Salon.com > Michael F. Bennet, D-Colo.

Democratic Party elites’ days are numbered

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 01:01:00 +0000

Call me an '80s junkie, but when I saw the results of this week's closely watched Colorado election, I immediately thought of "Spaceballs." In that Mel Brooks masterpiece, a Darth Vader spoof named Dark Helmet says, "Evil will always triumph because good is dumb." Make it "dumb and broke," and you have a powerful explanation for incumbent Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet's narrow victory over former state legislator Andrew Romanoff.

In the 20 months since being appointed to fill the vacated Senate seat of now-Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Bennet became one of Congress' top recipients of corporate cash. A wealthy businessman who had never held elected office before, he ultimately raised and spent almost $6 million on his campaign — more than any other primary candidate in the history of Colorado. He was additionally aided by the Democratic National Committee and Organizing for America’s phone banking, by President Barack Obama’s full-throated endorsement, and by the built-in advantages that come with a taxpayer-financed Senate office.

Huge turnout for Colorado primary, Romanoff does Fox

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:30:00 +0000

According to the Colorado secretary of state, as reported by the National Review, turnout for the Colorado primaries is on pace to exceed the 2008 record. Thirty-six percent of Democrats and 40 percent of Republicans have returned their ballots. (Most ballots were sent by mail.)

Democrats in Colorado are, right now, choosing between U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and his challenger, homeless former state legislator Andrew Romanoff. The White House has campaigned hard for Bennet. Bill Clinton signed his name to a letter of support for Romanoff. Republicans can pick former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton or prosecutor and non-high-heel wearer Ken Buck.

Turnout this year could double the 2008 record, which would be amazing for a midterm primary election.

Here's a wrinkle: Voters can affiliate themselves with a party the day of the primary election. And upstart Democratic challenger Andrew Romanoff did a Fox News hit at 4 today, during which he trashed the DNC and repeated his claim that the Obama administration offered him a job in exchange for dropping out of the race.

Monday link dump: Folksy smashing

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:15:00 +0000

Rand Paul and his advisers "are investigating all [their] options -- including legal ones" in response to the GQ story about Paul's hilarious prankster college days. They have not yet actually denied the truth of anything GQ published. (NB: Tying up and blindfolding Jason Zengerle and forcing him to get high and worship Aqua Buddha is not a "legal option.")
The awful Mark Penn is now raising money for Charlie Crist.
The GOP has erased "Passed the 14th Amendment" from their list of accomplishments.
Colorado's primary election is tomorrow -- has the Romanoff/Bennet race excited Democrats?
New Republic publisher Marty Peretz invested money with a short-selling hedge funder. Then he introduced the fund manager to people who could help launch investigations into a firm that he was shorting.
Jason Linkins is shocked to find Washington press corps "Dean" David Broder finding fault with one political party without also finding equal and opposite fault with the other party.
Mitt Romney bought a pick-up truck.
The CEO of Target is sorry he donated to anti-gay politicians. But is Target's senior management just anti-gay?
Oh look, Jeff Greene was involved in a shady real estate deal.
An important foreign policy debate between FolksyWarAddict and GlobalistHulk.

Andrew Romanoff sells house to fund Senate race

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:59:00 +0000

Former Colorado Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff sold his house to finance his long-shot bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Even after the sale and the self-loan, though, sitting Sen. Michael Bennet has a massive cash advantage and a 10-point lead in the polls.

Financially, this is a terrible decision, but it does get Romanoff some fast cash and some national headlines.

Romanoff has proven more adept at getting national headlines than raising cash, so far. He was one of the candidates the Obama administration "bribed" into not doing what they wanted, and he also received a "stunning" pro forma endorsement from Bill Clinton.

Friday link dump: Sail away

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:49:00 +0000

Important patriotism news: Dollar Store sells American flag with 61 stars.
In terms of health and science news, you get better information from Fox News than you do from the Huffington Post.
Was fear of an unarmed, subdued black man lying face-down on the ground "justified"?
Senator Michael Bennet has fired an intern for making explicit the implicit game of access.
What to do about unemployment? Long-term, we're pretty much screwed.
Other options include destroying the banks and creating new institutions.
The monocle belonging to Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus shattered when its wearer read that President Obama had the audacity to make a recess appointment, something every president does, all the time, because it is a legal and common practice. It is so common, in fact, that it happened to Marcus' husband.
Who are you most excited to see on the National Review Cruise? For me, Jay Nordlinger all the way.

New life for the public option?

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:32:00 +0000

One of the Senate's most vulnerable Democrats is joining a call to pass a public health insurance option through the budget reconciliation process -- which could give a jolt to efforts to push a stronger bill through Congress than what the Senate has already passed, even after Democrats lost their supermajority.

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Tuesday afternoon, asking for the public option to be included in whatever legislation Congress passes to merge the House and Senate healthcare reform bills. Another potentially vulnerable Democrat, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, also signed the letter, as did Oregon's Jeff Merkley and Ohio's Sherrod Brown. Colorado, a classic swing state, could be one of the key battlegrounds in November, and progressives say Bennet's decision to sign the letter should push some of his colleagues to do the same.

Democrats’ Senate majority at risk?

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:25:00 +0000

Democrats have plenty of reasons to be mad at Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. As he announced yesterday, he won’t be seeking reelection -- despite his huge war-chest, his lead in the polls and his apparent youth and good health. Given the current national scene, it seems like Bayh is just sticking to his usual routine: Kicking his fellow Democrats while they’re down.

In recent months, the bottom seems to have fallen out of the electoral prospects of the Democratic caucus in the Senate. Polls from across the country show Democratic challengers falling behind lackluster opponents, once-safe senators struggling and open seats that the party may not even be able to contest. The new vacancy in Indiana is just one more major headache for the already beleaguered majority.

It’s been clear for some time that Democrats would lose seats in the Senate this November. But --for all the good it's done them -- they do have a rather overwhelming majority, and it’s been widely assumed that come next year, they'd still be in control. Does the conventional wisdom need some rethinking? Pundits, at least, demand to know.

N.Y. governor leaning toward Kennedy?

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:29:00 +0000

Despite the very public beating Caroline Kennedy has taken recently, New York Gov. David Paterson is apparently still likely to appoint her to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. The Associated Press reports: "Two people close to Gov. David Paterson tell The Associated Press they believe Caroline Kennedy will be his choice, but the governor cautions he's still looking."

This isn't too suprising, but it is a little puzzling, I think. Paterson is up for election in 2010, and while New Yorkers seem resigned to the idea of Sen. Caroline Kennedy, they're not exactly wild about it. Plus, the chaos in Illinois means an unusual amount of scrutiny over these appointments; he'd be likely to take at least some political heat if he does pick her.

In related news, there's another potentially vacant Senate seat that until now hasn't gotten much attention: Colorado Democrat Ken Salazar is President-elect Barack Obama's pick to head the Interior Department, so his seat will open up if he's confirmed. The word is that Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter will tap Denver Public Schools superintendent Michael Bennet for the job.