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February 03, 2012 03:01 AM UTC

Laura Bradford's Three-Day Weekend From Hell

  • 50 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

(Bumped into Friday – promoted by Colorado Pols)

A major snowstorm bearing down on Denver has closed the Colorado General Assembly Friday. Barring anything unexpected, Rep. Laura Bradford (?-Collbran) will drive home this evening, and decide some time this weekend whether or not to disaffiliate from the Republican Party–and if she does, whether to become and independent or, as has been reported a possibility, a Democrat. There’s really no overstating the importance: control of the one-seat GOP majority Colorado House, and the future of Speaker of the House Frank McNulty, even if the House remains Republican-held, hangs on her decision.

Assuming she does leave the GOP, as Rep. Bradford is reportedly “95% decided” to do, it comes in the aftermath of a traffic stop last week in Denver that spun out of control into damning allegations against her. Since DUI is an embarrassing but not necessarily career-ending offense, the worst Bradford faced was accusations of abuse of the until-now obscure legislative immunity from misdemeanor arrest members enjoy “going to or returning from” the legislative session. After reaching a point where Rep. Bradford’s resignation was basically certain, a stunning news conference by Denver Police on Tuesday resulted in her partial exoneration–at least to the original police report’s contention that she had tried to evade arrest with legislative immunity.

Rep. Bradford says now that she believes she would have passed tests to determine if she was legally under the influence, something that can never really be proven either way now–we’re left with her word versus a police report whose veracity has been called into fundamental question, so we don’t see how it can ever really be settled. But more importantly, Bradford says that her House Republican leadership, especially Speaker McNulty, threw her to the wolves before the DPD’s false reports were revealed–and that this was the product of estrangement between Rep. Bradford and House leadership that had been building for a long time.

Because Bradford will be forced to campaign as a write-in candidate with any party affiliation other than GOP, and it’s fair to say relations with her party have broken down, it’s likely that Bradford is not going to run for re-election–she said as much to the Grand Junction Sentinel. It’s clear that her beef is with McNulty and Majority Leader Amy Stephens, so she need only disaffiliate to independent and call for an election to accomplish the objective of bringing them both down. This seems to us to be her most likely move, and then serve out the rest of her term.

And it’s likely to work if she does. Speaker Frank McNulty has many rivals, folks, who smell weakness now. Since the possibility of McNulty’s position being thrown into jeopardy arose yesterday, we have learned more than we ever knew had been discussed about a possible alternative leadership arrangement in the House that could be triggered by new leadership elections. We will not be disclosing any names, except to say it’s very possible this could accomplished in a way that the House remains in Republican hands. This would be significant for, among other things, lifelong Republican Rep. Laura Bradford’s conscience.

As we said, this weekend, Rep. Bradford will make the decision that will either set these possibilities into motion, or not. The best comparison we can think of for what Bradford will experience, unless she flees the state for the weekend leaving her phone and credit cards behind, is the “encouragement” 2010 GOP gubernatorial nominee Dan Maes received from Republican leadership to get out of that race. The rumors of those meetings, if you recall, fell somewhere between a “bad cop” interrogation and an episode of 24.

You wouldn’t wish that on an enemy, folks–we’ll update, one way or another, when Rep. Bradford emerges on the other side of one of the biggest decisions of her life.

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50 thoughts on “Laura Bradford’s Three-Day Weekend From Hell”

  1. We will not be disclosing any names, except to say that it’s very possible that this could accomplished in a way that the House remains in Republican hands.

    But in TV land it’s in the next segment.  So you are saying we have to wait 3-4 days?  Way to go Govs.

  3. I have been very busy every day for a week, and I have not been “waiting for talking points” about Rep. Bradford. I only know slightly more than what’s reported in the news, and none of it matters to any of you.

    The last advice that Laura Bradford should be listening to is the snake tongued propagandists at Colorado Pols. This blog is an important part of a coordinated campaign against Republicans in Colorado that has been highly successful year after year. Rep. Bradford, a lifelong Republican, is a part of a Republican House Majority elected despite fierce, clever, and well coordinated attacks on Republican candidates originating from this blog.

    I think Colorado Pols has helped egg this entire scandal along by changing the blog into a police blotter with every sensationalized unconfirmed detail against Bradford, even calling on her to resign. Now they are using their same forked tongue to encourage her to take down Speaker McNulty, maybe even our whole majority. I’ll bet you guys are wetting your pants with excitement!

    Bradford needs to pray about it and think about it. She can resign honorably as a Republican, or even serve out her term as a Republican. Just don’t be the tool of the enemy.

    1. Dipshi .  .  . er, ArapaBOT .  .  . says you’re “highly successful”!  

      (That’s the kind of warm and fuzzy that  should make you want to jump out of bed each morning and continue doing that voodoo that you do so well.)

      Keep up the good work!

        1. that DPD would screw the pooch, AND that this would give them the opportunity to toss McNulty overboard.

          Checkmate in the 11th-fucking dimension . . .

          Colorado Pols moves in for the kill

          . . . be veeeewy afwaid GOPers, weeeeyw afwaid.

    2. This blog is an important part of a coordinated campaign against Republicans in Colorado that has been highly successful year after year.

      WHAT!

      I have been complaining about the lack of democratic party organization for years.  Did anyone tell me we were organized? NO. Did anyone tell me that we were “highly successful”? NO.  just let me blab on and on….

      Maybe I am the decoy?  Nobody tells me anything.

      PS. Still, no decoder ring.

    3. Doing what?  Apologizing for a legislator who allegedly couldn’t pass a roadside sobriety test after an evening with lobbyists?

      Take your venom elsewhere.  People who get behind the wheel when they probably shouldn’t don’t deserve my sympathy.

      They’re not victims.  They’re road hazards.

    4. The guy who really is part of a coordinated effort to disseminate talking points accuses Pols of being part of a coordinated effort to spread talking points! That’s some chutzpah, A-BOT.

    5. Ya know, it doesn’t have to be this rep. Any one rep could alter the R majority. Just one.

      But when it comes to advice , I’d guess you’re just about the last source that makes sense for her.

      But please, keep trying.

    6. fighting for that god given right to get fucked up then get behind the wheel with a gun in the car without any consequences because she’s priviledged.  She is a true champion.  I admire her spirit.

      ArapaGOP is right.  She should pray on it over the weekend.  Then have a few more drinks.

    7. I find the use of this word to be amazing, simply amazing. Neither Democrats nor Republicans are threats to the republic. Member of neither party should fairly be labeled as opponents of the best interests of Americans. It is this kind of over-the-top, well-nigh insane rhetoric that is destroying the ability of our system of government to function. Get a grip. Democrats are not your enemy, ArapaGOP, and no Republican is an enemy of any Democrat, either.

    8. to take down Speaker McNulty, maybe even our whole majority.”

      Would someone please explain to me how a woman with alcohol on her breath, driving erratically, has the power to take down the entire Repub majority?  Amazing.  The Repub majority in the House must have already been on very shaky ground.

    1. This whole thing has been orchestrated by powerful ColPols from which Bradford is taking hints to plot her strategy. And by the way, doesn’t this diary say that the power shake up will be intra party? That Rs will still be in control of the speakership? So much for a successful ColPol engendered plot to empower the “enemy”.

  5. She didn’t get a ticket.  She didn’t tweeter photos of her underwear.  She wasn’t caught in an affair.  The worst they can say is she is a drunk and a liar but you could say that about any politician.

    No way she dumps a lifetime of crazy because of one weekend from hell.

    1. She’s still got the ethics committee coming after her, and McNulty has still pulled her committee chairmanship.  She’s pretty much committed to not running for re-election, so I don’t think there’s any reason for her to reconsider.

        1. Even what looked like a stacked deck ethics committee isn’t enough for her sense of privilege. So, she’d rather take down the Speaker with her.

          I still think an investigation is an order to understand why there was such a radical shift in the stories during the past week. Why is anyone on the DPD invoking privilege on behalf of a State Rep? (Policy or not, this seems to be above and beyond.) Or is THAT story fabricated after the fact? This story has just been SO wierd from the get go that it sure feels like there may yet be MORE to tell.

      2. and they aren’t going to be the forgiving kind if she goes rogue and upsets the “Republicans are ready to rock in 2012” narrative.

        This is one of those, “You fucked it up enough” moments where she has to come to Jesus, confess her sins and figure out how to go forward without a future.

        I’ll be surprised if she stays the bitter path.

    2. After all of the comments she made in the press about switching, after skirting the DUI charge, after having the DPD say she twice said ‘treat me like everyone else’, after publically airing out the divisions of the psychotic/schizophrenic Republican party, and after picking a fight with the Speaker and the Majority Leader – why, oh why, would she back down?

      She has a family, a business and a home to return to. She doesn’t need the legislature and she’s pissed!

      Switch to Independent, force McNulty and Stephens out, get revenge, sit back and enjoy the show.

      I’d buy popcorn for that show!

  7. She’ll sit there and get a great deal of moral satisfaction at the thought of all these Republicans having to kowtow to her.

    For the rest of her term she’ll sit there knowing that if McNulty says anything to piss her off, she can threaten to leave again and bring the whole GOP down with her.

    Kind of like Donald Trump – until yesterday.

    1. My feelings too.

      She isn’t going anywhere but she certainly screwed the pooch on a high powered Republican legislative launch.  They aren’t going anywhere either.  If it was bull riding, they would have been thrown then run over the the bull.  They stumbled out of the gate pretty badly this time.  

  8. She declares independent, calls for a new vote, and offers herself as speaker. The Dems all vote for her because Laura as an independent beats a Repbulican speaker.

    That would be one hell of a piece of revenge. And she could sell it to her voters that, as speaker, she can have a lot more influence.

    2. and state government works? I’m just curious because I’m pretty sure there’s a Civics 101 Class online you can take and bring yourself back to the land of reality where the rest of us reside.  

        1. But sometimes, you are living in a universe where the only resident is you. I asked do you understand how political parties work. I think it’s pretty clear from your first suggestion that you do not. Democrats are not going to vote for Bradford over one in their own party.

          Any other questions? I’m here for another hour.  

          1. New York State Senate

            To begin the 2009 session (elected November 2008), Democrats had a 32-30 seat majority in the State Senate and, in the Assembly, Democrats have a 109-41 seat supermajority. However, the Republicans were able to regain control of the Senate during a leadership coup, in which two Democratic Senators voted with the GOP to install a Republican majority leader.

            1. That doesn’t mean there’s a snowball’s chance in hell of it happening in Colorado, should Bradford jump ship.

              Anything is possible, but very little is likely. We should ask what is likely to happen.

    3. Laura is not particularly well-regarded by anyone, least of all House Dems.  I can’t see any of them, save maybe McKinley, voting for her.

      If there is a coup in the House, it will probably involve a somewhat less toxic Republican (Massey?) elected with Dem help.

      I’m not much of a prognosticator, but I don’t think Bradford will switch.  To do so would not only end her political career, but also put her business in jeopardy given how hard Mesa County Republicans play hardball with people.  I think if she makes an announcement, it will be something like that she won’t run in 2012 (thereby making room for Janet Rowland), but will stay put and  remain a Republican because that’s what her district elected and what her constituents want her to do.

      Then again, that whole scenario ignores her vindictive streak.

      2. To do so would not only end her political career, but also put her business in jeopardy given how hard Mesa County Republicans play hardball with people.

        I think her political career is over – I just can’t envision anyone coming back from all this damage.

        I’m curious about the second part of your remark. I looked up her business, and it doesn’t look like the kind of thing a county party could impact, if they were petty enough to badmouth it. It doesn’t look like it caters to locals.

        1. There are two hospitals here in GJ and another in Fruita.  Dozens of doctors offices and veterinarians.

          Without looking at a sales report to know how much of her business is local, I can’t say what the impact would be if the locals decided to raise hell with her.

          Maybe Gertie or Pita can chime in with some stories about what happens when you get “blacklisted” around here.

      3. Vengeance and control.

        Being the 33rd House Republican would put her in the cat bird seat, just as it was for the 60th Senator in the 2009/10 sessions.

  9. without discussing other possibilities; i.e. American Constitution Party. As far as party balance the result would be the same as if she switched to U. But, it could be that would resonate with the typical uninformed voter

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