Mile-High Headlines for Friday, October 24

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One Last Hurrah: McCain and Obama in Colorado (Clinton Bonus)

If you still don’t know who to back in the race for president, let a former National Football League quarterback with two Super Bowl rings make up your mind for you. Broncos icon John Elway is for John McCain, according to the Rocky Mountain News, which notes the comeback kid will attempt to hurl a proverbial Hail Mary pass this morning for McCain during a campaign rally at Denver’s National Western Arena. Afterward, head to Aurora to see Senator Hillary Clinton attempt to shore up support this afternoon for Barack Obama (via Cherry Creek News). Let’s say you’re still not convinced. Then on you go to check out singer Ben Harper and actors Zach Braff and Laura Dern, who want you to vote for Obama. Harper performs around noon Saturday at a rally in Civic Center Park, according to this Rocky story, a day before Obama’s Sunday visit to the park at 11:30 a.m. After that, Obama heads to Fort Collins to speak at Colorado State University… Here’s some key election information: In registration demographics, the “dominant voting bloc in the state has shifted from Republican men to Democratic women,” according to yet another Rocky story.

The Headlines: Snapshots of a Senate Race

Some headlines aren’t exactly the type Republican Bob Schaffer, a U.S. Senate candidate, needs with less than two weeks to go until Election Day. Take, for example, this one from The Denver Post: “Schaffer’s low-profile mode temporary, staff says.” The newspaper notes Schaffer “spent parts of this week out of sight, and out of state,” a contrast to the Senate campaign of Republican Pete Coors, which during the same week in 2006 worked 14-hour days on “meetings, tours, rallies, pep talks and speeches.” Schaffer’s Democratic opponent, Mark Udall, meanwhile, “has made stops across northern Colorado and the Western Slope this week.” This PolitickerCO headline–“In Senate race, four new ads, but little mention of the economy”–suggests both Schaffer and Udall fail to focus on the issues that are closest to the hearts (and wallets) of Coloradans. Udall gets slammed for being a Boulder liberal, and the Dems take a jab at Schaffer, trying to tie him to President George W. Bush. The Denver Business Journal profiles both candidates today. And the Economist magazine looks at the Udall family–a political dynasty–and their influence in the West.

Leslie Fishbein Widow Files Wrongful Death Suit

An elegant and chic businesswoman, Leslie Fishbein, known for her regular appearances in Kacey Fine Furniture television commercials, was just 55 when she passed away in March. Now she is the subject of a wrongful death lawsuit, according to the Denver Business Journal, filed by her widow, Sam. The suit claims Dr. Daniel Brookoff and HealthOne’s Center for Medical Pain Management at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center improperly managed injections of the anesthetic Marcaine to treat pain stemming from Fishbein’s horseback riding, according to several news organizations, including 9News. Calling Fishbein’s death “tragic,” HealthOne and Brookoff issued a statement, saying the lawsuit would be fought “vigorously,” the Journal reports. The Leventhal, Brown & Puga law firm, which represents Sam Fishbein, issued a statement saying the death was “clearly preventable,” according to 9News.

Bobo, the Lil’ Yorkshire, Didn’t Make It

The intensive care wasn’t enough to save the life of Bobo, a Yorkshire terrier who was hog-tied to a telephone book by his owner and set on fire atop a stove, according to 7 News. Bobo, who suffered burns over half his body, faced too many complications, dying yesterday after his organs failed. Dr. Elisa Mazzafero of Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Lakewood told the news station that Bobo was quiet as he received care. He only “whimpered” when he wanted attention. Owner Tanya Martin, 38, was charged in Jefferson County yesterday with arson and aggravated animal cruelty, a felony, according to CBS4. As Martin remains in jail on $10,000 bond, Arlene Ornalas, Martin’s mother, tells CBS4 that Martin suffers from a mental illness.

Shy? Try Coffee. Mmm, Coffee.

Coffee is more than a jolt and an excuse to escape the flickering office flourecents. The simple act of holding a warm mug makes a person more likely to have warm thoughts about someone else, according to findings by psychologists Lawrence Williams of the University of Colorado and John Bargh of Yale (see Science). Singles and sales reps take note, here’s how it works: People were alternately given hot coffee and iced coffee, and then asked to rate a person’s personality. Those who were given a warm cup rated individuals “significantly higher” on the subjective “warmth” scale than those given a cold beverage. Sorry, one New York Times blog notes, the experiment did not test the effects of cold beer–or even Irish coffee. Working the swing shift? As The Denver Post writes, “Warmth is a key element in maternal-infant bonding, and in one study waiters and waitress who deliver the check with a gentle touch of their customer got larger tips.”

Air Force a Force

Things are going well this season for the Air Force Academy’s football team after an impressive victory against New Mexico last night, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. The team was “on the ropes” after three straight turnovers, until Falcons’ senior linebacker Brandon Reeves forced a fumble from the Lobos’ end-zone-bound quarterback Brad Gruner. Reeves raced 96 yards in the other direction for a touchdown, and, in the end, the Falcons put up 23 points to the Lobos’ 10, improving to a 6-2 record (4-1 in the Mountain West Conference). The team is now eligible for a bowl.

Do or Die for the Rapids

In the beautiful sport of soccer, fans appreciate the draw. After all, it’s a game of momentum, and to a lesser team, a tie is a mark of valor. But now, even that result won’t do for the Colorado Rapids, a team that has struggled much of its season. If the Raps are going to find their way into Major League Soccer’s playoffs, they need to defeat Real Salt Lake under the lights of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, according to USA Today. Of course Real will do all it can to eke out at least a draw. If it does, it clinches MLS’s final playoff slot.

Cheapest Gallon of Gas ‘Round Here: $2.39, Gas and Food, 2385 W 84th Ave. (via www.gasbuddy.com).