March 03, 2015 03:35 PM UTC

GOP recall activists on talk radio circuit opposing Ryan Call

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• by: Jason Salzman

In the race for chair of the Colorado Republican Party, activists who led recall efforts against Democrats in 2013 have been on the talk-radio circuit dredging up their attacks on the current GOP Chair, Ryan Call, who's facing a serious challenge from former gubernatorial candidate Steve House.

On Monday, for example, Mike McAlpine (who led recall efforts against Sen. Evie Hudak) and Victor Head (who helped spearhead the recall against Sen. Angela Giron) were on KLZ 560-AM trashing Ryan Call in no uncertain terms. The pair was also on KNUS' Peter Boyles Show.

Both activists were responding to Call's assertions Saturday on a KNUS radio show that he'd backed recall campaigns in Pueblo and Colorado Springs to the tune of $140,000, plus other support.

"Let me start by saying that he objected and opposed to the recalls every step of the way," McAlpine said on air. " And only with this $140,000 after a Republican candidate was selected and it was officially Ryan’s job, as state Chair to get someone elected, did he come up with some money.

"This is a man who did not support the grassroots in Colorado," McAlpine continued. " And for him to step out now and paint himself as a person who did, as a leader, and to take credit for all the hard work of the volunteers, of the independent Republicans who came down, the independent Independents, the Unaffiliateds is wrong!  It is just wrong!"

"The elections went through," Pueblo's Victor Head told the radio audience, agreeing with McAlpine. "We won. Everyone was happy.  [Ryan Call] is out there taking credit, you know, waving at everybody, saying, 'Look what we did!'  And we’re standing there like, 'Well, yeah, we’ve still got this huge bill.' And there were just regular guys like me who got stuck with it.  And so we eventually had to have this press conference and say, 'Hey, Ryan basically lied to us, and said he was going to help and he never came through.' And It was only after we basically dragged him out, kicking and screaming, that he said, 'Oh, okay.  I’ll go ahead and make good on that promise, and I’ll cover the legal fees — or well, the Party will.'  And you know, that’s just the type of person he is.  He’s not there to really help empower the grassroots of the Party.  He really is in this simply to self-serve, as far as I can see."

"Now, the local party stepped up, in the face of Ryan," continued Head. "Ryan actually threatened our county chair down here in Pueblo and said, 'Don’t you dare help those recall people!' And she defied him, and of course, you know, the rest is history. We won.  And it’s all grand and happy.  But, that was the big thing we had, was, why are you actually coming out saying what we’re doing is actually a bad idea?  That’s where it really stung.