President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Kamala Harris

(R) Donald Trump

80%

20%

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

(R) V. Archuleta

98%

2%

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

(D) Joe Neguse*

(R) Marshall Dawson

95%

5%

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

(D) Adam Frisch

(R) Jeff Hurd

50%

50%

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

(R) Lauren Boebert

(D) Trisha Calvarese

90%

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Crank

(D) River Gassen

80%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

(R) John Fabbricatore

90%

10%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) B. Pettersen

(R) Sergei Matveyuk

90%

10%

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

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(R) Gabe Evans

70%↑

30%

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
January 29, 2008 08:13 PM UTC

SHOCKER: Democrats Have Senate Race 527s

  • 21 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

The Rocky Mountain News reports in hushed tones:

Two years ago, two of Colorado’s richest Democratic benefactors plowed more than $7 million into Democratic candidates and causes.

Now a confidential memo to one of their advisers suggests that it would take contributions of nearly $12 million to finance independent political groups trying to influence the outcome of the presidential, U.S. Senate and 4th Congressional District races.

The money – to be spent by political groups known as 527s – would help buy TV ads, radio time and mailings, according to internal documents obtained by the Rocky Mountain News.

The memo was prepared by political consultant Dominic DelPapa and sent to Al Yates, who wears many hats, including adviser to Pat Stryker, a Fort Collins heiress. Stryker and philanthropist Tim Gill, of Denver, spent $7.46 million in 2006 to try to swing elections for Democratic candidates and causes.

The memo doesn’t say who would contribute the money, and DelPapa wouldn’t reveal any details…

Part of the Senate budget calls for a $1.9 million advertising campaign in March and April that would target Republican Bob Schaffer, who likely will face Democrat Mark Udall in the U.S. Senate race. “Define Schaffer/Foot on Throat,” the campaign effort reads, according to a financial spreadsheet marked “very rough preliminary paid communications budget.”

DelPapa and Yates declined to discuss the documents or their clients, but Dick Wadhams, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, ripped the 2008 proposal as “character assassination” and said that Democrats need to reveal their donors immediately.

Democrats fired back, pointing out that Schaffer has served as a board member for various Republican 527s, political groups named for a section of the tax code that regulates them. Such groups typically engage in negative campaigning…

GOP Senate candidate Bob Schaffer certainly does know a thing or two about nasty 527s, having played a key role in the “character assassination” of fellow Republican Ramey Johnson in 2006.

Before anybody gets carried away speculating about a “leak” at the highest Al Yates-ey levels, we’ve already heard that it’s been confirmed to have been inadvertent. Everyone makes bcc: mistakes from time to time, we’re happy to say we’ve never made one this big.

At any rate, other than the playbook leak with some specific numbers–an irritating but not really damaging incident for the Dems, since it discloses nothing fundamentally new–there’s no big deal here, and certainly nothing scandalous. Dear heavens, the Democrats are planning to target Bob Schaffer! And Texas has a whorehouse in it!

Lord have mercy on our souls.

Comments

21 thoughts on “SHOCKER: Democrats Have Senate Race 527s

  1. are pretty weak. Musgrave in particular is fond of the “poor little me” approach. The problem for them is that it’s an inside baseball issue — not exactly something to move persuadable voters.  

  2. Pat Stryker, Tim Gill and Jared Polis (not sure why his name was left out of the article, but everyone knows he’s been generous with his money for Democrats).

    I’d love to see Ramey Johnson in one of the ads ripping Bob Schaffer.  I’d bet that she’s already been approached to make an ad appealing to the 12 or 13 moderate Republicans left in the party.

  3. I’m always a bit grossed out when the expenditures and tactics of progressive causes seem less than progressive.

    But then the pragmatic side of me kicks in.

    I am a strong supporter of real campaign finance reform, but until that happens I’m glad that we have deep pockets and hatchet men working for us as well.

    Bottom line is that you don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.

  4. “be afraid, be very afraid” notice for BS and his lackey DICK WADhams.

    Bob is going to have about as much breathing room as Mr. Macca, so here’s to the Fighting Dems finally showing a whole lot of backbone by going on the attack!

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

120 readers online now

Newsletter

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