December 31, 2008 09:01 PM UTC

2008 Top Ten #2 (Tie): Ken Salazar's Promotion

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• by: Colorado Pols

It’s sometimes the case with end-of-year recaps like this that big stories from late in the year get more play, maybe even unfairly. Then again, sometimes one of the biggest stories of the year just happens to fall in December.

Tired politicos around the state, looking forward to a quiet December off after a hard-fought election season, instead quickly found themselves caught up in speculation about various Colorado Democrats’ appointment to positions in the new Obama administration–and the opportunities for advancement those potential vacancies might create for others. The spotlight shifted quickly from candidate to candidate as Obama’s Cabinet began to take shape, then settled back on one of the earliest mentions: Sen. Ken Salazar, who was nominated by Obama in the middle of this month to serve as Secretary of the Interior. As the Rocky Mountain News reported on the 15th:

Salazar has long been considered a leading candidate for Interior Secretary, based in part on his past work leading the state Department of Natural Resources.

On Monday, three Democratic sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said Salazar had been offered the job, and the announcement was expected within 48 hours.

“It’s a done deal,” said one source, although others said it was a difficult decision for Salazar, four years into his first term as U.S. senator…

For Governor Bill Ritter, fresh off his selection of Bernie Buescher as the next Colorado Secretary of State, the question of who to appoint to replace Salazar in the Senate is another decision with tremendous portent–for himself, needing a strong candidate to share the top of the 2010 ticket, every bit as much as the several qualified aspirants for the job. The whole state waits nervously to see what chain of falling dominoes (if any) will be set in motion by Ritter’s choice.

Whatever happens, it’s sure been great for our site traffic this December.