Take Note: Colorado Republicans Suck Up To Trump

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by: Colorado Pols

Sen. Cory Gardner.

A Gray Television wire story from last week via KJCT-TV contains a true rarity: quotes from Colorado Republican lawmakers regarding President-elect Donald Trump! Make a note of these for posterity, in the likely event things get less clear down the road:

Colorado’s Congressional Delegation is weighing in on the Trump transition and their vision for the next session of Congress…

“I had the opportunity to sit down with Vice President elect Pence and to be able to hear his vision,” Rep. Tipton explained. “I believe that we have so much common ground.”

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) was in that same meeting. He says he’s never felt more optimistic about working with Trump. [Pols emphasis]

“This is a man who will solve problems and a man who is action oriented,” Rep. Buck said. “I think that’s exactly what we need in this county [sic].”

Got that? Trump is “exactly what we need in this county.” Typos aside, we have little doubt that Rep. Ken Buck knows folks in Weld County who agree.

And that brings us to Colorado’s top-ranking Republican, Sen. Cory Gardner–whose whiplash-inducing turnabout on Trump since calling for Trump to pull out of the presidential race in October has barely amounted to a speedbump since the election:

Senator Gardner joined a surge of high-profile Republican leaders calling for Trump to step down, following the release of a video showing Trump making lewd comments about women. Now, Gardner says that’s all in the past.

“I have spoken to Mike Pence, I have spoken to Reince Priebus and obviously we need this to work,” Gardner said.

“Look, I think if President-elect Trump, if his administration will be reflective of the speech that he gave after he won. If that is the way he governs, I think this country will be a better place, a stronger place,” Gardner reiterated.

“So much common ground.” “A better place, a stronger place.” “Exactly what we need.”

There’s really not much to add to these rosy comments today, except to note that they were made voluntarily. There’s going to come a time in the next few years when these words will be relevant once again to voters: either positively, in the case of a successful Trump presidency, or not. Although Gardner and other dissenting Republicans felt the freedom/responsibility to call for Trump to withdraw from the presidential race in October, that freedom has been taken away by Trump’s victory–and the more pressing need to stay relevant after the election went in a direction almost no one predicted.

All we can do now is wait and see how long it takes until Gardner and friends have to eat these words.

14 thoughts on “Take Note: Colorado Republicans Suck Up To Trump”

Moderatus says:

January 3, 2017 at 3:19 pm

Trump took on the Republicans over ethics and won. Where is the blog post about that?

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1. unnamed says:
  
  January 3, 2017 at 3:32 pm
  
  That post is just waiting for you to write it. Don't you got it in you? Your Dear Leader needs YOU to write a post about his heroic efforts to take on his party as the ONLY ONE who made them fold like a cheap suit on this issue. Written as only you can in your singularly articulate manner as the most intelligent poster on this site. I believe in you!!! Make it happen Captain!!!!
  
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  1. Duke Cox says:
    
    January 4, 2017 at 10:00 am
    
    I'll second that, for sure. Come on, Fluffy. Let's see that diary. I am sure Pols will promote what promises to be a literary masterpiece.
    
    Oh..by the way..
    
    Trump took on the Republicans over ethics and won.
    
    Trump is a Republican..isn't he?
    
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    1. unnamed says:
      
      January 4, 2017 at 10:41 am
      
      Yeah. Come on Moddy. The world is waiting for your brilliant insight. That said, yeah, Trump is a Republican, last I checked. Also, didn't Fluffy also call Trump "Hitler" in another recent thread?
      
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2. PKolbenschlag says:
  
  January 3, 2017 at 3:40 pm
  
  He actually didn't he said, to paraphrase, wait until after we hand out tax breaks to the rich and gut health care coverage for millions of Americans, then you can roll back the ethic rules.
  
  There was a massive backlash, thousands of calls, tweets, emails and letters from groups spanning the spectrum from Judicial Watch to PFAW that demanded that gutting of the OCE be stopped.
  
  Its your government now Moddy, your side owns it. Day 1 was a serious smack down for the GOP. More to come.
  
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3. Genghis says:
  
  January 3, 2017 at 6:58 pm
  
  Cool story, breh. Predictably false, but cool nonetheless.
  
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4. JohnInDenver says:
  
  January 4, 2017 at 6:48 am
  
  Trump joined in the chorus of opposition to the plan for congressional ethics. He wasn't the first to oppose. He doesn't appear to be personally involved. His tweet only pointed out there were higher priorities.
  
  I'm thinking the strong reaction of many donors and constituents had more to do with the "win" than a single tweet from Trump.
  
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  1. PKolbenschlag says:
    
    January 4, 2017 at 7:01 am
    
    Most media, even that which gave Trump credit yesterday, are reporting today that it was the thousands and thousands and thousands of outraged tweets, emails, phone calls that caused the “unified GOP” to beat a hasty retreat in the "new era" opening day faceplant.
    
    On another note, Rep. Scott Tipton refuses to let those funding his salary whom he allegedly represents to know his position on an issue of high interest to constituents.
    
    Even Doug Lamborn voted against this gutless move.
    
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    1. PKolbenschlag says:
      
      January 4, 2017 at 7:07 am
      
      Of course one has to read the Sentinel to learn that, or at least deep into the Denver Post story, which has a headline that proclaims "Colorado Republicans Object to Gutting Ethics Office" and pictures of all four Colorado GOP Members.
      
      That's one way to pretend your endorsement was solid.
      
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PKolbenschlag says:

January 3, 2017 at 3:52 pm

The media’s Trump ethics failure: Crediting the president-elect for an anti-corruption stand he didn’t make

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mamajama55 says:

January 4, 2017 at 6:21 am
Ken Buck of CD4 just sent out a taxpayer-paid “Year-end Outlook and Feedback Request”. This propaganda document lays out how exactly he expects to support the Trump administration’s goals:

On Taxes:
- Ken Buck wants to eliminate the estate tax (What right-wing pundits cal the “death tax”)
- This would make passing on fortunes over $10 million to one’s inheritors tax-free, instead of at the present 40%. For the Trump family alone, this would save 1.2 billion at Trump’s conservatively estimated worth of 3 billion.
- This is right in line with Ken Buck's wealthy East Coast roots; although he likes to pretend that he's just an Eastern plains good old boy with "bullshit on his boots", he actually comes from New York lawyers who sent him to Ivy League schools. While this still probably doesn't put him in the Trump top 1% league, it does make him more sympathetic to those interests.
With deficit spending out of control, I have been leading efforts to balance the budget through various means such as repealing the estate tax and preventing another increase in the federal debt limit.

On Immigration:

Washington has seriously messed up its response to illegal immigration. To ensure the safety of our citizens and the prosperity of our nation, we must secure the border.

This means that Buck, who has a long history of anti-immigrant raids and discrimination as a Weld county DA, is against any path to citizenship for immigrants, but for a "zip in-zip out" cheap labor force with essentially no human rights.

Buck's 3rd issue that he wants "feedback" on is healthcare reform. He wants to repeal the ACA, and also has feelers in the mailer about privatizing the VA – veterans should have more freedom to visit the doctor of their choice".

Usually, these kinds of self-serving political pieces go straight into the recycle bag. However, this time, I'll reply to Buck's "request for feedback" in no uncertain terms – and I hope that you will, too.
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1. JohnInDenver says:
  
  January 4, 2017 at 6:53 am
  
  Buck is actually thinking deficits will be IMPROVED with elimination of the estate tax? I'd be interested in reading his "logic" on that stance.
  
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  1. mamajama55 says:
    
    January 4, 2017 at 8:05 pm
    
    Here's Buck's "logic", JID:
    
    With deficit spending out of control, I have been leading efforts to balance the budget through various means such as repealing the estate tax and preventing another increase in the federal debt limit.
    
    I believe the President-elect agrees that both tax and spending reduction go hand in hand in growing our economy and helping the private sector create good paying jobs.
    
    It helps if you click your ruby slipper heels together three times. If you do that, you get to move to Kansas, where all public works are underfunded and the Kochs reign supreme.
    
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Gray in Mountains says:

January 4, 2017 at 6:12 pm

I've always hated that pic of smug Cory. I have that shirt. One of my favorites. I'm tempted to burn it but it looks and feels good

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