December 31, 2008 04:00 AM UTC

Summit Daily Endorses Romanoff

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• by: Justin.Henceroth@gmail.com

From the Summit Daily News:

Assuming Sen. Ken Salazar gets confirmed as President-elect Barack Obama’s pick for Secretary of the Interior, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter will get to do one of the most undemocratic things imaginable: Pick a U.S. Senator all on his own.

No, it’s not fair, but it’s the system that’s in place. And, as politicians are wont to do, Ritter will make the appointment in large part based on what the perceived chances are of the new senator getting reelected in 2010. In an ideal, completely fair world, Ritter would pick someone who would serve completely altruistically, with a stated intention of not running for re-election. But we don’t live in an ideal world; we live in a political one, so who’s the best choice?

The top names on Ritter’s list are U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, U.S. Rep. John Salazar and outgoing state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff. The conservative voices on our editorial board want Ritter to pick Hickenlooper since he’d be “beaten like a baby seal” in the next election. We’re not sure if that’s true, but we also know that, as popular as Hickenlooper is in Denver, he has little experience venturing outside the metro area. As for Salazar, Democrats won’t like him leaving the CD-3 seat open for a GOP grab – and we’re not wild about anything that smacks of a dynasty.

Rep. Perlmutter has the makings of a war chest for reelection and is a Democrat who can win votes in the suburbs. But as a relative newcomer, he lacks experience on the state-wide issues. In that respect, our nod would go to Romanoff. He has the ability to rally Democrats behind him and also to show political leadership by spanning the partisan divide on issues. He would certainly have the ability to raise funds and defend the seat in 2010.

Overall, Romanoff has a much better feel for issues beyond the metro area, both in his role as Speaker and in his statewide campaign to support the SAFE amendment. Romanoff has proven to be a hard worker, a bridge builder and a decent politician in an era when that term often can be an oxymoron. He is a legislator and a coalition builder by instinct and would serve Colorado well in Washington if chosen.

It repeats a lot of the same things people on here have been saying.  But most importantly, it highlights his statewide experience as an important factor for consideration.