April 12, 2013 08:55 AM UTC

At Least He's Not Your City Councilman...Yet

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• by: Colorado Pols

As the Grand Junction Sentinel's Paul Shockley reports, there's trouble brewing in the wake of the recent Grand Junction city council elections. Councilman-elect Rick Brainard was arrested last weekend on suspicion of domestic violence against his girlfriend. Brainard is vowing to take office despite admission of pretty nasty behavior, and opposition to his taking office is reportedly growing:

“Anyone who has admitted to domestic violence is not worthy of being a City Council member,” [resident Linda Moran] said, acknowledging she voted for Brainard in the council election on April 2.

“I had read he felt like the bar was set too low for the community,” Moran said, explaining her vote for the embattled councilor-elect.

“He’s already crossed that line. I do regret it,” she said of her vote.

Brainard, 51, said in a prepared statement Tuesday he intends to serve on the City Council despite his arrest Saturday on suspicion of domestic violence against his girlfriend. An arrest affidavit obtained by The Daily Sentinel said Brainard initially denied to a police officer that an altercation with the woman turned physical, then admitted he’d pushed her, grabbed her hair and slapped her. The slapping, he explained, was needed to “shut her mouth.” [Pols emphasis]

Classy.

Ordinarily, we would say that the details of this case, and statements now on record, would clearly oblige Mr. Brainard to step aside to deal with his heretofore-unknown loutish bastard tendencies. But this is Mesa County, folks, and we have such sterling examples of personal responsibility and humility as well-tanned GOP Rep. Jared Wright of the Fruita Police Department Colorado General Assembly to set the precedent. 

So naturally, Brainard says, "what's the problem, butthead?"