U.S. Senate
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(D) J. Hickenlooper*
(R) Somebody
80%
20%
Governor
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(D) Phil Weiser
(D) Joe Neguse
(D) Jena Griswold
60%
60%
40%↓
Att. General
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(D) M. Dougherty
(D) Alexis King
(D) Brian Mason
40%
40%
30%
Sec. of State
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(D) A. Gonzalez
(D) George Stern
(R) Sheri Davis
50%↑
40%
30%
State Treasurer
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(D) Brianna Titone
(R) Kevin Grantham
(D) Jerry DiTullio
60%
30%
20%
CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
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90%
2%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(R) Jeff Hurd*
(D) Somebody
80%
40%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert*
(D) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Jeff Crank*
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80%
20%
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
(R) Somebody
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CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) B. Pettersen*
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10%
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(R) Gabe Evans*
(D) Yadira Caraveo
(D) Joe Salazar
50%
40%
40%
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
May 22, 2008 04:36 PM UTC
35 Comments
They would get the lead on this story and it could be gigantic. Just tracking down why Bob Schaffer got this job could be very interesting.
political “journalism” in Colorado. Reporters here have their noses so far into the nether-regions of the politicans they cover they are unwilling to do any sort of investigation.
Someone is doing that research right now, possibly has it done already. The papers won’t be able to keep it out of print; if the research is stifled here, it will get out elsewhere and then the local papers will lose the glory.
I’m looking for a good story the day after the jury verdict comes in, assuming it comes in “guilty”.
The only bright side for Schaffer right now is that TPMMuckraker is currently down a staffer or two; they were pretty hard on him over the Marianas deal, but I haven’t seen any reporting from them on this scandal (yet).
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does that mean that the vapor phase converters I bought from Bill Orr and have installed on my cars will stop working ?
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you can blend all the gasoline, ethanol and trace amounts of manganese you want, but it won’t improve mileage or reduce emissions.
The Republican State Convention might have some excitement after all. Watch your back Bob.
The move to watch will be made by by Bill “My Son is Will Armstrong” Armstrong. Big Bill is not sentimental and will throw Schaffer out the door if he thinks he has no chance of winning.
It might be too close already for the Republicans to jump ship, find an heir apparent, and then push over the head of Party boss Wadhams and tell him that his employer is off the ticket.
That leaves them with the choice of personally washing their hands of him so they don’t get burned by his implosion, or doubling down and saying Schaffer is the best thing ever.
With the nay votes trying to slip into the shadows and the ayes singing the praises loudly in hopes that nobody hears the fear in their voices, the media narrative will likely be that the Republicans are unconcerned by the coming Beauprez-scale meltdown.
The fundraising reports next quarter will tell the real story, though. Not that anyone outside of here will listen.
Republicans unlike Democrats do not wring their hands and worry about alienating this or that group. When it is time to throw someone under the bus you’ll see the thread marks in seconds.
As to raising money any credible candidate will be able to raise funds quickly. Names being floated include Senators Penry and Wiens and Tom Tancredo.
this stays off Schaffer’s official bio.
I made a presentation on the upcoming election to a group of pretty heavy duty Republican check writers. The question I got was “can Bob win”
My response, which was a couple of weeks before this debacle, was that Bob was going to spend several million dollars to peak at 44% of the vote.
I now think he will be lucky to break 42%.
I know that this is a “thump your chest, take deep breaths” Democrat blog, but it is curious to me if any of you folks who are really, really good at negative research ever track Bob’s employment history back to when he was an employee (I think) of the Ohio equivalent of our legislative council at the time of the first dominoes falling forward in the infamous S&L crisis.
I don’t remember how he got to Colorado, but I vaguely remember him having a corner desk pushed back into the majority Republican office as a minor PR person for the Senate Republicans.
So, who is the bigger cancer on society here – a teenage mommy with 2 infants on food stamps or Bobby – who apparently has never had a real job nor been responsible for generating the money necessary to actually make a payroll?
I think the GOP has to start thinking about showing him the door.
Who will they replace him with?
has always wanted to run. At this late date, can anyone else step in? Has this been Dick’s plan all along, a Trojan Campaign Manager strategy?
Seriously, Wadhams might as well run, he’s the only one who talks to the press anyway. And his chances of winning are about equal to Schaffer’s these days.
More seriously, John Suthers is the only Republican of enough stature and with a good image, who could pick up a statewide campaign on short notice. The other option is a Bruce Benson-style candidate from business circles.
OTH would he want to trade a sure win in the 6 for a big maybe statewide.
…we have no way of knowing if the press will find enough here that sticks to Schaffer. I think the circumstantial evidence is huge – there had to be a reason for Schaffer to have that job.
But if there’s no clear link, then I don’t think this will hurt him much. So lets hope the press can find out what really went down.
…after the state convention when it’s mostly too late to switch candidates…
And you can bet there’ll be one properly constituted for the Senate nomination.
Honestly, it isn’t too late to sub in a new candidate as late as the primary, if you have to.
It’s easy enough to replace someone through the vacancy process, or at least it is if the vacancy committee isn’t comprised of the entire convention…
but they don’t have time to raise money, hone a message, yada yada.
If a new candidate walks in after august in a D year, they’re done.
My mom was handed the Senate nomination in late late August – there was no time. It’s not like you have a fully funded and staffed operation going 120 MPH the next day.
So whoever they have after the primary, that’s it for a credible chance at winning.
This is so premature. Will Schaffer get bounced from the Senate nomination? Will his multiple scandals send him to a defeat of Beauprez-like proportions?
Only time can tell.
For now, tonight, we can only gloat.
If Hillary Clinton could run for the Senate in New York, Dave’s Mom can run here! The constitution doesn’t require you to be a resident when you run, only to keep a residence in the state if elected. She seems like my kind of Republican, in the tradition of John Love/Dick Plock/Jim Johnson, etc., moderates and head and shoulders above our locally grown aspirants. How about it Dave? Would she accept a draft?
Time for Ewegen to come out from behind the desk and stand at the rostrum.
She would run to the left of Udall and has a much stronger environmental record – she could beat him.
David, is Schaffer was a director of the foundation while it engaged in illegal activity — fraudulently taking grant money from the EPA. Millions of federal dollars.
Either Schaffer knew what was going on, which would make him a crook, or he hadn’t a clue, which reinforces his sterling reputation as a fact-finder and investigator. Either way, this hurts him. Much.
The “soft” link – was he involved in obtaining the earmark for a fellow Coloradan while he was in Congress in 2001. As a member of the Republican Congress, and a member of both the Agriculture and Natural Resources committees at the time, he would have been in a strong spot to promote such an earmark (it was administered through the EPA, not the DOT).
One of you guys was making the point about whether Schaffer was engaged in lobbying without registering. An interesting data poitn to run down, for sure.
That wasn’t for Schaffer’s work with NAFF, but, rather, a claim Aspect made when it rewrote Schaffer’s official company biography and credited Schaffer with helping Congress see the light on wind energy.
In a description of a wind energy investment, the company again credits Schaffer:
The timing of Schaffer’s biography revisions and a Coloradans for Economic Growth TV ad touting Schaffer’s wind energy credentials, citing the Aspect biography as its sole justification, raises questions about illegal coordination between the Schaffer campaign, his former employer and the independent group funding the commercials.
Very clever how you all reported it wrongly then still manage to bash the shit out of the guy… I don’t like him but geez.
The only incorrect information, added as an update late last night to the original post, has been removed. We regret the error, but that doesn’t change any of the material facts.
We’ll be checking directly on court proceedings now.
when printing a correction to note the incorrect information rather than simply removing it. Then new readers can make sense of Disinterested17’s post (and all the others above reacting to the error) without having to guess.
That said, can’t wait to find out what happens. Pins and needles.
Given the seriousness of the claim and its pending nature, we decided to remove it.
Best case scenario is Orr with a not guilty verdict. Even then, the slow trickle continues. Worst case, a guilty verdict ends it for Schaffer. So all kidding aside, is the RNC thinking about 2 Democratic U.S. Senators representing Colorado? Who in the world is a viable replacement? Is it time to strong arm Elway? More horse barn adds with Beauprez? Tancredo? How about going even further right with Caplis? What a dilemma.