Bob's Drilling for Dollars

A who's who of Colorado's oil & gas, mining, timber, and construction industries is hosting a luncheon fundraiser for Bob Beauprez's gubernatorial race tomorrow at The Palm restaurant. 

Some of the extraction industry's heavy hitters include Bill Barrett (of Bill Barrett Corp.), Jim Lightner (of Orion Energy Partners), Joe Jaggers (of Williams), Stuart Sanderson (Colorado Mining Association), Ken Wonstolen (Colorado Oil and Gas Association), Marc Smith (Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States), and others.

The event is being organized by Jim Sims, President of Policy Communications, which operates the Western Business Roundtable and the Partnership for the West (all three organizations are located in his office in Golden).  Sims used to be an aide to Dick Cheney.

It appears as though Colorado's extraction industry players are lining up behind Beauprez, rather than Holtzman.  This is a significant, early boost for Beauprez considering the money and clout these industries carry in the state.

While this is not good news for Holtzman, does it create an opening for him to mine some support of his own from those communities and interests on the West Slope opposed to the practices of the oil and gas industry?  Ranchers and hunters come to mind.

Oil and gas drilling is an explosive issue on the West Slope, especially in places like Garfield County.  Many communities (including Republicans and Democrats alike) are not liking the changes expanding drilling brings.

In fact, today's Rocky reports that Canadian energy giant, EnCana, is thinking about bringing in Chinese workers to cut costs.  That should play well in Rifle (on top of all the other controversies EnCana has created in the area, like gas seeps in streams). 

If Beauprez is elected governor, you can bet Colorado will be wide open for the extractive industries.

The political implications of this could mean a rift on the West Slope putting traditional Republican constituencies like ranchers and hunters in the same camp as the environmentalists.  We've already seen some of this occur, and politicians like Kathleen Curry and John Salazar have leveraged these rifts to their advantage.

If Beauprez exacerbates the problem, we might see more Democrats elected on the West Slope, with the help of Republican votes.  Stay tuned.

Comments

[kingmaker]

More proof that Bruce Benson is calling in favors for his new Golden Boy, Beauprez.

[Defero Veritas]

Rebel Dem, thanks for playing Republican campaign strategist, but you're overstating 1) the issue, 2) the horrible things that Beauprez would do as governor, and 3) MH's ability to make this a campaign issue.

Oil and gas bring a lot of jobs and revenue to the Colorado economy. Having their support is pretty important to a GOP primary.

[Donald E. L. Johnson]

BB made a strong impression on the Arapahoe Republican Men's Club breakfast meeting this morning.

And if he repeats his performance before the executives of oil, gas and lumber companies Thursday, he'll raise a lot of money.

After establishing that he has the support of the president and Congressional leaders in his definite run for governor, BB stressed the importance of electing a Colorado native who has been a dairy farmer and turned around a troubled small bank.

During his presentation, he stressed the importance of water, economic growth and controlling health care costs.

When asked where he stands on illegal immigration and Referendums C&D, he strongly stated that as governor he will go to Washington and "demand it be fixed," it being illegal immigration.

And he called C & D "the biggest tax increase in the state's history." He noted that the tax increase is open ended, because as the economy grows, the tax increase will grow proportionately. He cautioned, however, that Republicans are divided on C&D and shouldn't let the issue tear them apart.

The 2006 election is critical for both the state party, he said, and nationally, because, as I pointed out here months ago, the winner in 2006 is likely to be re-elected in 2010 and play a big role in redistricting. Further, he noted, the state's supreme court is dominated by the Dems 5-2, and the next governor will reshape the court.

He also predicted that he will win the election and that he will help carry Rick O'Donnell to victory in CD-7. He said he's "written a check" to O'Donnell's campaign.

The guy is a strong, convincing presenter and a personable candidate who's proud to introduce his attractive wife of 35 years. He said he'll announce officially in the fall, after he's had a chance to pay off some more of his Congressional campaign debts.

Social issues never came up during the meeting, but the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on emminent domain and the president's Africa policy did, and he handled both issues with skill.

State Rep. David Balmer stood up and thanked him for running and for his service in Congress and his willingness to run for governor.

[jake]

What is it with this site? In the last couple of days you all have taken pot shots at BB and have nothing but praise for any "leading" D.

It is a shame, since there are some occasional good things on this site that it has degenerated to a D leaning love fest.

Now we are getting "insider" news about the R primary a big liberal??? Please, you can do so much better.

Maybe RedHawk can start posting her insights on Bill Ritter and Rutt Bridges??? I'm sure her inside scoop is just enlightening as Rebel Dems is about the Republicans. By the way, where has your token R been lately??

[debt]

let's be clear - tray reports that Beauprez still has over 300k in PRIMARY DEBT from his first run for congress. When Bob says he still has debt, let's remember that it's from him giving 450 to the campaign to beat Rick Odonnel, the guy Bob has now "written a check to".

[hahaha]

Donald - I love that you felt it necessary to mention that BB was "proud to introduce his attractive wife of 35 years." Keep it in your pants man.

[jake]

Debt - Ok, I don't get the point.

[Phoenix Rising]

Hey, I think this was insightful, even if it came from Rebel Dem instead of the dead govs or RedHawk.

The question is, will Holtzman push the issue? RebelDem is right: this issue is starting to split the Western Republican caucus. Ranchers and farmers don't really like the runoff from gas wells, nor do they like the after-the-fact notice that their land is being mineral-leased. Hunters aren't too fond of some of the recent BLM proposals, and the governor's office will have considerable say in Forest Service development under Bush's leadership, too. Big Energy doesn't care for local water, apparently doesn't care for local jobs...

Holtzman could push this issue and get some hold in an area he otherwise is probably quite weak in.

[debt]

just trying to be clear - for the listeners out there - that this is money he gave to the campaign that after three years is still not dealt with. This isn't money from the general election last year, where he carried a district that Bush didn't even win.

[and]

...and won democratic precincts that no other R won in the same cycle. But hey - it's all good, we give up the 7th and ways and means, but really - that doens't matter at all.

[GOP watcheer]

Sean Duffy, who until last week was Owens number two guy and communications director, just joined the Jim Sims firm on Friday. Sims is an emerging big time player and Duffy was a big get for him.

[Jake]

Phoenix - I don't doubt that you think it is insightful, but that doesn't make it so.

I think that this would be a minimal issue in a Republican primary, since both candidates are likely to be near the same political persuasion on the issue.

Rebel Dem makes an assumption based upon his admitted leanings, that this would somehow be used as a wedge.

While I don't know for certain, I would bet that Holtzman was and is going after this same group of people, and may have even gotten some money from them individually.

I don't doubt that Beauprez's democrat opponent may attempt to use this issue on the slope (and in the front rage) but I don't think it is a big factor on the R side.

This would be like me writing about how a dem candidate has the Sierra club raising money for them, and would the other candidate use that against them in a D primary.

It is just plain silly.

[marshall]

You mean ranchers that normally lean Republican won't think twice when they learn the fact that Beauprez is coddling the very drillers that march onto their land and drain salinated water all over their once fertile soil to make a buck.

Maybe with Beauprez's vast dairy farmer experience can explain why grass grows better with salinated water and how cows love the salty taste that the run off gives the ranchers local pond.

http://www.powderriverbasin.org/cbm/
http://www.wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org/news/newsletter/docs/2002c/index.php
http://www.billbarrettcorp.com/powderriver.html

Maybe if we are lucky they will do the same thing to Colorado that they did to Wyoming. Do people ever wonder why Wyoming has a Democratic Governor?

[jake]

AAAH, if only Colorado was like Wyoming. More cows than people. Democrats that act like Republicans (and there aren't many elected ones anyway). 5 persons per square mile v. 41 in Colorado.

But both are square.