John Salazar

Marijuana giveaway with pipes purchase illegal, says attorney general, police chief

Earlier this month, we wrote about Craigslist advertisements offering free marijuana as a bonus for purchasing other items, in exchange for a donation, or even for buying a $50 bumper sticker. Now, however, both the Colorado Attorney General and the Denver Police Chief have branded the practice ille ... More >>

Amendment 64 task force first meeting today: Welcome to the mild, wild West

A week after John Hickenlooper signed Amendment 64 into law, and four days after President Barack Obama said that the feds have bigger fish to fry than prosecuting recreational users of pot in states that have made it legal, Colorado's Task Force on the Implementation of Amendment 64 will have its f ... More >>

Amendment 64 task force can't make mountains out of marijuana molehills, advocate says

In this space yesterday, marijuana advocate Christian Sederberg spoke positively about the Amendment 64 task force to which he was just named. So, too, does attorney Sean McAllister, who lobbied the governor's office about the importance of marijuana consumers being represented on the panel. But wit ... More >>

Amendment 64's Christian Sederberg upbeat about being named to marijuana act's task force

Word that Governor John Hickenlooper had signed Amendment 64 into law necessarily overshadowed the announcement of members assigned to a task force that will guide implementation of the act. But Christian Sederberg, who'll represent the A64 campaign in the group, thinks the process is off to a posit ... More >>

Rocky Ford cantaloupe ripe for rehab at Arkansas Valley Fair

Rocky Ford farmers and growers have spent much of the last year doing damage control, after their melons were wrongly fingered as the cause of a listeria outbreak that actually originated a hundred miles away, at Jensen Farms, and ultimately killed over thirty people. But while doing damage control, ... More >>

Rocky Ford cantaloupe ripe for celebration at the Arkansas Valley Fair

What's your favorite homegrown fruit? Those tart cherries that inspired the Tree Line, Marnie Ward's winning Colorado cocktail? The juicy peaches that will be celebrated at the Palisade Peach Festival this weekend? Or the beleaguered Rocky Ford cantaloupe, wrongly fingered last year as the cause of ... More >>

Stolen Valor was born in Colorado before dying with the Supreme Court

In this week's cover feature, "Will the Real Rick Strandlof please stand up?," Westword delves into the fascinating story of 35-year-old college student Rick Strandlof, whose past false identities ended with a second chance last month. On June 28, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned th ... More >>

Rebrand the cantaloupe with these suggestions

Colorado cantaloupe to get a $175,000 makeover after listeria hysteria

Colorado cantaloupes are ripening quickly this season, and so are concerns that the listeria hysteria over last year's outbreak could put a damper on sales of the fruit. So the Colorado Department of Agriculture, headed by commissioner John Salazar, is pushing a project to improve the image of the v ... More >>

Five ways to improve Colorado cantaloupes' image

Flickr​ Colorado's cantaloupes have gotten a bad rap lately -- and perhaps rightfully so. A listeria outbreak traced to melons from Jensen Farms in Holly has been linked to 29 deaths. But not all of the state's cantaloupes are to blame -- a point Colorado Agriculture Commissioner John Salazar ... More >>

Billy the Kid photo really worth $2 million? Ask Billy the Koch

​It's safe to say the auction exceeded expectations. The only known photograph of William McCarty, alias Billy the Kid, was expected to draw bids around $400,000 over the weekend at Brian Lebel's Old West Show & Auction in Denver. Instead, it went for a jaw-dropping $2 million to oilman and ya ... More >>

More Colorado potatoes headed to Mexico?

Heading south?​Approximately 2,200 semi-trucks full of Colorado potatoes head to Mexico each year. But an effort to open Mexico's markets could mean a tenfold increase in potato exports from this state, according to John Salazar, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture. Mexico is Colorado's sec ... More >>

Scott Tipton back in ethics spotlight over use of telecommunications biz owned by his nephew

Scott Tipton.​In late May, Representative Scott Tipton apologized to the House Ethics Committee for his daughter Elizabeth's tactic of dropping daddy's name while seeking clients for Broadnet, the family-related telecommunications firm where she works. Although Tipton's staff denied that Eliza ... More >>

Pinon Canyon: Scott Tipton gets ban on military expansion restored

Scott Tipton.​Under pressure from ranchers to take as strong a stand against Army expansion in southern Colorado as his Democrat predecessor, freshman Republican congressman Scott Tipton managed to get a funding ban reinstated in a bill yesterday, earning him kudos from some of his sharpest cr ... More >>

Scott Tipton under pressure: Can he restore Pinon Canyon funding ban?

Scott Tipton​Ranchers in southeast Colorado battling the Army's grand expansion schemes for the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site watched in dismay this week as a congressional subcommittee removed from its budget bill a provision that has kept the military from acquiring additional land for the 367 ... More >>

Chris "Birdman" Andersen isn't the only Nugget flying high following Carmelo Anthony trade

Birdman.​Ready, set, read Denver blog posts! Denver Stiffs' Andrew Feinstein marvels at the Nugs' balance post-Melo while recapping last night's defeathering of the Hawks. "John Salazar: Dream Boss?" -- an appropriate headline for a post by 5280's Michael de Yoanna about the big-bonus-giving ... More >>

Pinon Canyon controversy: Tim Wirth blasts "bankrupt" defense policy

Tim Wirth​Former Senator Tim Wirth, a formidable opponent in the 1980s of the U.S. Army's big plans for its training site in southeastern Colorado, views possible expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site as possibly a greater threat to the area's environment and economy today than it was th ... More >>

Reader: "The ranch that has been in our family since 1937 would be used for tanks to tear up."

The War Next Door

Rich in history and imperiled species, Pinon Canyon isn't like any other place on earth. Locals fear that the Army wants to tear the hell out of it.

John Salazar finally concedes to Scott Tipton in District 3 race that didn't seem all that close

John Salazar.​A winner wasn't declared in the Michael Bennet-Ken Buck senate race until this morning due to a razor-thin margin of victory for Bennet, who's making his victory announcement at City Park moments from now. In contrast, virtually every major news outlet in the state declared last ... More >>

Anti-Obama & friends billboards link old media to new, says WhoSaidYouSaid's Kelly Maher

Kelly Maher.​Seen those "They Spend, You Pay!" billboards? The ones in which Barack Obama looks kinda drunk, John Hickenlooper appears homicidal, and Betsy Markey, Ed Perlmutter, John Salazar and Michael Bennet seem amused by your pain? According to Kelly Maher of WhoSaidYouSaid, the website b ... More >>

John Salazar or Ken Salazar? Not knowing the enemy wins group Shmuck of the Week honors

Which one are you?​Americans United for Life wants Colorado voters to know that U.S. Congressman John Salazar "voted for taxpayer-funded abortion in Nancy Pelosi's health-care bill." But the Washington, D.C.-based pro-life group isn't doing a very good job of spreading its message, at least o ... More >>

John Hickenlooper's race for guv not close at all despite Tom Tancredo surge, says head Dem

Pat Waak.​Yesterday, state GOP chieftain Dick Wadhams weighed in on the upcoming election, predicting much ugliness for Democrats. Shockingly, head Dem Pat Waak has a very different take. She doesn't foresee the kind of Democratic apocalypse plenty of pundits are predicting.

Dan Maes's troubles not hurting other GOP candidates, says Republican boss Dick Wadhams

Dan Maes.​Yesterday, GOP guv candidate Dan Maes released documents connected to his firing as a Liberal, Kansas cop in 1985 -- a bizarre assemblage of material unlikely to supercharge his faltering campaign. But Colorado Republican Party chieftain Dick Wadhams isn't worried about other GOP can ... More >>

John Salazar land swap deal drawing national attention -- and heat

John Salazar​An unusual land swap deal on the Western Slope orchestrated by Representative John Salazar, one that would benefit his largest campaign contributor, is starting to draw scrutiny well beyond disgruntled hunters and activists in Gunnison County, who claim the public is getting the s ... More >>

Toe-sucking Dick Morris to headline Scott Tipton event, Democrats hot and bothered

Dick Morris.​Dick Morris, the former Bill Clinton hire-turned-Hillary Clinton loather, is the featured attraction at an August 17 fundraiser for Scott Tipton, who's running for Congress against incumbent John Salazar. But while Salazar has lately gotten some recent bad press over accusations o ... More >>

John Salazar: Land swap aids big donor

John Salazar.​While Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has been enduring a summer of media broiling over everything from the BP oil spill to federal wild-horse roundups, his brother John has been coolly and quietly toodling toward re-election and a fourth term in Congress. But now, the Oth ... More >>

Mark Udall called Armenian genocide defector by advocacy group in candidate report card

Mark Udall.​In April, Senator Mark Udall marked the anniversary of the 1915 Armenian genocide with a strongly worded statement. But these words didn't satisfy Rocky Mountain Hye Advocates, an organization trying to get all members of the Colorado congressional delegation to support a national ... More >>

Kyle Orton loves his tender, but he's probably not going anywhere (like it or not)

KO looks pretty excited, doesn't he?​We've selected three blogs about Denver for your reading pressure. Click them. Ian Henson at Bronco Talk opines about Kyle Orton signing his tender offer -- which, unlike with Brandon Marshall, probably won't precipitate a trade. However, Henson expects th ... More >>

Sarah Palin puts a political hit out on Betsy Markey, John Salazar over health-care vote

"I'm going to treat Betsy Markey and John Salazar like that turkey back there."​Sarah Palin is a politician (or whatever she is these days) who loves to kick ass and take names. Names belonging to the likes of Betsy Markey (already targeted by the Gun Owners of America) and John Salazar, whos ... More >>

Dick Wadhams on health care: "America will be in great political turmoil after the passage of this bill -- and I think that's good"

"No, I'm not being facetious."​The U.S. House's passage of a massive health-care bill President Barack Obama is planning to sign into law today is already having plenty of political impact locally, with the Gun Owners of America targeting Dem Betsy Markey, who voted for the measure (after voti ... More >>

Jersey Shore nicknames for Colorado's political contenders, bro: Guido for Governor!

J-Muscle, indeed.​Is the media beating this whole Jersey Shore thing to death? Definitely. Are we here at Westword going to join in on beatin' up the beat? Damn right. Being the thoughtful and responsible journalists that we are, we decided to use the "Jersey Shore Nickname Generator" to crea ... More >>

Denver Blogs: Charlie Sheen case more fun than running for Congress

"Hey! I'm not ready for my closeup!"​We're back with our week-daily roundup of Denver bloggery. Did you miss us? The Colorado Independent's David O. Williams speculates that 9th Judicial District Attorney Martin Beeson was too busy with high-profile cases involving the likes of actor Charlie ... More >>

Denver Blogs: Is Josh McDaniels making the right move by benching Ben Hamilton?

Strangely (or maybe not so strangely), the coach hasn't changed much since high school.​Here's some local bloggery to peruse. Colin over at South Stands Denver is a little skittish about Josh McDaniels benching o-lineman Ben Hamilton in favor of another former New England Patriot. But if Josh ... More >>

Denver Blogs: John Salazar hates clean energy -- allegedly!

If conservation voters keep after him, John Salazar's going to have to hide in his mustache.​Our daily hunting expedition for local bloggage. The League of Conservation Voters doesn't like drilling, but it does like drilling John Salazar. (Colorado Independent) Bennet v. Romanoff gets the Ra ... More >>

What Robert Redford and fellow lefties are up to at the Project New West summit

A Flickr photoRobert Redford, who's probably had some work done.​Today and tomorrow, political heavy hitters of the progressive persuasion throughout the region are meeting at the Colorado History Museum as part of the 2009 Western Summit, sponsored by Project New West, an organization that de ... More >>

Denver Blogs: Salazar with a commanding early fundraising lead

​ We're giving away three links every day. All you have to do is send them to us. The challenger for John Salazar's House seat isn't exactly rolling in dough at this point. (Colorado Independent) Corruption for a good cause in Longmont? (Face the State) Brekenridge might not even need to vo ... More >>

To defeat the evil health-care legislation, Republicans will target a lawmaker near you

They're coming for you, Betsy Markey.​Politico reports this morning that the battle over President Obama's health care-reform bill will be waged, and won, during the upcoming August recess. And Republicans is already identifying Colorado Democrats it believes it can persuade to stiff-arm the p ... More >>

Boot Up

Celebrate leather and sweat this weekend in Pueblo.

Denver Blogs: Let the playoffs begin

Photo courtest of Flickr Our Friday blog round-up. Send tips if you've got them. What the Nuggets have to do to avoid letting down an entire city. No pressure, boys. (Denver Stiffs) Meet John Salazar, master of the earmark. (Face the State) When the Left and the Right have a protest-measuring co ... More >>

Michael Bennet was on media's senate-pick radar all along

The December 4 blog "Denver Dailies Didn't See Possible John Salazar Cabinet Post Coming" now seems charmingly dated. The piece was prompted by word that Representative John Salazar, not his higher-profile brother, Senator Ken Salazar, was likely to be named to Barack Obama's cabinet -- a prospect f ... More >>

Wake-Up Call: Countdown to a Senate nomination

At gatherings on New Year's Day, the talk was all about when Governor Bill Ritter will announce a new senator -- and, of course, just who his pick will be to replace Ken Salazar, Barack Obama's choice to head the Department of the Interior. Technically, there's no hurry; Salazar's confirmation hear ... More >>

Who should replace Salazar in the Senate? Go straight to the Hart.

Wake-Up Call: The week ahead, December 15-21

While the Obama cabinet carousel -- Ritter! Salazar (Ken)! Salazar (John)! Michael Bennet! Salazar (Ken, again)! -- continues to go 'round, with a name thrown out each week (although now, with Ken Salazar back in the ring for Interior, we're on repeats) -- Colorado's top Dems will gather at t ... More >>

Wake-Up Call: Mr. Salazar goes to Washington?

Suddenly, all the political pundits are talking about a Salazar going to Washington. Not Ken Salazar, who'd apparently rather stay in his Senate seat than move to the Cabinet (but might be up for a future opening on the Supreme Court, where he'd be the first Latino justice) ... More >>

Denver dailies didn't see possible John Salazar cabinet post coming

As noted in this morning's blog "Wake-Up Call: Mr. Salazar goes to Washington?," Colorado Representative John Salazar has confirmed that he's in the running to become Secretary of Agriculture in the administration of president-elect Barack Obama. This news likely came as a surprise to readers of th ... More >>

The Colorado officials who bucked the bailout -- and those who went along

Sagebrush Bill: The Guv's a Rebel at Heart

Hard to Swallow

Cockroaches invade Colorado! Tell Tom Tancredo.

Race Card

Immigration issues deal the media a tough hand.