Romanoff targets TABOR

The “Head On” debate between former state Sen. John Andrews (R) and former Denver councilwoman Susan Barnes-Gelt (D), seen daily on Colorado Public Television since 1997, began its August series this week. Andrews warned of a stealth move against the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. Other topics this month include State Capitol security, the Ward Churchill firing, and the 2008 presidential race. 1. SPENDING LOBBY TO SEEK TABOR REPEAL?

John: The new money from taxpayers to bureaucrats under Referendum C has doubled, from the original $3 billion to almost $6 billion today. The spending lobby wants even more, so they now seek repeal of TABOR’s restriction on government growth. The excuse: constitutional harmonizing. The point man: Speaker Andrew Romanoff.

Susan: We must figure out how to fund Colorado’s public infrastructure from highways and higher ed to public safety and healthcare. Competing fiscal constraints resulting from TABOR, the Gallagher amendment, which limits residential property tax and spending formulas like Amendment 23, paralyze Colorado’s ability to keep pace.

John: Colorado’s people are not undertaxed, they are overburdened with ineffective government. When experts claim otherwise, hang onto your wallet. The fiscal shell game starts next year with a harmless-sounding ballot issue to, quote, work on comprehensive solutions. The stealth proposal to gut TABOR comes the following year. Watch out.

Susan: Colorado’s budget for higher ed is 48th in the nation. Money for the transportation systems that keep our economy moving will be $100 billion short over the next 25 years. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Our new state slogan?? “Thank God for Mississippi!”

2. TIGHTEN CAPITOL SECURITY?

John: Protection against violence Colorado’s Capitol has long been provided by brave and capable state troopers, and the system worked again when they took out a deranged gunman in the building on July 16. Barricading the Capitol with metal detectors is an unnecessary violation of open government.

Susan: I agree. But sadly today’s world demands caution, which likely means metal detectors and more state troopers patrolling the Capitol. Imagine if an innocent visitor had been harmed by a stray bullet or volley of gunshots. How the deranged young man was able to purchase a gun, needs answering.

John: Ours has been one of thirty state capitols that were open and accessible without metal detectors for the true owners of the state government, the people, to freely come and go. Let’s not give that up because of one isolated incident. The people’s house should not be a closed fortress.

Susan: Prudent security measures do not a fortress make. If lawmakers, visitors and school tours don’t feel safe when they are in the Capitol – the climate of fear will be much worse than metal detectors at public entrances. The people’s hall must be safe – for the people.

3. FREE SPEECH AIN’T CHEAP

Susan: Free speech is in the news. Regents fired tenured CU prof Ward Churchill. His wanton ways with the words and disregard for history were rewarded with termination. Conversely, former Surgeon General Carmona was consistently muzzled by the Bush administration – to the detriment of the nation’s public health.

John: Free speech didn’t figure in either case, Susan. The crybaby Dr. Carmona needs a remedial in constitutional government. You can either cross the President or keep your job, not both. The America-hater Ward Churchill was canned from CU purely for academic misconduct, not for his many seditious statements.

Susan: Constitutional government doesn’t really happen in the Gulag – where subjects are forced to utter the empty rhetoric of the boss man. Carmona – correctly understood his greater fealty was speaking truth to the public. And, sadly, the jury’s still out on Churchill.

John: Both men’s troubles were their own fault. Carmona pushed anti-life policies in a pro-life administration. Churchill was a dishonest revolutionary in a profession that demands integrity and rationality. They’re not martyrs. As for that Gulag comparison: in this freest of all societies, you must be joking.

4. YOU-TUBE & DEM CANDIDATES

Susan: Democratic presidential candidates faced questions directly from voters on the first-ever CNN/YouTube debate. Clearly, presidential contenders are too tightly scripted and tethered to their talking points to respond with candor. The R’s get you-tubed in September -- maybe. Hard to imagine they will fare any better in the face-to-face with real people.

John: The gimmicky YouTube event hurt Democrats not because they had talking points, but because they’re so hopelessly liberal. Obama and Edwards want to make nice with enemy dictators. Hillary wants socialized medicine. All eight of them are fixated on gay marriage and oblivious to the twin perils of immigration and Islam.

Susan: John, BTW welcome to the 21st Century where talking points issued from headquarters are going to be as obsolete as the dial tone. Any viable candidate better understand instant messaging, YouTube and netroots. Feet on the street are being replaced by the blogosphere. Very horizontal.

John: I remain vertical, and gratefully so. Presidential power is also vertical: a solemn trust, long on responsibility, short on frivolity. The frivolous toy called YouTube is ill suited to helping us choose a President. But the Democratic candidates themselves are shallow – dangerously blind to the Islamofascist enemy we face.

5. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIALS ON THE SKIDS?

Susan: The party of Lincoln must be nervous – given the state of its presidential wannabe’s. McCain’s campaign is broke and on life-support. Turns out Fred Thompson is a big friend of Republicans’ nemesis – the trial lawyers. Rudy pales with each passing day. And Mitt Romney is on how many sides of every issue?

John: Your gloating is way premature. Mr. Lincoln won the presidency twice by upsets, as did Mr. Bush. Mitt Romney is so strong in Iowa and New Hampshire that Giuliani has gone on TV there. Romney is now zinging Obama, delighting the base. Thompson has huge star power. Look out, Democrats.

Susan: I admire your ability to whistle a happy tune! Thompson’s aides and advisors are resigning in droves. They wonder who’s in charge. And Romney made a fortune in the venture biz because he can really shmooze a room. The leader of the free world requires a different skill set.

John: Come on, Democrats never even talk about leading the free world. They believe America isn’t worthy to lead. Meanwhile, Mayor Giuliani cleaned up New York and stood tall on 9/11. Gov. Romney reformed health care and ran the Olympics. Thompson fought Democratic corruption under Clinton and Republican corruption under Nixon. That’s leadership.

TV, July: A secure border for the Fourth?

The “Head On” debate between former state Sen. John Andrews (R) and former Denver councilwoman Susan Barnes-Gelt (D), seen daily on Colorado Public Television since 1997, began its July series this week. Andrews said Independence Day is mocked if our borders aren't secured. Other topics this month include chaos in Gaza, dark horses for 2008, Denver's "Greenprint" folly, and offbeat summer leisure ideas. 1. IMMIGRATION & INDEPENDENCE DAY

Susan: Sadly immigration has replaced Iraq as the leading issue on television and radio talk shows, complicating the prospects of a Senate bill the President desperately needs to save his presidential legacy. When conservative blabbers are drafting Constitutional amendments, we know the country is in trouble.

John: Any country is in trouble when its political elite turns a deaf ear to public opinion and refuses to defend the border. Especially during wartime as thousands of enemy sleeper agents blend with hundreds of thousands of Mexican school dropouts. Never mind Bush’s legacy, it’s national security and fiscal survival I’m concerned about

Susan: The immigration bill is in trouble because a huge cross-section of Americans are opposed to it. Americans want to reduce illegal immigration and enforce the border. Similarly, a majority of Americans favor a welcome, open immigration policy. Neither amnesty nor sanctions are the issues. Congress is tone deaf.

John: Celebrating Independence Day reminds us all that vigilance is the price to be paid for our heritage of individual freedom, limited government, a market economy, and traditional values. Our nation was born in resistance to foreign domination and provision for the common defense. That makes border control imperative.

2. GAZA IN CHAOS

John: The Palestinian Hamas organization is not a political party, it’s a murder syndicate – an anti-Semitic death cult. Hamas taking over Gaza means that the Islamofascist gangsters who control Iran are one step closer to their avowed goal of wiping Israel off the map. Ahmadinejad wants to repeat Hitler’s holocaust. He must be stopped.

Susan: The tug of war between Hamas and Fatah is a complex Gordian Knot. The U.S. forced open elections and reacting to a corrupt PLO - Hamas won. Though Mamoud Abbas’ Palestinian National Authority has support around the globe – Palestinians don’t trust him. Talks must include every voice.

John: Talks are pointless until Palestinian leaders unconditionally recognize Israel’s right to exist. Neither the Islamic terrorists Hamas nor the secular terrorists Fatah are willing to. Palestinians would have their own state if it weren’t for their goal of banishing the Jews. The hell that is Gaza proves their unreadiness for self-government.

Susan: And your solution: bomb Palestine off the planet? Uh uh. Until the leaders of Israel and Palestine have the full confidence of their people – nothing good can happen – as we are learning in Iraq. The US has squandered its moral authority. The situation in the Mid East is another casualty.

3. 2008 RACE: MEN WHO AREN’T THERE

John: Just ahead of July 4th, many voters are declaring their independence from existing options in the 2008 presidential race. “None of the above” is coming on strong. Attention is focused on three men who haven’t announced their candidacy – Republican Fred Thompson, Democrat Al Gore, and Independent Michael Bloomberg.

Susan: You haven’t mentioned Ralph Nader or Newt Gingrich. The absence of an incumbent and bipartisan DC gridlock contribute to a wide-open field. Americans are frustrated with the ideological edginess of both parties. A real free for all may be just what the country needs.

John: The speculation is fun, but Bloomberg is certainly no Ross Perot. I expect Gore to stay out and Fred Thompson to fade. My bet for the Democratic ticket is Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, for the Republicans Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani. The top of each ticket could go either way.

Susan: Interesting bets, and certainly Hillary is consistently ahead of Democratic rivals. The R’s are still struggling – Giuliani and his top aides are battered by credibility problems and Romney – well, he is on so many sides of every single issue –he could star in the "Where’s Waldo" sequel.

4. GREEN FOLLY IN DENVER

Susan: Carbon Footprints, pre-school funding, a half a billion dollars in infrastructure needs, gangs in City Park, the Dem convention next summer and a Biannle? –Mayor Hick has too much on his plate as his second 4-year term begins. He’d better prioritize if he’s going to really accomplish anything.

John: Hickenlooper’s love affair with taxes is nothing new, but his supposed business judgment is completely missing in that cockamamie socialist plan to fight global warming by micromanaging the lifestyles of every Denver resident. The same company that wrote the plan is the one that would profit from it. Smells fishy to me.

Susan: The Mayor’s GreenPrint council made tough and controversial recommendations. Now those items are being vetted in broad-based public meetings. Depending on the voters’ appetite for stiffer regulations, the mayor and city council will support, oppose or tone down the recommendations. The fat lady is just warming up.

John: Maybe so, but the fat cats are already in heat. The corporate engineering giant CH2M Hill hopes for lucrative insider contracts when it gets hired by the Mayor to implement the nanny-state carbon reduction scheme dreamt up by Hill’s own planners. What a racket.

5. WACKY SUMMER PURSUITS

John: Even after last month's pie in the face, some viewers still think Susan and I are too serious. So this month it's wacky Colorado ideas for summer. Take a dare, enter a rodeo. Or go sky-diving with Hickenlooper. Or just stand in a cornfield and watch the ethanol grow.

Susan: I think viewers are smart enough to realize that 113 seconds of partisan punditry is a long way from fully cooked debate – Really it’s just rock and roll without a back-up band! As for wacky summer ideas: how about turn off the TV and go to the movies!

John: You’re too wacky if you even hint that anyone should stop watching this outstanding television channel. But this is the season for adventure. So apply to be a Rockies relief pitcher. Or water-ski the South Platte. Or volunteer in Iowa with Tancredo for President.

Susan: Or, plant a million trees, fill a thousand potholes, get organized to host the National Democratic Convention, pilot a couple of hot air balloons, raise taxes, reduce waste, cut your carbon footprint . . . OOPS! That’s Mayor Hick’s to do list. Chill out – take a swim!

TV, May: Kill the Senate immigration bill

The “Head On” debate between former state Sen. John Andrews (R) and former Denver councilwoman Susan Barnes-Gelt (D), seen daily on Colorado Public Television since 1997, began its May series this week. John said the Senate's immigration bill deserves to die; Susan, though more sympathetic to the plan, predicted it won't pass. Other topics this month include gasoline prices, abortion in the courts, the presidential race, and pies in the face (huh?). 1. IMMIGRATION SOLVED IN SENATE?

John: America is a nation of immigrants, but we are first of all a nation of laws. Without laws, we are not a nation at all. Immigration reform has to start with demanding respect for our laws by those who want to immigrate here. That means no amnesty for illegal aliens.

Susan: The issue of undocumented workers is complex as the recent US Senate proposal reflects. In addition to the thousands of small and large businesses dependent on this reliable workforce, the reality of families and stable communities plays a role. We cannot export 12 million residents.

John: The illegal alien invasion is hurting Colorado. We should reject the Senate immigration bill with its rewards for lawbreakers and its weak approach to border security. Amnesty failed in the ‘80s and it will fail again. Congress needs to build the fence, secure the border, and enforce the laws we already have.

Susan: Without hardworking immigrant labor Colorado resorts, agriculture and hospitality industry would be in big trouble, as would countless small and large businesses nationwide. If this Congress is successful is passing legislation, it must be balanced and humane. I’m betting nothing will happen.

2. SOARING GAS PRICES

Susan: The first step to America’s homeland security and a timely exit from Iraq is energy independence. $4 gas is a good start. It will force better gas mileage from Detroit and more rigorous standards for buildings and appliances. Pain at the pump will force innovation – that’s good.

John: Gasoline prices above three dollars are explained by three R’s – refineries, restrictions, and regulation. Environmentalists and government are the cause of all three. For affordable energy we should drill more, refine more, and mandate less. And the fourth R is revenue – half dollar of taxes on every gallon.

Susan: John, you’d better be careful - your judgment is being eclipsed by your carbon footprint! Energy independence from harvesting wind and sunlight to smarter building materials and codes and – yes – prohibitive gasoline costs – are critical to a sustainable economy – and planet.

John: Carbon shmarbon, Susan. You and Al Gore and the Hollywood left can beat the drum for prohibitive gas prices if you want. You’ll find little support in middle America. Such elitism is a political loser. Drill more wells, build more refineries, cut those taxes and let those cars roll.

3. ABORTION RULING BY SUPREME COURT

Susan: A woman’s right to choose is personal and should not be legislated by politicians or the courts. However, the Supreme’s ruling on late-term abortions does not and should not threaten Roe v Wade. Just ask Rudy!

John: The Supreme Court was constitutionally correct and morally right in ruling that Congress can legislate to protect a viable baby from the ghastly death called partial-birth abortion. America will see fewer abortions and more births with any Republican president than with any Democrat. That’s one huge issue for 2008.

Susan: Perhaps the most interesting phenom of the 2008 election is that choice is less of an issue – on both sides of the aisle. From pro-choice Repub Giuliani to anti-abortion Dem Chris Dodd – it’s no longer the defining issue separating D from R. That’s progress.

John: Oh, it’s still a defining issue, Susan. Only Republicans care about the unborn child. So-called pro-life Democrats such as Bill Ritter are just pretending. To end the abortion holocaust, 40 million and counting, America needs a Republican in the White House and one more Sam Alito on the court.

4. PRESIDENTIAL RACE STARTS EARLY

Susan: Hard to believe but the race to the White House has started. As for the Repubs – watching the Rudy McRomney Ten – is more fun than a 3 Stooges movie. Hard to tell those boys in red ties, white shirts and blue suits apart. The Dem’s are a stronger field.

John: Democratic candidates Clinton, Obama, and Edwards are falling over each other to prove who is most eager for an American surrender in Iraq. That alone disqualifies them for the presidency. Republican contenders from Giuliani and Romney to Hunter and Tancredo take national security seriously. It’s a welcome contrast with the Defeatocrats.

Susan: Tommy-two-points-in-the-polls, Tancredo is looking to fictional character Jack Bauer for answers! And as for the other Repubs, only McCain is rational about the use of torture – the rest are trying to out macho the guy next to him. The R’s have inherited George Bush’s war – that’s trouble.

John: Hyperventilating about the presidential election this early is like singing Christmas carols in summer. Anyone who finds that entertaining, needs a life. The finalists next year could be Al Gore and Fred Thompson, two guys not even running yet. It’s still a long time till the fat lady sings.

5. HERE’S A PIE IN THE FACE

John: Big problem, Susan. Some viewers think you and I are too serious. Maybe we should give each other a pie in the face, like that prankster did to the preacher the other day. Pies in the face are rude, but I’d like to give Al Gore an Eskimo pie for his global warming hysteria.

Susan: Chill out with your Eskimo pie, John. I’d prefer to offer attorney general Alberto Gonzales a cherry pie full of pits – no ice cream on top – as reward for his devious, bumbling and intentional assault on the integrity of America’s court and legal system.

John: We are too polite to throw pies, but not too tame to hurl invective. Here’s a verbal tomato for the overripe rhetoric of Rosie O’Donnell, a rotten egg for the race-baiting of Al Sharpton, and a hurricane of hairspray for the John Edwards beauty parlor.

Susan: If it’s metaphor we’re tossing, how about Pinocchio noses for George Bush, Condi Rice and Dick Cheney. A strong dose of humility – and humanity – for Bill O’Reilly and Rush Limbaugh and a dollop of truth serum for Gonzales – atop his “pitful” cherry pie!

TV, April: Congress gets an F

The “Head On” debate between former state Sen. John Andrews (R) and former Denver councilwoman Susan Barnes-Gelt (D), seen daily on Colorado Public Television since 1997, began its April series this week. Evaluating legislative performance so far in 2007, Andrews awarded Congress an F and marked the Colorado General Assembly at no better than C. Other topics this month include the Virginia Tech shootings, fallout from the Imus affair, and the woes of Denver's mass transit project. 1. CONGRESS AFTER 100 DAYS

Susan: After the first 100 days, I give the Dem-controlled Congress a solid B. They’re addressing Iraq – the reason they won control last November. They are responding to tax cuts for rich people and higher taxes for the middle class. And they’re working to restore voter confidence in government.

John: Voters didn’t elect Majority Leader Harry Reid to declare the war is lost against a radical Islamist enemy bent on destroying us. They didn’t elect Speaker Nancy Pelosi to junket overseas kissing up to dictators. None of the Democrats’ campaign promises are anywhere close to becoming law. This Congress deserves an F so far.

Susan: The F goes to attorney general Alberto Gonzales for his pitiful performance before Congress. This scandal continues to unravel and Gonzales irritated Dems and Republicans alike in his feckless testimony. At least Harry Reid had the courage to speak the truth about a war that cannot be won.

John: Cabinet officers come and go, but national security is forever. If Reid and Pelosi have their way, Democrats will be shamefully remembered as Defeatocrats when the US attorney dispute is forgotten. Islamic fascists don’t just want Iraq, they want our destruction. For Congress to ignore that would be a terrible betrayal.

2. GRADING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

John: For the legislative session ending in May, I can’t give Ritter and the Democrats anything higher than a C. They set the stage for all sorts of local tax increases, and for higher prices on housing, health care, energy. Trial lawyers and enviros may like that, but it’s tough on working families.

Susan: Voters throughout Colorado will have the opportunity to vote tax increases up or down. The gov and the Dem-controlled legislature are responding to the demands of Coloradans who want quality higher ed; a quality transportation system and accessible health care. They’re headed in the right direction.

John: I’m flagging you for grade inflation, Susan. The session was cluttered with fringy social issues and a pointless Iraq debate. Senator Fitz-Gerald’s congressional ambitions gummed up the ethics amendment. Ritter’s Colorado Promise mostly led to study groups – more like the Colorado Postponement. These fumblers are lucky to get a C.

Susan: I don’t think Colorado voters agree with you John. Bill Ritter and the Democratic legislature have responded to concerns about the environment, higher education, transportation and health care. The whining – on both sides of the aisle – about ethics reform is unseemly.

3. VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTINGS

Susan: Less than a decade after the tragedy of Columbine, the country is again experiencing shock, outrage and horror at a school massacre – this time in Blacksburg at Virginia Tech. There are no easy answers but rigorous gun control – hand guns in particular – is part of the answer.

John: This monstrous madman could have been stopped before he took up his videocam, his weapons, and began killing. The evil Cho – let’s never speak of him without that adjective – sent plenty of signals that were inexcusably ignored. The evil Cho did not deserve the national audience posthumously given him by mainstream media.

Susan: If Cho’s stalking and subsequent court ordered mental health treatments had been properly recorded, he wouldn’t have been able to buy a gun in Virginia. Failure to implement existing laws is part of the problem. In fact, Cho should have been institutionalized years ago. He was a very sick boy.

John: The evil Cho was a man, not a boy, and he wasn’t just sick, he was coldly bent on violence, hate, murder and mayhem. Such evildoers will break any law. More laws won’t help. To head off such heinous crimes we need greater community vigilance and tougher individual resistance.

4. LESSONS OF THE IMUS AFFAIR

John: Radio host Don Imus, with his long history of trash talk, is out of a job after crudely insulting some black women basketball stars. The lesson is not that talk radio is bad or that Al Sharpton is good. The lesson is that America needs a higher standard of decency – a colorblind standard.

Susan: No surprise, we agree on this one. We probably don’t agree that now is a good time to lose O’Reilley, Limbaugh and Boyles. Imus gained credibility because so many powerful people were on his speed dial – on both sides of the aisle.

John: Imus and his ignorant insults are a distraction here. The bigger concern is hip hop culture with its degradation of women and glorification of violence. The racial victim mentality as exploited by shakedown artists like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson is a tragedy for Americans of all colors.

Susan: A lack of civility across the board – whether hip hop culture, talk radio, cable news rants or internet blogs – symbolizes the breakdown of a culture that’s moving too fast in high-speed lanes, plugged into ipods, cell phones and crackberries. Human connection’s been lost in the noise.

5. FASTRACKS IN TROUBLE

John: Susan, I told you so. Fastracks is going nowhere fast. The expensive government rail system that metro Denver voted to build is in deep trouble. According to RTD, the board that can’t shoot straight, revenues are a billion dollars short and costs are two billion over. Once again, mass transit flunks the test.

Susan: A successful and full buildout of FasTracks is as important to the future of this metro region as snowpack running into reservoirs. If community and political leaders don’t figure out how to finance a comprehensive system – gird lock will reign and job growth will disappear.

John: Your mass transit “reservoir” is going dry unless taxpayers fork over another three billion “snowflakes.” I’ll contribute one, but where will you find the others? Voters should cancel this bankrupt boondoggle with the trolley cars and start building bus rapid transit, a far better value for the dollar.

Susan: A comprehensive multi-modal transit system must include dedicated bus lane – along with light and heavy rail. The political and civic leaders of this region must figure out how to build and pay for it. Finger pointing is not a solution.

TV, March: Trial balloons from Dollar Bill

The “Head On” debate between former state Sen. John Andrews (R) and former Denver councilwoman Susan Barnes-Gelt (D), seen daily on Colorado Public Television since 1997, began its March series this week. Andrews took aim at the new governor's appetite for revenue. Other topics this month include Bush's second-term woes, the ho-hum election in Denver, US relations in the hemisphere, and Iraq yet again.

1. RITTER SEEKS NEW TAXES

John: Bill Ritter is going to become known as Gov. Tax Hike if he’s not careful. He recently floated trial balloons for additional millions from the taxpayer to fatten school budgets and additional billions for the highway system. State revenues from Referendum C are already two billion above estimates. How much is enough?

Susan: Ritter is working to meet the expectations of the majority of Coloradans who voted for him. Only those living underground or on an isolated mountain top think Colorado’s highways and K-12 education system are in good shape. Untangling the Gordian knot of TABOR finance, is good policy.

John: Gov. Ritter wants TABOR gone. His open-throttle budget reflects a typical Democratic approach: tax and tax, spend and spend, elect and elect. After his election cakewalk and his weakness on the labor veto, I suggested calling him “Easy Bill.” But now with these tax increases, maybe it should be “Dollar Bill.”

Susan: Stewards of Colorado want TABOR gone – except for the provisions requiring voter approval for tax increases. Our highways are a mess, K-12 is underfunded and higher ed is desperate. Colorado’s new slogan? Thank God for for Mississippi!

2. BUSH'S SECOND-TERM WOES

Susan: It’s hard to imagine what else could go wrong with Bush’s domestic agenda: The scandal at Walter Reed Army Hospital and the resignation of the surgeon general; Scooter Libby’s conviction; Alberto Gonzales’s involvement in the firing of federal prosecutors and continuing revelations about federal waste and mistakes in New Orleans.

John: The second term gets bumpy for every president, especially with an opposition Congress out for blood. Clinton and Reagan in their later years had worse problems. Our country under Bush enjoys a terrific economy, low taxes, a shrinking deficit, and no repeat of 9/11. That’s effective leadership.

Susan: Talk about whistling in the dark ! By the time this airs the AG may well be history, the veep is likely 6 or 9 months from resigning; the Congress – D’s and R’s are about to do the bidding of the American public, and send Bush an Iraq withdrawal timetable.

John: Cheney, Gonzales, and all your wishful thinking is beside the point. Americans elect one President at a time, and he’s in charge as chief executive of the country and leader of the free world. George W. Bush will keep doing that job and doing it well until January 2009.

3. DENVER'S INVISIBLE ELECTION

Susan: Denver’s quadrennial local election is May 1 and the campaign season is as flat as last’s year’s champagne. Hickenlooper, the auditor and 10 incumbent city councilors will float to re-election (not without extracting several million in campaign donations to do so). This non-election doesn’t bode well for active civic engagement.

John: Big word, Susan – isn’t a quadrennial some kind of dance? Unfortunately most Denverites are sitting out this dance. Mayor Hickenlooper’s high poll numbers are impressive, but one-sided elections are not healthy. Competition is essential. We should change the law so Republicans and Democrats could run local candidates.

Susan: You’re half right – one-sided elections are unhealthy. However, local government is and should be non-partisan – It’s about solving real problems, picking up trash; street maintenance and informed land use decisions. Those issues aren’t defined by a D or an R after a person’s name.

John: Poli Sci 101, my friend. Without competitive political parties, elected officials lose touch, government gets bloated, citizens get taken for granted, taxpayers get less value. That’s the reality in Denver and everywhere. We should let parties run candidates for mayor, council, school board, RTD board, all of it.

4. CLOSEUP ON US / LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS

Susan: In belated attempt to shore up U.S. relationships Bush spent time in March meeting with Latin American leaders. Perhaps the greatest lost opportunity of his presidency is his failure to work with our allies to the South to enhance trade, address immigration issues and slow drug trafficking. Yet another Iraq victim.

John: America is tremendously admired by the people of this hemisphere, despite the leftist poison from demagogues like the dying Fidel Castro and the oil-rich Hugo Chavez. The flood of immigration proves that. Bush is correct in promoting free markets for hemispheric prosperity. But he’s mistaken in promoting a soft southern border.

Susan: If we had invested some of the billions we’ve spent in Iraq on economic development in Latin America, immigration wouldn’t be a problem. No one wants to leave home and family unless the choice is hunger and poverty. The key is a soft border – permitting travel between work and home.

John: That’s quite a package: Ignore the jihad over there, hand out money to our neighbors over here, open the borders, and let the illegal aliens stay. I think not. That wouldn’t benefit the United States or Mexico. We need to tell Washington loud and clear: No amnesty!

5. WHAT NEXT IN IRAQ?

John: There was a time in World War II when stalemate or even defeat seemed possible, but America persevered and freedom prevailed. Perseverance is now starting to pay off against the Islamofascists in Iraq. The Battle of Baghdad may be tilting our way. Let’s hope defeatist Democrats in Washington don’t spoil it.

Susan: Even top Pentagon brass are acknowledging that Iraq – particularly Baghdad - is spiraling into civil war. There is no there, there to win. Middle class Iraqis – Shia and Sunni have left the country. Insurgents and outlaws are overtaking the country. Our dilemma – how to extricate without losing more lives.

John: Saddam’s dictatorship with its repression and menace had to go. The allies were right to take him out. Now our Islamofascist enemies seek to make Iraq their new base for global terror, as well as a scene of genocide if we walk away. American surrender will only increase the danger to ourselves.

Susan: The war is entering its fifth year and Americans and our allies have run out of patience. What began as a peace keeping mission is now a civil war. Even the Iraqis want us gone. We need an exit strategy and we need it now.