September 28, 2010 12:32 AM UTC

Referendum C's Bill Owens Returns

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• by: Colorado Pols

We want to acknowledge the guest editorial published this weekend in the major Denver newspaper by GOP former Gov. Bill Owens–drawing a line between fiscal conservatism and “fiscal recklessness,” Owens attacks Amendments 60, 61 and Proposition 101 as measures that would “set back our state’s progress by decades.” Owens points out specifics about these three initiatives as they do damage from a conservative point of view, such as stripping away the TABOR-guaranteed right to vote on specific tax issues, and harm done to charter schools.

It’s moments like this when we miss Bill Owens, and his ability–despite being a fully committed partisan–to occasionally put aside ideology and partisanship, and do what’s right for the state of Colorado. It is a quality that has been markedly absent from Owens’ side of the aisle since he left office, and in time our local Republicans might rediscover the wisdom of his approach. As we look around at the current crop of Republicans, we see very few Bill Owenses. And that hurts chances that the two parties can be brought together to deal with the state’s long-term challenges.

But more than that, crazy “wave years” notwithstanding, Owens represents a type of Republican that we’ve always said can truly appeal to a majority of Colorado voters. The trend of moderation versus radicalism that brought Colorado Democrats to power may have subsided this year but it has not gone away–in any other election, we would put our money on Owens-mold GOP moderates over Ken Buck’s “Tea Party” flamethrowing every time.

More leaders like Owens in the GOP would be good for everybody, including them.