The governor's mansion is a lousy place to make friends

John F. Kennedy once said that the White House is a lousy place to make friends. And the same goes for the Colorado Governor's mansion. So it should come as no surprise that Governor-elect Bill Ritter's appointments have included early supporters and experienced legislators.

Still, some on the Western Slope are complaining that, despite the presence of Prowers County Commissioner John Stulp and Manitou Springs Mayor Marcy Morrison, Denver is over-represented in the Ritter administration. The Rocky quotes Republican Senator-elect Josh Penry:

"The final verdict is still out, but at this point it looks more like the Cabinet of the governor of Denver than the governor of Colorado."

Did Penry read my post "Bill Ritter not just the governor of Denver"?

Colorado Confidential reports that some wanted Ritter to re-appoint Bill Owens' Department of Natural Resources director Russell George instead of nominating Harris Sherman. But Ritter can hardly be faulted for wanting fresh ideas for a department with a lackluster record. Colorado Confidential's story quotes Duke Cox, chairman of the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance:

"There needs to be some changes made in DNR - especially concerning the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission - and one couldn't expect Russell George to fire some people that he had worked with these past years."

It looks like what we're seeing is less an honest dispute and more a preview of the GOP's strategy for the coming years. Let's call it, "Whine and Vote No."