U.S. Senate See Full Big Line

(D) J. Hickenlooper*

(R) Somebody

80%

20%

(D) Joe Neguse

(D) Phil Weiser

(D) Jena Griswold

60%

60%

40%↓

Att. General See Full Big Line

(D) M. Dougherty

(D) Alexis King

(D) Brian Mason

40%

40%

30%

Sec. of State See Full Big Line

(D) George Stern

(D) A. Gonzalez

(R) Sheri Davis

40%

40%

30%

State Treasurer See Full Big Line

(D) Brianna Titone

(R) Kevin Grantham

(D) Jerry DiTullio

60%

30%

20%

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

(R) Somebody

90%

2%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

(R) Somebody

90%

2%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Hurd*

(D) Somebody

80%

40%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert*

(D) Somebody

90%

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Crank*

(D) Somebody

80%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

(R) Somebody

90%

10%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) B. Pettersen*

(R) Somebody

90%

10%

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(R) Gabe Evans*

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(D) Joe Salazar

50%

40%

40%

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
May 04, 2007 05:12 PM UTC

Schaffer: Teller County GOP Officials Lied

  • 50 Comments
  • 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.

Comments

50 thoughts on “Schaffer: Teller County GOP Officials Lied

  1. or else the GOP is surrendering this Senate seat.  So he’s running.  I think he wanted more message control, but if he can’t even get behind his own candidacy in public after this, I think it’s going to backfire.

    I’d do the official announcement today if I were him, and this will be forgotten.

  2. I said yesterday that this was not a formal announcement, and he would be able to make a formal launch later with no problem, but now it looks like he is up against his own potential supporters !

  3. Schaffer better get on the ball.  According to the FEC, there are 2 ways for a person to become a candidate for federal office – 1. by conducting campaign actitivites to recieve over $5,000; 2. by making a statement in a public forum announcing their intention to campaign.

    Applying this rule to last week’s announcement (or whatever we’re calling it), Schaffer is now a candidate. Shaffer has 15 days from the time the statement was made to register with the FEC and designate a principal campaign committee.  He may want to get moving, or risk starting off his campaign with an FEC campaign finance violation. 

    I’m not an R, but don’t want to see a candidate run afoul of the law if they don’t have to.  I would be wary with the new focus of the FEC.

    http://thehill.com/l

      1. Kate Martin doesn’t exactly call him “Both Ways Bob”:

        Last weekend, the former 4th District congressman told about 100 Teller County Republicans that he intends to run for the Senate, said Teller County Commissioner Jim Ignatius.

        Schaffer was the keynote speaker at the county party’s Lincoln Day Dinner on Saturday.

        “He did say there was going to be a formal announcement sometime in the future,” Ignatius said.

        Larimer County Republican Party chairman Ed Haynes said Schaffer “chose to tell these 100 people down there that he was going to do it, knowing there was no press in the room.”

        But during a Longmont breakfast meeting with Boulder County GOP members Wednesday, Schaffer said he had not decided.

        “I’ve certainly given that an awful lot of thought,” Schaffer said afterward. “It’s a decision of enormous proportion that I would not propose making on my own.”

    1. It wasn’t supposed to get out.  Wadhams actually announced Schaffer’s candidacy at the Jeffco Lincoln Day dinner last week–on national radio, no less–but that never got out.  There’s no use being so damn coy about this.  Schaffer has assembled a stunning, star-studded team for his run and he may as well come on out and gitrdun.  He’s trying to shore up funds and supporters–all reasonable–but now it’s getting a little goofy.  Look for an announcement next week.

      1. Now he’s going to have to hurry to raise money to post some decent numbers this quarter (which is half over), and it sounds like a lot of the usual suspects aren’t lined up yet.

        Bummer.

  4. Leave it to some friggin po-dunk county to totally misinterpret Bob’s “I’m gonna run” comment to GOP insiders.  Folks: a campaign announcement is so totally different from saying “ya, I’m running for Senate.” Bob did the latter here.  Idiots…

      1. I love that line…it works anywhere.  “Why were you late for work?”  “I don’t know, that depends on what the meaning of ‘is’ is.”

        The best legacy of President Clinton to date…. 🙂

    1.   There is some truth to the distinction.  I seem to recall the West Wing episode where Martin Sheen disclosed his MS, then was asked if he planned to run for re-election. His answer, “Yup, and I’m gonna win.”  Three months later, the episode with the official announcement of his candidacy aired.
        Life immitating entertainment.

    2. MISINTERPRETED, oh dear God, “they took me out of context,” “you’re a po-dunk” for actually believing what Bob S. said, it’s “totally differnt,”  you’re all stupid and roll the idiots is not. ROFLMAO. We’re all idiots………this is soooo hilarious. Queen of Spin for today, rti. This is toooo funny.

  5. This doesn’t seem like a “they’re lying” kind of statement from Schaffer.  I just don’t get that vibe on this one Pols.  This sounds more like the sort of denials that politicians give all the time when asked about future plans.  If any of the Teller county people get upset over this, then a) they’re babies and b) they should have kept their mouth shut

    1. The reason he’s hemming and hawing is once he makes a public statement like this, he’s legally obligated to get his shit together and he doesn’t have his shit together. Your affected obtuseness makes me think you know that.

      1. Nice phrase….

        A Lincoln Day dinner counting as a “public statement” doesn’t seem to hold a lot of water to me.  Telling people you’ll run isn’t a public statement.  Telling people in what is thought to be a private setting isn’t a “public statement”.  I just don’t see the controversy here


        1. Bob should have learned from Marilyn Musgrave’s fiasco with the Marines last year that little is private at county dinners.

          1.   Perhaps I can refer her to one of my gay hairdresser friends.  They like a challenge and that hair of Musty’s definitely is a challenge. 
              And for starters, she should stop buying whatever hair coloring products are on 1/2 price sale at K-Mart.

        2. BUT the FEC  has all the water and rules. ROFLMAO. God, you guys are a laugh riot. SPIN like a top. Lie like a rug. “Telling people is not really a “public statement.”  IF you screw up……….LIE.  Haners I thought more of you until this idiotic statement. You can have your own opinion…you can’t have your own facts.  LOL

          1. I haven’t been here all that long, but I always took Haners for a credible Republican who wasn’t afraid to call out his own side when they do something stupid.

            Scratch that I guess…

            1. One disagreement, and I’m no longer credible.  Such bull shit.

              What ever happened to “debate the issues and not attack people personally”.  I guess that only holds true when you agree with everything the left says

    1. Dear Lauren,
      You are very often the soul of savvy, intelligent discussion, this time I must disagree with you. Wad-head says he will bludgeon the Dem’s with the phony tax increase. The Dem’s are going to keep repeating, “I wasn’t running before I was running Bobbie Schaf,” until we are all sick of it. 24 hour news cycle, yes, letting Bobbie boy get away with this, “I lied I’m not running…uh…yes I am..uh Teller County is podunk…uh…I’m running when I say I’m running,” silliness will stick like, “Both WAYS.”  LOL

      1. Zep’ster – You’re the one trying to spin this into some sort of wacky conspiracy.  So tell me, have you always been a Schaffer-basher or is this a new jihad for you?

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Yadira Caraveo
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

315 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!