U.S. Republican Party

Civil unions bill passes Senate, heads to House

Last May, a civil-unions bill died an ugly death in the Colorado House of Representatives, alternately frustrating and pissing off backers. But this year appears to be a very different story. A short time ago, the state senate approved the Pat Steadman-sponsored measure -- and while that happened i ... More >>

Champ Bailey isn't being released by Broncos despite the sh*t CBS makes up

Denver blog posts take it one day at a time. South Stands Denver's Colin D. slaps CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora for naming Champ Bailey as a possible salary-cap casualty -- an assertion he sees as pure fiction. At The Colorado Observer, Representative Frank McNulty says more can be done to protect ... More >>

Year in Review: The 2012 Hall of Shame

See also: 20 Dumbest Denver Criminals of 2012

Amendment 64: If it's a disaster, other states won't move to legalize pot, says GOP's Ryan Call

Since Amendment 64 passed in Colorado, Republican officials have been tasked with responding to a policy that the party didn't embrace but a majority of voters supported. With small amounts of recreational marijuana use to be okayed in the state constitution, GOP reps are supporting the state's righ ... More >>

The music fan's guide to voting

The defining narrative of American politics since the turn of the millennium seems to be that 'We the people' are screwed no matter who gets elected. Elect a Republican: We engage in pre-emptive war, the national deficit skyrockets, and we sacrifice education and infrastructure investment. Elect a D ... More >>

Tom Tancredo's Metro State ad seeks plaintiffs for undocumented-student tuition deal lawsuit

Former Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo has purchased an advertisement in tomorrow's edition of The Metropolitan, the student newspaper for Metro State University of Denver -- one that could cost the school plenty. Tancredo confirms that the ad (see it below) seeks plaintiffs for ... More >>

Red or blue, all eyes are on Colorado this election

Civl unions legislation will get Republican support, predicts outgoing rep B.J. Nikkel

Denver blog posts are workin' it. Colorado Independent's John Tomasic quotes B.J. Nikkel, a key vote in almost saving civil unions, who thinks more of her fellow Republicans will come around on the legislation. Colorado Pols asks: What the hell is Scott Gessler thinking? Denver Egotist shares new ... More >>

Videos: Mitt Romney's Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin dodge overshadows CBS4 interview

Yesterday, CBS4's Shaun Boyd got a one-on-one opportunity to quiz presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney -- a nice coup for a local reporter. But Boyd's chat with Romney, seen in multiple clips below, made more news for his refusal to talk about Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin than the ... More >>

Colorado GOP criticizes Obama's immigration policy, promotes "permanent solution"

Over the weekend, while reporting at the launch of Mitt Romney's Colorado campaign headquarters, we asked some of the state's GOP officials in attendance, what they thought of President Barack Obama's new policy about deportations and undocumented youth. Unsurprisingly, they're not pleased.

UCD's new conservatism class is funded by...conservatives

We scream for ice cream! Five GOP-inspired Ben & Jerry's flavors

What are two things that people really want right now? You guessed it: new flavors of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and more Republican primary coverage. Last week Ben & Jerry's announced that it is debuting Greek frozen yogurt, bringing back "Chocolate Therapy" (chocolate ice cream, choco-cookies and ch ... More >>

Is the growing number of conservative Hispanics changing ideas about illegal immigration?

Osama bin Laden death celebration at Mesa State College in Grand Junction (VIDEO)

Video below.​In our post about how Osama bin Laden's death was experienced by the Facebook generation, we noted that localizing this story was unnecessary, because it impacted all of us, wherever we were. Which is why spontaneous celebrations broke out in New York City, Washington, D.C. -- an ... More >>

Carmelo Anthony is high-maintenance superstar & other things we've learned since Knicks trade

​These Denver blog posts materialized before our very eyes. Denver Stiffs' Andrew Feinstein shares what we've learned since the Nuggets dealt Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks -- including that Melo is a high-maintenance superstar. To say nothing of LaLa. WhoSaidYouSaid spotlights a mom who real ... More >>

Hall of Shame: Westword's worst of the worst from 2010

Ken Buck and Dan Maes know who caused them to lose election: Those damn Republicans!

Ken Buck.​A triumvirate of Denver blog posts. 5280's Michael de Yoanna writes that Ken Buck and Dan Maes blame election-day losses on Republicans. Mmm-kay. Mile High Hockey's David Driscoll-Carignan notes that the Colorado Avs are hurting -- physically, that is. Ouch. Square State's Bill Eg ... More >>

Dan Maes says he's staying in race despite bankruptcy revelation, alleged bribe to quit

Dan Maes.​Another week, another series of disasters for the Dan Maes campaign. First came photos of Maes collecting cash in a burlap bag, in apparent violation of campaign rules (but beyond the statute of limitations). Next? News that he'd filed for personal bankruptcy in 1989 -- the sort of i ... More >>

Tom Tancredo on Dan Maes meeting and dodging attacks as a "racist, Nazi bastard"

Tom Tancredo.​Whether you love Tom Tancredo or loathe him, there's no denying that he's a highly unusual politician. Whereas many of his peers always seem to be speaking from a heavily lawyered script, he talks off the cuff with a lack of self-consciousness that's startling and refreshing. He ... 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 >>

Tom Tancredo, Dog the Bounty Hunter & Sheriff Joe Arpaio draw a bead on John Hickenlooper

Tom Tancredo.​Against all odds, Tom Tancredo seems to be gaining momentum in his third-party gubernatorial run. With pundits essentially writing off Republican nominee Dan Maes, whose recent attempt to raise $500,000 in a day fell over $400,000 short, Tancredo operations manager Cliff Dodge is ... More >>

Dan Maes: Will he sink other Republicans or become an "embarrassing afterthought?"

Dan Maes.​Yesterday, Dan Maes spokesman Nate Strauch confirmed that the Maes campaign fell over $400,000 short of its $500,000 fundraising goal on Friday -- and this after he raised just $14,000 during the previous reporting period. It's the latest setback for Maes -- and political consultant ... More >>

Jaimes Brown and Colorado's Libertarians are bringing the party to the people for the first time

Jaimes Brown.​At the 2008 Libertarian National Convention in Denver, some party members derisively passed around shots of Scope to wash the bad taste from their mouths following the presidential nomination of former Republican, Bob Barr. It wasn't just that Barr was seen as an impure strain o ... More >>

Tom Tancredo issues a challenge as Wayne Allard and Hank Brown get behind Dan Maes

Tom Tancredo.​Update below: As big-name Republicans begin to rally 'round gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes -- former senators Hank Brown and Wayne Allard signed on yesterday -- any GOP hopes of Maes stepping aside evaporates. So while today is the deadline for Maes's lieutenant governor pick, ... More >>

9.12 Project Colorado chair on Tom Tancredo's ultimatum, Ken Buck's "dumbasses" comment

Ken Buck.​The major GOP races in Colorado don't want for drama this year -- or comedy, depending on your perspective. Tom Tancredo's high noon ultimatum to Scott McInnis and Dan Maes was followed by Ken Buck's "Weld County bullshit" statement and another comment in which he called Tea Party bi ... More >>

Hasan Family Foundation's trickle-down economics: Will Scott McInnis drown in them?

Ali Hasan.​Money can't buy you everything -- although it can certainly smooth the way for a while. The Hasan family fortune provided the base for the Hasam Family Foundation, which paid $300,000 to Scott McInnis for his "Musings on Water." And it also helped fuel the political ambitions of so ... More >>

Ali Hasan is going back to Cali, but not before a few last words

Tom Tancredo's advice to President Obama about how to solve illegal immigration

Tom Tancredo.​Strange but true: Former congressman Tom Tancredo agrees with something in President Barack Obama said in his immigration-reform speech at American University yesterday -- specifically, his assertion that "our borders are just too vast for us to be able to solve the problem only ... 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 >>

Meet Lu Busse, chair of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition

And on the seventh day, Glenn Beck rested. And it was good.​ProgressNow Colorado is on the warpath against tea party organizations and other "far right extremists;" read the liberal outfit's recent warning about them at the bottom of the blog linked here. But Lu Busse, chair of the 9.12 Proje ... More >>

Scott McInnis unity platform fix is in

Where Scott McInnis leads, all of his former rivals plan to follow.​Last Thursday, Tom Tancredo confirmed in this space that he was part of a group coming up with a unity platform Republican Scott McInnis could use against Bill Ritter in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign -- and that if all went ... More >>

Josh Penry campaign scoffs at Scott McInnis' reasons for not debating

"Put down your weapons. I come in peace."​This morning, gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis' responded to critics of his decision not to debate his fellow Republican rivals with a Denver Post op-ed in which he argued that while "GOP candidate forums" are fine, direct faceoffs will do more ha ... More >>

Denver Blogs: Sperm Egg doesn't equal big donations

Destination: Ovum!​Local blogs for locals like you. Former Colorado Independent staffer Wendy Norris launches Western Citizen, her new online news project, with a story about the tough financial times being faced by backers of the latest personhood amendment. Fetus don't fail them now. John ... More >>

Momentum keeps building for Josh Penry

Josh Penry.​"Time For Josh Penry to Make His Move in Republican Guv-Nomination Race," a blog published about this time yesterday, noted that Penry seems to be filling the GOP vacuum that his principal rival, Scott McInnis, has left gaping thus far. The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza apparent ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, September 9 edition

Open wide.​Meat, and so much more. Today in Cafe Society: • The winner of the burger battle at Tony's Market. • Open house today at 3014. • Tonight: Denver Five dinner at TAG with local winemaker Ben Parsons. • Chef and Tell: Mark Dym of Marco's Coal-Fired Pizza. • Our Weekly Bread: ... More >>

Sheriff Salazar stalled by posse politics

Republicans rallied the troops in the Senate this morning and managed to block the much-delayed confirmation of David Hayes, Ken "New Sheriff in Town" Salazar's choice to serve as his top deputy at the Department of the Interior. In a crucial test of whether the new administration's bold break wit ... More >>

Ryan Frazier throws his hat into the Senate race

Ryan Frazier Two-term Aurora city councilman Ryan Frazier has announced that he's formed an exploratory committee for the Colorado 2010 U.S. Senate Race. The development, which Frazier will announce today at a Grand Junction tea party rally, makes the 31-year-old Frazier the first Republican to tak ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, February 4 edition

Where were we? Today in Backbeat Online: • Lily Allen, Flight of the Conchords, Franz Ferdinand shows announced. • Is it too early to reminisce about mid-'90s rap? • Isaac Slade on the meaning of "You Found Me." • Update: Join the Photo Atlas video shoot. Today in Cafe Society: • Vesta ... More >>

Scott McInnis prematurely pisses on GOP's grave

Ryan Frazier puts his job on the line with Amendment 47

DNC Craigslist rentals: File under are you f$*king crazy?!?

DNC Orientation Video: Because you can't get drunk from hope alone

Hand Puppets Call for "Total Destruction" of DNC

The Straight-Talk Express Goes to Utah. And Europe.

Fate of the Union

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Bug Juice
June 5, 2003

Making Book on Bill Owens

Questions about the religious right are this GOP candidate's cross to bear--or is that bare?

OFF THE RECORD

WHOSE DIVORCE RECORDS ARE SEALED? READ ALL ABOUT IT.