Several oft-mentioned Republican CD-4 potentials are now quoted as backing Rep. Marilyn Musgrave in 2008 instead of condsidering a primary challenge, as the Denver Post reports:
A pack of noted Republicans from northeastern Colorado – some rumored to have considered a run for Congress themselves – will instead stand behind U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave as she seeks re-election.
Among the campaign chairmen Musgrave announced Tuesday are state Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, and state Sens. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, and Steve Johnson, R-Larimer County.
All three were the subject of speculation in what’s expected to be another feisty battle for the 4th Congressional District…
Musgrave defeated Democrat Angie Paccione by only 3 percentage points in November after one of the season’s nastiest campaigns. So-called 527 groups spent millions on the race. Reform Party candidate Eric Eidsness collected about 10 percent of the vote.
“If they can’t beat Marilyn in the worst environment Republicans have seen in over 30 years, they sure aren’t going to do it this year,” Gardner said.
Paccione is planning another run, which would pit her against Shaffer in a rough primary. But Paccione is already looking past that and at Musgrave, pointing out that she won with the lowest percentage of the vote of any member of Congress…
Other campaign chairmen for Musgrave are former state Sen. Mark Hillman and Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck.
It seems the Republicans are indeed moving toward defending Musgrave instead of replacing her: a significant shift from right after last year’s election when rumors that she would be unceremoniously dumped abounded, and an indicator that her attempt to rehabilitate her image is paying dividends.
As for Angie Paccione, the next few weeks should reveal whether or not “looking past” an all-but-certain Democrat primary is a wise choice, or even a choice she’ll have at all.
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Looks like Musgrave is getting her crap together, while the Democrats have let various agendas muddy the waters. Great job, guys.
LOL. It looks like Musgrave isn’t really picking her campaign committee, the Pols Big Line is.
The only one not on that list is Bill Kaufman. Does Musgrave not want to build bridges with moderates, or was he asked and turned her down?
Those other guys have something to lose. Bill Kaufman doesn’t. That breach will never be healed.
What a gamble for the Republicans. You would think that making the top 20 most corrupt congressmen/women, being endorsed by the KKK, and claiming gay marriage is the number one issue in America right now would kind crush their hopes. What heart 😉
People are acting as if Angie got blown out by Musgrave last election. This was a very close race, and Angie was and remains a compelling candidate. In my opinion she’s more compelling than Shaffer — more centrist, and plus she’s from the heart of the district (Northern Colorado), whereas most of Shaffer’s constituents don’t even live in the district.
Angie made a valiant effort against Musgrave last time. It’s just HARD to unseat an incumbent in a gerrymandered district, but I think she can do it.
Tim, Stan Matsunaka, State Senate Democrats and the liberal Colorado Supreme Court gerrymandered CO-4.
Taxunaka is the reason that Shaffer lives in CO-4 in the first place.
Never heard that one before!
I didn’t say that the seat was a safe Dem seat, I merely pointed out that the gerrymandering was done by Dems.
Taxunaka cut out part of Weld County and pulled Longmont in to try and help the D numbers in CO-4, for what little good it did him in his TWO losses.
…but, most directly, it was drawn by the Denver District Court (after the Colorado legislature couldn’t agree on a new congressional district map in 2001). In that redistricting trial, both parties (and several other entities) gave comments and suggested changes to a plan eventually adopted by the trial court. The supreme court didn’t draw the districts; it merely affirmed the trial court’s decision as being consistent with the law.
Thus, Matsunaka didn’t have any more input on the lines of CD-4 than any other legislator.
there you go again with cold, hard undisputable facts; letting them get in the way of a good piece of deliberate disinformation. How dare you.
That’s probably what they tell themselves in Musgrave Land, though, to try and explain her miserable performances.
There’s a new Marilyn Musgrave? I’m reminded of the late Anne Richards remark that you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig!
I miss them.
Saw Ann Richards at state Dem convention in Pueblo in ’04. She and Mike Miles really made that convention. Both with stirring speeches. Gee, do you suppose they are having at Falwell right now? Only if he was right.
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