After Bill Ritter tapped Barbara O'Brien, a woman who's racked up considerable experience with local and state governments during her fifteen years as head of the Colorado Children's Campaign, it was no surprise that Beauprez would choose a woman. But it was surprising that he managed to find one with less political experience than your average PTO chair, since Rowland (pictured) has yet to complete her first term as a Mesa County commissioner. As for the rest of her background, it's O'Brien light -- very light.
The lite guv slot has never been particularly demanding, of course. But with all the savvy women around the state, it's too bad the Beauprez campaign didn't make a token effort at coming up with a better token. -- Patricia Calhoun
