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Home Archives for U.S. Senate

4/25/2010 By Night Twister Leave a Comment

The Colorado Senate Race

Editor's note: Please welcome RMA and PPC blogger Night Twister from his original blogging home to his new digs as a guest blogger at Mount Virtus. Look for occasional contributions from him to help make up for my low blogging output, due to extra busy-ness of late. After reading this , this, and especially this by Erick Erickson at RedState, I felt it necessary to write a response. A little background would be helpful first, however. Over the past decade, Colorado conservatives have taken a beating. In 2000, we held the Governor's Mansion, the state House and Senate chambers, both U.S. Senate seats, and 5 of 7 House seats. Even so, Colorado's history includes dramatic swings from Democrat to Republican leadership. Much has been … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, PPC Tagged With: Colorado, jane norton, Ken Buck, tom wiens, U.S. Senate

6/2/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Mystery Tidwell Volunter Steps Over the Line, Hopefully Astroturfing Stops

I am relieved to learn that U.S. Senate candidate Cleve Tidwell was not posting bizarre online comments himself. As Mr. Tidwell joins us for tonight's Blog Talk Radio show, I hope to hear what the campaign learned from this episode. I also hope today's revelation marks the end of the online astroturfing. Inquiring minds will be left to wonder who the campaign volunteer was who had access to Mr. Tidwell's private email address and "might have stepped over the line". … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: astroturfing, bizarre, Blog Talk Radio, campaign, candidate, Cleve Tidwell, comments, episode, online, relieved, revelation, show, U.S. Senate

6/2/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

RMA Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 8:30: Candidates Dan Maes, Cleve Tidwell

Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 29th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. Guests for tonight's show are a pair of political newcomers making longshot bids for statewide office. Evergreen businessman Dan Maes will join us to talk about his grassroots campaign for Colorado's Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010. Causing a stir in the local blogosphere this week, U.S. Senate hopeful Cleve Tidwell will make an appearance in the latter half of the program to discuss his candidacy. If you miss the live show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: 2010, bids, Blog Talk Radio, blogosphere, businessman, campaign, candidacy, Cleve Tidwell, Colorado, Dan Maes, download, Evergreen, grassroots, gubernatorial, guests, hopeful, local, longshot, Mount Virtus, nomination, podcast, political newcomers, Republican, Rocky Mountain Alliance, show, sidebar, statewide office, stir, U.S. Senate, widget

6/1/2009 By Ben 5 Comments

Say It Ain’t So, Cleve Tidwell

Here's a good bit of important advice to candidates for major political office that apparently isn't self-evident to all -- Don't go posting comments online under a false identity:Cleve Tidwell was posing as someone named "Craig Platon" and posting about how "he gave me and everyone else that waited in line all the time we needed and seemed only interested in what I had to say." He also describes himself as a "warm individual." This is a little narcissistic even for a would-be politician. It is troubling to say the least that a candidate for United States Senate has no apparent ethical qualms with posting as imaginary people supporting himself. Simply posting under a psuedonym [sic] and dropping a comment saying something positive about … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: advice, bit, bizarre, candidate, candidates, Cleve Tidwell, conspiracy theory, Craig Platon, elaborate backstory, email address, ethical qualms, false identity, falsehood, GOP, important, Kattie Botts, major, observation, online, pathetic, political office, private, pseudonym, Rocky Mountain Right, Ryan Frazier, sad, same-sex marriage, smarter, strange, straw poll, U.S. Senate, weird

5/23/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

FTS Weekend Edition: Listen to Me Talk Teacher Sick-Out, Contract Impasses

For the handful of you out there who aren't tired of hearing me talk about teachers unions, contract impasses, and sick-outs this week, you can listen to a new interview with Brad Jones on the most recent Face The State weekend edition (Segment 3). You also can hear an interview with U.S. Senate candidate Cleve Tidwell and discussions on some of Face The State's big Colorado stories from the week that just passed. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, General, Labor, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Brad Jones, candidate, Cleve Tidwell, Colorado, contract impasses, discussions, Face the State, interview, just passed, listen, sick-outs, stories, teachers unions, U.S. Senate, week, weekend edition

5/12/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

RMA Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 8:30: Candidates Ken Buck, Scott Gessler

Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 26th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. We have two guests on tap - both Colorado Republican statewide candidates in 2010 to discuss their respective campaigns and related issues: At 8:45, U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck At 9:30, Colorado Secretary of State candidate Scott Gessler If you miss the live show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, PPC Tagged With: 2010, Blog Talk Radio, campaigns, candidates, Colorado, guests, Ken Buck, live show, podcast, related issues, Republican, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Scott Gessler, Secretary of State, sidebar, U.S. Senate

5/11/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

The Evidence Mounts Against EFCA, and Michael Bennet Still Can’t Decide

James Sherk of the Heritage Foundation (and a proud fellow Hillsdale College alumnus) breaks down the evidence to debunk the "Employer Advantage" myth at the heart of Big Labor's argument for the card-check bill before Congress:The law stacks the deck against employers in union drives. And – contrary to union assertions – the overwhelming majority of employers obey the law. Which is why unions rack up that impressive 2-1 win rate. The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace is right to say that the government should not tilt the playing field even more heavily in union organizer’s favor. That would hurt workers ability to make a free choice. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: alumnus, American jobs, argument, assertions, Big Labor, bill, binding arbitration, card-check, Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, Colorado, Congress, debunk, economic, EFCA, effective, Employee Free Choice Act, Employer Advantage, evidence, explained, free choice, George McGovern, harmful, Heritage Foundation, Hillsdale College, icon, imposition, impressive, influence, James Sherk, liberal, Michael Bennet, myth, newly-selected, opinion, playing field, political money, poorly-named, removal, represent, research, secret ballot, thousands, tilt, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, union organizers

5/7/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

U.S. Senate Candidate Ken Buck Responds to Campaign Rumors

This morning a post appeared on Rocky Mountain Right about the first announced Republican candidate in Colorado's U.S. Senate race:Reports are trickling out that [Ken] Buck has split with Phase Line Strategies, a Republican consulting firm made up of GOP veterans who would have probably been fulfilling most of Buck's fundraising and communications needs, and that his campaign manager may have departed as well. Details are sketchy at this point, but the reports are coming from enough directions that it appears very likely to be true. Earlier this afternoon I called Ken Buck and recorded our conversation, to get a clearer picture of the story directly from the source. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: asset, campaign, campaign manager, candidate, clearer, Colorado, Colorado Pols, Colorado Statesman, communications, consulting firm, conversation, Democratic, Douglas County, Face the State, formal relationship, fundraising, general consultant, GOP veterans, Greeley Tribune, half-right, half-wrong, Jack Stansbery, Ken Buck, Lincoln Day dinner, Michael Bennet, misunderstanding, morning, online polls, opponent, Phase Line Strategies, Picture, polls, Public Policy Polling, quote, race, reporter, Republican, Rocky Mountain Right, Ryan Frazier, Sean Tonner, source, story, straw poll, title, U.S. Senate, unaffiliated, valuable, voters, Walt Klein

5/6/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Senator Jim DeMint Sets Up a Great Framework for Rebuilding the GOP

If there is anyone currently in the U.S. Senate of whom I would consider myself a fan, Jim DeMint of South Carolina would be on that short list. I understood where he was coming from but found it a little disconcerting when he said: "I would rather have 30 Republicans in the Senate who really believe in principles of limited government, free markets, free people, than to have 60 that don't have a set of beliefs." What a great relief then to see Senator DeMint's excellent column in yesterday's Wall Street Journal -- what I consider an opportunity to revise and extend his remark. His rhetoric is blunt, and his analysis is clear: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: abortion, analysis, beliefs, big tent, blunt, bolded statements, candidates, center-right coalition, centralized government, clear, coalition, column, Congress, conservative, Constitution, constructively, debate, democratic process, different, disconcerting, diverse, elected officials, electoral defeats, excellent, exceptional nation, extend, faithful few, fan, federal Leviathan, federalism, first impression, fiscal issues, flavor, focus, force for good, Free Markets, government, History, inalienable, individual liberty, isolation, Jim DeMint, limited government, measured disagreement, mind, national party, national security, people, perfect, politician, President, principles, problems, regions, rein in, remark, Republican, respectful, revise, rhetoric, same-sex marriage, short list, social issues, social policies, solved, South Carolina, states, strong poles, U.S. Senate, unelected judges, walk the walk, Wall Street Journal

5/5/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

“Conservativism Is Not a Dirty Word” Event at University of Denver, May 9

As promised in the closing moments of this week's edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio, here is information on this Saturday's event "Conservatism Is Not a Dirty Word" (PDF), co-sponsored by the Denver University College Republicans and Denver Women's Republican Club. When? Saturday, May 9, 10 AM to noon Where? Lindsay Auditorium, Sturm Hall, University of Denver What? Panel discussion, followed by Q & A Who? The panel features Republican National Committeeman and former state senator Mark Hillman, Aurora city councilman and likely U.S. Senate candidate Ryan Frazier, talk radio host and assertiveness trainer Karen Kataline, past chairman of the Colorado Republican Business Coalition Jim Noon, Step 13 founder Bob Cote, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, General, liberty, My Life, PPC Tagged With: Aurora, Blog Talk Radio, Bob Cote, candidate, city councilman, co-sponsored, College Republicans, Colorado Republican Business Coalition, Conservatism, Denver University, Denver Women's Republican Club, edition, founder, Jim Noon, Karen Kataline, Mark Hillman, Republican National Committeeman, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Ryan Frazier, state senator, Step 13, U.S. Senate, yours truly

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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.

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