With all of the delicacy, charm and raw political skill that they showed in trying to get Gov. David Paterson of NY to quit.

White House Is Taking a More Aggressive Role in State Races

WASHINGTON — The White House’s intervention in the race for New York governor is the latest evidence of how President Obama and his top advisers are taking an increasingly direct role in contests across the country, but their assertiveness has bruised some Democrats who suggest it could undercut Mr. Obama’s appeal with voters tired of partisan politics.

[snip]

More than anything, though, the interventions reflect a controlling style of this White House and of Mr. Emanuel, who employed similar hard-ball tactics to recruit candidates when he was running the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In addition to Mr. Emanuel, the White House political director, Patrick Gaspard, and deputy chief of staff, Jim Messina, keep close watch on all political races.

Via @PatrickRuffini: bolding mine, and reflective of Erick Erickson’s recent first look at ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis’s Rolodex.  One may be forgiven for wondering whether… input on this was sought.

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It looks like former Colorado Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez may be close to making a decision about whether to challenge appointed Senator Michael Bennet. I take a closer look at the signs over at theconservatives.com.

I think Beauprez’s common-sense approach to the nation’s problems is called for in Washington. (You can check out his blog here.) If you want to signal your support for Beauprez, you can join the ‘Beauprez for Senate’ Facebook group here.

Brian pointed to the bizarre reposition of Rep. Charles Melancon (D-LA) on card-check. But this points to a broader pattern. Senators running in 2010 in potentially contests Senate seats are afraid to take a position on the issue.

For example, in Colorado, appointed Senator Michael Bennet is “stuck in neutral” on card check, according to the Denver Post. In Arkansas, Blanche Lincoln won’t support it. Pennsylvania’s Arlen Specter is famously wrapped around the axle on it.

With card-check, cap-and-tax-and-trade, and Obamacare in the pipeline, how much soon until these Senators back away from the President?

Colorado’s Michael Bennet - who faces the voters for the first time next year - had a rough meeting with ‘progressives’ in Colorado. It sounds as if he thinks that his re-election chances suffer if he supports the Obama agenda. In particular, he doesn’t like Card Check:

Bennet has been one of the few Senate Democrats who have declined to take a stand on the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill favored by organized labor that would make it easier to unionize worksites.

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., announced Monday that she would oppose the bill, making it all but certain that the bill in its current form can’t muster the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster by opponents.

“We’re going to have to see whether or not there’s a consensus that can be reached that makes it something that can be passed because right now there isn’t something that can be passed,” Bennet told the group at New Belgium.

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If you haven’t read it yet, read it here.

Yup. Threatening a kid for having fake gun-shaped items used for rifle drills. Fascinating how these people think, huh?

The principal for Cherokee Trail High School is Brooke Gregory. S/he could very well be not yet fully aware of this situation: give him/her a call at 720-886-1904 and politely inquire.

The Superintendent for the Cherry Creek School System is Marie Chesley, and she would no doubt like this problem to go away. You can reach her at 303-773-1184 - just to make sure, though.

The Congressman for CO-07 is Ed Perlmutter (D). Call him up at 202-225-2645 and ask him if he supports the expulsion of students trying to do rifle drills. If you live in the District, his number there is 303.274.7944.

Mark Udall (D) is the senior Senator for Colorado. Call him at 202-224-5941 (877-768-3255 if you’re from Colorado) and ask him the same question, assuming that you can get through from all the people screaming about how we’re about to pass a trillion dollar debt bill. On the other hand, they’d probably be ecstatic to have something less minefield-like to work on, at this point.

Michael F. Bennet (D) is the junior Senator for Colorado. Call him at 202-224-5852; if/when you get through, be sure to ask whether he would have sanctioned this when he was running the Denver school system.

…And that’s all that I can think of, under the circumstances.

Crossposted at Moe Lane.