At this point Beauprez is joking, right?

The Beauprez for Governor campaign has joined The Trailhead Group in pursuing a futile line of attack against Bill Ritter. They're attempting to smear his record as Denver's district attorney. A Beauprez press release, launched today on his website (figure out the link yourself), claims Ritter went easy on illegal immigrants. This is what's known as a "lie." Please go back and read this post, where I compare and contrast Ritter and Beauprez's actions on illegal immigration.

Tancredo squeezes CD6 debate into his busy schedule

According to a comment posted on this blog yesterday, Tom Tancredo has given in to demands for a debate with Bill Winter. A spokesperson for the Winter campaign confirmed that the two will meet on October 24, and the debate will be broadcast on Channel 12 on October 25.

Voters from both sides have been requesting a debate, but Tancredo had been hiding behind his book tour and trips to South Carolina, Oklahoma and Arizona. My guess is that phone calls from angry CD6 constituents finally convinced him that he had to stop ignoring his district.

Note that the debate will take place two weeks after absentee ballots go out. And according to the Rocky, Arapahoe county clerk Nancy Doty has asked residents to vote by mail instead of casting ballots on election day.

Tancredo has the newspapers and the radio stations in his pocket. But Winter has the truth. It appears that on October 25, the voters of CD6 will finally get to hear it. Let's hope it's not too late.

Get out the vote tomorrow with America Votes

Three of the last four polls have showed Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill Ritter with a lead of at least 16 points. He has already earned the endorsement of at least one of the major dailies and a few Western Slope newspapers. He's won the support of bipartisan coalitions of businesspeople, law enforcement professionals and veterans, in addition to all of the the normal Democratic-leaning organizations.

So is this thing, like, totally over?

I once wrote that the Beauprez campaign's only hope is to step back and let Trailhead/Coloradans for Justice spread lies about Ritter. But there's a second part of their gameplan that should have been obvious when I read this story a few days ago:

A self-described Republican "attack dog" credited with the GOP's remarkable voter turnout in 2002 has joined Bob Beauprez's gubernatorial campaign... Republicans have 172,566 more registered voters than Democrats, and Truebner wants to make sure the GOP turns out in force, as it did in 2002.

The GOP has a formidable GOTV machine. And as conservative commentator Michael Barone wrote in US News:

[O]ne thing the polls can't measure is turnout. In the 2004 election, turnout proved to be crucial. Total turnout was up 16 percent from 2000 - a historic increase. John Kerry received 16 percent more votes than Al Gore did in 2000. George W. Bush received 23 percent more votes than he did four years before. The mainstream media devoted much attention to Democratic turnout efforts - a legitimate story - and in fact the Democratic turnout drive was very successful. But the Bush Cheney '04 turnout drive, to which the mainstream media gave very little coverage, was even more successful. In my view, the big question about the 2006 and 2008 elections will once again be turnout.

"One thing the polls can't measure is turnout." Ouch. If we don't turn out our base, we will lose.

Visit America Votes to learn about tomorrow's national day of action and their GOTV efforts in Colorado.

Have you endorsed Doug Lamborn?

Are you sure? Like, 100% positive?

O'Donnell: "Rumsfeld should resign. Unless..."

According to TakeBackTheHouse, last night Republican Rubber Stamp Rick O'Donnell joined Democratic CD7 nominee Ed Perlmutter in calling for the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld. O'Donnell added, "Unless he's willing to come raise money for me like Bush, Cheney, Johnson and Mehlmen did. Then we're totally cool."

Rocky endorses Bill Ritter for Governor: Part 2

The Rocky also had some cold words for Both Ways Bob:

To be blunt, Beauprez's performance during the past 15 months has not been reassuring. It began with his taking an unconvincing stand against Referendum C, one seemed designed to secure his right flank rather than satisfy personal conviction. It continued with his mysterious embrace and then repudiation of Amendment 38, and a couple of verbal gaffes. And for a long time it wasn't clear why Beauprez even wanted to be governor.

And on a different page, the paper revealed one group that's still firmly behind the GOP nominee for governor:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez has more of the [4x8 hillside] signs than Democrat Bill Ritter because, "We know all the big landowners," said Beauprez's campaign manager, John Marshall.

Rocky endorses Bill Ritter for Governor: Part 1

The Rocky did the right thing:

We're betting the real Ritter is the political moderate we've seen on the campaign trail. And if he holds true to that vision and his pledges, he'll make a fine governor. He'll ensure Referendum C revenue is spent as voters intended it; he'll pursue a balanced transportation plan that doesn't shortchange highway improvements; he'll be a strong supporter of higher education but refuse to give a green light to state schools that seek to raid parents' pocketbooks with impunity; he'll function as a sober-minded check on most of the wilder legislative schemes that would stifle economic growth and job creation; he'll appoint mostly moderate judges in the mold, say, of former Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Love Kourlis, whom he has pointedly praised; and he'll bring in smart managers who'll pay attention to the nuts and bolts of administration...

Photo courtesy of Ritter for Governor.

Bill Winter has Tancredo running scared

From an open letter the Winter for Congress campaign just sent Tom Tancredo:

I understand that you told a local chamber of commerce that you will not be in town between now and the election. I also understand that you will be paying Colorado a visit for a fundraiser in Greeley and that while on your book tour, you may even stop by CD-6. I urge you to take the time to engage in a direct debate with me.

Photo of Joe Rice, Morgan Carroll and Bill Winter courtesy of Winter for Congress.

New 9News poll confirms Ritter way, way ahead

Remember that Zogby poll from this morning? Well, forget it. From a new 9News poll released today:

In an election for Governor of Colorado today, 9/28/06, Democrat Bill Ritter defeats Republican Bob Beauprez 55% to 38%, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KUSA-TV Denver.

Four reasons not to panic

Zogby's latest poll shows that Both Ways Bob has gained substantial ground on Bill Ritter. But should we believe a poll that flies in the face of everything we've seen in the last couple of weeks? Consider:

1. Since June 1, 2006, Zogby has showed Bill Ritter with an average lead of 6.675 points. All the other polls in the same time frame combined give Ritter an average lead of 9.85. From this, we can probably assume that Zogby simply trends conservative.

2. As a commenter on ToTheRight suggested, "Zogby does online, interactive polling, hardly a random sample..."

3. The last two polls have showed Ritter with 17 and 16 point leads. Let's see if any other polls come out with numbers similar to this Zogby poll before we give it any credence. It's too early to put stock in these numbers.

4. "It doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile."

Joe Rice turns HD38 into a top pickup opportunity

ColoradoPols highlighted HD38 as perhaps the top pickup opportunity in the State House:

On the pickup side, Democrats think they have a shot to take Joe Stengel's former seat in HD-38 (Littleton) with Joe Rice, a former military man, running against Republican Matt Dunn.

Have you had enough of Tom Tancredo?

Thanks to Zappatero for the YouTube link. If you enjoyed the video, please read this post on DownWithTyranny.

Colorado Media Matters, a poll, some video and so forth

Thanks to Colorado Media Matters for letting me drop by their open house last night. Also good to see Jeralyn Merritt from Talk Left and 5280; Colorado Luis, now blogging at Square State; the genius behind Muskrat Hunt; and pretty much the whole staff of Colorado Confidential.

I had planned to write more about the event, but instead I've found myself perplexed by the latest gubernatorial poll, which indicates Both Ways Bob may have gained some ground on Bill Ritter. I need some time to look at it.

In the meantime, here's a video of the walk I blogged here.

Where is Tom Tancredo hiding from Bill Winter now?

And the winner is Oklahoma, where he's going to campaign for Republican gubernatorial nominee Ernest Istook. Istook recently got in trouble for claiming that thousands of Oklahoma students were missing out on financial aid because it was being used by illegal immigrants. Officials investigated and found the number was a lot closer to 37. In fact, it was 37. (Source: Tulsa World via Pajamas Media.)

Tancredo ought to repay his constituents for all the time he spends pursuing his own celebrity. And he owes the voters of CD6 a debate.

Both Ways Bob gets his hands dirty

5280 tells us that for the first time in history, the League of Conservation Voters has put a gubernatorial candidate on its Dirty Dozen list. A round of applause for our very own Both Ways Bob Beauprez.

I have a moment of terror about '06

Supposedly, this is a great time to be a Democrat in Colorado. The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy is swamping the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. And Jay Fawcett is positioned to pull an upset in Colorado Springs.

For months, I've been congratulating the CDP for finding moderate candidates like Bill Ritter, John Salazar, Bill Winter and Joe Rice. And wondering if the GOP was committing suicide by purging moderates and nominating extremists like Mike Kopp, Matt Dunn and Doug Lamborn.

But what if the voters don't pay attention to the candidates or the issues? What if they just check the name with the (R) after it? What if we run our best against their worst and still lose?

We'd be left with a Colorado much redder than the state of even a few years ago. Welcome back runaway deficits, chickenhawk leaders and Big Brother-government.

They say that every crisis is an opportunity in disguise. But the reverse is also true. If we can't seize the opportunity presented in 2006, our state will be plunged into a crisis from which it might never recover.

Keep the hammer down.

Media determined to get Beauprez back into governor's race

I spent last night writing about the AP's pro-Both Ways Bob spin. And today, I wake up and have to deal with this:

On a CBS4 "Reality Check" analyzing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter's campaign ad responding to attacks against his record as Denver district attorney, reporter Raj Chohan declared that accusations that Republican candidate "Bob Beauprez was behind the TV ads attacking Ritter" are "false."

I'm pretty excited that CBS has decided to broadcast the news live from lollipop land. But they completely missed the substance of the accusation. Yeah, the evidence is circumstantial, but observers on both sides believe that the Beauprez campaign must've either illegally coordinated with the Trailhead Group (er, Coloradans for Justice) or developed psychic abilities.

I wish I could've watched this one

Tvert vs. Suthers.

Washington Post misses on gubernatorial race: Part 2

The AP quickly changed the headline of the story in question. But Colorado Media Matters reports that a false headline wasn't the only problem with the story:

The original version of a September 26 Associated Press article by reporter Steven K. Paulson about the "problems dogging" the campaign of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez uncritically quoted Beauprez's false claim that Democratic candidate Bill Ritter "declared himself pro-life, then said he'd make exceptions for anomalies. I asked if that included Down syndrome and he said yes."

Beauprez apparently was referring to an exchange from an August 11 debate that he previously has misrepresented. In fact, at no point during the debate did Ritter mention Down syndrome...

Want more? Colorado Confidential has also picked up this story.

Washington Post misses on gubernatorial race: Part 1

Today's Washington Post has an article headlined "Colo. Governor's Race Looks to Be Tossup." Which is true, if by "tossup" they mean "landslide." Because the most recent polls show Democratic nominee Bill Ritter with a 16 to 17-point lead.

Where did the Post get such a misleading article to print? Colorado-based AP reporter Steven Paulson, who has been called out before by Media Matters for his slanted coverage of the governor's race.

I emailed The Washington Post's national news editor to ask if the paper is aware of just how far off base its story is. I'll let you know if I hear back.

Boyd calls on both sides to stop with the smear tactics

SD21 Democratic incumbent Betty Boyd is asking 527s on both sides to quit dragging her re-election campaign down. From a press release:

State Senator Betty Boyd has called for new rules requiring full disclosure of funding sources for all political organizations, including currently unregulated 527 groups. "I have been and continue to be dismayed by the level of rancor and ugly partisanship during this important election season," Boyd said. "It's time we bring real accountability back into the political arena, and exposing the money behind the messages is a critical first step."

While I'm on the topic of ethical campaigning (in a cut-and-paste sort of way), I want to recommend HD38 representative Morgan Carroll's blog. Carroll has been out in front of nearly every issue, engaging voters with her frankness and vision.

The echo chamber gets echoier every day

Let's see here. Tom Tancredo is crazy? Nah, that's old news. Jay Fawcett's campaign is shaking up the Springs? I already knew that. Ed Perlmutter is whupping Rubber Stamp Rick? Yup. The GOP is being run by corrupt party hacks? For quite awhile now. The 2006 election is already highly suspect? Yeah, where have you been? Is there a quarterback controversy in the Beauprez campaign? Yawn.

I'm gonna go dream of tornadoes.

Tancredo sends in the surrogates against Winter

Tom Tancredo is too busy campaigning in South Carolina and patrolling in Arizona to actually concern himself with CD6. So he's smearing Bill Winter through his GOP press secretaries.

Last night, there was KHOW's Caplis and Silverman, who ostensibly brought Winter on their show to discuss Winter's contention that "at a time when President Bush is reaching out to Muslim leaders such as Pakistan's President Musharraf in an attempt to create worldwide resolve to fight terrorism, Mr. Tancredo is trying to create an irreparable divide that will undoubtedly lead to more attempts at violence towards our country and this district."

You see, Winter understands the need for a war that takes out Islamic terrorists without further inflaming moderate Muslims. Tancredo doesn't understand the distinction, and seems intent on turning every Muslim against the United States. But Caplis and Silverman were too busy accusing Winter of trampling Tancredo's right to free speech to concern themselves with any actual ideas.

Today, there's Independence Institute wonk Dave Kopel, with whom I've had a past exchange. Kopel dug up a heated email debate he had with Winter and made part of it public in the Rocky. To Kopel's credit, he accepted Winter's apology. But the implication was clear.

Well, guess what? It's true that Winter is a fiery, unrestrained speaker. It's one of the things that made him a star in the Colorado Democratic Party. His opponent is known for shooting his mouth off on occasion, too.

Winter has the courage to stand up for the truth. Let's see if Tancredo has the same sort of courage. We want a debate - and we want it now.

Want more on this story? Check out Tancredo Watch and Square State and Square State again.

Ritter agenda provides a blueprint for all candidates

Bob Beauprez once said he cares more about electing Republicans than Colorado. Rick O'Donnell thinks that we need to stop illegal immigration before we address any other issues. And this weekend Marilyn Musgrave told the Coloradoan that "protecting traditional marriage is the most important issue Americans face today."

Are there any Republicans who have a grasp of the multitude of issues facing the people of America? Like say, the debt, the economy, the healthcare crisis, Iraq, environmental devastation and national security.

If they need to see how it's done, they can check out Bill Ritter's Colorado Promise. (Large PDF here.) The comprehensive 52-page policy book takes on every issue facing Colorado, from healthcare to the economy to the environment to illegal immigration.

Check out page 38 for instance, where Ritter outlines six ideas for reducing the cost of government. Or page five, where he puts forth several ideas for improving teacher performance.

This is the type of leadership Colorado needs. But all it's getting from the GOP is single-issue candidates pursuing their own celebrity. And all over the state, analysts are beginning to sense the fallout. Post columnists are seeing an upset in Colorado Springs. And the Rocky reports on how the suburbs are going purple.

The Democratic party is running on the issues. Let's see if the GOP even tries to keep up.

Beauprez editorial falsely links Iraq to 9/11

Pacified at Square State has found an editorial Both Ways Bob penned in 2003, in which he falsely links the war in Iraq with 9/11:

While we mourn the tragic loss of life [in Iraq], we must not lose sight that we are at war. That war began on Sept. 11, 2001.

I think someone needs to ask Beauprez whether he still believes that the war in Iraq and the war against Al Qaeda have anything to do with one another.

Beauprez can't make up his mind about Bush

In today's Post, Beauprez's campaign manager admits, "We're pulling a concrete sled... Republicans are having a hard time with Republicans. It's the war in Iraq, it's the President, it's a whole series of things..."

Uh, is it really smart to blame the President for your sinking campaign at the same time that you're planning to bring him in to campaign for you? If I were the President, I'd cancel. And if I were Beauprez, I'd quit trying to have absolutely everything Both Ways.

Beauprez's debate surrogate [heart] Ritter

Both Ways Bob Beauprez sent yet another surrogate to debate in his place and hilarity ensued, according to today's Post:

...Greg McKnight, a Greenwood Village businessman, was knowledgeable on the issues, but at times his positions - including support for Referendum C last year - seemed more in tune with Democrat Bill Ritter's.

"It's been a pleasant exchange today," Ritter said at the end of the forum, noting how much he agreed with McKnight and differed with Beauprez, who opposed the referendum that will funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to transportation projects.

"He could be my boss," a smiling McKnight said, nodding at Ritter...

Yeah, it's kinda funny that even Beauprez's supporters have such respect for Ritter. But the bigger point here is that Ritter has the ability to build consensus across party lines.

More on the Coloradans for "Justice" ad

CBS weighs in, calling portions of the ad "false" and "misleading." ColoradoPols makes the case for illegal coordination between the Beauprez campaign and Trailhead/Coloradans for Justice. And you can join Progress Now Action in asking the TV networks to stop broadcasting lies.

UPDATE: Mike Littwin calls the ad sloppily disingenuous. And the Ritter campaign has a nifty slideshow with the facts about Ritter's record here.

Read my earlier posts on the first Coloradans for Justice attack ad here, here and here.

Ritter campaign refuses to be Swift Boated

A week ago, the Rocky reported Bill Ritter's "remarkable" 17-point lead in the governor's race. Now I'm told by someone with a premium membership to Rasmussen Reports that the non-partisan polling service released a poll today confirming that Ritter has a big lead of 16 points.

In other news, an ad has already popped up on YouTube refuting the smears I wrote about this morning here and here.

Firefighters for Winter cook a mean chili

I just checked out the 19th Annual Firefighters Chili Cookoff down at Larimer Square. You better believe I bought a bowl from these guys.

Tancredo running against the wrong Democrat

I just love how Tom Tancredo is whining about one of John Salazar's staffers when he doesn't even have the courage to debate Bill Winter. You can't distract the voters forever, Tom.

UPDATE: Bill Winter's response to this situation is posted in the comments.

Ritter campaign strikes back at misleading ad

An update on my post of just a couple minutes ago. The Ritter campaign is already in the Rocky:

[Ritter said,] "With the evidence we had and the sentencing laws on the books, we took the strongest steps possible to get this woman off the streets and out from behind the wheel of a car."

It turns out that Coloradans for Justice is an offshoot of Trailhead, which I believe switched identities partially because of the investigative reporting of Colorado Confidential, which has run several stories over the past week detailing the group's financial misdeeds.

GOP gubernatorial strategy gets odder still

One of Bill Ritter's greatest strengths is his record as district attorney. He has been endorsed by victim's advocates and a bipartisan coalition of law enforcement professionals. He has even been praised by the Republican nominee for attorney general John Suthers. Now consider this train of events:

1. The Beauprez campaign announces that they will attack Ritter's record as district attorney on Sept. 19. But the promised information was never released.

2. Instead, yesterday a new 527 called Coloradans for Justice launched a misleading attack ad on Ritter's record as district attorney.

So what's up? Did the Beauprez campaign collude with the new 527? If not, where is Beauprez's ever-so-shocking "cold case file"? And why is it three days late in appearing?

I'll be following up on this over the next few days, I'm sure. But I can confidently say that this strategy is a loser for the GOP. And that something smells fishy with Coloradans for Justice.

UPDATE: Here's a video of law enforcement professionals from both parties endorsing Bill Ritter for Governor.

Feingold to visit Colorado to campaign for Winter

Senator Russ Feingold has announced he will step up his support of Democratic CD6 nominee Bill Winter:

The Senator will be traveling to Colorado to headline a fundraiser hosted by Rutt Bridges on October 9th and has supplied the campaign with a trained staff member to expand its ground efforts.

Winter said, "Senator Feingold is dedicated to bringing people into Congress who will work to unite the American people. I am proud to have such a strong bi-partisan leader believe I am one of those candidates and come out to Colorado to help me win this race..."

Winter said that his respect for the Senator runs deep. Winter was first exposed to Feingold's work when he served as a legislative assistant for Senator John McCain on the Senate Commerce Committee. Winter said, "When I was a staffer for John McCain, I had the pleasure of watching Senator Feingold and Senator McCain work across the partisan divide... I am going to Washington to work with leaders like Senator Feingold, Senator McCain and Senator Salazar, all who have a vision for a greater, stronger and more united America. At a time when there has never been a stronger partisan divide in America, we need leaders like them to bring us back together."

The Winter campaign has drawn the support of national Democratic leaders like Feingold, General Wesley Clark and Gov. Mark Warner, and has begun to catch fire over the past few days, buoyed by new radio spots and continued missteps by Winter's Republican opponent.

Winter is one of the best potential congressmen Colorado has ever seen. He deserves CD6's support on election day.

Photo courtesy of Winter for Congress.

Perlmutter to give Democratic radio address

The Democratic party has asked CD7 nominee Ed Perlmutter to deliver its weekly radio address this Saturday. Expect Perlmutter to highlight Social Security, which his Republican opponent has advocated eliminating or privatizing.

I also wouldn't be too shocked if Perlmutter mentioned ethical campaigning or his efforts to prevent the expansion of radioactive waste dumping in Adams County.

Photo courtesy of Perlmutter for Congress.

Tancredo tells the Pope what time it is

Tom Tancredo has hurt himself recently by offending minorities and offering unwanted advice to the Pope. Go Bill Winter!

Questions for Bob Beauprez about Bob Ney

Yesterday, I got an email from the Democratic Party. You know, one of those bulk fundraising things. It began:

Millions of dollars will be spent this campaign season. No, I don't mean the bribes that Republican Congressmen have been jailed for taking (Rep. Duke Cunningham of California), or the pork barrel spending they're going to be jailed for pushing in exchange for lobbyists' gifts (Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio).

And I thought to myself, "Hey, those are two of Bob Beauprez's favorite people!"

Beauprez accepted $6,000 from Ney's PAC and $3,000 from Cunningham's PAC in 2004. (And let's not forget the $30,000 he got from Tom Delay.)

Ney is still a congressman for the next few months. I wonder if Beauprez thinks his corrupt buddy ought to resign immediately from the House. I also wonder if Beauprez, Marilyn Musgrave and Tom Tancredo plan to return Ney's money, as the DCCC requested six days ago.

UPDATE: The Post calls for Ney's resignation in this editorial.

Bush coming to town to aid Beauprez

Progress Now Action broke this story moments ago. Pacified has posted their email at Square State.

Beauprez goes into hiding?

This blog and others (and others and others) have wondered what Both Ways Bob is doing with himself these days. According to The Washington Post, Beauprez has missed more votes in DC than any other member of Colorado's congressional delegation. By far.

He missed votes to outlaw the slaughter of horses for human consumption, lower the costs of prescription drugs for veterans, and re-authorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act - all issues that have major implications for Colorado. In fact, he missed every vote in congress until Sept. 13 and 14, when he popped in to toe the GOP party line on 12 straight votes. And then he took off again.

In fact, all of Colorado's Republican delegation is slacking in DC. Musgrave and Tancredo have also missed more than 40 votes. While DeGette, Salazar and Udall have all missed fewer than 40.

Denver Post: The lion in Winter

From today's Post:

"I believe we are going to see some very historic changes as to what happens with the congressional elections this fall," [Bill] Winter said. "I think we need to go in a new direction."

Bill Ritter launches second TV spot

The elephant in the room looks like Gigi Dennis

In this morning's post, I ad libbed a few ways that Bill Ritter could still lose the governor's race. But there was one I missed.

The entire thing could be rigged.

Today, the Rocky and the Post both ran articles on the vulnerability of Colorado's voting systems. From the Rocky:

Some computerized voting machines approved by Colorado officials for November's election can be reprogrammed over the Internet, according to expert witnesses for the group trying to prevent their use... [R]ules set by Secretary of State Gigi Dennis indirectly require all of the computerized voting machines to be connected to a network.

Um, that wouldn't be the same Gigi Dennis with a penchant for writing and rewriting election rules to help out her Republican cronies, would it?

In Denver, the situation isn't a whole lot better. Both parties are fond of nominating candidates in cowboy boots. But Colorado's biggest city matters. High turnout there could doom the Beauprez campaign. And a so-so showing could hurt the chances of statewide candidates like Ken Gordon and Steve Ludwig. That's why it's worrisome that Heartbroken Tiger has uncovered irregularities at the Denver Election Commission.

For now, this is all just conspiracy theorizing. But the GOP has shown a preference for bypassing the democratic process. (See Bush, George W.: warrantless wiretapping, signing statements, secret prisons, torture, giving the finger to Congress.) A little vigilance may be called for on election day.

Or you could just vote via absentee ballot.

Bill Winter on national security

Beauprez "cold case file" still not as cold as his campaign

So what's in Both Ways Bob's "cold case file" on Bill Ritter? Well, the Beauprez campaign doesn't exactly include me on its mailing list. But I'm not all that worried about it. The whole ploy feels like a desperate move by a campaign that has been disavowed not only by GOP leadership, but by a good portion of Colorado's rightwing blogosphere. (See ToTheRight or Mount Virtus, for instance.)

Beauprez's saving graces were supposed to be his political savvy and the help of the Trailhead Group. But Ritter is crushing Beauprez in every debate. And Trailhead is in trouble for shaky accounting and money laundering. In fact, there is no "Trailhead" anymore, as a quick-thinking Colorado Confidential reporter reserved the name Trailhead Group, LLC.

So is there anything that could happen in the next 50 days that could change the dynamics of the gubernatorial election?

Yes and no.

Yes, Ritter could go so moderate that he angers the Democratic base. No, this ain't Connecticut. Ritter would just win by five points instead of 17.

Yes, Beauprez may drop out. No, I don't think a McInnis, Campbell or Norton could turn the ship around in time to pull out a win for the GOP.

Yes, we could learn Ritter is actually a Martian, beginning his conquest of earth in Colorado. No, I wouldn't vote for a Martian just because he happened to be a Democrat . But it'd be close.

GOP worried about Ludwig, asks Libertarian to step aside

In an unusual move, a Republican regent and the current Republican nominee asked the Libertarian candidate to quit the C.U. regent's race, according to The Longmont Daily Times-Call:

"They just came out and asked," [Libertarian Daniel] Ong said. "It was straight-forward politics." Both Bosley and Davidson acknowledged the conversation, which occurred immediately after a briefing at the university for regent candidates last week, but they downplayed the tenor of the request.

The most likely reason for the move is that the GOP is worried about losing to Democratic nominee Steve Ludwig, who has been campaigning nonstop across the state for months. While it's difficult for a downticket Democrat to win a statewide race in Colorado, anti-GOP sentiment, a hardworking candidate, a moderate Democratic slate, and a Libertarian challenge could set the stage for a Ludwig victory in November.

Perhaps the voters need to start paying attention?

A survey in today's Rocky tells us that voters still cite illegal immigration as their biggest concern, "and those most worried about immigration heavily favor Republican candidate Bob Beauprez over Democrat Bill Ritter, by a margin of 36 percentage points."

Perhaps the voters don't realize that Bill Ritter's record on illegal immigration is much stronger than Both Ways Bob's. Or that Colorado's Democratic legislature is responsible for America's strictest illegal immigration reform.

Want more on this story? Check out Luis' diary at Square State, where he points out, "There is a false assumption that when voters tell pollsters that they believe undocumented immigration is a big issue, what they are saying is that they favor Tom Tancredo-style punitive approaches to immigration." In fact, "61% of Coloradans favor allowing undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship."

Colorado GOP: "All Democrats are always poopy."

To date, the Colorado GOP has been utterly unsuccessful in its attempts to smear the 2006 Democratic slate. Weak on national security? Nope. In the southern suburbs and the Springs, the Democrats are fielding Fighting Dems like Bill Winter, Jay Fawcett, Joe Rice and Keely Marrs. Soft on crime? No way. Bill Ritter was one of the country's most successful district attorneys. Dicey on illegal immigration? Nuh-uh. In 2006, the Democratic legislature passed the strongest anti-illegal immigration reform in America.

Raging liberals? Not even close.

So the GOP has opened up a new line of attack. Call it the All Democrats Are Always Poopy strategy.

First we have Mike Rosen in the Saturday Rocky writing about how Ritter might be a moderate with the support of the business comunity, but he's a Democrat, and that's just not acceptable:

Ritter is no flaming liberal of the Pat Schroeder or Diana DeGette variety. I'd say he's a moderate Democrat. But that's not the point. As I've often explained, party trumps person.

(I admit that the hat-tip here goes to the Beauprez campaign, but I'm not linking because I just can't bring myself to do it.)

Down in the Springs, the Gazette headlined an article about Fighting Dems Jay Fawcett and John Murtha, "Fawcett finds a comrade in Murtha". The Gazette headline for an article about the Springs chapter of Drinking Liberally? "Left-leaners find comfort, comrades in Drinking Liberally group."

What's with the word "comrades"? Oh, right, we're Democrats.

I heard a similar theme emerge after listening in on a conference call with Jay Fawcett's team. It seems that Lamborn's campaign is expected to advance the "A vote for Fawcett is a vote for Pelosi" strategy, which may rile up the Republican base, but won't do much to win the moderate votes you need to win elections in Colorado.

Beauprez on TV: Grading the spots

For strategy, I give Both Ways Bob's new TV effort a solid B-plus. Running a series of short, issues-themed 15-second spots is a good way to stretch a media budget that's been hampered by poor fundraising. (Although it's silly to have him address the camera while holding a pair of work gloves, as if we interrupted him in the middle of milking a cow.)

For content, I give the spots an F. An F-minus, if possible. Especially the one about how Beauprez opposes releasing illegal immigrants if they'll commit more felonies (or something like that). Not only is it obvious and dull, it overlooks the fact that Democratic nominee Bill Ritter successfully tackled this issue as Denver's district attorney. Quoting from myself, here:

[Ritter] directed courtroom prosecutors to request 90-day jail holds on undocumented-immigrant defendants facing just probation. The jail time gave prosecutors additional time to notify INS/ICE and request that the defendants be picked up so that deportation proceedings could be initiated.

Bill Winter: Something worth fighting for

Thanks to f.sage for emailing me a link to CD6 Democratic nominee Bill Winter's column in the Rocky:

The problem facing America today is a lack of leadership. We need more people willing to put America ahead of political partisanship and stand up for solutions and unity, instead of more fear and division...

We need to make sure that those fighting for our security, both at home and abroad, have the resources and tools they need to do their jobs.

If we work together for a new direction that provides real security for the American people - including economic security - then we can give our kids the kind of America we all learned about in school.

Suthers praises Ritter, McInnis bashes Beauprez

Republicans are racing away from Both Ways Bob Beauprez as fast as possible. Just a couple days ago, Republican attorney general nominee John Suthers praised Bill Ritter's record as district attorney. And today we have this from the Rocky via Colorado Pols:

"Running for governor is big league, and big time, and it requires a lot of sophistication," [ex-CD3 Republican congressman Scott] McInnis said. But handing the race over to the people running Beauprez's campaign "is like putting a high school quarterback on the Denver Broncos and having him start the game."

The fact that McInnis jumped into the fray is especially interesting to me. A few days ago, I wrote on Colorado Luis' diary at Square State that if Beauprez were to suddenly drop out of the race, McInnis would be the most likely candidate to take his place.

Ludwig campaign ads consistently crack me up

Trailhead a big, fat cheater

And Colorado Confidential can prove it.

Ritter up by 17 freaking points

Believe it. And don't believe Beauprez's spin.

UPDATE: This race is all over the national news. The National Journal upgraded it yesterday. And Pacified and Colorado Luis both have Daily Kos diaries going.

As I wrote on Colorado Luis' diary, a major question now is whether Ritter's popularity - and Beauprez's unpopularity - will spill over to races like CD5, CD6, CD7, SD-22 and HD-38, where moderate Dems are facing far-right Republicans.

The big question about Rick O'Donnell

How does a guy who is chummy with George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Ken Mehlman and every other Beltway insider you can name expect to run as an outsider? I mean, O'Donnell must have some non-fictional qualifications, right? Ones he's just waiting to spring on us at some future time?

In all seriousness, I don't have nearly the same enmity for O'Donnell that I do for the GOP's gubernatorial nominee. But his Democratic opponent, Ed Perlmutter, manages to be both more qualified and less indebted to Washington DC insiders.

Ritter re-endorsed in Grand Junction

For the third time today, I find myself writing about The Grand Junction Sentinal. This morning it endorsed Bill Ritter. Then it yanked the endorsement, which attracted the attention of every political journalist and blogger in the state. Had the Sentinal changed its mind? Had it caved to political pressure? Nah. It'd just accidentally launched the article early. And it has put the story back online.

I feel for the Sentinel here. If I had a dollar for every time I posted something and then wanted to retract it, I'd have at least five or six bucks.

Bill, Ed, Angie: Congressional update post

Bill

The media has finally started to notice CD6 nominee Bill Winter. From today's Post:

"How can Mr. Tancredo claim to be representing the people of Colorado when he is pandering to hate groups in South Carolina?" said Bill Winter, 6th Congressional District candidate.

Hopefully now that Winter is in the news, the papers will start looking into his campaign a bit more. Especially now that Ricky Lee Jones and the Squirrel Nut Zippers are singing his praises.

Ed

CD7 nominee Ed Perlmutter is trying to stop the expansion of radioactive waste dumping in Adams County. From his website:

The issue of Deer Trail will become an important local issue in the 7th congressional race because of the stark differences between Ed Perlmutter and Rick O'Donnell on the issue and its relevance to Adams County. In an article published in Environment & Energy Daily, O’Donnell is quoted supporting Deer Trail for additional radioactive waste, despite the objections from local governments... Perlmutter is opposed to the expansion of radioactive waste in Adams County and has joined Sen. Allard and Rep. Mark Udall in raising questions about the wisdom of permitting additional waste at this controversial facility.

Perlmutter and O'Donnell will be debating 11 times between now and election day. That's a lot.

Angie

I [heart] CD4 nominee Angie Paccione. I have ever since I met her at Drinking Liberally back in February. But I haven't been covering her campaign against the Pink Lady because there's only one of me. Tracking the governor's race (with excursions into CD5, CD6, CD7 and a few state-level races) is just about a fulltime job. The least I can do is pass on Angie's first TV spot. Enjoy.

...And there go the endorsements

A follow up on this morning's post. Apparently The Grand Junction Sentinel has removed its endorsement of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill Ritter from its website and contacted a couple of media watchdog groups "repeatedly," asking them to take their links down. What gives? I have no idea.

Want even more endorsement oddness? Well, legions of prominent Republicans, Republican law enforcement officers and newspapers in Republican areas have crossed party lines to endorse Ritter. But to my knowledge, only two prominent Democrats have endorsed Both Ways Bob Beauprez - two lawyers from Brownstein Hyatt and Farber. But I had to laugh this morning when I read how half-hearted their support of Beauprez really is. From the Rocky:

Both [Ritter and Beauprez] are stand-up guys... I made a commitment to Bob Beauprez because of a longstanding relationship. The state couldn't go wrong with either candidate.

This will go down as the second most famous instance of damning with faint praise in the history of Colorado politics.

...And out come the endorsements for Ritter

Newspapers across Colorado - not just the Denver dailies - are supporting Bill Ritter for governor. Today, endorsements came from The Montrose Daily Press and The Grand Junction Sentinel:

[W]e see little geographical distinction between a suburban Denver congressman like Beauprez and a former Denver district attorney like Ritter. In point of fact, on issue after issue of central importance to Western Slope voters and all Coloradans, Ritter is the substantially better candidate.

Wait, Grand Junction? What was that you were saying, Janet?

Ritter sticks up for Colorado rights, roadless lands

While the Beauprez campaign refuses to concern itself with the citizens of the Denver metro area, Bill Ritter plans to represent all of Colorado. That's why he's campaigned in all 64 Colorado counties. And that's why he's sticking up for our state's rights, which the Bush administration seems intent on trampling. From a press release:

Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today called for interim protections for Colorado's 4 million acres of roadless forest areas while state and federal officials review the recommendations from Colorado's Roadless Area Task Force.

"The Bush administration promised the states last year that roadless areas would be protected during the review process," Ritter said. "The process is far from over, but the federal government already has gone back on its word once and is about to do it again in November. States must be able to retain control - as promised - in this process."

The Bureau of Land Management put about 15,000 to 20,000 acres of Colorado roadless areas on the auction block for possible oil-and-gas development last month. Another lease sale is scheduled for November.

Photo of Ritter in Leadville courtesy of Bill Ritter for Governor.

Rowland detests Denver. And vice versa.

Imagine the media frenzy that would ensue if Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Barbara O'Brien were to welcome Both Ways Bob Beauprez and Janet Rowland to Denver by saying, "I'm so pleased they managed to find time to ride their mules all the way to the Mile High City. I do hope someone thought to inform them that you can't milk a taxi."

Of course, O'Brien wouldn't say that. She's polite. And classy. Her opposite number, on the other hand, is not. Last weekend, Rowland welcomed Bill Ritter and O'Brien to Grand Junction like this:

"We're pleased they would take time out of what must be very fast-paced, big city schedules to come visit the rest of Colorado... I hope someone warned them that the Light Rail doesn't run all the way to Grand Junction... I'd hate to have them lost in LoDo when they could be parading around the Western Slope in rural outfits."

Nevermind that Ritter grew up on a farm. Or that he has campaigned in all 64 Colorado counties. Facts have never been important to the Beauprez campaign.

I've lived in and around Denver for nearly 32 years. And I think it's the greatest city in the world. Janet Rowland can bite me.

Perlmutter and DeGette on stem cell research

CD7 nominee Ed Perlmutter is leading off the general campaign with one of the ads that won him the primary. Let's hope that Perlmutter's positive message resonates in CD7. The National Republican Congressional Committee has announced it plans to spend 90% of its $50 million ad budget on negative ads, according to The Washington Post via Colorado Confidential.

For posterity, here is the ad. You can see my smiling face in the bleachers six seconds in.



Perlmutter's ad mentions stem cell research, an issue that has been championed by CD1 congresswoman Diana DeGette. Yesterday, DeGette launched a new website design for her PAC, the Stem Cell Action Fund. Check it out.

Beauprez accountability pledge three weeks too late

"Hey, Matt, why didn't you cover Both Ways Bob's big 'accountability pledge' yesterday?"

"Because Bill Ritter made one three weeks ago. And I'm getting tired of pointing out how slow the Beauprez campaign is."

Fawcett vs. Lamborn: The perfect storm

Just for kicks, let's assume the new rule wasn't designed for the sole purpose of allowing Both Ways Bob Beauprez to drop out of the election at the last second. Who's the most likely beneficiary of Gigi Dennis' largess?

How about Doug Lamborn?

Lamborn has never enjoyed a broad base of support within the GOP. He won his Republican primary with just 27% of the vote. And popular retiring Republican representative Joel Hefley refused to endorse him, calling his campaign dishonest and sleazy.

Yesterday, I got the results of a recent poll in CD5. They were hard to believe. But this morning, I was privileged to sit in on a conference call with the pollster, Bernard Whitman of Whitman Insight Strategies, and I left the call satisfied that the poll is an accurate representation of what's going on in the Springs.

The poll, which was taken before Hefley laid in to Lamborn, shows that the rightwing district prefers Democratic nominee Jay Fawcett to the Republican nominee. No doubt Fawcett's military career and deep roots in the community help. But it seems that likely voters are responding to Fawcett's straightforwardness and his pro-veteran, pro-national security agenda.

Right now, Fawcett has a healthy 41% to 28% lead among likely voters who were given unbiased biographies of both men. This shouldn't really have come as a shock. After all, the race is between an honest war hero and an extremist bureaucrat. But I pressed the point anyway, because it'd be easy to influence the results with slanted biographies. This wasn't the case. The biographies were honest. And the results are real.

We're looking at an open seat, a wingnut without the support of his party, and a Democratic candidate who's perfectly matched to his district. There may never be a better chance to elect a Democrat in CD5.

What a statement that'd make.

Want more on this story? Pacified at Square State points out that even if the Republican's wildest dreams come true, they have still lost tremendous ground it what used to be their stronghold.

Tancredo hangs out with League of the South

The Southern Poverty Law Center reports:

[T]he state chapter of the League of the South (LOS), a neo-Confederate hate group, hosted a barbeque in honor of Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo, head of the House Immigration Reform Caucus and likely contestant in the 2008 GOP presidential primary... Dressed casually in a yellow t-shirt, Tancredo addressed the standing-room audience of 200-250 from behind a podium draped in a Confederate battle flag.

And to think, I was just worrying that Tancredo had learned to stay quiet.

Incidentally, not too long ago, a Tancredo supporter threatened to beat Bill Winter's supporters' "skulls in with a ball pean (sic) hammer." I finally remembered where I'd heard this before. It comes from the opening sequence of Eli Roth's Cabin Fever, in which some kids tell a campfire tale about a murder in a bowling alley.

New election rules clear the way for Beauprez to drop out

Just a few days ago, I wrote that I wasn't buying the rumors about how Both Ways Bob Beauprez was dropping out of the governor's race due to low poll numbers and abysmal fundraising.

Today, it looks like I may have to eat my words. An article in today's Rocky reports:

Votes cast for candidates who drop out of a race up to 18 days before an election now will go to the person chosen by their party to replace them on the ballot.

The new rule, adopted Thursday by the Colorado secretary of state, will be in effect during the November general election.

Our Republican secretary of state, Gigi Dennis, has already come under fire for approving election changes dictated by the Colorado GOP. It's not a huge stretch to say that this new rule exists solely to give a failing Beauprez campaign the option to drop out of the race as late as October so the GOP can run - oh, I don't know - McInnis or Norton.

Or perhaps the Holtzman backers will get to vote for their boy after all.

Tom Tancredo cares. About South Carolina.

To the list of Places Tom Tancredo Cares About More Than He Cares About CD6 (PTTCAMTHCAC, pronounced pit-CAMTH-cack), we proudly add the presidential primary state of South Carolina.

Can Jay Fawcett win CD5?

Yep. And I just got the poll results to prove it. More on this tomorrow afternoon, after I get a chance to speak with the pollster. So basically, this post is just a big tease.

Yes, I've seen the Ritter vs. Beauprez poll numbers

I've gotten three emails in the last two hours asking me if I've seen the latest Ritter vs. Beauprez poll numbers. Yes, I have. I blogged them right here. But for posterity here they are again.

But let's take this opportunity to laugh at Beauprez for claiming he can clear Western Slope land for oil drilling by politely asking the elk to migrate somewhere else.

While I'm at it, Beauprez's proposal to increase sales taxes is a source of non-stop amusement to me. (Yes, I mentioned this yesterday.) He says he can make up for declining revenues with a revenue-neutral rejiggering of the tax code. (Funny.) He then proposes a tax increase, and then has to explain how he got his numbers wrong because he based them on figures that are a year old. (Funnier.) And then he proposes a plan which asks average people to subsidize the gasoline costs of Hummer drivers. (Even funnier.) And then the plan gets panned by right-wingers like Douglas Bruce. (Laugh my ass off hilarious.)

I absolutely [heart] the Both Ways Bob campaign.

Bill Winter and the American Dream

This is actually part two. You can see part one on YouTube. Hat-tip to fbiots.

Beauprez advocates sales tax hike

How bad a candidate is Both Ways Bob Beauprez?

So bad, he advocated eliminating gas taxes and replacing them with a statewide 1% sales tax increase, which is a great idea if your goal is to slow the economy while sucking up to Hummer owners.

So bad, he told us he was going to spend September in Washington DC, yet Colorado Confidential reports that so far he has skipped every single vote this month.

So bad, he called Ritter's record as district attorney "disgusting," despite the fact that Ritter has been endorsed by a huge, bipartisan coalition of police officers, district attorneys and victims' advocates. Perhaps Beauprez would like to tell the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police his feelings?

So bad, Ritter out-fundraised him in August by nearly a 3-to-1 margin, according to The Colorado Springs Gazette. Beauprez raised $216,520 in August; Ritter $606,000.

UPDATE: So bad that the latest numbers at ToTheRight show Ritter winning this thing by more than 10 points.

Tom Tancredo cares. About Arizona.

So, where has Tom Tancredo been? I mean, we know he ain't working for CD6. And we know he ain't debating the issues with his Democratic opponent, Bill Winter.

It turns out, Tancredo has been spending his time slapfighting with the Colorado GOP over which wingnut to support in Arizona. Which makes sense, really. Because we have absolutely no problems here at home. Read about it in the Rocky.

Rams 28, Buffs 17, Beauprez 0

I'm beginning to suspect that Both Ways Bob Beauprez's answer for everything is either an unfunded tax credit or a unaffordable tax cut. But I don't have time to get into it right now. Go Rams.

Smackdown #2: Link to an mp3

I listened to an mp3 of the debate I downloaded from the Channel Six site. And as you might guess, I missed some stuff. But my take on the debate stands. But download the mp3 yourself and make up your own mind.

Smackdown#2: Ritter vs. Beauprez on Channel Six

7:25 p.m - Once again, I consider the pointlessness of live-blogging a taped debate. Especially since this time there's actually a debate lag, as Ritter and Beauprez have already met again at the Gubernatorial Technology Community Forum. Once again, I decide to do it anyway. If I haven't seen it, it's new to me.

7:30 p.m - They won't be timing the debate. They encourage the candidates to interrupt each other. My wife asks if they'll be allowed to kick each other in the crotch.

7:32 p.m - They ask Beauprez about the Both Ways Bob label. He blames it on liberals skewing his voting record. He claims he didn't flip-flop on Ref C, which everyone knows is false. They ask Ritter about his inexperience and the lies spread about him in the recent ads from the Trailhead Group. Ritter throws out about a million statistics to refute this. Score this round for Ritter, 1-0.

7:37 p.m. - The editor of the Rocky asks Ritter about his position on other social issues and Ritter highlights A and Ref C. He manages to throw light on Beauprez's flip-flop on community colleges. I'm feeling pretty good about this debate. Where's my martini?

7:40 p.m. - Ritter goes after Beauprez again, pointing out that Beauprez admitted Colorado had huge budget problems, but never came up with a permanent fix. 2-0.

7:44 p.m. - The editor of the News says its unclear where Ritter stands on the Beauprez tax cuts. He should have asked me. It's not like it's a big secret. Nonetheless, it gives Beauprez the excuse to do some fuzzy math and promise all of Colorado a "small but significant" tax cut, whatever that is. Ritter points out that Beauprez has a history of voting for tax cuts and budget increases simultaneously. Beauprez promises he can cut taxes and set up a rainy day fund without cutting any programs. I can't believe anybody is buying this. 3-0.

7:51 p.m. - "What's the political position you held in college that you have changed the most on?" Beauprez says he used to think government's role was to solve problems, but now believes that government should be an "enabler" that creates an environment where people can succeed, and then he spins on a dime and says the best government is the one that gets out of the way. Did he just flip-flop again in the space of a couple sentences? I am so shocked I miss Ritter's answer completely, so I can't score this round.

7:55 p.m. - Quick hits on I and other ballot issues. No surprises here.

8:00 p.m. - One of my biggest regrets from "live"-blogging the first televised debate was that I didn't give Beauprez enough points. Upon repeated watchings, I became convinced that the debate was closer than I'd originally thought, and Ritter had won by only a couple of points. I had resolved to give Beauprez a fairer shake this time. But what can I say? Ritter came out swinging, stated his positions more clearly, and pointed out the inconsistencies between Beauprez's rhetoric and actions. Beauprez countered with promises that he could solve Colorado's budget crisis merely by shifting funds around - a Washington DC-style stunt if there ever was one.

Maybe I'm being biased. Or maybe Ritter won this one pretty cleanly.

Photo courtesy of Bill Ritter for Governor.

Tancredo stays quiet, Winter pays the price

Both Ways Bob Beauprez and Doug Lamborn could learn a lot from Tom Tancredo.

Like how to shut up.

The three men represent three of the five extremist wings of the Republican party - Bushism, fundamentalism and paleoconservatism. (The other two wings being the libertarians and the corporatists.) All they have in common is a bad case of foot in mouth syndrome.

Absolutely, Bill Ritter and Jay Fawcett are moderate candidates of vision and character. But they've been helped by Beauprez and Lamborn's insistence on humiliating themselves in public.

Six months ago, Tancredo had the same problem. His far-right, single-issue rhetoric was alienating the voters of CD6. But now that he's succeeded at bringing his pet issue to prominence, he's shut his piehole.

Sure, there have been lapses. Like when Tancredo questioned Hillary Clinton's faith or when he let on that he's still mulling a presidential bid in 2008. But we haven't had a "Let's bomb Mecca" moment for quite awhile.

Good for Tancredo. Bad for the man who should replace him, Democratic nominee Bill Winter.

Bill Winter may be the single best candidate Colorado has ever seen. He has worked for both John McCain and Be The Change. He's volunteered to serve in the Marine Corp and the Navy. He supports liberal causes, like healthcare reform and an end to our involvement in Iraq. And conservative causes, like fiscal responsibility and privacy rights.

As Cindy Rodriguez wrote in The Denver Post:

I bet many [CD6 voters] are sick of Tancredoism, but want to make sure no bleeding-heart liberal takes his place. His challenger, Bill Winter of Castle Rock, is the antidote. Haven't heard of him yet? You will.

Yet I fear that you won't. ColoradoPols reports that Winter's campaign may not be able to make a big TV buy. If Tancredo stays out of the headlines for the next two months, it's going to be hard to get Winter the name recognition he needs to win.

But we can't concede defeat. Candidates like Bill Winter don't come along every election cycle. This might be our only opportunity to elect him. It'll be a shame if we pass it up.

A candidate for CU regent jumps out of a plane...

Presenting the first Internet ad for CU regent nominee Steve Ludwig.

Scholastic backs away from ABC propaganda

An update on my post from this morning: Daily Kos reports that Scholastic has elected to drop "its original classroom companion guides to a controversial new docudrama." The miniseries is said to include wholly fictionalized scenes that blame the Clinton administration for 9/11.

Media Matters issued a press release that states, in part:

We applaud Scholastic's decision to pull flawed and misleading educational materials regarding 9-11 and the war on terror and to disassociate themselves from ABC's upcoming dramatic miniseries, "The Path to 9-11."

Kudos to Scholastic for refusing to be party to ABC/Disney's attempt to deceive the American public. If only Denver's Channel 7 had the same scruples. Their number is 303-832-7777.

DeGette protests Roan Plateau drilling

The text is from a press release from CD1 congresswoman Diana DeGette. The links have been inserted by yours truly:

"I am furious with the Bush Administration for issuing a plan to open the Roan Plateau for oil and gas drilling. The sweeping cliffs, roaring waterfalls and old-growth aspen trees of the Plateau could be completely decimated by the Bush Administration's plan... The Administration has arrogantly ignored thousands of comments from concerned citizens and surrounding communities who want the Plateau preserved for its natural beauty, recreation opportunities, and wildlife habitat. I will do everything in my power to stop this short sighted and destructive proposal."

Photo of DeGette and 2008 Democratic presidential contender Mark Warner at a benefit for CD6 nominee Bill Winter courtesy of me and my camera phone.

Colorado Springs is my new favorite town

There's hope for the CD5 GOP after all. All over the Springs, Republicans are standing up to the wingnuts that have seized control of their party.

Item #1: The rift in the CD5 GOP is making headlines across the nation. Retiring Republican congressman Joel Hefley has refused to endorse the "sleazy" Republican nominee and intimated that he may vote for Democratic nominee Jay Fawcett. Hefley, a strong conservative, has even won kudos on the liberal Daily Kos for his principled stand on this issue.

Item #2: In a shocking move, the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce refused to endorse SD9 incumbent Republican hatemonger David Schultheis. Why? The answers may be found in this PDF on the Schultheis website, where he lashes out against domestic partnerships; targets illegal immigration for harming "education, healthcare, criminal justice, transportation, the environment and nearly every aspect of our society"; and strangely advocates raising taxes to fund surface transportation, but opposes mass transportation because funding it may require tax increases.

On the other hand, the chamber may have been impressed by the Democratic nominee in SD9. Keely Marrs is an ex-army sharpshooter who has spent the last 10 years working in publishing, government and sociology.

Channel 7 runs propaganda, calls it a docu-drama

Channel 7 is politicizing the anniversary of 9/11 by running an inaccurate, slanderous, and did I already say inaccurate piece of Bush-wing propaganda. Call 303-832-7777 and tell them you're ashamed of them.

Three governor's race rumors

Rumor 1: KOA is yanking the Trailhead ads attacking Bill Ritter for further scrutiny.

I called the station and they said this rumor is false. They ought to pull the ads, though. (UPDATE: I have it on good authority that Trailhead was forced to edit the ads, removing the false claim that Ritter did not seek the death penalty.)

Rumor 2: Beauprez is dropping out of the governor's race.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this is false.

Rumor 3: A coalition of victims' rights advocates have endorsed Bill Ritter.

This one isn't a rumor. It's a fact. From a press release:

"Bill has set the vision for victim rights for decades to come," said Dora-Lee Larson, director of the Denver Domestic Violence Council. "We need his vision, we need his type of participatory inclusion. We need Bill Ritter in the governor's office to continue his work on behalf of victims."

Trailhead attacks McFayden, Ritter and anybody else who happens to be standing around

Bill Ritter is kicking so much ass, covering the governor's race is beginning to bore me. Check out his latest fundraising numbers at ColoradoPols or in the Gazette, for instance.

Fortunately, there are other other things to write about, like the Trailhead Group.

Trailhead is Colorado's version of The Enquirer. The GOP-backed 527 spreads rumors so silly, I can't believe anyone takes them seriously. Like its latest whopper about Democratic HD47 representative Buffie McFadyen. From the Chieftain:

Rep. Buffie McFadyen's campaign is considering filing a criminal complaint against a GOP political action group over a series of negative ads denouncing the Democratic legislator for voting for fee increases.

Trouble is, none of the measures actually do that, and at least one of the so-called fee increases that The Trailhead Group is citing actually was a penalty increase for motorists who exceed the speed limit in construction zones...

This isn't the first time someone has wanted to prosecute Trailhead. For several months, Democrats have been frustrated by our Republican attorney general's refusal to enforce Colorado law.

Unfortunately, things will get worse before they get better. Trailhead has already set its sights on resurrecting Both Ways Bob's campaign, which will at least be interesting to write about. And a national-level PAC named FreedomWorks has CD5 nominee Jay Fawcett and CD7 nominee Ed Perlmutter at the top of its hit list.

You expect the 527's to go after the governor's race and CD7. But the fact that they're throwing money at CD5 and state-level races says a lot about just how panicked the GOP is right now.

Ritter breaks first TV ad of campaign season

And here it is.

Major daily covers CD6 race and Bill Winter

In related news, hell has frozen over:

I bet many [Republicans] are sick of Tancredoism, but want to make sure no bleeding-heart liberal takes his place. His challenger, Bill Winter of Castle Rock, is the antidote. Haven't heard of him yet? You will.

Post uncovers another both-ways from Bob

Courtesy of Susan Barnes-Gelt:

Do Colorado's effective medical malpractice laws effectively thwart defensive medicine? Or do 80 percent of doctors practice "defensive medicine"? Mr. Beauprez, which way is it?

Your tax dollars are working. Poorly.

First the Drug Enforcement Agency sent agents to Colorado to lobby against citizen ballot initiatives. Then the Department of Homeland Security got called in to break up a peaceful protest against Marilyn Musgrave's habit of cutting veterans' benefits. And now two members of the Rainbow Family are doing six months for Dumpster diving.

I'm not going to make a huge thing about this. But if you want to, go for it.

Bill Ritter consistent on gay marriage

Beauprez backers quoted in the Post and even the folks at Square State are asking if Bill Ritter has changed his stance on gay marriage. Let's look at two statements, made more than a year apart.

June 23, 2005: "I support the existing state law that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. However, I feel there is no need for a state constitutional amendment on this issue. And, I support civil unions that would extend to gay couples the rights and benefits married couple now enjoy."

September 4, 2006: "Ritter clarified his position, saying in a statement that he would keep the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman but consider adding recognition of civil unions to the statute."

Not exacly what I'd call a flip-flop.

Happy Labor Day

From Diana DeGette.

Ritter vs. the Trailhead Group

Over the last few days, with varying degrees of certainty, just about everyone has stuck a fork in the Both Ways Bob Beauprez for Governor campaign. On the left, Jason Bane at 5280 wonders if Beauprez has "cratered." On the right, ToTheRight and Rocky Mountain Politics lament his awful poll numbers. At the Post Diane Carmen writes that Beauprez was counting on a wedge issue that failed him. And at the Rocky Mike Littwin notes that he has managed to stick his foot in his mouth on every single issue he's faced.

It's nice that Beauprez has turned out to be such a terrible candidate. But he's not the only foe Bill Ritter has to face this fall. We live in the age of 527's. Indications are that Beauprez's latest strategy is to dive for cover and let the Trailhead Group go to work on Ritter.

Trailhead's initial attempts to tar Ritter's image were huge flops. But there's value in repetition. (Have I said the words "Both Ways Bob" recently?) Trailhead may turn out to be a far greater threat than Both Ways Bob could ever hope to be.

Photo courtesy of Bill Ritter for Governor.

Bill Ritter will not be Swift-boated

In 2004 the Republicans told vicious lies about John Kerry's military service. And because Kerry took so long to denounce them, many Americans never learned the truth.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill Ritter isn't making the same mistake. Twice the Republicans have lied about his position on illegal immigration. And twice he has blasted back within hours. (Here and here.)

As I wrote yesterday, the Trailhead Gorup is launching a TV ad that distorts Ritter's record as Denver's district attorney. Again, Ritter hasn't hesitated to call the lies for what they are. Last night, he launched a new video, currently living on the frontpage of his website, that says, in part:

They're twisting numbers, distorting the truth, and using Washington-style politics to attack my record here in Colorado... We protected the public and we served the taxpayers well. Rest assured, we will not let these attacks go unchallenged. But more importantly, we will continue to frame this race the way we want to frame it. This race is about fulfilling the Colorado promise.

You can watch the rest at ritterforgovernor.com.

CO Democrat pointed me to 9 News' "truth test" of the Trailhead ad. But while 9 News correctly points out some problems with the ad, they miss on at least one point:

Quote: "Bill Ritter brags about his record fighting crime, but let's take a closer look at Ritter's record."

Truth: This is true. The former Denver District Attorney has a Power Point presentation on his campaign website dedicated to detailing his efforts in office from 1993-2004.

Beauprez first went after Ritter's record as district attorney in late June. I first recieved a press release about the Power Point presentation in July. It's been used as a way for Ritter to defend his stellar record as district attorney, not as an excuse to "brag."

Sigh. Just 67 days to go.

Bill Ritter takes in some art

I headed down to First Friday last night with the intent of eating dinner, seeing some art and watching Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill Ritter speak at the Translations gallery. There was just one little hitch. The gallery was packed. To the door. And since I've seen Ritter speak about a dozen times now, I didn't really feel the need to go punching my way through any crowds. Afterwards I snapped this photo.

"Hey Matt, I hate Coloradolib"

Yeah, some days I do too. But don't give up on the Internet entirely. Instead, checkout PoliticsTV's online video interviews of CD6's Bill Winter, CD5's Jay Fawcett and CD4's Angie Paccione. Or follow tomorrow's live-blog at Firedoglake with Winter and Fawcett. Or go read through SAFER's revitalized blog.

See? The Internet ain't so bad.

Bill Ritter wins police endorsement

Yet another delicious irony of the 2006 governor's race: Last night, the Trailhead Group broke an ad accusing Democratic nominee Bill Ritter of being soft on crime. Today, Ritter won the endorsement of the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police for his commitment to public safety and crime-fighting.

Keep trying, Trailhead. Maybe next time.

Photo courtesy of Bill Ritter for Governor.

Beauprez sticks foot in mouth. (Yes, again.)

Today the Both Ways Bob Beauprez blog "blasted" Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill Ritter's relationship with gun owners. Ironically, only yesterday Ritter called for more designated shooting areas in Colorado.

Memo to Beauprez: I think Ritter could probably beat you without your help. But if you want to keep lending a hand, feel free.

You can read more about Ritter's take on balancing the needs of shooters and other wilderness users at Colorado Confidential.

College Republicans try to out-stupid each other

Not too long ago, some Mesa State college Republicans tried to get hitched to their goldfish. I guess they were trying to say that gay marriage is wrong. But all they ended up proving is that you can't craft political theater while doing tequila shooters.

Unfortunately, their friends at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs didn't get the message. The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that conservative students at UCCS held a Global Warming Beach Party yesterday. Their slogan? "Goodbye, polar ice. Hello, paradise."

One can only hope that they didn't get too badly sunburned.

No PACs required: Gordon online fundraising beats expectations

An email from Democratic secretary of state nominee Ken Gordon reports that online fundraising has beat expectations by 66%:

We wanted to raise $15,000 on the website kengordon.com in the last week of the reporting period. Over $25,000 came in! We had over 500 individual contributors. It is extremely encouraging considering that we don't take special interest PAC contributions.

The email goes on to take Gigi Dennis to task:

I believe that in this case she bowed to pressure from Republican lawyers to do something partisan. Yesterday, I called on her to delay the effective date of the new rules until after the election. I pointed out that new rules that take effect in August of an election year are burdensome. I thought that asking her to extend the effective date, rather than revoke the rules, might be an easier pill for her to swallow, but she declined.