Bill Ritter

What's in a name? Well if you're Governor Ritter there is  plenty in a name, and there are plenty of names that you go by. In today's Inside Edge we look at the top ten "nick" names given to Ritter by his opponents.  

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer told the Pueblo Chieftain Tuesday that he supports a Congressional funding ban on a 414,000-acre expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site until the Army can justify it.

"I am adamantly opposed to the use of eminent domain by the government in this case," Schaffer told the Chieftain. "As far as I am concerned, the Army has not made its case for expanding Pinon Canyon. The Army is supposed to justify their reasons for the expansion (in a report to the Senate) and I am waiting for that report as well."

The Animal Massage Therapy lobby helped pass two crucial pieces of legislation this session. The first allowed them unfetered, unlicensed access to animals in the state and the other helped them throw the official state reptile contest to the Western Painted Turtles of Colorado, who were the undereptiles when the contest began. Beware: this unholy alliance of turtles and animal massage therapist will shortly throw their new-found weight around in Colorado.    

As we do at the first of every month, today we update our Top Ten Power Positions in Colorado politics. Tom Wiens dropped off our board because he announced he won't be running for re-election. And the brother of another Top Ten politicker made our list for the first time.

Though President Bush will be the state's most prominent commencement speaker this year, a number of other political figures will be addressing Colorado grads next month as well.

Gov. Bill Ritter will deliver commencement addresses for Trinidad State Junior College on May 9, Colorado State University's College of Liberal Arts on May 17, and Telluride High School on May 20, a press release stated.

A Rasmussen Reports poll released Friday shows Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall leading Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer 45 to 42.

The poll, conducted on April 16 among 500 likely Colorado voters, is similar to previous polls in recent months and suggests Schaffer is not being hurt by recent news reports about his controversial trip to the Northern Marianas Islands.

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