May 04, 2007 05:12 PM UTC

Schaffer: Teller County GOP Officials Lied

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• by: Colorado Pols

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Does this strike you as a little odd? Yesterday, we cited a Hill article stating that former Congressman Bob Schaffer had already announced his intention to run for Senate, based on statements made by Teller County GOP officials who attended his speech at their Lincoln Day dinner last weekend.

Today’s Fort Collins Coloradoan, however, quotes Schaffer denying everything:

Former Congressman Bob Schaffer made his long-expected Senate announcement during the weekend in tiny Teller County. Or maybe he didn’t.

“He was invited as our speaker (at a Republican dinner) and said he had decided to run and that a formal announcement would follow but that he wanted us to be the first ones to know,” said Mark Sievers, the chairman of the Teller Republican Central Committee who was among the 100 people who attended.

“I think Bob has been thinking about a run for a long time and maybe he decided on his way down that this was the right time and place to do it.” [Pols emphasis]

Schaffer said he hasn’t announced whether he’ll be a candidate to replace Sen. Wayne Allard, in Teller County or elsewhere.

“I have not announced a candidacy or campaign and if and when there is one, I will announce it at the appropriate time,” the Fort Collins resident said Thursday.

Two possibilities:

1. Schaffer regrets having kicked off his campaign in this clumsy zero-fanfare manner, and is trying to regain control of his message. (Updated: important FEC angle as well)

2. Schaffer hasn’t decided if he’s going to run.

Actually, there’s only one possibility, which is of course the former — unless these Teller County GOP officials who have absolutely no reason to lie and were very specific about what Schaffer purportedly said to them…are lying.

Schaffer may regret the timing and setting of his announcement, but now that it’s out he needs to go ahead and own up to it. Implying these presumably innocent fellow Republicans are dishonest over his own slip-up is not the way to start a Senate campaign.