Hefley will retire
In rapid succession, I learned from Progress Now Action, the Rocky Mountain News, and Coloradopols that CD5 Republican representative Joel Hefley will not seek re-election in 2006.
This sets up a crowded Republican primary in uber-conservative Colorado Springs. But the big winner here is Democratic CD5 candidate Jay Fawcett. Fawcett is an Air Force Academy graduate who earned a Bronze Star in the 1991 Gulf War.
While I didn't agree with Hefley much, he was one of the last Republicans left in Washington DC who had some sort of spine. As the Rocky's story reads:
"Although Hefley is as conservative as any member of Congress, Democrats and liberal interest groups rushed to his defense when GOP leaders removed him from the Ethics Committee chairmanship... He was the lone Republican to speak loudly against proposed ethics rule changes that critics saw as an attempt to shield DeLay from further scrutiny."
UPDATE: Fawcett's statement: "Congressman Hefley is a public servant in the truest sense of the word. One of the most dignified and respected members of congress, his decades of service to the people of Colorado and the United States will be recognized for years to come. We owe the Congressman a debt of gratitude and wish him the best in his retirement. I believe with change comes opportunity, the opportunity for growth and meeting the expectations of a thriving society. I am personally excited to be a part of that change."
This sets up a crowded Republican primary in uber-conservative Colorado Springs. But the big winner here is Democratic CD5 candidate Jay Fawcett. Fawcett is an Air Force Academy graduate who earned a Bronze Star in the 1991 Gulf War.
While I didn't agree with Hefley much, he was one of the last Republicans left in Washington DC who had some sort of spine. As the Rocky's story reads:
"Although Hefley is as conservative as any member of Congress, Democrats and liberal interest groups rushed to his defense when GOP leaders removed him from the Ethics Committee chairmanship... He was the lone Republican to speak loudly against proposed ethics rule changes that critics saw as an attempt to shield DeLay from further scrutiny."
UPDATE: Fawcett's statement: "Congressman Hefley is a public servant in the truest sense of the word. One of the most dignified and respected members of congress, his decades of service to the people of Colorado and the United States will be recognized for years to come. We owe the Congressman a debt of gratitude and wish him the best in his retirement. I believe with change comes opportunity, the opportunity for growth and meeting the expectations of a thriving society. I am personally excited to be a part of that change."
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