Marilyn Musgrave has taken some hard shots from the press, but nothing like the blow I’m about to deliver:
Marilyn is growing in office.
In the fever swamps of the far right, “growing in office” is seen as code for “moving to the center.” But before John Andrews issues a fatwa on the congresswoman from eastern Colorado’s sprawling 4th District, it should be noted that her second term reflects more a change of emphasis than ideology.
She’s pigeonholed her high-profile amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ban homosexual marriages while working hard for a new transportation bill that gave Colorado a fairer return of our highway taxes. And on two high-profile issues recently – the Central American Free Trade Agreement and the groundless hysteria over mad cow disease – Musgrave showed solid judgment and considerable political courage.
CAFTA helped open markets for U.S. agricultural exports, making it an important vote for Musgrave’s 4th District as well as Democrat John Salazar’s 3rd District. Yet, Salazar voted against CAFTA, following the protectionist template of today’s Democratic Party.
Musgrave actually faced considerably more pressure from protectionists than Salazar did, because sugar beet growers in her district are militantly opposed to anything that could open U.S. markets to low-cost sugar imports. But she cast what proved to be a decisive vote in favor of CAFTA, which passed the House 217-215.
This week, Salazar and Musgrave, along with Reps. Bob Beauprez and Mark Udall, were among 30 members of Congress who signed a letter urging President Bush to pressure Japan to reopen its borders to U.S. beef exports. Yet, Salazar is also on record as opposed to allowing live cattle imports into the U.S. from Canada. His protectionist message thus only told the Japanese, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
That pitch never works.
In contrast, Musgrave has carefully studied the mad cow problem that prompted both the Japanese and U.S. import bans. The incredibly rare disease can only be contracted from a cow’s brain or spinal cord – which are no longer sold for market. In 2003, U.S. regulations recognized that fact by allowing processed Canadian beef into this country. Yet, until recently, the U.S. still banned live cattle imports. That policy caused the American beef-packing industry to lose about 8,000 jobs to Canada, which simply slaughtered its own cows and exported the processed beef to the U.S. market. That idiotic approach cost 800 jobs at the Swift & Co. plant in Greeley, in Musgrave’s district. After a court ruling, the U.S. has finally resumed imports of live Canadian cattle.
When I checked with their offices Thursday, I learned Salazar is still against Canadian imports, thus undercutting his efforts to renew U.S. exports to Japan. Musgrave calmly supports importing safe, live Canadian cattle to the U.S. for processing as well as resuming U.S. exports to Japan.
State Rep. Angie Paccione, D-Fort Collins, announced her candidacy for Musgrave’s seat this week, a possibility I discussed May 14. Paccione is an able campaigner. But Democratic hopes of running against an out-of-touch ideologue may be dashed by the new Marilyn, whose emphasis on jobs and highways makes her a better bet for a third term.
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Errata – Last week I mentioned Lynn Bartels’ excellent story reporting that Independence Institute chief Jon Caldara has knowingly and repeatedly lied by claiming that the Colorado Council for the Arts paid for a $5,000 piece of art featuring 12 dildos swinging from hooks. Lynn correctly reported that the state never bought that art, but I erred when I wrote that the Colorado Council on the Arts had turned down an application from artist Tsehai Johnson for a fellowship. Johnson did receive a grant in 2003 after submitting a portfolio that included photos of the ceramic display she had created in 2000. But the highly abstract work doesn’t depict genitalia and was retitled “Large Implements on Hooks” in her 2003 portfolio. Without the suggestive term “dildos” in the title, no judge found it sexually suggestive and one judge said it looked “like pop-bottle openers.”
Having viewed Johnson’s photos, I agree. As suggestive objects go, I’ve seen far worse in the produce section at the supermarket.
Bob Ewegen (bewegen@denverpost.com) is deputy editorial page editor of The Denver Post. He has written on state and local issues since 1963.
