TOWN SQUARE: Armenians mad at Lamborn
A Colorado Springs judge will find out if he'll take a seat on Colorado's highest bench this afternoon when Gov. Bill Ritter announces an appointment to the state Supreme Court.
Fourth Judicial District Judge David Prince is one of three finalists for a vacancy on the Colorado Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court Nominating Commission named Prince along with Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Robert M. Russel and Deputy Attorney General Monica M. Marquez as the finalists to fill the seat being vacated by Chief Judge Mary J. Mullarkey, who is retiring. The three candidates were among 31 applicants for the job.
Ritter is expected to announce his choice during a Denver news conference at 2:30 p.m.
ARMENIANS MAD AT LAMBORN
Colorado Springs Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn has earned the ire of the Armenian-American community by allegedly not pushing hard enough to recognize the suffering that small nation faced at the hands of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
Armenia, on the Ottoman's - now Turkey's - eastern border, suffered an estimated 1 million deaths during a program of mass resettlement and killing known as the century's first genocide.
Pamela Barsam of Boulder, founder of the pro-Armenian group Rocky Mountain Hye, said Lamborn should be punished for dropping his support of an effort three years ago to pass a resolution effectively scolding Turkey for that nation's failure to recognize the mass-killings in Armenia.
"If you fail to recognize a past genocide you are enabling and inviting genocides to occur," said Barsam.
Lamborn has said he backed off the Armenia resolution because it could have upset America's key alliance with Turkey during a crucial point in the Iraq war.
Barsam said she's gone elsewhere for support, getting a promise from Lamborn's long-shot Democratic opponent Kevin Bradley that he'll back the Armenian measure if he gets elected in November.
It would take a lot of Armenian votes to unseat Lamborn. He beat Democrat Hal Bidlack with 60 percent of the vote in 2008.
GET READY FOR NOVEMBER
The Gazette's online voter guide is up and running. Compare candidates side-by-side and create a printable ballot. Click here.
