Western Democrats are launching a new political action committee hoping to “inject Western issues and values into the national dialogue.”
Next year’s Democratic National Convention in Denver will be a critical forum for the so-called Western Majority Project. It includes such notables as U.S. Sens. Harry Reid of Nevada and Jon Tester of Montana, Govs. Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Bill Richardson of New Mexico, and U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, Gov. Bill Ritter and state Rep. Alice Madden.
“There’s a lot of interest,” said attorney Ken Lane, an adviser to Salazar. “People are asking: How do candidates like Salazar, Tester and Napolitano win.” The answer? “You’ll have to wait,” teases Lane.
The group will focus on issues emphasized in the West, including water, conservation and renewable energy. The libertarian streak that sets some Western Democrats apart will also be part of the national dialogue. Such Democrats shun government intrusion in “your house, car, doctor’s office and bedroom,” Madden said. Noted Lane: “It’s a different way of looking at issues.”
The group is raising money, crafting an action agenda and preparing to launch a website.
Working for Colorado
Political scientist John Straayer has tallied some preliminary numbers for the 2007 state legislative session and has found a strong bipartisan thread in the bills passed and signed as of mid-April.
While 52 percent of the bills had Democratic sponsorship – no surprise, given that both chambers are controlled by Democrats – a substantial 41 percent had bipartisan sponsorship.
Straayer found that only a handful of Republican lawmakers crossed the aisle at least twice to sponsor bills with Democrats. In the Senate, they included Republican Sens. Jack Taylor, Ken Kester, Steve Johnson, Josh Penry and Nancy Spence. In the House, Republican Reps. James Kerr, Rob Witwer, Al White, Frank McNulty and Tom Massey were the most active with Democrats.
Taylor, R-Steamboat Springs, said his philosophy has been to sponsor bills that are good for his district and good for Colorado. “I’ve always been able to cross the aisle. It’s nothing new,” he said. Rep. Al White, R-Winter Park, said he “stays away” from contentious social politics but he doesn’t hesitate joining Democrats on issues that deal with such mainstream concerns as tourism and healthy forests.
The moral: “Republicans are smart to hook up with Democrats,” Straayer said. “It’s the way to get a bill passed.” Straayer will next compare this session’s bipartisanship with past years.
It ain’t over
Denver-based national political consultant Rick Ridder has been thinking about Yogi Berra malapropisms and presidential politics. Last week in an article for Salon.com he put together a few Yogi-isms that seem to relate to the 2008 presidential race. (Yogi Berra was a Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees).
“We’re lost, but we’re making good time” could very well describe Democratic candidates with no solid message beyond criticizing President Bush, said Ridder. “I really didn’t say everything I said” calls to mind Sen. Joe Biden‘s presidential campaign kickoff speech in which he characterized Sen. Barack Obama as “clean” and “articulate.” And “Slump. I ain’t in a slump … I just ain’t hitting,” is Arizona Sen. John McCain in a nutshell.
Playing musical chairs
Gov. Bill Ritter and Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien will play musical chairs this summer as fire safety improvements continue at the state Capitol. Ritter will move into O’Brien’s Capitol office and O’Brien will move across the street to the attorney general’s office building at Colfax and Sherman. Stairs, sprinklers and other safety features are being installed in the southwest corner of the Capitol. The move will occur in May. Ritter and O’Brien will return to their respective offices in December.
Julia C. Martinez (jmartinez@denverpost.com) is a member of the Denver Post editorial board.
