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September 13, 2011 06:58 PM UTC

Editorial Boards Open Fire on Gessler

  • 29 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

After Friday’s disclosure of an upcoming fundraiser for the Larimer County Republican Party featuring Secretary of State Scott Gessler in a dunk tank–coming just weeks after Gessler’s office slashed fines owed by the same Larimer County GOP after years of mismanagement and the impending prosecution of the former chairman–editorial boards in Denver and Grand Junction today blasted Gessler for the conflict of interest the situation plainly smacks of.

After so many ethical blind-spot scandals, such as Gessler’s disastrous moonlighting attempt at his old law firm, the Denver paper flat-out wonders today “if he’ll ever get it.” They suggest if Gessler wishes to “salvage his standing” as the impartial official in charge of Colorado elections, swiftly canceling this fundraiser is the first thing to do.

The conservative Grand Junction Sentinel, whose editorial appears behind a paywall online today, is even less forgiving–comparing Gessler’s fundraiser for Larimer County Republicans to the outrage Gov. John Hickenlooper would face if he hosted a fundraiser to pay an oil company’s fine (unwritten answer: a lot). Says the Sentinel, “elected public officials have a responsibility to avoid such blatant conflict of interest. Gessler, an attorney, shouldn’t need a remedial ethics course to understand what constitutes a conflict.”

Like we said on Friday when we first broke the story, nobody is suggesting that this fundraiser is illegal, even if it’s about the most politically counterproductive and self-injurious thing a Secretary of State could possibly do. But there’s a larger question in all of this, one asked during Gessler’s previous embarrassments but perhaps more earnestly as time goes on.

Does Scott Gessler give a crap what you–or anyone–think about anything? Does he even care about re-election, higher office, any of that? Or is four years of the fox in charge of the henhouse the full sum of Gessler’s career aspirations? A poll follows.

Does Scott Gessler care what anyone without handcuffs or a court order thinks?

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Comments

29 thoughts on “Editorial Boards Open Fire on Gessler

  1. Everyone keeps pointing out the conflict of interest and ethical issues, but to me the worst bit is how demeaning a dunk tank gimmick is to the office. He is deliberately degrading the Secretary of State as a constitutional institution.

    The Larimer Dems had a great, hard-hitting fundraising email yesterday:

    http://myemail.constantcontact

    Scott Gessler’s spokesman said, “The Larimer County Republicans are angry and frustrated having to pay the largest fine ever imposed in our office’s history. This is a way for them to relieve those frustrations.” Each and every voter in Colorado should be frustrated with Scott Gessler’s arrogance and lack of ethics. I’m frustrated that this State of Colorado elected official, Scott Gessler, is unethical, biased, and raising funds for local lawbreakers.

     

  2. The liberal Denver Post and stealth liberal GJ Sentinel are suddenly Godlike now?

    Gessler does care about the opinions of those who elected him. This isn’t a problem for us, and it’s surer than hell not a problem for active party members like myself. And it wasn’t a problem for YOU when Bernie Buescher waived fines left and right.

    But you have TWO liberal media mouthpieces on your side, so obviously Gessler should resign immediately. Zzzzz…

      1. in a narrow and partisan manner?

        How about some names of people who didn’t have a problem with Buescher waiving fines?  Just one will do.

        Me thinks you’re pulling your argument straight out of your asshole to defend someone who is a traitor to the concepts of Democracy and impartial office holders but then you spend so much time peering up your orifice that is is a wonder your hands are free to type.

        1. I could have sworn they elected people like Craig Meis (to replace Kathy Hall no less) and that guy with the hair that can’t keep his books straight…all simply because of the (R).  Some crazy undercover James Bond stuff going on, clearly.  

    1. resort the false equivalency argument as their only point.

      “You’re just as bad as us” is the only thing these simpletons can come up with.  You would think that the party with superior moral standards would want to do better than being just as bad as the hated liberals.

      Of course the truth is this slime ball with his head up his ass has no facts or examples to prove his false equivalency argument.

      None.

      He just pulls another false equivalency out of his butthole and expects people to recognize it as truth.

      GrOPer can’t handle the truth that Gessler is a partisan slut who will go in the tank for his buddies any day.

            1. As for the other reasons, I think shame and remorse are a little too intense for fairly minor mistakes. Perhaps regret and nausea. Or regret that there are no Tums in the cabinet for the nausea.

              (What do I know? I’ve never had a hangover.)

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