Michael Hancock and Chris Romer: Send these candidates to the showers!

My official ballot for the City and County of Denver's municipal run-off election was shoved through my mail chute yesterday and I picked it up gingerly, wondering if the slime would come off on my hand. Increasingly, this campaign has made me long for a John Hickenlooper-like no-negative-campaigning shower...

By Patricia Calhoun

May 24, 2011

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My official ballot for the City and County of Denver's municipal run-off election was shoved through my mail chute yesterday and I picked it up gingerly, wondering if the slime would come off on my hand. Increasingly, this campaign has made me long for a John Hickenlooper-like no-negative-campaigning shower.

We've listened to Chris Romer lambasting Michael Hancock for a pay raise that would benefit Denver City Councilmembers -- including Hancock.

We've listened to Hancock accusing Romer of "fuzzy facts."

We've listened to Romer pointing out Hancock's evolving statements on creationism.

We've listened to a Hancock campaign staffer (off-duty, the campaign says) heckling Federico Peña.

We've listened to a Romer supporter (staff or not) tying Hancock to (horrors!) Tom Tancredo (more on that tomorrow).

But at least after last night's debate, about the billionth in this Bataan Death March of a series, we finally have concrete proof that Romer ruffles feathers: He endorses chickens in Denver back yards, but no roosters.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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