Former congressman Bob Schaffer, a conservative, becomes the GOP’s first Senate candidate in Colorado today. Republicans have had a tough time coming up with a man to run for the seat of retiring Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell. So far, Gov. Owens and the entire Republican congressional delegration has declined to get in. So has state treasurer Mike Coffman, former RNC chair Jim Nicholson, and Secretary of the Interior Gail Norton. Lt. Gov. Jane Norton is still thinking things over. From what I can tell, Schaffer will be the preferred candidate for conservatives–though any Republican will have a tough time against the anointed Democrat, state AG Ken Salazar–who has been described to me as “to the right of Joe Lieberman,” i.e., a pro-life, pro-school choice Hispanic.