In an editorial today that could herald the great advance of Colorado's upcoming legislative session, the Denver Post lauds a proposal by Rep. Don Marostica (R-Loveland) and Sen. Mike Kopp (R-Littleton) that would place the state government's check register online. Marostica made a similar legislative proposal in 2007, but was shot down with a ridiculous $2 million fiscal note from legislative staff. (Cost money? It's much more likely to save taxpayer money.) One line from the Post editorial jumped off the page when I read it:Marostica again plans to sponsor a bill to create just such a site, and treasurer Cary Kennedy has supported the plan in theory, but wants some citizen protections in place. [emphasis added\ Uh, what? … [Read more...]
House Education Appointments Uninspiring: What Will Storyline Be?
Last week I pondered in a Denver Post op-ed what the effect might be of the statehouse Democrats elevating pro-public school choice Rep. Terrance Carroll to Speaker of the House:Carroll is set to appoint fellow Democrats to the House Education Committee. In recent years, the committee, largely stacked with handpicked union favorites, has killed or watered down many K-12 education bills deemed unacceptable by the union. CEA may lose some of its leverage to bottle up education reform in committee. Well, yesterday came the revelation of the House Education Committee assignments. Michael Merrifield retains the chair, with Judy Solano as the vice-chair. Overall, the membership of the committee appears to move scarcely a whit in the direction … [Read more...]
Okay, Barack Obama and I agree on “Team of Rivals” … So What?
For those who believe I have nothing good to say about our President-elect Barack Obama. He at least has some good taste in contemporary historical literature:It so happens that Obama and New York Sen. Clinton share a reverence for "Team of Rivals," Doris Kearns Goodwin's book about how Lincoln brought foes into his fold. Clinton listed it during the campaign as the last book she had read. Obama, clearly a student of Lincoln, spoke of it several times. Now past could be prologue. Obama is considering Clinton for secretary of state or another senior position, meeting John McCain on Monday to see how his Republican presidential rival might help him in the Senate, and sizing up one-time opponents in both parties for potential … [Read more...]
Looking for a Silver Lining? Help Bill Russell Take Out John Murtha
Republicans in Colorado and nationally don't have many bright spots to look forward to this Election Day (and conservatives have even fewer). But one silver lining that I hope for is the defeat of Pennsylvania Democrat Congressman John Murtha. If you have a little cash you are willing to play with to help someone at the tail end of this campaign season, please consider helping Republican challenger Bill Russell (no, not this Bill Russell) as he fights to send Murtha to the retirement home. You can contribute here. … [Read more...]
Brandon Shaffer? Evie Hudak is the “Extraordinarily Partisan” Candidate
Laughable quote of the day from Democrat state senator Brandon Shaffer, as reported in Politicker:In state Senate District 19, Shaffer gave Democrat Evie Hudak the edge over Republican Libby Szabo, saying Szabo is "extraordinarily partisan." "Eventually, there's enough of a base there, enough unaffiliated voters who are looking for more of a collaborative approach to getting things done across party lines, that they'll come home to Evie," Shaffer said. More of a collaborative approach from Evie Hudak? The Evie Hudak who publicly stated "I support the entire Democratic party platform"? I guess one would have to be "extraordinarily partisan" himself to think that represents a "collaborative approach". Yes, I'm still laughing. … [Read more...]
Buescher “Favored”? Deceptive Attacks on Cancer Survivor Say Maybe Not
Today the Rocky Mountain News highlights the hottest state legislative race on Colorado's Western Slope, as Republican challenger Laura Bradford faces down Democrat incumbent Bernie Buescher in HD55:"I think her chances are great," said Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, who was among Republicans who stopped in Grand Junction while on an RV tour of the state. "One thing she said was, 'Gov. Ritter will not be whispering in my ear what to do.' People loved that." Buescher, however, says he doesn't hew that closely to Gov. Bill Ritter. "They're going after me on some issues, but it seems to me the fundamental attack is that I'm too close to the administration," he said. "The fact is I pushed the administration as much as any Democrat in the … [Read more...]
A National Media Double Standard on Florida Congressional Scandals?
The radical shift in polling numbers after the explosive news about the sex/bribe scandal of Democratic Rep. Tim Mahoney - who replaced the infamous Republican Rep. Mark Foley - ensures that Florida Congressional seat shifts back to GOP hands. But where are the national media's incessant demands to find the facts about what Democratic leaders knew and when? I guess the question answers itself. The liberal media establishment doesn't want to drive its favored party into the ground and harm the chances of its chosen candidate (read: Barack Obama). Mark Foley at least had enough shame to do the decent thing and resign over his illicit messages to Congressional pages (and as I said then of Republican leaders, "if they knew and withheld … [Read more...]
Former I.I. Intern Smiles for Washington Post during Presidential Debate
(Photo: Washington Post) Former Independence Institute intern and now Washington insider (ha!) Dan Head smiles widely as he watches John McCain deliver a zinger at last night's debate. After two mediocre McCain performances, last night was the aging Arizona senator's best debate of the season against Democrat Barack Obama. The only question that matters now is whether it will make enough difference to impact the election. For that, we'll just have to wait and see. Way to go, Dan, making it into the Washington Post. … [Read more...]
Denver Post Endorses Libby Szabo for Colorado Senate District 19
Three months ago I told readers why it was important to rally behind state senate candidate Libby Szabo, running for the open seat here in north Jefferson County outside Denver. Yesterday the Denver Post - hardly a conservative political organ - published its agreement with my endorsement:Senate District 19 (Jefferson) — The race to replace term-limited Sue Windels is this year's hottest contest. We like Republican Libby Szabo over Democrat Evie Hudak. The choice is close because both candidates are able. Hudak now serves on the Board of Education and has clear views on Colorado's budget and transportation needs. Szabo is an Arvada businesswoman with a solid community record. We lean to Szabo because we would like to see a little more … [Read more...]
Joshua Sharf Confronts Opponent about “Educate the Idiots” Campaign
Now that the whistleblower has come forward to verify the authenticity of the Left-wing Colorado Democracy Alliance documents, including its "Educate the Idiots" campaign, here's a video of Republican state house candidate (and longtime blogger) Joshua Sharf posing the issue to Democrat opponent Lois Court at a recent televised forum: And if you want to know more about what issues distinguish the two candidates, here's a glimpse at their closing statements: It's an uphill battle for Joshua to win this race in a majority-Democrat district, but he is making an impression as an aggressive and articulate candidate for rock-solid conservative Republican principles. Party leaders should take notice. … [Read more...]