Lynn Bartels, political and legislative reporter from the Rocky Mountain News, will join us today (Tuesday) to answer your questions in our fifth Q&A. She’ll be logging on in between committee hearings and other votes at the State Capitol, so her responses will come as quickly as she can get to them.
*Note: If you want to discuss something Ms. Bartels has said below, please do so in the Tuesday Open Thread. This thread is reserved for questions to make it easier for Ms. Bartels to skim through and answer as many questions as she can get to.
Here’s her bio, in her own words:
I moved to Colorado from New Mexico in 1993. A co-worker at the Rocky once asked me how I stood living in a place without professional sports. I said, “Are you kidding? We had the New Mexico Legislature!” Politics is a big deal in New Mexico. It isn’t in Colorado, in my opinion.
I first covered cops at the Rocky so I only vaguely paid attention to politics. The political scene seemed so bland. And the names! Blickensderfer. Meiklejohn. Mutzebaugh. Panky. Pfiffner. Perlmutter. Tebedo.
The first time I paid any attention to politics was in 1996, because I had friends who supported Gene Nichol, who lost the Democratic Senate primary, and Tim Sandos, who lost the Democratic 1st CD primary; then came 1998 and the governor’s race. I was rooting for GOP Treasurer Bill Owens because by that time I was covering the Regional Transportation District. Owens was a great source and I found him really easy to work with. At the same time, a good friend worked on Democrat Gail Schoettler’s gubernatorial campaign. And so, while I didn’t cover politics, there was a lot of talk about it in my circle.
Then came 2000. I was assigned to cover the state House and teamed up with legend John Sanko, a fixture at the Capitol for decades, who covered the Senate. I discovered Colorado politics weren’t so boring after all – although I think the public still thinks so.
Because of the parking situation at the time, I had to be at the Capitol by 7 a.m. to get a space – even on Monday when the session didn’t start until 10 a.m. I spent a lot of that time with people who shared war stories, and I got to know a good deal about Colorado politics in a short period of time.
I think that might be why some people think I’ve covered Colorado politics for a while. Every now and then someone will introduce me and say that I’ve covered politics for years, even decades, when the reality is I got my political start at the Rocky in 2000.
Before we move on to the questions, just another friendly reminder:
Please be respectful. Ms. Bartels does not have to take time out of an entire day to do this, and we appreciate her making the effort to do so. Please be respectful in your questions and comments so that we may continue to have great guests here for Q&As.
Feel free to ask any question you may like, but we will remove any unnecessarily disrespectful comments or questions. You can get your point across and be a civil person at the same time.
Please also understand that there are some questions that Ms. Bartels may not be ethically allowed to answer. Please don’t ask her who she would like to see win the governor’s race, because ethically she cannot answer that question. Instead, ask her who she thinks has the best chance to win the governor’s race – that she can answer.
Okay, enough of that. Now…on to the questions! As always, answers appear entirely in the subject's own words. The only thing we change is to add a missing period now and then.
1. From your perspective, what happened in Colorado’s elections in 2004 and why did the results turn out the way they did?
Cliché alert! I hate to use this phrase, but I think it really took the perfect storm. I liken it to a safe combination where you have all these clicks you have to hit before the door swings open.
You had Scott McInnis announcing his resignation in the 3rd Congressional District. Then came Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s shocker in March 2004 that he wouldn’t seek re-election. Add in an unpopular president and an unpopular war that stirred up Americans who normally don’t vote.
Mix in some savvy Democrats and some lazy, overconfident Republicans (“The Senate may go back and forth but we’ll never lose the House!”) Don’t forget a distracted Republican governor who upset members of his own party by switching his endorsement of Bob Schaffer to Pete Coors. And two popular Salazar brothers on the tickets helped, too.
And that was just the start.
There were ballot initiatives that Democrats supported, including FasTracks and the cigarette tax hike. And while all elections have their share of bad candidates, consider some of the Republican races. In a Greeley House race, you had Pam Groeger, whose husband had been caught in yard-sign shenanigans. At the GOP convention in New York City, I was on a boat with state party chairman Ted Halaby en route to Ellis Island when he was on his cell phone saying to the Weld County GOP chair, “If she doesn’t step down, we will lose this seat. You understand that, right? This seat will go Democratic.”
She wouldn’t step down. The seat went Democratic.
And in Grand Junction, Shari Bjorkland announced at the Club 20 debate that she would put her conservative ideology ahead of Western Slope interests. Even if she hadn’t made that blunder, I’m not sure she would have won because of what happened in 2002. She challenged the popular incumbent, Republican Gayle Berry, who was trashed during the primary. I‘m guessing many of Gayle’s supporters went with Democrat Bernie Buescher, who won.
With that said, I was at the legislature two days after the election when they were selecting leaders, and I remember Democrats saying how it important it was not to retaliate against the Republicans who had been so unfair and vicious to them, and how taking the high road and passing good bills would help them keep the majority.
And I remember thinking, “Are you out of your effing minds? You could do everything right - you could be the Rock Star Legislature - and you still could lose the majority because they have the registration numbers.”
2. What campaign or campaigns impressed you the most in 2004 and why?
It’s funny. I told the Rocky’s Jim Tankersley about your question and we had totally different answers. In my opinion, House and Senate Dems get the top award.
Let’s first talk about the Alices: Rep. Alice Madden, D-Boulder, and Mary Alice Mandarich, who works for the Senate Democrats. They and their crews did a great job of picking swing districts and working those areas. And to think that Democratic Sen. Joan Fitz-Gerald helped orchestrate this while her mother and her brother were dying is even more impressive.
I am so over Republicans crying about those four rich Democrats who spent all that money to win the races. As that masterful politician Doug Dean used to say when he ran the House with a sense of humor and an iron fist, “Rules are made to be used to your advantage. It’s not my fault if the other party doesn’t know the rules.”
Let’s talk about the rich Republicans. Where were they? Squandering money.
You might recall that the Alex Cranbergs and Steve Shucks of the world spent money in three primary races: trying to beat GOP Rep. Mark Cloer in Colorado Springs, and Democratic Reps. Ann Ragsdale in Westminster and Mike Cerbo in Denver. Yes, you read that right. They were spending money in Democratic primaries. The issue was charter schools, and they lost all three races.
The charter school folks also targeted a GOP incumbent, Rep. Ramey Johnson, in the general election. She lost in a squeaker to Democrat Gwyn Green.
The money spent on these races might have helped a Republican get elected in the Senate, which the GOP lost by one seat.
I also give top honors to John Marshall, the campaign manager for GOP Greg Walcher in the 3rd CD. I know, I know, Greg lost, but hear me out. I know that the governor’s lobbyist, Chris Castilian, is going to tease me over this, saying I picked John because he’s tall, dark and handsome. Hey, it doesn’t hurt.
But anyhow, during the GOP primary, candidate Gregg Rippy used to joke that his bumper sticker was going to be, “Walcher wins, Salazar wins.” There’s a lot of truth to that. As the head of the Department of Natural Resources, Walcher made an enemies list. And Referendum A didn’t help.
But I think Marshall ran such a good campaign, really tightening it up in the end, that if the election had been one week later, things might have turned out differently. I can just hear Jim Merlino and Jeff Bridges screaming over that. Calm down. I said might.
Other kudos: FasTracks and the Marilyn Musgrave ads.
As for Tankersley, he praised John Kerry’s campaign, which only fell short by 4 percentage points. That truly is amazing. And he thought U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez in the 7th ran a great campaign. I believe the Columbine grand jury report is what hurt Democrat Dave Thomas.
Both Tank and I agreed that Ken Salazar’s campaign made a brilliant tactical move: Realizing their Senate candidate wasn’t the best at speaking in groups – the memory of his public speaking still gives me the shivers -- they made him available 24-7 for one-on-ones, where Salazar shone.
3. Why do you think the local television stations do so little coverage with politics and the legislature? Is it the public who says they don’t care, or is it the news stations that say the public doesn’t care?
I got rid of cable because I couldn’t stop watching reruns of Law & Order and MTV’s Jackass, so now my TV is so fuzzy I can barely watch the news. So I’m not sure if the stations lately have the scant coverage you are talking about.
I think 9 News’ Adam Schrager is a fabulous political reporter and leads the stations in quality and quantity of political news. As I said before, I moved here from a political state and I don’t recall there being tons more coverage there.
What’s always amazed me is newspapers write the stories that generate the nasty ads that make TV stations millions during elections.
4. The media has long been accused of having a liberal bias. Do you think that was ever a fair statement, and if so, is it still true today? Do you think media coverage in Colorado leans one way or the other?
Sigh.
The question always drives me nuts. First of all let me say this: If a story skewers a Democrat, Republicans have no problem quoting it as gospel and using it in ads. If it casts a Republican in a bad light, then it’s dismissed as more garbage from the liberal media.
When I covered the New Mexico Legislature, the GOP lawmakers called the New Mexico Education Association the Never Enough Association. It made me laugh. I think there was a sentiment that if only the Republicans were in charge, things in New Mexico would improve.
When I got to Colorado with its GOP-controlled legislature, I remember calling back to a GOP politico there and saying, “It’s a myth! No matter who’s in charge, there are problems!”
When you talk about coverage “leaning one way or another,” in my case I really believe it has little to do with party and a lot to do with smart campaigns. Take Republican Rick O’Donnell’s 7th CD effort in 2002. His campaign manager, Matt Mayer, was good at getting information the press needed. That paid off in coverage. It was the same thing with the Democrats in 2004 in their legislative campaigns.
I don’t think Tom Strickland’s folks were with my Senate coverage in 2002, and in hindsight there were areas I wasn’t happy about either. But it had nothing to do with Tom being a Democrat.
5. What role do you see blogs taking in the 2006 election in Colorado? What do you think of the evolution of blogging as a way for people to get specific information? How have blogs changed your job working for a daily newspaper?
It’s not just blogs, it’s the Internet as a whole.
Politicians now communicate with their constituents through e-mail newsletters. Press secretaries communicate with the media the same way.
In the state Senate, the GOP sends out a radio report that I’m sure is widely picked up in rural communities and run verbatim. I had to laugh the other day. One of the reports was about Republican Lew Entz of Hooper getting his landlord-tenant bill passed. The irony is not a single other Republican in the Senate voted for the bill, but of course the e-mail recipients didn’t know that.
I think blogs will play a big role in 2006. A part of that worries me and I’ll explain why:
Last year, a Colorado blog blasted the Rocky for failing to report the controversy surrounding the mix-up over Pete Coors’ photo in the New York Times, and the quip from his campaign spokeswoman. What happened is the NYT mistakenly used his mug shot in a brief about a KKK member convicted of killing a sharecropper.
“It cold have been worse,” joked Coors’ spokeswoman, Cinamon Watson. “Pete could have been identified as John Kerry.”
Of course, the Political Correctness Police went nuts and her comment went national. That story and her comment were broken by yours truly. And for a blog to report we had ignored the story when we were the newspaper responsible for the story was insane.
I wrote the blog and they posted my response, but they kept their report up. So, if you logged on to the blog, you read their inaccurate posting, then eventually got to my response. And in their response to my posting, they insinuated it was somehow the Rocky’s fault they couldn’t find our stories on line.
When I have bitched about this, politicians have laughed and said, “Welcome to our world.”
That said, I regularly read your blog. I nearly wet myself when you described Troy Eid as the “humor rumor.”
I get asked all the time if I am Alva (like I have the time). I have no idea who you are but my sense is you’re more Democratic than Republican. I think you have more insight on Democratic politics.
When you reported that GOP Congressman Joel Hefley was retiring I know some reporters were miffed about having to report on some anonymous gossip – which Hefley maintained was off base.
I think your blog is driving so much early coverage of the gubernatorial race. Blogs are here to stay.
6. If you had to guess – and that’s what we’re asking - what’s next for Bill Owens?
(Que up the soundtrack) Money, money, money, money, MONEY! I vote for the private sector, but who knows? Owens has the saavy, smarts and personality to do whatever he wants.
7. What issues do you think could define the 2006 campaign season?
The usual suspects: jobs, growth, the economy, the environment. A lot of it depends on the candidate. If it’s Democrat Bill Ritter, he’s going to be asked about police shootings. And a lot of it is unpredictable. Who would have known that the issue in the 1996 Senate race was the phrase “lawyer lobbyist?”
8. There’s been a lot of talk about the Democrats’ chaotic reorganization and the Republicans relatively smooth transition (even though some members went a little bonkers last week on the gay marriage issue). Do you think any of that will matter in 2006?
I have no idea what you’re asking here.
9. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen while covering politics?
- Gov. Bill Owens’ news conference the day after the 2004 election where he got his ass kicked, talking about how he didn’t get his ass kicked.
- A recent news conference at the legislature on the dangers of same-sex marriage. Rep. Keith King – who would have speaker if the GOP had won the House – gave a rambling discourse on school funding and prisons that confused even his own party. And Rep. Jim Welker feared it could lead to people marrying their horses or dogs. And I thought “My Friend Flicka” was a family show.
10. Who did you vote for in our moustache poll and why?
I was the write-in vote for Rocky columnist Mike Littwin.
11. And for the grand finale….how do you think the coverage of politics differs from the News to the Post?
Where to start? I thought about reprinting some of those e-mails I’ve saved over the years from Post reporters praising our work, but I thought I’d spare them from getting chewed out – or worse!
Actually, it depends on the election, the race, and the story.
Let’s go back to the 1998 governor’s race. I thought the Post’s Mark Obmascik did a great job. In a state where people proudly display “Native” bumper stickers, he pointed out that every single candidate was born somewhere else. But his home run was the story about Bill Owens being, shall we say, less than candid about his draft status during the Vietnam War. I believe that story is one reason Owens, who was supposed to comfortably become the first Republican governor in 24 years, sat in his hotel room election night, chewing his nails, looking at the see-saw lead and wondering what the hell happened.
After Owens got elected, I think the Rocky’s John Sanko broke one of the biggest political stories: the governor’s ongoing feud with his lieutenant governor over expenses and other issues. That story is one reason lawmakers changed the law so that gubernatorial candidates starting in 2002 picked their own running mates.
Fast forward to 2002.That was the summer “all of Colorado was burning” and there was little political coverage in June, much to the chagrin of the candidates in the new 7th Congressional District. The Rocky finally got back up in July. The Post never did, with the exception of Susan Greene covering the rematch between Wayne Allard and Tom Strickland.
All the campaign managers and all the candidates were abuzz: What is going on at the Post. They’re not covering politics. On Peter Boyle’s TV show one night, Sue O’Brien, the editorial page editor of the Post, told me, “You guys are doing a magnificent job on this election. I’m not sure what’s happening at our place.”
The Stump had debuted that summer and it was an enormous hit. The Stump is a political items column that is sometimes edgy, sometimes nostalgic, lots of times just plain fun.
Campaign managers vied like mad to get stuff in there. I remember Mark Eddy, spokesman for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rollie Heath, telling me Rollie wouldn’t be campaigning the next day because it was his and Josie’s wedding anniversary.
“I need their wedding picture,” I said.
Mark hustled and the next day we had ran the shot. Everybody talked about how Rollie and Josie still looked the same.
I think overall the Rocky has more fun with political coverage, and it’s not just the Stump or Roll Call, the political items column when the legislature is in session. I remember the Post’s debate between Allard and Strickland. Allard didn’t know the price of a stamp; Strickland didn’t know how much a gallon of gas cost. Great stuff.
But amazingly, the next day, the Post buried that in the last paragraph of their debate story. The Rocky led with it, including an eye-grabbing box containing the quiz questions. A friend of mine told me that at the news meeting that day at the Post, Editor Greg Moore opened by saying, “I think the News had more fun with our story than we did.”
The Rocky’s Michele Ames correctly predicted that the story of the 2002 election would be provisional ballots. She was right. The results of the 7th CD weren’t known until December, when all the provisionals had been counted.
And Mike Littwin had some amazing columns, including his piece on GOP strategist extraordinaire, Dick Wadhams. “Who else can say lawyer-lobbyist 50 times an hour and, each time, make it sound exactly like murderer-rapist,” Littwin wrote. “For that matter, who else would try to turn Wayne Allard into John Fielder.”
The best is when I heard Karen Middleton, a candidate for regent in the 7th CD, say she had always been a Post reader but started taking the Rocky. “You have to if you’re interested in politics,” she said.
Next up: Denver mayoral race in 2003.
The Post’s William Porter wrote the best political profiles. Go back and read the one on former state Dem party chairman Phil Perington. It’s classic. And the Post’s Susan Greene had a great get on Ari Zavaras flunking out of college.
But it was the Rocky that dominated, starting with great daily stories: the nastiness in northwest Denver between the two community newspapers, which were backing opposing City Council candidates; the argument in the men’s restroom between John Hickenlooper and Zavaras over possible attack ads; a pop quiz that showed the two candidates with the least amount of political experience, Hickenlooper and Elizabeth Schlosser, knew the most about government.
And on and on.
The Rocky story the day after the election:
John Hickenlooper, the owner of one good suit, refashioned Denver politics with a mayoral campaign that was pure shucks and awe. The 51-year-old microbrewer ran folksy, funky TV campaign ads that made people laugh, and he refused to trash, defame or ridicule anyone except, maybe, himself.
Hickenlooper clobbered city Auditor Don Mares in the Tuesday runoff. Not bad for a political greenhorn who didn't vote in the 1999 mayoral election and a self-described: *Geek. *Serial entrepreneur. *Fugitive from the fashion police.
Which brings us to the 2004 election. The Post got into this election, although in some ways not until after the primary.
My favorite Post story was by David Olinger on former CSU President Al Yates, who lost his brother to cancer, which is why he was helping with the cigarette tax hike campaign. I like stories that make campaigns human.
If you want to read a wonderful candidate profile, check out Jim Tankersley’s piece on Democratic Senate candidate Mike Miles in the Rocky.
The Rocky’s Gwen Florio wrote stories about Republican Senate candidate Pete Coors that had his campaign and supporters furious, but caught the eye of the national media, including “Meet The Press,” which quoted from the stories for its Coors-Salazar debate.
The Post had a great Sunday story on fugitives voting, but missed the boat on the follow up when the county clerks and secretary of state held an emergency meeting. The Post reported a fraction of the meeting: what to do about the fugitives. But the reporter missed the main thrust of the lengthy meeting, which turned out to be the story of the election: All these Coloradoans had registered to vote, but their registrations couldn’t be found or the registration drives were suspicious.
And it was the Rocky that first reported how four wealthy Democrats were financing an elaborate effort to get their own elected. Reporter Burt Hubbard is amazing when it comes to campaign finance laws.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Rocky’s M.E. Sprengelmeyer, who is our LONE person in Washington but who “runs circles around” the Post’s BUREAU, according to congressional staffers. Go back and read his stuff from the Democratic convention in Boston.
That said, the Post’s Mike Soraghan did a great in breaking the story about Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s chief of staff and a possible kickback she may have received from an aide. That story and the subsequent investigation, I believe, were key in Campbell’s unexpected retirement.
And of course, there’s the Rocky’s Pete Blake, political columnist extraordinaire. He broke the story about Congressman Scott McInnis paying his wife a big fat salary. If you want to read a great story about this legislative session, check out his column on Democrats Rosemary Marshall, Dorothy Butcher and Alice Borodkin going after each other in Business Affairs and Labor Committee hearings.
Do you have a question of your own for Lynn Bartels? Ask it below by clicking on COMMENTS.
*Note: If you want to discuss something Ms. Bartels has said below, please do so in the Tuesday Open Thread. This thread is reserved for questions to make it easier for Ms. Bartels to skim through and answer as many questions as she can get to.
Ms. Bartels already answered the first batch of questions that came in on Monday. Pasted here are both the questions and responses...
Lynn,
What's your take on CD3? Is Tipton a patsy? Also, what do you make of the Bill Owens lovechild rumors?
Posted by: curious | April 10, 2005 09:31 PM
I don't have a take on CD3. I know that's a lame answer, but it's the truth.
Also, what do you make of the Bill Owens lovechild rumors? If I had a dollar for every person who has written, called or e-mailed asking why I haven't written about Bill Owens' love child I wouldn't be
answering your blog, I'd be on the beach.
I might give more credence to the rumors if people who claim to know the real story didn't have such varying tips: It's a girl! It's a boy! The baby is in Wyoming! No, it's back in Texas. No, the child's been here all along. I'm not sure what the real story is - or even if there is one.
Lynn, given the nature of Romanoff's and Stengel's relationship, do you still think the House is more entertaining than the Senate?
Posted by: also curious | April 10, 2005 10:33 PM
I'm assigned to the Old Folks Home, otherwise known as the state Senate, so I don't get the real flavor of what is going on in the House. Mike Feeley, who had only served in the state Senate, used to poke his head into the House, which is so much louder and frenzied than the Senate, and proclaim he'd rather do time in a Serbian prison than serve in the House.
That said, I'm surprised at how antagonistic Stengel has been. The
Republicans fight everything, including the battle over students saying the
Pledge of Allegiance. I asked about this and some House Republicans told me it's a habit, they're used to getting their way!
Do you have a favorite legislator? Do you tend to vote Republican or Democrat? What do you make of claims that the media is biased againist Conservatives/Republicans?
Posted by: Dale | April 11, 2005 08:38 AM
My press colleagues and lawmakers always tease me about Sen. Ken Kester, R-Las Animas. He was so much fun in the House and he is a riot in the Senate.
But I have lots of favorite lawmakers in both parties. As for voting, I never vote party. And I hope in my Q & A I answered your question about media bias.
How much control do you have over the content of your stories and do your editors guide your reporting?
Do you feel the Post is more or less liberal since the JOA same question for the RMN?
Posted by: Tellthetruth | April 11, 2005 08:46 AM
I turn in stories and suggestions are made. I'll give you an example. At the same-sex marriage press conference, Rep. Jim Welker mentioned that in India a female married a dog and that someone married a horse in Boulder. I put that in my story.
An editor looked up the story on the horse marriage - which was done in jest - and added the details. The Boulder County clerk denied a marriage license because the horse was underage. And columnist Mike Littwin found the article about the India marriage, which was done to ward off an evil spirit. Those additions made my story better.
Sometimes things are cut for space and the cuts make stories less clear. That's unfortunate, but it happens. And editors do guide our reporting. We check in. We run stories by them. We might say, "I'm not interested in this bill," and they might say, "Oh, there's a lot of talk in the public. We should cover it." That sort of thing.
"Do you feel the Post is more or less liberal since the JOA same question for the RMN?"
I don't think the joint-operating agreement has affected the tenor of either paper one bit. What that tenor is, though, is in the eye of the reader.
Lynn, how do you manage to keep your perspective? It seems that over the years you have managed to foster very positive relationships with Legislators and Candidates – yet you never loose your credibility. At the end of the day, how do you still step back and report on a story or candidate with no (at least perceived) bias?
Posted by: RedHawk | April 11, 2005 10:32 AM
Thanks Mom! Actually, I don't know who you are but I appreciate your comments.
I didn't cover the legislature for a couple of years and when I paid a visit I'll always remember Rep. Pam Rhodes, one of the most conservative members of the House, introducing me to Rep. Ted Harvey, another conservative. She told Ted that I gave their side a fair shake. "Doesn't everybody?" I said, and they looked at me in shock.
I grew up in a household with a Republican father and a Democratic mother. I'm one of nine kids. We have Kennedy Democrats and Limbaugh Republicans in that group so I'm used to dealing with all types.
I'm from South Dakota and my mother still can't over the fact that I'm good friends with "THAT MAN" as she refers to Dick Wadhams, who helped John Thune unseat Tom Daschle.
Lynn, last year on Colorado Inside-Out, you referred to Republicans as "a bunch of home-schooling, bible thumping, gay bashing...people." Does this thought about a particular group of people you report on affect your stories in any way?
Posted by: Vic | April 11, 2005 12:50 PM
Actually, you're misquoting me. I was reminiscing about the Republican Party before it became controlled by a bunch of "home-schooling, gay-bashing, Limbaugh loving, right-wing Republican psychos."
Was that a gross generalization? Yes, but it was said in fun and Peter moved on before I could elaborate.
One night at the GOP convention in New York City I had dinner with Laura Teal and her husband George. She had worked on Bob Shaffer's campaign. When we were done, she said, "How does it feel to have had dinner with the right wing nuts of the party?"
And that statement was an eye-opener because I had so much fun with them and it made me realize about labels. And I said, "What about having dinner with the liberal media?" And I think that was an eye-opener for her too, because I think she believed I really gave Bob a fair shake in the primary.
Posted by: Alva Adams | April 11, 2005 at 10:17 PM
*Note: this question was originally posted on Monday. I moved it here. - Alva
what do you make of Holtzman raising $500,000 thus far? what can we realistically read into this? how does that amount of money raised, in that period of time, rank in your recent memory?
thanks for doing this.
Posted by: Ter Ducken | April 11, 2005 05:36 PM
Posted by: Ter Ducken - moved | April 11, 2005 at 10:25 PM
really cool of you to be doing this. i liked reading about your take on the campaigns of 2004. but what about some of the smaller, or lesser known campaigns that you covered? or were the house and senate races your main responsibility?
Posted by: JenJen | April 11, 2005 at 10:27 PM
Lynn, Mike Littwin seems to be about one of the BEST overall writters on the Rocky Staff (second to you)... how often do you guys to work together? Or do you never get to cover the same "beat".
Posted by: thinkin | April 11, 2005 at 10:56 PM
(originally posted by: poli.hack | April 11, 2005 11:33 AM)
lynn:
thank you for taking the time to answer our questions here. i have three-part question for you:
1) what is your take on the ever-growing popularity of the political blog?
2) how has this type of "reporting" affected traditional political journalism in colorado?
3) what is your take on the FEC's recent (proposed) rulemaking with regards to political blogging and other online political activities?
Posted by: poli.hack | April 12, 2005 at 07:01 AM
How is John Sanko doing we miss him at the Capitol? Do you think our campaign finance laws are working as intended or is the system broke? It appears from inside the dome that the more regulations we pass the more creative legislators and groups get.
Posted by: oldhack | April 12, 2005 07:25 AM
Posted by: oldhack | April 12, 2005 at 08:00 AM
Ter Ducken:
Shows you what I know. When I learned Mike Coffman wasn’t running I said, “How soon before Holtzman drops out?”
And maybe with campaign finance laws the issue now isn’t how much your campaign raises, but how much someone else is willing to raise and spend on you.
JenJen:
I laughed at your question. I can’t wait to show it to my boss. I don’t like covering the big races, the U.S. Senate race, the presidential race, but keep getting stuck with them to my chagrin. I truly believe that all politics are local. Although I got assigned the Senate race in 2004, I kept my eye on other races. When I saw the funeral ad with Marilyn Musgrave, I had to do a story.
And I really liked some of the Rocky’s legislative stories: How David Balmer, running for the House, had a murky history he didn’t reveal on his legislative questionnaire. And how incumbent Sen. Jim Dyer had his state wages garnished after losing a court battle over a house he bought for 10 bucks from an elderly woman. That is not a typo. Ten bucks.
In 2002, the best part was covering the 7th CD race for awhile.
By the way, I do a lot of the work on our voter’s guide, which consists of calling people and cajoling, threatening and begging them to finish their questionnaire now!
thinkin:
Mike Littwin is the best. Think back: What was the best political column in 2004? It was Littwin’s piece on Ben Nighthorse Campbell and the Coors twins ad. Campbell tried to say he never said those things, but trust me, the day the column ran every Republican and Democrat I ran into said, “Classic Ben.”
The interesting thing about Littwin is not just that he is great writer. He and editor John Temple are among the best journalists I know. Littwin can look at something and say, “Here’s the news. Here’s what we should be covering.”
We’ve worked together on politics and of course there’s my favorite shared byline with Littwin and reporter Kevin Vaughan: That unbelievable day we got the CU investigative panel report early and scooped the world.
poli.hack:
Do you think I answered your questions in my Q & A? I think I answered 1 and 2, but I have no opinion on No. 3
Posted by: Lynn Bartels | April 12, 2005 at 08:08 AM
Thanks for participating.
I'll fire this question out first. How would you handicapp the governor race at this point?
Posted by: GOPer | April 12, 2005 at 08:13 AM
Hi Lynn.
Please describe Andrew Romanoff's style as Speaker of the House. How is he viewed in the House in his own party?
Posted by: Stygius | April 12, 2005 at 08:28 AM
What race, on both sides, do you think was the dirtiest in the state during '04? What race did you find the most interesting, politically or otherwise?
Posted by: Ben | April 12, 2005 at 08:31 AM
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for not making fun of my sweater vests... and for that matter, television news coverage of politics. Keep up the good work.
--Adam Schrager
Posted by: Adam Schrager | April 12, 2005 at 08:53 AM
How is John Sanko doing we miss him at the Capitol? Do you think our campaign finance laws are working as intended or is the system broke? It appears from inside the dome that the more regulations we pass the more creative legislators and groups get.
Posted by: oldhack | April 12, 2005 07:25 AM
Life without John Sanko sucks. No doubt about it. But life for John Sanko as
a grandpa is great.
The thing is he made the job look so easy and after he slipped out in the middle of a Friday afternoon never to return we discovered there was so much
that he did we didn't even know about it. In the space of two years, the Rocky has lost three really good political reporters: Michele Ames, Peggy Lowe and John Sanko.
That hurts and it has an impact.
Look what happened at the Post after Fred Brown retired. Their political coverage sank like a stone and they're just now coming back.
Campaign finance laws are made to be skirted. They haven't gotten big money
out of politics, they've just driven it underground. Trying telling that to,
as they're known in Republican circles, "Common Curse" and the "League of
Women Vipers."
Posted by: Lynn Bartels | April 12, 2005 at 09:11 AM
I'll fire this question out first. How would you handicapp the governor race
at this point?
Posted by: GOPer | April 12, 2005 08:13 AM
I think Bob Beauprez could run for just about anything he wanted and win.
Posted by: Lynn Bartels | April 12, 2005 at 09:11 AM
What do you make of what the Republicans are doing in the legislature. I don't remember them saying this many crazy things (gay marriage and dogs), and being so splintered. What do you make of this new "conservative caucus" thing.
This is great. Thanks.
Posted by: Jon Ogden | April 12, 2005 at 09:14 AM
what is the strangest or most useless bill that you can remember being brought up?
Posted by: Amber | April 12, 2005 at 09:19 AM
Adam S. keep wearing the vest you are an inspiration to us all and good reporting btw. Back to Lynn how many people call you with "off the record" information in a given day 20-30-40%? Why was there not more coverage of the Democrat millionares and there plan prior to the election and could we see a story on how they are influencing an agenda at the capitol i.e. Gill and homosexual rights or Yates and HIgher ED issues etc... Just think it might be a cool post session story.
Posted by: lovethevest | April 12, 2005 at 10:06 AM
Round3
Hi Lynn.
Please describe Andrew Romanoff's style as Speaker of the House. How is he viewed in the House in his own party?
Posted by: Stygius | April 12, 2005 08:28 AM
Remember, I don’t cover the House so I don’t see him much. I will say that I was stunned when he got the Democrat of the Year Award from the party recently and gave a speech. He was brilliant. He was part passion, part stand-up comedy. As how he’s viewed by Democrats, remember, that party has it own factions too.
What race, on both sides, do you think was the dirtiest in the state during '04? What race did you find the most interesting, politically or otherwise?
Posted by: Ben | April 12, 2005 08:31 AM
Dirty is in the eye of the beholder.
Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, isn’t happy with the campaign that Democrats ran against him, bringing up his past. He asked me if something more than 10 years old is relevant. I responded that the Swiftboat Veterans seem to think it is.
I’m sure Marilyn Musgrave’s fans think the ads against her were dirty.
John Salazar’s fans thinks the ads against him were dirty.
Posted by: Lynn Bartels | April 12, 2005 at 10:26 AM
What do you make of what the Republicans are doing in the legislature. I don't remember them saying this many crazy things (gay marriage and dogs), and being so splintered. What do you make of this new "conservative caucus" thing.
This is great. Thanks.
Posted by: Jon Ogden | April 12, 2005 09:14 AM
Jon:
I personally don’t think the Republicans are any different this year than in previous years; same with Democrats.
The Republicans were split when I first covered the House in 2000. Speaker Russ George was a moderate and he appointed moderate committee chairs: Mark Larson, Matt Smith, et al.
I think it’s very normal and natural to have some people in a party more conservative than others.
That said, the conservative wing of the party is frustrated. They expected to control the House and the Senate. They control nothing.
In addition, the El Paso County delegation is used to telling the rest of the state how to operate. They can’t do that this year.
what is the strangest or most useless bill that you can remember being brought up?
Posted by: Amber | April 12, 2005 09:19 AM
I don’t have a quick answer. There are so many bills and you tend to track only a few of them. It may come to me later today and I’ll repost.
Adam S. keep wearing the vest you are an inspiration to us all and good reporting btw. Back to Lynn how many people call you with "off the record" information in a given day 20-30-40%? Why was there not more coverage of the Democrat millionares and there plan prior to the election and could we see a story on how they are influencing an agenda at the capitol i.e. Gill and homosexual rights or Yates and HIgher ED issues etc... Just think it might be a cool post session story.
Posted by: lovethevest | April 12, 2005 10:06 AM
Dear Love:
The reason we didn’t write about the rich Democrats beforehand is they didn’t share their plan with us. Once we learned of it, we wrote about it.
And you get a fair share of off the record tips. I’ve never really broken it down.
Posted by: Lynn Bartels | April 12, 2005 at 10:38 AM
You've covered both Denver and statewide politics from what I can tell. Is there a difference to running a citywide race as opposed to a state house or even congressional race? There's that old saying that Denver politicians can't win statewide. Does that have something to do with politics being different in the city?
Thanks and great work.
Posted by: Susan | April 12, 2005 at 11:08 AM
what state reps and senators do you think will be running for new (higher) offices in 2006? who stands a change of winning and how will it affect the 2006 legislative session?
Posted by: bored | April 12, 2005 at 11:38 AM
Do you have a favorite Denver Post reporter? What do you think of Chris Frates?
Posted by: DPfan | April 12, 2005 at 11:59 AM
You've covered both Denver and statewide politics from what I can tell. Is there a difference to running a citywide race as opposed to a state house or even congressional race? There's that old saying that Denver politicians can't win statewide. Does that have something to do with politics being different in the city?
Thanks and great work.
Posted by: Susan | April 12, 2005 11:08 AM
Susan:
I think the biggest difference is if you’re running for the legislature and Congress your coordinate with so many groups, than if you are running for City Hall. Both the state House and Senate Ds and Rs have their committees to get people elected. And Congress. My God.
And Dick Wadhams and I have had many discussions about the Denver factor. Maybe that will fade somewhat as Denver becomes much more The Metro Area.
what state reps and senators do you think will be running for new (higher) offices in 2006? who stands a change of winning and how will it affect the 2006 legislative session?
Posted by: bored | April 12, 2005 11:38 AM
Dear Bored:
It depends on who steps down. If Diana DeGette pulled a Campbell can you imagine the free-for-all for her Denver seat? Same with Joel Hefley in Colorado Springs.
Sessions during election years are part posturing, part caution. You want to show your constituents you’re with them, but you also don’t want to look like a lunatic.
Do you have a favorite Denver Post reporter? What do you think of Chris Frates?
Posted by: DPfan | April 12, 2005 11:59
I do have a favorite Denver Post reporter. And I’m not sure, dear Dpfan, why you asked about Chris specifically.
Posted by: RMfan | April 12, 2005 at 12:27 PM
I just think he is good, thats all. Wanted a fellow reporters take.
Posted by: DPfan | April 12, 2005 at 01:28 PM
Hi Lynn,
What press advice would you give persons who are thinking of entering politics? And, in your eyes, what common mistakes do freshman candidates make?
Thank you for your time.
Posted by: Lurker | April 12, 2005 at 02:12 PM
1. Cuteness aside how good a Speaker is Romanoff -- do not rank on glibness but effectiveness please
2. Spradly -- how good a Speaker? Does she have either the talent or ambition to seek and win another major office
Thank you
Posted by: vladimir | April 12, 2005 at 02:59 PM