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July 28, 2009 05:26 PM UTC

Penry's First Broken Promise?

  • 26 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

WEDNESDAY UPDATE: The Colorado Independent follows up:

Dana Barker was 77 years old and the head of the Garfield County Democratic Party in 2006 when he took on then 30-year-old rising Republican star Josh Penry in the race for State Senate’s District 7 on Colorado’s energy-rich Western Slope.

Barker said he got the former Mesa State College football star from Grand Junction to sign a pledge stating that none of the candidates in that SD-7 race would seek higher office or quit to take another job before fulfilling the full, four-year term at the State Capitol in Denver. [Pols emphasis]

Penry, now 33 and the Senate’s minority leader, earlier this month said he wouldn’t resign his term, which runs through 2010, as he campaigns for the governor’s mansion in Denver.

“The impression I had then [in 2006], and it continues to this day, is that Josh is a very motivated and very ambitious guy and he wants to rise as high as he can, presumably as fast as he can, too,” Barker, now 80, said in a phone interview Tuesday.

A message left for Penry at his campaign headquarters Tuesday was not returned.

We were reminded late yesterday of this 2006 article from the Colorado Independent:

There have been some surprises for the race to win the Senate District 7 in Mesa County between Republican Josh Penry and Democrat Dana Barker. First, it was the age difference between Penry and Barker. The second shocker was when the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel endorsed Barker. Third, was the bombshell that Barker dropped on Penry at the recent Club 20 meeting in Grand Junction-and this was captured on camera.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

First photo: Just minutes after this cordial greeting between Penry (left) and Barker (right), Barker makes a statement in front of the large Club 20 audience about the “Candidate’s Plege” he had written. He then hands Penry a copy to sign. The pledge states that the winner of the SD7 race will not seek another office while serving the four-year term… [Pols emphasis]

Photobucket - Video and Image HostingPhoto 3: Apparently caught off guard and contemplating the signifigance of the pledge, Penry’s facial expression signals he’s in deep thought. What should he do?

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting…Photo 6: “Should I really do this?” Penry’s rubbing his ear as if he’s just not sure he’s making the right move for his political career…

Photobucket - Video and Image HostingPhoto 7: The handoff! Penry gives the signed pledge over to Barker, who also puts his signature on it.

It would appear that sometime between then and now…Josh Penry decided it wasn’t the “right move” after all.

Penry backers will assert that he is ‘keeping the pledge’ by continuing to serve in the Senate next year while he runs for Governor. But that’s not how this pledge plainly reads–committing to not seek higher office while serving in your present one is done to allay concerns that a candidate will be too busy campaigning to represent their constituents effectively.

We read correctly that Penry is moving to Denver, didn’t we?

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26 thoughts on “Penry’s First Broken Promise?”

  3. It would be funny when Penry moves to Denver and the citizens he represents in SD 7 petitions to remove him from office for not living in his district.

  4. This is embarassing even by your standards, Pols.  Didn’t you all just get done last week beating the shit out of Penry for pledging to finish out his term and keep his post as Minority Leader while running for Governor?  Wasn’t his commitment to serve out his term verified in a Denver Post story a week or so ago?

    On one hand you beat him up for keeping his pledge to serve out his term.  On the other hand you try to gin up outrage about it.  

    You guys are struggling.  

  5. I even checked with Mr. Barker and his campaign manager to make sure Penry signed the promise. But you see, this is what the people who have followed Penry’s ego driven career know.  It is NEVER what is good for the people of Colorado for Penry.  It is always about what will feed his ambitions.  And if lying will get him there, so be it.

    I am firmly of the belief that Colorado has never had such a politician as detrimental to our state as Josh Penry.  Now everyone knows that Penry’s word of honor is not worth the paper it is written on.

    “Is anyone else here tired of the flimflam, mealy-mouthed Republican?” –Josh Penry

    1. Barker asked Penry to sign a pledge that he’d serve out the entire term and not leave to run for a different position.  That’s what Penry pledged and that’s what he’s doing.

      How did Dana Barker do in the general election, by the way?  Did you ask his “campaign manager” that question?

      “I like to blow goats.” — WesternSlopeThought

      1. has a difficult time reading and understanding facts.  But the pledge reads:

        “the winner of the SD7 race will not seek another office while serving the four-year term.”

        TaxCheat isn’t very good at spinning Penry lies.  We can only hope that Penry’s lemmings, like TaxCheat,  keep showing their ignorance.

        Oh, and Pols has warned you TaxCheat.  Your falsely attributing a quote to someone about your sexual desires may indeed get you banned.

    2. I was there, after all.  The discussion at the time was about a specific office–that being the Third CD seat held by John Salazar.  Barker was trying to get Penry to commit that he wouldn’t leave his seat mid-term to run for Congress.

      I remember that Penry agreed and said that he would not leave his seat mid-term.

      Pols: why don’t you post the signed pledge?  Seems to me that might clear up any ambiguity–unless you don’t actually have a signed copy?

      2. Did Penry never sign it now? Is that what you cheeseheads are falling back on?

        Why doesn’t Penry “clear up any ambiguity”–unless he doesn’t actually have a signed copy?  

      3. Indeed it would be great to have a copy coop.

        I myself think it would make a wonderful campaign T-shirt for Ritter.

        Plus, make about 1,000 copies of it and hand it out at any campaign event.  Nice.

  7. I didn’t think a legislator was allowed to raise money while in session. Is this true?

    And if so, how is Penry going to run for governor (which of course necessitates raising money) while serving in the legislature?

    Can someone please enlighten me?  

  9. I’m of the mind that it says “serve out the full SD7 term” thus preventing Senator Penry from doing a CD3 run in 2008, in which, he could still go back to State Senate, even in a loss — there was a lot of speculation that such a thing would happen, and technically, even in losing, such an act would’ve greatly increased Penry’s name ID statewide, particularly in Pueblo

    Notice also that Barker said, (paraphrasing) “this letter will help John Salazar” at the end of the article, on the Colorado Independent site

    Overall – I’d like to see a copy of this pledge (paging Barker) – I’m not working for the Penry campaign, but I’m feeling that the details behind this one are being inaccurately reported – my apologies if I’m wrong

    2. is that Penry would limit his career options by signing the pledge in the first place.

      Although, the picture of him struggling with the political consequences of turning down Barker’s offer is priceless.

      Kudos to Mr. Barker for being perceptive enough to see Penry for what he was (and still is); a career politician who is only interested in promotion via election.

      1. He knew he was a sacrificial lamb in that campaign, but he played the role with style and grace and was a very good sport about it.

        That was wonderful theater on his part.

        He’s a very, very smart and good-natured guy.  Would have made a good legislator.  Lives in the wrong Senate district to get elected as a Dem.

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