UPDATE: The Denver Post's Kurtis Lee reports, Ken Buck is a "no" vote on secession:
“I think the better strategy is to work to defeat the out-of-touch politicians causing this feel of separation,” said Buck, a GOP candidate in 2014 for U.S. Senate. Five Republicans have announced their candidacies and are vying to challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Udall…
Buck said his decision was “tough.”
“It’s a symbolic gesture,” he said of the secession plan. “But there are a lot of people who feel strongly they’re being ignored. My wife, Perry, and I are traveling around the state on weekends and that sentiment is widespread.”
—–
The Colorado Democratic Party sent out a press release today (full release after the jump) demanding that Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck disclose whether he plans to vote in favor of the secession ballot measure.
Normally we don't get all that jazzed up about the kind of press release or announcement where somebody (whoever it is) "demands" or "calls on" somebody else to disclose something, but in the case of secession, we think voters do have a right to know where candidates stand. This is particularly true in Buck's case; Weld County is where this whole secession nonsense began, and as the Weld County District Attorney and a candidate for U.S. Senate, his opinion is certainly relevant.
Other Republican candidates, such as gubernatorial hopeful Greg Brophy (whose state senate district is in Yuma county, which is also voting on secession), have danced around the question, but it's important for reporters to keep broaching the subject. For Brophy, Buck, (as well as Rep. Cory Gardner, who is also from Yuma), and other candidates running for office in 2014, the public deserves to know whether they support the idea of a new state — particularly when they are asking for votes to represent Colorado in 2015.
In fact, we'd like to see all of the candidates for statewide office, Congress and the legislature make it known whether they support secession…because they might be asked to cast a vote in their respective legislative body should the secession idea progress to that point. While the odds of secession actually facing a vote in the state legislature or Congress aren't particularly strong, that doesn't make the question any less relevant so long as some Colorado voters are casting ballots on the idea.
Today, Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Rick Palacio called on Tea Party darling and failed senate candidate Ken Buck to tell Colorado voters if he will vote next week to secede from the state.
"As the district attorney of Weld County, Ken Buck owes an answer to the working class families of Colorado who reject this extreme ballot measure to create a 51st state," Palacio said.
"Coloradans know that while we are rugged independent thinkers, the best way to get things done is by working together, not by taking your ball and going home to create your own state like Ken Buck's extreme allies are doing in Weld County. If Ken Buck supports seceding from our state, he should quit pursing the job to represent Coloradans in the U.S. Senate and start making bumper stickers for his race to become the first senator from the 51st state."
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Speaking of Cory:
@elistokols 2:53pm via TweetDeck
@kurtisalee Asked @repcorygardner same question re: secession last week. He wouldn't answer, altho it's on his ballot in Yuma. #COpolitics
Too bad, it looks like this won't be quite the gotcha you thought it was. It won't hurt Buck in Weld County…
Too bad Buck isn't running for Senator of Weld County.
Yeah, flat out dumb always plays in Weld. Hence this whole issue in the first place.
So what. He's got less chance than the last time he ran with or without Weld County.
Typical Buck to express himself after it doesn't make any difference. Most of the ballots have already been mailed in.