Subject: Michael Bennet

• Beware the Mommies

  January 31, 2007

• Denver Blogs: Michael Bennet is rich, biatch!

  If you're looking for someone who reads local blogs and then makes dated Dave Chappelle references, you're in the right place. Send links over here. Face the State dug up the financial disclosure statements for Colorado's statewide office holders. So we're linking to it. Unless Michael Bennet doesn't want us to, in which case, our silence is for sale.... (Face the State) Looking for a silver lining in nail-spitting storm cloud that is the latest unemployment numbers. (5280) Bill Ritter: Dow

  June 4, 2009

• 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 the Governor's Office to help make Obama's win official, as the state's nine presidential electors cast their ballots. Then it's back to business -- or the lack thereof, which will become more co

  December 15, 2008

• Wrong again! Ritter to announce Senate candidate tomorrow

  I haven't been so wrong about a political pick since I predicted that then-Lieutenant Governor Joe Rogers would lead a crowded pack in the Republican primary for the congressional seat ultimately claimed by Democrat Ed Perlmutter. Governor Bill Ritter just announced that he'll hold a news conference at 2 p.m. tomorrow (and not January 6, as I'd predicted this morning) to announce and introduce his appointee to the U.S. Senate. And that appointee won't be Perlmutter, or Andrew Romanoff, or John

  January 2, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: Batting clean-up before the legislative session

  Now that Michael Bennet has been named to take over for Ken Salazar in the U.S. Senate (no cowboy hat required), Colorado pols can get back to the business of running the state (at least until it's time to start running for whatever seat may be in play in 2010). Today, the Denver Board of Education will start looking for a new superintendent to replace Bennet. Hey, Andrew Romanoff is still looking for a job -- if he hasn't already been tapped to become the next coach of the Broncos. And o

  January 5, 2009

• 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 few political prognosticators saw as a possibility. Turns out it wasn't, though: Obama wound up naming Ken as his Interior Secretary, leaving John in the House. More recently, Colorado governor Bill R

  January 5, 2009

• The dollars and cents of Michael Bennet's Senate appointment

  More envy than pity has accompanied Bill Ritter's appointment of Denver Public Schools' Michael Bennet to fill Ken Salazar's soon-to-be-vacated U.S. Senate seat. But the folks at Face the State have found a reason to feel sorry for the rising political star: He'll be making less money in his new job than in his current one. Although he earns $160,000 per annum in base salary at DPS, assorted extras can push that total above $200,000, Face the State estimates -- well above the Senate pay of just

  January 5, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: New jobs for Andrew Romanoff

  On November 5, the day after Democrats scored such a stunning upset in Colorado, I spotted affable, outgoing Colorado House of Representatives speaker Andrew Romanoff at the Saucy Noodle, of all places. He was on the phone with Bernie Buescher, the Grand Junction rep who'd looked to be next in line as speaker -- until he lost his seat on November 4. Six weeks later, Romanoff was one of three finalists for the Colorado Secretary of State's job -- and lost it to Buescher. And last week, he lost

  January 7, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: It's on to 2010

  The Colorado Legislature just convened yesterday, with four months of hard work and tough budgeting choices ahead. So it's no surprise that in their off-hours, citizen lawmakers would rather ignore this new year altogether and go directly to 2010, which promises plenty of political surprises. Already, Troy Eid, outgoing U.S. Attorney, is talking about running for Attorney General, since John Suthers is eying the governor's seat -- or maybe the Senate slot soon to be occupied by Michael Ben

  January 8, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: Naming names for U.S. attorney

  Right before he headed into his lovefest/confirmation hearing for the Secretary of the Interior post, still-Senator Ken Salazar and new Senator Mark Udall sent President-elect Barack Obama the names of three candidates for U.S. attorney, since that post generally goes with the winning party, and Republican Troy Eid has tendered his resignation (he's planning to run for Colorado attorney general). The names: William "Bill" Thiebaut, former legislator and current Pueblo district attorney; John Wa

  January 16, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: The sky's the limit for Jeff Peckman

  When John Hickenlooper was a favorite to take Ken Salazar's Senate slot, local politicos slobbered over the idea of a winner-take-all race for the Denver mayor's seat in May. But Michael Bennet's appointment to the Senate ended that game of musical chairs, and now the last outstanding issue that might have sent Denverites to the polls in a few months is also on hold. Last year, Jeff Peckman had proposed a ballot initiative requiring that Denver establish an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission,

  January 22, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: An end to musical chairs

  Ken Salazar has been sworn in as Secretary of the Interior. Michael Bennet is now a U.S. senator. Tom Boasberg is taking over as superintendent of Denver Public Schools, promising to "accelerate reform." That leaves just one more chair to fill -- the U.S. Attorney's seat vacated by Republican Troy Eid -- and a tidy way to tie up a loose end. Last week, then-senator Salazar and Mark Udall sent three names to Barack Obama as their choices for the top federal attorney in the state. We're betting

  January 23, 2009

• Dick Wadhams has a greeting for Barack Obama

  Dick Wadhams. Sweeping defeat in the 2008 elections hasn't made Colorado Republican Party boss Dick Wadhams any less feisty. On behalf of the state GOP, Wadhams purchased enormous advertisements in both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post featuring the banner headline "COLORADO REPUBLICANS WELCOME BACK PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA..." Predictably, the ad's not much of a welcome -- more like a series of shots across the bow, including a couple aimed at new Colorado Senator Michael Bennet. But

  February 17, 2009

• Denver Blogs: "Whoa, guys, you're taking this bipartisan thing a little too far, aren't you?"

  Michael Bennet.Our daily cruise through the blogosphere. Send tips. Is Senator Michael Bennet already turning on Obama? (Square State) In the Rocky's absence, the Post has gone commie. Allegedly. (Face the State) A random lesson on how to survive a wild animal attack, which sent us spiraling into thirty minutes of daydreaming about whether we could handle a mountain lion. We settled on no. (5280)

  March 18, 2009

• Denver Blogs: Was it something he Tweeted?

  Bob Schaffer: Spurned by CU?Our search for local blog bliss. Send tips. CU Boulder does not seem interested in hiring Bob Schaffer. Is it because he's a Republican? Was it something he Tweeted? (Face the State) Remember the flood of 1965? Us either. That's what these guys are for. (Buck Fifty) Anybody need a free house? (5280) Michael Bennet's constituents are a little skeptical of his new "Conservadem" tag. (Colorado Pols)

  April 7, 2009

• North High’s Model Student

  This senior won't give DPS a gold star.

  May 31, 2007

• Off Limits

  Whatever Floats Your Boat

  June 30, 2005

• YouTubers ratchet up the guilt on John Elway, other Denver celebs over child soldiers

  On April 25, InvisibleChildren.com is staging events in 100 cities to bring attention to the abduction and forced recruitment of child soldiers -- an unspeakably cruel practice that's all too common in many parts of the world. In Denver, participants will gather at the main gate of Coors Field prior to "abducting" themselves down Broadway, past the State Capitol. They'll eventually wind up at the Pavilion at Cheesman Park, "where we will wait to be rescued" -- and they want celebrities to be s

  April 15, 2009

• Denver Blogs: The phantom "Business Community" strikes again

  Michael Bennet. Blogs that might be worth reading, collected for your enjoyment. Send links our way. The very scary "Business Community" is pressuring Senator Bennet to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act. (Colorado Pols) The Western Slope's natural-gas boom is about to go bust. (Colorado Independent) Just in case the Nuggets need any motivation in game 5... (Denver Stiffs)

  April 29, 2009

• Michael Bennet bedeviled by union matters, too

  Michael Bennet and family with veep Joe Biden. Just as Governor Bill Ritter has undermined his own political future by his handling of various union-related measures, so, too, has Michael Bennet, who Ritter appointed to the U.S. Senate when Ken Salazar moved to President Barack Obama's cabinet, given his reputation as a rising young Democratic party star some serious dents. This morning, Bennet finds himself right where he doesn't want to be -- on the front page of the Denver Post -- due to his

  June 11, 2009

• Denver Blogs: I guess rugby players like strippers, but still, this is so odd....

  Our daily cruise through the blogosphere. Send tips. Inside Infinity Park and Glendale's strange obsession with rugby. (5280) Breaking down the Broncos quarterbacks. (Mile High Report) Michael Bennet's campaign has money in the bank. About $2.66 mill, in fact. (Colorado Independent)

  July 15, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: The chase is on

  On Saturday, as railroad enthusiasts chased the 65-year-old Union Pacific steam engine powering the Denver Post train to Cheyenne Frontier Days, the chase was also on inside the train: to find out if Bob Beauprez is going to throw his cowboy hat in the ring for the U.S. Senate seat that Michael Bennet has occupied for just six months. Beauprez managed to evade his questioners, although he did say that the race -- hypothetically speaking, of course -- will be a costly one, since Bennet has alrea

  July 20, 2009

• Toothless or not, Michael Bennet will ride or die with Obama's "pay-as-you-go" plan

  "I am Batman Bennet. Get used to the words flashing on your TV screen and bouncing from your radio speakers: "Pay as you go." And we're not talking cell phones or Craigslist escorts (they do that, don't they?) President Obama's proposed "pay-as-you-go" plan -- wherein every expenditure (except for lots of them) must be offset by a cut (as long as you don't cut something really important) -- may be toothless, or it may restore fiscal responsibility to Washington. Like everything in that cit

  July 23, 2009

• Do Bennet and Udall heart the NRA?

  Is that a gun in your pocket? When Michael Bennet was just a baby/his mama told him, son/always be a good boy/don't ever play with guns. But that (weird, re-imagined-by-me Johnny Cash lyric) didn't stop him from voting for them. Now he and fellow Sen. Mark Udall are in trouble -- at least with the press -- for playing politics and caving in to the NRA. As reported yesterday by the Washington Post's Dana Milbank, Udall and Bennet were apparently among a number of Democrats who voted for an

  July 24, 2009

• The Westword.com blog shortcut, July 24 edition

  Dressy Bessy is ready for the weekend.​ Damn it's hot outside. Today in Backbeat Online: -Get your video groove on with Dressy Bessy. -Heavenfest taking shape. Wow, that dude in the front looks like he's going to kill me with his pointer finger. -New Informants album. -Freaky Friday, bad rap edition. Today in Cafe Society: -Summer Brew Fest. Get yourself to Mile High Station. -SPAM is oblivious to your recession. -More sweets in Littleton. Today in The Latest Word: -Another huge pot b

  July 24, 2009

• More signs that Bob Beauprez wants to take on Michael Bennet

  Bob Beauprez.​Our Monday Denver Blogs post linked a Colorado Pols item about Bob Beauprez, who lost to Bill Ritter in a 2006 gubernatorial bid, and now seems eager to take on Senator Michael Bennet in 2010. A Politico article Colorado Pols references finds Big Bob denigrating the chances that either Aurora city councilman Ryan Frazier and Weld County district attorney Ken Buck, the two announced challengers to Bennet, can actually win, given their weak fundraising efforts to date. Granted

  August 5, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: The DNC's island of misfit toys

  ​I'm looking across the highway at the Pepsi Center and Invesco Field at Mile High, the settings for so many memorable sights during the Democratic National Convention, which kicked off exactly a year ago today. And between them -- at least from this vantage point -- is Elitch Gardens, where, before all the political pomp and circumstance, the Denver Host Committee staged a welcoming party for the media and other visitors. Dean Singleton, the Denver Post owner who funded the festivities,

  August 24, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: Beauprez decides against a Senate run

  ​In politics, timing is everything. Timing and money -- big money, in the case of anyone who's going to take on barely incumbent Senator Michael Bennet, who's already raised over $2 million to retain an office he's held for fewer than eight months. The money was a major obstacle in any run against Bennet in 2010, Bob Beauprez said when I saw him last month at Cheyenne Frontier Days. But still, he added, he was going to look into possibly getting into the race for the Republican nomination

  August 25, 2009

• Bob Beauprez abandoning candidacy but not spotlight

  Bob Beauprez.​Despite signs earlier this month that Bob Beauprez was itching to take on Michael Bennet in the 2010 race for the U.S. Senate, the former congressman and failed gubernatorial hopeful has decided against taking the plunge. Still, it's clear that the temptation to run was strong. Yesterday afternoon, he filled in for Dan Caplis on KHOW's afternoon-drive show, and while introducing guest commentator Michael Barone, regular host Craig Silverman teasingly identified Beauprez as a

  August 25, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: Romanoff on the range

  ​"What's he doing in the Senate?" "Why, it's an honorary appointment. He's an honorary stooge." Frank Capra's classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was on TCM yesterday afternoon -- just the thing to warm up the set (and the sofa) before Jake Cutler returned to Mile High, particularly given all the buzz that Andrew Romanoff, former Colorado Speaker of the House, might jump into the U.S. Senate race, challenging Michael Bennet in the Democratic primary for the seat that he's held for all o

  August 31, 2009

• An under-pressure Michael Bennet promotes his healthcare approach

  Senator Michael Bennet's brief stint as a United States Senator hasn't proven scintillating to date -- hence former Colorado House speaker Andrew Romanoff's reported eagerness to make a run for Ken Salazar's old seat himself. But at least his staff made a smart decision about promoting his Friday appearance in Pueblo to talk healthcare. Instead of waiting for opponents to post videos that made the event look like a grassroots uprising to prevent the return of Communism, as colleagues such as Re

  August 31, 2009

• Does a Romanoff run give aid and comfort to the enemy?

  Andrew Romanoff.​The Republicans seem to be in complete disarray when it comes to finding a U.S. Senate candidate for 2010. But that doesn't mean the Democrats will be able to cruise to victory. Although current office-holder Michael Bennet handled his latest healthcare summit well, he's been underwhelming during his first months in office -- so much so that former Colorado House speaker Andrew Romanoff, who coveted the appointment Bennet got, is reportedly on the verge of launching a prim

  August 31, 2009

• Denver Blogs: In this corner....

  Michael Bennet might have some competition....​Our daily blog round-up. You may have a case of the Mondays, but the blogosphere does not. The upside of a Bennet-Romanoff primary. (Colorado Pols) Brandon Marshall: Turns out he'd make an excellent blogger. (5280) Colorado: Your go-to state for ponds full of cancer-causing coal-ash! (Colorado Independent)

  August 31, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: Senator Bennet rolls up his sleeves

  ​Business boosters at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce didn't know what had hit them. On Friday, when Senator Mark Udall offered a healthcare briefing at the Chamber, there hadn't been a single member of the media. But on Monday, when Senator Michael Bennet did the same, the TV cameras were rolling from the moment Bennet got out of his car. What a difference a weekend makes. On Saturday, news had leaked that Bennet, appointed to fill Ken Salazar's seat back in January, might face a ch

  September 1, 2009

• Could Republican disarray lure Bill Owens into Senate race?

  Bill Owens.​With Democrats worrying about a possible challenge to Senate appointee Michael Bennet by former Colorado Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff, Republicans ought to like their chances in the race for that seat, slated for 2010. Instead, they can't settle on a viable candidate. Announced contestants such as Ryan Frazier left the National Republican Senatorial Committee with such an empty feeling that the organization has registered a couple of domain names on behalf of Jane Norto

  September 1, 2009

• Colorado delegation doesn't tweet during Obama's healthcare speech

  ​Last night, Colorado's representatives and senators actually paid attention during President Barack Obama's healthcare address to a joint session of Congress -- or at least they resisted posting their comments about it while the speech was taking place. Not all of the state's federal officials have a Twitter account: Indeed, Betsy Markey's lack of one is the subject of a petition from an organization called TweetCongress.org. But none of those who do (Jared Polis, Mark Udall, Michael Benn

  September 10, 2009

• Andrew Romanoff ready to pull the trigger -- candidacy-wise, that is

  Andrew Romanoff in an image from his out-of-date website.​Over the weekend, Andrew Romanoff turned up at a union-sponsored Labor Day picnic where current U.S. Senator Michael Bennet was also glad-handing -- one reason why a Tuesday blog about his appearance was headlined "Andrew Romanoff Sure Looking Like a Senatorial Candidate." As a result, his decision today to file the paperwork required to explore a bid for Bennet's office -- a precursor to a formal announcement -- was wholly predicta

  September 10, 2009

• Barack Obama's Michael Bennet shout-out

  Barack Obama, cast in a golden glow, with Michael Bennet.​With ex-speaker of the Colorado House Andrew Romanoff's entry into the U.S. Senate race merely a formality at this point, Michael Bennet, appointed by Governor Bill Ritter to fill the slot opened up by the departure (to the Department of the Interior) of Ken Salazar, needs to start playing offense. In that regard, he's gotten an assist from a certain President Barack Obama, who sent an attaboy e-mail about Colorado's really junior s

  September 11, 2009

• The Westword.com blog shortcut, September 11, 2009

  Photo by Rob LeeSetting the stage.​Yeah, I hate typing that date, too. Today in Backbeat Online: • Our top 5 Monolith can't-miss acts. • Q&A with Frank Turner. • Q&A with Jinji Thompson of the Skyline Surrender. • Monolith Q&A: Monotonix. • MP3 Freeloader: DJ MU$A offers new mixtape, Techno Savvy. Today in Cafe Society: • A classic Denver Food & Wine Classic. • The DeKuyper Mix Master Bartender Contest will come to order. • Cheba Hut is a hit with Greeley judge. • Food

  September 11, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: And they're off!

  ​The 2010 election is still more than thirteen months away, but the race for the U.S. Senate season occupied (for the past eight months) by Michael Bennet really starts this week. On Tuesday, former Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton will formally announce her bid for the Republican nomination -- taking on Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck and Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier, among others. She's making three official appearances that day, starting at the Tech Center, moving on to C

  September 14, 2009

• Andrew Romanoff in the starting blocks

  Andrew Romanoff hopes to be house hunting in the near future.​As we pointed out in a blog last Thursday, former Colorado Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff is on the cusp of announcing a challenge to Senate appointee Michael Bennet. To that end, he's made one minor alteration at AndrewRomanoff.com, an address that hadn't been updated for months. Now, there's a small note near the top of the home page that reads, "New Website Coming Soon." Soon like tomorrow, when he'll formally step int

  September 15, 2009

• Michael Bennet joins group edging away from public option

  Michael Bennet.​Even as Andrew Romanoff readies for a 2010 run for the U.S. Senate, Michael Bennet, the Bill Ritter appointee he'll be challenging, is upping his public profile. Hence, an appearance yesterday on KHOW for an extended conversation with host Craig Silverman and fill-in yakker Dan Haley, the editorial page editor of the Denver Post and fearless Broncos prognosticator. Naturally, the topic of healthcare reform was front and center, and Bennet, like so many other members of his

  September 15, 2009

• Michael Bennet's e-mail snafu amid terror-plot revelations

  Michael Bennet.​The "send" key: It's so easy to push -- and so dangerous when it's pressed prematurely. Witness the chain of events that followed an unwise forward inadvertently shared with assorted reporters by a member of Senator Michael Bennet's staff as information about a Colorado connection to terrorism-related raids in Queens, New York was surfacing yesterday. The thread, published in its entirety by Politico, doesn't contain anything truly embarrassing -- like, for instance, "As yo

  September 16, 2009

• Michael Bennet's plea for "a more rational conversation" about healthcare

  As Andrew Romanoff was announcing his candidacy for the U.S. Senate yesterday, Michael Bennet, the Bill Ritter appointee he's challenging for the position, was in Washington, D.C., doing his best to talk about other things. Here, Bennet appears at a small rally organized by PICO National Network, an assemblage of faith-based community organizations that want healthcare reform. In his brief remarks, Bennet doesn't take the usual tack of praising everyone on all sides of the issue for their passi

  September 17, 2009

• Denver Blogs: I need fuel!

  We read local blogs so you don't have to, although you should, 'cause many of them don't suck. Turning trash into electricity: Yet another way that life imitates Back to the Future. (Colorado Independent) Malcom Glenn doesn't think you should be surprised by Obama's endorsement of Michael Bennet. (Which you weren't, because you're not an idiot. But he's just saying...) (Huffington Post Denver) Dave Cullen's Columbine, reviewed. (Scholars and Rogues)

  September 18, 2009

• Denver Blogs: Beware the status quo

  Happy Friday. Celebrate by wasting time with these local links. Colorado Independent's John Tomasic tracked down the above video -- of Michael Bennet talking about health care -- and did a nice distillation to boot. (Via Colorado Pols) Are bank robbers keeping the West wild? Over at HuffPo Denver, Lise Haring says yes -- and reminisces about the Telluride of old. No better time than now to nerd out about baseball, and the Purple Row is doing just that today, with a look at the way the Rocki

  October 2, 2009

• Michael Bennet's old boss, Phil Anschutz, donates to his senate opponent

  "Not that you weren't a good employee, Mike..."​Ryan Frazier did the smart thing when he dumped his campaign for the U.S. Senate to challenge Rep. Ed Perlmutter in the 7th Congressional District. The Republican hierarchy has clearly lined up in support of former Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton, as evidenced by the luminaries named in her first campaign finance report. As noted by CQ Politics, they include national GOP powerhouses like John McCain, Mitch McConnell, Jon Kyl, Kay Bailey Hutch

  October 21, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: Goldilocks and the two babies

  ​Colorado is not all about balloon boys and terrorists -- unless you count fat babies and health insurance companies. Senator Michael Bennet has been getting a lot of face time lately, speechifying about our broken healthcare system. And in his most recent speech, he may have finally given the debate its public face. Actually, two faces: those of Alex Lange and Aislin Bates The 'Goldilocks Rule' should not apply when it comes to giving Coloradans the health care they need," he pronounced

  October 23, 2009

• Denver Blogs: How now, brown cloud?

  Breathe it or chew it: your choice.​ The road to good local blogs leads this way... The Colorado Independent's Katie Redding reports that air-quality programs here have lost over $31 million. That won't make anyone breath easier. Colin at South Stands Denver worries about the Broncos punting Brent Kern, since replacement Mitch Berger was awful in Pittsburgh. But Mitch can party like none other! Square State's Ray Springfield notes that Senator Michael Bennet drew more than 200 people to

  October 26, 2009

• Wake-Up Call: Michael Bennet and the enemy within

  ​Timing is everything. On Thursday, Senator Michael Bennet voted against Lindsey Graham's amendment that would have barred the Obama administration from trying anyone accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks in federal district courts, instead using military commissions at Guantanamo. And Bennet wasn't alone: Graham's proposal was tabled by a vote of 54-45. But immediately afterward, the National Republican Senatorial Committee took aim at Colorado's newest senator, firing off a missive titl

  November 9, 2009