Fifteen Years Ago this week in The Colorado Statesman … Vice President Al Gore took the state “by storm” in a two-day presidential campaign visit that kicked off with a $200,000 fundraiser at a Cherry Hills Village home. Denver Mayor Wellington Webb introduced the veep and sang the praises of the Gore-Clinton administration, as some wags were calling it, owing to the nearly daily upward revision of Gore’s importance and influence. Gore talked about the environment, education and – most prominently – the economy, arguing that the country needed to maintain its eight-year run of growth. Gore, the Statesman reported, was “extraordinarily enthusiastic and delivered one of the more lively speeches anyone in the room had ever seen,” leaving the crowd buzzing. “Is this the New Al Gore?” everyone wondered. Statesman columnist Aaron Harber covered a hastily called meeting of the state’s Democratic National Convention delegation, some 30 of whom assembled at Gore’s hotel, the downtown Hyatt Regency, for a chance to meet the party’s presidential nominee. Included in the invites were delegates pledged to New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, “a good way to start unifying the party,” Harber noted. Webb and Attorney General Ken Salazar played host while Gore was delayed, as state Gore campaign manager Larry Martinez repeatedly dropped in to explain his candidate would soon emerge. “Colorado was a battleground,” Gore said, drawing a hearty cheer from the crowd. …

… Attorney General Ken Salazar issued a formal opinion to clarify Colorado’s constitutional amendments on term limits, dashing the hopes of seat-hoppers throughout the state. In answer to questions posed by Secretary of State Donetta Davidson, Salazar made clear that lawmakers were limited to the maximum number of consecutive terms in a body – be it the Legislature or city councils – and couldn’t restart the clock by moving to another district and running from there. In addition, redistricting wouldn’t increase limitation on consecutive terms and there was no get-around available for at-large members who then wanted to run as district representatives. The term limits amendments were specifically intended “to broaden the opportunities for public service” and to ensure “that elected officials of governments are responsive to the citizens of those governments” by forcing turnover, not by creating a complicated game of musical chairs. …

… American Furniture Warehouse CEO Jake Jabs – full disclosure, he advertises to this day in The Statesman – warned that Colorado’s “robust economy will be harmed” if the Department of Justice were to allow Denver’s two daily newspapers to enter into a Joint Operating Agreement, as proposed by the owners of the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News. “Every business owner will be hurt and so will, ultimately, consumers,” Jabs wrote in an open letter to the DOJ official tasked with deciding whether to wave ahead the JOA. If the newspapers stopped competing, he said, “substantially higher ad rates” would lead to a serious inflationary impact in the area. “Denver has long benefited from competition between two daily newspapers,” Jabs maintained. “Everyone in Colorado will lose if this proposed monopoly is approved.” Percy Conarroe, a retired publisher living in Erie, made a similar case in a guest commentary. It’s all “perfectly lawful, and from a business standpoint perhaps brilliant strategy,” but Conarroe’s perspective as a “50-year veteran of the cutthroat newspaper business” led him to one certainty: “Joint Operating (Agreements) suck.” But all the protests, he acknowledged, would be for naught, since the Justice Department had never, even once, turned down a JOA application.

Thirty Years Ago this week in The Colorado Statesman … Lorraine Lombardi was set to retire after working 32 years for the Colorado House of Representatives, serving longer as clerk than any in the state’s history. “When I first started here we had only manual typewriters,” she reminisced. “It was a big achievement to get the electric ones.” An even bigger leap forward, she recalled, was when the first electronic copying machine arrived in the building. It was installed in the enrolling room and, she said, led to quite some initial trepidation. “What a monster, we thought.” Since then, such modern marvels as electronic voting had been installed in the House. She served under seven Republican House speakers, sidelined for two sessions when the Democrats ran things in 1975 and 1976. (She briefly lobbied for the Blanco Oil Shale during that interlude.) Reflecting on the changes in the Legislature over the decades, she noted that the seats were once filled with rural lawmakers, but it was mostly city folks these days. “I liked the old country boys,” she said. “They were lots of fun.” …

… U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder took to the pages of The Statesman to hurl some barbs at President Reagan’s communications director, Patrick Buchanan, suggesting his job title should be changed to “White House Gaffe Director.” “He has all the right credentials,” the dean of Colorado’s congressional delegation wrote in a letter to the editor. “It’s obvious why Buchanan is reluctant to talk to the press,” she wrote. “It’s not that he’s shy. It’s tough to talk with your foot in your mouth. Some days he gets both feet in.” The particular gaffe? Schroeder mocked a recent statement by Buchanan that Reagan’s tax bill would “force” women to stay at home, saying that must be news to Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole, Health and Human Services Secretary Margaret Heckler, and the “50 percent of U.S. families where the female spouse works outside the home.” Increasing the personal exemption was long overdue, she said, pointing to legislation she recently introduced to raise it to $2,600. The resulting higher take-home pay for families could come in handy, but it “won’t ‘force’ anyone to do anything.” …

… The Denver-based Shavano Institute was undergoing a restructuring and would emerge with a new name, the Independence Institute, reported founder John Andrews. He chose the name “Independence,” he said, “because it reflects three basic characteristics inherent in the concept of the Institute. First, adherence to the principles of the Declaration of Independence. … Second, a non-partisan commitment to empirical findings rather than set dogmas. And third, an organizational stance beholden to no special interests.” The former White House speechwriter stressed the Institute’s bipartisan nature, while acknowledging its roots in traditional conservatism. “People have to learn that ‘conservatism’ is associated with opportunity,” he said. Andrews wouldn’t reveal the names of the Democrats considering joining the board, but promised they were out there and would be named soon. As it stood, the organization’s board would include former Gov. John Love, Golden developer Chuck Stevinson, state GOP chair Bo Callaway and columnist Mike Rosen. “Colorado is on the cutting edge,” Andrews said. “Well be looking to create a climate of new ideas.” …

… And in what can only be described as a scathing take-down of a local dinner theater production, Statesman theater critic Miller Hudson laid into the Sheraton Inn of Lakewood and its production of Guys and Dolls. “The only thing I can recommend about this production is the fabulous view of downtown Denver,” he wrote. “Otherwise, this is both a culinary and dramatic disaster.” There was nothing about the production or its setting that appealed to Hudson. “The lines of sight are abysmal if you happen to be seated more than one or two tables from the improvised stage,” he lambasted. “The Lakewood Players bring enthusiasm, but little talent to (the) songs. Even the pianist seemed to be struggling with the score.” Calling the set and costumes “a cut below your average high school senior play,” Hudson had equal scorn for the actors. “In such a large cast you would expect someone to shine. Sadly, this is not the case.” Not even the dinner component escaped the critic’s wrath. “Alas, dinner was a buffet line choice of lukewarm scrod or overdone roast beef.” Ultimately, Hudson recommended skipping the production and renting a video of the Marlon Brando version. “You can cook your own dinner. You’ll save $15 per person and have a more enjoyable evening,” he scowled.

– ernest@coloradostatesman.com