The case for sending Sen. Michael Bennet back to Washington for another term is as easy to make as the case against giving challenger Darryl Glenn the job.
For more than five years, Bennet has delivered the votes for Colorado interests in every part of the state. This former Denver Public Schools superintendent and shameless policy wonk has proven himself a tireless optimist and strategist even against all odds in a broken, partisan Congress.
While a growing cast of senators from across the country have doubled down on destructive partisanship and political theatrics, Bennet has steadfastly worked with fellow Democrats and adversary Republicans to find a way to deliver for everyone in the state. He’s a studious lawmaker who understands the vast complexity of domestic and foreign issues. His decisions are based on solid principles, data and deep insight — instead of populist memes and oversimplifications.
On the issues that affect Colorado most, Bennet has our back. He was part of the bipartisan Gang of Eight in the Senate, which drafted a comprehensive, thoughtful and realistic plan to address an immigration problem that is now becoming a crisis. The plan was fair, compassionate, responsible, and above all, practical. Despite the rise of demagoguery and fear in the Senate, fueling renewed racism and xenophobia, Bennet has held steadfast to his comprehensive plan, which may soon become a reality.
On the economy, Bennet realizes there must be balance between entrepreneurs unsaddled by regulations and vital protection for the public and the environment. Bennet understands that global climate change is a critical issue to be addressed now, and not a conspiracy theory to ridicule while jeopardizing human lives across the globe. He understands that Colorado’s public lands are our greatest treasure and asset. Bennet knows that turning them over to state control would only destroy a system that has provably found ways to let everyone enjoy and profit from the lands, a system that will protect those rights for endless generations to come.
Bennet presents voters with a proven track record for bipartisan cooperation, and a credible promise to do more.
Where his campaign falls short right now is providing solid answers on how to fix a health-care system that is critically ill. His vague fixes won’t stop the Affordable Care Act from bleeding the middle class. Only a public insurance option and regulation of health-care providers and drug companies can save for now. The long term answer is a single-payer program, which almost ever modern, large economy in the world enjoys but us.
But his opponent, Republican El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn offers nothing but trite and dismal solutions to the problem. Glenn says he thinks malpractice lawsuit reform and inter-state insurance deregulation will solve problems. Those are the useless ideas that got America into this mess.
His campaign is soiled with hyper-partisan rhetoric, making clear he’s probably the last person Colorado would want to send to Washington. During the GOP primary race for the nomination, Glenn pushed back against questions regarding what he would do to compromise with Democrats to unclog Congress, saying that Republicans trying to compromise are a problem, not an solution.
He’s dead wrong. Not surprising, Glenn was an early and consistent proponent of Donald Trump, heralding him as an effective and promising leader.
Glenn’s campaign is littered with piles of poor judgment. He attacked the Denver Post for simply doing the work that newspapers do, authenticating and vetting candidates. When the Denver paper scrutinized a discrepancy in Glenn’s supposed clean arrest records, Glenn first said an arrest report was from someone else with the same name. His story changed again before he revealed an arrest incident came as a young adult as the result of a tragic domestic violence call by police involving his father and mother. Glenn pilloried the Post for doing their job, saying such reporting was out of bounds. He has blacklisted them ever since.
His vague and unremarkable policy planks, intolerance for media scrutiny, resistance to cooperation and his poor judgment about Trump’s character are each solid reasons to question his ability to govern. Together, they disqualify him completely.
Since Bennet offers a positive and productive alternative aligned with Colorado values, a vote for his re-election is an easy one to decide.