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• Pueblo Rep. Garcia breaks with party on 3 gun votes Play Video

  February 19, 2013 1:49 AM

  DENVER - Among the handful of Democratic representatives voting against gun control measures Monday was freshman representative Leroy Garcia of Pueblo. He voted no on three of the four measures, only supporting the universal background check bill. "We don't want criminals or people who shouldn't have guns possessing guns,"... more »

• Sen. Morse: gun control bills likely to pass state senate Play Video

  February 19, 2013 1:10 AM

  COLORADO SPRINGS - The four gun control bills that passed the Colorado House of Representatives Monday are likely to make it through the State Senate as well. Senate President John Morse, (D) Colorado Springs, expects it to take a couple of days for the bills to be transferred over and... more »

• President Obama makes final visit to Colorado

  November 5, 2012 8:51 AM

  AURORA, Colo. (AP) - President Barack Obama has made his last campaign appearance in Colorado. The president spoke before 20,000 supporters at a late-night rally in Aurora in his final stop in the state before Election Day. He mentioned the devastation from Sandy and said Aurora knows something about tragedy... more »

• Million Muppet March takes over Capitol

  November 4, 2012 11:03 AM

  Hundreds of people gathered yesterday on Washington's National Mall for a "million Puppet March." They came with hand puppets, signs and even marionettes. The event was a response to Mitt Romney's statement that he would cut funding to PBS if elected in order to help reduce the deficit in the... more »

• Colorado Springs pastor talks campaign issues as his church participates in Pulpit Freedom Sunday Play Video

  October 7, 2012 6:17 PM

  Campaign issues preached biblically from the pulpit. You probably haven't heard that in church, but for the past several years some pastors have decided to participate in Pulpit Freedom Sunday. This year more churches than ever took part. We sat in on one of these sermons. Since 1954... more »

• New politically fun phone app benefits blind and visually impaired children Play Video

  September 9, 2012 5:52 PM

  How about some fun this campaign season? From negatives ads to political bickering between friends on Facebook, you may already be exhausted. We found a political but fun phone app that's sole purpose is actually a good cause! The Rush-Miller Foundation started over a decade ago when Eric Miller's... more »

• Ohio is Romney-Santorum dead heat as Super Tuesday approaches

  March 5, 2012 3:01 PM

  CANTON, Ohio (AP) -- Mitt Romney's allies are hoping Super Tuesday's powerful imprint on the Republican presidential nomination will bring clarity, at long last, to the fractious contest and rouse Republicans behind their front-runner. But that's strictly up to voters across the nation, weighing in on the most consequential day... more »

• Obama turning to Biden for help in 3 key states

  November 26, 2011 11:28 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has a not-so-secret weapon in store for winning over voters in three key states: Vice President Joe Biden. Democrats are crafting a campaign strategy for Biden that targets the big three political battlegrounds: Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. A shaky economy and sagging... more »

• Romney urges Obama to stop looming military cuts

  November 20, 2011 5:08 PM

  NASHUA, N.H. (AP) - Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney is calling on President Obama to block looming military cuts. The former Massachusetts governor tells supporters in New Hampshire that the deficit-cutting supercommittee in Congress probably won't come up with a deal before its Wednesday deadline. That would trigger billions of... more »

• Facebook "friending" politics

  October 11, 2011 6:24 AM

  NEW YORK (AP) - Social media companies have "friended" the 2012 presidential contest at a level almost unimaginable just four years ago. Social media giants like Facebook and Google are hosting debates and sponsoring presidential town halls. They remain indispensable tools for candidates looking to connect with voters. ... more »

• Colo. court battle over congressional maps begins

  October 9, 2011 3:39 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado's political parties are going to court this week to make their pitch for drawing new congressional maps. A Denver District Court judge will begin hearing arguments Tuesday on the redistricting process required every 10 years to reflect updated Census statistics. Democrats and Republicans sued after... more »

• SC senator: Presidential election is GOP's to lose

  September 18, 2011 11:39 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham says the upcoming presidential election is the GOP's to lose. Graham says President Barack Obama has done "everything he knows how" to beat himself and that people have little confidence in Obama's policies because they aren't working. When it comes to who should... more »

• Romney, Perry strongly differ on Social Security

  September 10, 2011 11:57 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Social Security has become a major divide in the contest between Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination. The votes of seniors - in aging Iowa, the retiree haven of Florida and elsewhere - could be at stake. Perry... more »

• To applause, Perry defends Texas death penalty

  September 8, 2011 11:22 AM

  SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry is defending the death penalty in Texas and says he's never struggled with whether any of the inmates executed during his time as governor might have been innocent. When Perry defended capital punishment, he drew strong applause from the scores of... more »

• Congressman plans to boycott Obama speech

  September 3, 2011 1:07 PM

  PALATINE, Ill. (AP) - An outspoken Republican congressman from Illinois is defending his decision to boycott President Barack Obama's jobs speech next week. U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh said Saturday that Obama is abusing his power as president by calling a joint session of Congress for the address. Walsh said at... more »

• Bachmann says she'd consider minimum wage changes

  August 26, 2011 8:11 PM

  JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann won't rule out changes to the federal minimum wage as a way to attract corporations back to the United States. She told supporters who packed a sub shop Friday that corporate taxes need to be reduced to lure companies back... more »

• Obama sets sights on rural America to talk jobs

  August 13, 2011 11:07 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is headed to the Midwest after a summer of discontent over a debt showdown with Republicans and the downgrade in the nation's credit rating. Obama's bus tour begins Monday. It's his first as president and will take him to prairie communities in Minnesota and... more »

• Alec Baldwin for mayor?

  August 10, 2011 11:31 AM

  NEW YORK (AP) - Alec Baldwin says he's thinking of running for mayor of New York, but not until he learns more about the job. The "30 Rock" actor tells The New York Times he'll sit out the 2013 race but will consider running in a later election. In a... more »

• Mysterious donor to pro-Romney PAC identified

  August 6, 2011 8:12 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A mysterious donor who gave $1 million to a political action committee supportive of Mitt Romney for president has been identified. Former Bain Capital executive Edward Conard gave the donation to the Romney-leaning Restore Our Future PAC, the group said Saturday. Romney co-founded Bain in 1984. The... more »

• Obama to headline rural economic forum in Iowa

  August 5, 2011 8:08 PM

  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - White House officials say President Barack Obama will host a rural economic forum on August 16 at a community college in northeast Iowa. The Democratic president and members of his cabinet plan to visit Northeast Iowa Area Community College in Peosta, as part of a... more »

• Deficit panel members shouldn't fundraise

  August 4, 2011 12:39 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A campaign finance watchdog group suggests that the lawmakers eventually picked for a congressional deficit-reduction panel abstain from all political fundraising. The group Public Campaign says the panel's 12 yet-to-be-named embers will come under intense pressure by corporate interests to maintain special tax loopholes, unwarranted subsidies and... more »

• Obama returns to Chicago to resume fundraising

  August 3, 2011 9:25 PM

  CHICAGO (AP) - President Barack Obama is in his hometown to raise money for his re-election campaign. Obama will speak at three fundraising events Wednesday, including a video conference with supporters gathered at house parties around the country. The president's quick stop in Chicago is his first trip outside of... more »

• 'No progress' toward debt deal

  July 30, 2011 7:34 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says there's no deal to break the debt impasse in Congress and no weekend progress has been made as a default deadline approaches. Reid made his comments on the Senate floor after the Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said he... more »

• Perry backs a constitutional limit on marriage

  July 30, 2011 4:05 PM

  COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry says he supports ac constitutional amendment limiting marriage to a man and a woman, though just last week he said New York's gay marriage law is fine with him. In an interview Saturday with The Associated Press, Perry said he supports federal... more »

• Bachmann says she, not husband, running for office

  July 28, 2011 8:12 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann says she - and not her husband - is running for the White House and that questions about their family business and finances are off-limits. Speaking Thursday in Washington, Bachmann again declined to answer questions about Marcus Bachmann's Christian counseling center that has... more »

• Pot, marriage could play roles in '12 Colo. races

  July 24, 2011 11:48 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado's position as a key battleground state in the 2012 presidential race comes with a wrinkle neither party seems to like: A freewheeling ballot initiative tradition that could put both legalizing marijuana and gay marriage before voters on Election Day next year. Marijuana activists have begun... more »

• Perry may 'shake up' GOP field

  July 11, 2011 8:02 PM

  EXETER, N.H. (AP) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry is calling influential Republicans in early voting New Hampshire and Iowa, the latest indication that he's seriously considering a presidential run. New Hampshire Senate President Peter Bragdon tells The Associated Press that Perry called him over the weekend to gauge his... more »

• Council passes 1 of 14 medical marijuana fees

  June 28, 2011 11:32 PM

  After much discussion and even more questions, the Colorado Springs City Council has only decided to move on 1 of the 14 proposed fees for medical marijuana businesses. Councilman Tim Leigh and most everyone else on council tell us the proposed fees seem like they could be too high, as... more »

• Council approves $2,200 mmj application fee

  June 28, 2011 8:18 PM

  The Colorado Springs City Council has approved a motion to charge applicants $2,200 for a medical marijuana business application. The fee will include a city background check in addition to the background check already done by the stare. Originally council was expected to vote on a large fee structure... more »

• Palin kick-starts bus tour on back of motorcycle

  May 29, 2011 1:48 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is starting her East Coast bus tour on a motorcycle. She arrived at the Pentagon today on the back of a motorcycle as thousands of bikers from across the country gathered for Rolling Thunder. Wearing black from head to toe, the... more »

• Bear hunting bill moves ahead

  May 4, 2011 7:42 PM

  DENVER (AP) - The Colorado House has given initial approval to a proposal to potentially expand the bear hunting season to manage the animals' population. Lawmakers advanced the measure Wednesday but it passed by only one vote. The bill seeks to repeal a voter-approved initiative that prohibits hunting bears from... more »

• Candidates line up for tough job - Denver mayor

  April 9, 2011 10:40 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Ten candidates are running to be Denver's next mayor to deal with a $100 million budget deficit, an over-budget mass transportation project, and a police department under scrutiny. The long list of candidates makes it almost certain that there will be a runoff between the top... more »

• Gas prices still on the rise

  March 8, 2011 11:29 PM

  It seems every week you're paying more at the pump. One of the worst areas hit, a gas station in Florida near the Orlando International Airport. The price? Try $5.39 for a gallon of regular! Here in Southern Colorado it's not as bad, but we've still seen an increase over... more »

• Gun bill drawing lots of discussion

  February 28, 2011 8:16 PM

  Lines are being drawn over State House Bill 1205. The bill would make it legal for people to carry a gun without a permit. The bill has already passed the State Judiciary Committee by a vote of 8 to 3. Annmarie Jensen with the Colorado Association of Police Chiefs... more »

• State Legislators in showdown over "Amazon Tax"

  January 30, 2011 3:33 AM

  Sides are being drawn over the states so called "Amazon Tax". The bill passed by the 2010 Legislature says online retail giants like Amazon would be required to either start collecting state sales taxes, or provide the state with a summary of customers' web purchases. Wednesday, a federal judge blocked... more »

• Private meeting raises questions

  January 24, 2011 7:21 PM

  A private meeting over the weekend is raising some concern in Colorado Springs. A group of business leaders called The City Committee met with candidates for Colorado Springs' mayoral and city council positions. While some community leaders were invited to the Penrose House and Broadmoor, the general public and... more »

• MSNBC suspends Olbermann

  November 5, 2010 7:11 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - MSNBC'S Keith Olbermann has been suspended without pay for contributing to the campaigns of three Democrats during this election season. NBC News prohibits its employees from donating to political campaigns unless the head of the news division gives special permission. Olberman's bosses at MSNBC didn't find... more »

• Bennet got plenty of help retaining seat

  November 4, 2010 8:16 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Michael Bennet can't take all the credit for his upset win over Republican Ken Buck, the tea party favorite who cast himself as the outsider in the contest. Bennet had plenty of help: from a Democratic party that poured millions into attacking Buck as an extremist,... more »

• National political money pours into states

  October 28, 2010 2:40 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A deluge of cash from interest groups is pouring into close congressional races coast to coast. And it's flowing to much lower-profile contests far down the ticket as well. According to a state-by-state review by The Associated Press, interest groups have spent at least $185 million... more »

• Labor Secretary stumps for Salazar in Pueblo

  October 21, 2010 7:37 PM

  A United States cabinet member was in Pueblo Thursday afternoon stumping for a local democratic candidate. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis made an appearance at a campaign rally for John Salazar. The event was held at the Steelworkers Hall. "(John) has done so much for Coloradoans. I can tell you because... more »

• AP survey points to huge Republican victories

  October 20, 2010 6:23 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Just two weeks remain before the midterm elections, and a new poll finds all signs pointing to huge Republican victories. Likely voters surveyed by the Associated Press and GfK give Republicans the edge over Democrats on handling the economy, creating jobs and running the government. Most... more »

• Statistical dead heat in Colorado gubernatorial race

  October 15, 2010 4:34 PM

  One of the most closely watched political polls in Colorado, the Rasmussen Poll, now shows independent Tom Tancredo in a statistical dead heat with democrat John Hickenlooper in the race for governor. The poll released Friday shows Hickenlooper with 42% support from likely voters, while Tancredo has 38%. Since... more »

• Michelle Obama tries to revive Democrats' spirits

  October 15, 2010 8:13 AM

  First lady Michelle Obama is trying to fire up downtrodden Democrats fearing big midterm losses by trying to recapture their excitement from two years ago. In her second day of a midterm campaign swing Thursday, the first lady stopped in suburban Denver to stump for Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet,... more »

• Hickenlooper: tap PERA for business loans

  October 13, 2010 8:46 AM

  Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Hickenlooper says the state could tap part of the $33 billion state retirement fund for loans to small businesses. Hickenlooper told workers at a prescription data center on Tuesday the state should use its assets for loans. He says the state could raise $100... more »

• Colorado voters get another heavy-ballot year

  October 13, 2010 8:18 AM

  Colorado voters are seeing it again: Nine proposals on the November ballot that would transform state policy on everything from bail practices to limits on government borrowing. To help voters wade through the issues, the state has issued a 100-page-plus voter pamphlet. Early voting starts Monday. Colorado... more »

• Bennet, Buck soften blows in 4th Senate debate

  October 12, 2010 8:14 AM

  Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet and Republican challenger Ken Buck took it easy on each other in their first Denver-area debate, laying out familiar differences over tax cuts and immigration. Bennet said Monday the expiring Bush-era tax cuts should be extended for one year, regardless of income. He repeated his... more »

• Negative Ads Frustrate Voters

  October 11, 2010 6:02 PM

  There's less than a month to go before the elections and campaigns are trotting out the attack ads in larger numbers. Colorado Springs voters say their tone is unmistakable. "It seems like people are pretty vicious and pretty competitive in what they are trying to say," said David Zazzaro.... more »

• Colorado study: How to be Facebook popular

  October 11, 2010 8:41 AM

  Want to keep all the friends you make on Facebook? Then don't post mundane status updates or go off on political or religious rants. A study from the University of Colorado at Denver found that those are the most common reasons people choose to "defriend" others on Facebook. ... more »

• Bill Clinton to stump for Sen. Bennet in Denver

  October 11, 2010 8:35 AM

  Former President Bill Clinton will be in Denver in support of Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet as early voting begins in Colorado. Clinton has not always been on Bennet's side. He endorsed Bennet's Democratic primary challenger Andrew Romanoff and recorded a telephone appeal urging voters to choose Romanoff. But... more »

• Stimulus, Social Security dominate Pueblo Senate debate

  October 8, 2010 8:36 AM

  Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck is chastising his own party for scaring seniors with messages about cuts to Medicare. In the third Colorado Senate debate, Buck criticized GOP allies for campaigning against the health care overhaul in part by highlighting some $500 billion in Medicare cuts over the next... more »

• Economy likely creating some jobs, but not enough

  October 8, 2010 8:16 AM

  The final monthly jobs report before the midterm congressional elections is due out Friday and it's not expected to be very optimistic. The report is likely to leave President Barack Obama in a precarious position: Democratic members of Congress will face voters with unemployment likely above 9.5 percent. ... more »

• Buck, Hickenlooper lead top Colorado races

  October 4, 2010 8:45 AM

  Republican Senate challenger Ken Buck holds an edge over Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, while Democrat John Hickenlooper leads the gubernatorial race according to a Denver Post/9News poll. The poll published Sunday showed Buck leading Bennet 48 percent to 43 percent. In the governor's race, Hickenlooper led with 46... more »

• Maes calls for school funding mandate time-out

  October 1, 2010 8:20 AM

  Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes is asking voters to approve a time-out on Colorado's public school funding mandate similar to the five-year time-out they approved for the state's tax- and spending-limitation amendment. Maes told the Colorado Nonprofit Association on Thursday that nonprofit organizations could pick up the slack for... more »

• State Senate Republicans issue reform agenda

  September 29, 2010 3:27 PM

  Colorado state Senate Republicans have issued their reform agenda for next year. Assistant Majority Leader Greg Brophy of Wray says the GOP goal is to limit state spending to core functions and reduce Colorado's dependence on federal subsidies. Brophy says Republicans want to go to a priority-based budget... more »

• Poll: Independents as upset as Republicans

  September 23, 2010 8:23 AM

  An Associated Press-Gfk Poll finds that independent voters are nearly as outraged as Republicans about politics this year. Fifty-eight percent of independents and 60 percent of Republicans say politics is making them angry, compared with 31 percent of Democrats who said so. About 7 in 10 independents and... more »

• Abortion foes sue over Colorado voter guide

  September 22, 2010 8:29 AM

  Abortion opponents in Colorado are suing to force the state to change how it describes an abortion-related amendment before voters this fall. The state-approved description of the so-called Personhood Amendment includes a summary of opponents' positions on the measure to change the state constitution to say that citizenship rights... more »

• Anti-incumbent fervor stops in El Paso County

  September 20, 2010 8:40 PM

  The strong anti-incumbent sentiment that has swept through many national political races seems to stop at El Paso County where several familiar faces are back on the ballot, although many of the candidates are running different offices. Clerk and Record Bob Balink is term limited and running unopposed to... more »

• Colorado governor candidate knocked off motorcycle

  September 20, 2010 10:15 AM

  Colorado gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo says a car knocked him off his motorcycle while he was riding in the Denver suburb of Littleton, but he suffered only scrapes and bruises. Tancredo said the car bumped his Harley Davidson on Sunday afternoon when he was riding home after getting a... more »

• Groups allied to GOP boost their fundraising

  September 20, 2010 6:27 AM

  New freedom from fundraising restrictions established by the Supreme Court are paying off for at least some Republican-allied groups. Two affiliated groups led by a blue-chip cast of Washington Republican strategists have raised a combined $32 million, creating a parallel and unofficial Republican campaign to defeat Democrats in November.... more »

• Party leaders speak about bizarre governor's race

  September 16, 2010 7:35 PM

  It's one of the most unusual governor's races in Colorado history: three candidates vying for the top spot and a series of twists and turns shaking up the race. Democrats think they have the advantage, Republicans are trying to recover from a rift within their party and the American Constitution... more »

• Dan Maes decries 'evil' around his gubernatorial bid

  September 10, 2010 1:50 PM

  Colorado's embattled Republican gubernatorial candidate is firing back at critics who say he's unfit for office. A defiant Dan Maes told a group in Durango Thursday that the political process is surrounded by "evil." He spent more than an hour talking about the scandals that have plagued his campaign,... more »

• GOP governor's group hints Colo. race a lost cause

  September 9, 2010 8:23 AM

  Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes is shrugging off the suggestion that a national GOP group won't help finance his campaign anymore and says he will continue to fight for votes. A Maes spokesman made the comments Wednesday in response to Republican Governors Association Chairman Haley Barbour's remarks hinting... more »

• Douglas Bruce contempt hearing continues

  September 3, 2010 12:27 PM

  Government lawyers are continuing to push for Colorado Springs tax-cutting activist Douglas Bruce to give information about his role in three ballot measures before voters this fall. The contempt-of-court hearing against Bruce continues in Denver. Bruce is the father of Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill Of Rights (TABOR), and the... more »