ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES GOING BLUE? UTAH OUT OF STEP WITH AMERICA

A couple of days ago my friend Johnny called with the news: Democrat Larry Grant might actually beat far right fanatic/pest Bill Sali in Idaho. Even as much an optimist as I, can't believe the home of the Aryan Nations is going to reject the Bush Party. And then this morning, Boise's KTVB reported that not only is Grant polling ahead of Sali, but Democrat Jerry Brady leads Repug Butch Otter in the gubernatorial race to boot!


Right now it's Brady over Otter 41-36% and Grant over Sali 38-34%. If this can happen in Idaho, what will happen in the rest of the Rocky Mountain states. Well... it's not looking good for Team Red. Republican strategists who thought Conrad Burns would make it through the election and then resign after the indictment and pass the senatorial baton over to Dennis Rehberg have been dismayed by the antipathy towards the GOP expressed by Montanans in every single poll since the primaries.

And even in Wyoming, voters in Dick Cheney's old congressional district are about to bid an unfond adieu to Crazy Babsy Cubin and welcome Democrat Gary Trauner.

Colorado was already trending very Democratic with extreme right congresskook Bob Beauprez never quite able to poll above 35% in his absurd attempt to go from a congressional seat he had virtually no chance of holding to the Governor's chair. And the seat that the hapless Beauprez gave up? The Republicans nominated an even more out of touch extremist nut-- and he's being soundly thrashed by Ed Perlmutter. That leaves 3 Republican seats up for grabs. All are in play. Despite being outspent 10 to 1 by gay-obsessed Marilyn Musgrave, the Dobson/Haggard/KKK candidate, it looks like Angie Paccione will be the next Representative from CO-04. Jay Fawcett and Bill Winter are also gaining on their far right Dobson/Haggard/KKK opponents. If you count John Salazar as a Democrat, Colorado could have an all blue House delegation in January-- like Massachusetts.

Let's see... the other states in the region look decent too. New Mexico appears likely to boot Bush rubber stamp Heather Wilson and replace her with popular Attorney General Patricia Madrid. Arizona looks like its getting ready for 2 or 3 seats to go from red to blue: Gabby Giffords is way ahead of Tancredo-Republican/KKK endorsee Randy Graf. Harry Mitchell is set to rid America of loudmouthed clown J.D. Hayworth and Ellen Simon has overtaken Republicrook Rick Renzi in the state's gigantic, rural first CD.

Utah is hopeless. Should it really be a state?