While Governor Hickenlooper is busy trying to track down Peyton Manning's phone number in an apparent effort to woo him to Denver, he should be more concerned about dialing up the digits for his buddy Ken Salazar. As Guv Hick basks in the ambient glow of attention from the most recent Broncos quarterback controversy, Interior Secretary Salazar and his boss, President Barack Obama, are killing the chance for good paying, long lasting jobs on federal lands.

There are federal lands that have already been identified and catalogued for the responsible development of our home grown energy resources, federal lands that can yield enough oil for 110 years of American usage (with no foreign oil), and federal lands that will create jobs in the hardest hit communities in Colorado where unemployment numbers remain in double digits.  

Or has Hick forgotten that counties like Mesa, Weld and Pueblo have reported Great Depression-esque levels of unemployment?

Having watched Hick for the better part of his first term, we get that he likes to be the center of attention on the fun stuff. He's good at it. Where he has continually fallen short is providing his leadership on the critical and pressing issue of real job creation in rural Colorado.  

State Reps Ray Scott and Laura Bradford recently called the Guv out on his failed leadership for ignoring rural Colorado.

You know what?  They're right!  

As Western Colorado continues to suffer under the heavy boot of burdensome bureaucrats, Hickenlooper is looking the other way. Don't let the COGA ad controversy fool you, recording a 30-second radio spot is not the same as getting your buddies in the federal government to stop blocking energy job development on federal lands. 

We can only hope that Gov Hick's new found rivalry with Tennessee over Manning will translate into the same initiative to stop the bleeding of jobs, investment and economic growth to states like Utah and South Dakota.  

After all, even Hick must know that a good offense wins games…