Rocky Mountain Politics Too Early for Trendsetting

By Courtney Lowery, 11-20-06

Well, finally, that U.S. House race in New Mexico is ... still not quite a done deal. Republican Rep. Heather Wilson won by 879 votes in the final count, but her Democratic challenger has not conceded and may be mulling a recount. This race might just be a metaphor for the entire region.

For two weeks now, the West has been a darling, but political experts continue to warn that just because a few Western states are looking a little blue now, it's not yet a full-fledged trend and the longevity of the color will depend on how Democrats use their Western gains. I guess the West has a little case of limbo.

The Salt Lake Tribune's Robert Gehrke digs into story this week with some new voices chiming in and some good number crunching comparing the Western political makeup of years past compared to now. Gehrke also gets into the difference between what's happening in some states to what's happening -- or not happening -- in Utah.

So will all this attention on the West and its color bring the Democratic National Convention to Denver? Maybe. Howard Dean said this weekend that Democratic wins in the West this month might help the party point Westward, but Denver is going to need to find the money first.

Ethics was a big theme of this week in Rocky Mountain Politics, Montana Senator-elect Jon Tester capping the week with a discussion on ethics, lobbying and earmarks on "Meet the Press" Sunday with Tim Russert.

In Colorado, the Denver Post reports on the scramble going on in the statehouse after voters passed an ethics initiative that mandates lawmakers wait two years after serving before lobbying.

Montana voters overwhelmingly passed a similar measure last week, which Gov. Brian Schweitzer pushed for. But, the scramble in the Montana statehouse this week wasn't because of the new "cooling off" mandate. Instead, it was about one Senator playing musical parties to switch control of the chamber to the Democrats. Republican Sen. Sam Kitzenberg officially became a Democrat Friday and it was such a shakeup even the New York Times took notice.

Kitzenberg tells Mike Dennison of Lee Newspapers that the paid gig he landed with the state (thanks to Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer) had nothing to do with his decision, but Republicans aren't so sure. Republican Secretary of State Brad Johnson, who offiicaly made the change for Kitzenberg, didn't say anything about the job, but did criticize Kitzenberg for making the change in the middle of his term.

"I wish we could let the voters choose based on all the information," Johnson said in a statement. "To go before the voters in one team's colors only to change uniforms at halftime is not the way I would choose. I believe very strongly in informed voting; mid-cycle party-switches work directly against that."

In a real story of "cooling off," while his party alleges Jon Tester misled voters on the whole seat-on-the-appropriations-committee thing, Sen. Conrad Burns is performing better in the press after a few ink stains from last week. In the Times weekend story about the awkward congressional transition, reporter Carl Hulse writes about a yodeling exchange between Montana's outgoing senator and West Virgina's Robert Byrd.

Utah is on its way to a fourth congressional seat, reports the Associated Press. In the upcoming special session, lawmakers will get out the map and draw the line.

And finally, from the governor's chambers in Colorado, outgoing Republican Gov. Bill Owens is showing a bit of a green lining, in upholding the protection the state's roadless areas while the Denver Post editorial writers hope incoming Democratic governor-elect Bill Ritter will maintain his moderation as he chooses his team. [End of article]