Bill Ritter vs. Bob Beauprez: Smackdown #5

If the Halloween debate was the first gubernatorial debate you watched, you might be pretty impressed by both of Colorado's candidates for governor. You shouldn't be.

Both Ways Bob Beauprez lived up to his nickname. And he spent most of his shameless closing statement lying about Bill Ritter's record.

In contrast, Ritter offered Colorado voters a message of optimism. Of realism. Of consistency. The only thing Ritter didn't do was point out the number of times Both Ways Bob tried to pull the wool over our eyes.

Ritter didn't want to drag the level of discourse down. I have no such scruples.

1. Bob Beauprez belongs in jail. He took information illegally stolen by a partisan Republican and broadcast it across Colorado's airwaves.

2. Bob Beauprez can't hold a position for longer than two seconds. How does he feel about severance taxes? Amendment 38? NREL funding? I don't know. He's taken both sides of the debate on every topic.

3. Bob Beauprez's tenure in congress has been a failure. He's a mindless party-line voter who has supported astronomical deficits and done nothing about healthcare, the environment or illegal immigration for six years.

4. And if he tells me one more time that he and his wife have already bought their cemetary plots, I'm going to vomit. It's creepy.

Colorado has a choice to make in the next few weeks. We can elect Bill Ritter, a man who has spent his entire life fighting to make the world a better place. Or we can elect Bob Beauprez, a craven political careerist who thinks the laws of our state are optional.

Take nothing for granted. Make every day count.

Photo courtesy of Ritter for Governor.

John Edwards: Yes on 42

Video shot just after the roundtable with Senator John Edwards.

Tom Tancredo and the "r" word

I just listened to CD6 Democratic nominee Bill Winter's new radio spot, "Dateline: South Carolina." The message is unmistakable. Members of the League of the South, the Aryan Brotherhood, the American Nazi Party and the KKK worship Tom Tancredo. These racist ties make Tancredo unfit to represent CD6.

The spot arrived backed up by a raft of paperwork that links Tancredo to lesser-known groups as well, like The Pioneer Fund and the Council of Conservative Citizens, which has referred to African-Americans as "a retrograde species of humanity."

The accompanying press release ends:

[Winter campaign manager Berrick] Abramson concluded, "For too long, Tancredo has been publicly distancing himself from these shameful associations and claiming ignorance of their motives while privately accepting and encouraging their support. But as the depth of this network of hate becomes evident, it is no longer acceptable to dismiss it, as the Congressman's spokesman would have us believe, as 'a few bad apples.'"

Can Tancredo be judged by the company he keeps? At what point does nationalism become racism? Ever since Tancredo supporters posted death threats on the Winter campaign blog (an event covered by TakeBackTheHouse on Daily Kos), I have wondered why Tancredo hasn't done more to discourage his more unhinged supporters.

Tancredo has a right to even the most repugnant of views. But the voters of CD6 deserve to know where their congressman stands.

Tom Tancredo should either specifically and publicly denounce Virginia Abernethy, Barbara Coe, John Tanton, Glenn Spencer and other extremists or resign his seat in Congress.

Listen to Bill Winter's spot for yourself on his website. Read today's live blog with Bill Winter on Daily Kos. See him for yourself on YouTube.

Bob Beauprez handles money very, very badly

According to the Rocky, Both Ways Bob Beauprez has sunk another $142,000 of his own money into his campaign, bringing the grand total to $285,000. Apparently Beauprez thinks Colorado voters are too dumb to see through Rudy Giuliani's nonsensical endorsement.

What's the surest way to make sure Beauprez can't buy his way into the governor's mansion? Volunteer to help GOTV for Democratic nominee Bill Ritter. Call 303-534-0660 to get involved over the next few days.

Angie Paccione leads, Marilyn Musgrave attacks

Like the headline says, Paccione leads and Musgrave attacks:

Bill Winter: An excerpt from Crashing the States

CD6 Democratic nominee Bill Winter was recently endorsed by VetPAC. And he's speaking out about the ways that Tom Tancredo has stabbed veterans in the back. From a press release I got today:

Congressional candidate Bill Winter expressed strong disappointment at Rep. Tom Tancredo's votes to slash support for U.S. veterans. Mr. Tancredo recently received a C grade on his support for veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. In the past three years, the Disabled American Veterans have twice given Mr. Tancredo a rating of 0, and once a rating of 66 out of 100.

On that same note, here's a video of Winter, with a big hat-tip to TakeBackTheHouse of SquareState:



UPDATE: Check out Em Dash's story "On the road with Bill Winter" at Unbossed.

John McCain leaves Republican party?

Like Rudy Giuliani, 2008 presidential candidate John McCain is randomly endorsing various Republicans in order to build up chits with the GOP base. But the wording of his endorsement of Rubber Stamp Rick O'Donnell is interesting. From Haley's Comment:

"Rick will be a great leader," McCain writes of his fellow Republican. "He'll stand up to his party when they are off course."

Emphasis added. Snark, too.

Paula Noonan vs. Mike Kopp: Implosion watch

In SD22, Democratic nominee Paula Noonan is running against a Republican rumored to be Mike Kopp. I say "rumored" because he's a bit of a mystery in his own party. Colorado Confidential reported that GOP precinct committee people are refusing to endorse Kopp:

[I]n Kopp's case, they decided they couldn't endorse an invisible candidate who wouldn't return their calls or show up to events - including their candidates' forum several weeks ago that [Tom] Tancredo and other candidates attended. Kopp also skipped a candidates' event sponsored by the League of Women Voters. In addition, he didn't appear at the caucus nor returned phone calls.

Also refusing to endorse Kopp, his GOP primary opponent. According to the Rocky via ColoradoPols, Kiki Traylor said endorsing Kopp "would mean that I have no integrity":

"Endorsing Mike means endorsing his campaign and his supporters, and I can't endorse the way those people campaign." Kopp could not be reached for comment.

So who is on the Kopp bandwagon? Interest groups like Club for Growth, the Christian Coalition and the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. Bob Beauprez's source in the Beauprezgate scandal is possibly a Kopp donor. Cribbing from myself, here:

[A] peek at the Secretary of State's website confirms that a Cory Voorhis did indeed contribute to the Kopp campaign on October 10, as well as making two contributions to the Matt Knoedler campaign.

Will these special interests be able to buy the election for their favorite son? That's the rumor. Don't let it happen.

My favorite Bill Ritter numbers thus far

Sunday's Post reports that 52% of Bill Ritter's supporters are casting their vote based on the issues. Only 38% of Bob Beauprez's supporters say the same.

Photo of courtesy of Diana DeGette, Fern O'Brien, Ken Gordon, Roy Romer, Barbara O'Brien, Wellington Webb, Bill Ritter and Cary Kennedy courtesy of Ritter for Governor.

Doug Lamborn and Dick Cheney to get all buddy-buddy

I couldn't publish all day Sunday due to bugs in Blogger. Catch my take on the Dick Cheney/Doug Lamborn fundraiser on the frontpage of SquareState.

Bill Ritter leads by 19. I go blockwalking anyway.

What do you do when your candidate is up by 19 points with 11 days to go? If you're me, you spend your Saturday morning canvassing to try to drive that lead up even more. Yes, I know my longstanding prediction is 54-46. But if we win 62-38, I'm not going to complain.

Bill Ritter gets scary for Halloween

This year, Ken Gordon and Steve Ludwig have consistently come up with spots that are funny, creative and memorable. Bill Ritter's spots, on the other hand, could best be described as "earnest." That changes with this gem, which proves that negative ads don't have to use scary music and misleading voiceovers to be effective.

Jay Fawcett and Keely Marrs: Dispatches from the Springs

Only 16 days ago, I wrote that the DCCC was finally getting behind Democratic CD5 nominee Lt. Col. Jay Fawcett. Today, it upgraded the race, from "emerging" to "absolutely on fire." And a press release I got from the campaign states that Fawcett is out-fundraising the Republican nominee, Doug "Shut Your Mouth" Lamborn, by a wide margin:

The FEC reported that from October 1 through 18, Fawcett had raised $131,799.10, while Lamborn had garnered only $83,540.15. Fawcett also had more than twice as much cash on hand - $92,554.03 versus Lamborn's $44,054.07 - according to FEC figures.

While I'm in the Springs, I should note that SD9 Democratic nominee Keely Marrs has been endorsed by no less a national figure than General Wes Clark.

Fawcett's latest spot, if you haven't seen it:

More on the John Edwards roundtable

Many of the other bloggers have posts up about this story. TakeBackTheHouse cross-posted at Square State and Daily Kos. Alan from Progress Now Action posted here. Erin from Colorado Confidential also has a story. And you can read Jeralyn at Talk Left.

UPDATE: 5280 has its story online.

Photo of me writing and John Edwards talking courtesy of Johne.

Bob Beauprez, Tom Tancredo campaigns offer hypocrisy

You expect phoniness from the Both Ways Bob Beauprez campaign. And every day, you get it. From today's Rocky:

The federal agent suspected of leaking confidential information used to attack Bill Ritter's plea bargains for illegal immigrants once received a plea deal himself after punching and kicking a man unconscious at a Christmas party.

This comes on top of the news that Beauprez's "heroic" informant might also be a Republican donor.

Unlike Beauprez, Tom Tancredo is usually consistent; he's always out-of-step with the voters. So I was a bit surprised to see that he's also trying to have it both ways. From yesterday's Colorado Confidential:

In the Congressional District 6 debate last night, Republican Tom Tancredo reportedly said that a timetable was needed to withdraw from Iraq. On the Congressman's website however, you might find a different story. Or, at least you would if the web page was still up.

Me and John Edwards and possibly the longest post in the history of Coloradolib

I know what everybody out there is wondering.

What did I do today before I had lunch?

I sat in a conference room at the new Hyatt with former vice presidential nominee and 2008 frontrunner Senator John Edwards.

Who was there besides me and the Senator?

Writers from Square State, ColoradoPols, Dave Cullen, Colorado Confidential and Talk Left. And activists from Progressive Majority and Progress Now Action, who arranged the whole thing and I will love 'em forever for it.

The question I didn't ask the Senator.

Is Amanda Congdon super-hot in person?

The question I did ask the Senator.

"When I saw you speak in March, you advocated integrating neighborhoods by economic class. Um, can you, uh, explain that?"

What the Senator answered.

Edwards was sitting directly to my left and it was a real experience to have him turn, look me square in the eye, and describe one of his most controversial ideas. It involves a restructuring of HUD and the nation's housing voucher system to give people more choice and local governments more control. In America today, education and capital are mobile. If we give people the ability to migrate to the neighborhoods they choose, we can give technicians and laborers the same advantages that knowledge workers and the creative class currently enjoy.

Want to read more about that?

Go for it.

What else did we talk about?

Edwards rebuffed questions about political campaigns and talking points. He wanted to talk policy.

The conversation initially focused on social issues. The President has bought a tenuous recovery by running up a gigantic deficit while cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans. The result has been a system where the GDP and Dow increase while wages drop or remain stagnant. Is there a solution or are we screwed?

Edwards offered three goals our country needs to pursue to right the economy. A war on poverty. A change in the energy dynamic. And a universal healthcare system. In fact, he said he is hard at work on a proposal that will guarantee efficient, economical healthcare for all Americans. Since Edwards had just proposed increasing the use of housing vouchers to help fight poverty in America, I wonder if his healthcare system might use them the same way, like a plan I saw in The Washington Monthly.

Edwards also talked terrorism. He managed to dig himself a bit of a hole as he tried to split the difference between legalizing torture and giving future presidents the tools to protect America. He pointed out that the Military Commission Act, Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib have lessened America's moral authority. But he refused to rule out the use of aggressive interrogation tactics in extreme circumstances. It wasn't the answer the crowd wanted, and we discussed it for a long time after Edwards left without reaching any consensus.

But to me, the exchange was a clear indication that Edwards is planning a White House run in 2008. It seems like he has thought through the shades of gray a President might face.

Who else is writing about the roundtable?

Probably all the bloggers I mentioned up top. Knock yourself out.

Where can you buy Elizabeth Edwards' book?

It's on Amazon.

Where did I eat lunch afterwards?

At the Appaloosa Grill with five other bloggers. We discussed what we'd heard; the idea that if we all linked to each other, none of us would actually need to spend time writing about the event; and whether Bill Winter will destroy Tom Tancredo or merely whup him. Were we being overly optimistic about the CD6 race? Maybe. Hanging out with John Edwards will do that to you. His charisma is legendary. But his optimism is what I find most appealing. Edwards believes in America. He's apparently devoid of cynicism or guile.

So, like, Edwards in '08, then?

Yeah, probably. Let's get through '06 first.

Photo courtesy of Progress Now Action.

Bob Beauprez tries to jump on the Bill Ritter bandwagon

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill Ritter has long held up Republican Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's healthcare plan as an example of what a governor can do to help fix the healthcare system. I was absolutely floored to read in today's Rocky that Ritter's rival, Both Ways Bob Beauprez, is trying to claim the idea for his own. The Rocky calls Beauprez's hypocrisy out:

Beauprez predicted that Romney's "biggest lasting legacy as governor of Massachusetts will be health care reform," adding that as Colorado governor he might borrow some "good ideas" from the state-mandated health insurance plan that Romney signed into law. But it's been Ritter who has most often praised the nationally watched Massachusetts' health care experiment.

Bill Winter vs. Tom Tancredo: The morning after

Well, nobody punched anybody. Although for awhile there, it looked like it'd be a distinct possibility. I thought the best moment was when Bill Winter spoke in support of Hurricane Katrina relief, the Violence Against Women Act and the Voting Rights Act. Tancredo opposed all three measures, so it drew a concrete distinction between the two men.

Tancredo didn't do himself any favors, twice accusing the Libertarian nominee of being full of "BS" and muttering something about how planting the seeds of democracy means breaking up the ground first. He also mischaracterized the Murtha Plan, which calls for a withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq consistent with their safety and the development of a quick-reaction force in the region that can move immediately to counter specific insurgencies.

Tancredo's closing statement was also very odd to me. He essentially admitted he's a complete jerk who's totally out of step with CD6, but the voters should re-elect him anyway because he's so consistent about it.

CD6 can do better. Winter has the right resume, having served in the military, worked in education, and supported candidates from both sides of the aisle. And Winter has the right positions on illegal immigration, healthcare and the war in Iraq. He's the perfect candidate to represent the district where I grew up. I hope the voters there see it the same way.

I've watched dozens of political ads this year. This is the only one I'll remember.

Bill Winter vs. Tom Tancredo: Debate

Blogger wasn't working when the debate started. So I blogged it over at Square State. You can read my recap here.

I thought Bill Winter kicked butt. He was much more specific and bipartisan than Tancredo. And he was able to weave his personal experiences in Littleton and in the military together to give the voters a good idea of what sort of representative he'll be. That being said, Tancredo has had five terms to hone his rhetoric. Heck, he only said something was "BS" twice. We'll see if the voters make the right choice on election day.

Bill Winter vs. Tom Tancredo: Relevant links

Fbiots has posted links to several write-ups on the debate at Square State. And last night Daily Kos posted a huge story about Winter and his campaign.

Bill Winter vs. Tom Tancredo: Preamble

Tom Tancredo didn't want to debate CD6 Democratic nominee Bill Winter at all. Then, mysteriously, he said he would. But only behind locked doors. And only two weeks after absentee ballots had been mailed out.

So here we are, just 13 days from the election. Winter and Tancredo are finally about to butt heads. Channel 12. 8:00 p.m. Both are known for oratory that makes the consulting class cringe. Both have earned the loyalty of their supporters. And in the tradition of Smackdown #1 and Smackdown #2, I'm going to give a running commentary of their first and only debate.

Buckle up.

Diana DeGette fights for Michael J. Fox

In the left corner, CD1 Democratic representative Diana DeGette and Michael J. Fox. In the right corner, Rush Limbaugh. From today's press release from DeGette:

"By attacking someone suffering from Parkinson's disease Rush Limbaugh has reached a new low, and that's saying a lot... Parkinson's is a severely debilitating disease that robs it's victims of their motor functions. Embryonic stem cell research could hold the key to curing this and other debilitating diseases. Michael J. Fox should be applauded for speaking out on this important and life saving research, not ridiculed. Rush Limbaugh should beg the forgiveness of Michael J. Fox and the millions of Americans and their families who suffer though this disease every day."

I have always suspected that Limbaugh is a despicable person. I also suspect that Tom Tancredo is a racist, George W. Bush is an idiot, and Dick Cheney is the Penguin from the Batman comics. The first of these suspicions has been confirmed. We should all be glad Fox is out there fighting for us. And we should all be glad a Colorado representative is leading the charge for stem cell research.

Bill Ritter stays positive with road blog, video endorsements

If you go through the last 15 posts on this blog, you'll find that most of them bash Both Ways Bob Beauprez. That's a shame. Because Bill Ritter is more than the anti-Beauprez. He's a man of character with a plan for fulfilling what he calls "The Colorado Promise."

The fact is that Ritter doesn't need me to make his case for him. He's doing a fine job bringing his positive message directly to the netroots, the grassroots, and the voters of Colorado. The resurgent Ritter blog is updated daily with photos and reports from Ritter's bus tour across Colorado. And Ritter's daily video endorsements let you listen as the people who know Ritter best explain why he should be our next governor.

If all you read is Coloradolib, you're going to give yourself an ulcer. Please check in with the candidate himself, Bill Ritter.

And while you're at it, call the Ritter campaign at 303-534-0660 and ask them how you can help out. On Saturday, hundreds of volunteers will be working to get out the vote. Now is no time to be on the sidelines.

Photo courtesy of Ritter for Governor.

Progress Now asks Tom Tancredo a few questions

Giuliani hands out endorsements like Halloween candy

If pro-choice Republican Rudy Giuliani wants his party's presidential nomination in 2008, he needs to build up some chits with the GOP's uber-conservative base. So he's scurrying around America, offering his endorsement to every wingnut from George "Macaca" Allen to Ken "Fair and Honest Elections Are Dumb" Blackwell.

Today, Giuliani cheapened his name even further by praising Both Ways Bob Beauprez for - I'm not making this up - his consistency:

"The most important quality of leadership? I'd say it's sticking to your beliefs whether they are popular or unpopular. That's Bob Beauprez."

I watched the spot about six times and I still can't believe I heard it correctly. Ten minutes of research would have told Giuliani why we call Beauprez "Both Ways Bob." But apparently, Giuliani is too busy focusing on '08 to concern himself with the facts.

Beauprez (nearly) jackknifes on Ref C

What to include in my ever-expanding Both Ways Bob Watch? What's a lie and what's a flip-flop? What's cynical political gamesmanship and what's an honest mistake?

For instance, on October 19, 2006, Congressman Bob Beauprez told the Post that he'd "never heard of the NCIC until the current flap erupted." As he turns out, he'd voted to strengthen protections for the database on September 25, 2005. Was Beauprez flip-flopping, lying or just having a convenient memory lapse?

A press release the Beauprez campaign sent to ColoradoPols yesterday yields similar shades of gray. In it, a coalition of Republicans who supported Referendum C voice their support for Beauprez, who opposed the measure:

"Some of us supported Referendum C because we believed it was critical to moving Colorado forward," the letter reads. "Bob Beauprez's Fiscal Accountability Plan is the next step toward keeping our State on course and fulfilling the promise of Referendum C now that it has passed."

Beauprez's incertitude on Referendum C earned him the nickname Both Ways Bob back in 2005. His eventual opposition turned off many anti-tax activists, who saw it as a cynical move to squash Marc Holtzman's uber-conservative primary campaign. And now Beauprez's attempts to attach himself to the popular measure come off as transparently political.

This isn't a flip-flop the way Beauprez's multi-positions on NREL funding, NCIC protections or Amendment 38 were. But it still reeks of weak-willed politicking.

Changing your opinion isn't always a bad thing. Changing it to suit the latest polling data is. Beauprez doesn't have the backbone to be Colorado's next governor.

Tancredo loves Pelosi, hates English

File this post under S for Snark.

Upon hearing that Tom Tancredo had been picked by Esquire as one of America's 10 worst congresspeople, Tancredo spokesperson Carlos Espinosa told the Rocky "I am planning on phrasing it this way on our Web site: 'Esquire has Tancredo in Top 10 list of congressmen!'"

Espinosa should have read through the list. It includes Nancy Pelosi.

Then again, the Tancredo campaign seems to have something against reading anything at all. Tancredo has campaigned against teaching English to Spanish-speaking students. Why, when he has spent so much time railing against multi-culturalism? As TakeBackTheHouse writes, "I think it is blatant racism and that this exposes the truth that his anti-'illegal immigrant' stance has nothing to do with the law and nothing to do with immigration. He is just flat out anti-Hispanic."

Hey Bob, what's your favorite both-ways?

Ritter up by 18 points

Holy freaking cow.

Beauprez informant donated to Republican extremist

I was suspicious of an anonymous comment posted on this blog and Square State alleging that Both Ways Bob's ICE "informant" was a donor to Republican extremist Mike Kopp, who helped purge the GOP of Bill Owens-appointed moderate Kiki Traylor. But a peek at the Secretary of State's website confirms that a Cory Voorhis did indeed contribute to the Kopp campaign on October 10, as well as making two contributions to the Matt Knoedler campaign.

Each contribution was only 25 bucks. But you get the picture. If it is the same Voorhis, this information demonstrates that he is not a courageous whistleblower, but an extreme GOP partisan.

Bob's biggest both-ways yet?

Asking me to pick my favorite Beauprez flip-flop is like asking me to choose between my children. But this one is right up there. I'll let the Rocky do the heavy lifting:

GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez voted in Congress to strengthen protections against abuse of a national crime database for non-law enforcement purposes.

But last week, Beauprez portrayed an "informant" who gave his campaign information - which critics say came from that database - as a heroic whistleblower.

I'm disappointed to hear anybody describing Beauprez's crony as a "whistleblower" in any context. As Pacified wrote at Square State, the ICE agent apparently illegally accessed a database for political gain and distributed information about a legal policy. That's not whistleblowing. It's just wrong.

My Both Ways Bob Watch will be updated shortly.

Perlmutter calls out O'Donnell on Beauprez

Democratic CD7 nominee Ed Perlmutter has a point:

"We need to clean up Congress and campaigns and I think it can start right here in the 7th Congressional District, where Rep. Beauprez is the sitting Congressman. Rep. Bob Beauprez is Rick O'Donnell's campaign chairman and top advisor and as such, I call on Rick O'Donnell to hold his chairman accountable for his actions and demand that Rep. Beauprez disclose the source that provided him illegal information..."

Is there anyone in Washington DC who O'Donnell isn't buddies with?

Video of war hero and former Senator Max Cleland speaking about why America needs Ed Perlmutter:

Anti-44 crowd competes with Beauprez to see who can look stupider

The pro-44 argument has never seemed that persuasive to me. But the anti-44 arguments are absolutely ridiculous. Over the past few months, we've been subjected to non-stop lying, intimidation, politicking and abuse of taxpayer dollars. And now Colorado Confidential reports that there is little if any Colorado opposition to 44. It's all been a show from the federal government.

The only thing that makes me madder is Both Ways Bob Beauprez's latest spot, where he appears in an appropriately black cowboy hat and spotless shirt holding a shovel and directing our attention to a horse's butt. It's hypocritical of him to bemoan political mudslinging after doing so much of it. But that's why we call him Both Ways Bob.

Beauprez wastes $50,000 of his own money

What do you do when every donor in Colorado - including some of your own supporters - is giving money your gubernatorial rival? Sell your bank and loan your campaign fifty grand.

The Rocky thinks the law is optional

In a Saturday editorial, the Rocky seems to say it's OK for a government agent to illegally tap a secret database and then pass the stolen information on to a political candidate so that it can be disseminated across Colorado's airwaves:

There is no reason whatever that the arrest records and aliases of an illegal immigrant - or anyone else - should be kept under wraps, with the possibility of prison for those who breach the secrecy.

There are a lot of stupid laws. Fortunately, we have a lot of ways to change them. You can petition your elected representatives. Or even put an initiative on the ballot.

What you can't do is commit a crime and then shrug your shoulders when you get caught and say, "You know, I never cared much for that law anyway."

In this country, we are ruled by laws, not men. Even if you're Bob Beauprez. The Rocky's spin is nothing less than un-American.

Beauprez, Colorado Republican Committee have $40,000 problem

Colorado Confidential asks:

Would you notice if someone gave you $40,000? Would you remember if you gave that sum to someone else? I ask because the Beauprez campaign and the Colorado Republican Committee can't seem to keep track of such things. According to filings with the Secretary of State, the Beauprez campaign reported receiving $100,000 from the Colorado Republican Committee PAC - $80,000 on Oct. 6 and $20,000 on Oct. 10. But, the CRC reports only one $60,000 contribution to Beauprez on Oct. 6.

To answer that first question, I'm going to guess that if I was Bob Beauprez and I was trying furiously to stay out of jail, I might indeed lose track of $40,000 and everything else in my life.

Beauprez lies right to our faces. Twice.

Today on Channel 7, Bob Beauprez looks Colorado square in the eye and lies:

"Instead of explaining why it is that Bill Ritter put dangerous criminal aliens back into our community when they should have been deported, he wants to destroy the life and the career of a good man who blew the whistle."

1. Ritter's plea bargain of Carlos Estrada Medina did not effect Medina's deportation status.

2. Someone who breaks into a federal database and illegally gives that information to Bob Beauprez for political purposes is not a whistleblower.

Beauprez explores alternate career paths

Both Ways Bob Beauprez is just a couple months from unemployment. So he's trying out new jobs to see what suits him.

First he asked us to consider him a journalist:

Reporters asked why Beauprez wouldn't reveal the source of the information after vowing Friday to "demonstrate we got our information legally."

"Why didn't Judith Miller reveal her source? Why didn't Bernstein and Woodward reveal their source?" Beauprez replied.

Then he tried out a career defending people who break the law for political gain:

"Our source - in my opinion - performed a great act of courage and public service..."

But I think that what Beauprez really wants to be is emperor. Like his buddy in the White House, he has confused serving the public with ruling it. If Candidate Beauprez has this little regard for Colorado law, just imagine what a Governor Beauprez might be like.

Playing What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up is probably loads of fun. And Beauprez should enjoy it while he can. The fact is that Beauprez's campaign violated federal law in order to launch a misleading attack on Bill Ritter.

In America, if you break the law, you go to jail. Beauprez's next job could be making license plates.

Republican ICE agent implicated in Beauprezgate

9 News has learned who illegally accessed the information that Both Ways Bob Beauprez used to create his misleading attacks on Bill Ritter. The man is a Republican who works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Accessing the NCIC database and using the information is a felony that comes with years of jail time. Accepting that information without vetting it and exploiting it to launch malicious political slurs is a breach of ethics that comes with years of shame.

Beauprez may not end up in jail. But he should. He brought his GOP brethren's corrupt and illegal tactics home and tried them out on the voters of Colorado. Over the next month, we get to tell Beauprez and all of his corrupt buddies exactly what we think of them.

I already sent my absentee ballot in. And on October 28, I'm going to be knocking on doors with one message: Colorado deserves leaders of character.

Ritter has already launched an ad that asks voters to hold the congressman accountable for his role in this crime. I'll post it as soon as it's on You Tube. In the meantime, you can see it at ritterforgovernor.com.

UPDATE:

Say No to 43 launches TV spot

Mayor Hickenlooper and Governor Ritter

Yes, I know I already mentioned that the mayor endorsed Colorado's next governor. Yes, it's an unsurprising story. So why am I posting this photo? Because the Republicans ought to get used to it.

Photo courtesy of Ritter for Governor

Winter: "Tancredo's polls have us in a dead heat"

Bill Winter is blogging at Square State and Daily Kos. Get your recommends in and your wallets out:

For the first time ever a Democrat has Tom Tancredo on the ropes, and we need to put him on the canvass. All I need now is the support to stay up on radio and direct mail - and hopefully television - until election day...

Tancredo's polls have us in a dead heat! If we win, it's a historic victory. If we just get very close, I'll run again and we'll raise 3 million dollars of our own and take this seat one way or the other!

I was able to drinks beers and discuss politics, activism and the future of blogging with Winter, TakeBackTheHouse, Johne, Tovah and Crashing the States last night.

I came home in time to watch Ed Perlmutter moderate a debate between himself and Rubber Stamp Rick O'Donnell. I'll explain what I mean by that when I post this afternoon.

CBI: Beauprez ad used info from NCIC database

From The Rocky Mountain News:

"The CBI has thoroughly reviewed and researched the law enforcement databases and determined that the information regarding Carlos Estrada Medina was obtained by accessing the NCIC," the CBI said in a statement. "Because this is a federally controlled and regulated system, CBI has requested the assistance of the FBI to further pursue the investigation."

Ritter kicks off video endorsement series

Every day another leader endorses Bill Ritter for Governor. And I mean that literally. Beauprez was also going to post video endorsements on his website, but he's very busy trying to stay out of jail.

While I'm at it, Ritter's latest TV spot:

Tancredo a national laughingstock

Rolling Stone has joined Esquire in naming CD6 Republican Tom Tancredo one of America's worst 10 legislators. The magazine labels Tancredo "Mr. Bigotry" and points out that even the extremely conservative National Review has called him "an idiot."

I grew up in CD6. I know for a fact that the voters there are reasonable, good people living busy lives. But their refusal to pay attention to politics has allowed them to elect an absentee representative whose national posturing has made the district look like the home of hate. My hometown deserves better. It deserves Bill Winter.

Hat-tip to Square State.

Even Beauprez can't defend his runningmate

I've been pretty hard on Janet Rowland. She doesn't understand the Constitution, she detests Colorado's largest city, and she thinks homosexuality is just a hair better than bestiality. Those aren't the sort of ideas I want from my lieutenant governor.

Yesterday, even Bob Beauprez refused to stand by his runningmate's extreme views. From The Denver Post:

Ritter said churches, synagogues and mosques can serve as a conduit for government funding to needy people when those institutions are "neutral" about how they distribute the aid. But then he pointed out that Beauprez's running mate "is on record saying that she doesn't believe there is a separation of church and state."

Beauprez shook his head during Ritter's remarks and declined the moderator's offer to let him defend his running mate.

The friction created by Rowland is just the latest signal that the Beauprez campaign is on its last legs. He insists he has the momentum. But as ColoradoPols pointed out, freefalling is a kind of momentum.

Karl Rove connection fires up HD52 race

Democratic HD52 nominee John Kefalas has had to battle push-polls and attacks from the Trailhead Group. And now his Republican opponent has hired a Texas printing company owned by two former executive vice presidents of Karl Rove & Company.

Yeah, that Karl Rove.

The Kefalas campaign put its TV ads on YouTube five days ago. For posterity:

Beauprez tries to weasel his way out of going to the pokey

From the Rocky:

[W]hen pressed about whether anyone might have broken the law to get negative information against Ritter, Beauprez appeared to hedge, saying, "Well, certainly nothing that we had control over."

Hickenlooper endorses Ritter

He did. It's about time.

If the Rocky loves Tancredo so much, why doesn't it marry him?

The Rocky's profile of Democratic CD6 nominee Bill Winter takes pains to seem unbiased. And it goes out of it's way to mention Winter's opponent, Tom Tancredo, four times.

The matching profile of Tancredo is a mash note that doesn't mention Tancredo's racism, absenteeism or war-mongering. It also doesn't mention Winter. At all.

I genuinely feel bad for voters who use the Rocky as their primary news source. And I feel even worse for CD6, which may have to put up with another two years of strident, radical representation if the Rocky has its way.

If you want to get informed about what's at stake in CD6, you can meet Bill Winter at the Blake Street Tavern tonight at around 6:00 p.m. He'll be talking about grassroot politics with Crashing the States.

Fawcett, Zap and Square State get noticed by The Nation

Speaking of Zappatero (and I was), yesterday he was quoted in The Nation.

Beauprez flap in New York Times

Thanks to Tovah for tipping me off to the fact that the "Both Ways Bob headed to the pokey" mess made the NY Times today:

The governor has asked the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to expedite its investigation. Use of the federal criminal database for any purpose other than law enforcement is a crime punishable by fines and up to a year in prison.

The same story has been picked up by The Washington Post and ABC. It's authored by Colorado-based AP reporter Steven K. Paulson, who has been called out before for spinning the Colorado governor's race in Beauprez's favor.

But the fact that the story has gone national proves that it isn't being driven by the Ritter campaign or the bloggers anymore.

As of right now, Beauprez should be less worried about how he's going to get into the governor's mansion. And more worried about how he's going to stay out of jail.

Jay Fawcett breaks second spot

If Zappatero keeps calling Coloradolib's traditions "great," I'm gonna have to keep blogging Jay Fawcett spots.

Bob "I'm Going To The Pokey" Beauprez still getting media favoritism

I've written that the mainstream media seems "determined to get Beauprez back into governor's race" and is "trying to give Beauprez a break." But anointing him the default choice for governor? Shameless. How much more rightwing bias will they throw at the voters between now and election day? And how would they expect Beauprez to govern from behind bars?

Ken Gordon swims with sharks

Ken Gordon has the best ads ever. (Sorry, Steve.)

CBI jumps into the "Both Ways Bob headed to the pokey?" circus

The Rocky Mountain News reports that the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is knocking on Both Ways Bob Beauprez's door:

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation notified Bob Beauprez's campaign Monday that agents will soon question his staffers about whether they illegally obtained information from an FBI database and used it to slam opponent Bill Ritter in a TV ad...

Marshall said their informant was able to provide federal immigration codes, known as "A" numbers, confirming that all three names were used by the same illegal immigrant from Honduras. He insisted that the immigration codes sometimes can be found in court records.

But U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Carl Rusnok said the immigration code numbers are considered confidential under the federal privacy act...

The CBI says it should know by midweek if someone accessed the FBI database or its state counterpart...

This morning, it appears we're looking at three possible scenarios:

1. Beauprez could've illegally accessed and exploited the "A" numbers and/or the NCIC database for political gain.

2. Beauprez could have made the allegations up. Note that the Rocky story states, "Medina may have been arrested later in California..."

3. Beauprez could have eerie powers that enable him to read minds and peek into the past.

Kick Out the Jams with Bill Ritter

Ritter will be debating Both Ways Bob Beauprez tonight at the Hebrew Educational Alliance, assuming Beauprez hasn't been arrested by then. The pre-debate rally starts at 6:00 p.m.

But the rally is just a tune-up for the massive Get Out The Vote effort that will kick off on August 28. In the past, the Republican GOTV machine has been good for a good three extra points on election day. To combat that, the Ritter campaign needs drivers, phone bankers, blockwalkers and anybody else who can help get voters to the polls. Get involved by calling the campaign at 303-534-0660.

What does that have to do with the MC5? Nothing. Except that it's time to get fired up.

PNA asks the FBI to chime in on "Both Ways Bob headed to the pokey?"

I think the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is going to take this matter very seriously. But it is hard to dispute Progress Now Action's contention that there's a serious conflict of interest.

Bill Winter on illegal immigration

The Denver Post thinks Tancredo is the only person who's talking about illegal immigration. Apparently the paper has has confused demagoging an issue with understanding it. Too see what that looks like, watch this video of Bill Winter:

Vote for Colorado at the Progressive Patriots Fund

Winning state parties get $3,000.

UPDATE: Bumped to keep it near the top of the page. Go vote already.

Beauprez pulls a both-ways to avoid the pokey

The Denver Post reports that Both Ways Bob Beauprez has flip-flopped on his promise to reveal whether his campaign illegally accessed a federal crime database:

Beauprez added, "We''ll go through the file. We'll demonstrate that we got our information legally."

After the debate, Beauprez's campaign manager, John Marshall, said he would not publicly provide information because it would compromise a confidential source.

After extensive research, the Post has been unable to independently verify that the California case exists or if Medina's aliases match the cases the ad alludes to.

CBI will investigate whether information was taken inappropriately, said spokesman Lance Clem. The probe will start with an audit of who accessed the system and what they requested.

The Ritter campaign is keeping the heat on. From a press release:

"This is much more serious than just another 'Both Ways Bob' moment," said Ritter, who served as Denver's District Attorney from 1993 to 2005.... "We know all too well what happens in Washington when politicians try to cover up wrongdoing and corruption," Ritter said. "This isn't Washington. It's Colorado, and we deserve truth and honesty from our politicians. So far we haven't gotten that from the Congressman."

More information about "Both Ways Bob headed to the pokey?"

Why did Both Ways Bob Beauprez think he could get away with breaking the law? Perhaps because he thought Ritter, who has a big lead in the polls, wouldn't risk going after him. What Beauprez forgot is that Ritter has spent much of his life enforcing Colorado law. He's not stopping out of political expediency.

Advocacy groups are joining Ritter's call for an investigation. The Post blogs:

A liberal advocacy group urged the FBI on Sunday to investigate whether Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez's campaign violated federal or state laws by accessing the highly restricted National Crime Information Center database. ProgressNowAction sent its request to the FBI on Sunday and plans to send an e-mail titled "Beauprez Gate" today to its more than 50,000 members calling for an FBI probe into the Beauprez campaign.

The Rocky adds:

Michael Huttner, director of ProgressNow, said Sunday he believes it is a conflict of interest for the state to handle the probe... Huttner noted that the CBI is one of the agencies that reports to Joe Morales, head of the Department of Public Safety. Huttner said Morales has contributed $1,000 to Beauprez's campaign.

Post ought to try reading itself: Part 2

In its confusing endorsement of Tom Tancredo, The Denver Post wrote:

Tancredo has worked hard to advance an important issue that others would like to ignore.

Who, exactly, is ignoring the illegal immigration debate? Every single candidate on both sides of the aisle has made it a central issue. Every debate and ad has revolved around it. It's gotten to the point where anti-immigration zealot Dick Lamm admitted he regrets overwhelming other, more important issues.

Tancredo is associated with the illegal immigration debate not because others ignore it, but because it is the only issue he cares about.

In essence, the Post is following the same tortured logic it used in it's 2004 endorsement of George W. Bush: He broke America, so he deserves the chance to fix it.

So what gives? The Post is playing politics. It couldn't get away with opposing clear-cut winners like Ed Perlmutter and Jay Fawcett. To avoid charges of liberalism, it searched for a race where it could endorse the Republican nominee.

It is the worst sort of pandering, because it masquerades as responsible journalism.

Post ought to try reading itself: Part 1

On April 6, 2006, The Denver Post reported that CD6 representative Tom Tancredo was planning to stonewall the Senate on immigration reform:

[I]f the Senate deal passes, Tancredo said, then he and the other hardliners will fight on... "I have been around here long enough to know (things can change) when arms start breaking and pressure starts being applied," Tancredo said.

Today, The Denver Post endorsed Tancredo with these words:

We urge voters in the 6th to give Tancredo a chance to champion a comprehensive solution. We endorse his candidacy with trepidation. We know he'd have to swallow hard to make a compromise with the White House...

The Post knows that there is no evidence that Tancredo believes in compromises or solutions, while there is plenty to suggest he is a hateful egomaniac, drunk on his own celebrity. As fbiots wrote:

The Denver Post has decided to endorse a racist, promise breaker, nuclear madman, and supporter of anti-American groups, instead of endorsing the best choice for CD-6 and America: Bill Winter.

On the question of Winter's credentials, the Post agrees with fbiots:

Tancredo's opponent, Democrat Bill Winter, is no stranger to public service and is a respectable alternative for voters who believe Tancredo is wrong on his issue and unlikely to help achieve a solution. Winter is a veteran of the Navy and Marines and offers a valuable voice on military matters. A former educator, he's ready to reform the unworkable No Child Left Behind law. Winter also takes a sensible middle ground on immigration.

The real loser here is the Post. Winter can still win, with our support. But it may be too late for the paper. Its inconsistency has left it with the same tattered credibility as the demagogue it has endorsed in CD6.

More reading for "Both Ways Bob headed to the pokey?"

9 News, the Post and the Rocky are covering this story. Folks are discussing it at ColoradoPols, JB Holston and Square State. On the Ritter for Governor site, the story is here. And the Rocky has even ripped into the Post, calling its pro-Beauprez spin a "misleading" example of "gotcha journalism."

Smackdown #4: "Both Ways Bob headed to the pokey" edition

I watched the Fox gubernatorial debate last night. It covered a lot of the same ground as the other debates. Except that Both Ways Bob seems to have recently developed an Al Gore-like penchant for rolling his eyes and sighing while his opponent is speaking.

There was one itsy-bitsy new piece of information. Bob Beauprez, or someone in his campaign, committed a felony by illegally accessing and exploiting a national crime database for political gain.

I have already written about this story twice, so I'm not going to go over the details again. But I can't say it strongly enough. Either someone in the Beauprez campaign illegally tapped into the NCIC database. Or they are inventing their ads from scratch, which is possible, since the Beauprez camp never gave CBS the required sourcing information for their claim.

Read Smackdown #1, Smackdown #2 and Smackdown #3. Also read Both Ways Bob headed to the pokey? and More on "Both Ways Bob headed to the pokey?" And I apologize for conflating the two series.

More on "Both Ways Bob headed to the pokey?"

From the press release from the Ritter campaign:

Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today asked the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to examine whether Congressman Beauprez broke the law by using a criminaljustice database in a television attack ad.

Ritter accused the Congressman of gaining access to a secure national database in violation of state and federal law.

"Your campaign broke the law," Ritter said during a debate taped at Fox 31 News in Denver this afternoon. "It's illegal to have access to that database."

The Congressman said his campaign used an "informant" to gather the information in the ad and would publicly disclose how and from where he obtained the information.

"The Congressman needs to be held accountable for this," Ritter said after the debate. "Breaking the rules for political gain and trying to cover it up might be OK in Washington, but that's not how we do things in Colorado."

Both Ways Bob headed to the pokey?

Thanks to dismaleconomist at Square State for highlighting an article in The Cherry Creek News that claims the Beauprez for Governor campaign may have broken federal and state laws developing baseless attacks on Bill Ritter:

The Beauprez campaign has been using a plea bargains made by Ritter when he was Denver District Attorney to hammer the Democrat as soft on crime. The District Attorney's office says the plea bargain came because of problems with evidence in the case, which involved a man named either Carlos Medina or Walter Ramo.

But did the Beauprez campaign violate the law in obtaining that information?

The lawyer for the Ritter campaign has sent a letter to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, suggesting that the Beauprez campaign may have misused a federal crime database in researching the information, violating state and federal law. The attorney, Trey Rogers, has requested an investigation. The Beauprez campaign has previously told a television reporter that it used an "FBI number," which would mean it had access to the National Crime Information Center (or NCIC) database, to link the crime in Calfornia to the Colorado felon.

Roger's letter says that California is a "closed records" state, meaning the access to the Ramo-Medina records would require official level access to computer systems.

The Beauprez campaign claims to obtain the information through a Freedom of Information Act request. But according to our investigation, such a request would not allow access to a third party's records.

I already knew the ad ad in question was silly and maybe even false. Now it turns out it may land Beauprez in hot water, too.

Republicans speak out in Fawcett ad

Who's supporting Jay Fawcett in CD5? The answer may surprise you - if you've never read this blog before.

From the Rocky:

They are names and photos familiar in El Paso County Republican politics, but this time they're not endorsing the GOP candidate for Colorado's 5th Congressional District. The photos and names adorn a full-page ad bought by Democratic contender Jay Fawcett in today's Colorado Springs Independent, the local alternative weekly.

It's the latest salvo fired in Fawcett's campaign to defeat State Sen. Doug Lamborn, the Republican Party's nominee to replace retiring Joel Hefley. Hefley has refused to endorse Lamborn, charging him with running a sleazy campaign.

The ad is one of the biggest campaign buys ever by a Democrat for the seat that no Democrat has held since its creation in 1972. Most years, the party has written off the race with a token candidate and no money. This year, Fawcett is riding a wave of public disaffection for the Iraq war and the Bush administration to the most competitive race ever for the seat.

I'm a little irritated that the Rocky continues to blame Lamborn's problems on "disaffection" with the Republican party. Lamborn's biggest hurdle is his own toxic personality. And his second biggest is Fawcett, whose military background and fiscal conservatism match up well with CD5.

Bill Clinton coming to Colorado to support Ed Perlmutter

That's what Dan Haley is reporting.

Perlmutter spot: Boys on the border?

Here's the Ed Perlmutter spot I mentioned on Wednesday.

Media still trying to give Beauprez a break

On September 29, The Rocky Mountain News endorsed Bill Ritter. But since then, the paper has acted as if it wants a job in the Beauprez public relations department.

Media Matters reports that on October 11, the Rocky "uncritically repeated Beauprez's claim that two sales tax proposals that he supported would be 'revenue neutral.' In fact, neither of Beauprez's proposals appear to be revenue-neutral over the long run."

And yesterday, the paper led a story with this mind-blowing sentence:

Some people on Capitol Hill are as predictable as the sunrise - and Rep. Bob Beauprez is one of them.

The lead begins an entire story that seems designed to combat the Both Ways Bob label.

The Rocky is already on record calling Beauprez's stand on Referendum C "unconvincing" and noting his "mysterious embrace and then repudiation of Amendment 38." They can't portray him as a model of consistency now.

Rocky joins Post in endorsing Rice

The Rocky's endorsements are "absurdly one-sided." But the paper couldn't deny that Democratic nominee Lt. Col. Joe Rice should be the choice in HD38:

Democrat Joe Rice - a veteran of the war in Iraq - is the best choice for this open seat vacated by Republican Joe Stengel. A former mayor of Glendale, he has experience corralling fractious groups into successful coalitions, a skill likely to serve him well in the legislature.

Warner will not run for President

I'm sure everyone who worked to convince Virginia Gov. Mark Warner to come to Colorado to support Bill Winter just got the same surprising email I did:

"I have decided not to run for President... I know these moments are never going to come again. This weekend made clear what I'd been thinking about for many weeks - that while politically this appears to be the right time for me to take the plunge - at this point, I want to have a real life."

Warner's efforts to help our CD6 nominee are even more commendable when you consider that he won't leverage them into a White House bid. He deserves our thanks.

O'Donnell: "Kick back in sunny Panama!"

From The Denver Post:

Republican congressional candidate Rick O'Donnell, who has blasted politicians who accept perks, took an expenses-paid trip to Panama with his girlfriend arranged by a TV station doing business with a state agency he headed. O'Donnell took the trip three weeks before he resigned as the head of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education to campaign for Congress full time.

There's nothing technically illegal about O'Donnell's Panama junket. But when you add it to the O'Donnell/Johnson scandal and the O'Donnell/Bushell scandal and the O'Donnell/W. lovefest, a pattern starts to emerge. O'Donnell is looking more and more like just another political opportunist. And less and less like the sort of moderate, ethical representative that CD7 deserves.

UPDATE: Progress Now Action has more.

It's true: DCCC to support Fawcett campaign

The rumor I blogged a few hours ago has been upgraded to fact. From a press release from Fawcett for Congress:

Jay Fawcett today announced that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has elevated the CD-5 race to its "Emerging Race" list - providing the Fawcett campaign with financial and strategic support during the run-up to Election Day."

It's hard to overstate the importance of this decision. The DCCC is stingy with its dollars. The fact that they're investing in a district the Democrats have not held since 1972 says volumes about the strength of the party, the mood of the voters, and the momentum of the Fawcett campaign.

I'll post the whole release in the comments.

Tancredo hates McCain, Bush and everybody

How is Tom Tancredo planning to make amends with all of the people in his own party who he has alienated and ignored? Apparently, by bashing them. Last night at Cool River, Tancredo said he has nicknamed Republican 2008 frontrunner Senator John McCain "McKennedy." He also blasted the President and his comprehensive immigration reform. And my guess is that Tancredo wasn't any nicer to Democrats.

In a press release, Tancredo's Democratic opponent Bill Winter reacted to Tancredo's comments:

"Now more than ever, this country needs unity and leaders who will work together to address the challenges we face as a nation... If Mr. Tancredo can't even work with members of his own party, how can the voters of CD-6 send him to Washington and expect him to be an effective voice for us in Congress?"

DCCC to jump on Fawcett bandwagon

My email inbox, MyDD and Square State all say that the DCCC is about to put money into CD5, where Jay Fawcett is running neck and neck with Dishonest Doug. I'm sorry I'm an hour or so behind in posting this. But when I saw the news, I fainted.

Perlmutter has a new TV spot, but not this one

Ed Perlmutter has launched a new TV spot to call attention to his opponent's plan to force boys to spend their senior year of high school patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border and doing other national service projects. I saw the spot on TV this morning, and it's jawdropping. Issues like this are why the national GOP is "staying on the sidelines" of the CD7 race.

But the ad isn't on YouTube yet. So I'm blogging this Perlmutter spot instead:

Sinapu sues to stop unconstitutional regulations

Why vote for Bill Ritter? Because the governor makes kajillions of appointments. And commissions staffed by Republican appointees do silly things.

Case in point: The Colorado Wildlife Commission recently legalized the trapping and killing of mink and marten for fur. Didn't the voters pass an amendment banning recreational trapping? Yeah. But when was the last time a Republican respected the Constitution?

I blogged the heck out of this story here, here, here, here and here. But apparently the Wildlife Commission isn't staffed by Coloradolib readers.

Yesterday, Sinapu moved forward with a lawsuit to stop the trapping. From a press release:

Sinapu and Forest Guardians filed suit in Denver yesterday, challenging a July decision by the Colorado Wildlife Commission to allow capture mink and marten with box traps and then kill the animals for their fur... The decision was made at a contentious public hearing on July 13th in Fort Collins, and the Commission voted 5-3 in partial favor of a Colorado Trappers Association request.

"The Commission's approval of trapping tramples the rights of the majority of Coloradoans who voted to outlaw recreational trapping in Colorado in 1996," stated Wendy Keefover-Ring of Sinapu.

Partially, this is about the fact that recreational trapping is a cowardly and disgusting sport. And partially this is about respect for the will of the voters and the rule of law. As Wendy Keefover-Ring of Sinapu stated:

"The intent of the law was to ban all recreational trapping... The Wildlife Commission's interpretation of Amendment 14 is simply a twisted, illegal perversion."

Beauprez blames Ritter for his own failings

Psychologists call it projection. And Bob Beauprez has it bad.

Beauprez's latest ad claims that in 2001 Bill Ritter, then Denver's district attorney, plea bargained an illegal immigrant defendant to allow him to avoid deportation. The illegal immigrant allegedly went on to commit other felonies.

The ad is misleading. Just entering America illegally is cause for deportation, according to the Rocky's Truth Test. The plea bargain didn't impact that. And as district attorney, Ritter took steps to make it easier for the federal government to initiate deportation proceedings.

Over his years in congress, Beauprez took no action on illegal immigration. Perhaps he feels guilty about it. But he shouldn't project his own failings onto Bill Ritter.

Happy birthday to this very blog

I'm celebrating the first birthday of Coloradolib the only way I know how. More video of Russ Feingold and Bill Winter.



Hat-tip goes to Square State.

Esquire: Tancredo one of America's worst

Dem Notes tells us that Esquire Magazine has endorsed Bill Winter. And labeled his GOP opponent one of America's worst congressmen.

Three reasons Fawcett is even in CD5

Recent poll results show CD5 Democratic nominee Jay Fawcett in a dead heat with his Republican rival.

The press release from the Fawcett campaign highlighted the ways in which the Fighting Dem is winning voters in the heavily Republican district:

In a sign of surging support for his campaign, a Denver Post poll released today shows that Jay Fawcett, Democratic candidate for Colorado's 5th Congressional district, is in a statistical dead heat with Republican opponent Doug Lamborn.

In contrast, the Post chose to chalk Fawcett's numbers up to the general malaise of the Republican party:

In what may be the starkest depiction yet of the challenges Republicans face in maintaining control of Congress, a new poll shows the party is fighting to hold on to a traditionally Republican seat in Colorado Springs.

Both leads are true. Fawcett's campaign is on fire. And it is a bad year to be a Republican. But neither mentions the third reason for the poll results: Lamborn himself. Voters on both sides of the aisle are disgusted with Lamborn's stridency and dishonesty.

Edited video of yesterday's Winter/Feingold listening session

Here's video of the Winter/Feingold listening session I blogged yesterday. It's fun to watch. But seems to have been edited to make it look like we spent the whole 90 minutes complaining about Tom Tancredo. That's not true. People were invited to step to the microphone and ask questions about policy. And Feingold and Winter both responded with direct and positive answers.

That being said, here's the three minutes we spent on Tancredo:



Hat-tip to Square State and CVN.

Carroll vs. the wingnuts: Contrast and compare

Republican SD22 nominee Mike Kopp was last seen purging the GOP of its moderates. Today he's back, refusing to debate Paula Noonan because he thinks the world is out to get him.

Republican SD9 nominee David Schultheis was last seen lowering the level of discourse at the capitol. Today he's back, lowering it even further. And making his Democratic opponent, Keely Marrs, look great by comparison.

Now contrast the actions of Kopp and Shultheis with HD38 representative Morgan Carroll's recent writings on 38, 39 and 40. Carroll goes on the record with detailed, principled essays about why she'll vote against all three amendments.

This is the type of leadership the GOP has been unable to show Colorado. And it's the type of engagement that will attract undecided voters to the Democratic party.

Photo courtesy of Representative Morgan Carroll.

Me, babbling in public

Jay Marvin had me on for a segment this morning. Did I compliment Bill Winter too much? If so, I blame Russ Feingold. The podcast should be up on the AM760 site in a little while.

Fawcett tied in CD5. And that's no joke.

Is it surprising that Democratic CD5 nominee Jay Fawcett is tied with his Republican opponent, Dishonest Doug Lamborn? It shouldn't be. Fawcett is a decorated military veteran while Lamborn is a strident political careerist who has alienated his entire party. From the Post:

Fawcett and Lamborn each have 37% of the votes, while 26% of voters in the six-county district remain undecided. The poll was conducted Oct. 3 through Saturday and included 400 likely voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Daily Kos, MyDD and Square State are also covering the poll. Lamborn's response? Probably something like, "Keep your mouth shut."

Beauprez flip-flopped on in-state tuition for illegal immigrants

How many times am I going to have to update the Both Ways Bob Watch? Apparently, he's going to make me find out. From the Post:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez once supported granting in-state college tuition to an illegal immigrant - a position at odds with his recent attacks on Democrat Bill Ritter...

"The hypocrisy of his position - supporting Jesus Apodaca four years ago and completely flip-flopping around this issue for political gain - is shameful," Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer said. "And (it's) perhaps the most classic 'Both Ways Bob' moment we've seen in this entire campaign," Dreyer said. "And we've seen a lot."

Beauprez's strong points extremely weak

Both Ways Bob Beauprez was counting on religious voters, the illegal immigration debate, and overwhelming support on the Western Slope. That's why this article from the Saturday Grand Junction Sentinel is so perfect. It demonstrates just how terribly wrong things have gone for Beauprez:

Local anti-illegal-immigration proponents and immigration rights advocates Friday said they were baffled by Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez's comments citing his Catholic faith as the root of his views on the immigration issue... [Karen] Sjoberg said Beauprez's enforcement-first stance on immigration was certainly contrary to the stances of all three of Colorado's bishops.

To recap, a Western Slope paper is reporting that religious voters aren't falling in line on illegal immigration. That's three strikes for Both Ways Bob.

Vote for Jay Fawcett. Because Doug Lamborn thinks you should keep your mouth shut.

Winter/Feingold: Part 3 of more than 1

In the Coloradolib sidebar, I include links to the PAC's of all of the potential Democratic presidential nominees who have supported candidates in Colorado. Feingold was one of the first people to get on that list. The Progressive Patriots Fund endorsed Bill Winter way back in March.

Is Feingold a viable candidate for the Democratic presidential nod in 2008? The National Journal doesn't have him in their Top Five. But Feingold has proved that he can talk about national security as credibly and forcefully as anyone in America. And his unwavering support for campaign finance reform and comprehensive healthcare have earned the admiration of Democratic activists across America.

Winter/Feingold. Flip that around and you have a pretty great ticket for '08.

Winter/Feingold: Part 2 of more than 1

After the listening session ended, I sped downtown to Rutt Bridges' condo, where Feingold would headline a $250-a-plate fundraiser for Winter.

I believe that besides Winter, Feingold and their staffs, I was the only person to attend both events. But with the exception of dress, there wasn't that much difference between the two. People asked the same questions: the Iraq War, the trampling of our Constitutional rights, global warming. And Winter and Feingold responded with many of the same answers.

Winter, who spent 10 years in the military, spoke with special authority on military matters. I was also impressed by how well versed he has become on environmental issues. He repeated some of Al Gore's cautions about the damage that will be inflicted on national security and the U.S. economy if global warming continues. And he pledged to work with soon-to-be Governor Bill Ritter to make sure that Colorado becomes a leader in the New Energy Economy.

Winter/Feingold: Part 1 of more than 1

Only a month ago, I wrote a piece on Square State worrying about whether Bill Winter would ever be able to get the name recognition he needed to pull out a win in CD6. But in the last few weeks, things have broken loose. Tom Tancredo has gone on the defensive, spending money, unleashing his surrogates, and even agreeing to a late October debate. The papers have reported Winter's calls for fiscal responsibility and veteran's care. And today, Senator Russ Feingold visited Denver for two issues-driven Winter events.

The first event took place at Denver's historic Oriental Theater, which has recently been revamped as one of the city's top concert venues. About 220 people came to meet Feingold and Winter and to voice their concerns. The questions ranged from insightful to, well, considerably less-than. But Feingold and Winter were masterful at identifying issues and addressing them fearlessly.

Feingold has been tagged as one of the most liberal Senators in the country. And he didn't back away when queried about the label. But he spoke hawkishly about defeating Islamofascism, eliminating the deficit, and defending our Constitution.

The latter topic gave him his best line, "People accuse me of having a pre-9/11 mindset. I think maybe they have a pre-1776 mindset."

People might expect Winter to be hosting free listening sessions. After all, he is locked in a race that is much, much tighter than conventional wisdom suspects. But the fact that he was able to convince a high-profile U.S. Senator to spend so much time with the voters in Colorado says a lot about the importance of CD6 and about the character of Russ Feingold.

Post endorses Rice, Marrs, centrism

Today The Denver Post endorsed moderate Democrats with military backgrounds in two Republican strongholds.

The Post noted Lt. Col. Joe Rice's resume and accomplishments:

Democrats have nominated Joe Rice, a two-tour Iraq War veteran and the successful former mayor of Glendale, for this open seat. Rice is an expert on state transportation needs and our choice over Republican Matt Dunn.

In Keeley Marrs, the paper found a candidate uniquely qualified to seize the district from a Republican who is out-of-step with his constituents:

Democrat Keely Marrs is a U.S. Army veteran whose background and understanding of water and transportation issues make her a better choice for this district than Republican David Schultheis, who obsessed on divisive social issues during his House service.

Ritter up by 15 points: Another day, another poll

A new Mason-Dixon poll conducted for The Denver Post confirms:

Ritter is beating Beauprez in every region of the state, including Beauprez's own congressional district and Republican strongholds like the Western Slope and Colorado Springs.

Photo courtesy of Ritter for Governor.

Winter scares Tancredo stupid

For the first time in 10 years, Tom Tancredo is on the defensive. He's sending out postcards that try to link Bill Winter - a military veteran who worked for Republican John McCain - to Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean.

What the postcards actually prove is that the Tancredo campaign needs a proofreader.

But the funniest thing about them isn't the arbitrary capitalization or the fact that Tancredo spells capital punishment with an "o." (Although I'd agree that he's been inflicting "capitol" punishment on his district for years.)

No, the funniest part is the photo of Winter with his finger in his mouth and the caption, "Bill Winter - A Wet-finger Politician?"

Originally, I was lost. So I did a little research and discovered a wet-finger politician is one who licks his finger and then puts it in the air to see how the winds are blowing. Makes sense. But it doesn't describe Bill Winter. So what does it mean here? Maybe a politician with his finger in the dike, holding back a flood of corruption? Or a politician who doesn't have his finger in the wind, flip-flopping whenever he sees the latest polls?

All kidding aside, Tancredo is obviously worried. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be spending money that he'd rather use to run for President.

UPDATE: The PDF of the postcard that I received was too big to post. Fortunately, PDT at Square State points out that the Douglas County Democrats have it on their website.

Ritter maintains big lead in governor's race

Weeks of nonstop lying by the Trailhead/Beauprez/Coloradans for Justice collective haven't swayed the voters. A new Ciruli poll gives Bill Ritter a double digit lead over his Republican opponent, whose name escapes me.

Winter sticking up for veterans, media finally taking notice

With the exception of Cindy Rodriguez, the mainstream media has made every attempt to ignore CD6 Democratic nominee Bill Winter. That's finally starting to change - with only one month to go before election day.

From today's Rocky:

With former Sen. Max Cleland at his side Friday, Winter criticized Tancredo for voting for a congressional pay raise but against a pay increase for the military... Winter, who spent 10 years in the Navy and Marine Corps, said the nation owes a huge debt to those who have served in our armed forces.

In addition to Cleland, Winter has earned the endorsement of Senator Russ Feingold, who will be in Denver on Monday to attend a free rally at the Oriental Theater and a fundraiser for Winter. See you there.

UPDATE: Winter has blogged about the Cleland event at Square State.

Bob takes both sides on the issue of severance taxes

Where does Bob Beauprez stand on taxes? Depends on who he's talking to. For instance, he recently flip-flopped on the issue of raising severance taxes on corporations that extract minerals, oil and gas from the earth. From an Oct. 6 press release :

In a stunning about-face, Congressman Beauprez today told the Nature Conservancy he would consider increasing Colorado's severance tax. Two days earlier, during an energy-issues debate in Rifle, the Congressman had a completely different answer:

"Hell no," Congressman Beauprez said when asked if he would support boosting the statewide severance tax.

Looks like it's time for me to update the Both Ways Bob Watch.

UPDATE: The Ritter campaign is going on-air with a spot that calls out Beauprez. Here it is:

Marshall out telling lies about Ritter's record

Both Ways Bob's campaign manager told the Post:

"As long as [Ritter] stands by his policy of allowing alien felons to avoid deportation, his poll numbers will continue to sink like a rock."

Excuse me? As district attorney Ritter directed his prosecutors to request 90-day jail holds on illegal immigrant defendants facing probation so that INS/ICE would have extra time to initiate deportation. And he also had investigators do background checks on all drug suspects and then notify INS/ICE of any suspected illegal immigrants.

While Ritter was trying to keep illegal immigrant defendants off the streets, Beauprez was hanging out with Russian mobsters, Tom DeLay, and Bob Ney. What did Beauprez's actions have to do with illegal immigration? Nothing. Which is exactly the point.

Beauprez attacking Ritter on illegal immigration is a bit like Lamborn attacking Fawcett on national defense. Neither of the GOP's candidates has a shred of credibility.

Fawcett debates Lamborn, wins

A decorated air force veteran and defense contractor took on a state-level political careerist and won? Gee DemNotes and Daily Kos, are you sure?

In all seriousness, CD5 Democratic nomineee Jay Fawcett demonstrated his superior qualifications and character in a debate yesterday. From The Colorado Springs Gazette:

Fawcett, a Democrat needing an upset to capture the open 5th Congressional District seat, questioned almost all of Lamborn's answers and asserted that as an Air Force combat veteran, he knows what the military and veterans need. Lamborn stuck largely to the platform he used to win a six-way Republican primary to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Joel Hefley.

If you're wondering, the platform that Lamborn used to win that "six-way Republican primary" was so sleazy and dishonest that many of his primary opponents have not endorsed him.

Much more on the debate at ColoradoPols.

Stengel a real live lawyer now

One of my favorite people finally passed the bar.

Best of Thursday, October 5

If I hadn't of been away from my computer all day, what would I have blogged about? Maybe Bill Ritter's attempt to hold Both Ways Bob accountable. Or I might have updated my recent post on the Tancredo/Botero beatdown in CD6. I might have linked to some hilarious billboards from SAFER. And I definitely would have posted the first TV spot ever run by a Democrat in CD5, just like this:

Bill Winter. Because he's awesome.

Why am I posting this video of Bill Winter? Guess.

So what the heck happened?

Yes, the Colorado Republican Party reserved the steps of the state capitol for 9:30 a.m. But the Beauprez camp told Erin Rosa they had nothing to do with it. And the source for the whole rumor was ToTheRight, which missed the last time it tried to make an insider prediction. And which seems to have a bone to pick with Beauprez.

So maybe this whole thing was just like the infamous Students for Beauprez hoax. Maybe ToTheRight was trying to drive up its readership. Maybe I don't give a crap. Maybe I ought to file this story as rubbish until proven otherwise. Starting now.

Has it really come to this?

Square State and about 6 billion other blogs are reporting that Bob Beauprez has scheduled a press conference for 9:30 tomorrow morning, at which he will attempt to exploit the victims of a traffic accident that Bill Ritter was in 20 years ago when he was a missionary in Africa. (The Denver Post included the accident in their profile of Ritter, which you can read here.)

At first, I couldn't believe that Beauprez would do something so ugly. But then I thought about the way that he tried to politicize the Bailey tragedy last night. And I realized that maybe Beauprez isn't just a flip-flopping political careerist. Maybe he's actually a bad person.

I wish I could go to the capitol tomorrow morning to see the truth with my own eyes. But I can't. In fact, I'm not going to be anywhere near a computer for most of the day. So I'm going to have to rely on the Rocky.

Beauprez will destroy his personal reputation and the chances of Republican candidates across the state if he goes through with the press conference. There should be some partisan part of me that actually wants it to happen. But there isn't. I'm not there yet. For the good of the state, for the good of the democratic process, I hope Beauprez puts a stop to this.

Does Beauprez means to bend our state to his awe, or break it all to pieces? If it's true, it's madness.

Beauprez talks strategy with Bush, Cheney and Rove: Part 2

Who's the chairperson of the "big Bush bash"? Gigi Dennis. Yes, that Gigi Dennis.

Beauprez talks strategy with Bush, Cheney and Rove: Part 1

W. is in town today to raise money for his buddy Both Ways Bob Beauprez. The two won't appear in public with each other. So to commemorate the occasion, Progress Now Action is launching the Both Ways Bob Mobile. Here are my photos from this morning's press conference.

Smackdown #3: Ritter vs. Beauprez on Channel 7

Both Ways Bob Beauprez's bombshell never materialized. But the GOP gubernatorial nominee did debate better than he had in two previous appearances. (Which I covered here and here.) Was his performance enough to fool the citizens of Colorado into voting for him? No way.

Part One: We get off to a shaky start.

George Stephanopoulos' first question was about how a governor could take action to prevent tragedies like the one in Bailey. Ritter spoke from experience and gave a thorough response, but seemed to be rambling. Of course, Beauprez didn't have a good answer either. But he did seem more confident and clearer than he had in past forums.

I began to worry. As it turns out, I shouldn't have.

Part Two: The immigration debate.

Beauprez's strategy was to make the entire debate about immigration. And one of the earliest questions played into his hands. But Beauprez didn't say anything new. Instead, he trotted out the same old distortions. And he even parroted one of his own podcasts verbatim when he said, "Illegal immigration is illegal, isn't it?"

Ritter was ready, and he fired back with specific examples of how he dealt with illegal immigration as Denver's district attorney. Ritter's best line was, "Colorado's next governor needs to have more than a cocktail party familiarity with the criminal justice system."

Unfortunately, while Ritter made some references to Beauprez's vote to allow banks to accept matricula consular, he never explicitly pointed out that Both Ways Bob talks a hard line on illegal immigration here in Colorado, but has consistently voted in his own best interests in Washington DC.

Part Three: Beauprez shows his true stripes.

In the middle of attempting to tar Ritter's record of prosecuting illegal immigrants, Beauprez slid the tragedy in Bailey back into the conversation:

"Tell the people in Bailey that that was just an isolated incident."

It was an unconscionable and baffling moment. I have no idea why Beauprez thought it'd be a good idea to make political hay out of this tragedy. Or why it belonged in a discussion about Ritter's prosecution of immigrants. But I was so mad I just about went through my TV.

Beauprez also repeated the lie that he has spent his whole life in business, while Ritter has never worked in the private sector. I debunked this myth here.

Part Four: Turn out the lights on Both Ways Bob.

Beauprez made his biggest blunder at the very end of the debate. He attempted to launch an attack on Ritter's qualifications, lying that The Denver Post had questioned Ritter's judgement. Ritter pounced, pointing out that the Post was merely reporting Beauprez's comments. And then Ritter brought up the fact that the Post, far from questioning his judgement, has endorsed him for governor.

Beauprez has so few folks on his side, he's been reduced to quoting Ritter's supporters and hoping no one notices. Game over. Lights out. Ritter, 54% to 46%. Write it down.

Don't want to take my word for it? Watch the debate here.

Tancredo World gets even wackier

Tomorrow, Tom Tancredo was planning to continue hiding behind surrogates by sending someone named Ted Harvey to debate Democratic CD6 nominee Bill Winter. But it seems that Tancredo has yanked Harvey from the debate and had write-in Republican candidate Juan Botero arrested. Follow the story here.

Suthers attempts to mislead voters

What is Republican attorney general nominee John Suthers' problem with honest elections? Not to long ago, I wrote about his refusal to investigate The Trailhead Group. (Eventually, Colorado Confidential had to do his job for him.) Now Suthers is intentionally repeating false information about Amendment 44.

In an editorial in the Sunday Pueblo Chieftan, he wrote:

Under current law the transfer of less than an ounce of marijuana from someone over the age of 18 to someone over the age of 15 is deemed possession of marijuana and not distribution. So in legalizing possession of less than an ounce of marijuana for people over 21, the proponents are unwittingly advocating legalization of the transfer of less than an ounce of marijuana from someone over 21 to anyone over 15.

This is the same false language found in the voter's guide, which The Rocky Mountain News has discredited. The paper wrote:

Unfortunately, the clear implication of that statement - that the amendment decriminalizes such transfers, at least insofar as the state is concerned - is simply false. It is a crime in Colorado to help any juvenile break any federal or state law, and under both federal and state law it will continue to be illegal for minors to possess marijuana even if Amendment 44 is approved. So someone giving a minor marijuana would be breaking the law as well.

I haven't decided how I'll vote on 44. But I know who I'm going to support for attorney general. And it won't be John Suthers.

Ritter gets 80 wildlife endorsements, Beauprez gets investigated for illegal coordination

The contrast between Ritter and Beauprez has never been clearer.

Beauprez bombshell could backfire

So what's this big bombshell Bob Beauprez is going to drop on Tuesday? Well, for Beauprez's sake, I hope it doesn't involve the words "immigrant," "deportation" or "plea bargain." That seems to be the GOP's latest line of attack against Bill Ritter. And it's a phenomenally dumb one for three reasons:

1. Ritter's record on illegal immigration is much stronger than Beauprez's.

2. The Colorado Democrats' record on illegal immigration is much stronger than the Colorado GOP's.

3. The last thing Colorado taxpayers need is a system bogged down by a flood of deportations. From today's Denver Post:

Immigration courts face such a surge that judges recently testified in Congress that fairness is threatened. The government's 212 immigration judges completed 352,287 cases in fiscal year 2005 - an average of 1,662 cases per judge, 35 percent more than in 2001 with only four more judges.

The immigration-court workload in Colorado has doubled. Three judges and their staff handle more than 2,600 cases a year. Attorneys face four-month waits to have cases heard.

It seems all of Colorado needs to adopt Ritter's approach to illegal immigration (summarized here), which helped solve the problem without burdening the taxpayers. If Beauprez says otherwise tomorrow, he's going to embarrass himself.

Fawcett/Cleland vs. Lamborn/Hastert

Former Democratic Senator Max Cleland is a war hero who has served his country with integrity for decades. On Wednesday, October 4, he'll be in Colorado Springs to support his fellow Fighting Dem and Democratic CD5 nominee Jay Fawcett.

Current Republican congressman Dennis Hastert is a toxic partisan who it appears has been covering up for Mark Foley for at least a year. On Friday, September 29, he formally endorsed Fawcett's opponent Dishonest Doug Lamborn.

Who do you want on your side, CD5? Enough is enough. Vote Fawcett in 2006.

It takes three Beauprezes to equal one Hejtmanek

When is your gubernatorial campaign in trouble? It's not when you're getting out-polled, out-fundraised and out-endorsed. It's not when your own party runs away from you. Or when you've been reduced to taking wild swings at your opponent.

No, your gubernatorial campaign is in trouble when your supporters are using three of your yard signs to hide the name of one state-level Democratic candidate.

Seeing photos like these makes me want to sing the theme to The Smurfs.

Thanks to everyone at Drinking Liberally

This is late in coming. But I want to thank johne and everybody else who made Saturday night's Drinking Liberally party at the Flying Dog Brewery such a good time. Bill Winter even dropped by to fire up the troops. Is it October 24 yet?

Stephens taking lessons from Doug Lamborn?

The GOP thinks it has found a way to stop HD20 Democratic nominee Jan Hejtmanek. Block her signs with signs supporting Republican nominee Amy Stephens. Perhaps Stephens has been taking campaigning lessons from Doug Lamborn?

Post endorses Bill Ritter for Governor

This morning, The Denver Post joined the Rocky in endorsing Bill Ritter. From the article:

Ritter won't wander off to the extremes of ideology or party politics. No matter who sponsors what legislation, he has promised to exercise the governor's all-important veto pen when he sees a bill that could harm Colorado interests. We see this willingness to provide statehouse discipline as key to any governor's effectiveness.

On the campaign trail, Ritter talks about his "Colorado Promise," a pledge to reach the state's fullest potential by reviving its education system, creating a health plan for the uninsured, and attracting new jobs, while modernizing our roads.

Bob Beauprez seems stuck in the past. Bill Ritter has a plan that can take Colorado into a bright future.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The Post ran a blistering profile of Beauprez a few months ago. But under the leadership of Dean Singleton, the paper has trended conservative.