Simplify

Colorado appears to gearing up for another one of its never ending beer sales fights over who can sell what, where and when.

On the docket this time is a fight over 3.2% beer. Convenience stores and grocerys are complaining that some new regulation will allow restaurants and liquor stores to sell 3.2% as well, in violation of state law.

Apparently some groups think our new microbrewing Governor is tweaking the rules behind the legislatures back, some don't. The bottom line is "who cares?" This is a problem that is purely the creation of government.

The only reason there is this division is because some other government stooge decided some stores couldn't sell booze. So those stores, rather than loose that money, came up with "weak booze" and sold that and the state said cool. Very soon after that, both groups had lobbyists trying to protect their market shares. How anyone can feel dignified screaming to the hills for the right to sell 3.2% I'll never know but that's what they do.

Now all these new politicians are looking for political ways to solve a political problem. Did anyone think of just removing government? Let any store with a liquor license sell whatever they want. The first thing that would happen is that 3.2% would disappear. Nobody actually likes that crap, people only sell it when they have too. Once that was removed, you'd see genuine competition. Liquor stores would have certain advantages, as would grocery stores and 7-11s. They all serve different people with different needs. You might not see any more liquor stores being built right next to Safeways anymore but other than that, nothing much would change. People who want some brew or wine with dinner could get it at the grocery store, people like me who just want a good selection of booze and no waiting behind soccer moms getting the milk can still go to the liquor stores while high school kids can still pay drifters to go into the 7-11s for a twelve pack of Natty Light. We all win.

Except for government stooges. If everyone can get what they want and compete on the market, I guess lobbyists don't need to kiss your rings anymore. I'll drink to that.

Colorado Springs finest! - (will trade ad space for beer.)

Truth In Advertising

It probably seems strange to people in the other 49 states that liberal politicians from Denver don't seem to do very well in statewide elections in Colorado. After all, Denver is by far the largest metro area in the state, with by far the most money, yet all that built in advantage hasn't added up to much success in Gubernatorial or Senate races.

Denver Mayor and wannabe CO Governor John Hickenlooper was nice enough to show us all why. In an interview, Hick was asked why the Matthew Shepard Foundation has chosen to set up offices in Denver, even though the Shepards had no connection to the area. Hick responded by saying that Denver was an open and accepting city whereas the rest of Colorado and all of rural Montana, Wyoming, Montana and New Mexico was full of backward thinking people.

You know, backward thinking like it would be a good idea to tie a man to a barb wired fence and beat him to death because he was gay.

Nice job of alienating an entire region of people Hick, many of whom you seem to need to get your next job. I'm sure all the people in Pueblo, Grand Junction, Colorado Springs, Durango, Ft. Collins, Greeley, Alamosa, etc. are just pleased as punch for you to have grouped them in to murderous hate crimes. Seems like as good an idea as a West Virginian politician comparing all his constituents to the black hats in Deliverance.

While offensive, Hick's comments proved again that behind his aw-shucks, moron persona, he's just another hyper elitist at home in Denver and Boulder and nowhere else. I'm glad he finally got a little exposure, it seemed as if he would go through the whole election without any scrutiny as the Republicans just cannibalized themselves. Aside from that embarrassing environmentalist flip flopping incident, Hick has been invisible. Now all the voters have is one nasty stereotyping message from a man who wants the state house. Just in time for the elections! Nice timing.

In a related story, Magellan released a poll that showed Tancredo within 1 point of Hick, 44%-43%, with Maes falling to 8%. That poll was taken before Hicks comments hit the press.

You think they'll make a difference?

Retards, Meet Doorknob. Start F'in*

What started out as a compelling race quickly turned into a laugher but once again has changed direction is now become a real head scratcher/conundrum for Republicans.

I'm talking about the Colorado Governors race, of course.

A new poll came out this week with a stunning surge/collapse showing the Gov. nobody wants (Hickenlooper) pulling in only 44% while American Constitution Party carpetbagger Tom Tancredo pulling in a whopping 34% leaving disgraced Dan Maes pulling in a pathetic 15% for the GOP.

When both Maes and Tanc were long shots, it was easy to just write the race off but now conservatives are faced with the proposition of dumping a bad Maes for an infuriating Tancredo. Pragmatically, Tancredo shouldn't be rewarded for his blatant attempt to torpedo the GOP candidate. With the rest of the country getting ready to enjoy a conservative wave in November however, Colorado has to make a tough choice between the lib, the bad and the ugly.

As hard as it is to do, the only responsible thing to do is to back Tancredo. Colorado can't afford to be one of the few states getting an absolute kook liberal infusion while the rest of the country gets a recovery. Many arguments can be made about Tancredo but at least he's a conservative. A major asshole maybe but a conservative one.

The odds of Maes dropping out of this thing seem almost nil at this point but the GOP Gov. Ass'n needs to put some cash into this thing for Tanc, call donors and get them to ask Maes for their money back and send him out to pasture. I haven't seen many polls where Hickenlooper pols more than the low to mid 40's despite huge name recognition in Denver and the delirious backing of some establishment Republican businessmen. That tells me that the people are just dying for a Hick alternative. Many have already joined Tank but we need to push the last 15% that Maes is holding into Tanc's corner as well. It'd be hard to believe that any of his supporters would bail on Maes and head to Hick.

This is a sad tale of a perpetually dysfunctional CO GOP but it could have a happy ending. Colorado may have gotten the ugly date to the prom but it's better to jump on that grenade for the good of the squad rather than man that foxhole alone. Best to just bite the bullet and do it.

Go Tanc.

***The title of this post is an homage to the late Patches O'Houlihan who had an uncanny knack for describing both untrained dodgeball players as well as the CO GOP in one quick quote.***

State of the State

New polls means it's time to look at November's matchups.

CO - 1, 2, 5,6: The incumbents all roll. (D-DeGette, D-Polis, R-Lamborn, R-Coffman)

CO -3: A poll commissioned by Republican challenger Scott Tipton showed him with a 4 point lead over incumbent John Salazar. I realize this is a poll commissioned by Tipton but I'm still surprised at the result. He got thrashed by Salazar in 2006 and most people thought it was a shoe in again. I'll feel more comfortable if I see some independent polling on it but my eyes are now open to the possibility of a Tipton win. Cook Political has had this race as lean Dem for a while now but I could never figure out why, I though Salazar was well liked. Mistakenly I guess. One thing about the poll is that it showed low support for both candidates (43-39, I believe). If Salazar is really only pulling 39% being as well known as he is, he's in big trouble.

CO - 4: Incumbent Betsy Markey seems to be doing her best to hide from everyone in hopes that people will forget shes a Pelosi clone. Recent clips show her trying to flip flop on big ticket issues to please whoever shes talking too. Cory Gardner hasn't exactly been lighting it up but given the state mood polls, he should still be the favorite.

CO - 7: Magellan Strategies released a poll showing incumbent D-Ed Perlmutter trailing Ryan Frazier 40-39. More low numbers for both guys is better for Frazier as he is a former City Councilman with low name recognition while Perlmutter is well known. Perlmutter's strategy of stockpiling a billion dollar war chest and not doing anything in public seems to not be working. I guess the good people in CO-7 are looking for some answers about the state of the country and Perlmutter has been so off the map he makes Markey look like a leftist Sarah Palin barnstorming the country.

GOV: A new Rasmussen poll shows Hickenlooper leading tea party candidate Dan Maes by only 8, 41-33 with spoiled baby spoiler Tom Tancredo stealing 16 percent. A two way race between Hick and Maes is tied at 45. Maes seems to have the big mo but if Tancredo stays in the race, he can't win. It's amazing he's got within 8 and it shows how vulnerable Hick is. Hick spent this last week pissing off almost everybody by backtracking on liberal talking points while saying taxes are as low as they can go. Democrat enthusiasm is already low, Hick can't afford to depress them even further by distancing himself from traditional left wing positions on taxes, energy and the environment.

SEN - Ken Buck is up by 6-9 depending on the poll and is clearly in front as Bennett seems to be drawing the ire of liberals for saying the trillion dollar stimulus hasn't shown any results. Hard to see how a zero like Bennett can reverse the trend here.

Republicans have a realistic show of carrying 5 of 7 Congressional seats (1&2 are lost) and the Senate seat. If Tancredo comes to his senses and drops out, Maes becomes a contender as well. Colorado GOP has a history of blowing momentum so it's way too early to be confident but the candidates seem way more competent than the state party so everything looking good. November can't get here fast enough.

State of the Race

Time to check in on how the Colorado midterm elections are shaping up.

CO 1 - No troubles for Diana DeGette(D). Couldn't even tell you if she has an opponent.

CO 2 - No trouble for that Polis fella. Last time I checked, Republicans couldn't even find a candidate to run in Boulder.

CO 3 - Cook political has kept this race at "Lean Democrat" but I'm not sure why. John Salazar isn't the most popular guy in the world but Scott Tipton and Bob McDonnell haven't generated much buzz or money to the best of my knowledge. I'm sure the public opinion of Ken Salazar isn't helping his brother much.

CO 4 - Cory Gardner finally beat out the also-rans and gets to take out Betsy Markey, who seems to have tons of cash (most of it from outside CO) but not much passionate support. If this seat doesn't go back to the R's, it will be a disappointment. Gardner has a real talent for making mistakes.

CO 5 - Doug Lamborn(R) rolls.

CO 6- Mike Coffman(R) rolls.

CO 7 - Ryan Frazier has all the momentum over McCain carpetbagger Lang Sias. Ed Perlmutter is doing his best not to be noticed nor spend money. Frazier continues to fund raise at a high level. This district has flip flopped between Republicans and Democrats over the years and Perlmutter has done nothing to distinguish himself as being unbeatable. Something to watch as polling gets going after the primaries.

CO REP. SEN. PRIMARY - Ken Buck has opened up a 10 point lead over Jane Norton in the Republican primary. This is amazing considering all the political machinery Norton has in her corner. Good lord she's unpredictable though.

CO DEM SEN PRIMARY - Andrew Romanoff somehow managed to get involved in a White House job scandal and still not be noticed. Why Obama felt the need to bribe this incompetent politician is beyond me. Michael Bennett should get the nomination.

CO SEN - Both Buck and Norton poll ahead of both Dem candidates although Norton is virtually tied. Oddly enough, Romanoff polls better than Bennett despite his pathetic campaign. Doesn't say much for Bennett's chances in November.

CO GOV. - Last poll I saw had McInnis holding a 6-7 point lead for the second consecutive polling period. Clearly the Democratic fervor over Hickenlooper has died down since his record on taxes and job creation have become known. He too has gone into hiding to lessen the exposure.

Democratic Peoples Republic of Gridiron

~the West is the best~

Maybe not the most inspired line Mojo Risin ever came up with but fitting for today. It seems that Nebraska has decided to be an also ran in the Big 10 rather than feign respect in a weaker Big 12 causing Missouri to make an equally stupefying decision to follow them into permanent mediocrity.

Assuming of course, the Hidin' Irish don't make the sensible decision to join the Big 10 as well, then Mizzou gets to find out the exact dimensions of the shaft.

But the real interest here is what to make of Colorado possibly moving to the Pac-10.

At first glance it sounds ridiculous that CU, along with the Texas/OK contingent, could go Pac-10. They have about as much in common with the left coast as mint juleps and gator tossin'. The only real link is that all parties share the never ending cash-lust that seems on fine display in Los Angeles, so maybe they deserve each other.

Given a second examination, the idea of sending the Buffs left might just be a stroke of genius. Outside of football concerns, where CU should be an upgrade over the bottom feeders in the Pac-10, the Pac-10 would also be getting the City of Boulder, in all it's glory.

It's no secret that the Pac-10 is full of crazy liberals (Cal), spoiled students (USC, UCLA) and binge drinking and drug abuse (Arizona, Arizona St.). Well, I've got good news for guys, CU is no slouch in any of those categories. The only reason we haven't had any crazy tree people (Cal) is because everybody in Boulder is a crazy tree person. Poor babies have nobody to protest.

The revelation that the Buffs joining the Pac-10 is simply the reuniting of twins separated at birth, changed my whole perspective on the situation. What the rest of us see as a cash grab by greedy conference presidents is like a POW getting to return home for CU. No more dealing with Nebraska, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. Now they get to lose with dignity in California, Oregon, Washington. Plus, they get to party in Arizona every once in a while. Who wouldn't take that deal?

I Thought I Smelled A Gynecologist!

It has been an odd few days politically here in Colorado Springs. First, as I was absorbing in the freckle coated paleness that is the St. Patrick's day parade, imagine my shock when a float (what do you call a parade float that is just people walking? A gaggle?) sponsored by and promoting Andrew Romanoff came heading down the road. Yep, that Andrew Romanoff. Dysfunctional primary challenger to the anointed Mike Bennett, who was a no-show for those of you keeping track. Why in the world was Romanoff in deep red territory? I had barely heard of him even campaigning let alone trying to siphon off votes in El Paso county of all places. I think the crowd was as stunned as I was. Kudos to Republican governor hopeful Scott McInnis for having a float as well. Anybody with a "Mc" in there name running for office should always be at this parade. Nice to see he isn't taking the base for granted. Hickenlooper must have been doing something with Bennett as neither he nor any of his supporters were anywhere to be seen.

Which brings me to odd thing number two. Tonight was the Colorado caucus which gives all the grass roots, tea party types on both sides of the aisle a chance to harangue party leaders and maybe get one of their guys in. Knowing this (and staying home) how shocked was I to get a political robo-call while my political mates were busy trying to convince others that there is such a thing as a Tom Wiens.

Even more perplexing was the voice on the other end of the call: Michael Reagan, son of Ronaldus. What exactly was he polling and trying to get me to donate money to you say?

Getting a fair tax passed. (no national income tax, just a national sales tax, no IRS)

?

Where in the world did this come from? Of all the political topics that are hot right now I would never have dreamed that anybody was seriously pimping a fair tax as a hot button issue. This can only be the work of Ron Paul and his acolytes. They must be so flush with tea party money that they've decided to make a move on taxes.

While I generally support the idea, the timing is absurd. First of all, all the political operatives in the state who care about this stuff (except me) were at the caucus. Why robo-call tonight of all nights. Waste of time. Second, nobody is going to vote Republican in 2010 to pass a fair tax. It's all about healthcare and preventing a tyrannical Congress from destroying the Constitution. Let's back burner this one for a while eh guys?

Besides, all you Paul cronies should have been out there working the caucus this past week through today. They matter in Colorado and if Ken Buck or Dan Maes has even a prayer they need a good showing tonight.

It's all about resources gentlemen, when and where. If you happen to have any cash left on hand, see if you can scare up Mayor Hickenlooper and try to get him to take a stance on something for a change. Leftists shouldn't be allowd to hide until election day given the tricks they're up to these days.

Make My Day? Almost

One of my favorite laws to be passed here in Colorado Springs is in the news again. For the second year in a row, the "Make My Day" law has had an amendment before the state legislature (the "Make My Day Better" bill) that would expand the original laws coverage to businesses as well as homes.

The law is simplicity itself. If somebody breaks into your house, you get to kill them without fear of prosecution. Don't get me wrong, it isn't mandatory that you take them out but if they disturb your castle, feel free to do some wet work without the nagging fear that some ACLU lawyer is going to have you charged as a murderer for defending yourself. I think we even had a case where a homeowner shot some guy in the back as he was trying to flee the premises after robbing him. The jury's verdict? No problemo! Home invasions have gone down a tad since the law was passed.

Makes sense, especially given the volatility of downtown lately, that the same right to defend yourself would be given to business owners. Apparently it doesn't make sense to the leftist democrats in Congress who are going to kill the bill. All apologies to Pueblo's Sal Pace, the lone Dem to support the measure. All the other libs are playing the slippery slope game, essentially laying out a scenario where business owners simply lure customers to their deaths and the DA would be powerless to prosecute. I guess the brilliant minds in the capital can't find any legal language to safeguard against reckless use of firearms in public by shop keepers.

Either that or they can't risk alienating trial lawyers who have deep pockets, vote liberal and love frivolous lawsuits. After all, what is worse for lawyers than people taking care of themselves, in full compliance with the law, with no use for lawyers? Is the State legislature playing political games with your safety? Why not! If the national government can jerk around your health care than the State can see to it you need that health care after some beaked up junkie stabs you for a fix.

I can guess where Scott McInnis stands on the issue. Sure would be nice for Hickenlooper to come out of his hole and take a stand on something.

2010 Elections - CO

Well, let's take a quick look at the state of Colorado's elections shall we?

CO-1: Diana DeGette (D) still running unopposed as far as I can tell.

CO-2: Jared Polis has 3 token Republicans trying to win the right to lose to one of Congress's least liked members. If any Dem dared to challenge Polis, he'd be out.

CO-3: Scott Tipton showed a strong fourth quarter fundraising making his effort against John Salazar somewhat interesting. This is a Republican district but Salazar is usually pretty popular but something in the polling made the Cook Political drop this from "Likely Democrat" to "Lean Democrat". Not a surge yet but something to keep an eye on.

CO-4: A slew of Republicans are chomping at the bit to knock off Betsy Markey but none of them is showing tons of political acumen. Still, Markey has to be worried that she doesn't have a bigger cash lead.

CO-5: Doug Lamborn still running unopposed.

CO-6: Somebody is running against Mike Coffman but it doesn't matter, Coffman rolls.

CO-7: Ryan Frazier is the clear Republican front runner now after outraising both McCain stooge Lang Sias and Democrat incumbent Ed Perlmutter. Perlmutter still has big cash advantage as he is popular with everyone outside of Colorado but Frazier has the momentum at this point.

Governor: Scott McInnis (R) is screaming jobs and taxes all over the state after the Democrat controlled state legislature is trying to raise taxes on everything. Fake "Aw-Schuckser" John Hickenlooper is in a bit of hot water for giving a speech on how global warming may not exist to a bunch of oil people just months after going to Copenhagen to try and get a worldwide global warming treaty signed. Hick is also being implicated in covering-up the racially motivated assaults in the Denver area where black gangs were targeting whites in the downtown area. Supposedly Hick knew that they were racially motivated months before announcing that fact to the public. There were numerous assaults during this time where a public warning may have prevented or minimized some of that damage. This is still brewing but the polls are close and law and order issues may benefit McInnis, a former police officer.

CO-Senate: Jane Norton is still leading both Bennett and Romanoff in the polls and she just did an ad buy on both TV and radio linking Bennett to Obama and slamming them both for the stimulus failure. Ken Buck still trails in the primary race, badly.

Hick to the Sticks

Well, it' finally official. Ed Perlmutter is still the State's most boring politician.

Whoops! I mean John Hickenlooper has decided to run for governor and I must say, the liberal conclaves in Denver and Boulder are absolutely having hot flashes over it. Which is precisely the problem for Democrats.

Hick is absolutely adored by the San Franciscoesque liberals in Denver and some of it's surrounding areas. Why? Because he's every bit the kooky leftist that Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and the rest of their ilk are. This is awesome if you're running for Mayor of Denver.

Not so good for a statewide election though. While there are a number of liberals scattered around the rest of the State, notably around Pueblo and Ft. Collins, but the similarities end there. The liberals in those areas are more in the Reagan Democrat mold. Sure they favor more aggressive government spending programs then a typical conservative but they still believe in some measure of fiscal responsibility, social conservatism and individualism. These are the Blue Dog types that have been sharply opposed to Speaker Pelosi.

Proof of this comes in the Reps for the third and fourth districts, John Salazar and Betsy Marky. Both of these two try and pass themselves off as moderates but they vote as liberally as any other lib when they need too. In an effort to deceive their constituents, these reps consistently wait until the end of votes in the House. If it is a blowout, Pelosi allows them to vote conservative to placate the voters but if it's close they vote party line. Marky especially gets the kid glove treatment from Pelosi since she won her seat only because Marilyn Musgrave became so detestable that she blew and easily winnable Republican seat.

So who benefits from Hicks involvement? GOP candidate Scott McInnis. Grand Junctions own and former 3rd dist. representative led Hick 45-42 in the first poll taken for the matchup. He has far more connection to rural/southern/western Colorado and has cleared the field to avoid a messy primary. He'll get what conservative vote there is in the Denver area because he's not a radical right winger and if you combine that with Hicks total lack of appeal to any voter south of Invesco or west of Aspen along with a devastating difference in voter enthusiasm between Republicans and Democrats and you should see McInnis as the next governor of Colorado. It will be hard for Hick to counteract these factors as nobody is clamoring for Denver style governing outside Denver and he appeals to no minority or youth base to make up for the nationwide lack of liberal enthusiasm. Dems in 2008 rode a big wave of minority and youth support to destroy Republicans but Hick can forget that. Ken Salazar would have been far more formidable as his ties to the Hispanic community could have increased voter turnout enough to swing the election. Something tells me Mexicans, etc. aren't going to flock to the pols for a geeky looking white liberal named Hickenlooper with the same fervor.

Rocky Mountain Hysteria

Boy, I haven't seen Colorado liberals this excited since Obama extended unemployment benefits a few more weeks. I understood the joy over that, if I was a goldbricker I'd be stoked too about four more weeks of doin nothin. Not sure I follow the ecstasy here though.

Having your very liberal incumbent Governor quit mid reelection? Bad. That he did so to "spend more time with his family" (stop fooling around on his wife)? Bad. Possible replacements? Lets see.

The crowd favorite seems to be Alamosa's own, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, former CO senator and brother of 3rd district Rep. John Salazar. The leftist blogosphere has applied mythical status to his popularity in Colorado. A casual sampling of these fine folks commenting on the subject seem to think that in a race against Scott McInnis, Salazar would get between 59 and 71 percent of the vote. It's true the man was popular when he got elected to the Senate. All Democrats were at the time. Now Salazar hasn't got the benefit of running on the wave of anti-Bush sentiment. Now he is tainted with the stink of Obama and all of the failures associated with that administration. That will be a huge anchor for him in a statewide election that has turned against Obama, outside of Boulder and some of Denver anyway. Besides, all the bad things Ritter did policy wise are no different than what Salazar would have done as well. McInnis has a realistic chance to take down Salazar should that be the matchup. Also an odd showdown between politicians from small, western slope Colorado, McInnis based in Grand Junction, Salazar in Alamosa/Pueblo.

The best thing about Salazar running would be the fact that Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper wouldn't be. He is incredibly popular in Denver and should have replaced Salazar in the Senate instead of Bennett. I'm not convinced McInnis could have taken him down so hopefully he stays out.

Other candidates. Jared Polis - Please. His own party hates him, he's just rich enough to hold onto his socialist seat up in Boulder. Ed Perlmutter - No way, not enough name recognition, record or money. He gets obliterated. Andrew Romanoff - Who knows. He says he's staying in the Senate race but has he even really campaigned yet? People were very excited about him when he launched his bid but he has been invisible since then. Probably not viable.

The primary in both parties should be entertaining as well. McInnis got rid of Penry but still has to get by Maes, a tea party favorite. It seems likely that there will be at least two Democrats in the primary election as I doubt the liberal bench just wants to anoint Salazar the savior just yet.

2010 Elections - CO

Now that we've passed the off year governors races, lets take a quick peek at Colorado and what elections are in store.

Governor: Bill Ritter has horrible polling numbers and is going to be facing a tough primary opponent. If he surives that he will have an uphill fight to retain office, probably against Scott McInnis. Cook Political Rating-Toss Up.

Senate: The unpopular Ritter appointed an unknown who became unpopular in Michael Bennett. The last polling numbers I saw have him barely hanging on to 50% job approval. Jane Norton obviously saw blood as she entered the race late and has been a fundraising machine ever since. Her name recognition and Ritters downward trend could cause a party switch. Cook Political Rating-Toss Up.

Senate: Mark Udall (D) isn't up for reelection until 2014.

CO-1: Denver. Diana DeGette holds easily. No chance for a Republican takeover. Probably ever.

CO-2: Boulder. Jared Polis holds easy. If he gets booted it will be by another liberal in a primary.

CO-3: Pueblo/Western Slope. This Republican district (Cook rates R+5) seems to like John Salazar even though he is far more liberal than the population he represents. He is a classic vote holder, waiting until liberals have a clear lead in the House votes, then Pelosi clears him to vote conservative. When push comes to shove though, he sides with the Pelosi gang. If Republicans can find a good oppenent,the district could be had. Not this time though.

CO-4: Fort Collins, Greely, Eastern Plain. Betsy Markey is in big trouble. She only won this Republican district because Marilyn Musgrave is fairly detestable. If the GOP doesn't get this one back in the current climate, it would be a major disappointment.

CO-5: Colorado Springs. Heavy Republican. Doug Lamborn won't be sweating much.

CO-6: South Denver, Aurora. Republican district and Mike Coffman is popular. No sweat for the GOP.

Co-7: North Denver, Arvada. This could be the most interesting race. This young district (created after 2000 census) has been very competitive for years. Republican Bob Beauprez held the seat for a few terms but Democrat Ed Perlmutter took over when Beauprez ran for governor and has been cruising ever since. However, Perlmutter hasn't really been challenged by a viable GOP candidate. This cycle could be different as former Senate candidate and Aurora city councilman Ryan Frazier is ready to challenge him. Frazier has name recognition in the area and more importnantly has the backing of many pro-businness groups across the state. If the economy stays bad, his fiscal conservatism might get him into office. Also helping frazier is that he is a bit of a libertarian socially which fits in the Denver better than it would in southern or western Colorado. If Perlmutter wins by any sizeable margin though, look for this district to go dark blue for some time.

Outlook: In the House, the GOP should be able to take back the fourth district. The third and seventh are certainly possibilities but not a sure thing by any stretch. The seventh is more realistic than the third due to the presence of viable candidates. If Michael Bennett doesn't step up his effort soon, he's going to find himself on the outside looking in. Jane Norton is well known in the state, has held office before and can raise tons of cash. Bennett was appointed to his position and never generated much excitment.

Roundup!

Stampede
The University of Colorado finally beat a ranked team Saturday night, staving off a Kansas rally 34-30. It was going to be interesting to see how the team would respond to the coach benching his own son, then talking trash about him. Turns out poppa knows best as Tyler Hansen looked pretty good running the show. Win or no win, I think Coach Hawkins replacing his sons nameplate with one that say "Anchor" is completely uncalled for.

Destiny - Not Just A Name For Strippers
You know the Yankees are living a charmed life when they can actually beat the Angels. When the Angels seem to be actively trying to lose though, you know the gods have decided to intervene and end the Yankees nearly decade long title drought. My only real fear is that all this good luck will somehow end in the Yankees being beaten by the quadruple-A Dodgers in the world series. I remember all too well getting beat by the Marlins a few years ago and the shame of getting defeated by Los Angeles's original carpetbaggers would be too much to bear. Although Tommy Lasorda may just explode in a hail of delightful F-bombs during the postgame celebration which might be worth it.

By Me A Drink First
If the NFL were an HBO show then the Patriots are just about done tattooing a swastika on the ass of the Tennessee Titans. Aside from Randy Moss single handedly saving my fantasy day, this game does provoke many a question. How bad is Vince Young? He just took his first snap trailing 59-0 at the start of the fourth quarter. He must a complete wack job to not be starting for the atrocity of a team. Wow, real time update, VY just throws a pick. Nice. Now we know. This game might also provide the earliest example of an FU score in recorded history. Tom Brady throwing his fifth TD of the second quarter had FU written all over it. Gisele must have tied Tom's access to her body to his performance on the field because he played like a man possessed today. You would hardly know there was three feet of snow on the ground.

And On The Seventh Day Our Lord God Said - "No Dogfighting!"
If there was ever any doubt about how God felt about Mike Vick, now we know. Oakland 13 Philadelphia 9. This sort of righteous punishment seems a bit harsh to me. After all, not everybody on the team was dogfighting. The indignity of losing to Oakland seems like a punishment best saved for pedophiles and members of the Green Party. Having said that, as a long suffering member of Raider nation, I will now celebrate the unlikely victories of the Buffs, Stimulus Package (fantasy team), Yanks and Raiders, in the nude, up and down the streets of Colorado Springs. See you on the road and don't judge, it's winter.

2010 United States Senate - CO

In a recent poll by Rasmussen now shows Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier with a 1%(40-39) lead over incumbent Democrat Michael Bennett.

This poll was taken on September 9th. A previous poll by PPP on August 14-16 showed Bennett with a 5% advantage (38-33).

This is meaningful for a few reasons. First, it shows a steady climb by Frazier. Relatively unknown outside the Denver area, Frazier has made a number of stops along the font range to gain better name recognition. It appears to be working. I suspect if you had access to the deeper polling statistics, you would see quite a jump in popularity in the Colorado Springs area along with smaller but apparent increases in approval in Pueblo/Huerfano County but that's just personal speculation. Second important factor is that Bennett is stuck around 38% in all the polls. This could be indicative that the low 40's/high 30's is his ceiling for popularity. If so, that means game over. Lastly, Frazier rival Ken Buck has not been able to make any headway against Bennett, consistently polling 5 to 6 points behind. He may have found his popularity ceiling as well.

There are still two unknowns for Frazier. As of yet, I haven't found any polling for a Frazier/Tidwell primary or even a Bennett - Tidewell general election. He must not have actually filed yet.

Jane Norton has filed and a one day poll shows her with a nine point lead over Bennett. This is bad for Bennett but no really enlightening for the Republican primary. She hasn't gone out to give speeches yet as far as I know, so she is just polling on name alone at this point.

College Football Notes

thoughts from Friday night & Saturday's action
COLORADO
Somebody up in Boulder needs to heat up the Doomsday clock on the Dan Hawkins era because it's getting perilously close to midnight.
The Buffs week one loss to the Colorado State, while infuriating to alum and boosters, was at least tolerable. The game was competitive and CU showed some promise in Hawkins fifth year on the job. What happened Friday in Toledo was an embarrassment. CU was completely shamed in every aspect of the game. The defense was particularly atrocious. After CU had gotten a score, turnover, score, they had the Rockets in a third and six situation, leading only 37-24, deep in their own end. A stop would've given CU the ball in good field position, all the momentum. A TD would've made it 37-31 and CU would've been rolling. So what happens? The QB runs untouched up the middle for a 60 yd.+ TD run. Pathetic.
The only thing that might save Hawkins job is that schools are broke right now and can't really stomach the financial hit it would take to get rid of a coach. If CU keeps getting outclassed by mid major, small schools though they might do it anyway.

SYRACUSE
Syracuse is clearly a far superior team than the ones dragged out and shot during the Greg Robinson debacle. A game and a half into the season though, it is clear what the Achilles heel will be for this team and surprisingly enough, it isn't the complete lack of defense.
The big problem is that the Cuse just can't throw the ball down the field. I don't know if it is because the WR's can't get open or Paulus doesn't see them. I fear that the real reason is that Paulus doesn't have the arm to throw it deep with any consistency. If he has the arm then he can work on the rest of his game but if he's just a cunny thumber then we can look forward to 25 more bubble screens a game and a complete waste of Mike Williams comeback year.

Raging Mobs in CO!

These links are great covering the protests in CO today. I like the picture of the day laborers who were paid by the Dems to hold signs they couldn't read. Good work if you can get it.

http://www.lookingattheleft.com/2009/08/pelosi-astroturf-healthcare/

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/aug/07/polis-mobbed-morning-coffee-chat-health-care/

http://www.freecolorado.com/2009/08/meet-mob-longmont-protests-obamacare.html

Many thanks to Michelle Malkin, whose blog I was reading when I found these links.
http://michellemalkin.com/

Twice As Nice In Colorado

Sometimes the sun shines a little brighter, the air is a little cleaner and life is generally more pleasant.

And sometimes liberals do something so stupid that we conservatives/Republicans can exploit it for two different reasons. Such an occurrence comes courtesy of my own beloved Colorado and our hapless, unpopular Governor.

According to the Denver Post (I read about it on RedState), Gov. Bill Ritter (D) awarded a nice state contract to his former employer. A former employer who happens to have members who still contribute heavily to the Governor. If that kind of obvious favoritism wasn't bad enough, it seems Ritter is paying his former employer six times(!) what the Colorado Attorney General said they could do it for.

In this time of serious economic decline, how is it justifiable that the Governor could even try to pull this kind of thing? Well, Colorado AG John Suthers is an elected Republican so maybe Ritter just didn't want him working on a high profile assignment, one that might raise Suthers star just a bit.

And what, praytell, is so important that Ritter decided he needed high priced counsel to hash out? Oh that's right, it was how to handle federal bailout money. Of course you wouldn't a Republican involved with that.

Now we get to the second delicious irony. How exactly did Governor Ritter pay for these high-priced experts(cronies)?

He used the payment of Colorado federal bailout money.

Yes, the money that was supposed to put people to work, fixing roads, bridges, digging ditches or whatever the hell these leftists think this money is for. Nope, Ritter felt the first priority should be to unscrupulously give a big fat contract to his former employers/current cronies. All you people with shovel ready jobs can shove it and wait for the next round of money, assuming Ritter doesn't have any other friends who need a taste.

This event makes two things very clear. First, Ritter is a bad Governor and this new era of liberal transparency and compassion in government is a joke. Second, it shows that the whole stimulus is a joke. You think Ritter is the first politician who decided to play politics with that money? No way. He couldn't even wait until the stimulus money was flowing freely, he gave the handouts rights away. Pathetic.

Here's a good list of potential GOP opponents for Ritter in 2010 by 5280.com

http://www.5280.com/blog/?p=7977