June 11, 2010 06:37 PM UTC

I See Your True Colors Shining Through

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• by: Middle of the Road

On May 3, a rather obscure online magazine, The Denver Baptist Examiner, ran a cover piece on HD49 Republican Representative BJ Nikkel, appointed to replace and serve out Kevin Lundberg’s term when he moved to the State Senate.

“The Capital Faith of B.J. Nikkel” seemed to go mostly unnoticed except by the faithful choir. Nikkel’s observations were fairly run-of-the-mill comments that are practically a requirement if you are a Republican officeholder these days.  

“As Christians in leadership positions we must be constantly vigilant and guard ourselves and look to Christ to be our source and strength to prevent us from compromising our values. People can compromise their values in any walk of life – state politics is no worse than the business world or other professions for opportunities to compromise.”

According to the article’s author, Tim St John, we all serve an uncompromising God.

Any other influence is apparently a tool of Satan.

Standing up for what is right! Isn’t that a marvelous concept? We all serve an uncompromising God. Why should He expect anything less of us? In politics, one can easily get caught up in compromise when voters, lobbyists or constituents are exerting their influence. It’s encouraging to know elected officials like B.J. Nikkel. She’s so grounded in her Christian faith, knows the difference between doing what’s right versus what’s popular – and isn’t afraid to follow through by putting it into practice as a Colorado law maker.

Again, nothing new here–standard boilerplate/juicy red meat to the faithful to reassure them that Christ is still Number One in House District 49.

And Nikkel’s had some reassuring to do considering the write up she received on The Spot when she attended a gay rights luncheon in March of this year.

One Colorado Education Fund is a statewide nonprofit that says it is continuing the discussion about issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The luncheon was held near the Capitol.

“Why shouldn’t I be here?” Nikkel said, after greeting several gays who came up to talk to her. “They’re all Coloradans, and I think it’s important to understand their issues.”

Talk about a huge step in the right direction, right? A former Marilyn Musgrave district director meeting with gay constituents. Refusing to pander to the extremists within your party–big step forward and mission accomplished, particularly if your resume includes the fact that you worked for 3 years for the former US House Rep that will forever be known primarily for sponsorship of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

Ooops. Giant step backwards.

Fast forward to Nikkel’s remarks at the State Assembly regarding the super awesomeness of the Tea Party movement.

Delegates to the 2010 Colorado Republican Assembly packed the center, with nary a no-show in what GOP regulars said was one of the most boisterous state assemblies in memory.

Thank, partly, Colorado tea party and 912 Project organizers, many of whom were first-time delegates to the convention and whose choice to dress in red bathed the arena in crimson.

“It’s a great movement,” state Rep. BJ Nikkel, R-Loveland, said during an interview on the event center concourse. “There are a lot of them, and they’re new, and they’re doing what I’ve been doing for 20 years.“

Well now I’m just confused. What is it Nikkel is embracing for the last 20 years? Surely it’s not for being an extremist conservative activist for politicians such as Marilyn Musgrave?

A delicate tightrope Nikkel’s is attempting to walk here–is she the type of representative that is reaching out to constituents from all walks of life, a likable gal that reaches across the aisle and has croissants and orange juice with gay folks?

Or is she, like the vast majority of her fellow Republicans, merely acknowledging what many of us have assumed for some time–that she is a hard core conservative with an eye on higher office and believes she cannot get there without pandering to the religious extremists and Tea Partiers that are now running the show?