Damn, just damn.........I didn't know others see the other side, like I do on the issue.
Unsafe in Colorado's 'Safe' GOP DistrictWhat do you think?
by John Gizzi, HUMAN EVENTS
Posted Oct 16, 2006By all the historic standards, Colorado’s 5th U.S. House District is one of the safest in the nation for Republicans. The district has been in Republican hands without interruption since it was created after the 1971 census, and the GOP primary has always been tantamount to election.
But not in ’06. With strong help from the Club for Growth and the House Conservatives Fund, State Sen. Doug Lamborn won the six-person Republican primary in the Colorado Springs-based district earlier this year. Easily the most conservative candidate in the primary, Lamborn topped the field by 800 votes and won the nomination with 27% of the vote.
But these days Lamborn is not exactly interviewing prospective congressional staff or looking at real estate in Washington, D.C. A recent Denver Post editorial said it all: “No Free Pass in 5th CD Race.” With numerous moderate Republicans and backers of Lamborn primary opponents refusing to support the nominee, the chances of an upset by Democrat Jay Fawcett, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and Desert Storm veteran, have been vastly enhanced. The National Journal’s “Hotline” elevated the 5th District race to one of its “50 House Races to Watch” and Congressional Quarterly recently profiled the Lamborn-Fawcett contest under the headline: “5th District No Longer Safe for GOP.”
The biggest blow to Lamborn’s chances of going to Congress has been dealt by the outgoing congressman—fellow Republican Joel Hefley. Following Lamborn’s primary win, 20-year Rep. Hefley made headlines by announcing he would not support the nominee of his party. Reportedly, the retiring congressman considered both running again as a write-in candidate or actually supporting Democrat Fawcett.
For all the Republican gloom and Democratic glee over the developments in the 5th District, a different view has been voiced by possibly the best-known and most-respected of all Republicans in Colorado—former Sen. (1978-90) Bill Armstrong, who from 1972-78 was the first-ever U.S. representative from the 5th District.
“It is unfortunate that Congressman Hefley is going out the way he has,” Armstrong told me. “He is a friend of mine and has many years of outstanding public service. His position won’t change the outcome in the 5th District—Doug Lamborn is going to win. But I’m afraid it will discourage the turnout among some Republicans and that could change the outcome in some close statewide and legislative elections. Right now, the race for governor [between conservative Republican Rep. Bob Beauprez and liberal Democrat Bill Ritter] is too close to call. Tipping the balance in races like that would be quite unfortunate.”