Immediately following Gov. Bill Ritter's annual State of State speech this morning, Republicans released a YouTube video offering a Republican vision on key issues raised by the governor.

Senate and House GOP leadership said their decision to present the alternative view via the popular video-sharing Web site was inevitable given the public's growing appetite for following public affairs over the Internet. 

The Republicans said they hope their realistic approach to creating jobs and fixing the state's roads and bridges will resonate with a far broader audience on the Web than it would through a traditional press release.

Senate Republican Caucus Chair Mike Kopp, of Littleton, appeared with his counterpart from the other chamber, House GOP Caucus Chair Amy Stephens, of Monument, to talk frankly about how the Republicans view the state of the state.  

"We are making use of relatively inexpensive technology to reach out to Coloradans in way that is still in its infancy here at the the General Assembly," Kopp said afterward. "We want to let people know that we understand the problems that many of them are facing and that we have a plan to help. YouTube seemed like the best way to get that message to as many people as possible."