What a day

Some days, it seems like nothing really happens in the world of Colorado politics. And then there's today.

First Tovah Dancer emails me to let me know that Gary Lindstrom announced his withdrawal from the governor's race this morning on Jay Marvin's show. Then Progress Now Action tells me that Littleton residents have formally requested an ethics investigation of Republican Joe Stengel. Then SAFER dares (no pun intended) Owens and Hickenlooper to sign their petition on the steps of the Capitol at noon tomorrow.

The State Senate passed the smoking ban with some extra exemptions. The Marc Holtzman campaign says it is being stalked by a mystery photographer from the Bob Beauprez camp.

And then Alice Madden collapses on the House floor.

So what day did my hosting company decide to do some software maintenance that messed up my FTP service? Today.

Supposedly Alice is feeling better. Best wishes to her. Hope she is back on her feet tomorrow.

Stengel petition online

I have devoted a lot of words to Republican Joe Stengel. Now, thanks to Progress Now Action, you can devote some of your own.

Ritter endorsed by Local 720

Today, Laborer's Local 720 endorsed Democrat Bill Ritter for governor. That's the same union Ritter belonged to when he was working his way through college as a pipe layer. How do you respond?

1. "Yawn. That barely qualifies as news."

2. "Wow! That's a symmetry that would appeal to Borges."

3. "Huh-huh. You just said 'pipe layer.'"

4. "Oh, c'mon, Matt! You're only mentioning this so you can give Ritter another link!"

Complacency Watch 2006

According to Coloradopols , not only is Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter polling better than Republicans Bob Beauprez and Marc Holtzman, so is Gary Lindstrom. (And sometimes Lindstrom doesn't even seem to be running.)

So what's the problem?

While Ritter's months of campaigning have driven his numbers up, the poll also reflects a general anti-Republican sentiment. And Both Ways Bob, given his nickname, will probably try to run away from his "Yes, sir, Mr. President sir!" voting record after the caucuses.

Will he be able to confuse Colorado voters into thinking he is an independent thinker with a spine of his own and our state's best interests at heart? It's up to you to stop him.

Republican blasts Tancredo

File this one in the "Hell yeah!" category. From the Rocky Mountain News:

"Tom Tancredo is an irrational, one-trick pony obsessed with the issue of immigration," Botero said. "Many in his own party can't stand him and wish he would just go away." Botero said the people of Colorado's 6th Congressional District have been poorly served by Tancredo. "Tom Tancredo is an embarrassment not only to himself but to his party."

Botero is opposing Tancredo for the Republican nomination. Whoever wins will have to face Democrat Bill Winter.

Fawcett, Winter live from 1 to 3 p.m.

If you hit Coloradolib this afternoon, you are in the wrong place. Jay Fawcett and Bill Winter, two Fighting Dems, are live blogging over at DailyKos from 1 to 3 p.m. This link should take you there.

Same stuff, different Sunday

What's in the Sunday Denver Post? Republicans acting nutty, same as always.

Tancredo made some hysterical statement. Stengel wants the Republicans to regain control of the State House. Mitchell humorously introduced himself to the executive director or NARAL as "the devil." Dyer was the only state senator to vote against what Fred Brown called "the let's-be-pals push in the legislature."

I know. Yawn.

But if you ever feel like the political process in Colorado is vicious and partisan, I urge you to watch Lord of War. In some countries, the political parties thin voter rolls by hacking opponents to death with machetes. Suddenly, having the righties call me names doesn't seem so bad.

HD38 a race to watch

The Sunday Denver Post called HD38 a "race to watch," as Democrats Lt. Col. Joe Rice and Glen Emerson fight it out with Republican attorney Candy Figa.

UPDATE: The Post has it wrong. Glen Emerson is running for county assessor.

Musgrave and "Mexican shacks"

Republican Marilyn Musgrave has a charming way of referring to low-income farm housing. See Soapblox for more. Go Angie Paccione, go!

CD7 and the expectations game

It always drives me crazy when I turn on the business news and hear something like, "Megacorp Incorporated reports record earnings, massive hiring, and productivity gains. But since their earnings were one-twelveth of a point below expectations, their stock has tanked."

The expectations game. It's a tough one to win.

Prior to Senator John Kerry's visit to Denver, the Ed Perlmutter team was telling everyone they expected the Senator's endorsement. And they sort of got it. But all the Rocky Mountain News and Coloradopols are talking about is how, yeah, Kerry wants Perlmutter to win, but it's not like the Senator jogged around 16th Street in a fluorescent Perlmutter 2006 T-shirt.

Kerry is naturally reserved. Personally, I like that about him. I would have been shocked and disturbed if he'd jumped on top of a bench and started chanting, "Ed Perlmutter! Like a knife through butter! Straight to DC! It's Ed and me!"

Colorado's most conservative

Hat-tip to DemNotes for pointing out the National Journal's ratings of all U.S. representatives.

Stengel works, hulas simultaneously

The Rocky Mountain News reports that Republican minority leader Joe Stengel "billed taxpayers last year for working while he was on a five-day vacation in Hawaii." Is this possible? Maybe. I know that I worked while I was on vacation in Costa Rica.

But, as I have written before, I find it extremely unlikely that Stengel worked "240 days out of 247 when the legislature was out of session" in addition to working all the in session days.

Democrats asked for Stengel's records on February 16. By law, he had to turn them over within 72 hours. Anybody know what day it is?

The Friday night post

I was offline for most of the day. I guess my boy John Kerry endorsed Ed Perlmutter in CD7. I guess my other boy Bill Ritter will be in Steamboat Springs tomorrow. I guess SAFER passed for challenging the language of their Colorado marijuana legalization initiative.

Tancredo gets Republican challenger

Apparently, even Republicans suspect Tom Tancredo is about to drive their party off a cliff. Mad Tom will get a Republican primary challenger.

Winter, Fawcett live blogging Sunday

Excuse this linkless, cut-and-paste job:

Fighting Dems CD6 candidate Bill Winter and CD5 candidate Jay Fawcett will be live blogging on DailyKos from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. this Sunday.

Kerry coming to D-town

2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry is doing something he didn't do nearly enough of two years ago. He's visiting Denver.

Kerry will be here to fundraise for CD7 Democratic nominee Ed Perlmutter. The Rocky Mountain News reports that Perlmutter expects Kerry to endorse his candidacy.

Kerry will spend the majority of his day downtown, so if I catch a glimpse of a limo, I'll wave and shout something like, "John Kerry is a superstar!"

Internal polling shows Lamm with lead

Well, here are those numbers I made a cryptic reference to a couple posts back. From a Peggy Lamm for Congress press release that just popped up in my inbox:

"Arvada, CO - A survey released today shows Peggy Lamm holding a double-digit lead over her competitors in the Democratic primary for Colorado's 7th Congressional District. Lamm's history of fighting for reform - as Co-Chair of the CU recruiting investigation, as a leading proponent of the do-not-call list, and as a concerned citizen fighting against a taxpayer subsidized Wal-Mart in Westminster - is attracting Democratic primary voters to her campaign."

The survey of 400 likely primary voters was conducted for the Lamm campaign by RBI Strategy and Research. The margin of error is just under 5%.

Lamm took the opportunity to blast the current administration, which I always think is fun. "President Bush and Congress are taking us in the exact wrong direction, and we need Democrats who will stand up for their beliefs, and focus on real issues - affordable health care, scrapping the Republican Medicaid plan, and investing in renewable energy sources that will create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and even lower our home heating costs."

The numbers shake out like this:

Peggy Lamm - 33%
Leaning Lamm - 11%
Herb Rubenstein - 1%
Leaning Rubenstein - 1%
Ed Perlmutter - 17%
Leaning Perlmutter - 6%

The Lamm folks are, understandably, pretty happy. Especially considering that they just got a staff on the ground a couple weeks ago. I am sure the Perlmutter and Rubenstein supporters have their own views and they are more than welcome to post them on this thread.

I want to see the Democrats sweep the country and recapture the House of Representatives. (I originally wrote "take back the house," but I rephrased and a couple people out there know why. Ha ha.) So I'm anxious for the people in CD7 to get behind a candidate after the March caucuses. And I think Lamm would match up well against Republican nominee-apparent Rick O'Donnell.

Holtzman returns to hysterical rhetoric

For awhile there, I was worried Republican candidate for governor Marc Holtzman had gone sane on me. Fortunately, I was alerted to this article in the Steamboat Pilot by Progress Now Action. Holtzman "said Colorado is in 'a state of emergency'" because of the immigration threat. I would like to blog more about this, but I have to go buy some flares, a roll of duct tape and a month's supply of drinking water.

Drinking with Angie, part 3

It seems my stalling has paid off. TakeBackTheHouse has posted his usual detailed report on the night's proceedings. So, you know, I second what he said.

I love the Democratic Party. I love the neo-luddites who yearn for some non-existant pre-consumerist past. I love the energetic volunteers who so wholeheartedly pour their hopes and dreams into this candidate or that issue. And I love the preachers, who can stand in the middle of a strange room and speak about education and healthcare in words so inspiring that atheists amen.

Angie is a preacher. Testify, people. Testify.

Drinking with Angie, part 2

There ain't nothing like linking to make you really super popular. So besides CD4 Democratic candidate Angie Paccione, I was glad to see Karen Middleton, Larry Beer, Mike Weissman, CD7 candidate Herb Rubenstein, Pam Steadman, SAFER honcho Mason Tvert, and Kathryn Poindexter from CD7 candidate Peggy Lamm's campaign. And of course the bloggers behind Soapblox, Heading Left, Ed Perlmutter's blog, Tovah Dancer, Marshall V. Collins, and if I forgot you, that's because aliens erased my memory on the way home.

There is a fundraiser going on for CD6 candidate Bill Winter on First Friday. Soapblox should have more details at some point. And someone gave me a scoop on some numbers which I can't exploit because I am not going to be blogging at precisely 9 a.m. tomorrow.

I will, however blog about meeting Angie at the earliest opportunity. The earliest opportunity - tomorrow.

Drinking with Angie, part 1

I'm going to blog about Angie Paccione's appearance at Drinking Liberally. I really, really am. But not tonight.

Still, Angie was nice enough to come talk to a roomful of folks who can not vote in CD4. So I at least I wanted to get a link up to her site as soon as possible. Here that link is. Along with a photo that'd be completely usless for identification purposes, but which has some charm nonetheless.

The other Salazar endorses Ritter

Democratic Representative John Salazar joined his brother Ken in endorsing Bill Ritter for governor. According to a release, Salazar praised "Ritter as a native Coloradan who understands the issues most important to the state's rural areas."

Why am I including a photo of HD38 Democratic candidate Lt. Colo. Joe Rice with this story? Just to see if you are paying attention.

Beauprez and Holtzman love the Post

Coloradopols says that Republicans Bob Beauprez and Marc Holtzman are having a woo-off over who'll get the love of the Denver Post. The owner of the Post is already buddies with Holtzman. But Beauprez and the Post's editor got chummy at yesterday's Jefferson County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner. So, um, where is the liberal media, again?

Martinis with Angie

See you and CD4 Democratic candidate Angie Paccione tonight at 7:30 p.m. for Drinking Liberally at Double Daughters.

Martinis with Mason

Hit 1: Avenue Grill makes the best martinis in Denver. I should know. I managed to drink two as I listened to Mason Tvert, director of SAFER , explain why marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol.

Hit 2: Have you ever seen Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical? Not only is it hilarious, it gives you the chance to watch Kristen Bell get jiggy with it.

Hit 3: Our waiter asked Mason if he was that guy behind the whole marijuana thing. The waiter had the same giddy look on his face that I would get if Katherine Heigl endorsed Bill Winter.

Hit 4: I have to read The Tipping Point.

Hit 5: How the hell is marijuana legalization ever going to get a serious hearing in America? The right-wing libertarians who might champion it are too indebted to the religious right to ever consider it. The left-wing privacy-rights people are too afraid of enraging soccer moms to mention it. And people like me don't want to touch it because we don't our candidates to get sucked into a culture war with the armies of the night. But Mason is a convincing guy. He is sure that the issue will bring out voters for whichever side picks it up first.

Hit 6: As I drank my second martini, I thought about how many people I know who have almost died drinking. At least five or six guys. And then I thought about how many people I know who have almost died getting high. Not a single person.

Hm.

Joe Rice touches down

HD38 Democratic candidate Lt. Col. Joe Rice is back in Colorado after serving in Iraq. His plane touched down about two hours ago. My spies tell me he was greeted by a cheering crowd of Democrats, veterans, and Democratic veterans. Supposedly Channel 7 was there as well. You can get info on Rice's campaign kickoff at this link.

Tancredo vs. the church

Mad Tom Tancredo blasted "the U.S. Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society for lobbying against a border-enforcement bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives last year."

You know, if Tancredo isn't careful, even the religious right will vote for Democratic CD6 candidate Bill Winter.

SCOTUS rules on Colorado redistricting

The Supreme Court has ruled on a case that could have a big effect on the boundaries of CD6 and CD7. You can read more at Coloradopols or Wash Park Prophet.

What has Joe Stengel been up to?

Currently, Republican state representative Joe Stengel is supposed to be turning over his records so lawmakers can figure out why he billed the taxpayers for $24,000 in per diem.

What has he actually been doing? Proposing anti-business legislation.

From the Rocky Mountain News: "The worst of the lot is House Bill 1082, by Minority Leader Joe Stengel. The bill would let companies that hire illegal immigrants be sued for civil damages if they break the law when not at work. Talk about a bonanza for the plaintiffs' bar."

"Uh, sorry about the whole 'firing you' thing"

"You're doing great work," Bush said today at NREL. Wisely, he did not take questions. According to an Associated Press release I received from Progress Now Action, "The president blamed the conflicting message on an appropriations mix-up."

More in the Denver Post, among other places.

Beauprez filled with waffly goodness, part 3

The rhetoric: "'I've worked hard to try to right this wrong, and I want to thank Secretary Bodman and his staff for helping us ensure NREL is able to go forward and fully carry on its mission as our country's premier renewable energy research facility,' Beauprez said."

The facts: "Beauprez voted for the president's 2006 budget which slashed key energy research funds, leading to a $28 million decrease in the budget for NREL and dozens of layoffs. Then Beauprez refused to join more than 100 representatives in signing a bipartisan letter urging the president to restore funding to NREL."

Two questions I have right now

1. Recently, Democratic Senator Ken Salazar asked the President to "restore, increase and protect funding for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory." Given what I wrote in my last post, will Salazar punch Bush in the kidneys tomorrow?

2. When Both Ways Bob says, "Innovations in renewable energies like solar, wind, biomass and hydrogen fuel cell technologies have given us a peek into a future where our country can slowly let go of our dependence on fossil fuels," how slowly does he mean? Like, glacially slowly? Slowly like "we're slowly hunting for Osama bin Laden"?

Bush, Beauprez enjoy jerking us around

The administration has made much hay out of the way it cut funding for the National Renewable Energy Labratory in Golden and then magically restored it the day before the President came to town.

But you knew it was a bunch of lies, right?

The Rocky Mountain News reports that the "National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden is getting only $5 million from the Department of Energy to offset its $28 million budget cut in fiscal 2006 - money that is barely sufficient to rehire the 32 employees it had laid off earlier this month."

Somewhere, our President is trying to rid himself of his pants, because they're on fire. The truth is that our President only cares about helping his Republican crony Bob Beauprez, who was embarrassed when it was disclosed that he voted for job cuts in his own district.

The President's visit is a great opportunity for Democrats. I sincerely hope that Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter points out Beauprez's wishy-washy obsequiousness to the administration. But right now, the only Democrat who is getting any press out of the whole thing is CD7 Democratic candidate Ed Perlmutter, who blasted the President and you can read all about that in the Rocky.

UPDATE: I posted this last night. By this morning, some of the Rocky's articles had been moved around or rewritten. I apologize for some of the innacuracies. I tried to fix most of my links.

Romanoff, the wit

If House Speaker Andrew Romanoff ever wants to leave politics, he ought to write for The Jon Stewart Show. Some of the lines from his latest newsletter are comedic gold:

"Judging from the emails I've received this month, I could sum up the legislature's work in a single proposal: to prohibit gay immigrants from driving without seat belts, smoking in pool halls, or building toll roads on private land. The law would not apply when shopping at Wal-Mart."

The Joe Stengel records watch

What's that sound? It's the ticking of the clock.

Anybody got an opinion?

Apparently my anarcho-liberal friends are beginning to rub off on me. The Rocky Mountain News article on the war between the unions and big business has got me all worked up. We, the people should have a bigger voice. Read the article. And then call your state legislators and tell them how you feel. You can find their contact information on vote-smart.org.

Beauprez filled with waffly goodness, part 2

Many of the jobs at the National Renewable Energy Labratory will be restored, thanks to a huge public outcry. The funniest thing has been watching Both Ways Bob Beauprez try to take credit for restoring the funding he voted to cut.

Beauprez filled with waffly goodness, part 1

Susan Barnes-Gelt has an excellent editorial in the Sunday Denver Post. Unfortunately, the headline, "Ritter not rigid in his abortion views," is, uh, unfortunate. Because it plays into the Republican-created stereotype about Democrats. We waffle. We're flexible. We're nuanced.

In other words, we're wussies.

We can't forget who the real flip-flopper is in the race for the Colorado governor's mansion. Republican Bob Beauprez has reversed field on Referendum C, on the military and on the National Renewable Energy Labratory.

Next to Both Ways Bob, Bill Ritter is a model of consistency. A point Ms. Barnes-Gelt makes herself near the end of the editorial. Ritter "passes the authenticity test with flying colors - an exam that Bob Beauprez would surely fail."

Here's hoping that Post subscribers read the editorial and not just flip past the headline.

Question Bush at Progress Now Action

The President will visit Colorado Tuesday. Progress Now Action will greet him with one of 10 billboards. Learn more on progressnowaction.org.

Here's my favorite so far. Photo courtesy of Progress Now Action. Duh.

Bush to sell public land

The Denver Post reports that the Bush administration plans to sell 21,000 acres of public land "to raise money for rural schools in other states." The parcels include lands overlooking Rocky Mountain National Park, along the Mount Evans Highway, near Grays and Torreys peaks, west of Vail ski resort, and around St. Mary's Glacier.

This ought to enrage four types of people:

1. Environmentalists, for the obvious reason.
2. Local-government types, who resent DC control.
3. Small-government types, who resent big spending.
4. Me.

I first mentioned this story a couple days ago. But it deserved an update.

Gary for governor?

As a partisan hack, I try not to take sides in primaries. But it's hard not to support Bill Ritter when even his primary opponent tells you to.

The last two emails I have gotten from Gary Lindstrom for Governor have been about Alice Madden's endorsement of Ritter and Gary Hart's endorsement of Ritter.

I emailed Mr. Lindstrom to ask about his unique campaign strategy. I'll post his reply. In the meantime, is anybody who reads this blog on the Gary for Governor bus? If so, please post a comment on this thread.

UPDATE: Gary Lindstrom wrote, "I am as open as I can be about my campaign. Each time an article comes out I get more support." I appreciate his responsiveness. It will win him many supporters.

Troubleshooting coloradolib

Ever since I messed with my header graphics last Tuesday, coloradolib has been having all sorts of problems. Its latest bad habit is dumping posts off the frontpage. If you see anything less than 10 posts, can you please comment on this thread? Thanks.

UPDATE: Apparently this was happening all over Blogger today. Glad to know it wasn't just me.

Joe Stengel in a league of his own

How often will I write about this story? As many times as it takes.

Nation Journal ranks Colo. race for guv #6

From the National Journal:

"No poll result has had us more stunned in the last few weeks than the Mason-Dixon survey that showed Beauprez trailing Democrat Bill Ritter. Millions have been spent on Beauprez's behalf in the state's largest media market and he can't do better than a DA in a benchmark matchup? Is the GOP brand in this much trouble?"

Hat-tip to Soapblox.

Elementary school vs. the real world

The latest newsletter from State Senator Ken Gordon shares this story:

"Earlier today I spoke to a group of 4th, 5th and 6th graders from Denison Elementary school. I asked them if they had any ideas for legislation. These are the bills they suggested.

"1. Stop everyone from smoking anything.
"2. Protect the national parks.
"3. Make drug use illegal.
"4. Stop hunting, especially during mating season.
"5. Use more renewable sources of energy.
"6. Stop child abuse.

"It is hard to come up with a better agenda."

Unfortunately, the kids at Denison don't have a whole lot of pull on Capitol Hill. The Rocky Mountain News reports that "the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee will hold a marathon hearing Tuesday on 10 Republican bills and perhaps one or two Democratic bills, all of which relate to illegal immigration."

Citizens Healthcare Working Group meets 2/27

From the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative: "Congress and the President created the Citizens Healthcare Working Group to hear public input about the most pressing issues facing consumers attempting to access medical care... The hearings will be held on February 27th, 2006 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Colorado History Museum... Visit citizenshealthcare.gov to register."

SAFER not funded by Soros. (But Safer was.)

I found this paragraph in the latest SAFER Choice email interesting:

"One of the lies spread by the drug czar while he was in town was that billionaire George Soros is funding our 'million-dollar campaign.' This is utterly false. We have never received a penny from George Soros. I am not sure George Soros even knows we exist."

Soros has been linked to the Campaign for New Drug Policies. But I wondered why the White House drug czar would have thought Soros was involved with SAFER. And by gosh, after a whole two seconds of Googling, I think I have it. In 2003, Soros was involved with an after-prison initiative called the Safer Foundation.

SAFER Choice. Safer Foundation. Hey it's a mistake anyone could make, right? Except you'd think John Walters would have checked his facts. I mean, he works for the government, and the government is never wrong.

Thank you, Morgan Carroll

Today's news seemed to be all about the various ways in which greed is ruining our state. Bush is selling off Colorado public land to pay for his six year spending spree. Beauprez and Tancredo are gushing about their donors on the House floor. Steve Farber is cozying up to Both Ways Bob. Everybody knows my opinion of Joe Stengel by now. And the folks on my side of the aisle aren't doing much better.

Just as I was about to hit the Jack Daniels, I happened across a story on Progress Now Action. The story points to an editorial in the Rocky Mountain News that details how Aurora Democrat Morgan Carroll took an unpopular stand purely on principle.

Ms. Carroll, you rock. Maybe there's hope for Colorado after all.

Dueling conventions in 2008?

If politics is showbusiness for ugly people, Denver may look awful in 2008, according to the Denver Post.

Democrats request Stengel's records

I have written about Joe Stengel a lot recently. I wrote this post. And this post. And this post. And now the Colorado Democrats have written this post:

"Today, Pat Waak, Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, sent a letter to Rep. Joe Stengel of Littleton, CO requesting copies of all time sheets, notes, memos and requests for reimbursement on behalf of his work with the Colorado General Assembly in 2005. The request was made under Colorado's Open Records Law. Rep. Stengel is required to respond within 72 hours."

Hope Stengel has a comfortable couch at home. Because he might be spending a lot more time there.

Hat-tip to Democracy for Colorado.

UPDATE: Here is the Denver Post's story.

Hefley will retire

In rapid succession, I learned from Progress Now Action, the Rocky Mountain News, and Coloradopols that CD5 Republican representative Joel Hefley will not seek re-election in 2006.

This sets up a crowded Republican primary in uber-conservative Colorado Springs. But the big winner here is Democratic CD5 candidate Jay Fawcett. Fawcett is an Air Force Academy graduate who earned a Bronze Star in the 1991 Gulf War.

While I didn't agree with Hefley much, he was one of the last Republicans left in Washington DC who had some sort of spine. As the Rocky's story reads:

"Although Hefley is as conservative as any member of Congress, Democrats and liberal interest groups rushed to his defense when GOP leaders removed him from the Ethics Committee chairmanship... He was the lone Republican to speak loudly against proposed ethics rule changes that critics saw as an attempt to shield DeLay from further scrutiny."

UPDATE: Fawcett's statement: "Congressman Hefley is a public servant in the truest sense of the word. One of the most dignified and respected members of congress, his decades of service to the people of Colorado and the United States will be recognized for years to come. We owe the Congressman a debt of gratitude and wish him the best in his retirement. I believe with change comes opportunity, the opportunity for growth and meeting the expectations of a thriving society. I am personally excited to be a part of that change."

Help welcome home Joe Rice

Democratic state house candidate Lt. Col. Joe Rice has left Iraq. Next up, a week of debriefing and checkout activities in Kuwait, Fort Leavenworth and Fort Bliss.

Joe will be stateside in time for the Vote Joe Rice kickoff party on March 11 at 4 p.m. at Littleton's Riverfront Center. The event will be hosted by Colorado Veterans for America.

Joe is campaigning for the seat Republican per diem addict Joe Stengel is vacating in HD38.

Photo courtesy of Citizens for Joe Rice.

Hart endorses Ritter

Now it's like there's some giant race to endorse Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter:

"Former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart has endorsed leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter, joining many other influential Coloradans who are backing Ritter's candidacy... 'Bill Ritter has a strong sense of where Colorado needs to go,' Hart said. 'He's a progressive thinker who isn't bound by old, traditional ways of doing things... Bill understands the desperate need we face as a state to invest in our educational base as a means of stimulating economic growth in Colorado.'"

Three questions I'm asking this morning

Republican candidate for governor Marc Holtzman was in Larimer County yesterday. Will he ever set foot inside Denver?

According to the Rocky Mountain News, Tom Tancredo is trying to give his campaign money away to an anti-immigration group. Does he not realize he is going to need every penny to fight off Democratic CD6 candidate Bill Winter?

And why, oh why did Democratic candidate for governor Gary Lindstrom just send me an email to tell me that Alice Madden has endorsed Lindstrom's opponent, Bill Ritter?

Colorado is the new Iowa

Early presidential front runners like Democratic Senator John Kerry and Republican Senator George Allen will be visiting Colorado next week, according to the Denver Post.

Kerry will be here to support CD7 Democratic candidate Ed Perlmutter. Allen will be answering questions like "Who are you?" and "What are you doing here?"

The difference between me and Cheney

I may have had a beer at tonight's Colorado Young Democrats meeting at Uptown Tavern. But unlike Dick Cheney, I did not slam a handle of whiskey, shoot my buddy in the face with a shotgun, and then call my ex-girlfriend crying to ask her why she left me. Am I exaggerating? Maybe. You can follow the ongoing story of Cheney and the single beer at Soapblox or Think Progress.

Anyway, both State Senator Ken Gordon and "Mr. Speaker" Andrew Romanoff came by the CYD meeting to say hi. You can learn more about the organization at the CYD Yahoo group.

Alice Madden endorses Bill Ritter

Yep, it's true.

Meme warfare with Bill Ritter

My favorite part of the 2004 Presidential debates came when John Kerry stated, very simply, that he was against partial birth abortion except to save the life of the mother. George Bush kept insisting that this meant Kerry was for partial birth abortion.

Our president just couldn't grasp even the simplest of nuances. Unfortunately, neither can the majority of the American people. Reference the ongoing debate about Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter's overly nuanced position on choice.

I thought I'd spend 30 minutes doing a purely political exercise: coming up with three nuance-free ideas that Bill Ritter can lay claim to.

1. As Denver district attorney, he put the bad guys away.

2. Growing up poor on a farm, he developed an appreciation for the value of hard work.

3. Doing missionary work in Africa, he developed a deep personal faith.

I wanted to include something about social justice. But I suspect it sounds a bit like socialism to a lot of people.

Any suggestions on what simple statements Bill Ritter can make to introduce himself to the average Colorado voter? The comments link is open for business.

Bush pledges NREL funding

In an apparent effort to stave off a riot when he visits Golden on February 21, President Bush "committed Tuesday to making sure the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden gets sufficient federal funding next year," according to the Denver Post. Hopefully Democratic Senator Ken Salazar will hold Bush to his promise.

UPDATE: No sooner had I posted this than I got an email from Progress Now Action. They have a way you can ask Bush to live up to his promise when he comes to our state on February 21. Visit progressnowaction.com to learn more.

Coloradolib's new header graphics

This is a thread for people who want to make fun of my design skils.

UPDATE: If you can't see the header, read the comments on this thread.

Peggy says, Ed says, Herb says

Coloradopols et al are up in arms about a Channel 7 news story that showed that CD7 Democratic candidate Peggy Lamm's residency, car registration and voting records are not completely in synch with each other. This opens Lamm up to charges that she is a carpetbagger. Or, perhaps worse, that she is politically unprepared for the CD7 race, which will garner national attention.

I talked to Kathryn Poindexter, who works on the Lamm campaign. She told me that Peggy made a decision that was in the best interests of her child. Poindexter also pointed me to a statement that reads, "I live both places. And I have said that all along. I'm a single mom, and I'm trying really hard to do a good job raising my son. This is his last year in high school, and so I'm committed to spending time with him, so that's why I live in both places."

Ed Perlmutter's campaign put out a press release which reads, in part, "'I watched the 10:00 pm news on KMGH Channel 7 with great alarm last night,' said Danielle Radovich Piper, Ed Perlmutter's campaign manager. 'Based on the records exposed by investigative reporter John Ferrugia, it appears that Peggy Lamm broke Colorado law.'"

Herb Rubenstein also has a statement about the affair on his website, in which he chastises both candidates for slinging mud instead of sticking to the issues.

I want the CD7 Democrats to have a zestful primary full of piss and vinegar, but free of mudslinging and general ickiness. Then again, I want Susan Sarandon to reprise Betsy Palmer's role in the upcoming remake of the original Friday the 13th. Unfortunately, neither of these things gonna happen.

You know, CD7 Republican nominee Rick O'Donnell's good buddy Dick Cheney just shot somebody in the face and then tried to cover it up. Let's all just focus on that, OK?

Rocky follows up on Joe Stengel

A couple of nights ago, I wrote about FOX's segment on Republican Joe Stengel's penchant for per diem. Today, the Rocky Mountain News has it's own piece, which focuses exclusively on Stengel's excessive out-of-session per diem. The Rocky has somewhat different numbers than FOX did. For instance, according to the Rocky, Stengel did take Christmas off.

Stengel collected almost double what Democratic House Speaker Andrew Romanoff did:

"Romanoff, who billed for 145 days last year, said he was 'puzzled' when he saw Stengel's tally. Romanoff said he doesn't charge for days not spent at the Capitol, and he didn't charge last year for the days he was campaigning for the passage of Referendum C. Stengel, who opposed the ballot measure, charged for those days because he said he performed leadership duties every day."

Blatant rumor mongering

If you haven't heard a rumor by noon, start one.

Two stories about Tom Tancredo

1. On January 31st, I called the Rocky Mountain News' article about Tom Tancredo "fawning." Many, many, many people disagreed with me. But apparently the Tancredo for President people are OK with the Rocky's story. They posted it on their blog.

2. The same blog trumpeted the results of a straw poll that were reported on ABC. More than a thousand young conservatives at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC ranked Tancredo a better Republican presidential candidate than Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich.

You can put an end to this nonsense by donating to Bill Winter's campaign.

FOX31's website doesn't follow up on Stengel story

I have emailed FOX31 twice to ask why their story on Republican State Senator Joe Stengel hasn't popped up on their website. Maybe their webmaster is just running behind.

DNC in Denver?

In a perfect world, the Democratic Nation Convention would be held right outside my condo. Oh, hey, wait. Looky here. (Hat-tip to Soapblox.)

FOX31 catches Joe Stengel

I just watched FOX 31's big expose on the salaries of Colorado lawmakers. Actually, it was more like two stories bundled together. One that turned out to be hype. And one that made me giggle like a schoolgirl.

Story #1: In Colorado, lawmakers earn $30,000 a year. (That's just enough to eat at Taco Bell and sleep at one of those motels on Santa Fe with the fluorescent signage.) But a little-known law allows them to take a per diem to defray the cost of driving into Denver, parking, eating downtown and so forth. Most of the lawmakers take their per diem.

Yawn. Let's move on.

Story #2: Last year, Republican HD38 Representative Joe Stengel effectively doubled his salary by taking 391 days of per diem. (That's not a typo. Yes, I know how many days there are in a year.) In addition, Stengel claimed he worked every day last year - including Christmas, Groundhog Day, and every single day in National Nurse's Week.

Stengel is term-limited in 2006. But perhaps we can get rid of him even sooner.

There is a Democratic candidate running for HD38. Normally I'd find some clever way to work him into the story. But it's late, so I'll just do the overt-plug thing: His name is Joe Rice and you can find his website at votejoerice.com.

Cheney shoots hunting partner

On CNN's website, I learned Vice President Dick Cheney "accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas, spraying the fellow hunter in the face and chest with shotgun pellets."

Originally I published a post full of snarky jokes. But I decided it was unfair to the victim. Still, this sentence in CNN's story really burns me:

The incident "was not reported publicly by the vice president's office for nearly 24 hours, and then only after it was reported locally by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times on its Web site Sunday."

Beauprez's podcast and the "rule of law"

Bob Beauprez released a podcast about immigration on Friday that everyone should listen to. (Or at least let me summarize.)

Beauprez said, "In fact the rule of law, the idea that whether you're rich or poor, powerful, famous, whoever you are, even elected officials, you are subject to respect the laws, to abide by the laws... If we send a message that the rule of law no longer matters in America, we risk losing the very essence of who we are as a nation, what has made us a beacon of hope."

Holy cow, he's right! Especially that part about elected officials.

Beauprez ought to live up to his words and condemn the ever-widening web of Republicans linked to Jack Abramoff. And then he ought to get to the bottom of the wiretapping scandal. And then perhaps he could clean up this Libby/Cheney mess.

Or could it be that the whole "elected officials" thing is just rhetoric and Beauprez actually believes that the rule of law only applies to the illegal immigrants he's so worried about? Maybe Both Ways Bob just wants to have it both ways again.

You can ask Beauprez to have the couage of his convictions here, on his website.

Salazar, Allard on new national landmarks

A press release from Democratic Senator Ken Salazar's office is headlined "Camp Amache and Colorado Chautauqua Granted National Landmark Status on Sen. Salazar's Urging." The release goes on to quote Salazar, "Securing national landmark status for Camp Amache and Colorado Chautauqua is a critical step in preserving Colorado's history... I am proud to have been a part of this effort..."

Republican Senator Wayne Allard's releases on the new landmarks don't mention Salazar, instead commending Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton.

Poll shows support for healthcare, domestic partnerships

This morning's Denver Post has a poll that shows Coloradans favor giving gay couples the same rights as straight couples, 50-41. But add the word "marriage" and the results change. Gay marriage loses 55-36. The poll covers a wide range of issues, including healthcare, immigration, eminent domain and marijuana.

Best bumper sticker ever

"Cheney skis in jeans."

Ritter, Beauprez and stem cell research

Liberals all over the state are struggling with Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter's anti-choice views. The subject of stem cell research has gotten less attention.

There is an easy way to compare Ritter with his likely Republican opponent, Bob Beauprez. I researched their reactions to Denver U.S. House Representative Diana Degette's Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005. The bill expanded "the number of stem cell lines that are eligible for federally funded research, thereby accelerating scientific progress toward cures and treatments for a wide range of diseases and debilitating health conditions." It passed the U.S. House 238 to 194 on May 24, 2005.

Bill Ritter, when asked about stem cell research on Colorado Pols, said, "I support Rep. DeGette's bill, and believe that it is appropriate and in the public interest to use embryos that otherwise would have been discarded for stem cell research that may lead to cures for serious and debilitating diseases. However, I am opposed to the creation of new embryos for the sole purpose of stem cell research."

That wasn't exactly the answer I was hoping for. But it was close. At least Ritter would have voted for the bill.

Bob Beauprez did not. According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Beauprez joined Colorado Republicans Tom Tancredo and Marilyn Musgrave in voting nay.

Bush lies. And lies. And plans a trip to Golden.

The Denver Post reports that the President will be in Golden on February 21. He'll visit the National Renewable Research Laboratory to, I suppose, apologize for the way the government cut its funding and laid off its scientists.

Yesterday, the President was accused of lying twice. Once when investigators learned he knew about levee failures the day before he said he did. And again when the editor of the Washingtonian came clean about emails from Jack Abramoff that detail a chummy relationship with Bush.

UPDATE: Yet another accusation. The New York Times reports that "a C.I.A. veteran who oversaw intelligence assessments about the Middle East from 2000 to 2005 on Friday accused the Bush administration of ignoring or distorting the prewar evidence." (You may need an account to read this article.)

UPDATE: Photos of Bush, Abramoff, and Abramoff's clients are beginning to leak onto the web.

SAFER vs. drug czar John Walters

I just got a press release from SAFER that gleefully recounts how campaign coordinator Mason Tvert stalked U.S. drug czar John Walters around Denver. Tvert's doggedness even earned him a mention in the conservatively slanted Washington Times.

Tvert & Co. are seriously dedicated to this issue. And it deserves serious coverage. Still, I can't help but laugh when I think about how the whole scenario must have resembled Bluto and the brave men of Delta House taking on the evil Dean Wormer.

ACLU speaks at DDF

Where did I just eat scrambled eggs? Glad you asked. I had breakfast at the Downtown Democratic Forum. The crowd included State Representative Ann Ragsdale, Adams County Democrats chair Patricia Moore, and City Auditor Dennis Gallagher. We were there to see former State Senator Pat Pascoe, who is a volunteer and board member of the Colorado chapter of the ACLU.

The breakfast actually started with a DDF member reading an email she had received from Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter. She had written to him to ask about his pro-life positions. Ritter's personal reply was very well received by the overwhelmingly pro-choice crowd. It highlighted his support for emergency contraception and his dedication to upholding the laws of Colorado. (As a side note, today's Denver Post poll shows Ritter beating Beauprez and trouncing Holtzman.)

Pascoe followed with a dizzying rundown of all the Colorado state bills the ACLU is tracking. You can find a complete list on the legislative page of their website. That same page will lead you to a PDF of the ACLU's scorecard for the Colorado legislature. While I don't agree with the ACLU all the time, it was pretty interesting to see how they ranked the state senators, from SD10 Republican Ron May at the low end to several Democrats who shared the top spot.

A final Drinking Liberally comment

Before I unplug for the evening, let it be known that TBTH has a second post up about the non-Peggy Lamm-related elements of last night. In it, he ponders the ramifications of getting an Ed Perlmutter tattoo. On his face.

That's just good blogging.

Beauprez, Tancredo race to the bottom

It's time to play Who's the Bigger Joke. The contestants today are Mad Tom Tancredo and Both Ways Bob Beauprez.

First up, we have Tancredo, who seemed to be actually trying to provoke a conflict with Mexico when he told "foes of illegal immigration, including about 40 members of the volunteer border patrol group, the Minuteman Project" that he is "asking the president, commit the military to this border." Read the story in the Rocky Mountain News. (Incidentally, I saw the fearsome Mexican military marching when I was in Nogales last week. Sure, they look like schoolgirls practicing a cheerleading routine, but don't be fooled. They're going to invade any day now.)

Our next contestant is Beauprez. The CD7 congressman wants to be the governor of this state. And he showed his commitment by voting to slash funding to the National Renewable Energy Labratory in Golden, resulting in layoffs in his district. (Hat-tip to Soapblox.) Read more at Progress Now Action.

Hm, maybe we ought to call this one a tossup.

Peggy Lamm vs. free vodka

There is a trick to blogging about Drinking Liberally. Wait until TBTH posts his extremely long, painstakingly detailed report on the evening at Soapblox. And then link to it. Done.

This time, that may not be the wisest course of action. Last night, our guest was CD7 candidate Peggy Lamm. TBTH volunteers for Ed Perlmutter, who is also running in CD7. So his report is sort of biased.

Did I say sort of? Because I meant extremely.

That's not a bad thing. I respect TBTH's passion for his candidate. But it leaves me with the awkward task of actually writing a neutral account of the evening. And since a charming young lady was walking around Double Daughters with free samples of green tea vodka, I was, uh, a bit distracted.

Fortunately, I wasn't distracted all night, as this photo courtesy of Andrew Hyde attests. (You can read Andrew's blog here and see more of his great photos here.) That's me, second from the left.

Peggy definitely convinced me that she has the backbone to further a strong Democratic agenda in Washington. If she is the choice in CD7, I know she can go toe to toe with Republican candidate Rick O'Donnell. And win.

I spend $100 for Raw Story

Thanks to Nancy Goldstein at Raw Story for including me in her national survey of bloggers. She asked, "If you had $100 to invest politically, where would it go?" My answer may have involved CD6 candidate Bill Winter. Got a better idea? Please post it on this thread.

You can read Nancy's full article on Raw Story.

Ritter, Middleton have busy weekends

Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter will be cruising through Pitkin, Eagle, Summit and Park Counties this weekend. Post on this thread if you want me to post the exact locations.

Meanwhile Karen Middleton will host a trio of events to support her CD7 Board of Education campaign. You can learn more at karenmiddleton.org.

Being as nice as possible about Jim Dyer

I have never ripped into Centennial Republican State Senator Jim Dyer. In 2004 he squeaked past my dad in SD26. And I am afraid of sounding bitter. But Dyer has been a tough person to ignore recently.

Yesterday he spoke out against a resolution to restore civility in the state senate. A resolution that in the state house was co-sponsored by every single lawmaker. Resigning Republican Norma Anderson chastised her ex-colleague. "But Jim Dyer was not there 19 years ago, so how would he know whether it's changed?"

The day before yesterday, Dyer voted against a bill that bans lawmakers from accepting all cash gifts and large in-kind donations. Apparently he doesn't want to give up gifts like Broncos tickets.

Winter gets national recognition

CD6 Democratic candidate Bill Winter and CD5 Democratic candidate Jay Fawcett's campaigns are getting national attention.

Drinking Liberally with Peggy Lamm

My day is going to take me all over metro Denver. But my night is going to take me straight to Double Daughters for Drinking Liberally with Peggy Lamm. I know very little about Lamm, except what I saw at a CD7 debate. So I am excited to hear her speak. And to down a couple pints of anything-but-Coors.

Salazar endorses Ritter

This morning, Colorado Democratic Senator Ken Salazar endorsed Bill Ritter for governor. See the story in the Rocky Mountain News.

Marc Holtzman turns on a dime

Yeah, I know it's all just politics for Republican candidate for governor Marc Holtzman. But, whoa...

January 17, 2006: "Gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman called the Democratic Denver mayor a 'show horse' who runs a 'rogue city government' during a tele-town meeting Monday night."

February 7, 2006: "Mayor Hickenlooper is an outstanding public servant and would have made a considerable contribution to this race. By calling this morning to notify me of his decision, he once again demonstrated that he is a class act."

Be inspired or be beaten

Yesterday, Bill Ritter became, for all intents and purposes, the Democratic nominee for governor. And today I read in the Denver Post and on Coloradopols that my party is uninspired by the former Denver district attorney.

Well, boo hoo.

If you want to say you'd be more inspired by Alice Madden or whoever, fine. But quit moaning about how you just can't get behind Bill Ritter. If we don't start working now, we are going to get our tails kicked in November. So for those among you who love to whine and moan, here are four way to get psyched about Governor Bill Ritter.

1. The man himself. He's a boy scout. Read about him on his website. Go see him speak, like I did. Or do your own research.

2. The men he is running against. Ritter may not want to go negative. But I will. Beauprez is a draft dodger who is pursuing the governor's mansion to stroke his own ego. And Marc Holtzman is (how to put this delicately?) wacko. Who can't get pysched about beating these guys?

3. The people further down the ticket. Splintering the party will drive voter disaffection. Which is bad news for great congressional candidates like Bill Winter. And it's also hard on state candidates like Joe Rice. Bash Ritter, you're hurting a whole lot of people.

4. Still not inspired? Fake it. They say that if you're not happy, force yourself to smile and your subconscious will do the rest. Try it. Go up to the next person you see and tell them how happy you are that Bill Ritter is running for governor. Maybe you'll find the inspiration buried inside you.

2006 is our year. Voters are turned off by the corruption and failures of the national Republicans. And the Democrats have an amazing slate of congressional candidates. Don't blow it wondering what might have been.

Hick says no, part 6

The Bill Ritter press conference was thrown together at about nine-thirty this morning, when John Hickenlooper informed Ritter that he would not seek the governor's mansion.

Throughout the press conference, Ritter remained gracious. He said he was glad he would not have to engage in a primary against a man for whom he has tremendous respect.

There were a lot of questions from the press, but Ritter stayed on-message. He kept reiterating that he has been moving forward with his campaign for months. And that he was going to continue to travel across Colorado, addressing the challenges that people face in every corner of our state.

Ritter's running mate, Barbara O'Brien, was also there. Here's a photo of the two of them at the podium.

Hick says no, part 5

Working downtown has its advantages. I was able to take a long lunch and catch the Hickenlooper and Bill Ritter press conferences.

The Hickenlooper press conference made me sad. The mayor is a man of tremendous vision, quick wit, and bipartisan appeal. He has accomplished so much in his few short years in politics. And I have do doubt he will accomplish much more.

Hickenlooper confirmed he will defend the mayor's office in the next election. And he refused to run out a run for a higher office in the future.

Hick says no, part 4

Just got a release from Ritter for Governor:

"Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter will be holding a news conference following Mayor Hickenlooper's noon news conference... 1:30 P.M. today... Ritter for Governor campaign headquarters."

Hick says no, part 3

Oh, to have the perfect candidate! The intelligence of Al Gore. The charisma of Bill Clinton. The looks of Jessica Simpson.

The perfect candidate would agree with you on every issue, but not seem wishy-washy.

The perfect candidate would care deeply about the issues that affect your life, but never in a way that seemed needy or cloying.

Wake up, folks. It's never going to happen.

It's time for Democrats to realize that Bill Ritter is not only the best we're gonna get. He's darn close to the best out there.

He worked his way up from poverty. Put himself through law school. Was a missionary in Africa. And served Denver as a district attorney. He also understands just about every issue our state faces.

I've heard people talking about how Ritter wasn't hard enough on police brutality or how he insulted Hunter S. Thompson or how he's only sorta for abortion rights. Well, you can vote for whoever you want. But that's the same sort of thinking that led me to shun Al Gore and campaign for Ralph Nader in 2000. And look where that got us.

Quit whining and get to work. The glass isn't half-full. It's 90% full. And in the real word, that ain't half bad.

Hick says no, part 2

This is the post I was going to put up if Hickenlooper had decided to run for governor:

"A few years back, I was working at a small ad agency in LoDo. One day, we got a letter from John Hickenlooper.

"At the time, Hickenlooper wasn't mayor of anything. He was a bar owner. And he challenged all the ad agencies in Denver to shoot a commercial for one of his bars. All the commercials would be shown at a spot festival downtown, where they'd be judged by independent film critics.

"Dozens of agencies answered the call. The night of the festival, I realized that John Hickenlooper was a genius. He'd essentially tricked the best creatives in Denver into shooting a spot in exchange for a beer. And we were happy to do it. Hick had offered us creative freedom and we'd responded with work better than we produced for some of our paying clients.

"When I think of Hickenlooper, I think of innovative thinking. I think of someone who believes in creativity.

"Yes, I have wondered in this space what the heck took Hick so long to make up his mind. And I still wonder if he really has as firm a grasp on statewide issues as former Denver D.A. Bill Ritter. But Hickenlooper is a visionary candidate. And if he wins the primary, he will be a great governor."

Hick says no, part 1

Hickenlooper will not run for governor, according to the Rocky Mountan News.

On the trail of Tom Tancredo

I spent the last few days in Republican Tom Tancredo's district. No, not CD6. I'm talking about the district Tancredo really cares about. The Arizona-Mexico border. In fact, here's a photo of me crossing into Mexico to bravely confront a plate of tamales and a bottle of Sol.

I returned home to find a thread on Coloradopols that insists Democratic Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will declare for governor on Monday. There were also four emails about Hick in my inbox.

So, you know, OK. Lots of stuff to cover. I'll get right on that. Tomorrow.

Tonight, I want to give a sentimental plug for the Wolf Sanctuary north of Fort Collins. I received an email from them letting me know that two of the wolves I met in November had passed away. The volunteers at the sanctuary are doing a wonderful thing. Please help them out with a donation if you can.

Talk about bad timing

I'll be (mostly) offline for the next three days. Consider this an open thread. Or chime in on the Beauprez Blunder or the Rubenstein Reply. I'll be back blogging by Monday. Don't anybody declare for governor without me!

Veterans vs. Bob Beauprez

Republican candidate for governor Bob Beauprez received three student deferments. But he still felt comfortable parading in military gear in 2004. "We are calling on Mr. Beauprez to apologize for misleading us," said Vietnam vet Sergeant Jim Hudson.

According to Disabled American Veterans, Beauprez has the worst voting record of any Colorado congressperson.

Photo courtesy of Progress Now Action, where you can read more.

An early look at Ritter vs. Beauprez

Two candidates for governor, Democrat Bill Ritter and Republican Bob Beauprez, debated last week at the Colorado Contractors Association lunch. State Senator Ken Gordon wrote, "It was a difficult crowd for Beauprez... The contractors were huge supporters of Referendum C and D, which Beauprez opposed. I thought Ritter did well."

Yesterday, Ritter kept up his assault on Beauprez. This morning's press release stated, "Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today sharply criticized Congressman Bob Beauprez for voting in favor of the federal budget reconciliation bill, calling the vote a disaster for Colorado... Noting that Beauprez opposed Referendum C in November, Ritter said Beauprez's vote today represents the worst kind of political hypocrisy. 'The congressman claims to be a fiscal conservative who opposed Referendums C&D last year,' Ritter said. 'Yet the cuts and changes in the budget bill will drive up costs and demands on state services. Congressman Beauprez can't claim he's for fiscal responsibility in Colorado, and then vote to shift greater costs and fiscal instability onto Colorado when he's away in Washington.'"

The release goes on to list several ways that the bill for which Beauprez voted hurts citizens of our state. I'll list them on a message on this thread.

Who needs a primary? It looks like Ritter and Beauprez have already engaged in combat.

Herb Rubenstein blasts back

While I haven't (and won't) endorse a candidate in the CD7 race, most Coloradolib readers know I am a fan of Herb Rubenstein's honesty and work ethic. Yeah, Herb can come across as wonky. But is an obsession with policy really a bad thing? Not in my book.

Anyway, Herb disagreed with me when I called Wash Park Prophet's analysis of the CD7 fundraising numbers "thoughtful." Herb wrote me an email that read:

"Matt, In your referral to the article posted by Andrew Oh-Willeke, you suggested that it was thoughtful. First, it was very well researched and timely. Thoughtful, it was not. The article suggested that I was not a serious candidate and would not make it to the primary ballot. That is ridiculous. I have hired one of the best campaign managers. My fundraiser, Melanie Paterson, is now making great headway. I have guaranteed all of my supporters, and I guarantee you, that I will be on the primary ballot and I will have the resources I need to win the primary. I have invested more time and more of my own funds in this race than any other candidate. I am not one to quit, especially since we have many months to go in this campaign to August. I am not only a nice guy in the debates, I am winning the debates. Not only do I come to Drinking Liberally, people volunteer for our campaign after meeting me at Drinking Liberally and just about everywhere I go. I have 50 volunteers working on this campaign. That is worth a lot and they are doing a great job behind the scenes. I trust people remember that Jesse Ventura was outspent 75 to 1 and 40 to 1 by opponents who had long political records and great name recognition. Colorado is ready for new politics. People who come to protest Bush in front of the Capitol, people who know and can and will articulate their positions in writing, people who have experience working for the federal government, and people who want to bring change to America and the 7th Congressional District. I am that person."

Winning CD7 is going to be tough. The Republicans have already settled on Rick O'Donnell, who has connections to Dick Cheney. The district is considered one of the closest in the nation. Consider this an open thread to debate who would be the best candidate to put CD7 where it belongs - in Democratic hands.

CD7 fundraising numbers

For those who follow fundraising, the most thoughful, unbiased commentary I have read is at Wash Park Prophet.

My new state senator, Shawn Mitchell

In a few months I will be moving into a new district. If my reading of the map is correct, my new state senator will be Republican Shawn Mitchell.

Now, I have been tough on Mitchell before. I was surprised when I saw him on the morning news, appearing to speak out in favor of gay rights.

As you may suspect, the truth isn't quite so simple. The Rocky Mountain News reports that Mitchell is backing a Focus On The Family-supported bill to grant domestic partners some legal rights. Like property sharing, decision-making powers over funerals and organ donations, and joint healthcare insurance.

These are all good things. But the bill doesn't address some key issues. "Rep. Tom Plant, D-Nederland, the House sponsor of the domestic partnership bill, said Mitchell's bill does not address legal concerns of same-sex couples, such as child support, workers compensation benefits and the ability to sue for wrongful death of a partner."

"'It's ironic that a legislator who has worked his whole career to prevent legal recognition of same-sex relationships now supports them,' said Michael Brewer, public policy director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Colorado."

Too bad. For a second there, it looked like I might have found common ground with my state senator-to-be.

George Allen, runaway favorite in Colorado?

I was cruising the conservative blogs, looking for some sort of intelligent defense of our president. In my opinion, there wasn't much out there. Smart conservatives blasted Bush's budget nightmare. Religious wingnuts wanted to shout about gay marriage. But I did find an amazing tidbit on Clay Calhoun's website. Apparently, the Leadership Program of the Rockies took a straw poll for the 2008 election.

"Let the recorded version of the impromptu vote show... that of a crowd of approximately 200 conservative Coloradans, Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas received 3 votes, Senator John McCain of Arizona received 4 votes, Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani received 15 votes, Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts received 20 votes and Senator George Allen of Virginia received the rest - roughly calculated to be 158 votes."

Holy cow. The Republican Party really has lost touch with its senses. McCain/Rice would be a practically unbeatable ticket. But they want to run a good ol' boy Bush-clone.