Claws Come Out for Bruce

17 Comments

by: Colorado Pols

Politicos and editorial boards around the state took turns kicking Republican Rep. Doug Bruce in the knee today.

Douglas Bruce seems a lot like Britney Spears these days. Like Spears, Bruce seems to self-destruct in the spotlight. Bruce and Britney have issues with photographers. Britney chose to date an obtrusive cameraman; Bruce chose to kick one.

Sure, Bruce authored a useful, if somewhat flawed, constitutional amendment long ago that mostly empowers Colorado taxpayers and saves them money. For that, we give him credit. Likewise, there was a time when Britney was known for her work. She gave us “Oops I Did it Again.” For that, we give credit where credit is due.

Like Spears, Bruce has morphed into an embarrassment to himself and all his old friends. Unlike Bruce, Spears has an excuse: She’s practically a child, whose maturity was likely stilted by the turmoil of teen stardom. Bruce, by contrast, is a grown and educated man – one entrusted by leading Republicans with representing a district and making it look good.

In the Rocky Mountain News today, Bruce was roundly criticized by his own Party:

But in the Denver metro area, Bruce’s behavior was seen in the light of a long line of embarrassments by elected Republicans.

Former Jefferson County Treasurer Mark Paschall is facing trial for an alleged kickback, Jefferson County Commissioner Rick Sheehan resigned after sending defamatory faxes and Arapahoe County Clerk Tracy Baker was recalled after exchanging racy e-mails with the girlfriend who worked for him.

“These are gross exceptions to the rule: The Doug Bruce, Mark Paschall, they are aberrations,” said Wadhams. “They are not a reflection of the vast majority of Republican elected officials.”

Wadhams “strongly denounced” Bruce’s behavior and praised May for his leadership in dealing with Bruce. Then he added that Bruce’s behavior was “very sad.”

“Doug Bruce had an opportunity to be a very strong vote for fiscal responsibility. He has severely marginalized himself by what he did. He squandered an opportunity for himself,” said Wadhams, a Republican campaign master.

17 thoughts on “Claws Come Out for Bruce”

DavidThi808 says:

January 16, 2008 at 9:41 pm

I think we Dems should exhibit our bi-partisian, reaching across the aisle, working together principles and work diligently to keep Doug in the house.

I can’t think of anything we could do that would help us more in November than to keep Doug in the house. Go Bruce!

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1. Crestone says:
  
  January 17, 2008 at 4:04 am
  
  Couldn’t (wouldn’t) happen to a nicer guy.
  
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2. Go Blue says:
  
  January 17, 2008 at 7:32 am
  
  Can I change my name to “Go Bruce!” at least during his term?
  
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  1. Ralphie says:
    
    January 18, 2008 at 4:10 am
    
    You have my permission.
    
    It’s a terrific responsibility.
    
    Are you enough of a sociopath to honor the nickname?
    
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Majority Moderate says:

January 16, 2008 at 9:57 pm

He’s from some place in California – most of us don’t want to claim him.

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1. Aristotle says:
  
  January 16, 2008 at 11:52 pm
  
  but CA roots or not, the Springs has been his home for the better part of two decades, maybe longer, and it’s been his base of support (at least parts of it) since he authored TABOR. His is as much a part of CS as FOF (another transplant IIRC) is.
  
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Half Glass Full says:

January 16, 2008 at 11:35 pm

Not fair to Britney, that is. Spears may be a bi-polar drug-addled mental case, but even SHE has never physically assaulted any of the gazillions of obnoxious paparazzi she has to deal with on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, that big baby bully Doug Bruce has ONE measly reporter take a picture of him when he doesn’t want it taken, and he kicks the guy’s kneecap! Right after he’s done saying a prayer. In the state capitol.

Doug Bruce should have gotten the 72-hour hold, not Britney Spears. What a clown.

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Barron X says:

January 16, 2008 at 11:39 pm

Kick him in the other knee.

.

do kids still go to high school ?

do high schoolers still play football ?

do cheerleaders still shout the above cheer ?

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1. Fidel's dirt nap says:
  
  January 17, 2008 at 12:04 am
  
  rah rah rah
  
  kick ’em high
  
  kick ’em low
  
  kice ’em in the __
  
  LETS GO !
  
  Is that it Barron ?
  
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  1. Mr. Toodles says:
    
    January 17, 2008 at 2:35 am
    
    It goes:
    
    rah rah ree
    
    Kick em in the knee
    
    rah rah rass
    
    Kick em in the other knee
    
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    1. DavidThi808 says:
      
      January 17, 2008 at 4:17 am
      
      The proper use is
      
      rah rah ree
      
      it’s all about me
      
      rah rah ree (refrain)
      
      i kicked him in the knee
      
      rah rah ras
      
      you can all kiss my ass
      
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ptarmigan says:

January 17, 2008 at 5:13 am

OK, from the outside, it’s funny, but even though I think Tabor has been a bomb to State governance, I feel pity for the guy. He is clearly lacking in some basic social skills, and there are undoubtedly reasons for that. However, politically, pity is the kiss of death.

Perhaps those Rs who’ve never seen a tax they don’t hate should look upon Bruce as the harbinger of things to come if they fail to mend their selfish ways – as the ghost of Marley was to Scrooge.

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NEWSMAN says:

January 17, 2008 at 10:12 am

Doug Bruce’s lack of social skills has nothing to do with the millions of Americans who believe that taxes should be limited to constitutionally mandated needs.

It’s your money, it is not the government’s money.

The government has no money except that which they confiscate from the citizens in the form of taxes.

To work for the most efficient and smallest government possible is sane, to wish it to control everything is the opposite.

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1. parsingreality says:
  
  January 17, 2008 at 6:20 pm
  
  We ARE the government. It does not exist outside of you and me and every other American.
  
  We, the government, have given ourselves the authority and means to levy taxes. No one likes to give up their money, including me. But it’s the price of living in a civilized (???) society.
  
  Get over it. Stop listening to those tax crackpots.
  
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  1. Fidel's dirt nap says:
    
    January 17, 2008 at 7:36 pm
    
    Those “tax crackpots” do a lot of good work I’ll have you know. Ask Wesley Snipes.
    
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    1. parsingreality says:
      
      January 18, 2008 at 2:39 am
      
      Wesley is probably guilty as can be, from what I’ve read.
      
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      1. ptarmigan says:
        
        January 20, 2008 at 7:44 am
        
        There are those of us, who, having studied history, civics, and political science, and realizing that we ourselves have benefited in multiple ways from government services, understand that paying taxes is a necessary burden in providing certain services – like roads, courts, schools, police, parking, AND EVEN helping those in need – because if we don’t, the society in which we live becomes degraded by other people’s problems (mental health issues, drugs, people without medical care, etc) – and we are each affected by that, whether one chooses to ignore that fact or not.
        
        You and I could no doubt agree that tax dollars should be well-spent, not wasted, but I see (for example) that many Rs think that the health and education of anyone outside of their own families is a waste, so we would probably disagree on what constitutes waste.
        
        At any rate, to get to the literal translation of my comment: I consider DB to be utterly self-centered and selfish,as well as emotionally dysfunctional, and my Marley/Scrooge comment was a metaphor to say: Careful; if you look in the mirror, you may see the likeness of Doug Bruce – if you are one of those who denies that government serves any useful purpose, and whines relentlessly about taxes.
        
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