UPDATE: Here’s a PDF of the skeleton of the letter in question.
Republicans on the Western Slope are still fighting about what makes a “true” Republican. In January Republican Rep. Mark Larson decided not to run for the state senate and withdraw from public service, in large part because he was tired of being attacked by the right wing of the Republican Party.
Now the same sort of feud has surfaced within the Mesa County Republican Party, with one faction of Republicans seeking to excommunicate another faction for allegedly supporting Democratic Rep. Bernie Buescher in 2004. From the Grand Junction Sentinel:
A letter sent by a group calling itself the Colorado Republican Caucus enraged and frustrated Republicans in Mesa County. Sent to party members throughout Mesa County this past weekend, the letter called for Republicans who supported a Democrat two years ago to be shut out of party leadership positions this year.
Republicans will elect party leaders tonight at the Mesa County caucuses, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Mesa County Republican Party Chairwoman Lois Dunn gave the letter to District Attorney Pete Hautzinger and asked him to research the possibility of infractions to campaign finance laws.
The Colorado Republican Caucus is not a legal political committee, Dunn said. Its a bogus letter. The organization is not registered with the secretary of state, Dunn said. It was denied last week because they would not give their purpose.
If the organization was not registered at the time the letter was mailed, it would violate campaign finance law, Dunn said. A phone message left at the Colorado Republican Caucus was not returned Monday.
The letter targets Republican party members who supported State Rep. Bernie Buescher two years ago when he ran for the open House District 55 seat. Buescher is a Democrat who defeated Republican Shari Bjorklund. Some called the letter dirty politics and guessed its roots led to Bjorklund.
Bjorklund denied association with the letter, other than to say she received a copy and will donate to the group, if its a legal political committee. Were always the scapegoat, Bjorklund said. I dont know anything about that letter. She said she absolutely agrees with its premise, that Republicans who supported Buescher should not be involved in party leadership.
What offended some people were the names dotted throughout the three-page letter and the attitude, calling people Democrat activists, liberal activists and turncoats.
This month, we are asking you to vote for people who represent Republicans from your own precinct not Democrat activists like (two names). In Bueschers most recent financial filing, former Republican State Representative Gayle Berry even donated to liberal Democrat Bernie Buescher. Thanks to such turncoats, Democrats took control of the House and Senate in Colorado in 2004. They could not have done it without the help of (name) in your own precinct, the letter said.
The letters printed the names of Buescher supporters. Those names came from an advertisement printed during the Buescher-Bjorklund campaign. The names of people referred to as Democrat activists vary from letter to letter…
…Its the stupidest thing Ive ever seen, said Creighton Bricker, who is mentioned in the letter. Its Bjorklund-style politicking and campaigning.
I will vote straight Republican if the candidates are worth it, Bricker said. In my view Bernie Buescher was heads and shoulders … well, several heads above Shari Bjorklund.
A Republican, Terri Binder, was named in the letter she received. She supported Buescher and says two years later shes proud she did. It definitely has me riled up, Binder said. This is trying to silence me. I have a right to vote for whomever I want. Everyone does.
Berry said she had not read the letter but had heard about it. She attributed the authorship to a rogue group of Republicans that just doesnt seem to get it. Theyre driving the House into the minority, the Senate into the minority. They lost the 3rd Congressional, they lost the (U.S.) Senate seat all to the Democrats. How far do they want to go to purify the party?
Ive been getting calls solid since 7:30 this morning, Dunn said Monday afternoon. From people from every angle of the party that are just sick of this, sick of the bickering and the meanness. Even if were Democrat or Republican, were still a community.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
BY: ParkHill
IN: Trumpflation is Here
BY: Genghis
IN: Why DNI Tulsi Gabbard Should Scare The Hell Out Of You
BY: Genghis
IN: You’re Gonna Need an Actual Opinion on Ukraine, Gabe
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Trumpflation is Here
BY: SSG_Dan
IN: Wednesday Open Thread
BY: kwtree
IN: Jeffco GOP Sure Knows How To Pick ‘Em
BY: harrydoby
IN: You’re Gonna Need an Actual Opinion on Ukraine, Gabe
BY: Conserv. Head Banger
IN: Jeffco GOP Sure Knows How To Pick ‘Em
BY: spaceman2021
IN: Trumpflation is Here
BY: unnamed
IN: Obligatory Lauren Boebert/Kid Rock Gossip Thread
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!
King’s not in the same class as the rest of those clowns. He’s an honorable guy.
Republicans shouldn’t be admonished just for supporting one democrat, just like democrats shouldn’t be scorned for supporting some republicans. Those who are supported by both sides are called moderates, and they are the TRUEST representation of their districts.
What a shame for both sides to lose Mark Larson, a wonderful legislator and good human being. Let’s hope we don’t lose more like him! All Coloradans need people like Bernie Buescher, like Al White, like Mark Larson and Jim Isgar.
It’s probably not as bad news for Caskey, who Bjorklunds probably don’t support, as it is for Republicans like Beauprez, Hillman, Everett, and Coffman, who the Bjorklunds do support. In any case, this is going to screw a lot of people.
The Bjorklunds talk about all these people they named in their letters being Democrat plants, but the Bjorklunds seem more like Democrat plants than anyone. The Bjorklunds have done more harm to the party in Mesa County than any Democrat could ever do.
It is my humble, most biased opinion that the Republicans of Colorado need to stop listening to the Doug Bruce, Keith King, Welker, Lambourn, far right of the party, take a long look at what direction they are heading in and realize it is right of the edge of a very steep cliff.
This nagging mother mentality is killing your chances of good candidates and a broad base of support. Has anyone stopped to think of what this will do for Caskey’s race.
Evidently not. YAY!
I agree with you Zappa. When the Party chooses a candidate that is too extreme and a Moderate from the other side is running, the Moderate will usually win the day. Love Mark Larson, he’s great.