtzman's campaign slips further into irrelevancy by clinging to judicial activism in order to stay alive. His lawyers - one of whom argued before the Supreme Court to have Defend Colorado Now's initiative removed from the ballot - are calling on a judge to loosely interpret the law to allow him on the ballot in the first place. 2. Bill Ritter's campaign may want to reconsider its very loud and leadership-lacking "no comment" on this very important and momentous issue. 3. Bob Beauprez, the Republican choice for governor, has been out in front on … [Read more...]

It is contorted decisions like the one the Colorado Supreme Court made yesterday regarding the anti-illegal immigration initiative that undermine citizens' respect for the judiciary. As has been proven again and again, naked partisanship no longer ends at the courtroom door. And inevitably, when the exalted robes stretch common sense and logic to play partisan politics, it settles nothing. Instead, it ratchets up the pressure of frustrated citizens and elected representatives. Thus today we read in the Denver Post that Republican House Minority Leader Mike May is calling for a special legislative session to address the issue. As the article points out, it is indeed a longshot that such a session would win the needed two-thirds … [Read more...]

While the Marc Holtzman for governor campaign touts a Denver Post article that says a judge has placed their candidate's name on the ballot, they probably won't bring too much attention to the rest of the story: one-half of Holtzman's legal team confesses the narrow chances of finding enough signatures to qualify his candidacy. Here's the long and the short of it: ...[B]ecause the ballot-certification deadline was Friday, a judge ordered that Holtzman be placed on the ballot in case his appeal is successful. If it's not, the judge said, his votes simply won't be counted. Despite all its bluster, does it sound like the Holtzman campaign is really confident about its chances? Or do you sense more of an air of desperation?: [John] … [Read more...]

Stephen Paulson of the Associated Press reports: Embattled GOP gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman said today a judge will have to decide whether he gets into the August primary, but he stopped short of saying he would file a lawsuit or seek a court order. Apparently the Holtzman campaign doesn't have much of a case to make an appeal with the Secretary of State. As the campaign's top deck starts to disappear below the water line, inquiring minds want to know: are there enough lifeboats on the RV? For the few conservatives who are still in distress concerning whom to support for governor, I bid you come to shore and to join your fellow conservatives supporting the state's best political hope this November: Bob Beauprez. … [Read more...]