Have you noticed the escalating arms race going on in Colorado?
Who can be more righteous?
Things are so swell around here, apparently, that our local representatives have found the time to tackle the international scene.
Which is curious. Last time I looked, foreign policy was the bailiwick of the federal government – in particular, the executive branch.
Do you remember asking your local representative his or her thoughts on the proliferation of WMDs or the junta in Myanmar?
Didn’t think so.
Yes, Iran, a mullah-infested sinkhole of religious fanaticism, has me shaking in my boots. But I have no interest in watching Colorado Republicans conjuring up ineffectual divestment plans to fix the problem. That’s not why barely any of them were elected to the state House.
Last week, a gaggle of Colorado Republicans asked – nay, they “demanded” – that the Public Employees’ Retirement Association shed companies that deal with Iran.
“The state of Colorado should not be supporting a known terrorist state that systematically subjugates women and directly aids our enemies,” Rep. Frank McNulty said. “The time has come for us to end the practice of financially supporting this regime.”
Sounds good. And I yield to no one in my grandstanding disdain of Iran. But why stop there? How about Syria, Libya and Saudi Arabia, et al. – all of which subjugate women and aid our enemies as well.
Or why not turn it up a notch on Russia and Venezuela? Denver is chock-a-block with Citgo gas stations run by hysterical anti-democrat Hugo Chavez. (Feel free to divest yourself.)
The political reality seems to suggest that local Republicans have turned to Iran to counter Democrats who have been pulling the same stunt on the issue of Darfur.
Darfur is a catastrophic situation that needs worldwide action. Yet, our local reps are not the ones elected to make those policy decisions.
“The genocide that originated in Darfur is, in my view, the central moral crisis of our time,” Colorado Speaker of the House Andrew “Boutros Boutros” Romanoff tells us.
Now, other than channeling high-minded obviousness, believe it or not, Romanoff is headed off to China to take on the communist regime. (Paid for by the Aspen Institute’s Rodel Fellowship.)
Romanoff, who, whether he likes it or not, represents Colorado in all endeavors, told anyone who would listen about his upcoming trip last week. His plan is to challenge authorities to stop supporting the Islamist Sudanese government even if it costs him, gulp, “a trip to a Chinese jail.”
The Durango Herald even carried the headline: “House speaker to risk arrest in China.”
Holy Hu Jintao.
It takes an impressive level of arrogance for an obscure Colorado politician to assume that the Chinese communist government, in power for more than 50 years, will lend him an ear on Sudan.
Romanoff claims it will be difficult to celebrate the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing “if China is still supporting Sudan.” (Not to mention the half-century subjugation of the Chinese people. Shouldn’t that put a damper on men’s singles badminton matches?)
But really, the Olympics have nothing to do with Romanoff.
When CSAP scores come out this week, if two-thirds of the students rated unsatisfactory last year have progressed to proficient or advanced, sure, head to China and take up the cause of Darfur.
If not, perhaps the more important issue is focusing on Colorado’s education system, which is sentencing scores of kids to a life of flipping burgers.
The same goes for pushing Iran divestment.
As soon as Republicans have succeeded in securing more school choice for Colorado kids, one of the reasons constituents sent them to Denver, go ahead, take on Iran.
Until then, leave it to Condi – and, soon enough, whoever Hillary decides should be dealing with “President” Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Otherwise, if you’re interested, there is another route to get involved in diplomacy: Run for higher office.
You’re not there yet.
David Harsanyi’s column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at 303-954-1255 or dharsanyi@denverpost.com.
