Bill Ritter vs. Bob Beauprez: Smackdown #5

If the Halloween debate was the first gubernatorial debate you watched, you might be pretty impressed by both of Colorado's candidates for governor. You shouldn't be.

Both Ways Bob Beauprez lived up to his nickname. And he spent most of his shameless closing statement lying about Bill Ritter's record.

In contrast, Ritter offered Colorado voters a message of optimism. Of realism. Of consistency. The only thing Ritter didn't do was point out the number of times Both Ways Bob tried to pull the wool over our eyes.

Ritter didn't want to drag the level of discourse down. I have no such scruples.

1. Bob Beauprez belongs in jail. He took information illegally stolen by a partisan Republican and broadcast it across Colorado's airwaves.

2. Bob Beauprez can't hold a position for longer than two seconds. How does he feel about severance taxes? Amendment 38? NREL funding? I don't know. He's taken both sides of the debate on every topic.

3. Bob Beauprez's tenure in congress has been a failure. He's a mindless party-line voter who has supported astronomical deficits and done nothing about healthcare, the environment or illegal immigration for six years.

4. And if he tells me one more time that he and his wife have already bought their cemetary plots, I'm going to vomit. It's creepy.

Colorado has a choice to make in the next few weeks. We can elect Bill Ritter, a man who has spent his entire life fighting to make the world a better place. Or we can elect Bob Beauprez, a craven political careerist who thinks the laws of our state are optional.

Take nothing for granted. Make every day count.

Photo courtesy of Ritter for Governor.

John Edwards: Yes on 42

Video shot just after the roundtable with Senator John Edwards.

Tom Tancredo and the "r" word

I just listened to CD6 Democratic nominee Bill Winter's new radio spot, "Dateline: South Carolina." The message is unmistakable. Members of the League of the South, the Aryan Brotherhood, the American Nazi Party and the KKK worship Tom Tancredo. These racist ties make Tancredo unfit to represent CD6.

The spot arrived backed up by a raft of paperwork that links Tancredo to lesser-known groups as well, like The Pioneer Fund and the Council of Conservative Citizens, which has referred to African-Americans as "a retrograde species of humanity."

The accompanying press release ends:

[Winter campaign manager Berrick] Abramson concluded, "For too long, Tancredo has been publicly distancing himself from these shameful associations and claiming ignorance of their motives while privately accepting and encouraging their support. But as the depth of this network of hate becomes evident, it is no longer acceptable to dismiss it, as the Congressman's spokesman would have us believe, as 'a few bad apples.'"

Can Tancredo be judged by the company he keeps? At what point does nationalism become racism? Ever since Tancredo supporters posted death threats on the Winter campaign blog (an event covered by TakeBackTheHouse on Daily Kos), I have wondered why Tancredo hasn't done more to discourage his more unhinged supporters.

Tancredo has a right to even the most repugnant of views. But the voters of CD6 deserve to know where their congressman stands.

Tom Tancredo should either specifically and publicly denounce Virginia Abernethy, Barbara Coe, John Tanton, Glenn Spencer and other extremists or resign his seat in Congress.

Listen to Bill Winter's spot for yourself on his website. Read today's live blog with Bill Winter on Daily Kos. See him for yourself on YouTube.

Bob Beauprez handles money very, very badly

According to the Rocky, Both Ways Bob Beauprez has sunk another $142,000 of his own money into his campaign, bringing the grand total to $285,000. Apparently Beauprez thinks Colorado voters are too dumb to see through Rudy Giuliani's nonsensical endorsement.

What's the surest way to make sure Beauprez can't buy his way into the governor's mansion? Volunteer to help GOTV for Democratic nominee Bill Ritter. Call 303-534-0660 to get involved over the next few days.

Angie Paccione leads, Marilyn Musgrave attacks

Like the headline says, Paccione leads and Musgrave attacks:

Bill Winter: An excerpt from Crashing the States

CD6 Democratic nominee Bill Winter was recently endorsed by VetPAC. And he's speaking out about the ways that Tom Tancredo has stabbed veterans in the back. From a press release I got today:

Congressional candidate Bill Winter expressed strong disappointment at Rep. Tom Tancredo's votes to slash support for U.S. veterans. Mr. Tancredo recently received a C grade on his support for veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. In the past three years, the Disabled American Veterans have twice given Mr. Tancredo a rating of 0, and once a rating of 66 out of 100.

On that same note, here's a video of Winter, with a big hat-tip to TakeBackTheHouse of SquareState:



UPDATE: Check out Em Dash's story "On the road with Bill Winter" at Unbossed.

John McCain leaves Republican party?

Like Rudy Giuliani, 2008 presidential candidate John McCain is randomly endorsing various Republicans in order to build up chits with the GOP base. But the wording of his endorsement of Rubber Stamp Rick O'Donnell is interesting. From Haley's Comment:

"Rick will be a great leader," McCain writes of his fellow Republican. "He'll stand up to his party when they are off course."

Emphasis added. Snark, too.

Paula Noonan vs. Mike Kopp: Implosion watch

In SD22, Democratic nominee Paula Noonan is running against a Republican rumored to be Mike Kopp. I say "rumored" because he's a bit of a mystery in his own party. Colorado Confidential reported that GOP precinct committee people are refusing to endorse Kopp:

[I]n Kopp's case, they decided they couldn't endorse an invisible candidate who wouldn't return their calls or show up to events - including their candidates' forum several weeks ago that [Tom] Tancredo and other candidates attended. Kopp also skipped a candidates' event sponsored by the League of Women Voters. In addition, he didn't appear at the caucus nor returned phone calls.

Also refusing to endorse Kopp, his GOP primary opponent. According to the Rocky via ColoradoPols, Kiki Traylor said endorsing Kopp "would mean that I have no integrity":

"Endorsing Mike means endorsing his campaign and his supporters, and I can't endorse the way those people campaign." Kopp could not be reached for comment.

So who is on the Kopp bandwagon? Interest groups like Club for Growth, the Christian Coalition and the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. Bob Beauprez's source in the Beauprezgate scandal is possibly a Kopp donor. Cribbing from myself, here:

[A] peek at the Secretary of State's website confirms that a Cory Voorhis did indeed contribute to the Kopp campaign on October 10, as well as making two contributions to the Matt Knoedler campaign.

Will these special interests be able to buy the election for their favorite son? That's the rumor. Don't let it happen.

My favorite Bill Ritter numbers thus far

Sunday's Post reports that 52% of Bill Ritter's supporters are casting their vote based on the issues. Only 38% of Bob Beauprez's supporters say the same.

Photo of courtesy of Diana DeGette, Fern O'Brien, Ken Gordon, Roy Romer, Barbara O'Brien, Wellington Webb, Bill Ritter and Cary Kennedy courtesy of Ritter for Governor.

Doug Lamborn and Dick Cheney to get all buddy-buddy

I couldn't publish all day Sunday due to bugs in Blogger. Catch my take on the Dick Cheney/Doug Lamborn fundraiser on the frontpage of SquareState.

Bill Ritter leads by 19. I go blockwalking anyway.

What do you do when your candidate is up by 19 points with 11 days to go? If you're me, you spend your Saturday morning canvassing to try to drive that lead up even more. Yes, I know my longstanding prediction is 54-46. But if we win 62-38, I'm not going to complain.

Bill Ritter gets scary for Halloween

This year, Ken Gordon and Steve Ludwig have consistently come up with spots that are funny, creative and memorable. Bill Ritter's spots, on the other hand, could best be described as "earnest." That changes with this gem, which proves that negative ads don't have to use scary music and misleading voiceovers to be effective.

Jay Fawcett and Keely Marrs: Dispatches from the Springs

Only 16 days ago, I wrote that the DCCC was finally getting behind Democratic CD5 nominee Lt. Col. Jay Fawcett. Today, it upgraded the race, from "emerging" to "absolutely on fire." And a press release I got from the campaign states that Fawcett is out-fundraising the Republican nominee, Doug "Shut Your Mouth" Lamborn, by a wide margin:

The FEC reported that from October 1 through 18, Fawcett had raised $131,799.10, while Lamborn had garnered only $83,540.15. Fawcett also had more than twice as much cash on hand - $92,554.03 versus Lamborn's $44,054.07 - according to FEC figures.

While I'm in the Springs, I should note that SD9 Democratic nominee Keely Marrs has been endorsed by no less a national figure than General Wes Clark.

Fawcett's latest spot, if you haven't seen it:

More on the John Edwards roundtable

Many of the other bloggers have posts up about this story. TakeBackTheHouse cross-posted at Square State and Daily Kos. Alan from Progress Now Action posted here. Erin from Colorado Confidential also has a story. And you can read Jeralyn at Talk Left.

UPDATE: 5280 has its story online.

Photo of me writing and John Edwards talking courtesy of Johne.

Bob Beauprez, Tom Tancredo campaigns offer hypocrisy

You expect phoniness from the Both Ways Bob Beauprez campaign. And every day, you get it. From today's Rocky:

The federal agent suspected of leaking confidential information used to attack Bill Ritter's plea bargains for illegal immigrants once received a plea deal himself after punching and kicking a man unconscious at a Christmas party.

This comes on top of the news that Beauprez's "heroic" informant might also be a Republican donor.

Unlike Beauprez, Tom Tancredo is usually consistent; he's always out-of-step with the voters. So I was a bit surprised to see that he's also trying to have it both ways. From yesterday's Colorado Confidential:

In the Congressional District 6 debate last night, Republican Tom Tancredo reportedly said that a timetable was needed to withdraw from Iraq. On the Congressman's website however, you might find a different story. Or, at least you would if the web page was still up.

Me and John Edwards and possibly the longest post in the history of Coloradolib

I know what everybody out there is wondering.

What did I do today before I had lunch?

I sat in a conference room at the new Hyatt with former vice presidential nominee and 2008 frontrunner Senator John Edwards.

Who was there besides me and the Senator?

Writers from Square State, ColoradoPols, Dave Cullen, Colorado Confidential and Talk Left. And activists from Progressive Majority and Progress Now Action, who arranged the whole thing and I will love 'em forever for it.

The question I didn't ask the Senator.

Is Amanda Congdon super-hot in person?

The question I did ask the Senator.

"When I saw you speak in March, you advocated integrating neighborhoods by economic class. Um, can you, uh, explain that?"

What the Senator answered.

Edwards was sitting directly to my left and it was a real experience to have him turn, look me square in the eye, and describe one of his most controversial ideas. It involves a restructuring of HUD and the nation's housing voucher system to give people more choice and local governments more control. In America today, education and capital are mobile. If we give people the ability to migrate to the neighborhoods they choose, we can give technicians and laborers the same advantages that knowledge workers and the creative class currently enjoy.

Want to read more about that?

Go for it.

What else did we talk about?

Edwards rebuffed questions about political campaigns and talking points. He wanted to talk policy.

The conversation initially focused on social issues. The President has bought a tenuous recovery by running up a gigantic deficit while cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans. The result has been a system where the GDP and Dow increase while wages drop or remain stagnant. Is there a solution or are we screwed?

Edwards offered three goals our country needs to pursue to right the economy. A war on poverty. A change in the energy dynamic. And a universal healthcare system. In fact, he said he is hard at work on a proposal that will guarantee efficient, economical healthcare for all Americans. Since Edwards had just proposed increasing the use of housing vouchers to help fight poverty in America, I wonder if his healthcare system might use them the same way, like a plan I saw in The Washington Monthly.

Edwards also talked terrorism. He managed to dig himself a bit of a hole as he tried to split the difference between legalizing torture and giving future presidents the tools to protect America. He pointed out that the Military Commission Act, Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib have lessened America's moral authority. But he refused to rule out the use of aggressive interrogation tactics in extreme circumstances. It wasn't the answer the crowd wanted, and we discussed it for a long time after Edwards left without reaching any consensus.

But to me, the exchange was a clear indication that Edwards is planning a White House run in 2008. It seems like he has thought through the shades of gray a President might face.

Who else is writing about the roundtable?

Probably all the bloggers I mentioned up top. Knock yourself out.

Where can you buy Elizabeth Edwards' book?

It's on Amazon.

Where did I eat lunch afterwards?

At the Appaloosa Grill with five other bloggers. We discussed what we'd heard; the idea that if we all linked to each other, none of us would actually need to spend time writing about the event; and whether Bill Winter will destroy Tom Tancredo or merely whup him. Were we being overly optimistic about the CD6 race? Maybe. Hanging out with John Edwards will do that to you. His charisma is legendary. But his optimism is what I find most appealing. Edwards believes in America. He's apparently devoid of cynicism or guile.

So, like, Edwards in '08, then?

Yeah, probably. Let's get through '06 first.

Photo courtesy of Progress Now Action.

Bob Beauprez tries to jump on the Bill Ritter bandwagon

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill Ritter has long held up Republican Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's healthcare plan as an example of what a governor can do to help fix the healthcare system. I was absolutely floored to read in today's Rocky that Ritter's rival, Both Ways Bob Beauprez, is trying to claim the idea for his own. The Rocky calls Beauprez's hypocrisy out:

Beauprez predicted that Romney's "biggest lasting legacy as governor of Massachusetts will be health care reform," adding that as Colorado governor he might borrow some "good ideas" from the state-mandated health insurance plan that Romney signed into law. But it's been Ritter who has most often praised the nationally watched Massachusetts' health care experiment.

Bill Winter vs. Tom Tancredo: The morning after

Well, nobody punched anybody. Although for awhile there, it looked like it'd be a distinct possibility. I thought the best moment was when Bill Winter spoke in support of Hurricane Katrina relief, the Violence Against Women Act and the Voting Rights Act. Tancredo opposed all three measures, so it drew a concrete distinction between the two men.

Tancredo didn't do himself any favors, twice accusing the Libertarian nominee of being full of "BS" and muttering something about how planting the seeds of democracy means breaking up the ground first. He also mischaracterized the Murtha Plan, which calls for a withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq consistent with their safety and the development of a quick-reaction force in the region that can move immediately to counter specific insurgencies.

Tancredo's closing statement was also very odd to me. He essentially admitted he's a complete jerk who's totally out of step with CD6, but the voters should re-elect him anyway because he's so consistent about it.

CD6 can do better. Winter has the right resume, having served in the military, worked in education, and supported candidates from both sides of the aisle. And Winter has the right positions on illegal immigration, healthcare and the war in Iraq. He's the perfect candidate to represent the district where I grew up. I hope the voters there see it the same way.

I've watched dozens of political ads this year. This is the only one I'll remember.

Bill Winter vs. Tom Tancredo: Debate

Blogger wasn't working when the debate started. So I blogged it over at Square State. You can read my recap here.

I thought Bill Winter kicked butt. He was much more specific and bipartisan than Tancredo. And he was able to weave his personal experiences in Littleton and in the military together to give the voters a good idea of what sort of representative he'll be. That being said, Tancredo has had five terms to hone his rhetoric. Heck, he only said something was "BS" twice. We'll see if the voters make the right choice on election day.

Bill Winter vs. Tom Tancredo: Relevant links

Fbiots has posted links to several write-ups on the debate at Square State. And last night Daily Kos posted a huge story about Winter and his campaign.

Bill Winter vs. Tom Tancredo: Preamble

Tom Tancredo didn't want to debate CD6 Democratic nominee Bill Winter at all. Then, mysteriously, he said he would. But only behind locked doors. And only two weeks after absentee ballots had been mailed out.

So here we are, just 13 days from the election. Winter and Tancredo are finally about to butt heads. Channel 12. 8:00 p.m. Both are known for oratory that makes the consulting class cringe. Both have earned the loyalty of their supporters. And in the tradition of Smackdown #1 and Smackdown #2, I'm going to give a running commentary of their first and only debate.

Buckle up.

Diana DeGette fights for Michael J. Fox

In the left corner, CD1 Democratic representative Diana DeGette and Michael J. Fox. In the right corner, Rush Limbaugh. From today's press release from DeGette:

"By attacking someone suffering from Parkinson's disease Rush Limbaugh has reached a new low, and that's saying a lot... Parkinson's is a severely debilitating disease that robs it's victims of their motor functions. Embryonic stem cell research could hold the key to curing this and other debilitating diseases. Michael J. Fox should be applauded for speaking out on this important and life saving research, not ridiculed. Rush Limbaugh should beg the forgiveness of Michael J. Fox and the millions of Americans and their families who suffer though this disease every day."

I have always suspected that Limbaugh is a despicable person. I also suspect that Tom Tancredo is a racist, George W. Bush is an idiot, and Dick Cheney is the Penguin from the Batman comics. The first of these suspicions has been confirmed. We should all be glad Fox is out there fighting for us. And we should all be glad a Colorado representative is leading the charge for stem cell research.

Bill Ritter stays positive with road blog, video endorsements

If you go through the last 15 posts on this blog, you'll find that most of them bash Both Ways Bob Beauprez. That's a shame. Because Bill Ritter is more than the anti-Beauprez. He's a man of character with a plan for fulfilling what he calls "The Colorado Promise."

The fact is that Ritter doesn't need me to make his case for him. He's doing a fine job bringing his positive message directly to the netroots, the grassroots, and the voters of Colorado. The resurgent Ritter blog is updated daily with photos and reports from Ritter's bus tour across Colorado. And Ritter's daily video endorsements let you listen as the people who know Ritter best explain why he should be our next governor.

If all you read is Coloradolib, you're going to give yourself an ulcer. Please check in with the candidate himself, Bill Ritter.

And while you're at it, call the Ritter campaign at 303-534-0660 and ask them how you can help out. On Saturday, hundreds of volunteers will be working to get out the vote. Now is no time to be on the sidelines.

Photo courtesy of Ritter for Governor.

Progress Now asks Tom Tancredo a few questions

Giuliani hands out endorsements like Halloween candy

If pro-choice Republican Rudy Giuliani wants his party's presidential nomination in 2008, he needs to build up some chits with the GOP's uber-conservative base. So he's scurrying around America, offering his endorsement to every wingnut from George "Macaca" Allen to Ken "Fair and Honest Elections Are Dumb" Blackwell.

Today, Giuliani cheapened his name even further by praising Both Ways Bob Beauprez for - I'm not making this up - his consistency:

"The most important quality of leadership? I'd say it's sticking to your beliefs whether they are popular or unpopular. That's Bob Beauprez."

I watched the spot about six times and I still can't believe I heard it correctly. Ten minutes of research would have told Giuliani why we call Beauprez "Both Ways Bob." But apparently, Giuliani is too busy focusing on '08 to concern himself with the facts.

Beauprez (nearly) jackknifes on Ref C

What to include in my ever-expanding Both Ways Bob Watch? What's a lie and what's a flip-flop? What's cynical political gamesmanship and what's an honest mistake?

For instance, on October 19, 2006, Congressman Bob Beauprez told the Post that he'd "never heard of the NCIC until the current flap erupted." As he turns out, he'd voted to strengthen protections for the database on September 25, 2005. Was Beauprez flip-flopping, lying or just having a convenient memory lapse?

A press release the Beauprez campaign sent to ColoradoPols yesterday yields similar shades of gray. In it, a coalition of Republicans who supported Referendum C voice their support for Beauprez, who opposed the measure:

"Some of us supported Referendum C because we believed it was critical to moving Colorado forward," the letter reads. "Bob Beauprez's Fiscal Accountability Plan is the next step toward keeping our State on course and fulfilling the promise of Referendum C now that it has passed."

Beauprez's incertitude on Referendum C earned him the nickname Both Ways Bob back in 2005. His eventual opposition turned off many anti-tax activists, who saw it as a cynical move to squash Marc Holtzman's uber-conservative primary campaign. And now Beauprez's attempts to attach himself to the popular measure come off as transparently political.

This isn't a flip-flop the way Beauprez's multi-positions on NREL funding, NCIC protections or Amendment 38 were. But it still reeks of weak-willed politicking.

Changing your opinion isn't always a bad thing. Changing it to suit the latest polling data is. Beauprez doesn't have the backbone to be Colorado's next governor.

Tancredo loves Pelosi, hates English

File this post under S for Snark.

Upon hearing that Tom Tancredo had been picked by Esquire as one of America's 10 worst congresspeople, Tancredo spokesperson Carlos Espinosa told the Rocky "I am planning on phrasing it this way on our Web site: 'Esquire has Tancredo in Top 10 list of congressmen!'"

Espinosa should have read through the list. It includes Nancy Pelosi.

Then again, the Tancredo campaign seems to have something against reading anything at all. Tancredo has campaigned against teaching English to Spanish-speaking students. Why, when he has spent so much time railing against multi-culturalism? As TakeBackTheHouse writes, "I think it is blatant racism and that this exposes the truth that his anti-'illegal immigrant' stance has nothing to do with the law and nothing to do with immigration. He is just flat out anti-Hispanic."

Hey Bob, what's your favorite both-ways?

Ritter up by 18 points

Holy freaking cow.

Beauprez informant donated to Republican extremist

I was suspicious of an anonymous comment posted on this blog and Square State alleging that Both Ways Bob's ICE "informant" was a donor to Republican extremist Mike Kopp, who helped purge the GOP of Bill Owens-appointed moderate Kiki Traylor. But a peek at the Secretary of State's website confirms that a Cory Voorhis did indeed contribute to the Kopp campaign on October 10, as well as making two contributions to the Matt Knoedler campaign.

Each contribution was only 25 bucks. But you get the picture. If it is the same Voorhis, this information demonstrates that he is not a courageous whistleblower, but an extreme GOP partisan.

Bob's biggest both-ways yet?

Asking me to pick my favorite Beauprez flip-flop is like asking me to choose between my children. But this one is right up there. I'll let the Rocky do the heavy lifting:

GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez voted in Congress to strengthen protections against abuse of a national crime database for non-law enforcement purposes.

But last week, Beauprez portrayed an "informant" who gave his campaign information - which critics say came from that database - as a heroic whistleblower.

I'm disappointed to hear anybody describing Beauprez's crony as a "whistleblower" in any context. As Pacified wrote at Square State, the ICE agent apparently illegally accessed a database for political gain and distributed information about a legal policy. That's not whistleblowing. It's just wrong.

My Both Ways Bob Watch will be updated shortly.

Perlmutter calls out O'Donnell on Beauprez

Democratic CD7 nominee Ed Perlmutter has a point:

"We need to clean up Congress and campaigns and I think it can start right here in the 7th Congressional District, where Rep. Beauprez is the sitting Congressman. Rep. Bob Beauprez is Rick O'Donnell's campaign chairman and top advisor and as such, I call on Rick O'Donnell to hold his chairman accountable for his actions and demand that Rep. Beauprez disclose the source that provided him illegal information..."

Is there anyone in Washington DC who O'Donnell isn't buddies with?

Video of war hero and former Senator Max Cleland speaking about why America needs Ed Perlmutter:

Anti-44 crowd competes with Beauprez to see who can look stupider

The pro-44 argument has never seemed that persuasive to me. But the anti-44 arguments are absolutely ridiculous. Over the past few months, we've been subjected to non-stop lying, intimidation, politicking and abuse of taxpayer dollars. And now Colorado Confidential reports that there is little if any Colorado opposition to 44. It's all been a show from the federal government.

The only thing that makes me madder is Both Ways Bob Beauprez's latest spot, where he appears in an appropriately black cowboy hat and spotless shirt holding a shovel and directing our attention to a horse's butt. It's hypocritical of him to bemoan political mudslinging after doing so much of it. But that's why we call him Both Ways Bob.

Beauprez wastes $50,000 of his own money

What do you do when every donor in Colorado - including some of your own supporters - is giving money your gubernatorial rival? Sell your bank and loan your campaign fifty grand.

The Rocky thinks the law is optional

In a Saturday editorial, the Rocky seems to say it's OK for a government agent to illegally tap a secret database and then pass the stolen information on to a political candidate so that it can be disseminated across Colorado's airwaves:

There is no reason whatever that the arrest records and aliases of an illegal immigrant - or anyone else - should be kept under wraps, with the possibility of prison for those who breach the secrecy.

There are a lot of stupid laws. Fortunately, we have a lot of ways to change them. You can petition your elected representatives. Or even put an initiative on the ballot.

What you can't do is commit a crime and then shrug your shoulders when you get caught and say, "You know, I never cared much for that law anyway."

In this country, we are ruled by laws, not men. Even if you're Bob Beauprez. The Rocky's spin is nothing less than un-American.

Beauprez, Colorado Republican Committee have $40,000 problem

Colorado Confidential asks:

Would you notice if someone gave you $40,000? Would you remember if you gave that sum to someone else? I ask because the Beauprez campaign and the Colorado Republican Committee can't seem to keep track of such things. According to filings with the Secretary of State, the Beauprez campaign reported receiving $100,000 from the Colorado Republican Committee PAC - $80,000 on Oct. 6 and $20,000 on Oct. 10. But, the CRC reports only one $60,000 contribution to Beauprez on Oct. 6.

To answer that first question, I'm going to guess that if I was Bob Beauprez and I was trying furiously to stay out of jail, I might indeed lose track of $40,000 and everything else in my life.

Beauprez lies right to our faces. Twice.

Today on Channel 7, Bob Beauprez looks Colorado square in the eye and lies:

"Instead of explaining why it is that Bill Ritter put dangerous criminal aliens back into our community when they should have been deported, he wants to destroy the life and the career of a good man who blew the whistle."

1. Ritter's plea bargain of Carlos Estrada Medina did not effect Medina's deportation status.

2. Someone who breaks into a federal database and illegally gives that information to Bob Beauprez for political purposes is not a whistleblower.

Beauprez explores alternate career paths

Both Ways Bob Beauprez is just a couple months from unemployment. So he's trying out new jobs to see what suits him.

First he asked us to consider him a journalist:

Reporters asked why Beauprez wouldn't reveal the source of the information after vowing Friday to "demonstrate we got our information legally."

"Why didn't Judith Miller reveal her source? Why didn't Bernstein and Woodward reveal their source?" Beauprez replied.

Then he tried out a career defending people who break the law for political gain:

"Our source - in my opinion - performed a great act of courage and public service..."

But I think that what Beauprez really wants to be is emperor. Like his buddy in the White House, he has confused serving the public with ruling it. If Candidate Beauprez has this little regard for Colorado law, just imagine what a Governor Beauprez might be like.

Playing What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up is probably loads of fun. And Beauprez should enjoy it while he can. The fact is that Beauprez's campaign violated federal law in order to launch a misleading attack on Bill Ritter.

In America, if you break the law, you go to jail. Beauprez's next job could be making license plates.

Republican ICE agent implicated in Beauprezgate

9 News has learned who illegally accessed the information that Both Ways Bob Beauprez used to create his misleading attacks on Bill Ritter. The man is a Republican who works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Accessing the NCIC database and using the information is a felony that comes with years of jail time. Accepting that information without vetting it and exploiting it to launch malicious political slurs is a breach of ethics that comes with years of shame.

Beauprez may not end up in jail. But he should. He brought his GOP brethren's corrupt and illegal tactics home and tried them out on the voters of Colorado. Over the next month, we get to tell Beauprez and all of his corrupt buddies exactly what we think of them.

I already sent my absentee ballot in. And on October 28, I'm going to be knocking on doors with one message: Colorado deserves leaders of character.

Ritter has already launched an ad that asks voters to hold the congressman accountable for his role in this crime. I'll post it as soon as it's on You Tube. In the meantime, you can see it at ritterforgovernor.com.

UPDATE:

Say No to 43 launches TV spot

Mayor Hickenlooper and Governor Ritter

Yes, I know I already mentioned that the mayor endorsed Colorado's next governor. Yes, it's an unsurprising story. So why am I posting this photo? Because the Republicans ought to get used to it.

Photo courtesy of Ritter for Governor

Winter: "Tancredo's polls have us in a dead heat"

Bill Winter is blogging at Square State and Daily Kos. Get your recommends in and your wallets out:

For the first time ever a Democrat has Tom Tancredo on the ropes, and we need to put him on the canvass. All I need now is the support to stay up on radio and direct mail - and hopefully television - until election day...

Tancredo's polls have us in a dead heat! If we win, it's a historic victory. If we just get very close, I'll run again and we'll raise 3 million dollars of our own and take this seat one way or the other!

I was able to drinks beers and discuss politics, activism and the future of blogging with Winter, TakeBackTheHouse, Johne, Tovah and Crashing the States last night.

I came home in time to watch Ed Perlmutter moderate a debate between himself and Rubber Stamp Rick O'Donnell. I'll explain what I mean by that when I post this afternoon.

CBI: Beauprez ad used info from NCIC database

From The Rocky Mountain News:

"The CBI has thoroughly reviewed and researched the law enforcement databases and determined that the information regarding Carlos Estrada Medina was obtained by accessing the NCIC," the CBI said in a statement. "Because this is a federally controlled and regulated system, CBI has requested the assistance of the FBI to further pursue the investigation."

Ritter kicks off video endorsement series

Every day another leader endorses Bill Ritter for Governor. And I mean that literally. Beauprez was also going to post video endorsements on his website, but he's very busy trying to stay out of jail.

While I'm at it, Ritter's latest TV spot:

Tancredo a national laughingstock

Rolling Stone has joined Esquire in naming CD6 Republican Tom Tancredo one of America's worst 10 legislators. The magazine labels Tancredo "Mr. Bigotry" and points out that even the extremely conservative National Review has called him "an idiot."

I grew up in CD6. I know for a fact that the voters there are reasonable, good people living busy lives. But their refusal to pay attention to politics has allowed them to elect an absentee representative whose national posturing has made the district look like the home of hate. My hometown deserves better. It deserves Bill Winter.

Hat-tip to Square State.

Even Beauprez can't defend his runningmate

I've been pretty hard on Janet Rowland. She doesn't understand the Constitution, she detests Colorado's largest city, and she thinks homosexuality is just a hair better than bestiality. Those aren't the sort of ideas I want from my lieutenant governor.

Yesterday, even Bob Beauprez refused to stand by his runningmate's extreme view