It's official: Bennet sworn in
By M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published January 22, 2009 at 2:12 p.m.
Matt McClain © The Rocky
Former Denver Public Schools Superintendent, Michael Bennet , right, stands next to his wife, Susan Daggett, right, as he tells his daughters, Caroline Bennet, 9, left to right, Halina Bennet, 8, and Anne Bennet, 4, to clear the path for Vice President Joe Biden for a reenactment swearing in held in the old Senate Chambers Thursday 01/22/09 in Washington, D.C. Bennet was appointed to the position by Governor Bill Ritter.
Please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player, or enable JavaScript for your browser to view the video player.
Photo by Matt McClain © The Rocky
Former Denver Public Schools Superintendent, Michael Bennet (cq) works 01/22/09 in the Hart Senate Office Building prior to his swearing in as Senator in Washington, D.C. Bennet was appointed to the position by Governor Bill Ritter.
WASHINGTON — Michael Bennet was sworn in today as Colorado’s junior senator, pledging to get right to work addressing some of the big economic challenges to the country.
The former Denver schools chief, appointed to the Senate by Gov. Bill Ritter, takes over for new Interior Secretary Ken Salazar just two days after Barack Obama was sworn in as president, promising massive changes in foreign and domestic policies.
“I feel extremely fortunate to have the chance to represent Colorado at this moment in history and to be part of a conversation in Washington on some of the most serious problems we’ve seen in generations,” Bennet said while taking a walking tour of the U.S. Capitol shortly before his swearing in.
Earlier, Bennet said Salazar gave him some to-the-point advice: "Do the right thing for the people of Colorado."
Right now, that means joining the push for an economic stimulus package to turn around the country's sagging economy. And Bennet told reporters he wants to make sure federal dollars help struggling municipalities and bring jobs to farm country, too.
"The stimulus package is going to occupy most of our time in coming months. It's critical that people in Colorado have their voices heard," Bennet said.
Although Bennet's eclectic resume includes experience in law, business, education and city government, he is hoping to get a seat on the Agriculture Committee because of its importance to the state.
"I'm going to travel the state and talk to people whose living, and whose family's living, depends on our agricultural economy," he said.
Bennet's pick was a surprise to some observers, since he did not have the big name, statewide profile or long political resumes of some of the other candidates Ritter reportedly considered for Salazar’s Senate seat.
But Bennet praised fellow members of the state's congressional delegation for getting him up to speed on the issues and the inner workings of Capitol Hill.
"They've done an amazing job of getting me up the learning curve," he said.
Sen. Mark Udall, who becomes Colorado's "senior senator" in just his third week on the job, is confident that he and his new colleague would not suffer for their lack of seniority. That’s because personal relationships, focus and knowledge about procedural rules matter more in the Senate.
Udall said he and Bennet would complement one another based on their varied backgrounds, experiences and likely committee assignments. Udall serves on the Armed Services and Energy and Natural Resources committees. If Bennet gets other assignments, such as Agriculture, "I think we're going to cover the entire state of Colorado very well," Udall said.
Featured
-
DNC in Denver
Complete coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
-
The Crevasse
A five-part series that examines one tragic day on Mount Rainier.
-
Deadly denial
Sick nuclear workers applied for government compensation but most haven't seen a dime.
-
Final Salute
The Rocky followed Maj. Steve Beck as he took on the most difficult duty of his career.
-
'Colorado's burning'
Coverage of the state's worst wildfires.
-
Columbine shootings
Coverage of the April 20, 1999, shootings at Littleton's Columbine High School.
-
The Crossing
Colorado's deadliest traffic accident killed 20 children on Dec. 14, 1961.
-
Osveli's journey
Osveli Sales left Guatemala for a better life. Two months later, he came home in a box.
-
Wake for an Indian warrior
Oglala Sioux bestow a tribute to the first tribal fatality in Iraq.
January 22, 2009
2:16 p.m.
Suggest removal
LoneTreeLady75 writes:
I dont mind Ritter, but this has got to be the most insane pick. Ah well, we'll see in a few years if there is a method to his madness.
January 22, 2009
2:28 p.m.
Suggest removal
joggle writes:
I don't know enough about Bennet to judge whether he's a good pick or not. I think there's a good chance that he will be a good senator, but it's more of a hunch than something I can prove.
January 22, 2009
3:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
conservative111 writes:
The ONLY reason Bennet wants to be put on the Ag committee is so he can go around the state and try to lure the rural community to vote for him. He is a big city boy who has ignored the rural community all of his life, and for him to get elected state wide in 2010 he will need to have ties to the rural areas so he can "say" he feels their pain. Does he think we are this stupid as to not see what he is doing?
January 22, 2009
3:11 p.m.
Suggest removal
Faux_Noise writes:
God forbid he represent his constituents well, Republicans can't stand that!
January 22, 2009
3:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
conservative111 writes:
Faux-Noise writes: God forbid he represent his constituents well, Republicans can't stand that!
Bennet will listen to them long enough to hopefully get their votes, and then he will ignore them. Hopefully he won't get too many votes from rural Colorado, they are still, for the most part, conservative and will see through his liberal past.
As far as a Democrat representing their constituents, look at what Udall has already done. Voting to blocking drilling already. Most Republicans want drilling, so who is looking out for which constituents?
January 22, 2009
3:44 p.m.
Suggest removal
POTES writes:
All I'm saying is, isn't this the same man that closed a bunch of schools. WOW!
January 22, 2009
3:54 p.m.
Suggest removal
joggle writes:
conservative: If you are referring to when Udall was a representative then he was representing a predominantly Democrat constituency at the time.
There has been no such vote since he has become a senator, although there are now more registered democrats than republicans in Colorado (http://coloradoindependent.com/12044/...) so he would still probably be voting for what the majority wants in such a case.
The only bill that has been passed so far only had 21 votes against it (dealing with parks and wildlife refuges): http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS...
January 22, 2009
4:14 p.m.
Suggest removal
conservative111 writes:
Joggle: No, Udall voted for this on January 12th, as a US senator.
U.S. Senate Breaks Blockade of Public Lands Bills
WASHINGTON, DC, January 12, 2009 (ENS) - Sunday was a working day for the brand new 111th Congress, now in the control of Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada lost no time in using his authority to make a massive omnibus public lands package the first order of business.
Casting their first vote, the senators agreed to consider and vote later this week on the package of 160 public lands bills that would protect 200 million acres of wilderness in nine states - California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Michigan, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Entitled the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, S.22, the bill is known informally as the "Tomnibus" Bill because it combines many measures blocked in the past by Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, a physician nicknamed "Dr. No."
Coburn again objected to the legislation and has filed 13 amendments to the package that he says target both Republican and Democrat projects.
Among other things, he objects to a provision that protects lands in Wyoming that might produce about 8.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 300 million barrels of oil. UDALL VOTED YES ON THIS BILL. Didn't he campaign on drilling to lower gas prices that will surely rise again? Gee, what happened?
Also, has Udall found Bin Laden yet as he promised in he campaign commercials? What a joke he is.
January 22, 2009
6:04 p.m.
Suggest removal
joggle writes:
The majority of Republicans in the senate voted for that bill as well conservative. Read the bill, that was one tiny part of it. It is extremely rare to ever vote on a bill that you agree with 100% because we don't live in a dictatorship.
Even Barrasso and Enzi (the Republican senators from Wyoming) voted for it. Get a clue man.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS...
January 22, 2009
7:20 p.m.
Suggest removal
Sundog writes:
Has anyone bothered to ask him how he thinks we ought to pay for the bailout? I don't think the Chinese will do so anymore, since they are now selling their own debt. I wonder if he thinks we should get to discover where our money already went? I suppose nobody bothered to ask him, least of all the RMN, who has their own financial problems to solve.
Perhaps he can help design the next generation of Fiat/Chryslers, if Fiat can get the 2 billion from the US govt. to help pay for their 35 percent share of the ownership that they refuse to pay a nickel for. I'm sure his school experience will help a lot there. Experience giving away free education to whomever wanders across the line. Figures that he would fit in giving away automaking companies to Italians. Makes the same kind of sense.
The whole government has gone totally mad.
Welcome to our Brave New World, Mr. Bennet, or maybe someone should welcome me, because I am a stranger in a strange land.
January 23, 2009
10:14 a.m.
Suggest removal
gs writes:
Everyone knows why Bennet took the job, if he didn't his daughter's might have ended up attending DPS.
January 23, 2009
11:18 a.m.
Suggest removal
conservative111 writes:
Faux_Noise writes:
God forbid he represent his constituents well, Republicans can't stand that! Joggle is then concerned about how the Republicans in Wyoming voted. Gee, I don't remember voting for Wyoming candidates. I'm concerned about Udall living up to his campaign promises, which said he was for drilling. But, I guess things change when you get elected. Get a clue girl.