Even though the House of Representatives’ new video cameras are ready to roll for the 2008 session, don’t count on the Senate going live anytime soon.
Officials in the Senate leadership offices admit they haven’t worked as hard to raise money as the House did. They need more than $150,000 in private donations to pay for startup costs, but that could take a year or more.
Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon says senators haven’t been as aggressive as House Speaker Andrew Romanoff in raising the money. Romanoff raised $270,000 in private donations, helped negotiate donations from Comcast, which will be shared with the Senate, and will use $86,500 in taxpayer money for operating costs.
Here’s the problem. With the House going on live television starting in January, the public will be getting only half the action. Bills need the consent of both chambers to pass. Viewers also will miss out on confirmation hearings, which are held in the Senate only.
“People might think a bill becomes law after passing the House,” quipped Gordon, who is in charge of raising money to get the Senate on live TV.
On the other hand, the Senate historically is the more staid — some say boring — chamber. The House, with nearly twice the members, is the more colorful body, some of whose members are sure to take advantage of the spotlight.
“Will some House members be grandstanding? Yes,” says House Minority Leader Mike May. “But having the opportunity to give people insight into what we do is good.”
Then there’s Speaker Romanoff himself, who held a contest to name the televised House proceedings, and decided on Colorado Open House. He’s now talking about a theme song to go with it, although that might be an offhanded jab at lawmakers’ efforts last session to make “Rocky Mountain High” a second state song.
Right now, both chambers are getting ready for the new session which convenes Jan. 9. Gordon said he won’t start raising money for the Senate until next fall. “We might wait and see how it goes with the House in the first year,” said Gordon, prompting this from May: “As usual, the House will educate the Senate on how to do it.”
Breach of political loyalty
Republicans in Grand Junction take party loyalty very seriously. Mesa County Republicans recently asked the state GOP to sanction the party’s attorney, John Zakhem, for contributing to the incumbent Democratic candidate, Rep. Bernie Buescher, the 2008 chairman of the Joint Budget Committee. Zakhem contributed $400 to Buescher’s re-election campaign. Republicans found out when Buescher filed his financial disclosure statement.
Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams said the sanction amounted to an admonishment by the party’s central committee that “we did not agree with your contribution to a Democratic incumbent state representative when you have an official role with the Colorado Republican Party.” If Zakhem weren’t the party’s official legal counsel, Wadhams said, it wouldn’t have been a big deal.
To make amends, Zakhem “voluntarily committed to supporting and contributing” to GOP candidate Laura Bradford, who will challenge Buescher in 2008, Wadhams said.
More importantly for Zakhem and his firm, they will not be fired for their political “indiscretion,” even though Mesa County Republican Party Chairman Gary Roahrig proposed it. “I still have great confidence in Zakhem and his firm,” said Wadhams.
Julia C. Martinez (jmartinez@denverpost.com) is a member of the Denver Post editorial board.
