President (To Win Colorado)
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(D) Kamala Harris
(R) Donald Trump
80%↑
20%
CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) V. Archuleta
98%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Marshall Dawson
95%
5%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(R) Jeff Hurd
(D) Adam Frisch
52%↑
48%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert
(D) Trisha Calvarese
90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Jeff Crank
(D) River Gassen
80%
20%
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
(R) John Fabbricatore
90%
10%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) B. Pettersen
(R) Sergei Matveyuk
90%
10%
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(D) Yadira Caraveo
(R) Gabe Evans
60%
40%
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
April 24, 2007 07:30 PM UTC
11 Comments
Excellent reporting DemoGirl… I’m no Lamborn fan and am curious where this goes.
Any thoughts on Baller’s motivation for supporting Mr. L? Is Baller a retired ambulance chaser too? Perhaps Baller’s sons played arson games with Mr. L’s sons?
All I know is that he did.
I also do not know that he provided funds on Gosnell’s solicitation, for the CCofC’s Lamborn Lambporn. I do, however, believe that he was requested to do so and I do believe that he did do so. I make no accusations as a result of that which I only believe.
I am as curious to the answers to the unanswered questions that I posed as others may be. Those answers may or may not reveal information that Chuck Gosnell, Mark Hotaling, Jon Hotaling, and Doug Lamborn would not want publicly known. Time will tell.
I’m sorry to run on now to other business. I’d like to follow this thread in a few days. For now, however, “PART TWO” of my multi-part series on Doug Lamborn is in progress and I need to devote my time to finishing that.
It is my understanding that Tom Minnery regretted his endorsement of Lamborn soon after Lamborn’s tactics turned nasty. I believe that Minnery backed way off of Lamborn and would not have gone out seeking funds for a hit piece on Lamborn’s behalf.
On a side note Minnery’s refusal to disavow Lamborn despite all of the nasty tactics has, in my opinion, completely discredited him as a viable figure in El Paso County politics. When several local pastors denounced the wedding cake piece from the pulpit, it made Minnery look like he did not have high moral campaign ethics and this has been his demise. For proof of this, look at the fact that his wife, who is well known and very nice, was trounced trying to become a bonus member. Minnery may still have some national pull, but he is tainted goods locally. In the likely Crank vs Lamborn primary, he will probably not come out for Lamborn again.
As far as your other questions, if the contributions were legal, does it really matter? The most likely scenario is that the CFG was pulling the strings on their little puppet and were probably coordinating everything through the Hotelling brothers. I hope they found the half million dollars a good investment for a congressman who will leave in disgrace after only two years…
And the answers to the questions have importance in a moral sphere. However, the answers to the questions carry with it other questions that may arise with answers that may add to the further demise of sleezy politics, and politicians and their supporters who benefited from them. As I say, time will tell.
Interesting observations you make on Minnery. Does that observation apply as well to Wayne Williams?
I will say this… if Wayne Williams was to announce his support for a primary race between Crank and Lamborn it would actually go a long way towards maintaining a stately civility.
As a long-standing El Paso County Republican leader it almost behooves him to take a “neutral” and polite stance instead of the divisive and more combative role he has assumed in the past. It would indicate to the big money folks that he is serious about maintaining a serious and mature role and perhaps even running for higher office himself someday.
If he rides the Lamborn wagon this time around he stands to lose ground among his constituents and the party as a whole.
about “absolute power” comes to mind as we analyze Republican political prospects in the Springs.
Williams is in a real dilemma. He is now tied at the hip to Lamborn because his wife works for him. That being said, there was much less expectation of Williams to take a moral high road than Minnery. Everyone knows that Williams is ambitious (and somewhat of an ass). Therefore, it was not too much out of character for him to place his bets on Lamborn for purely political reasons. As such, when Lamborn started tanking, Williams decision to stick with him was more of a calculated political move, and I think everyone knew that. Minnery, on the other hand, is ostensibly in politics to support ethics and morality. Therefore when Lamborn started tanking, Minnery should have jumped ship. When he did not, Minnery lost any moral high ground that he appeared to have and has virtually no chance at regaining it.
I think Williams is done also after the next election, but I have always felt that Williams could not move beyond CC anyway. He is not a likable person and his reputation reflects that.
One more point, did anyone see the article in the Gazette about Amy Lathan challenging Doug Bruce? Maybe El Paso County will get lucky and get rid of both Dougs this election!
The Hollywood model of the drug addict, the alcoholic–someone who has made a grave error in life–who openly admits to the public the mistakes made and then enters rehab is the model that the American psyche forgives. That said, I’d say it would actually require their doing the same–going public in a big way–that they were morally wrong in backing Doug Lamborn–might turn the tide in their favor. However, as you correctly noted, Mrs. William’s employment with Lamborn is Wayne William’s undoing. Where Wayne Williams would be doubly injured would be if Tom Minnery were the only one of the two to come out in public and admit a moral mistake in backing Lamborn-then Williams’ sticking with Lamborn merely makes Williams look mercenary and opportunistic, i.e., his family needs the money too desparately for Mrs. Williams’ to resign her job with Lamborn.
I overlooked adding the following information to my original posting:
#4: On January 31, 2007, Brenda Baller donated another $1000 to Doug Lamborn presumably for his re-election campaign. Assuming, without deciding that Michael Baller funded the Christian Coalition of Colorado hit pieces in 2006, has he also provided funds in 2007 to Chuck Gosnell, or does he plan in the future to provide funds to Chuck Gosnell, for some more Lamborn Lambporn in the 2008 election?
It’s not going to be fun reading for Doug Lamborn. Hopefully, one of his supporters will e-mail him the link to PART TWO so he can get prepared, in the event any questions are posed to him by the media and/or his constituents. He does deserve the chance to collect his thoughts. His choice of words in any answers will be important.