Hush, Hush & On the QT: Like Rockies, State Republicans Hit Bloopers to Right Field

    There’s always next year … Republican politics enter a parallel universe with the Rockies team this past week, with about the same results.Have the Republicans Shipped Their Gift Balls Yet?
    The State Senate Republicans sent out a press release last week about their challenge with their GOP counterparts from Massachusetts over the World Series.

    If the Rockies won, Colorado’s senators would have received 10 packages of top-grade Polish kielbasa and a gallon of maple syrup. The counter bet from those rascally Republicans under the Golden Dome was one bucket of Rocky Mountain Oysters (pre-cooked?) and three cases of Coors beer if the Red Sox won.

    In comparison, Gov. Bill Ritter’s wager with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick involved organic steaks and lobster. “Our bet clearly demonstrates which branch of government is closer to the people,” Senate GOP Leader Andy McElhany of Colorado Springs said.

    Well, we think most common folk’s taste are closer to steak or lobster if given the choice; however, sending some foul balls to GOP Red Sox fans sounds pretty good right now.

    Rep. Rose Petaling Away from 4th Term
    Republican House District 58 representative Ray Rose has decided not to run for a fourth term. House District 58 includes Montrose, Ouray, Dolores and San Miguel counties and sections of Delta and Montezuma counties.

    That might not be a big surprise since Rose had a tough summer. He tried to fire up a recall drive against Montrose Commissioner Bill Patterson, a Democrat – but Rose managed to get about everyone mad at him including local Republicans.

    When the recall drive failed, Rose denied his involvement, but by that time the base runner was already out at home.

    At a recent Club 20 meeting, Patterson thought Rose’s entanglement with the recall effort cost Rose political capital.

    “I think Ray was hoping to knock me out of office so he could run for my commissioner seat next year,” Patterson surmised. “Now I’m not sure if he could win any seat in the county.”

    Had Rose sought re-election to the statehouse, he was going to face a strong Democratic challenger, Montrose City Councilwoman Noelle Hagan. Now Hagan may face businessman Scott Tipton from Cortez. Tipton was the unsuccessful Republican challenger for the 3rd Congressional District seat against incumbent Congressman John Salazar in 2006.

    Rose said he is retiring from the legislature to spend more time with his family. Yet, he didn’t rule out any future political office … We’ll see if Patterson’s predictions come true.

    Only Simple Majorities May Reign
    Why does Hush, Hush write about Republicans? Because there are so many of them-especially on the Mesa State College board of trustees.

    In a moment of weakness, former Gov. Bill Owens signed into law Senate Bill 06-204 that amended the statutes pertaining to higher education governing boards. No more than a simple majority of the governor-appointed members of a governing board can be of the same political party — of the nine members of these boards, no more than five can be from one party.

    Sounds like no big deal unless you are one of the seven Republicans sitting on Mesa State’s board-that’s two too many. Unfortunately, the two Republicans whose terms end soon happen to be very good financial supporters of the college. Oh, the dilemma! Where could one find a couple of rich rah-rah Mesa College Democrats to replace them?

    State Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, came up with an idea: Why not make the board larger so that the two Republican trustees can stay? To keep the current seven Republican members on the Mesa State board would mean expanding the group to 13 members, which would probably require legislative action.

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