Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb‘s autobiography is set for release in February. Spokeswoman and co-author Cindy Brovsky says the mayor is “candid about everything from his mother’s alcoholism to the cronyism” criticism. (During his run in office, Webb was accused of being too generous with friends and associates).
The book, titled “Wellington Webb: The Man, the Mayor and the Making of Modern Denver,” will be published by Golden-based Fulcrum Publishing.
Webb made history as the first black mayor of Denver. He was elected to three terms, focusing his agenda on parks and open space, public safety, economic development and children. The book’s planned release coincides with Black History Month.
Ritter makes five
Time magazine political columnist Joe Klein will join Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter on a bus tour of the metro area on Friday, the final day of early voting. Time is preparing a piece on the re-emergence of Democrats as a force in the West.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, also will join Ritter that day for the final push before Election Day.
Even though Republicans enjoy a voter-registration advantage of 170,000, polls have shown Ritter comfortably ahead of GOP candidate Bob Beauprez. If Ritter replaces Republican Gov. Bill Owens, Democrats will control five of the eight governorships in the mountain West. Since 2002, voters have elected Democratic governors in Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona and Montana.
Hecklers jeer Salazar
U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar got heckled last Tuesday as he exited the political rally in Aurora featuring Sen. Barack Obama. The hecklers shouted, “Habeas corpus, Salazar! Stop the torture!”
The hecklers were angry that Salazar voted for the Military Commissions Act of 2006, allowing terror suspects to be stripped of the habeas corpus right to appeal their detention before a civilian judge. (Six other members of Colorado’s congressional delegation also voted for the bill, signed by President George W. Bush on Oct. 17.) Salazar has been confronted about his vote at other public appearances, his spokesman Cody Wertz said.
At the Obama event, several people pursued Salazar to his vehicle. The senator stopped to explain that while the bill wasn’t perfect, he felt it was important to put a process in place to help suspected terror detainees start moving through the system. Salazar was among 65 senators who voted for the bill. Obama was among 34 senators who opposed it. Salazar said that if Democrats gain control of either the House or the Senate (or both) on Nov. 7, there could be changes.
Rubbing it in
Congressman Mark Udall wasn’t letting President Bush off the hook after the White House said last week that Bush would no longer be talking about “staying the course” in Iraq.
At the Obama rally, Denver councilman Michael Hancock forgot to introduce Pastor Paul Burleson, president of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, to give the invocation. Instead, two other speakers were introduced before Hancock realized his mistake, jumped to the podium, admitted his error and introduced Burleson. When Udall took the podium minutes later, he declared, to wild cheers, “When Democrats see that we need a reverend on the stage, we don’t stay the course, we change the course.”
Ballots bulge nationally
Colorado ranks second to Arizona in the most number of measures on this year’s ballot. Arizona has 19, Colorado has 14. California is third with 13. Nationwide, this year brings 76 citizen initiatives, the second-highest total number on the ballot in the last 100 years. 1914 and 1996 tied for the most with 87. Separately, there are 121 legislative referendums on ballots nationwide this November.
Julia C. Martinez (jmartinez@denverpost.com) is a member of The Denver Post editorial board.
