One year ago today at the DNC: The journey to and from Mile High

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the Democratic National Convention, an event that made Denver the center of the media universe for several unforgettable days. To mark the occasion, we’ve been offering selected flashbacks of Westword coverage. Today’s item: Former staffer Jessica Centers’ account of her epic trek into…

Jared Polis’ fondness for polar bears and afterbirth

Jared Polis: He’s everywhere these days. When he’s not sucking down a cold one with Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert, beer-bong style, the Boulder Democrat is pointing the camera at himself as part of Freshman Year, a CNN series in which he and Utah Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz chronicle their first…

Denver Blogs: Call it a comeback

The blogosphere is our sanctuary. The Denver housing market is rebounding like Jessica Simpson. (That is, if you consider Colt Brennan a solid rebound). (5280) This is sort of meta, but: Melanie Asmar hits the radio to talk about last week’s cover story on Medicaid cuts. Go, girl! (Colorado Pols)…

One year ago today at the DNC: Spike Lee just wants to eat his hot dog

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the Democratic National Convention, an event that made Denver the center of the media universe for several unforgettable days. To mark the occasion, we’ll be offering selected flashbacks of Westword coverage. Today’s entry: a Pepsi Center celebrity roundup. In the few minutes before…

Denver Blogs: Pot, meet kettle

Our daily dose of worthy bloggage. Use as directed. GQ names CU among the country’s douchiest colleges. Which is funny, because when your magazine reeks of bad cologne and man-bags, you’re probably not a great judge of douchiness. (5280) The moron who smashed up the Colorado Democratic Party headquarters did…

Vandalism at the Colorado Democratic Party HQ: The story gets even dumber

“Is Alleged Colorado Democratic Party Headquarters Window-Smasher Maurice Schwenkler a LIBERAL Activist?,” a Jared Jacang Maher blog published yesterday, pinpointed some contradictions in a story that was originally framed as an example of anti-healthcare-reform loonies on a spree. Schwenkler, it seems, had received payment last November for election work on…

Relive Ted Kennedy’s DNC speech

Ted Kennedy died a year to the day after what was arguably his last big spotlight day on the American political stage — his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver mere months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Rewatching his address, it’s clear that an unexpectedly robust Kennedy…

Denver Blogs: A nuclear flip-flop

Our daily cast for tasty blogs. If you don’t like them, throw ’em back! Udall, McCain: Let’s get nuclear up in this bitch! (Colorado Pols) The Rockies actually lost last night, but the umps are a bunch of pussies and didn’t call it. (Did I mention I’m a lifelong Giants…

Denver Post‘s bizarre Bill Owens “clarification”

It was a correction of a kind, albeit a notably nutty one that says more about the power of the person making the request than it does about the original item…. On Sunday, the Denver Post published a profile of Kelly Brough, the former chief of staff for Denver Mayor…

Bob Beauprez abandoning candidacy but not spotlight

Despite signs earlier this month that Bob Beauprez was itching to take on Michael Bennet in the 2010 race for the U.S. Senate, the former congressman and failed gubernatorial hopeful has decided against taking the plunge. Still, it’s clear that the temptation to run was strong. Yesterday afternoon, he filled…

Mason Tvert bamboozles his way onto the Amazon bestseller list

Mason Tvert, executive director of SAFER (Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation), which ran a successful 2005 campaign to legalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana in Denver, has long been the merry prankster of Colorado weed activists — a prankster who knows how to have serious impact. When…

Do birthers have a friend in Cory Gardner?

Cory Gardner, who’s running for Congress in Colorado’s 4th District, is under liberal attack for playing coy when asked at a town hall this week if he thinks President Barack Obama was born in the United States. As Colorado Pols points out this morning, his subsequent response to the Denver…

Cutting Boulder’s budget — and 26 jobs along with it

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter is hardly the only local official in these parts staring at ugly budgets. Case in point: Boulder City Manager Jane Brautigam, who’s sent a budget to the city council featuring $13 million in reductions, achieved by, among many other things, slicing 26 jobs from the payroll…

Denver Blogs: Unemployed? Broke? Wanna have dinner?

Our daily slog through through local blogosphere. Tips would be appreciated. Denver: A great place to date in a recession. Allegedly. (5280) The West — in fact, the entire National League — could be won in Colorado. (Purple Row) Cory Gardner, congressional hopeful from Yuma, isn’t quite sure Barack Obama…

Dan Caplis wants Jared Polis to apologize for beer-bonging

Representative Jared Polis’ decision to beer bong a Coors Light during a Monday appearance on The Colbert Report was hilarious, but it also carried the risk of political consequences. As of yesterday morning, commentators in politically correct Boulder were mostly taking Polis’ stunt in stride — but not KHOW conservative…

Denver Blogs: Whole Foods, half a heart?

Our daily search for decent local bloggage. Fill our in-box. Just because your shit’s organic doesn’t make it okay to be an asshole. As Whole Foods is quickly learning. (Colorado Pols) The humor of Jared Polis’s beer bong seems lost on the Denver Post. (Colorado Independent) Seriously, Brandon Marshall: I…

No place for wild horses on Ken Salazar’s New Frontier?

The Obama administration talks tall about its fresh ideas and new directions. Especially at the Department of the Interior, where Secretary Ken Salazar has vowed to change course from the Bush years and develop sound public-land policy based on science, not political influence — as detailed in my April feature,…