Denver Direct: Bennett in the Senate, Ritter in the Shitter, Colorado all Atwitter

When Ritter appointed Bennett to the Senate, the above phrase popped into my head, and it wouldn’t go away. Democrats that I know were very unhappy with that appointment, thinking that Ritter should have chosen Romanoff instead. Ritter’s numbers seemed to be on a slow decline, for reasons I couldn’t quite fathom. The campaign funds rumored to go to Ritter from Anschutz (via 527) in return for his Bennett appointment seemed not to be forthcoming.

I bumped into the Ritter announcement of his withdrawal late last night. Searching for a reason (sorry, to spend more time with family just doesn’t make it) I found this at Red State:

Governor Ritter was embroiled in a separate controversy this year when he nominated his scandal-plagued chief of staff, who he is rumored to be having an extramarital affair with, to be the state’s top federal prosecutor. Stephanie Villafuerte abruptly withdrew her nomination to be Colorado’s next U.S. Attorney when the media exposed her role in illegally accessing a restricted database involving an illegal immigrant drug dealer who sexually assaulted a child after Ritter, then Denver District Attorney, gave him a probation deal.

I have no idea if this is true, but it does fit a pattern. Inside sources tell me that “there is a lot we don’t know about Ritter”.

Could this have been Romanoff’s rationale in starting his campaign early to oppose Bennett? Will Romanoff now change goals and run for Governor? I hope so.

Ritter’s 11:00 am press conference coming up – I’m all atwitter.

Read more here.