Michael Bennet’s appointment to a key Senate committee on health and education is certainly good for his political ambitions, but it’s also good for Colorado.
The plum position for Colorado’s junior U.S. senator puts him in the thick of health care reform and education policy — two key issues facing the nation.
The interests of Coloradans will be represented not only in his votes, but in the shaping of key legislation that passes through the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
As superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Bennet developed a keen feel for the problems and needs in K-12 education, particularly those in urban districts.
His sensibilities about education reform, which include elevating the interests of children above bureaucracies that have a propensity to think first about self-preservation, will be of value in Washington. He was at the forefront of some of the reforms President Obama is now pushing.
The appointment to the coveted committee is also a way for Democratic leadership to help Bennet in his primary battle against Andrew Romanoff, the former Democratic speaker of the Colorado House.
It will give Bennet more clout and visibility as he faces a tough primary race next year. If he emerges, he’ll face a tough general election as well.
Bennet has never been elected to public office, having been appointed to the Senate by Gov. Bill Ritter after Ken Salazar resigned to become Interior secretary. The appointment left some rank and file Colorado Democrats unsettled, believing the job should have gone to Romanoff.
Despite the political motivations behind his new committee spot, the appointment is still a good development for the state.
We hope he’ll use the position wisely, keeping the interests of Coloradans at the top of his priority list.
