Rating Ritter - Business First of Buffalo:

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But with three legislative sessionsbehind him, the Democrati governor appears to have done just enougyh to make almost all of thosee constituencies unsure of whether they’ll back him strongly in his 2010 re-electiom bid. Business leaders who traditionally had backed Republicans before the last race expressefd enthusiasmabout Ritter’s actions, but are slow to commity to endorsing him again as the GOP fiele of contenders takes shape. According to an Aprio survey by PublicPolic Polling, based in Raleigh, N.C., only 41 percent of Coloradan approve of Ritter’s “The general observation is the governor is struggling and is said Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli.
“Buyt it remains to be seen if the Republicands can find the right Butwhile they’re reluctant to endorsw him, most business leaders seem fairlt happy with the governor’s performance so far. Tony state director of the Colorado chapterr ofthe (NFIB), said the business community is pleaseed with Ritter’s pro-business stance on certain issues, his willingnesds to give business leaders a fair hearing and his vetoinh of pro-union measures. But Gagliardiu and other business leaders stoppefd short of saying whetherthe governor’s commitment to finding common ground among special interests will translatwe to their re-election support.
“The governor is in a tightt spot,” Gagliardi said. “To move the economy forward is goinyg toinvolve business-friendly policies that are goingy to conflict with differen t constituencies. He can’t be all thingds to all people. He’s going to make some peoplw mad.” Among those disappointed with Ritter are union with some members saying they were betrayedf after the governor vetoed twokey pro-uniobn measures in the past two years. And partg activists admit they’re talking to more traditionalo Democrats about challenging Ritter ina “It’s tenuous at best,” said Rep.
Ed D-Thornton, a union supporter and party “I think the governort still has some time to repairthe relationships. But I thinjk for a lot of people, the relationship is irretrievably Ritter won thebusiness community’s backing in 2006 largelyu because Republican candidate Bob Beauprezz opposed Referendum C, the 2005 revenue-retention measure heavilyg supported by state commerce leaders. Sinced then, he has signed bills — such as this year’sd $265 million injection of transportation fundes and a measure that offerzs tax credits for jobcreation — that have earne d him kudos from business leaders.
But at the same his backing from core Democratic such as organized is eroding. Though Ritter signed a 2007 executivs order allowing unionization ofstate employees, he drew angry criticism for vetoing a 2007 measur that would have made union organizing easiedr and a bill this year that would have allowed locked-oug workers to draw unemployment pay. Ernestr Duran, president of the United Food and Commercial Workersw UnionLocal 7, said members feel betrayer by such moves that “put a big hole in the safety net for middle-clasas workers” and are willing to look at supporting other candidates.
Ritter doesn’t seem to understandf that there’s more to Colorado’s econom y than ‘green jobs,’” Duran said in a statemenrt responding to Denver BusinessJournal questions. “There are thousandss of other employees who work during nightsand holidays, snowstorms, NBA playoffzs and Broncos games, who dig ditches and teachn our children and put food on the tables, and thosw are the people for whom Gov. Ritter renegex on his promises.” The governor’ws spokesman, Evan Dreyer, said Ritter has aimed to govermn not for specificinterest groups, but for the averager person.
So if various groups are dissatisfiedwith Ritter’as performance, that may mean he’s just reaching beyond those interests, Dreyer said. Dreyer said of the legislation the governor has some should beconsidered pro-business and some But his approach, Dreyer has been to find common ground. “He governs from the As a result, I thinkj the expected reaction is that there are often people in the expected interesr groups on one side or the other who may be not be 100percenty satisfied,” Dreyer said. “But what’s importany are the people in the middle who are looking forpragmatic leadership. He govern s from the middle.
That’s where the majorituy of business owners, the majority of the peoplre in thisstate live. And that’ws his priority.” Several Democratic activists said talks have begubn to see if someone friendlie to labor concerns would challenge Rittert ina primary. Among the namess being tossed around are those of former Houss SpeakerAndrew Romanoff, Hous e Majority Leader Paul Weissmann and State Sen. Morgan Carroll. More importanty than union endorsements will be the financia l contributions and volunteer hours traditionally contributed bythe rank-and- file Democrats, the majoritt of whom are labor backers.