You might think someone who fancies he has the right stuff to be governor of Colorado would make sure he doesn't sound foolish. Not so with Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman. His mindless statements show he not only doesn't have what it takes to be a leader, but also doesn't pay much attention to what's happening in Colorado.

Just last week, he called Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper a "show horse" who runs a "rogue city government". Oh, really! This is the same mayor who was dubbed by Time Magazine as one of the top five "big city" mayors in the country. The very man who was the only mayor in the country named one of the top public officials of the year by Governing Magazine.

Now, it's a little hard to find out what Marc Holtzman has really accomplished, but it's pretty clear he is no match for the Mayor. First of all, John Hickenlooper is a very successful businessman. Next, in his first two years as mayor, he has modernized an outdated civil service system, filled a $70 million budget hole without big cuts in services, reformed the police department, and launched a campaign to end homelessness. Without grandstanding, Mayor Hickenlooper has simply gone about making Denver a much better place to live.

Even before his election as mayor, John Hickenlooper spent years leading the effort to renovate and reenergize lower downtown Denver. For that, he received a National Preservation Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He has fought hard for better transportation for the metro area and worked to form bipartisan approaches to solving metro-wide problems.

So, this is a "show horse" mayor, who, incidentally, hasn't said he even wants to run for governor against Holtzman? And a "rogue city government" that has made great progress in solving chronic city problems? Maybe Marc Holtzman should take a look at his Republican political base. The Colorado business community, heavily Republican, is very supportive of Denver's mayor and his policies. I wonder if they would agree that his is a "rogue government".

Holtzman might also want to look statewide. Mayor Hickenlooper has defied the tradition that outstate Coloradans dislike Denver's mayors, not because of their policies, but simply because they represent the state's biggest city. Not so with this mayor. He has strong approval ratings statewide partly because he is not a grandstander. Coloradans see him as an effective politician who is doing his job with integrity and prudence. So, Holtzman's bizarre comments are not likely to win him votes if the mayor does, indeed, decide to run for governor.

Most important, though, is what Holtzman's foolish comments say about him as a political leader. Good politicians focus on their vision for the state. They talk about what they have accomplished and how they will use their experience to make the state a better place to live and do business. They seek broad-based support from all segments of the populace. They work with many different constituencies to solve the state's critical problems. Above all, they put the people of Colorado ahead of their own personal ambitions.

Marc Holtzman doesn't even have the support of the governor who first hired him. He's never served in elected office. Who is he to say that the elected mayor of Denver, a very successful businessman, politician, and problem-solver is a "show horse" who runs a "rogue city"? It's refreshing to see a politician who is honest and unassuming. It is disturbing to see one whose loose lips impart not wisdom, but nonsense, whose focus is on denigrating a potential foe rather than solving big problems. Marc Holtzman could learn a lot from John Hickenlooper.

As the 2006 campaigns heat up, campaigns that will determine the political future of Colorado for at least the next 4 years, voters have the opportunity to see which of the candidates has a program that benefits them and which ones merely spout off about someone else's perceived failings. A clear record, earned in full public view, demonstrates a politician's credibility and potential. Just as childish comments show a candidate's unfitness for public office.