May 29, 2013 09:20 AM UTC

The Morse Recall: A New NRA Proxy War

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: AP has now posted a major correction to the story this post is based on:

In a story May 28 about Democrats facing recall efforts, The Associated Press reported erroneously that a conservative consultant said out-of-state donors helped fund her donation to a potential recall of the president of the Colorado State Senate. Laura Carno was misquoted; she said donors from other states have contributed to one of her organizations that will help in the recall but that her main donation to the recall effort to date came from a separate group funded by Colorado donors…

The corrected version of the story now reads:

The recall group's main funding comes from a $14,000 contribution from a nonprofit run by a local conservative consultant, Laura Carno. She said donors from other states have contributed to one of her organizations that will help in the recall but that her main donation to the recall effort to date came from a separate group funded by Colorado donors.

Obviously we're obliged to bring this correction from the AP to our readers' attention, as the question of whether the recall effort against Colorado Senate President John Morse is being "locally" funded, and the answer seemingly provided in this story, is an important point of messaging for both sides. Of course, since Springs-based GOP operative Laura Carno isn't required to disclose the source of the contribution in question at all, even this correction boils down to taking her word for it–and the fact of the NRA's involvement has been separately reported and confirmed. Original post follows. 

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As we've been reporting for weeks now, an infusion of outside money and logistical support has turned what was a rag-tag and longshot effort to place the recall of Senate President John Morse into an effective campaign operation–and where we once predicted failure just as pro-gun recall attempts have already failed in other parts of the state, it does now appear that Morse will face a costly recall election to remain in office–for the one year he has left before term limits ends his Senate career anyway.

AP's Kristen Wyatt adds one…we suppose new, but fully anticipated piece of information in a story today:

The National Rifle Association sent a political mailer saying it was coordinating the recall effort with local groups, though the local recall petitioners have denied that. The NRA did not return calls for comment on their involvement in the Colorado Springs effort.

Morse has mounted a campaign to urge voters not to sign petitions. In an indication of the national stakes, that push is largely funded by a $20,000 contribution from a national progressive group called America Votes. The Morse campaign said the donation came through the group's local Colorado office.

The recall group's main funding comes from a $14,000 contribution from a nonprofit run by a local conservative consultant, Laura Carno. She said that contribution was made possible by some out-of-state donors. [Pols emphasis]

"People in other states that are further down this road, like New York and Massachusetts, are calling up and saying 'What can we do to help?'" Carno said…

A key contention made by recall supporters is that their effort is "local" and "grassroots" in nature, in contrast to the effort to defend Morse receiving funds from the "national" liberal group America Votes. This is also one of the main reasons why the paid signature gathering operation actually responsible for getting Morse's recall on the ballot has tried so hard to avoid press coverage. Springs-based GOP operative Laura Carno's "local" group I Am Created Equal was deliberately contrasted against the "out-of-state" America Votes, and inferred ties from America Votes to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In neither case can the origin of the money be precisely verified, as these are 501(c)(4) groups that do not have to disclose their donors. 

Except that Laura Carno just did verify it, and we now know the money paying for the signatures for Morse's recall came at least in part from out-of-state donors too. So we can dispense with that canard at least.

Like we just said, there's nothing that should be particularly surprising about this. The National Rifle Association tipped its hand by sending out a mailing announcing they were helping coordinate the recall attempt, something they haven't confirmed to reporters making subsequent inquiries. For Carno to admit now that the money she funneled into Kennedy Enterprises to conduct the paid signature drive came from out-of-state donors is simply to confirm what most already suspected.

Bottom line: the reason this recall is going forward is because people from outside Colorado want to "make an example" of John Morse, and in so doing to chill any attempt to replicate Colorado's gun safety legislative success elsewhere. And yes, the out-of-state interests who support the laws Colorado passed this year are obliged to defend Morse to prevent that from happening. If that's how it plays out, it's going to be splashy, costly, and ugly–with tensions artificially cranked up due to the competing national interests engaged in the fight.

Kind of like the Cold War, except the superpowers' "proxy battlefield" is not halfway around the world. It's here.