November 09, 2010 01:30 AM UTC

Hick Picks Owens For Transition Co-Chair

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• by: Colorado Pols

FOX 31’s Eli Stokols reports:

Former Gov. Bill Owens, Colorado’s last Republican governor, will be named as a co-chair of Gov.-Elect John Hickenlooper’s transition team, FOX 31 has learned…

Naming Owens as part of his transition team continues Hickenlooper’s campaign effort to reach out to members of both parties and is the first big symbolic gesture of his transition that he will continue to lead in a bipartisan, apolitical way, according to his staff.

Bill Owens is probably the best choice available to Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper to help him reach out to moderate Republicans, and the GOP-leaning business community as a whole. A lesser figure would not be taken seriously by the Republicans Hick needs to win over, and most Republicans of the level of prominence necessary are too partisan to consider it.

Though you have to wonder if even Bill Owens will be able to broker a peaceable relationship with the Frank McNulty-led Colorado House–some of them think Owens is a traitor for daring to support 2005’s Referendum C, and others probably wouldn’t take advice to work with Democrats if Jesus himself descended from heaven and commanded them to.

But kudos to Hickenlooper for trying, and good for Owens to set aside partisanship and help.