I haven't been commenting much about the Colorado Senate race recently but an e-mail from Mike Miles campaign manager this morning struck me as one of the worst examples of the many gaffs that are made too often in politics. The email is below but allow me to comment. Point by point.

Firstly, if you want be known as the "underdog" then turning to the dirty politicking of calling anyone who endorses your opponent a "cowardly politico" is probably not the way to get started.

The missive then goes on to describe the efforts the "grassroots" campaign is undertaking to win the election. The thing is they are all the steps of a professional politician. Visiting the the campaign's website it is obvious that plenty of money is being poured into a flashy site while real content or innovation are not to be seen... Oh yes you say there is a "blog" section... with a single post from nearly a month ago. Wow that is innovative.

Apparently unswayed by the overwhelming majority of the rank-and-file members of the Democratic party that did not offer their support the Mike Miles campaign will go on. Here is the email that was sent out earlier today.

Subject: Standing Tall - Part 2

Dear friend,

You showed courage voting for me last Tuesday. Thank you. In many cases my supporters were in the minority at their precinct caucus, so it took even more courage to stand up for democracy and to make a difference in the direction of our Party and country.

The Mike Miles for Senate campaign again is sending talking points that don't really say anything. A couple of days ago my post drew a response that reads verbatim like the Miles campaign. Let me make it clear I do not support any particular candidate. What saddens me is to see so much traditional political muckraking when there is a chance to reinvent the political process in a new way. In a quote often attributed to Einstein, that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing an expecting different results. Indeed Miles is doing much the same thing as so many candidates who are new to politics have tried - many unsuccessfully.

After my earlier comments I received the following from Brad Freedberg today. It is refreshing to see someone put state and national interests above self interest.

Dear Friends:

As you may have heard, I've decided to end my campaign for the U.S.
Senate. At Saturday's annual meeting, I made the announcement to the
State Central Committee of the Democratic Party.

I have stopped campaigning exactly one year after I began this process,
having reached out to the party at last year's Jefferson-Jackson dinner.
At the time I began this effort, we were facing a popular and firmly
entrenched incumbent in Senator Campbell, and none of the senior leaders
of the party had seriously intended to mount a campaign.