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Best Appearance by a Cat at the Colorado Legislature

Westy

The fur was flying when the still-recovering Westy, a cat set on fire and thrown to the side of the highway by two ne'er-do-wells last year, showed up at the State Capitol to testify for Senator Deanna Hanna's SB 48, which would make cruelty to animals a more serious criminal offense. As if to illustrate the severity of the crime, Westy was more testy than a gun lobbyist whose proposal had just been shot down -- screeching at strangers and spitting at a seeing-eye dog stationed under one chair. Meow.

Best Appearance by a Minister at the Colorado Legislature

Reverend David Meek

Invited to offer a prayer before the state Senate, Reverend David Meek, pastor at the Assembly of God Glad Tidings Church in Greeley, offended almost everyone when he asked the one Christian God to help make the Pledge of Allegiance mandatory in public schools, to help convince lawmakers to make abortion illegal and to help guide male senators to watch over the "precious ladies" who somehow had been elected to public office.

Best Appearance by a Minister at the Colorado Legislature

Reverend David Meek

Invited to offer a prayer before the state Senate, Reverend David Meek, pastor at the Assembly of God Glad Tidings Church in Greeley, offended almost everyone when he asked the one Christian God to help make the Pledge of Allegiance mandatory in public schools, to help convince lawmakers to make abortion illegal and to help guide male senators to watch over the "precious ladies" who somehow had been elected to public office.

Best Appearance by a Minister Stalking Miss America

Reverend David Meek

There she was, Miss America, visiting the Colorado Legislature for her cancer-awareness campaign. Reverend David Meek was back at the State Capitol on a mission from God -- to hand out a letter apologizing to any lawmakers he'd offended the week before, "Christian Greetings, Precious Lady Senators" -- when he heard that Katie Harmon, the former Miss Oregon, was in the building, and decided he'd like to have his picture taken with a really precious lady. But Miss America's handlers spirited her out of the Capitol before Meek could get too close. There she goes...

Best Appearance by a Minister Stalking Miss America

Reverend David Meek

There she was, Miss America, visiting the Colorado Legislature for her cancer-awareness campaign. Reverend David Meek was back at the State Capitol on a mission from God -- to hand out a letter apologizing to any lawmakers he'd offended the week before, "Christian Greetings, Precious Lady Senators" -- when he heard that Katie Harmon, the former Miss Oregon, was in the building, and decided he'd like to have his picture taken with a really precious lady. But Miss America's handlers spirited her out of the Capitol before Meek could get too close. There she goes...

Best Political Wife

Joan Allard

The wife of Colorado's junior Republican senator, Wayne Allard, is her husband's greatest asset. She accompanies him to every one of the town meetings he holds each year in every one of Colorado's 64 counties, getting a feel for the serious issues even as she chats casually with constituents. And not only can Joan Allard save her husband's bacon, but she can fry it up in a pan: After Nebraska senator Ben Nelson, the loser in a CU-Nebraska-game bet, delivered a box of steaks to Senator Allard's office, Joan prepared "Colorado Peppered Nebraska Steak" -- a recipe she cooked up for the occasion -- for her husband's staff.

Best Political Wife

Joan Allard

The wife of Colorado's junior Republican senator, Wayne Allard, is her husband's greatest asset. She accompanies him to every one of the town meetings he holds each year in every one of Colorado's 64 counties, getting a feel for the serious issues even as she chats casually with constituents. And not only can Joan Allard save her husband's bacon, but she can fry it up in a pan: After Nebraska senator Ben Nelson, the loser in a CU-Nebraska-game bet, delivered a box of steaks to Senator Allard's office, Joan prepared "Colorado Peppered Nebraska Steak" -- a recipe she cooked up for the occasion -- for her husband's staff.

Best Hometown Boy Made Good -- Even If He's Forgotten His Hometown

Karl Rove

Karl Rove has come a long way since his days as the fresh-from-Colorado head of the College Republicans in the early '70s. He made a critical connection during that early political stint: He met George W. Bush, whose father was in charge of the Republican Party. And when Dubya finally moved into the White House, he took Rove with him as an advisor, putting him right in the office previously occupied by Hillary Clinton. "Rove is President Bush's political Svengali, Robespierre and wizard all rolled into one," said an analyst with the Hudson Institute just six months after Rove hit town. But he's not much of a diplomat -- or a demographer. In hot water over a crack he made about a small New Hampshire town's intellectual capabilities, Rover told the Berlin Daily Sun: "Were I ever to belittle small-town America, I would have to do a lot of explaining to my friends and neighbors in Golden, Arvada and Kokomo, Colorado...the places where I grew up." He'd really have a lot of explaining to do in Kokomo: It was buried under a Climax Mine tailings pond over two decades ago.

Best Hometown Boy Made Good -- Even If He's Forgotten His Hometown

Karl Rove

Karl Rove has come a long way since his days as the fresh-from-Colorado head of the College Republicans in the early '70s. He made a critical connection during that early political stint: He met George W. Bush, whose father was in charge of the Republican Party. And when Dubya finally moved into the White House, he took Rove with him as an advisor, putting him right in the office previously occupied by Hillary Clinton. "Rove is President Bush's political Svengali, Robespierre and wizard all rolled into one," said an analyst with the Hudson Institute just six months after Rove hit town. But he's not much of a diplomat -- or a demographer. In hot water over a crack he made about a small New Hampshire town's intellectual capabilities, Rover told the Berlin Daily Sun: "Were I ever to belittle small-town America, I would have to do a lot of explaining to my friends and neighbors in Golden, Arvada and Kokomo, Colorado...the places where I grew up." He'd really have a lot of explaining to do in Kokomo: It was buried under a Climax Mine tailings pond over two decades ago.

Best Elevator Button in the State Capitol

"Help is on the Way"

Colorado voters probably wish that getting help from their elected representatives in the State Capitol was as easy as pushing a button. Unfortunately, things don't work that way. The lawmakers themselves, however, are always a mere arm's length from assistance -- at least when they are traveling up and down in the Statehouse's notoriously rickety elevators. Press the alarm button, and a signal automatically sounds at the fire department. In the meantime, another button with the words "Help is on the Way" lights up, assuring elevator riders that some things actually do get done in the Capitol.

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