June 17, 2015 04:09 PM UTC

Tancredo Says Coup Attempt Was Supported by Many Republican Legislators

• 10 Comments
• by: Jason Salzman

(Everybody, under the bus! — promoted by Colorado Pols)

On KNUS  radio show this morning, Tom Tancredo said he, along with Attorney General Cynthia Coffman and Pueblo Country GOP Chair Becky Mizel, were “selected” by fellow Republicans to demand the resignation of GOP Chair Steve House.

Though Coffman called the meeting, they acted at the “behest of a lot of people,” he told KNUS 710-AM’s Peter Boyles, adding that they were supported by “state legislators who were supportive of [House] at one time, who are now not.”

Tancredo told KNUS’ Dan Caplis (See transcript below.)

Tancredo: We were strong supporters, and — which is the reason why we ended up being sort of, I don’t know, — selected, asked, whatever you want to say – to confront with him and meet with him, because we wanted – they wanted to — everybody wanted to make sure he understood the seriousness of the issue. And so, I did, but certainly not because I have just a desire to step back into this kind of ugly stuff. I don’t.

Tancredo told KNUS’ Peter Boyles the same thing, in more detail (See transcript below):

Tancredo: I can tell you this:  that the reason that we met with Steve House was to express concerns of a lot of people.  It was not something that I, Cynthia Coffman, and Becky Mizel chose unilaterally to do.  We were asked to do that because we represented the people who were the most supportive of Steve when he ran.  And we certainly were

As you can read below, Tancredo did not specify who selected the group to confront house, nor did he say what the serious issue(s) was, leaving a mystery that will likely be revealed, probably in multiple versions, in the days ahead.

As Tanc put it to Boyles, the reasons for demanding for his resignation “may very well all certainly come out.”

Partial Transcript of the Dan Caplis Show, June 17, 2015, with Guest Tom Tancredo

CAPLIS: You know, the question is: Okay, you’ve got this situation, now, with Steve House. You have the stories that have appeared so far. Um, how does this get fixed? You’ve been such a prominent leader in the Party for so many years, you’ve dealt with so many situations, how does this get fixed going forward?

TANCREDO: The best way, and I think perhaps the only way for it to get it, quote, fixed is for the Executive Committee of the State Party to take some action that would bring the whole issue to a vote of the Central Committee, the entire Central Committee. There is a process that is, you know, laid out in the by-laws of the state Party if there is a vacancy. But only if that vacancy occurs, can that process go forward. So, the – you know, it is to a large extent, it is up to Steve as to how he wants to handle it. And he says he wants to stay. Well, you know, that certainly can be a way to handle it. I do not know – I do not believe that is the best way, but I have no ability to change it. I’m not on the Central Committee. I’m not on any committee of the State Republican Party. But, uh –.

CAPLIS: Tom, can the Central committee remove him?

TANCREDO: No.

CAPLIS: Wow! So, once you’re it, there’s no recall?

TANCREDO: Oh! I’m sorry! Central Committee! Yes, yes. That can happen.

CAPLIS: Yeah, okay. Okay.

TANCREDO: There is two parts. One is the Executive Committee, and it’s a, you know, a group of, I don’t know — 10 to 15, 20 or 25 people, something like that.

CAPLIS: Yeah.

TANCREDO: Um, they can take action. They can call for a vote of no confidence. That’s one thing that could happen. Um, then – but, but then, if nothing –if Steve chooses not to resign, it’s my understanding – and Danny, believe me, I – most of this – I [inaudible] have been around a long time and it is true, but not in really in Party politics – at least, in the bowels of the Republican Party, if you know what I mean.

CAPLIS: Sure.

TANCREDO: And so, the way I understand it, if he chooses not to step down, then really, there’s nothing else, I think, that could happen, except if somehow a vote of the Central Committee can be held, they can remove him. And it takes, I think, 70%.

CAPLIS: Wow! I mean –.

TANCREDO: Yeah, so, it’s kind of a convoluted process.

CAPLIS: What a situation! I’ve got to tell you, if you write a book, I’m going to buy it! I’ll be the first guy in line to buy it! I’ll be that guy at Barnes & Nobles [sic] who camps out to stand there first and buy it. Because when you think of everything you’ve been through, including trying to salvage things [clears throat] when Dan Maes wouldn’t cooperate and do the right thing and step aside, I mean, you’ve been in so many of these interesting situations, it just seems to me this is one that really does need to be fixed in a hurry, with everything going on.

TANCREDO: Oh, and with that I certainly agree with.

CAPLIS: But, uh, wow!

TANCREDO: But Danny, um, as I say, I assure you, with God as my judge, and he is, that um, this is nothing that I or anybody else wanted to do, um, or have happen.

CAPLIS: Yeah.

TANCREDO: We were strong supporters, and — which is the reason why we ended up being sort of, I don’t know, — selected, asked, whatever you want to say – to confront with him and meet with him, because we wanted – they wanted to — everybody wanted to make sure he understood the seriousness of the issue. And so, I did, but certainly not because I have just any desire to step back into this kind of ugly stuff. I don’t. Like I say, riding my motorcycle with Peter – that’s a nice day. Not this kind of stuff

CAPLIS: Mm-hmm. That would be a nice day. That would — But, you know, you have so much hard earned credibility, and clout, and influence, I’m just hoping that you’ll be able to use that, given this current mess to help clean things up, because Lord knows, it’s going to be tough enough in the ’16 cycle. And I know you know that better than anybody because you’ve been in the arena. You’ve been in these races. You’ve been in these fights. So, I’m just am, uh –.

TANCREDO: Yeah, [I] hope it’s done quickly, certainly would be the best thing for the Party. And–and I don’t know – I don’t—I mean, I don’t have a candidate. It’s not as if I –. I don’t know where it goes from now. I don’t know who gets to, you know — elected. I don’t even know who we would get into the arena. I hope that we will make better decisions than we’ve made in the past.

CAPLIS: Yeah. Wow! And, uh, I know you’re limited on what you can say this morning. I appreciate the chance to talk with you about this. And I know you’ll do everything you can do to try to make sure this ends well, and quickly, so the focus can turn back to the races.

Partial Transcript of the KNUS Peter Boyles Show, June 17, 2015, with Guest Tom Tancredo

BOYLES:  What is the truth about this Chairman Steve House story?

TANCREDO:  Well, I can tell you this:  that the reason that we met with Steve House was to express concerns of a lot of people.  It was not something that I, Cynthia Coffman, and Becky Mizel chose unilaterally to do.  We were asked to do that because we represented the people who were the most supportive of Steve when he ran.  And we certainly were.  Cynthia, the Attorney General, was of course, you know, his—she made the nominating speech.  She was an incredibly gutsy—and is an incredibly gutsy person, to stand up when a lot of people would think that it’s not the right thing – or it’s a scary thing for an incumbent.  But, she did.  And we all believed that we had something better than we were dealing with in the form of Ryan Call.  And the issues that we had to bring to Steve’s attention were serious, and were such –were of such a nature that, um, a meeting of this sort was necessary.  What was not necessary was for it to become, uh, a public discussion of things that are untoward.  Uh, he could have done, and stayed with the course which he set out on, which was to resign. Ten minutes after our meeting, he sent out an email to that effect.  And that would have pretty much ended it.  It would have been a quiet and um, — and certainly a less ugly situation than we now face.  But all I’m telling you is that there was nothing that – you know, the three of us weren’t sitting around one day and say, “Hey! I know what!  Let’s go and tell Steve that he’s got to quit!”  This came about as a result of lots of folks, including state legislators who were supportive of him at one time, who are now not.  And they are not for reasons that may very well all certainly come out.  But, certainly – you know, it’s one of those things — I hate to say it just because it sounds so legalese, but things may end up in court.  You’d better– we have to be very, very careful how we proceed in this nature.  We are not saying – you know, all of these things that are in the paper are his allegations about what happened.  They’re his.  I mean, he is making the statements.  We are not.  All I’m telling you is that, um, I, like you, supported him, wanted him to succeed. It is certainly apparent to us that we may have made the wrong choice.  But anyway, we’ll see where it goes.  I don’t know – I mean, we did what we had to do, um, and as I say, at the behest of a lot of people.  It certainly wasn’t just us.  I want to reiterate that, because that’s the way it’s being portrayed, that either I, or Becky Mizel who’s the state chair in Pu—I mean, the county chair in Pueblo–.

BOYLES: Who we—We like her a lot. We like [inaudible]. 

TANCREDO:  Oh, my gosh!  She is absolutely the best.  And Cynthia Coffman, you know?  Um, I got a text message from Channel 9 news last night saying – the allegation was from Steve, that Cynthia wanted to meet with him, and that Becky and I crashed his – this meeting [chuckling] for the purpose of, quote, blackmailing him.  Well, I mean, it was Becky—it was – excuse me, Cynthia who called the meeting.  And she did so because, as I say, we were — the three of us were his primary supporters.  And so we wanted to impress upon him the concerns of a lot of people, and the fact that this was serious, and that um, the best thing – we believed—for him to do was resign.  And he agreed. And, I mean, he did so by, as I say, ten minutes afterward.  Then, whatever happened happened, and he chose to renege.  So, it’s a – it’s—it just didn’t have to be this way, but what can you do?  Um, the — the issues are serious, and that’s really all I can say about them.  They certainly are not things that, you know, are trivial in nature, or – or have anything to do, by the way, with, um, personalities or, uh, motives that are, um, of the highest order.  Nobody is looking to be – [starts to laugh]  I don’t intend to be Chairman of the Republican Party!  I guarantee—somebody said to me, “Why don’t you do that?  You’re a unifier! You unify everybody against you!”

BOYLES:  Ha!  Yeah, sure!  [laughing]  That guy in Lebanon said, “Forever – for ever —whatever you do, don’t help us!”

TANCREDO:  [laughing]  Right!

BOYLES:  Ha! That was a great line!  “Whatever you do, for God’s sake, don’t help us!”

TANCREDO:  I mean, there are no ulterior motives, here.  What in the world would Cynthia Coffman, who is – I mean, her credibility, her reputation.  I mean, do you think it would be easy for her, especially?  She is the Attorney General of the state of Colorado.  She was his nominating speech!  And do you think it is an easy thing to do to then have to take this step – meet with him to discuss these kinds of issues? You think anybody wanted to do that?  I assure you, and I told him when we were there, “I would rather be almost anywhere than here, tonight, to do this!” And so, I don’t know how it will play out.  I certainly have no idea.  This –now it is essentially up to the executive committee of the state Republican Party to take whatever action they wish to take, if any.  I mean, they could do nothing.

BOYLES:  I mean, like I said, and I know we’re on a time frame.  Danny [Caplis] is standing by.  But, when we first met Steve, he came in the studio, spent time with us, we supported him.  And his dumping Ryan Call, I was jazzed, I thought his move –

TANCREDO:  Yeah, me too!

BOYLES:  –with the Log Cabin Republicans, to get them to the Western Conservative [Summit], I thought it was Kissinger, Machiavellian, brilliant move.

TANCREDO:  Yeah, we talked about it.

BOYLES:  Yeah!  I thought that was just great!  And now this!  And if everything that John Ransom has said is true is true, and others have said is true is true, if he is start, stop the story now, and walk away.  And, Steve, with all the respect in the world,  I’m sure you on the – listening to us now,– walk away because, it’s almost like that crazy woman who keeps trying to insist she’s black, and she keeps the story alive by saying crazier things the next day.  And all she has to do to stop all of this right now – and she did some weird Obama thing, “No one saw me born.”  There’s a weird birth certificate.  I’m thinking, “Oh, my God!”

TANCREDO:  [laughing]

BOYLES:  I mean, it’s like Barack Obama story stuff! And so, as I told you, the only thing the Lebanese asked me, “Is he a Muslim?”

TANCREDO:  [laughs]

BOYLES:  Sure!  Why not?  But, I’m saying the same thing. It’s like, um, walk away.  And um, we’ll see.  I know that the beat goes on.

TANCREDO:  Yeah, [inaudible] I don’t know where it goes from here.  But we did what we could do.

BOYLES: I’ll give you a call.  Since I can’t sleep, maybe we’ll go ride motorcycles!

TANCREDO:  Yeah!  Believe me, it was such a nice day yesterday

BOYLES:  Yeah, it was great!

TANCREDO:  And to ride afterwards, after all this crap, it was very therapeutic.

BOYLES:  All right.  I’ll give you a call!  We’ll go ride this afternoon.  They want to talk to you on hold.

TANCREDO:  All right.

BOYLES:  I love you!  Allright!  Congressman – former Congressman –.

TANCREDO:  Take care, bud!