ProgressNow.org Daily News Digest

Bennet’s 2010 run under way : Updates : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/04/bennets-team-2010-senate-campaign-taking-shape/ The 2010 U.S. Senate race got under way even before the last hours of 2008 ticked off the clock. On New Year's Eve, preparations were being made to announce Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet as a replacement for Interior Secretary-nominee Ken Salazar. And by the next morning a team was quietly being assembled for Bennet's first-ever election campaign in two years. "I had just unpacked my bags in D.C. and got a call asking if I could jump on a plane and come back to Colorado to help out," said Matt Chandler, the onetime spokesman for President-elect Barack Obama's Colorado campaign. By Saturday, Chandler had issued the first press release on behalf of the Bennet for Colorado campaign, which unveiled a bare- bones Web site, a 23-page media kit and a way for people to sign up for campaign updates.

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Colorado Independent » Bennet launches campaign site

http://coloradoindependent.com/18719/bennet-launches-campaign-site-says-he-intends-to-win-re-election-in-2010 Simultaneously with his nomination to become Colorado’s newest U.S. senator, Michael Bennet unveiled BennetforColorado.com, a campaign Web site aimed at winning re-election to the seat in 2010. The rudimentary site, labeled “under construction,” includes a sign-up form for updates and a biography of the Denver Democrat, who is currently superintendent for Denver Public Schools. There’s also a fresh endorsement from President-elect Barack Obama, who called Bennet “a breath of fresh air in Washington.” The site put to rest speculation Bennet might dither on whether to seek a full term in the Senate. “I absolutely intend to win re-election,” he told a press conference Saturday afternoon at the Colorado State Capitol. Republicans began circling Friday when news of Bennet’s nomination leaked.

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GJSentinel.com: Bennet’s lack of experience could be blessing for GOP

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2009/01/02/010309_1a_Bennet___GOP_react.html Michael Bennet, Gov. Bill Ritter’s pick to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., is a blessing in disguise for Republicans eager to win back one of Colorado’s Senate seats next year, according to GOP political observers. 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.

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Odds don’t favor Bennet holding onto seat : Politics : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/02/odds-dont-favor-bennet-holding-seat/ When Michael Bennet assumes the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Ken Salazar, he'll be part of a deliberative body trying to rescue the nation from its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. But he'll also have to immediately begin working on a campaign for 2010 — a prospect that history shows can be daunting for appointed senators. According to Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com, a Web site that analyzes political data, only 40 percent of appointed senators seeking election since 1956 hung onto their seat. Silver points out that seven of the 49 senators who were appointed by governors didn't even make it out of their party's primary and that 13 lost in a general election. Another 10 didn't seek election after their appointment.

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Senate pick leads Denver schools | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan,

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090103/NEWS01/901030332/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02 Michael Bennet, Gov. Bill Ritter's surprise choice for the U.S. Senate, has strong political skills that will serve him well, Larimer County education and political leaders said. Bennet, superintendent of Denver Public Schools, will be formally named today by Ritter to fill the seat of Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., who has been nominated by President-elect Barack Obama to be secretary of the Interior. 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 served as deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration, as a fund manager for Denver billionaire Phillip Anschutz and as Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's chief of staff. He was named superintendent of DPS in 2005 and instituted a series of reforms. One of the most publicized was a pay plan called ProComp, which linked teacher pay to performance in the school district's instructional mission.

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Colo. Senate Replacement Named - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/03/AR2009010301447.html 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." Ritter said he focused as much on Bennet's potential as on his résumé. "He has an impressive record of bringing people together to find common ground and common-sense solutions to complex problems, and of turning around troubled public and private enterprises and leaving them far stronger than he found them," Ritter said in a statement.

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Bennet eager to tackle job - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11363889 Bennet, who was on President-elect Barack Obama's shortlist for education secretary before losing out to Arne Duncan, also said he will seek election in 2010 — and intends to win. A website supporting Bennet's bid is already up and running and taking contributions for a race expected to cost about $15 million. And many staff members who worked for Obama in Colorado during the campaign immediately stepped in to help Bennet. Gov. Bill Ritter, echoing themes heard during Obama's presidential campaign, said he picked Bennet over more experienced politicians because Bennet is part of a new generation of problem-solvers who think outside of the box. "He is practical, pragmatic, not ideological. And he is not dogmatic," said Ritter, who said he interviewed 15 people for the job. "He has an impressive record of bringing people together to find common ground and common-sense solutions to complex problems, and of turning around troubled public and private enterprises and leaving them far stronger than he found them."

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Denver schools chief’s appointment to Senate expected - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-colorado-senate3-2009jan03,0,7693122.story 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."

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It’s official: Bennet tabbed as Salazar successor : Updates : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/03/its-official-bennet-tabbed-salazar-successor/ Democratic heavyweights turned out Saturday afternoon to cheer Michael Bennet’s naming as Ken Salazar’s replacement in the U.S. Senate, saying the Denver Public Schools superintendent’s innovative brand of leadership will serve him well in his new job. Gov. Bill Ritter made the appointment official Saturday afternoon before several hundred people in the West Foyer of the state Capitol. Bennet will replace Interior secretary nominee Ken Salazar. News of the appointment first surfaced Friday. Bennet was considered a dark-horse candidate, at best, by many political experts, but speaker after speaker Saturday afternoon said while Bennet might not have been the obvious choice, he was the right one. “Michael Bennet is exactly what we need in Colorado,” Ritter said. “Michael will bring a fresh, new approach to the economic crisis. He knows we can’t fix our 21st-century problems with 20th-century solutions.”

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Education savvy sent Bennet to head of class - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11365082 Although many Colorado Democrats see Michael Bennet as a risky Senate pick — untested electorally and unknown to many voters — education officials in the new Obama administration are casting him as a golden choice. That may go a long way toward explaining how Bennet rose to the top of a field of strong candidates who could boast a record of successful elections, pockets full of newspaper endorsements or support in the state's key electoral hot spots. Despite expectations that political calculation would weigh most heavily on the governor's choice,the president-elect's sweeping national agenda just may have trumped the powerful pull of local politics.

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Colorado Independent » It’s official: Ritter taps Bennet

http://coloradoindependent.com/18718/its-official-ritter-taps-bennet-to-follow-in-salazars-very-large-bootsteps Flanked by Democratic heavyweights, Gov. Bill Ritter made it official Saturday afternoon at the state Capitol: Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet is his choice to fill out Ken Salazar’s U.S. Senate term. Calling Bennet “one of the deepest and most innovative thinkers that I know,” Ritter cited Bennet’s “unique set of personal and professional experiences that make him the right choice for Colorado.” Salazar is leaving the Senate to become secretary of the interior in the Obama administration. “My experiences, not only in public service but also in business, have taught me that when people come together, put aside partisan differences, and focus on pragmatic problem-solving, we can accomplish great things,” said Bennet, 44, who worked as a turnaround expert for billionaire Phil Anschutz in Denver before serving as incoming Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s chief of staff and then chief of Denver schools. “I will be privileged to follow in the very large bootsteps of Sen. Salazar,” Bennet said before a cavalcade of elected officials took to the lectern to sing the nominee’s praises.

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GJSentinel.com: Some pols question Bennet’s stance on Western Slope issues

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2009/01/02/010309_11a_Bennet___West_Slope.html For the Western Slope, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet, the governor’s choice to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., is an unknown. “Where is he on water issues? … Where is he on oil shale?” said state Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction. “He’s never been forced to wrestle with those questions. ... It’s a giant question mark hanging out there.” Bernie Buescher, a two-term Democratic state lawmaker, said Bennet is “spectacularly intelligent,” but his views on the issues that matter most to the Western Slope are unknown. “I don’t have much comment,” Buescher said.

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Bennet beats high-profile rivals : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/02/bennet-beats-high-profile-rivals/ Several years ago, Denver City Councilman Michael Hancock and Michael Bennet, then Mayor John Hickenlooper's chief of staff, had a heart-to-heart talk. "I asked, 'What do you want to do in life?'" Hancock recalled Friday. Bennet answered that he wanted to be in the U.S. Senate.

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Bennet: ‘humbled and honored’ with Senate selection - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11363008 Gov. Bill Ritter this afternoon officially named Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet to fill Colorado's vacant senate seat. Bennet, 44, will be sworn in as the nation's youngest Senator after Sen. Ken Salazar is confirmed as interior secretary. "I am humbled and honored to serve the state of Colorado as your next U.S. Senator," said Bennet, standing with his wife and three daughters in front of about 200 people gathered in the state capitol. "My experiences, not only in public service but also in business, have taught me that when people come together, put aside partisan differences, and focus on pragmatic problem-solving, we can accomplish great things."

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Bennet headed big-bucks theater deal for Anschutz : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/02/bennet-headed-theater-deal-anschutz/ Michael Bennet came to Denver more than a decade ago with impressive intellectual credentials and zero business experience. Denver billionaire Phil Anschutz changed that. Kansas native Anschutz built his fortune through energy exploration and railroads before hitting a home run with the founding of Qwest. In recent years, he's branched out into sports, with investments in venues and soccer teams, and entertainment, with film production and concert promotion. He ranked 36th in the most recent Forbes list of the richest Americans with estimated wealth of $8 billion. Anschutz hired Bennet for his investment team in 1997 despite the Yale law school grad's admission that he couldn't find his way through an income statement. Democrat Bennet also seemed an odd ideological choice for the conservative Christian Republican Anschutz.

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Benne’ts rèsumè impressive, even if it doesn’t fit the job - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11363674 Michael Bennet, raised in the Beltway, educated in top private schools, former editor of the Yale Law Journal and soon-to-be United States senator has a problem with neatness. Untucked shirts and well-worn shoes are Bennet's trademarks as much as his razor wit, keen smarts and innate strategic sense. "Here is a guy who always had his hair messed up, holes in his pants, but that doesn't matter," said Jaime Aquino, former chief academic officer for Denver Public Schools under Bennet. "What's important is what is inside of you." Bennet, 44, has leapt through professions and time zones in his short career only to land in the senate.

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To Democrats, pick shocking, not disappointing : More Politics : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/03/to-democrats-pick-shocking-not-disappointing/ Democrats are likely to head into the crucial 2010 election with a first-time candidate for the U.S. Senate who is little known outside the Denver area, a possibility that alarms some. And Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet's jumping over 11 people who had expressed interest in the job will leave some bruised feelings, several analysts and Democratic officials noted. But most expect those feelings to dissipate rather than leave a divided party staring at a primary battle in 2010. Most said their reaction to Gov. Bill Ritter's surprise appointment for the open Senate seat was one of shock, not disappointment. "It is surprising, and hopefully he'll surprise us," said Ted Textor, political director of the Colorado Council of Teamsters, which backed another applicant.

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Bennet pick shocks some in Colorado - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11362547 Coloradans responded to the news that Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter 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. ColoradoPols.com, a popular political website in the state, put it more bluntly in a blog entry: "What the hell?!?" Bennet, a political neophyte, was a dark horse in the large field of possible appointees, including Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, former Colorado Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald and Reps. Ed Perlmutter and John Salazar, the brother of outgoing Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar, President-elect Barack Obama's pick for secretary of the interior. Political observers thought Bennet had a better chance of being tapped as Obama's education secretary, a position he was considered for that ultimately went to Arne Duncan, the Chicago public schools CEO.

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Heading back to the Beltway : More Politics : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/03/heading-back-to-the-beltway/ Michael Bennet is heading back to the place where he grew up on dinner table conversations about politics and public policy. It's unclear how long Bennet will be staying in Washington, D.C., in his new job, but one thing is clear: Denver Public Schools' chief - and Colorado's next U.S. senator - knows his way around the Beltway. Born in New Delhi, where his father, Douglas Bennet, served as an aide to the U.S. ambassador to India, Bennet grew up mostly in D.C. with the Democratic Party elite - and a family history of public service. His father served as an aide to Vice President Hubert Humphrey, among others, and was president of National Public Radio from 1983 to 1992. His mother, Susanne Bennet, taught English as a second language for a Washington nonprofit.

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Colorado Independent » Bennet pick for Senate ‘surprising,’ ‘perplexing&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/18690/bennet-pick-for-senate-surprising-perplexing-to-pols-and-pundits-alike Reactions ranged from dumbfounded to laudatory to the news Gov. Bill Ritter plans to name Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet to fill the U.S. Senate term of Democrat Ken Salazar, who is stepping down to head the Department of the Interior later this month.

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Obama, Ritter’s statement on Bennet’s appointment - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11362286

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Sen. Salazar still on job - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11368879 Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar isn't clocking out early, as Tuesday marks the opening session of the 111th Congress. With about two weeks left on the job as Colorado's senior senator before his confirmation as interior secretary, Salazar said he is confident about several of his legislative bills protecting Colorado's energy, natural resources and the environment. "I'm working to get these items across the finish line," Salazar said at a news conference Sunday. He added that U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has committed to seeing the bills through. When Congress resumed in November, the top priority was the economy, delaying action on the public land bills. This time around, Salazar said the bills will be among the first in the legislative session.

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Gov. Bill Ritter: Q and A at the half : Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/05/gov-bill-ritter-qampa-at-the-half/ Bill Ritter, the guy with the easy-going grin, became governor two years ago after an astounding 17-point victory. Not bad for a Denver Democrat and former district attorney whose own party months earlier had written him off, in part, because of his opposition to abortion. Within hours of Ritter's inauguration - where he called on Coloradans to "think big, to be bold and to take risks" - he was meeting with emergency directors to try to get help for the blizzard-ravaged eastern plains. Ritter's now at midterm, two down, two to go.

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Tancredo, Allard ride off into political sunset - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11369081 Tancredo leaves office this month, as does Sen. Wayne Allard of Loveland. Both Republicans are retiring, Allard after spending six years in the House and 12 in the Senate. During his time in office, Allard attracted less attention than Tancredo, a distinction that Allard preferred. Operating with a low-key style during his career, Allard wrapped up his days in Washington with the same approach. As he sat in his largely empty office after one of his last votes, Allard expressed satisfaction with how he had served Colorado. He cited pride in helping accelerate cleanup of the former weapons arsenal at Rocky Flats and replacing it with a wildlife refuge as well as choosing to retire after two terms. He made a term- limit pledge when he ran for the Senate. "I moved on and kept my commitment to voters," Allard said. "I have no regrets about my term-limits commitments."

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The Longmont Times-Call - Area lawmakers to focus on jobs

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=13570 Mark Udall says that when the 111th Congress convenes, “job one” will be “putting people back to work.” On Tuesday, the Eldorado Springs Democrat will officially assume the duties of the U.S. Senate seat he won in November. Udall stressed in a recent interview that Congress’ immediate priority will be “finding the right kind of job-creation package.” That, he said, could include federal investments in state and local infrastructure and energy projects such as highways, bridges, transit systems and electric transmission lines. Jared Polis, the Boulder Democrat who’s succeeding Udall in the U.S. House from Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, agreed that “one of the first orders of business will be an economic stimulus package.” President-elect Barack Obama has signaled that he’d like Congress to have that stimulus legislation on his desk and ready to sign when he takes office Jan. 20, Polis noted. However, recent news reports out of Washington indicate lawmakers may not meet that target date.

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