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August 04, 2005 08:00 AM UTC

Ed Perlmutter Throws Down

  • 36 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Yesterday, Democratic CD-7 candidate Ed Perlmutter formally endorsed Referenda C&D, and asked his ‘likely opponent’ Rick O’Donnell to ‘join with him’ in supporting it:

“This is an opportunity for two people on the opposite side of the aisle to stand together on an issue that is critical to Colorado’s future and prosperity,” said Perlmutter.  “I believe it would send a positive, bi-partisan message to the people of the 7th Congressional District if Rick and I joined together in support of C and D.”

It’s another example of Democrats looking to force a TABOR reform position on undecided Republicans, with an eye towards inflicting maximum damage next year. It’s worth noting that C&D’s failure would create the best opportunity for such a line of attack, but the Independence Institute isn’t likely to make nice with Republicans who back C&D regardless.

C&D’s supporters may rightly question this combative approach as potentially damaging, but it’s a strategic rather than tactical question. Passage of C&D, while important to the Dems, may play second fiddle in the end to 2006 election strategy.

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36 thoughts on “Ed Perlmutter Throws Down”

  2. Early stages?  What about fundraising?  Ed is NOT ahead there–or anywhere else.  What indication?  Is ANY democrat going to oppose C & D?  Shouldn’t Ed be more concerned with federal issues and leave the state issues up to state elected officials and state candidates?

    The only place where Ed might be leading is getting his campaign minions to post on Colo Pols.

  3. Unbelievable. Nice try, slick one, attempting to pretend that C&D will bring anything but destruction to the Republican party. C&D are a power graqb and tax increase, pure and simple. I’d rather see a Democrat win any race than rewarding any gutless RINO who favors C OR D with a seat at ANY level.
    Beauprez is weak on this as well: “If I had to vote today…”  – BB, give me a break, nice sandbagging.

    Owens and all backstabbing Republicans should be tarred and feathered. Ref C&D will do to the GOP what the marriage referenda did to Dems in 11 states last year. Bob Martinez better get with it on this.

  4. With both the Post and the News indicating that they are going to support C&D this is a brilliant move on Perlmutter’s part.  He gives his “likely” opponent Rick O’Donnell 3 options here:
    A) The opportunity to show that he is a moderate R running in a swing district but yet piss off his base by saying that he will support it.

    B) Not support C&D and pander to his base. This will solidify his place as a hardliner conservative running in a swing district and will not look good to the papers come endorsement time.

    C) Dodge the question, refuse to give an answer and ultimately look like an indecisive and/or dishonest coward.  Ed will be able to do a hatchet job on him if picks this option.

    None the less, it puts the ball in ROD’s court and no longer allows him to sit on the fence.  Whatever his choice is he is now going to have face consequences.  None of the options make everyone happy in his scenario.  Although, it does look bad on Perlmutter’s part if C&D lose badly.  But in all reality that’s not going to happen.  Whatever the outcome it should be a close race.

  5. Nice analysis QL.

    Anyone against C&D:
    Don’t you see what people like “Death to C&D” are doing to your side of the issue.  You have positioned yourself as hardline conservatives when the winds are blowing toward thoughtful moderates.

  6. Marshal-

    How exactly are those winds blowing? What are the poll numbers on C&D again? Nevertheless, I agree with QL’s analysis.  ROD (like all republicans close to Owens) is in a tight, darned-if-you-do/don’t spot.

  7. And let’s not forget that Perlmutter is not he only Dem. running for that seat. He is likely going to face a primary. The same is possibly true on the GOP side.

    Besides, the C&D election is a whole year before the 7th CD election and the voters’ memories have traditionally not been that long.

    By the time the primary election are held in August, thee will be more pressing issues to hold all of the candidates to.

  8. I want the Colorado Economic Recovery Plan to pass, mainly because I want us to finally recover after so many years of misguided government mismanagement. We need the jobs all those construction projects will bring every bit as much as we need to live up to our responsibilities as citizens to preserve and conserve the great public institutions our forebears worked so hard to establish.

    It is the ultimate sign of irresponsibility, disrespect and disregard to let this state fall down around us.

    Amendment 23 passed for a reason. The Republican leadership was out of touch with the citizenry. The voters were telling the lege that they were tired of chronic under-funding of public education and the constant attempts to inflict vouchers on us. We had to take matters into our own hands.

    We sent another message when we gave the Democrats a majority in both houses of the legislature. At long last, Governor Owens is starting to heed that message. Other Republicans can continue to ignore the voters if they wish, but they do it at their own peril.

  10. Right on Champa. But this garbage about “moderate” winds is a perfect metaphor. The term “blown about by every wind” comes to mind. Spending $5 Billion isn’t moderate, it’s good old tax-and-spend liberal fiscal policy. And I love the old New Deal “jobs” bit, Helen. Yeah, let’s tax our way to recovery – do you people NEVER learn? By the way, whether something passes or not has nothing to do with how sensible or moral it is.
    Finally, Marshall, positioning has nothing to do with it. I don’t know what’s so hardline about advocating the retention of TABOR, which was passed by the people. It’s always the harder thing to do to budget oneself, but you people sound like veryoone else out there who say they “need” things and run around with their credit cards, spending like drunken sailors.

  11. Death to C&D:  Fine, so TABOR was passed by the people.  That does not make it infallable.  C & D can be passed, or not based on the will of the people, after having the straight facts about it.

  13. blogicus maximus:  You are little late on that one,

    Keith and I have already made a bet.  (I haven’t seen Keith lately, I wonder where he went.)

    If Ref C and D wins he is going to give 100 dollars to the MS society and if Ref C and D loses I am going to give 100 dollars to Freedom Service Dogs.

  14. To everybody who says that the voters’ memory is not that long:

    As political insiders, we all run the risk of becoming cynical. We run the risk of believing that if we just create the right mail piece, produce the right TV ad, or design the right message, the voters are but putty in our hands.

    Anybody who has worked more than two cycles can tell tou that it just ain’t so.

    The voters are smarter than you think. They are more sophisticated than you think. Underestimate them at your peril.

    That goes for both sides. Regardless of your political leanings, it is ALWAYS the arrogant side that loses.

  15. It should be disclosed that Jason, who probably wrote this post, has camapigned for Ed Perlmutter and is actively seeking a job with him.  Typical 2006 general election voters will not care about C&D, thus taking a stand on the issue is hardly the “throw down” that would put you in congress.  This is hype, and the readers of this post are being “spun”.

  16. Dear “Hay Now”,

    There is no doubt that there will be a small segment of the voting population in CD 7 who use the C & D issue as their way to determine their vote for the candidates in CD7. But this number will be very small.

    From my own observations after working in politics for 20 years, I feel fairly safe in saying that it is rare for the events of one election to significantly carry over into the next.

    The deciding issues in the CD7 race will far more likely be events that either take place or come to light after the 2005 election.

  17. Am I the only one who has already heard O’Donnell and his CCHE support Ref C publicly?  After all, it is FOR HIS COMMISSION (and his boss)

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