April 07, 2010 11:09 PM UTC

Scott McInnis Just Makes Stuff Up (Denver Domination Edition)

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• by: Colorado Pols

Trying to stoke a little regionalist angst down in Colorado Springs, GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis parts ways with the facts once again–Gazette reporter Tom Roeder writes:

The McInnis visit is part of a push by the [Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce] this year to bring in political candidates as speakers. One chamber official said the speeches allow chamber members to learn more than can be picked from 30-second television advertisements.

McInnis showed he may have some learning to do, too.

The former congressman from Grand Junction is trying to win support in the hinterlands by deriding Denver. In his chamber speech, McInnis claimed that all leadership positions in Colorado state government are held by people who live in Denver and its suburbs. [Pols emphasis]

“Colorado Springs doesn’t have anyone in leadership back there,” McInnis said.

But the candidate overlooked some sizable Colorado Springs gains in Denver in recent years.

Leading the pack is state Attorney General John Suthers, a former prosecuting attorney from Colorado Springs. There’s also the Senate’s majority leader, Colorado Springs Democratic Sen. John Morse.

Want to change the state budget? Ask Colorado Springs Republican Rep. Kent Lambert, who sits on the powerful Joint Budget Committee.

Need some pull on the House Education Committee? Have a chat with Colorado Springs Democratic Rep. Michael Merrifield, the panel’s chairman…

Yeah, but, aside from all of those…officials…in leadership positions…from Colorado Springs…McInnis is right that “Colorado Springs doesn’t have anyone in leadership.” And in truth the problem is all of you rascally Democrats twisting his words–you should be ashamed of yourselves, that’s plainly not what he meant, because obviously, it’s not true.

Somebody was about to say so, we figured we’d save them the trouble. We seem to recall a lot of the same excuses made for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez in 2006, when his off-the-cuff quotes repeatedly got him into trouble–ending in a 17-point loss.