Introducing.......Sen. Michael Bennet

There was a town hall meeting today in Lone Tree. A standing room only crowd came to hear U.S. Senator Michael Bennet speak about his campaign and answer questions. I am a registered Republican voter, I am an elected official, and I will vote for a Republican candidate for County Commissioner, for our state General Assembly, and for U.S. Congress. Unless something drastic happens, I'm voting for Hickenlooper for Governor. I was asked to introduce Sen. Bennet, the Democratic Candidate for the Senate seat, at this town hall meeting. I said done, just let me know where and when. Here are the introductory remarks I made:

Hi, my name is Mark Shively. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the City Treasurer for Castle Pines North. I’m a 24-year resident of the area, a staunch fiscal conservative, a registered Republican voter, and a proud supporter of my friend, and fellow public servant, Senator Michael Bennet.

A lot of you may be wondering why a Republican supports a Democrat for U.S. Senate. The answer’s simple, in this election cycle more than ever, it’s about the person, not the party, and Michael is the best person for this job.

Like Michael, I believe party isn’t a pre-requisite for results. Like Michael, I don’t care if an idea is a Republican idea or a Democratic idea – what I care about is whether it’s a good idea, the right idea.

Throughout his career, Michael has shown an ability to bring people together to take on the toughest challenges. We face similar challenges every day at Castle Pines North, and we could do a better job of working together within our own fences, as well as with our neighbors. We all know that the only way we will ever succeed is by finding ways to work together.

Michael’s record speaks for itself. As a businessman, he turned around failing companies and saved jobs. In his time with the City of Denver, he balanced budgets and made government more accountable and more responsive to the people it serves. That’s what we’re supposed to do.

And as Superintendent of Public Schools, Michael challenged stale orthodoxies and outdated solutions, enacting a bold reform effort that resulted in higher student achievement and better results for our kids. That’s something we all want to see.

A record of results as I see it. And he’s taken his turnaround skills to Washington, where’s he’s worked to create jobs, balance our budget, and provide a little Colorado common-sense in a place that could use a lot of it. As we walk the halls in DC we say, “This is the worst system of government there is………except for all the others.” We should respect the process, but we should work to make it better.

Michael knows, as I know, that the best way to get things done is to solve problems, not play politics.

So for me, when it came to deciding who to throw my support behind in the race for U.S. Senate, the choice was clear: Michael Bennet. Because what I see coming from my party of choice – the Republican Party – is another lap around the same track, pursuing failed policies that blew a hole in our budget, and nearly wrecked our economy. We were right on the brink of collapse. We put ourselves at risk of being the first generation of Americans to leave less, not more opportunity, to our kids and grandkids. How terrible is that?

Now’s not the time to pander to extremes or allow ideology to take over our debates; now’s the time to come together, to bridge partisan divides and get things done. That’s what Michael has done throughout his career, and I know that’s what he’ll continue to do for Colorado in the U.S. Senate.

He’s the guy who’s standing up for us in Washington, and I’m proud to stand with him today. So with that, let me introduce Senator Michael Bennet.

(For more information on Michael Bennet, here's a link to his official Senate website: http://bennet.senate.gov/, and here's a link to the campaign website: http://bennetforcolorado.com/Splash)