Colorado: Denver Post

A new, conservatively-aligned think tank is taking shape in Colorado, but few details are available about the forthcoming launch of the Colorado Policy Institute.

The state already has an assortment of non-profit policy organizations like the Independence Institute, a libertarian think-tank in Golden, and the Rocky Mountain Foundation, a research and education institute founded by former Congressman Tom Tancredo. Independence Institute founder and former state Senate President John Andrews also recently launched the Centennial Institute, an academic policy center at Colorado Christian University. These groups hold non-profit 501(c)(3) status under federal tax law, and do not typically participate in candidate elections.

It's just 39 steps to his new digs, but Brandon Shaffer carefully wrapped framed family photos in newspaper, placed them in a box and readied them for the short trip down the hall to the Senate president's office.

Twelve years in the Navy will do that to you, the Longmont Democrat said Wednesday as he packed up his office and conferred with the new chief of staff.

"After a while, it becomes a mind-set," Shaffer said, neatly lining up the contents of emptied drawers and bookcases. "You like things done with military efficiency."

The GOP admits it's not certain what to expect from Shaffer, known for being more precise and meticulous than his predecessor and who issued pink slips to some legislative staffers after becoming president.

You've been reading about the scandal surrounding an apparently impostor Marine who managed to insert himself into a number of campaign-related events last year, mostly (but not exclusively, we'll get to that) on behalf of Democrats.

There's no question that the impostor in question, one Rick Strandlof, enormously embarrassed anyone who was conned by him--though he by all reports never actually worked for any Colorado campaign last year, he did volunteer to host receptions for candidates, and appeared in a 527 TV spot targeted at the Senate race.

Whatever the facts of this scandal ultimately shake out to be, we've seen nothing to indicate that anyone else, particularly other veterans associated with the organization Strandlof ran, were similarly misrepresenting themselves.

A bill aimed at curbing slowpoke driving took an awfully long time to reach the Senate floor and died once it arrived there Tuesday.

The legislation would have required drivers to pull over when five or more cars were backed up behind them as long as it was safe to do so.

Lawmakers from both parties argued the requirement would be tough on trucks and other slow-moving vehicles traveling uphill.

"With really heavy vehicles, you can't pull over," said Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton. And if you do pull over, you can't get going again, she said. Tochtrop and four other Democrats joined Republicans in killing the legislation.

Senate sponsor Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne, said there already are laws saying slow drivers can't block traffic, and House Bill 1042 simply added a definition of what blocking traffic meant. Jessica Fender, The Denver Post