This week, Democrats extolled the virtues of Democratic former Speaker Crisanta Duran as a potential 2020 Senate candidate. Former Lt. Governor Gail Schottler and former Colorado Democratic Party chair Pat Waak are complaining that Colorado has never had a female U.S. Senator. Here’s an explanation from Waak in The Hill:

“One of the things that Gail and I and others are concerned about is a history … where a bunch of guys in the background decide who is going to be the candidate. We don’t want that to happen.”

Waak and Schottler would be wise to remember that Polis bought himself an election, so it wasn’t so much a bunch of guys in the background deciding as one super rich guy deciding that he wanted to be Governor. If it’s a woman that they want, Duran is the wrong choice. If you recall, PeakNation, Duran presided over the Colorado State House during the shameful incident in which Democrat State Rep. Steve Lebsock was reported to leadership for sexual harassment. And leadership – that’s Duran – did nothing about it for months until they decided to use his abuse as a way to propel Democrat then-State Rep. Faith Winter into her current state Sen. seat.

Not only did Duran not do a damn thing about it, but she also promoted him during that time to lead a committee.

We’re not saying she’s a bad person. Well, not exactly. But we are saying that her previous leadership lapses disqualify her from getting a “promotion” to U.S. Senator. Democrats, Republicans, find yourself a female legislator, but do yourself a favor and find someone deserving of the post.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is back on the gymnastics mat, this time flip-flopping over his support for Rifle native David Bernhardt to lead the Interior Department.

Bennet was for Bernhardt before he was against him, voting to confirm Bernhardt as Interior’s deputy secretary less than two years ago.

But things change, Bennet says.

The major change being that Bennet is now running for president and can’t be seen hobnobbing with western folk who think public lands are for the public.

Bennet is instead siding with Beltway environmentalists, who wouldn’t support a Trump nominee even if Hell froze over, which it won’t, because climate change.

Western environmental folks say they don’t always agree with Bernhardt’s decisions, but admit the Republican is trustworthy. And with Bernhardt, they will get a seat at the table and be heard, and they know that.

They would do well to put some pressure on Bennet to change his mind.

This isn’t the first time Bennet has snubbed a key Colorado appointment in the Trump administration, remember Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch?

It’s just as well Bennet is running for president instead of working on a reelection campaign to the Senate representing Colorado.

Because if he can’t support Colorado and Coloradans in Washington, he is of little use as our senator.

After spending thousands of dollars on markers and glitter and posterboard as well as shorting kids a quality education, now that the Denver Public Schools teachers union strike is over, we have to ask whether it was worth it.

One of the reasons that the teachers union was striking was because DPS wanted to pay bonuses to teacher who were teaching at tough schools (read: high-poverty schools). As an aside, what a dick move, but we digress. In the end, the final agreement allows for $2,000 bonuses for teachers in these schools, plus $2,000 bonuses for teachers in hard to fill positions, and another $3,000 in bonuses to teachers in vulnerable schools.

Verdict? Strike was a waste on this front.

Another reason teachers were striking was because they wanted raises. As it turns out, the teachers union settled for for a 10% raise, which was approximately what the union was offered before the strike occurred.

Verdict? Another waste.

In the end, teachers walked out, DPS tried to control kids (and failed), so kids missed approximately three days of school and of learning. So, teachers really got very little from the deal and kids got dumber. In the end, we have to ask who really benefited from this, besides Michaels who may have seen a bump in sales of protest supplies?

Are you fed up with the fantastical ridiculousness of bills passing through the Democratic-controlled legislature so far?

Then tonight’s your chance to tell Gov. Polis and several lawmakers exactly what you think of their efforts to legalize heroin injection sites, give away our presidential voting power to California, and the so-called red flag gun control bill introduced this week.

A hastily called town hall meeting is set for tonight from 5:15 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. in Fort Collins at the Blevins Middle School on 2101 S. Taft Hill Road.

In addition to Polis, Rep. Jeni Arndt who sponsored the popular vote bill will be there, along with state Sen. Joann Ginal and state Rep. Cathy Kipp.

Dems are hoping for the event to be more of a pep rally and plan to talk about how great free kindergarten will be, and create an echo chamber for upcoming efforts to kill our energy industry, again.

But hey, a town hall is a town hall, and the last time we checked, this is a free country where folks can address any issue of importance with elected officials.

Be there, show you care!

One would think Democrats had learned their lesson and stopped waving the flag of income inequality while wads of hundred dollars bills bulged out of their pockets

But U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is so desperate to avoid talking about the batty Green Deal that New York socialist used an entire box of Crayons to compose, he charged onto his own sword.

The most pressing concern in the U.S., Bennet told “Meet the Press” while perched on his personal stack of $16 million, is income equality.

According to Bennet, people making more money than other people ranks higher than health care concerns, or campaign finance reform (wink, wink), and especially that Green New Deal.

Nice try, Bennet.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell isn’t going to let all those senators now jockeying for the Democratic presidential nomination to run away from the Green New Deal that easily.

McConnell has scheduled a vote on the bill, so the entire Senate can take a stand on farting cows and eliminating air travel.

The only way Bennet is avoiding the green deal issue, is if he creates a scheduling conflict with the vote by leading a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, in a chariot, throwing all his gold coins to the masses.

It’s the perfect way for Bennet to prove his point to his liberal voters, that money is more important than Mother Earth.

A new poll of Republican voters in Colorado tells us what we already know: Not only do they support their president, but Donald Trump’s approval ratings are also through the roof with 90 percent.

Hold on, that’s not the mic drop — the poll was conducted just days after the government shutdown ended, capped by a month of never-ending sob stories about the horrors of missing one, nearly two paychecks.

And among his voters, President Trump came out smelling like a rose.

Mic dropped.

The poll by Magellan Strategies tells us exactly why that is — 88 percent of Republicans polled support building a wall along the southern border, and 81 percent said shutting down the government to get that funding was the right thing to do.

Interestingly, Republicans also disagree with the media for the reasons why the party lost the top ballot seats in the last election, plus a congressional district and control of the state Senate.

Those polled don’t believe the party has weakened or lost numbers, but were impacted by the migration of liberals and Democratic voters moving here from other states.

We’re looking at you, California.

The answer, they believe, is that voters should be better educated about the economic accomplishments of Trump, a task normally left to the media, which by the way hates Trump.

If Gov. Polis is reading us now to gloat, he should take note that Republicans overwhelming oppose his plan for “free” full-day kindergarten by 62 percent.

Check out this headline on LGBTQ Nation that nearly crashed our Truth-O-Meter:

Unseating most LGBTQ House members is an official priority for the GOP in 2020

The truth behind this clickbait is clearly spelled out in the story — Republicans are hoping to take back 55 seats now held by all sorts of Democrats, which were once Republican seats or districts that voted for President Trump.

Included on the list is Colorado’s own 6th District, which Democrat Jason Crow won from Republican Mike Coffman.

As far as we know, Crow is not LGBTQ, but he is a Democrat.

The truth behind the headline, Republicans are targeting seats by party, like they always do, not on sexual orientation. Just like Democrats target Republican seats in each race.

The list of 55 does include five people who are LGBTQ, but does not target all eight who publicly proclaim their sexual orientation.

Our Truth-O-Meter dinged this as clickbait for victimhood affirmation. And, confirmation that Republicans aren’t lightly giving up lost seats in the last election.

The bad news, the state House “Kill Committee” failed to live up to its name and passed the so-called popular vote compact they think will cripple the Electoral College and give Democrats the advantage in presidential elections.

The good news, expert witnesses presented some very persuading arguments as to why the plan doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance of Hell seeing the light of day.

It’s no surprise the bill Democrats insisted was bipartisan passed committee on a purely partisan vote, with Democrats the only lawmakers voting in favor of stripping us of our voice in the presidential election.

For those keeping score at home, those Democrats on the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee are Assistant Majority Leader Chris Kennedy, and state Reps. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, Monica Duran, Susan Lontine, Jovan Melton, and bill sponsor Emily Sirota.

More than 80 signed up at the hearing Tuesday to testify, most were against the Democrat compact.

The bill that has the best chance to (i.e. will) survive the #coleg kill committee is the National Popular Vote. Only 10 pages of people wanting testify for it, 13 against. #copolitics pic.twitter.com/IR0RvtISDx

— Marshall Zelinger (@Marshall9News) February 12, 2019

Truly inspiring was the testimony of Richard Collins, a constitutional law professor at the University of Colorado Law School, who explained there is no official system in place to actually count a popular vote, which can be counted numerous different ways depending on whether unpledged electors are included.

“The newspapers tally it up. I don’t think newspapers should be allowed to dictate to Colorado how they should vote,” Collins said.

We’re guessing most news sites will neglect to mention that little morsel.

Professor In Your Face also said the compact Colorado Dems want to join with more populated states like California and New York, which he described as a “Russian system,” doesn’t have a good chance of surviving a Supreme Court challenge.

So despite the worst intentions of our Democrat-controlled legislature and governor, the compact will hopefully be struck down before these politicians get the chance to steal our vote.

Of course, the measure will still go to the full House for a vote, and it’s expected to be signed by Gov. Polis.

Bill gives presidential voting power to areas in blue.

This may be our last chance to protect the Constitution from the Colorado Democrats, says GOP Party Chair Jeff Hayes.

Unfortunately for those of us fiercely protective of our right to vote for the president of these here United States, Hayes is not overreacting.

The bill to rob us of the Electoral College method for equal representation in the national vote faces sabotage in the Democratic-controlled House today.

Hayes is encouraging everyone who can get off work for an hour or more to show up at the 1:30 p.m. hearing today in the Capitol, room 271, to show their opposition to the plot.

Governor Jared Polis’ staffers have already said he’s “supportive” of the legislation, so this is our last chance to protect the Constitution from the Colorado Democrats. Let your voice be heard!

Here’s what happens if Colorado Democrats win and we are added to the national compact of larger, more populated states: A presidential candidate who wins the popular vote which always comes from hugely populated areas, that candidate would automatically get all of the electoral votes in the new compact.

That leaves fly-over country, including Colorado, without a voice in the election.

If you can’t get to today’s hearing, click on this link to send an email to all of the House committee members telling them how you feel about the popular vote compact.

We are shocked, SHOCKED that this teachers’ strike might not have been for the kids after all. See, as it turns out, as the union threatened to strike, its membership swelled, according to Eric Gorski at Chalkbeat. Here’s what he was told by the lead union negotiator:

“The teachers union’s lead negotiator told us dues-paying membership has swelled to about 3,800. That’s roughly 72 percent of the 5,300 teachers and special service providers covered by the district’s ProComp agreement that is at the center of the dispute — a big increase in membership that had been stuck at about 50 percent for years.”

If these numbers are correct and the average teacher pays approximately $936 per year in union dues (btw, that would go a long way to paying teachers’ unaffordable living costs, but we digress) and there are an additional 1,150 teachers in the union now, that’s an additional $1 million in annual revenue (ok, fine, $1,076,400, to be exact).

Given this evidence, it is clear that the more disruption the Denver Classroom Teachers Association causes, the more revenue the union hauls in. The more union dues the union hauls in, the more political power and influence the union has in Colorado.

We’re on day two of the teachers’ strike, kids are in chaos, parents are inconvenienced, and the teachers union is laughing all the way to the bank. Sounds like a great deal for union bosses and a terrible deal for everyone else.