Colorado: Jared Polis

Here's how some major bills fared recently in Congress and how Colorado's congressional members voted, as provided by Thomas' Roll Call Report Syndicate.

HOUSE

The Colorado delegation District 1: Diana DeGette (D) District 2: Jared Polis (D) District 3: John Salazar (D) District 4: Betsy Markey (D) District 5: Doug Lamborn (R) District 6: Mike Coffman (R) District 7: Ed Perlmutter (D)

CONSERVATION

For: 282/Against: 144 Members failed to reach a two-thirds majority for passing a bill to give wilderness protection to 2.1 million acres in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia and protect federal land in other states.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Tuesday afternoon that fourth-generation Colorado resident Will Shafroth, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress last summer, will be the department’s deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks. A few weeks ago Salazar nominated another Colorado politician as Shafroth’s boss, naming former Senate candidate and one-time U.S. Attorney Tom Strickland as his assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks.

The announcement from Salazar’s office:

Salazar Names Land Conservation Leader Will Shafroth Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has named Will Shafroth, a land conservationist executive and founding director of the Colorado Conservation Trust and Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund, as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

We just learned that freshman Rep. Jared Polis (D-NASDAQ) has, after some contemplation, agreed to sign on as a House co-sponsor of the upcoming Employee Free Choice Act.

Although this does make him merely one of over two hundred 'co-sponsors,' Rep. Polis' public show of support is significant given his background on the capital side of business and philosophical viewpoints that sometimes rankle the labor community. Apparently, not all wealthy entrepreneurs think Employee Free Choice will make the sky fall.

All told it's a move that should earn Polis some chits in his district, though possibly an upset phone call or two from high-dollar GOP buddies (see title).

CNN political analyst Paul Begala regaled a festive Colorado Democratic Party on Saturday night with jabs at George W. Bush and Rush Limbaugh, whom he challenged to run for president in 2012.

He cracked numerous jokes about Limbaugh, especially focusing on the conservative commentator's weight. Then, chiding Bush, he described a new swing set that President Barack Obama has installed for his daughters at the White House.

"It's so much better than the one that George W. used to play on," the former adviser to Bill Clinton said. He described Bush, who has returned to Texas, as "all hat and no cattle.