April 17, 2019 12:01 PM UTC

Your Source for Trump-Infused Criticism of the Colo Republican Party

• 4 Comments
• by: Jason Salzman

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

What’s your best underworld source for unfiltered Trump-infused criticism of Colorado’s Republican Party?

A radio show with an innocent name, the “Chuck and Julie Show,” but a pair of Republican hosts, Chuck Bonniwell and Julie Hayden, who routinely throw fellow Republicans off the cliff as buzzards call the program to find out where to feed later.

Day after day, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on KNUS-710 AM, the show dedicates big blocks of time to dissecting Republican failures in Colorado, naming names and letting no one off the hook.

Fat cat Republican consultants. Cory Gardner. Developers. State Republican Party leaders. Chamber of Commerce. Mike Coffman. Phil Anschutz. Oil Companies. No one is off the radar.

The show welcomes all stripes of underworld guests who throw grenades, some more rumor- than fact-based, at fellow Colorado Republicans, especially those who dare to challenge Trump or his policies. Bonniwell, who’s the publisher of the Cherry Creek Chronicle, once called Gardner a “total [whore] for the Chamber of Commerce,” a “Mitch McConnell stooge.”

This little snippet from Friday is a good example.

Hayden, who is a former Fox 31 TV reporter, starts by calling Colorado State Sen. Kevin Priola (R-Henderson) a “traitor Republican” for, oh no, siding with Democrats on occasion.

Then she slams Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, a Republican, for opposing the nomination of Herman Cain, the former GOP presidential candidate, for the Federal Reserve board. “Why on earth would Cory Gardner be opposed to Herman Cain being on the Federal Reserve?” she exclaims. [Editor’s Note: After listening to this show, and thinking about all the political interests pressing down on him from all sides, you realize Gardner might as well be in a trash compactor than run for re-election.]

Here’s a taste of Friday’s show, followed by the audio. Enjoy!

JULIE HAYDEN: Why on earth would Cory Gardner be opposed to Herman Cain being on the Federal Reserve? I mean–.

CHUCK BONNIWELL: Right. Yeah, Mitt Romney, Murkowski, and then—.

HAYDEN: Right! What does he care, number one? I mean, It’s not as if every Repu — the choice was so outrageously bad. You know — I don’t know — like [if] it was Barron Trump, or something like that. And it’s like, “you know, we just can’t go with you on this one.” No, everybody else thinks it’s okay. For some reason, Cory Gardner thinks he needs to separate himself from Trump on certain things.

BONNIWELL: Well, Mitch McConnell came out, apparently today – or maybe it was yesterday but reported today – that his recommendation to Senate candidates [is that they] run independent from Trump. He says that you can – you know. HAYDEN: Well, then, Mitch McConnell is, you know, something of a snake himself.

BONNIWELL: [facetiously] Ya think? What’s amazing is — you just look at the last election — all the people who did that, lost.

HAYDEN: Right! [They] lost! Hello! Hello!

BONNIWELL: All the people that ran with Trump, won! Not all of them, but a significant number of them won. And you’re just kind of going, “Based on what, Mitch?”

HAYDEN: That’s because the Chamber of Commerce is beating on Mitch’s head, saying, “Do something about Trump!” Right? “Do something! People are starting to like Trump on the immigration issue.” So, yeah. And Cory Gardner – I don’t know. I mean, I’m giving free campaign advice, but all you have to do is listen to the listeners of this show, and they’re going to be, like, “What do you got against Herman Cain?” Why on earth–? Because it’s clear to me–.

BONNIWELL: He wants to show that he’s independent, as if there is a single Democrat who cares.

HAYDEN: Right? Because they’re going to look at –. This could be the only time he voted against the Democrats, and that is what they would home on. Right? I mean, because if you’re a Democrat you hate Trump! You’re not going to vote–. So, Cory Gardner, no one is going to vote for you because you go against Trump. And instead, you’re going to lose people from voting for you. And in doing so, you’re going to hurt the entire Republican Party in Colorado, so–.

BONNIWELL: Yeah, but, you know, it doesn’t matter. He’ll continue to be a –. It’s the exact strategy that Mitch McConnell suggests people do.

HAYDEN: [facetiously] Because, yeah, that worked! Just call up Mike Coffman, Cory, and ask him how he’s doing right now.

Chuck and Julie Show, Feb. 12: