UPDATE: This story is going national — it’s now on CNN.com.
We talked yesterday about how Rep. Mark Larson’s withdrawal from the senate race in SD-6 highlights Republican infighting in Colorado. Today’s Rocky Mountain News takes that a step further and includes former U.S. Senator Ben “Nighthorse” Campbell and Sen. Norma Anderson, who announced on Monday that she was stepping down from her seat:
Newly retired lawmaker Norma Anderson always referred to herself as an Eisenhower Republican, a conservative in search of solutions.
But some Republicans referred to the longtime-Lakewood lawmaker as a “squish” and a RINO. Such names reflect a growing split in the GOP that pits moderates against conservatives and fiscal Republicans against social-issue Republicans.
“We don’t know what the Republican Party in Colorado stands for,” said Jon Caldara, president of the conservative Independence Institute think tank. He’s fond of the term “squish,” saying it means someone who talks like a Republican but votes like a Democrat. Likewise, RINO is shorthand for Republican In Name Only.
Anderson abruptly resigned Tuesday before her 20th and final year in office, saying she is ready to move on. But she also was sick of partisan bickering and barbs from the more conservative wing of the party. And she isn’t alone in her frustration.
The same complaints have been echoed by Rep. Mark Larson, R-Cortez, who opted against running for the state Senate, and former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Ignacio, who announced Tuesday he won’t run for governor.
“Larson isn’t running? That’s terrific!” Caldara said Tuesday. “He’s a squish. “Norma Anderson and Mark Larson are great people. I like them. But they do not represent the values of the Republican Party.”
Larson’s response: “I care not what Jon Caldara thinks of me. I represent my district and the values of the Republican Party that I joined some 30-plus years ago. Colorado is not a right-wing, neo-con state.”…
…But Bob Martinez, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, thinks talk of a division is just that – talk. “When people have decided to get out of politics, then they’re free to vent their personal frustration,” he said. “I think a lot of it goes back to Referendum C and D, although I wouldn’t say all of it.”
Republicans last year were divided on the tax measures, with Owens working with Democrats and a minority of Republicans to get the issues on the ballot.
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I seem to recall hearing radio ads with Mark Larson endorsing the Democrat for CD 3. This guy isn’t a squish – he is a Democrat. Good riddance to loser’s like Larson and Anderson who don’t know the value of teamwork.
Oh and Anderson was promoting the Democrats precious Ref. C.
Teamwork? This is a classic example of opposing interests in a powerplay and the ultra-rightists are pushing hard and winning. This ain’t my party so I won’t be crying but I won’t be playing either.
It’s not teamwork when the only acceptable solution is your solution. I think it’s the ultra-righties who need to learn teamwork.
Jeb,
Is it ‘teamwork’ when the resigning legislator hand-picks the successor?
The “teamwork” post exposes the critical flaw in the right-wing GOP’s thinking. While most reasonable folks, Dem and Republican, think that the most important characteristic in an elected official is the ability to work together to solve Colorado’s problems (i.e., true “TEAMWORK”), the Republican leadership increasingly seems to think that the only teamwork that is important is that which is needed to run an effective party. They forget that the point of everything is to run an effective state and state government!
To them, winning isn’t the most important thing — it is the ONLY thing!!!
Thanks for that commentary, SoCo.
But it doesn’t begin to address the much-ballyhooed “teamwork” being attributed to Mrs. Anderson.
She can hardly be viewed as a team player the way things are shaping up.
Boys and girls, let’s play nice!!! Ken Salazar is criticized by Democrats for not following the party line; Mark Larson and Norma Anderson are criticized by Republicans for not following the party line; isn’t the idea to represent the people who elected you, both Republican and Demoncrat, rather than the party?
Maybe it’s time for a third party. One that represents the people rather than the hard-core right or the very liberal left.
Remember Alice Cooper’s song “Elected”.
Didn’t it go something like “….a new party, a third party, the WILD PARTY………”
Bighorn…
Constituencies within the parties, be they D’s or R’s, always complain when an elected doesn’t follow exactly the special interest’s position. The difference between D’s and R’s is what they do beyond simply complaining. The D’s usually don’t do much to punish the stray—maybe not contribute as many dollars or work as hard to get the candidate elected. The R’s believe in punishing electeds who stray. Thus, Rep.Cloer gets a primary opponent in 2004 when he runs for re-election. Another example is when Bob Schaffer and Alex Cranberg cause an anti Rami Johnson letter to be sent just before the election and she loses what should have been an R seat. The D victory helped turn the House from R to D in 2004. But, Johnson got her punishment. Then, of course, there are the R’s who voted “wrong” (against the leadership position) in various committees during the 2004 legislature who were removed and replaced by members who would vote “correctly”.
There is a third party in CO. It’s the Independents. Good luck with that.
Mark Larson and Norma Anderson are criticized by Republicans for not following the party line; isn’t the idea to represent the people who elected you, both Republican and Demoncrat, rather than the party?
…………
Yes – in a GENERAL election, this is the ideal situation… however, the appointment of a hand-picked successor by Mrs. Anderson (within the party) is contemptible, and would be regardless of the political party.
Let’s also consider Mrs. Anderson’s lament about how the GOP doesn’t elect many women… and so she’s automatically defaulting to a candidate — BASED ON GENDER. That would be laughable if it weren’t so serious (not to mention the hypocrisy of it). In my view, she deserves the criticism.
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