Colorado Pols

As a reminder, the Rocky Mountain News reported last week:

A panel of three Democratic legislators and two Republicans will decide whether further investigation is warranted into vote-buying allegations against GOP Rep. David Balmer.

House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, appointed the panel this week to look into a complaint filed against Balmer on Dec. 16 by House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker.

Balmer, R-Centennial, has until Jan. 8 to submit a written answer. May's complaint alleges Balmer may have coordinated with a lobbyist to offer campaign donations and a future committee chairmanship to another legislator in exchange for supporting Balmer in his race for minority leader.

A separate complaint has been filed against the lobbyist, who has given a sworn statement that he did not talk or coordinate with Balmer.

You'll recall this spat from a couple of weeks ago--Balmer stands accused of his improprieties, but somebody else took the opportunity afforded by Minority Leader Mike May's abortive resignation to anonymously remind the press about Balmer's well-known crackup and disgraceful exit from North Carolina politics after allegations of resume embellishment in 1994.

We don't pretend to know how the ethics complaint will play out (they usually don't), but this story is more interesting for the simple mystery: who got offered the plums? Who dished the goods on Balmer? Rep. May filed the ethics complaint against Balmer--does May by any chance know who got fed up about Balmer's checkered past at just the right moment?

And above all, is there any angle on this story that makes Republicans look good? And what about the lobbyists involved? Because there seems at a glance to be more than enough ignominy to go around, "perps" and "victims" alike.

The Rocky Mountain News reported today that Sen. Ken Salazar plans to meet with Sen. Mark Udall and incoming Sen. Michael Bennet to, among other things, make a recommendation for Colorado's next U.S. Attorney.

U.S. Attorneys are typically selected by the President in power, though usually at the suggestion of a particular state's Senator(s) - providing that they are of the same political party, of course. Current U.S. Attorney Troy "I'll Run for Anything" Eid is expected to resign before he is formally asked to leave by the Obama administration.

Two names have garnered strong consideration for U.S. Attorney: CU Regent Michael Carrigan and Adams County District Attorney Don Quick. Both are well-qualified and would be solid choices, though Quick is also considering running for Attorney General and is not thought to be in a hurry to leave his current position given the investigation into the recent murder of one of his deputy DAs.

Get to speculatin'.

As the Greeley Tribune reports:

In the halls of the Colorado State Capitol, state legislators will soon bounce echoes of deals off the stately columns and heavy wooden doors, and most of it will involve saving Colorado from a deep recession.

But how legislators do that in conjunction with Gov. Bill Ritter depends on whom you ask. Some Democratic lawmakers think Colorado needs fees or a modernization of the gas tax to help pay for things such as transportation maintenance and capital construction while Republicans say government needs to tighten its belt to make up for what could be a nearly $600 million Colorado budget shortfall.

But it must be sort of difficult to gauge just what you should cut or do with the budget when analysts disagree about just how much Colorado could be short this year. That figure ranges from $80 million to $600 million, depending on who you ask...

In an interview with the Greeley Tribune Editorial Board, [House Speaker-designate Terrance] Carroll said the recession might mean a retool of the economy and a mix of small-business jobs, urban and rural jobs and so-called "green-collar" environmentally sound jobs.

And cuts, and new taxes? Everything has to remain on the table, Carroll said.

Colorado, hamstrung as we've said repeatedly by decades of interlocking, counter-reinforcing, mostly Republican-engineered budgetary restrictions, is looking more screwed this year than at any time since the passage of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights in 1992. The hope of emergency federal stimulus aid from the incoming Obama administration is one of the last left to cling to.

Democrats can't really do anything to remedy this situation without a statewide vote of the kind that was tried and failed last year with Amendment 59. 2005's Referendum C was a temporary finger in the dike, and even it barely passed--with significant (moderate) GOP support. So when your trusted representative or senator tells you there's no money for the priorities you hold dear (health care, education, transportation, etc.), please don't assume they're just spinelessly capitulating to the Doug Bruce frame. The whole state capitulated years ago, and the bill for our collective hubris is merely coming due.

What would you cut?

"There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you."

--Will Rogers

As I said earlier, it's pretty clear that Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate solely because of his aristocratic credentials - ie. connections to money and Establishment power and Beltway insiders. It had almost nothing to do with his relevant experience, because if that was the basis for an appointment, every other major candidate had more of that. And, as the Denver Post notes, it had absolutely, positively nothing to do with his public positions on issues:

But while everyone from business leaders to political heavyweights to education reformers agree that Bennet is almost always the smartest guy in the room, his positions on nearly every key issue facing the country are completely unknown.

"Soon," Bennet said both during and after the official announcement.

Foreshadowing the hard-fought senate race expected in 2010, state GOP chair Dick Wadhams seized on Bennet's silence.

"His continued refusal today to state his positions on issues suggests someone who isn't clear where he stands," Wadhams said. And then he demanded to know Bennet's stance on an upcoming measure in the Senate that would eliminate the secret ballot in union votes.  

One of two disconcerting realities is at work here: 1) Bennet's positions are known by the Establishment forces that got him the Senate job, and those positions aren't threatening to that Establishment (read: they are corporate conservative) or 2) Bennet himself doesn't yet have positions on the major issues.

I guess the latter would be better than the former in that it would hold out the possibility that Bennet will end up being a solid Democratic vote on issues like health care, ending the war, and the Employee Free Choice Act. But the fact that Colorado now has a senator whose never held elected office and therefore has no voting record*; has lived most of his life in D.C. and not in state; has served as a key adviser to a right-wing billionaire; and hasn't stated any public positions on key issues before the Senate highlights just how odd - and troubling - Ritter's appointment is.

*Note: I think having served in elected office - or at least having run for such office - should be a key qualification for a Senate appointment not as much for political/reelection reasons, but because in having served/run for office, a candidate has built up something of a public record on many issues (whether that public record is actual votes or public statements) and therefore the citizens being represented by said candidate at least have some idea of where that appointee actually stands.

Not much there yet (you'd get suspicious if there was), but you can sign up for updates. We took a posterity screenshot so you can watch it grow. The domain was registered on New Year's Eve.

There's also a quickie press kit up that features the 2007 New Yorker profile you've no doubt read by now.

And hurry up with the online donations! He is rich, but...

Reporters around the country are figuring out that when Google asks "Did you mean: Michael Bennett," the answer is no.

New York Times:

Mr. Bennet, flanked by his wife, Susan Daggett, and their three young daughters, said he would focus on health care, the economy and education, andhe promised to provide more policy details in the coming weeks. His positions on most prominent issues are relatively unknown.

"Innovative thinking, pragmatic problem solving and bringing people together have been the hallmarks of my career," he said.

Mr. Ritter's choice of Mr. Bennet, 44, came as a surprise when it was first reported on Friday, as several higher profile Colorado Democrats had been mentioned as possible candidates...

Washington Post:

Despite earning high marks in education circles, Bennet is not regarded as a political meteor, and Obama passed him over for the education secretary job last month. Bennet has also worked as managing director of Anschutz Investment in Denver, as a lawyer in the Clinton Justice Department and as Hickenlooper's chief of staff.

Colorado political observers were shocked by the pick, noting that Bennet's low statewide profile and untested fundraising skills could put a hard-won seat in jeopardy in two years, when Salazar's term expires. Bennet intends to run for a full term in 2010 and has launched an election Web site.

"What the hell?" exclaimed the popular site ColoradoPols.com. ". . . By all accounts Bennet is a brilliant guy who also happens to be fabulously wealthy from his days working with super-rich dude Phil Anschutz, but being smart and rich doesn't make this a wise choice." [Pols emphasis - we're popular!]
Denver Business Journal:

"Not only is Michael Bennet one of the brightest and most insightful individuals I have known, he also is one of the most effective," Cannon "Cy" Harvey, president of the Anschutz Co., said late Friday in an e-mail to the Denver Business Journal.

"That is a rare combination," Harvey added. "Results matter to Michael. He is thoughtful and weighs the pros and cons before he acts."

...Bennet will serve in the Senate as a Democrat, and he was an adviser to Obama during the presidential campaign. Anschutz is a staunch supporter of Republican causes and made numerous donations to GOP candidates and campaign organizations recently.

Harvey said he was commenting on Bennet's performance during his employment at the Anschutz Co. and afterward, and not on the possibility of his Senate appointment.

"His accomplishments as an attorney and businessman were in no small part due to his balance and common sense," Harvey said." "He is a good listener and has a great talent for bringing people together around common goals in order to reach a successful outcome for all of the interested parties; but he knows his own values and never strays from them."

Denver Post:

Skeptics point out that no one knows what kind of campaigner Bennet will make. They worry that he's little-known outside Denver or outside an elite group of national education reformers.

"This is a more Denver-centric pick than Diana DeGette even," said one Democratic insider who asked not to be named in order to speak more frankly. "It's a stunning choice, just totally stunning. I mean that in a negative way."

Another key Democrat characterized it as potentially a major political blunder: "I don't think Ritter has any idea what he's just done," said the insider, who also asked for anonymity.

Sources close to the selection process say that the force of Bennet's personality and his wide experience - he served in Clinton's Justice Department and made millions in business before giving it up to work for Mayor John Hickenlooper and then to redesign Denver's failing urban schools - impressed Gov. Bill Ritter and key players who had input in the choice.

But Bennet's close relationship with the incoming Obama transition team - a relationship forged as a top candidate to be secretary of education - also helped build a powerful constituency, one that sees Bennet as a critical ally for education reform in the Senate...

Latest AP (Wyatt):

The Bennet choice, when more seasoned Democratic politicians including two members of the U.S. House expressed interest in the job, shocked political observers across Colorado. The Rocky Mountain Newspaper on Saturday announced the selection with a banner headline calling him "Senator Surprise."

But people who have worked with Bennet, a Democrat, who at 44 will become the Senate's youngest member pending Salazar's confirmation to the Cabinet, say he's up for the challenge.

Educators joked that the halls of the U.S. Senate should be a breeze for Bennet after walking into the struggling 73,000-student Denver school system in 2005 with no education degree and managing to court teachers to a business-style turnaround.

Engineering has a principle called KISS -- Keep It Simple Stupid.  I guess there is no corollary in the law or in Ritter's experience.  Choose the most qualified, experienced, skilled and willing candidate who can run a campaign, serve the constituency well and keep getting elected.  Every opposition candidate's nightmare.

Ritter had at least a half-dozen candidates that fit the bill.  

Ok, so Ritter's contrary enough to reject the easy way to solidify Democratic party gains in Colorado.  What's next?
The race for both the Governor's office and this Senate seat in '10 has already begun.  It's going to be extraordinarily expensive and bloody, I believe. Unnecessarily so IMO -- but, so be it.

Presuming Bennet is not a placeholder (or a bone tossed at the other senate hopefuls to keep them out of the Governor's race), what can he do to win his first election?

It seems Bennet's fate will be tied to Obama's, not so much Ritter's (the 'pubs will try to do both anyway, particularly to whomever is the weaker politically).  So he should join himself to Obama's hip by being seen bringing federal dollars to Colorado in the way of energy, transportation, educational infrastructure and defense projects (especially to the Western Slope or the 'burbs) with full PR fanfare is paramount.

Appealing to independents by being on the forefront of fixing NCLB through common sense measurement standards, while maintaining accountability; working to improve accountability and efficiency in government, and modernizing our information systems for greater visibility and accountability (healthcare, education and open government budgeting).

Leave the bleeding heart liberal issues to the other candidates (even if some are near and dear to many of us, they'll either get done or not depending on the economy and the labors of the other 57 (D) Senators).  Bennet doesn't need to lead on those.

With his connections, and political insider experience, I suspect he'll have plenty of people to draw upon to fill both his Senate staff as well as his campaign staff.  He's plenty sharp to know what talent he'll need to support the Herculean challenges he faces in the coming 24 months.

I think fundraising will be the least of Bennet's problems.  Thank goodness for small favors!

I don't know that 24 months (or about 2 weeks, depending on when you start counting) will be long enough for anyone, no matter how talented, to build the organization and track record to win re-election.  So the doors are wide open to not just every Republican, but to many highly qualified Democrats that smell blood in the water.

It's probably too much to hope that Dick Wadhams will deliver another election to us on a silver platter.  We are about to find out just how "Blue" Colorado has become.

 

President-elect Obama is giving N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson the "Rev. Weaver push."

Richardson announced that he has withdrawn his name for secretary of commerce because of an investigation into a company that has done business with N.M., according to the AP.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28...

This just confirms my long-held opinion of Richardson's ethics and competence.

He was one of Obama's weakest appointments, and the president-elect probably is glad to be rid of him.

Indeed, Obama is famous for dropping aides and friends who make him look bad, and it's pretty clear that Richardson has been pushed out.

From the wire story, complete with blessings from President-elect Barack Obama--full Obama statement follows after the jump:

Gov. Bill Ritter on Saturday appointed Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet to fill a Senate vacancy that will be created by the promotion of Sen. Ken Salazar to interior secretary in the Obama administration...

Ritter praised Bennet, 44, as a proven leader and problem-solver in the both public and private sectors.

"This is a critical time in history. The economic challenges facing America and Colorado are unprecedented," Ritter said in a written statement. "Our challenges are so serious that it will take a new generation of leaders, a new way of thinking and a bold new approach to problem-solving to steer us through this."

In a statement from his office, Obama called Bennet an excellent choice who will be "a breath of fresh air in Washington."

"Michael Bennet perfectly reflects the qualities of the ruggedly independent state he has been chosen to serve," Obama said.
"Filling Ken Salazar's boots in the US Senate is a tall order. But in selecting Michael Bennet, Governor Ritter has made an excellent choice.

"Michael Bennet perfectly reflects the qualities of the ruggedly independent state he has been chosen to serve. An innovator in the public and private sectors, he has shown himself willing to challenge old thinking and stale policies.

"His breakthrough work at the helm of Denver's schools has reflected that commitment, and established Michael as one of the nation's leading education reformers.

"He will be a breath of fresh air in Washington," said President-elect Obama.

Outgoing Sen. Ken Salazar offers a friendly-but-stern
headpat to Sen.-designate Michael Bennet.

With Michael Bennet being named to succeed Senator Ken Salazar, DPS will have to find a new Superintendent.  Perhaps this is a good time to consider the terrible state of public education in our State.

As it stands now, we are creating a disaster in human, financial, and collateral damage terms by what is happening to particularly the minority students that enroll in our public schools.

Let's look at some numbers and get some opinions...
In DPS, fewer than 16% of 10th grade students are testing proficient or above in math.  In science, it's under 26%.  Minority numbers are much lower.

How many Barack Obamas are out there that will never have a chance due to the fact that in 2008 only 73 African-American students in DPS tested proficient or above in math to the 10th grade level?  That's not percent.  That's total students, for crying out loud..

Is it just money?  I think not, and I think that's an easy excuse.  The D.C. School system spends nearly $20k per student per year and has one of the worst graduation rates in the country.

Is it parenting?  Is that really a valid reason or just an excuse for a flawed system to make to deflect accountability?

What role do the teacher's unions play?

They are the most powerful and largest union in the State and year after year our schools continue turning out horrific results in terms of graduation rates - has the need for political power eclipse the teacher's unions assigned vocational task as a priority?

What are we going to do to save these kids?

Selected quotes from around the state and nation this morning.

Fort Collins Coloradoan:

Poudre School District Superintendent Jerry Wilson said Bennet has displayed his political and negotiating skills in heading DPS, the state's largest school system, which has faced years of performance issues.

"In urban districts, those political skills are vital to the success of the district," said Wilson, who said he's had "limited interactions" with Bennet...

Bennet's position on teacher pay is a break from orthodox Demo-cratic policies, which generally have been resistant to merit-based pay for teachers, said Kirk Brush, chairman of the Larimer County Republican Party.

"From a Republican perspective, the fact that he's willing to look at different options for education is encouraging," Brush said.

Brush's Democratic counterpart, Adam Bowen, said Bennet appears to be the type of moderate Democrat - like Salazar, Ritter and Rep.-elect Betsy Markey - who performed well in recent years in Larimer and Weld counties.

Rocky Mountain News:

"It is surprising, and hopefully he'll surprise us," said Ted Textor, political director of the Colorado Council of Teamsters, which backed another applicant.

"I think you've got people who are personally unhappy, but there isn't a large faction that would be unhappy," Denver City Councilman and former Democratic legislator Doug Linkhart said of the pick.

"If (Gov. Bill Ritter) had appointed somebody with a long track record - let's say against labor, for example - then labor would have been mad. But Michael has never been in a position to vote on anything. That's a plus for him. He doesn't have a whole bunch of people who oppose him."

Grand Junction Sentinel:

Bennet, superintendent for the Denver Public Schools, lacks legislative experience to truly succeed in Washington, according to Mike Hesse, a Republican political consultant.

Hesse said Bennet's lack of statewide name recognition will leave him in danger at the polls in 2010.

"Even the average Denver resident, if you walk down the street, wouldn't know who he is," he said.

Mark Hillman, a member of the Republican National Committee and a former state senator, praised Bennet as "a sharp guy," but said his lack of legislative experience will be a boon for Republicans.

"Bill Ritter is the governor that keeps on giving to the Republican Party," Hillman said...

Former Congressman Scott McInnis, R-Colo., said unlike some of the other contenders for the U.S. Senate appointment, including Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Congressman Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., Bennet is a moderate.

"Mike's very capable," McInnis said. "I think he's fairly moderate ... and he'll be pretty strongly seated two years from now."
Denver Post:

"I think it's an outside-the-box pick," said [Senate President Peter] Groff, noting that Bennet was part of a new generation of public servants bringing a fresh perspective to Washington along with the 47-year-old president-elect.

"You have this new energy and this new idea of going to Washington and working outside of the beltway. And I think Michael brings that."

But many state politicians within the Democratic Party were surprised that Ritter would pick someone with Bennet's lack of legislative experience and his unfamiliarity with the state outside the Denver area.

"Our concern would be, 'How well does he know our rural issues like agriculture and water?' " said state Sen. Jim Isgar, a Democrat from the southwest Colorado community of Hesperus.

...some wondered if passing over Hickenlooper had something to do with the mayor continually toying with running against Ritter in a gubernatorial primary two years ago. After Hickenlooper finally opted out, he didn't endorse Ritter until two weeks before the November 2006 election.

..."Is Ritter just saying to John Hickenlooper, 'You were going to run against me in the primary, to hell with you,' " said Denis Berckefeldt, a political organizer in Denver and spokesman for City Auditor Dennis Gallagher. "In my mind, this is a slap in the face to John Hickenlooper."

AP (Paulson):

Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams said the seat already was being targeted in 2010 by both parties, but he said the choice of Bennet was "perplexing."

"There are some admirable things Bennet did with Denver Public Schools, but he'll be judged by what he does in the Senate. There are major issues coming up this year, and he'll have to vote on tax increases and bailouts. Those votes will define Michael Bennet," Wadhams said.

Political consultant Floyd Ciruli said Bennet is a risky choice for Democrats, who will have to spend millions of dollars defending that seat in two years.

"He's the one candidate on the list who has the least political experience. I don't think anyone knows his views on anything except education. This is surprising," Ciruli said...

New York Times:

From the start as schools superintendent, Mr. Bennet did not behave like a traditional educator. He liked to ride the bus with students on the first day of class and made it a point to be the public face of the district in public meetings with parents over some of its most wrenching decisions, like school closings. But he also came armed with a weighty Rolodex full of highly placed friends to personally lobby city officials, state legislators and others for what the Denver schools needed.

"Having a fresh set of eyes for the issues D.P.S. faced, but also being able to call the right people and get the right people involved - both were very important to his success," said the Speaker-elect of the Colorado House of Representatives, Terrance D. Carroll, a Democrat whose district is in Denver.

Politico:

Coloradans responded to the news Friday that Gov. Bill Ritter (D) had appointed Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet as their new senator with a collective "huh?"

"No one really expected this," said one House aide from Colorado.

"Michael Bennet? Seriously?" said Seth Masket, an assistant political science professor at the University of Denver and an expert in local politics, after a reporter broke the news.

Colorado Pols, a popular political website in the state, put it more bluntly in a blog entry: "What the hell?!?"

...Masket said Bennet will "have to educate his constituents really quickly about who he is and quickly attach himself to issues important to the state."

Appointed senators, he said, have "a tough road ahead," when they run for election. "Less than half of them win," he said.

Washington Times:

"The general assumption among the observant class is that there's tremendous bad blood between Ritter and Hickenlooper," Mr. Ciruli said.

At the same time, Mr. Hickenlooper is likely to throw his support behind Mr. Bennet because the two are friends -- Mr. Bennet served for two years as the mayor's chief of staff, and Mr. Hickenlooper enthusiastically backed him for the schools post.

Mr. Hickenlooper declined Friday to comment on the selection, noting that the governor had not yet made the announcement official...

Los Angeles Times

Bennet was viewed as a dark horse candidate in a field of Colorado Democratic luminaries. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, for whom Bennet previously worked as chief of staff, Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff and U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette all vied for the post.

Bennet, who has won broad praise for implementing merit pay for Denver teachers and keeping the district's budget in line, would have to run for election in 2010 to keep the seat. Political analysts said that makes his selection a big risk.

"He has no name identification. He's not well-known in Denver," said Floyd Ciruli, a Denver pollster. "The Republicans are now probably pretty ecstatic."

More Rocky Mountain News:

Among Romanoff's supporters was Progressive 15, a coalition of 15 mostly rural counties in northeast Colorado.

The group had written a letter to Ritter on Romanoff's behalf.

"We are disappointed," said Cathy Shull, executive director of Progressive 15.

Bennet is such an unknown in rural Colorado that members initially thought Ritter had appointed one of Republican Sen. Wayne Allard's former staffers, also named Michael Bennett, although it is spelled differently... [Pols emphasis]

Democrat Wally Stealey, a legend in Pueblo politics, said he called the governor's office recently and asked who was being considered.

The reply: Romanoff. Hickenlooper. Congressmen John Salazar and Ed Perlmutter. Former Senate candidate Tom Strickland.

"Michael Bennet was never on the list," Stealey said.

He said he fielded calls all day Friday from angry Democrats.

"We're in total shock," Stealey said. "We don't think he can win the next election. We think he is the wealthy man's candidate."

Other Democrats hailed the choice...

"The secret to humor is surprise."

--Aristotle

While we try like hell to get our collective heads around Governor Bill Ritter's daring (he hopes) selection of DPS superintendent Michael Bennet to fill the seat of promoted Sen. Ken Salazar, and stand by our assessment that this pick defies all political common sense, we are always willing to consider possibilities.

The chief pushback we're hearing to criticism of Bennet's selection is that his admitted brilliance and ability to rise to major new challenges are being underestimated. This comes to us from sources who know and have worked closely with Bennet, and who insist there is something to be seen in him that hasn't been able to shine given the positions he's held so far.

There is a certain leap of faith required to fully accept this, and that's the problem given the alternative of at least equally qualified--and better known--candidates looking ahead to 2010. We want to be clear that our issue is not with Bennet's personal ability to campaign well, but his ability to do as well as candidates with fewer name-ID hurdles and a base of support already in place. Bennet is a risk, and an entirely unnecessary risk at that; it's not like Republicans picking an untested candidate as a way to shake up a race after years of losing.

But consider this: when Sarah Palin exploded onto the national stage, she went from photogenic nobody to immensely popular superstar in a matter of days--until they let her talk without a script. Can the similarly photogenic and novel Bennet do the same, succeeding where she tanked by not colossally blundering through his first interviews?

Like we said, there are always possibilities.

By now we've all heard the news that Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet will be named Colorado's next U.S. Senator tomorrow. Our reaction?

What the hell?

Governor Bill Ritter surely (hopefully) has a good reason for choosing Bennet to replace Ken Salazar, but from where we're sitting it's damn near impossible to see what that reason might be. By all accounts Bennet is brilliant guy who also happens to be fabulously wealthy from his days working with super-rich dude Phil Anschutz, but being smart and rich doesn't make this a wise choice.
Ritter needed to select someone who would have a great chance of winning re-election in 2010, and that's where Bennet makes absolutely no sense. It would have been hard for Ritter to choose someone who was less well-known around the state, which means that Republicans will have a great chance of running someone in 2010 who has far better name ID than the incumbent Senator.

It's no secret that Bennet has always had his eye on the U.S. Senate, and he probably would have been a strong candidate in an open election. But appointing him to the job makes little sense because of the other options available. In other words, Bennet is a good choice if all things are equal...but they're not. It's not that Bennet is a bad choice because of who he is - Bennet is a bad choice because there were so many better options.

Ritter could have gone with a popular Mayor who enjoys tremendous name ID throughout the Front Range (Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper). He could have chosen an incumbent congressman with a big warchest who could seamlessly move into the office (Rep. Ed Perlmutter). He could have chosen a popular former Speaker of the House whose selection wouldn't have caused a domino effect of jockeying to fill his seat (Andrew Romanoff). Ritter could have chosen a lot of people who had strong name ID and weren't just known as "Denver people," but he didn't. He chose Michael Bennet.

The obvious question is "why?" And there is no obvious answer. Bennet is well-liked in the business community, and Ritter has an almost pathological fear of angering the business community, so this may have played a role. Or perhaps Ritter wanted someone on the ticket in 2010 who wouldn't overshadow him in his own re-election bid. We could speculate for days on why Ritter chose Bennet, but unless there is some polling data that shows Bennet to be wildly popular around the state, this will go down as another uninspired and baffling move by Ritter.

UPDATE #4: Rep.-elect Jared Polis applauds Bennet's selection in a comment below: "I have known Michael through our work in education for several years. He brings extensive business experience to the job, which is what we need more of in the US Congress, and particularly in our Democratic party as we work to get the economy going again. I've never been one to say that we need a Congress of businesspeople, but if you look at the Democratic caucus, business people are under-represented relative to attorneys and career politicians."

UPDATE #3: Liberal activist group Progress Now just sent out a brief statement praising Ritter's selection of Bennet. Says Director Mike Huttner, "Michael Bennet is an outstanding choice to fill the seat vacated by Senator Salazar. I have known Michael for many years as someone who has tremendous integrity and epitomizes Colorado values. He has distinguished himself as a talented and dedicated public servant who can work with people across the political spectrum."

UPDATE #2: Denver Post also confirming.

UPDATE: Rocky Mountain News update: "Sources: Bennet will be new Colorado senator." Can this possibly be for real? Initial confirmations say it's legit, we are picking our jaws up off the floor.

Denver Public Schools superintendent Michael Bennet is expected to be named Saturday as the future U.S. Senate replacement for Interior Secretary nominee Ken Salazar, according to two Democratic sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Gov. Bill Ritter is expected to name his U.S. Senate replacement pick on Saturday, ending a brief but frenzied period of speculation about who will take the seat of Interior Secretary nominee Ken Salazar.

Original post follows.

--

As the Rocky Mountain News reports, Gov. Bill Ritter will announce his choice to succeed Ken Salazar in the Senate tomorrow.

On the eve of that announcement, we hear that Rep. Ed Perlmutter has been told by the Governor that he is not the choice, which likely means that the decision comes down to two: Andrew Romanoff or Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.

That's the only nervousness expressed by the New York Times in an otherwise fairly glowing endorsement of Ken Salazar for Interior Secretary today:

The word on Ken Salazar, tapped by President-elect Barack Obama to run the Interior Department, is that he is friendly, approachable, a good listener, a genial compromiser and a skillful broker of deals. That is also the rap on Ken Salazar.

What the Interior Department needs right now is someone willing to bust heads when necessary and draw the line against the powerful commercial groups - developers, ranchers, oil and gas companies, the off-road vehicle industry - that have long treated the department as a public extension of their private interests.

Conservationists and pretty much everyone else exhausted by the Bush administration's ideological rigidity and deference to commercial interests have welcomed Mr. Salazar's appointment. The Colorado Democrat has a solid voting record on issues involving wilderness and wildlife protection and can be expected to bring a strong conservation ethic to the top of the department.

Yet that will not be nearly enough to reform and reinvigorate the department...

The editorial goes on to recount the Interior Department's ugly history under former secretary Gale Norton and her team of pro-industry (and pro-Jack Abramoff) cronies, ending with a bit of a warning:

Mr. Salazar has a huge reconstruction job ahead. He should surround himself with a core group of dedicated, quality people, and remember that being nice to everyone won't cut it.

We get why the Times would be a little cautious about Salazar, but we don't share any real worry here--the first few months of Salazar at Interior won't be "Gang of 14" chummy. We expect it will be more like Colorado Attorney General Salazar who went to war with his own state government over the 2003 re-redistricting fiasco and won, which if you recall was one of the nastiest intra-branch fights imaginable.

Salazar may be a friendly guy with his big white hat and ability to say nice things about basically anybody, but he's not going to have any truck with the corruption that festered at Interior during the Bush administration. And after fighting Interior on behalf of western Colorado stakeholders over drilling protections, Salazar will set the policy. Now that's "change you can believe in."

In fact, given that so much of the wildly corrupt stuff at the Interior Department has involved Colorado, from Norton's Abramoff conduit friends to the more recent oil/gas sexcapade revelations at the Denver-based Minerals Management Office, we'd say Salazar knows right where to begin cleaning house.

Don't worry, we'll make more.
What are you doing this year?

Various media outlets have already reported on the circus that would begin in Denver should Mayor John Hickenlooper get the appointment to fill Senator Ken Salazar's seat. Less discussed, except for a few diaries here and on Jeffco Pols, is what would happen should Congressman Ed Perlmutter get the nod instead.

Perlmutter has helped turn CD-7 into a district that, while still competitive, should remain in Democratic hands if he moves to the upper chamber. Especially considering the plethora of strong Democratic candidates and nearly complete lack of Republican challengers, the Dem's choice will almost certainly become the next member of Congress.

Here's a speculative look at how the Democratic field might play out. Two things to keep in mind: both party's candidates will be selected by the same group of people chosen for the 2008 nominating convention - the district's "central committee." Also, in 2008 Jefferson County voters cast more CD-7 ballots than any other county in the district, so a candidate from JeffCo will have a natural advantage.
Jefferson County-Based Candidates

Renny Fagan
Fagan has made his interest known, and while he could make a strong candidate in a general election it's hard to say how well he would do with the central committee Democrats. Fagan is a former state legislator, deputy Attorney General, and currently serves as Sen. Salazar's Colorado State Director.

Andy Kerr
Kerr has been a fast-rising State Rep. from Lakewood, currently serving as the House Majority Whip. He is actively making his interest known as well, and could emerge as an opposite version of Fagan - his resume isn't as strong, but he's probably more well-known to the Democratic insiders who would choose the candidate. Of the Jefferson County candidates, Fagan and Kerr have been the most aggressive thus far.

Jason Bane
Bane almost pulled off a major upset over a well-known Republican in a race for Jefferson County Commissioner, winning more votes than any previous Democrat. He raised a record amount of money (more than $80,000) for a lower-tier race, and post-election results show Bane won the CD-7 part of JeffCo handily. This gives him something no other candidate mentioned here could use: Bane can say exactly how well he would do in the Jefferson County portion of CD-7. Bane has not actively sought support for a potential run, but his name has come up a number of times and he could be the sleeper in this race. (Full disclosure, he's a good personal friend - which means I'm even more acutely aware of his political talent.)

Jim Polsfut
Polsfut briefly threw his hat in the ring for CD-7 back in 2006 before bowing out to support Perlmutter. Polsfut once ran for State Treasurer as well, and has a proven talent at fundraising. He's also close with Gov. Bill Ritter.

Dave Thomas
He's tried several times to win this seat, and isn't likely to give it one more shot.

Sue Windels
Has a good base, but passed on CD-7 before and is coming off a tough loss in 2008. I haven't heard that she would run.

Cheri Jahn
The term-limited State Rep. has her eyes on SD-20 in 2010, but might throw her name in the mix. She hasn't made any noise about it, however.

Moe Keller
Keller is term-limited from her Senate seat in 2010, but this is really bad timing. She is the new chair of the Joint Budget Committee and would have to resign that post in order to run (see Morgan Carroll below). It's doubtful she'd do that.

Non-Jefferson County (Adams County, Aurora)

Morgan Carroll
Carroll is dynamic and a darling of the left wing, but she faces the same problem many current state legislators face: she would probably have to give up her Senate seat in order to run for Congress because of rules restricting fundraising during the legislative session. Would she do that?

Karen Middleton
Middleton is the only potential candidate who has already won a race in the district: in 2006 she won CD-7's seat on the State Board of Education. But talk about bad timing - she has a very young child at home and hasn't yet served a full term in the State House. Last spring she resigned from the Ed. Board to take an appointment to the legislature following the Michael Garcia kerfuffle. For her to resign another seat one year later, well, I can already see the Republican attack ad. Middleton has made preliminary calls to see how her support might look. (Disclosure: I know Karen as well and like her very much. She'd be great.)

Bob Hagedorn
The termed-out State Senator needs something else to do. Could this be it? No indication of real interest yet.