February 19, 2009 10:31 AM UTC

More strong-arm tactics from Penry?

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• by: Athenian Stranger

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

POLS UPDATE: It’s been reported to us that Sen. Al White has indeed removed his name from the bill in question, though he, um, continues to support it: a clear indicator of the pressure being brought to bear on him. Sen. Penry, you can probably pull your boot out now–hope this little smackdown is worth what it’s going to cost you. Original post follows.

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I’m hearing rumors that Josh Penry is pressuring Al White to remove his name from a bill to undo the Arveschoug-Bird amendment. I don’t know if the bill has been introduced yet or if it will be some time soon, but I hope for the sake of moderates in my party that White will hold strong. Kudos to White for signing on in the first place.

If Penry really is whipping his caucus this hard, then he is no different from the extremist Congressional Republicans: both Penry and the federal Rs seem to have decided that bipartisanship undermines their message discipline, and therefore is unacceptable (regardless of a bill’s merits).

Apparently, things went down in a similar manner on the transportation bill: http://www.coloradopols.com/sh…

But as the day wore on, two things became clear: the dissenting Democrats–in a powerful position with just enough votes to swing the chamber, as demonstrated–could be reasoned and negotiated with, with a number of moderate Republicans like Sen. Al White who gamely tried to get his caucus serious about making a deal. But GOP leadership, led by Josh Penry, would have none of it.

On SB-108, it sounds like White was ready to offer a reasonable amendment and then vote for the bill. Penry, who likely never had any intention to vote for the bill, decided that bipartisan support for it would undermine his opposition, and so he strong-armed White and Kester into voting for it.

I hope that’s not happening again.

Two data points makes a pattern, and it would be sickening for me to watch Republicans in Colorado follow the same fundamentalist dogma that the Republicans in Congress have adopted. It’s a losing gambit, and I wish they’d drop it.