Hillary Clinton [heart] Ken Salazar?

On The Chris Matthews Show this morning, one of the 12 regulars opined that Hillary Clinton's best choice for a runningmate would be Colorado Senator Ken Salazar.

UPDATE: Jason Bane discusses this post at 5280's Elevated Voices.

UPDATE: Jeralyn Merritt links to this post at TalkLeft.

UPDATE: The transcipt of the show is now online here:

MATTHEWS: ...We put it to the Matthews Meter, 12 of our regular panelists. Who would Hillary pick? This one's all over the map: four say Barack Obama, three say Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, who just dropped out of the presidential race a few weeks back, two say John Edwards, and two say New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. In fact, there's one vote there for Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado.

Hickenlooper still popular, poll finds

Despite much chattering to the contrary, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper seems to be as popular as ever. The Denver Post finds:

Denver residents overwhelmingly approve of Mayor John Hickenlooper's job performance, and most don't hold him responsible for the snowpacked condition of city streets, a poll conducted for The Denver Post shows...

The poll backs up what I wrote last week, comparing the Mayor's handling of the storm to George W. Bush's handling of Hurricaine Katrina. Citizens don't blame politicians for the weather, but they do expect a high level of empathy and effort:

Hickenlooper said the poll results indicated that Denver residents appreciated how hard city employees had been working in the past week. "The public may not expect us to be perfect, but they do require that we never give up," he said in a statement.

The poll also contains a tidbit that neatly sums up the state of mind of the American taxpayer:

A majority of Denver residents said that the city should "significantly increase" its number of snowplows, but a majority also opposed raising taxes to buy them or pay for other snow preparation methods.

Bill Ritter not just the governor of Denver

Bill Ritter is looking outside the metro area for administration appointments, as a press release points out:

Gov.-elect Bill Ritter today named two prominent Coloradans to his administration: farmer and longtime Prowers County Commissioner John Stulp as executive director of the Department of Agriculture, and Manitou Springs Mayor Marcy Morrison as insurance commissioner.

Ritter said he is committed to appointing a broad cross-section of talented Coloradans to top-level posts by reaching beyond metro-Denver.

Dunn loses seat, gets sworn in anyway

Republican Matt Dunn lost the race for HD38 to Democratic nominee Joe Rice. But today's Rocky reports Dunn will get to hold the seat for 27 days anyway. He'll replace the resigning Joe Stengel. Dunn had a good sense of humor about the appointment:

"My goal until my term ends is to practice full-time dentistry and take two back-country hut trips," Dunn said. But, he joked, "I'll be available for a special session just in case one arises."

More thoughts on John Edwards for President

It wasn't so long ago, I was voicing my doubts about a John Edwards candidacy. I wasn't sure whether he had the pragmatism to fix the foreign policy messes made by George W. Bush. And between Hillary the establishment favorite, Obama the fresh face, and Biden the senior statesman, there seemed to be little ownable space left for Edwards.

Today he announced a Presidential campaign that appears to be as much about movement-building as it is about winning the White House. Ezra Klein and Atrios both have commentary. The former writes:

"This campaign," Edwards promised, "will be a grassroots, ground-up campaign where we ask the people to take action." As part of that, there'll be monthly Days of Action, the first on January 27th, which will exhort volunteers and supporters to enter their communities and work on a particular issue. "Americans," Edwards kept saying," have to be patriotic about something besides war," and that means taking individual initiative to ease poverty, conserve energy, and create the Good Society even without holding office. The announcement was striking for sounding less like a campaign for the presidency and more like a telethon. His campaign would certainly like to lead in the polls, but Edwards seemed more interested in leading a movement.

Klein's post reminded me of something I wrote about Edwards when I saw him at a luncheon back in March:

Most of his speech focused on poverty. He talked about the immorality of a culture that subsidizes oil companies while cancelling school lunch programs. And he talked about the face of poverty that he has seen traveling across the country over the last year. He also offered several concrete proposals on how to end poverty, like mixed-income communities and easier access to financial aid. I kept thinking, "This doesn't sound like someone who is running for President in 2008. This sounds like someone who has found his life's calling and who has dedicated himself to it. It sounds like someone who understands the promise of self-determination and is terrified to see it slipping away."

Can Edwards' crusade catch fire in the America of 2006, where the President ended the year with a speech begging Americans to "go shopping more"?

More gainful employment updates

Don Mares is either primarying the Mayor or joining the Bill Ritter team as executive director of the Department of Labor and Employment.

Bill Owens also finds gainful employment

Like Gale Norton, Bill Owens has lined up a new job. He'll either be leading the Kucinich for President campaign or running a real estate investment firm.

John Edwards from the Upper Ninth Ward

Gale Norton finds gainful employment

Colorado Confidential reports "former Colorado Attorney General and Interior Secretary Gale Norton has found a new job." She's either going to be the new director of the Greenpeace or general counsel for Shell Oil.

Several ways John Hickenlooper is different from George W. Bush

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper deserves some of the grief he's getting for the mismanaged response to last week's storm. But those comparing him to President George W. Bush circa August 29, 2005 (here and here) need to have their heads examined.

1. Hickenlooper did not spend the storm smiling through a photo-op with John McCain.

2. Hickenlooper's aides would not have worried about telling him he'd have to cut his vacation short.

3. Hickenlooper did not have to watch the storm on DVD.

4. Hickenlooper did not appoint an inept crony of a crony to head disaster response.

5. Hickenlooper's mismanagement did not help cause 1,836 fatalities.

6. Hickenlooper will not have to spend 105 billion taxpayer dollars to get the city running.

7. Hickenlooper has not tried to shift the blame to the opposition party.

8. Hickenlooper has not tried to cover up his mistakes.

Hurricaine Katrina further exposed the President's incompetence, laziness and moral poverty. At the very, very worst, the Mayor can only be accused of the former.

John Edwards is in

It's official.

BLM posts oil and gas lease sale info

I've written a number of times about the federal government's ongoing, controversial sell-off of the Western Slope. (Here, here, here, here and here.) Today The Craig Daily Press reports that information on a "quarterly oil and gas lease sale is now available. The sale scheduled for Feb. 8, 2007 includes 49 parcels covering 32,125 acres in Colorado."

Speaking of Joe Biden...

....(and I was), he's going after Condi Rice.

BLM considers pulling the wool over our eyes. Again.

It's not like the Bureau of Land Management is the most trustworthy organization. And now it's getting even worse. A couple days ago, The Denver Post reported:

The Bureau of Land Management is considering a reorganization that environmentalists and a bipartisan group of House of Representatives members worry could dilute the agency's protection of millions of acres of conservation lands in the West.

The BLM manages about 258 million acres, and among its traditional workload are mining, grazing and timber programs, but it also maintains about 26 million acres under its National Landscape Conservation System. Much of that is in wilderness or national monuments and conservation areas.

The proposal would bring under the umbrella of the NLCS a variety of unrelated programs that, on paper, could make it seem as though substantially more money is being spent on conservation when on-the- ground spending is shrinking.

Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill also are raising concerns about the reorganization, which critics charge was hatched in secret and has had no public airing.

Meanwhile, the Ginn Co. is building 1,700 homes, a golf course and 1,100 acres of ski terrain on Battle Mountain that'll destroy lynx habitat:

Even Ginn Co. researchers admit the development will hurt lynx. "(The) project will result in an adverse affect to Canada lynx and lynx habitats through direct habitat loss and the indirect effects of increased traffic along U.S. Highway 24, which would fragment habitat and increase the chances of lynx mortality..."

Cross-posted at Square State.

Rule of 14 catches up to Joe Biden?

I have nothing against 2008 Presidential candidate Senator Joe Biden. (Except for the whole bankruptcy bill issue.) He's got a good head for foreign policy, which America sorely needs. I look forward to seeing him on the campaign trail.

The problem is that Biden hasn't just broken the Rule of 14. He's set it on fire and jumped up and down on its ashes. His experience may make him a good President, but it may also make him a lousy candidate.

Here are the most recent polls I know of in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Republicans, AP get out the knives for Ritter

Yesterday's Gazette ran an Associated Press article that pretty much sums up the Colorado GOP's stance on teamwork:

"I am representing the loyal opposition. However, it's a little difficult to figure out what we're supposed to be against, listening to the governor-elect's agenda, which we didn't hear," [Republican representative Mike] May said.

Just tell us what you're for, and we'll be against it. Merry Christmas, eh?

The whole tone of the article seems anti-Ritter to me. But I'm obviously biased. However, it's worth noting that this specific AP reporter has regurgitated rightwing spin before. (See examples here and here.)

Merry Christmas to all

And to all a good night.

Happy holidays from John Edwards (for President)

I got the same email from John Edwards that MyDD and Benny's World did. An excerpt:

For the past two years, we've worked together to build an America that lives up to its promise - one where we all share in prosperity at home and one that shows real moral leadership around the world.

I'm proud of our successes fighting poverty, supporting working families, and standing up for what we believe.

Now, we have a big decision to make - and I do mean we.

I'm getting ready to take this effort to the next level - to bring Americans together in all fifty states to tackle the big challenges facing our country, from poverty and lack of health care, to energy and global warming...

If you want to take this effort to next level, send me an e-mail and
let me know: JohnEdwards@readytochangeamerica.com.

For the record, I tried to find a link. But when I typed in readytochangeamerica, it resolved to the aforementioned MyDD post. When I typed in readytochangeamerica.com, it resolved to johnedwardsevents.com.

Photo of Edwards, me and assorted bloggers courtesty of ProgressNow.

Jon Caldera, John Hickenlooper, and the wisdom of investment

On Fridays, I try to make time to watch Independent Thinking, the show where "hard-pressing conservative host" Jon Caldera hosts "lively - and sometimes heated - debates among elected officials, journalists, activists, concerned citizens." The show is typically littered with distortions and falsehoods. But Caldera is interesting. And it's always good to expose yourself to different points of view.

But I've just about had it with Caldera's insistence that tax dollars spent on transportation, education and healthcare should not be considered investments. This is hogwash. For instance:

1. For every dollar invested in education through the G.I. Bill, "it is estimated that nearly seven dollars was returned to the American public."

2. Money invested in public transportation provides "an economic stimulus far exceeding the original investment - as much as six dollars for every dollar invested."

3. Democratic Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's plan to reduce homelessness may save the city $1.5 million.

The investment meme scares Republicans for the same reason that the Fighting Dems and Western Pragmatists do. They all disprove the assertion that the Democratic Party is made up of dewey-eyed idealists, raising taxes to fund half-baked schemes.

The Democratic Party of the year 2007 is about results. And the GOP can't deny it any longer.

Cross-posted at SquareState.

National labor officials get involved in convention dispute

It feels like the Democrats really want to hold the 2008 convention in Denver. They've delayed their decision, apparently to give Denver more time to raise money. And now big labor is trying to end a holdout by the Denver stagehands' union:

Progress was made Thursday on breaking an impasse that has held up Denver's bid for the Democratic National Convention.

The Denver stagehands union, which would handle much of the inside construction at the convention, thus far has refused to sign a pledge not to strike or picket during the gathering. The Pepsi Center ordinarily uses nonunion crews, and the union has said it won't sign an agreement unless the Pepsi Center management agrees to negotiate.

Now national labor officials in Washington, D.C., are trying to find a compromise between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local No. 7 and Denver's host committee.

Romanoff keeps up call for education reform

Not too long ago, I wrote a diary at SquareState that mentioned Democratic House Speaker Andrew Romanoff's support for some of the ideas that came out of the The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. In his newsletter this afternoon, Romanoff kept up the call for education reform:

"Tough Choices or Tough Times" presents a sharp critique of America's economic competitiveness and a bold plan for education reform. States - like ours - that want to succeed in the international marketplace should welcome this report and seriously consider its recommendations... [T]he 2006 report recommends a package of reforms, including universal early childhood education, dramatic increases in teacher compensation, a set of qualifying exams to exit high school, performance contracts for teacher-run schools, and lifelong learning accounts (a "G.I. Bill for our times").

The report also recommended a more controversial idea: Handing public schools over to independent contractors, operating under contracts managed by local school districts.

Colorado welfare computer system "out of whack"

Apparently the DEC isn't the only one with computer problems. Todays' Rocky Mountain News reports:

The computer system that handles Colorado's welfare benefits is still out of whack, despite recent reports to the contrary, county officials and some recipients contend.

A bipartisan committee from Colorado Counties Inc. recently estimated that the Computer Benefits Management System is still generating an average of 11,300 notices of overpayments to clients every month.

In the two years and two months since the system came online, it has churned out 234,085 notices of a suspected $98 million in overpayments, county officials say.

Owens, Beauprez declare statewide disaster

Governor Bill Owens in the Rocky:

Gov. Bill Owens this afternoon declared a statewide disaster emergency due to blizzard conditions, and activated the Colorado National Guard.

Bob Beauprez in the Post via ColoradoPols:

"I don't mean to overly rationalize it or excuse it, but it was one of those years. There was a foul wind blowing and I stepped out in the middle of it," Beauprez said.

That was too easy. I apologize. To make up for it, I'm going to re-read Andrew Oh-Willeke's explanation of "the ground rules for the 2007 regular session of Colorado's General Assembly."

Death threats and the mainstream media

Tom Tancredo allegedly gets a death threat and CNN goes beserk. But when Democratic Rep. Terrance Carroll got death threats, the media tripped over itself to report both sides of the story. And when Bill Winter got death threats, you didn't hear a peep.

The migration problem

That's "migration." Not "immigration." As in, "I just migrated Coloradolib to the new Blogger." The change should let me add tags and update my template. But if anyone has problems viewing or posting, let me know.

Ritter seeks to expand healthcare commission

Today's newsletter from the Bell Policy Center reports:

Gov.-elect Bill Ritter said he wants to appoint three new members to the recently launched Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform. His comments came during the commission's meeting on Monday in Denver.

Ritter said he will ask for legislation allowing him to make the additional appointments. While acknowledging the commission is already representative of the state's citizens, Ritter said he believed the group would benefit from the expertise and perspectives of new members from the business and labor sectors and from rural Colorado.

Ritter made some bold promises about healthcare on the campaign trail, and it would be totally appropriate for the legislature to give him some latitude.

Chris Matthews on John Edwards

I'm six days late on this quote. But in light of my recent support for John Edwards, I'm blogging it:

"This is not hardball, this is batting practice," [Hardball moderator Chris] Matthews complained to the audience during a commercial break. "This guy is killing me. He couldn't do this four years ago."

Matthews' praise for Edwards is even more impressive when you consider the NBC host's propensity for regurgitating GOP talking points. Matthews was named Media Matters 2005 Misinformer of the Year.

Thanks to Coyote Gulch and Political Wire for the News & Observer link.

Denver 1 for 2 so far

So we got Allen Iverson. But we won't know about the convention until January.

More commentary on Steve Ward in SD26

Dan Haley has a bit more on the story I blogged Sunday night.

Allard, DNC and Hickenlooper make tough decisions. (Or not.)

Wayne Allard hasn't decided if he wants to run for re-election. And the DNC still can't decide where to hold the 2008 convention. But Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has launched his re-election campaign.

A second term should be a sure thing. The mayor's audacious plan to end homelessness may save the city about $1.5 million. And he's still in the middle of Greenprint Denver.

The only black mark on his resume is last month's election fiasco, when thousands of people left the polls without voting due to long lines and crashing software. That shouldn't be enough to inspire a challenger. The Rocky reports:

Hickenlooper, who has maintained favorable poll numbers in his first term in office, may end up running against himself.

Pat Waak, chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic Party, said she hasn't "heard a whisper" about anybody challenging Hickenlooper.

"I think that people who are thinking about running (for the office) may decide this is not the appropriate time to do it," she said.

"But who can tell?" she added. "Politics is very strange. The minute you say something like, 'Nobody would dare run,' somebody pops out of the woodwork."

Even if someone does decide to run, Hickenlooper's chance of winning re-election are a "near certainty," said Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli.

It doesn't look like the mayor's campaign website has been updated for quite awhile. So if you have questions, his official page might be a better bet.

Least surprising Ritter appointment

The Rocky reports that governor-elect Bill Ritter named Evan "I've Got Your Snappy Comeback Right Here" Dreyer communications director.

Congratulations to TalkLeft

Our friends at TalkLeft are best of the top 250.

CoCo: "ICE defied court order in Greeley raid"

CoCo (via SquareState) reports that last week's raid in Greeley may land ICE honcho and Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Julie Myers in hot water:

The Denver Post is reporting that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) officials violated a Wednesday court order from Judge Kane of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, prohibiting I.C.E. from removing or deporting people apprehended in last Tuesday's Swift plant raid in Greeley. A hundred were voluntarily deported contrary to the order. Another 75 were sent to Texas and now have been returned to Colorado because of the order.

Take a deep breath. On second thought, don't.

A state air quality panel had to approve tougher emissions restrictions on the oil and gas industry to avoid missing federal standards. Denver Ozone tells us that a "newly released legislative audit reports that the use of remote sensing to reduce air pollution from tailpipes in the Denver metro area is failing, threatening clean air and our health." And the Justice Department launched an investigation of the Minerals Management Service, which has allegedly been allowing industries to shortchange the taxpayers out of royalty payments.

UPDATE: Don't breathe yet. Critterthink reports Senator Dan "Climate Change Is The Greatest Hoax Ever" Inhofe "will serve as ranking member on the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee, with jurisdiction over the Endangered Species Act and other legacy environmental laws."

SD26: Ward is the GOP's choice over Habig

I heard a rumor earlier this evening that the Republicans had selected Steve Ward to fill the soon-to-be vacant seat in SD26. I didn't post it because of, well, sloth. But I just got an email claiming that the GOP picked Ward over Betty Habig by a 75 to 50 margin. Habig had been running a serious campaign to get herself appointed.

I want to stress that I was not at the GOP meeting due to the fact that they don't let me in GOP meetings. But if I heard it twice, it's no longer a rumor, right?

Jessi Colter to perform at Bill Ritter's inaugural

I haven't the slightest idea who Jessi Colter is. But I should, according to a press release from the governor elect:

[C]ountry-music star Jessi Colter will headline the Jan. 12 inaugural concert. Three other musical acts also are slated to perform at the inaugural celebration at the Colorado Convention Center's Wells Fargo Theatre.

"We're extremely pleased a musician of Jessi Colter's caliber will be the main act for Gov.-elect Ritter and Lt. Gov.-elect O'Brien's inaugural concert," said Inaugural Committee co-chairs Frances Koncilja and James Crowe. "This will be a wonderfully entertaining night."

Colorado Democrats detail New Energy Economy legislation

I like most of our Democratic officials. But there are a few that are jerks. So why the non-stop partisanship? Because when you elect Democrats, you get stuff like this:

Democratic lawmakers will introduce a slew of bills in the 2007 General Assembly to propel Colorado into becoming the "renewable energy capital of the world."

Legislation to double the state's renewable energy standard by 2015, mandate the use of ethanol in 10 percent of all transportation fuel - except jet fuel - by the end of next year, offer incentives to biofuel crop farmers and boost the number of transmission lines by allowing utilities to recover the money from ratepayers during construction are in the pipeline.

Renewable energy advocates say with the Democrats in control of the governor's office as well as the state Senate and House, the dozen or so bills - three times the number introduced last year - have a good chance of being signed into law.

Bayh out, Edwards probably in

From today's Rocky:

Sen. Evan Bayh on Saturday ended his White House bid while 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards finalized plans to get in, fast-paced jockeying in a Democratic race under the shadow of two unannounced candidates.

Bayh decided he could not compete with Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, whose possible candidacies have dominated the positioning almost two years before the actual election.

Edwards, the former North Carolina senator, has decided he can and is planning to announce his campaign in New Orleans between Christmas and New Year's, two Democrats said.

That's it, I'm endorsing Edwards. Who's with me?

I'm education policy blogging at SquareState

The report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce deserves discussion. So I posted my diary on it over at SquareState. Here's the link.

It's about the candidates, stupid

Writing about Dick Wadhams and Jeff Lane got me thinking about how meaningless high-priced consultants really are.

Wadhams is hailed as the wizard who engineered Jim Thune's upset of Tom Daschle. But he couldn't save George Allen from his own racism.

And there's no one on earth who could turn Ken Salazar into John Edwards. Edwards' charisma and optimism are contagious. Salazar may be a good Senator for this state, but his speeches have never made me leap out of my chair.

A good candidate needs good counsel. A bad candidate gets beaten either way. Maybe I was too hard on John Marshall, eh?

Be honest, now

Would you rather have the convention or Allen Iverson?

Ritter, Salazar make moves. Republicans try to make moves, too.

A press release from the office of the governor-elect reads, in part:

Bill Ritter today named Todd Saliman, a former state lawmaker with expertise in state finances, to head the Office of State Planning and Budget. Saliman served in the legislature from 1994 to 2002, including four years on the Joint Budget Committee during which he earned widespread bipartisan respect.

Ken Salazar also has a new officemate. Haley's Comment reports the Senator has hired Jeff Lane as chief of staff. Lane performed the same job for John Edwards.

And everybody and everybody and everybody is talking about the Colorado Republicans' attempt to recruit Dick Wadhams to lead their party. But why would Wadhams want the job?

Did you know Allard is being sued for $1 trillion?

Me neither.

Illegal immigration is totally the only issue that matters at all

Is this what it's come to for Colorado and The Rocky Mountain News? Governor-elect Bill Ritter speaks about issues like energy, healthcare, transportation and education. And the Rocky reports on illegal immigration policy anyway?

Ritter: Immigration a federal issue

Gov.-elect Bill Ritter stressed that immigration is a federal issue when asked Tuesday about raids the day before at a meatpacking plant in Greeley.

"This is a federal issue, not that we have no responsbility," he said. "(But) the state cannot deport an individual."

Speaking to the Colorado Press Association at its annual meet-and-greet before the start of the legislative session, Ritter said he believes America needs a guest-worker program.

He also noted that he is not working on legislation aimed at straightening out the kinks in immigration measures that state lawmakers passed this year.

Ritter kept his remarks brief as he touched upon the same themes that swept him into office: renewable energy, health care, transportation and education.

Yeah, but seriously, what about the whole illegal immigration thing? Colorado Confidential links to another story here.

Colorado to give Hillary credibility?

Today's Rocky reports that a Denver convention will help 2008 frontrunner Senator Hillary Clinton establish some mid-America cred. And supposedly she already has a wide lead on the rest of the Democratic field. I'll believe it when I see it.

UPDATE: NY Times article here indicates New York may be the choice. More bad indications here.

Bill Ritter, selling the state

I've heard governors claim to be the CEOs of their states. Bill Ritter plans to add the title of CMO:

In the realm of economic development, Ritter said he sees himself mainly as a "marketer."

"It is imperative to have a strategic economic-development plan," he said, "but you become the salesperson executing on that plan."

Ritter said he visited the state's biggest wind farm in Lamar, in southeast Colorado, and heard "the biggest impediment they face" is getting workers with the right expertise to run the place.

Perlmutter to party, do important stuff in Washington

This afternoon I got an email inviting me to a January 4th reception at Democratic CD7 representative Ed Perlmutter's new offices. Sounds fun. But since the offices are in Washington DC, I think I may have to skip it.

While I'm on the subject of Ed Perlmutter, it bears mention that today he announced his appointment to the House Financial Services Committee. The Post's Dan Haley writes:

The committee oversees the financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking and housing industries. It also oversees the work of the Federal Reserve, the U.S. treasury department and the SEC, according to Perlmutter's office. Not bad for a freshman. Of course, Perlmutter was elected to Colorado's 7th Congressional District, which is evenly divided among Repubs, Dems and unaffliateds, so Democratic leadership wants to ensure Perlmutter has an important seat at the table.

Media Matters asks Peter Boyles to apologize

Cut-n-paste job from a Colorado Media Matters press release:

Colorado Media Matters today delivered to Clear Channel-Colorado more than 650 signed petitions asking Peter Boyles, longtime host of the morning drive-time talk show on the company's Denver station 630 KHOW-AM, to stop using falsehoods regarding immigration during his on-air discussions of that topic.

You can read a list of Boyles' "falsehoods" here.