An editorial in today’s New York Times (“A Real Election, Please”) on the race to fill a New York State U.S. Senate seat currently held by an appointed senator rings remarkably true…in Colorado. So true that its observations remain accurate when player information is switched out. Consider this Coloradoized version:
“Muscling out campaign competition is undemocratic. Yet Democratic Party insiders in Washington have spent the last year trying to scare off potential challengers to Kirsten GillibrandMichael Bennet, the junior senator from New YorkColorado. The last thing voters of New York StateColorado need is a coronation instead of a choice. “That is not an attack on Ms. Gillibrand Mr. Bennet. As a former United States representative from a conservative upstate district, she is trying to become a voice for the entire state. Denver Schools superintendent, he is incredibly well-connected and wealthy. She He also is a demon fund-raiser with more than $7 million collected, so far, who raised more than $3 million dollars in the first three quarters of last year for this year’s race. “The problem is that shehe was not elected to the job. SheHe was appointed to it a year ago by Gov. David PatersonBill Ritter when Hillary Rodham Clinton Ken Salazar resigned to become secretary of statethe interior. (Did we mention that speculation abounds thatthe White House also tried to strong-arm Mr. Paterson has successfully strong-armedMr. Ritter into giving up running for a full terma bid for re-election, too?) Any concerns about Ms. Gillibrand’sMr. Bennet’s politics and herhis abilities at the time were supposed to have been allayed by the promise that shehe would face a vigorous statewide campaign for election this year. “Enter the White House, the governor and other Democratic leaders like Charles Schumer, the senior senator from New York. One by one, potential party challengers were coaxed or even shoved out of Ms. Gillibrand’sMr. Bennet’s path. Apparently, the same forces are now at work on Harold Ford Jr.Andrew Romanoff, a Democrat and former congressman staterepresentative from TennesseeColorado who moved to New York City shortly after he lost a United States Senate race in 2006served four terms in the state House, two of them as Speaker. “The drumbeat has started: Mr. Ford’s New York roots are not strong Mr. Romanoff is more concerned with serving the people of Colorado than catering to party leaders.He has yet to vote in his new stateHe has lived and voted and served in public office in Colorado for years. The conservative comments he made in Tennessee are not in tune with New York. He is too independent; he doesn’t even accept contributions from corporate political action committees! “A spokesman for Mr. Ford issued a statement last week saying that he Romanoff won’t be “bullied or intimidated” by “party bosses.”It pointedly asked, “So what are they afraid of?” “It is a good question, a veiled accusation that Ms. GillibrandMr. Bennet is not ready to compete. It is a point that New YorkColorado Republicans will enjoy making if they can find a candidate strong enough to make it a real race in November.” Caveats:
--Mr. Romanoff may not have the courage of his alleged convictions.
--Mr. Ford has no intention of running but is merely a stalking horse for Cuomo’s run against Governor Paterson. Imagine a Great Election will continue to advocate for real elections and primaries.