A journalist wears many hats. Today mine is plush and red with a fuzzy white ball dangling from the end. That’s right, it’s time to play Santa Claus and dish out some Christmas presents to our cavalcade of Colorado politicos.
This list includes those who have been naughty (you know who you are) and those who have been nice:
For conservative Gov. Bill Owens, one full year without being called a RINO (Republican In Name Only) and to earn it without having to kowtow – any further, that is – to the likes of Dick Armey or Grover Norquist.
For Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, hmmm. What do you get the pol who has everything? Sky- high approval ratings, a humming economy, even a new jail. How about … permission to run for governor?
For U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, new shocks for his old pickup. It gets bumpy driving down the middle of the road all the time.
For U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, better connections to the White House. The three names he submitted a year ago for Colorado’s U.S. attorney’s job are still in some sort of White House limbo.
For Congressman Bob Beauprez, wisdom – or at least the foresight to run for cover the next time Rep. Tom DeLay gets out his checkbook.
For U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, a box of Lucky Charms without all those nasty yellow moons. (Have you noticed how much they look like the crescent of Islam?)
For U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, anything but a size 4 pink suit.
For Congressman John Salazar, visibility and the razor he lost after his campaign.
For House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, a year-long subscription to Match.com, and an editor to delete these phrases in his bio: “My turn-ons include Robert’s Rules of Order” and “My dislikes include TABOR’s ratchet effect.”
For Rick O’Donnell, a bottle of Just for Men hair dye, color gray. He needs just a tinge on the sides. A frown line wouldn’t hurt, either. It may be tough-sledding for the Colorado Commission on Higher Education chief if 7th Congressional District voters think he’s Ralph Macchio from “The Karate Kid.”
For Jon Caldara, the president of the Independence Institute and the “King of All Denver Media,” a weblog to post his musings.
Seriously. I’m worried he doesn’t have much of a platform to push his libertarian leanings, what with only a newspaper column, TV program and a radio show.
For House Minority Leader Joe Stengel, a pair of John Kerry Flip-Flops for his flip-flop on Referendum C.
For term-limited state Sen. Norma Anderson, who’s never been afraid to say it like it is, four more years.
For University of Colorado president Hank Brown, a five-year contract and a 10-year supply of Extra-Strength Tylenol.
For State Education Board member Jared Polis: Yeah, right, like I’d get something for an under- 40 multimillionaire who now stands to gain about $143 million from the sale of another one of his Internet companies.
For former Denver District Attorney and Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter, the respect of his party’s abortion-rights hard- liners.
For State Treasurer Mike Coffman, who’s on leave with the Marines in Baghdad, peace.
Staffing up
Ritter has hired Greg Kolomitz as his campaign manager. Kolomitz, who the campaign identifies as a native Coloradan, is taking a leave of absence as president of CRL Associates Inc.
He starts Jan. 3. Kolomitz managed the successful FasTracks campaign.
Gubernatorial candidate Beauprez has hired Jack St. Martin, a senior vice president of Direct Impact, a Virginia-based grassroots public affairs firm, to run his campaign.
St. Martin previously worked for the Republican National Committee and is not a native Coloradan. He starts next month.
Hart-to-heart talk
Two-time presidential candidate and former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart will discuss his new book, “God and Caesar in America: An Essay on Religion and Politics,” at noon Jan. 5 at the Denver Press Club.
Cost is $17 for members, $20 for non-members. For reservations, call 303-571-5260.
Dan Haley (dhaley@denverpost.com.) is a member of The Post’s editorial board.
