Jeffco commissioners approve tower

Right next to death, taxes, globalization and the tides, there's high definition television. Here's a clip from the Post's story "Jeffco approves TV tower on top of Lookout Mountain":

Jefferson County commissioners today unanimously approved rezoning for a digital-TV broadcast tower on Lookout Mountain.

Saying they felt trumped by a quickly passed federal law, the commissioners said they will enforce building and zoning codes for the 730-foot-high tower.

Lake Cedar Group, a consortium of local TV stations, has sought rezoning for the tower so it can broadcast high-definition TV to the metro Denver area by the federal deadline of February 2009.

"The best way to manage this is to affirm the previous board's approval and continue to monitor compliance with building codes authorized by the official development plan," Commissioner Kevin McCasky said of 2003 actions.

Commissioner Kathy Hartman said was "not exactly thrilled to find myself" in a position of the federal government saying that the county did not have jurisdiction over local issues such as health consequences of tower radiation.

"If we had voted no, everyone would ignore us, and it would have no effect," Hartman said.

There are two stories here. The first is about the tower itself, advancing technology, and the health concerns of the surrounding community. The second is about the way in which our Senators and even the Jeffco commissioners have attempted to gain control of the situation.

In December of last year, I published a story called "More federal government trampling of local concerns." My opinion remains unchanged. Both sides have valid arguments and Washington was too quick to assert itself.

An even better example of this tendency is the Bush administration's decision not to wait for the recommendations of a local committee before proceeding with the auction of oil and gas leases on roadless Colorado land.

I don't mind a strong federal government because issues like terrorism and global warming can't be solved at the local level. But in some cases, Washington simply goes too far.

Wayne Allard [heart] Bill Clinton

Hey, who doesn't?

Vote for America's best Senator

Poll here. Currently Ken Salazar is in 39th place, while Wayne Allard is 76th. Hat-tip to Wonkette.

Allard, Salazar, DeGette, Udall, other Salazar, Musgrave, Lamborn, Perlmutter seek blizzard relief for farmers

Meanwhile, Tom Tancredo is busy proving he's a maverick. The Rocky explains.

Allard out!

My question mark has been upgraded to a exclamation point.

Allard's out?

That's the rumor.

Tancredo's bid hinges on Allard's?

The Tancredo campaign announcement I wrote about last night has been downgraded from imminent to contingent. As in, Tancredo is running for President if he can't run for Senate. From the Post:

In addition to evaluating Iowa, Tancredo is also waiting to see whether Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., decides to run for re-election in 2008, [Tancredo spokesperson Carlos Espinosa said. Tancredo has said he's interested in that statewide office.

The problem is that no one seems to know what Allard's thinking. Different story, same paper:

Sen. Wayne Allard has made up his mind about whether he will seek a third term in 2008, but he's keeping his decision secret a bit longer. Only Allard and his wife know his plans, press secretary Steve Wymer said Friday, confirming a report posted Thursday on Congressional Quarterly's website, CQPolitics.com. Allard has not said when he will announce his choice.

Tancredo and Allard are both extremely beatable opponents for probable Democratic nominee Mark Udall. But they have different weaknesses. Allard is so boring he's known in DC as Senator Dullard. Tancredo has the opposite problem; he's so not-boring he'll probably shoot himself in the foot at some point.

Tancredo can count on one thing. The fawning support of the mainstream media, which in Colorado includes the major dailies. Today's Colorado Media Matters reports that the Post is already giving Tancredo the benefit of their bias:

In a January 12 online article about U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo's (R-CO) interest in a possible presidential run, The Denver Post uncritically reported Tancredo spokesman Carlos Espinosa's claim that U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) "is not a very popular guy in Iowa." In fact, according to a December poll commissioned by Des Moines, Iowa, CBS television affiliate KCCI, Iowa voters rank McCain the most popular potential Republican presidential candidate among 11 contenders.

Cross-posted at SquareState.

Brownback to filibuster DeGette, Owens backs Romney, Allard loves Reagan

According to Colorado Confidential:

Kansas Senator Sam Brownback is planning to lead a "mini-filibuster" of Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette's reintroduction of a bill to expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

It's likely that Brownback, who has Presidential aspirations, is staging the maneuver to re-establish his bona fides with the GOP's far right wing.

As long as I'm discussing the GOP's 2008 contenders, I may as well admit that I was listening to the Hugh Hewitt Show last night when Governor Bill Owens came perilously close to endorsing Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's run for the Presidency. He then backtracked a bit, saying something very close to, "I'm not against McCain, but I'm for Romney."

Colorado's Senator Wayne Allard plans to introduce a super-important bill to honor a past Republican President, Ronald Reagan. Allard's bill would give Reagan's likeness a place of honor inside the Capitol, next to former President George Washington. The Rocky reports, "Similar legislation didn't move when Allard first introduced it last year, back when Congress was under Republican control."

I think it's safe to say there isn't a bill I could care less about.

The first fake blog of 2007?

Run Wayne Run? It's a joke, right? Like the hilarious Students for Beauprez hoax? ColoradoPols thinks Scott McInnis is already campaigning for Allard's soon-to-be open seat:

Former Rep. Scott McInnis has apparently decided that he will be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008 provided that Sen. Wayne Allard retires. McInnis is holding off on any announcement until official word comes from Allard, who is not expected to run for re-election.

The hat-tip for the link to the Allard site goes to ToTheRight, as much as I hate to admit it.

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.