Colorado: Andrew Romanoff

I had the opportunity today to interview State Treasurer Cary Kennedy. She is easily the most personable elected official I have met to date (and that is a very high standard). She does an amazing job of connecting with people. She also clearly loves her job and feels very good about how well she is performing - and deservedly so.

Shortly after I arrived she started a tour of her office before our interview and I was allowed to tag along. It was an 8th grade class, from the middle school she went to. She talked to them about the job and what was fascinating was over half the kids were clearly paying attention and following what she said.

The Colorado Constitution needs major surgery - in the form of a constitutional convention - to untangle conflicting provisions added over the years, some lawmakers say.

Driving consideration of what one legislative leader calls "the nuclear option" are provisions that govern state spending. One amendment limits state spending, while another requires more spending for schools.

"You can't do an algebraic formula," state Rep. Don Marostica, R-Loveland, said of those two provisions, and several others that govern how the state spends its money. "The math doesn't work."

Marostica is a member of the Joint Budget Committee, which drafts the annual state spending bill. He recently sought advice from staff attorneys on whether the legislature can call a constitutional convention limited to financial issues.

According to a report in The Hill, the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Sen. Robert Menedez, D-N.J., said he assumes his organization will back Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., in his bid to retain former Sen. Ken Salazar’s seat in 2010.

From the article: “No Democratic incumbents were expected to leave their seats, but Menendez’s promise only means there won’t be open seats on top of the ones left by four members of the new administration — (Barack) Obama, Vice President (Joe) Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

“In those seats, three of the four appointees could run for election, and all three face potential primary challenges.

Although there's been no word from the man himself, former Colorado Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff has had a groundswell of support to run a primary bid against incumbent Senator Michael Bennet next year.

Leading the charge has been talk show host, and frequent Pols contributor, Wade Norris. Taking a note from the earlier campaign for Ed Perlmutter to be appointed to fill Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar's seat, Norris has created a Facebook group drafting Andrew Romanoff to run for US Senate.

Its simple, We sensible Coloradoans Support Andrew Romanoff to be our Senator for 2010. This group is different from other Romanoff Groups in that we are OPENLY supporting Romanoff in a primary against Michael Bennett (Sorry Mr.