March 27, 2007 07:01 PM UTC

McInnis Speaks, Others Question

• 4 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

Erstwhile GOP Senate candidate Scott McInnis is speaking today to the Colorado Republican National Hispanic Assembly. Colorado Confidential is live-blogging the festivities.

Elsewhere, The New York Sun, whatever that is, thinks Republicans made a big mistake in pushing out the moderate McInnis for a more conservative candidate:

Mr. McInnis served in Congress between 1993 and 2005 and, in that time, developed a record for being suitably tough on fiscal issues and suitably moderate on social issues. He earned respectable ratings  during his last five years of service from Americans for Tax Reform (between 80% and 95% each year) and the National Taxpayers Union. He  also happened to be a pro-choice Republican, but he was one still  moderate enough to earn a 0% rating in 2003 from NARAL Pro-Choice  America. He was also one of the Republicans who voted against Mr.  Allard’s and Ms. Musgrave’s infamous Federal Marriage Amendment.

In sum, Mr. McInnis was the Colorado Republican Party’s best shot at holding the line in 2008. However, he seems to have been forced out  of the race by social conservatives who, in a state that is home to Evangelical leader James Dobson and his Focus on the Family, want a  “traditional” Republican (i.e., one of them) to be their nominee.

Just before Mr. McInnis withdrew his name from consideration, the godfather of the Colorado Republican Party, former Senator Bill Armstrong commented to the Denver Post that he would not support Mr.  McInnis and instead preferred the more socially conservative Bob  Schaffer, another former Colorado congressman. Mr. Schaffer and Mr.  McInnis have received similar ratings from fiscal groups, but Mr. Schaffer has an edge with so-called traditional Republicans in his co- sponsorship of the original Federal Marriage Amendment, and his pro- life stance. All this presumably leads to Mr. Armstrong’s determination that Schaffer “is the most likely Republican nominee.”

The most likely Republican nominee, perhaps, but the most likely  successor to Mr. Allard? That’s doubtful.