Politics

DENVER (CBS4) ― Michael Bennet may not be a career politician, but his career is long on experience. The Yale-educated attorney worked in the Clinton administration, for Anschutz Investment Company, and as Mayor John Hickenlooper's chief of staff, among many other positions.

Last January, he was superintendent of Denver Public Schools when Gov. Bill Ritter tapped for the U.S. Senate spot. He says it was a hard but rewarding time to go to Washington.

"This is an incredibly tough time, with the economy, and for American families, but the issues are real issues," Bennet said. "I'm not a career politician, and to watch the legislative process up close, it can get discouraging sometimes because it's just so flat out crazy!"

Bennet has been applying his corporate sector and public education experience on the Senate Agriculture and Banking Committees. He was also recently appointed to Ted Kennedy's spot on the Health, Education, and labor Committee.

"I look forward more than you can possibly imagine to saying to them 'You are really well intentioned, but let me tell you how it's really working when it gets to the teach level and the kid level,' which is not very well," Bennet said.

Education and equal opportunity are the passions of the senator who said he wants his own three children to "live in a country where your zip code doesn't define where you end up."

The health care debate dovetails into that passion. Bennet has visited every county in Colorado to talk about insurance issues.

"No matter how much people were worried about the status quo, they were worried about what the change would mean for them," Bennet said. "People are saying 'We need help, and we're concerned that you guys can't get your act together back in Washington.'"

Bennet said, before the recession, the median family income in Colorado had dropped by $800, while the cost of health insurance doubled over the same period of time. He noted the United States spends one fifth of its gross domestic product on health care.

"Where we go from here, I hope, is to put the politics aside, create a common sense piece of legislation the president can sign and say, 'Here's what's in this.' I think once people can see what's in the final product, and that it's a material improvement in their lives, they'll be happy."

Bennet specifically supports a "deficit neutral" health care bill.

"I'm not going to support a bill that adds to our deficit, because I think we are in such tough fiscal shape, but I'm very confident we can produce a piece of legislation that is deficit neutral," said Bennet.

Meantime, Bennet is cranking up campaign efforts in advance of next year's election, when the voters will be able to sign off on the seat to which he was appointed.

"I'm going to work very hard to hold the seat in 2010, because it's important at this time in history, when we need to make hard decisions, and I'm willing to make hard decisions," said Bennet. "I've had other jobs before, and if it doesn't work out in November, I'll be able to find something else to do. But, I think this is a pretty decent place to apply the set of experiences I've had."

When asked about the prospect of running against former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, Bennet said he had been surprised to hear about the candidacy.

"It's up to Andrew," said Bennet. "This is a democracy and we're going to have a primary and I think the objective ought to be to come out of that in strong shape for November. I look forward to all of it."

Bennet said his family is ready for the grueling campaign, and that his wife and three daughters have been supportive. He comes home every weekend from Washington.

"When I am back, there's not time for the usual family fighting, because there's not time to put it back together again. We're getting along really well," Bennet said.

Stay tuned for an upcoming Breakfast with Brooke with Andrew Romanoff.

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