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  • He's got his arm in a sling

    Rep. Randy Baumgardner recently had shoulder surgery and wears a sling.

    When the Hot Sulphur Springs Republican is asked what happened, he likes to say that all the arm-twisting at the Capitol has taken its toll.


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    Posted: November 03, 2009, 4:52pm EST
    by Lynn
  • Read the headline slowly, Sonnenberg is fine

    When you read a headline really, really  fast this is what you read:

    "Sonnenberg steps in it at GOP breakfast."

    Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg? The guy with the contagious laugh and the great sense of humor? The farmer from Sterling? What did he do? 

    It turned out he filled in for Sen. Josh Penry, the [...]

    Posted: November 03, 2009, 4:41pm EST
    by Lynn
  • The other Bill Owens

    It was only a matter of time before our Bill Owens got confused with their Bill Owens. It happened this morning on NBC's The Today Show.

    A graphic about the hotly contested congressional race in New York showed a picture of the very Republican Bill Owens, a two-term governor from Colorado. [...]

    Posted: November 03, 2009, 2:45pm EST
    by Lynn
  • Hey, at least they're disposable these days

    Rep. Sal Pace reports he's been busy in the off-legislative season, attending an interim committee on workers' compensation, working on a water bill, teaching an intro poli sci class and, of course ,changing diapers.

    His son, Carlo Ezekiel Valdez Pace, was born in April.

    The Pueblo Democrat sent his electronic newsletter with' [...]

    Posted: October 29, 2009, 8:56am EDT
    by Lynn
  • Four more furlough days for state workers

    State employees, many of whom are set to take four furlough days this year, will see four more unpaid days in 2010.

    That was the message from Jim Carpenter, Gov. Bill Ritter's chief of staff, in an email to state employees this morning.

    "Because you all have already done so much, it makes it [...]

    Posted: October 27, 2009, 11:28am EDT
    by Tim Hoover
  • Opposite Day

    When the time came to talk about recommendations at the Long-Term Fiscal Stability Commission this morning, Amy Oliver Cooke, a conservative talk show host who sits on the panel, decided she'd hedge her bets.

    "Sen. Morse has said he will shoot down any of my ideas," she said, referring to Senate Majority Leader John' [...]

    Posted: October 15, 2009, 12:19pm EDT
    by Tim Hoover
  • Bartels wins 'America's Next Top Model'

    You gotta love Dick Wadhams, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party. Well, Pat Waak doesn't have to but ...

    Let's hear it for a guy who writes the following headline on his blog: "Colorado GOP chairman Dick Wadhams named NFL Player of the Week."

    Wadhams' brief explanation" "Yes, this is an absurd headline but [...]

    Posted: October 12, 2009, 10:46pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • You heard it in Colorado first: "Don't get sick"

    A Florida congressman outraged Republicans when he said the GOP version of health care is “Don’t get sick,” but that’s old news in Colorado. Just ask Pueblo District Attorney Bill Thiebaut.

    Thiebaut in 2002 was...


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    Posted: October 10, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Baby, no one leaves Dan Gibbs in the corner

     He skiis! He legislates! He dances with the stars! Oh wait, he is one of the stars.

    Sen. Dan Gibbs is participating Saturday night in the 2nd annual Dancing with...


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    Posted: October 01, 2009, 6:03pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Part humble civil servant, part media phenom

    Craig Welling keeps making the news, and not because he works for Gov. Bill Ritter.

    Welling, deputy legal counsel for Ritter, is also an amateur sports photographer who snaps pics at Rockies games. His picture of Rockies second baseman Clint Barmes' run-and-tumble catch Sunday during a game with the St. Louis' [...]

    Posted: September 29, 2009, 2:38pm EDT
    by Tim Hoover
  • (Insert title here) Wellington Webb

    He’s been called representative, auditor, mayor and now ambassador but to Stephanie O’Malley he’ll always be just plain old Dad.  

    O’Malley shared her...


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    Posted: September 23, 2009, 4:12pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Now it's James Schroeder's turn to talk

    She was Denver Congressman Pat Schroeder. He was her spouse. On Tuesday, James Schroeder will share stories about their life together when he speaks to The City Club of Denver about his new book, Confessions of a Political Spouse.


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    Posted: September 23, 2009, 3:40pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • It's a boy! And a girl!

    Joelle Martinez, the spokeswoman for Democrat Andrew Romanoff's senatorial campaign, was told she couldn't get pregnant. Eight surgeries and countless prayers later, she's pregnant with twins.

    "They told me I would never have kids," she said. "They told me to stop trying."

    Martinez and her husband of five years, Jason Prutch, had tried for...

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    Posted: September 21, 2009, 2:42pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Ribs & Republicans, Douglas County style

    The words "beautiful" and "Douglas County" aren't usually used in the same sentence.
    They can be -- if you visit former state Sen. Tom Wiens' ranch, located south and west of Castle Rock.

    Wiens hosted the Douglas County Republican Party picnic Saturday, where organizers said they had a bigger turnout than [...]

    Posted: September 21, 2009, 2:14pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Gary Hart starts blog

    Former Sen. Gary Hart unveiled his new blog today, where he said he “welcomes all those of good will and thoughtful disposition.”

    His first blog item was about the guiding principles of democracy, according to a news release.


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    Posted: September 21, 2009, 1:47pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Ritter: Romanoff pick would have been better politics

    Gov. Bill Ritter says he would have been better off politically if he'd picked former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Democrat Ken Salazar.

    But the governor, speaking on the Mike Rosen Show this morning, also said he's sticking by his appointment of Michael Bennet' [...]

    Posted: September 14, 2009, 1:08pm EDT
    by Tim Hoover
  • A mostly happy camper

    David Skaggs, the executive director of the Departmant of Higher Education until his departure last Friday, invoked the Boy Scouts in his farewell message.


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    Posted: September 14, 2009, 11:01am EDT
    by Lynn
  • How I spent my summer vacation

    "This is awesome. I love this state."

    And with that, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet pulled over to the side of Highway 385 between Wray and Burlington and walked into a field of sunflowers.

    The Denver Democrat is touring the Eastern Plains this week before hearing back to Congress next week.


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    Posted: September 03, 2009, 10:34pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • On the road - again!

    U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is hitting the Eastern Plains this week, talking about health care, energy and whatever else Coloradans want to discuss.

    Along the way, Coloradans fed the Denver Democrat cinamon rolls and plenty of stories about life on the farms.


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    Posted: September 02, 2009, 9:37pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Family values, Andy Kerr style

    When Rep. Andy Kerr and his very pregnant wife, Tammy, showed up at a recent fundraiser for Sen. Pat Steadman, she said she felt like it was "any day now."

    That day turned out to be Saturday, Aug. 29, when Griffin Andrew McClure Kerr arrived at 12:08 p.m., weighing 7 pounds, [...]

    Posted: September 01, 2009, 9:35am EDT
    by Lynn
  • Michael Bennet: Remembering Ted Kennedy

    U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., shares a story about U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, who died this week: 

    "Part of what you do as a first-term senator is you have to preside...


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    Posted: August 28, 2009, 2:32pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • All hats, plenty of cattle

    Ken Salazar's known for his trademark cowboy hat -- he even appeared on The Daily Show wearing one and brought another for host Jon Stewart - but he showed up in Colorado this week wearing a baseball cap.

    But the cap certainly has local appeal: the logo included a buffalo. The [...]

    Posted: August 28, 2009, 8:31am EDT
    by Lynn
  • Donation ban takes fast lane to Supreme Court

    A state Constitutional amendment banning political donations from businesses, non-profits and unions that receive no-bid government contracts has vaulted the appeals process and will head straight to the state Supreme Court.

    A district court judge in June suspended Amendment 54, saying it was too broad and stifled political speech without providing [...]

    Posted: August 27, 2009, 4:55pm EDT
    by jfender
  • Dems blame vandalism on healthcare rhetoric

    Eleven windows at the Colorado Democratic Party headquarters on Santa Fe Drive were shattered early this morning in a vandalism spree that party Chairwoman Pat Waak blamed on animosity surrounding the health care debate. 

    Sometime before 3 a.m. a vandal apparently used a hammer to smash the picture windows, which were [...]

    Posted: August 25, 2009, 11:34am EDT
    by jfender
  • My name is Cheri, and I'm a state lawmaker

    When it comes to Colorado's budget crisis, Rep. Cheri Gerou says the first step is admitting the state has a problem.

    Gerou, R-Evergreen, said today during a meeting of the Long-Term Fiscal Stability Commission that the state's current budget woes might actually be therapeutic. The state faces a more than $300 million shortfall in [...]

    Posted: August 19, 2009, 3:10pm EDT
    by Tim Hoover
  • He's no Bill Cadman but Kent Lambert will do

    One of the best kept secrets at the state Capitol: Rep. Kent Lambert is a funny guy.

    The Colorado Springs Republican has a reputation as a stiff arch conservative and a bloviater, which he poked fun of in an e-mail exchange today.


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    Posted: August 19, 2009, 2:06pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • A fishy picture of Colorado budget cuts

    A link to today's announcement from Gov. Bill Ritter on how he plans to cut $320 from the state budget leads to an unusual target.

    Instead of the standard press release, up popped this Web site featuring a cartoon drawing of a pufferfish.

    So what happened to the press [...]

    Posted: August 18, 2009, 12:51pm EDT
    by jfender
  • Obama wins over Republican Mike May

    Pres. Barack Obama has found an unlikely fan among Colorado Republicans: self-described "humble innkeeper" and House Minority Leader Mike May.

    "I love Barack Obama," May said. "I mean, I loooove Barack Obama."

    So why the bipartisan change of heart?

    May owns a series of Holiday Inn Expresses and had just opened a new [...]

    Posted: August 18, 2009, 10:35am EDT
    by jfender
  • New Democrat joins Senate ranks

    Colorado's newest state senator took his oath of office this afternoon, making Hesperus civil engineer Bruce Whitehead the sixth lawmaker appointed in the current general assembly.

    Whitehead replaces former Sen. Jim Isgar, a Democrat who left his largely Republican Senate District 6 in June to take a job in the Obama [...]

    Posted: August 17, 2009, 2:21pm EDT
    by jfender
  • Mike & Pat on the go

    Two of the busiest guys in the legislature happen to be its newest members.

    Sens. Mike Johnston and Pat Steadman, both Denver Democrats who took office in May, have been to...


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    Posted: August 17, 2009, 10:30am EDT
    by Lynn
  • Paging Gov. Ritter, paging Gov. Ritter

    How's this for a greeting?

    "Meet the Press called. They want to talk to the governor about health care."

    Laura Chapin, a former aide for Gov. Bill Ritter, delivered that message to First Lady Jeannie Ritter today when they saw each other at a Project New West summit.


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    Posted: August 13, 2009, 10:24am EDT
    by Lynn
  • Udall now climbing the easy ones

    What do you do if you've climbed all of Colorado's "14ers?" Well, if you're Mark Udall, you start climbing the "13.9ers."

    The U.S. senator missed a Project New West summit in Denver today because he was keeping a promise made a while ago to his 22-year-old son Jed: They'd go hiking this' [...]

    Posted: August 13, 2009, 10:09am EDT
    by Lynn
  • Salazar rakes hay while the sun shines

    John Salazar's campaign slogan when he ran for office in 2004 was "Send a farmer to Congress," and when he's home from Washington he still does farm chores.

    The Manassa Democrat arrived at the Project New West Summit in Denver today "refreshed" after a couple of days of raking and baling [...]

    Posted: August 13, 2009, 9:50am EDT
    by Lynn
  • Kindle, for the best and worst of times

    Numbers guru Secretary of State Bernie Buescher turns out to be a gadget guy, too.

    The retired accountant got himself a Kindle two weeks ago, and has already started a lengthy reading list, including the works of


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    Posted: August 10, 2009, 5:54pm EDT
    by jfender
  • Keeping your parts covered

    Insurance broker Jamie Scholl livened up a wonky hearing at the Capitol today of the Health Care Task Force with his explanation of gender disparities in health care costs.

    Testifying about health care access and affordability, Scholl, a former president of the Colorado State Association of Health Underwriters, was asked by [...]

    Posted: August 10, 2009, 5:01pm EDT
    by Tim Hoover
  • No rules for you!

    Secretary of State Bernie Buescher today halted rule-making on an under-siege Constitutional amendment that would ban sole source contract holders, the executives who oversee companies with sole source contracts and their extended families from


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    Posted: August 05, 2009, 11:26am EDT
    by jfender
  • Gardner brings home the pork, really

    State Rep. Cory Gardner bought a pig Monday at the Yuma County junior livestock sale.

    The Yuma Republican got a kick out of the auctioneer asking whether the lawmaker his own violated his "no pork" rule.


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    Posted: August 04, 2009, 10:26am EDT
    by Lynn
  • A senator who digs it

    Former state Sen. Norma Anderson was a tough act to follow Wednesday during testimony before the Long-Term Fiscal Stability Commission.

    Anderson, a Lakewood Republican who left the Senate in 2006 after 19 years in the legislature, testified about conflicting constitutional measures and potential fixes to Colorado's budget problems.


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    Posted: July 29, 2009, 7:46pm EDT
    by Tim Hoover
  • Heath's cancer surgery a success; back on Friday

    Sen. Rollie Heath will be back at the Capitol on Friday following his surgery Tuesday to remove a small cancerous tumor from his esophagus.

    Heath, D-Boulder, stepped aside Tuesday afternoon as chairman of the Long-Term Fiscal Stability Commission to have the surgery. He was optimistic about the results.


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    Posted: July 29, 2009, 7:32pm EDT
    by Tim Hoover
  • What's in a name? Labor slip-up tells the story

    For years it has been called the state Department of Labor and Employment, but the agency was unwittingly given a new name today.

    Because of an editing error, a front-page story in the Denver Post referred to it as the Department of Labor and Unemployment.


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    Posted: July 29, 2009, 12:09pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Senator faces cancer surgery, vows return

    Sen. Rollie Heath announced today he would have to temporarily hand over chairman duties for the Long-Term Fiscal Stability Commission to the panel's vice chairman, Rep. Mark Ferrandino.

    Health, D-Boulder, said he was going to have surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his esophagus.

    Heath said he expected a full recovery after the operation, but said [...]

    Posted: July 28, 2009, 4:12pm EDT
    by Tim Hoover
  • Pinnacol Assurance hearings set; workers' stories sought

    A committee looking into Pinnacol Assurance will start holding hearings Tuesday on how the quasi-governmental workers' compensation insurer operates and what its future should be.

    In the meantime, Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, the chairwoman of the interim committee examining Pinnacol, is asking injured workers whose claims have been handled by Pinnacol to share their...


    [...]

    Posted: July 28, 2009, 3:11pm EDT
    by Tim Hoover
  • Roast and toast: Now it's the congressman's turn

    Wanted: Someone to take a few funny potshots at former Congressman Tom Tancredo.

    Oh, the material. The man who pushed term limits in Colorado breaking his term-limits pledge. The guy known for making illegal immigration a national hot-button issue hiring illegal immigrants to finish his basement. The man with a  great [...]

    Posted: July 28, 2009, 10:07am EDT
    by Lynn
  • Budget confab at the gov's mansion next week

    Gov. Bill Ritter is asking all Democratic lawmakers to come to the governor's mansion on Tuesday to talk about the budget.

    The state started off the current fiscal year that began July 1 with a $384 million shortfall, and legislative analysts expect the state might have to cut another $500 million [...]

    Posted: July 24, 2009, 3:03pm EDT
    by Tim Hoover
  • Hispanics play catch up, will provide salsa next month

    Another Colorado paradox:

    At the Downtown Democratic Forum monthly breakfast, salsa is available for the scrambled eggs.

    At the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Colorado, there is no salsa, just ketchup and Tobasco sauce.

    That detail was pointed out to Democrat Denis Berckefeldt...


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    Posted: July 24, 2009, 2:53pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Bill Ritter, what a guy

    In 2007, Rep. Don Marostica was asked for a one-word description of Gov. Bill Ritter's first 100 days in office.

    The Loveland Republican described the Denver Democrat as "weak."

    This session, Marostica offered a more flattering assessment: "learning."


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    Posted: July 24, 2009, 2:08pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • When the Rice is away, the Rs will prey

     Rep. Joe Rice was ambushed recently, but not in Baghdad where he is serving another tour of duty, but on the home front.

    The Army reservist is still “hosting” town hall meetings while he is...


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    Posted: July 24, 2009, 1:29pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Cary Kennedy: Whippersnapper runs state's finances

    OK, so it’s not really state Treasurer Cary Kennedy’s birthday today but her supporters  are hosting a party/fundraiser for her tonight.

    The Denver Democrat turned 41 last...


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    Posted: July 23, 2009, 5:47pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Looking sharp

    So, Gov. Bill Ritter and his new economic development chief, Don Marostica, walked into their press conference today, both wearing blue shirts and red ties.

    "He called me," Marostica joked.

    Marostica better watch out for when Ritter dons his bicycle suit again.

     

     

     


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    Posted: July 23, 2009, 5:09pm EDT
    by Lynn
  • Treas. Kennedy brings it for the bling

    Acclaimed PBS series Antiques Roadshow Friday delves into the state's vaults of unclaimed and forgotten property at the state Capitol to appraise the jewelry that Coloradans have left behind.

    The show, described as "part adventure, part history lesson and part treasure hunt" by host Treasurer Cary Kennedy's office, hasn't been to' [...]

    Posted: July 23, 2009, 11:36am EDT
    by jfender

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