Posted on 10/05/2007 7:45:49 AM PDT by george76
Bentley Rayburn officially launched his campaign Thursday to unseat a fellow Republican, Congressman Doug Lamborn, by touting himself as "best positioned to reunite this party."
Rayburn, who finished third in last year's primary for what was then an open seat, becomes the second challenger in the 2008 race, joining 2006 primary runner-up Jeff Crank. Lamborn has not made his re-election bid official, but he is raising money.
Rayburn, a retired Air Force major general, devoted a good portion of his speech to "the war against radical Islam." He said the ongoing battle is a multi-generational struggle that will not be solved quickly, but the consequences are too grave to back off the fight.
He also reiterated positions from his last run, including his opposition to abortion, support for gun rights and desire for more fiscal conservatism. Rayburn spoke briefly about the need to strengthen the local economy and stop the exodus of high-paying high-tech jobs.
Without mentioning Lamborn by name, Rayburn railed against a lack of leadership and said his 31-year military background has prepared him for that role.
"We don't need another grudge match. We are at a crossroads in our party and in our country,"...
(Excerpt) Read more at rockymountainnews.com ...
Rayburn also said he is “not in this to make deals with other candidates,” a seeming reference to talks between him and Crank ...
I remember this man. I used to go to church with him, although he was away a lot. I got to know his wife a bit. That seems like a lifetime ago. I remembered that he seemed like a good, wholesome, sincere and talented man.
That said, I think this candidacy is silly. Let Crank have another go at Lamborn and if he loses again, well it's Lamborn's seat.
Get real. If Doug Lamborn was a “jerk”, the people of Colorado Springs wouldn’t have elected him to office in the first place. Lamborn is a staunch fiscal and social conservative. He isn’t stupid or foolish. He maybe a bit annoying to some liberals and malcontents. So what else is new.
Btw, Lamborn is my Congressman. For a first term Congressman, replacing 20 year veteran Joel Hefley and without a GOP majority in power, I figure Lamborn has done about the best he could under difficult conditions.
Crank and his folks are looking like major-league sore losers here. We just don’t need this internecine battle right now. Lamborn may have some shortcomings, but we need to come together and put aside the hard feelings for the good of this district.
Crank, what an appropriate name.
I don’t know what you mean by “he has a nasty habit of doing jerky things to other Republicans”. Care to offer some examples? Honestly, I have no idea what you’re talking about.
The 2006 general election was very heated. Jeff Crank brought in the RINO enabler Hugh Hewitt to makle his case for him. Didn’t help. Without offering a good reason, Joel Helfey refused to back a fellow conservative Republican in the general election. Lamborn was a very effective state senator. He’s doing the same for my 5th district.
In 2006 former Rep. Hefley criticized Lamborn for running a "sleazy" campaign. Lamborn was in cahoots with a 527 running untrue attack ads against Crank.
We have all kinds of trouble in Colorado right now and IMHO we don't need a loose cannon with the potential to cause us trouble in the one part of the state where we shouldn't have any.
We discussed the emails Lamborn sent to Jonathan and Anna Barthait right here on FR. The emails you refer to weren't threatening whatsoever. If you'd like I can post them. Lamborn didn't keep any of the money in question either. He opposes gambling.
I already told you that Joel Hefley didn't support Lamborn. Jeff Crank was Hefley's guy. A former staffer who ran a poor campaign. He was in way over his head. And there was no evidence that Lamborn ran a "sleazy" campaign. None whatsoever. I was very disappointed in Hefley for not backing Lamborn. He received almost 60% of the vote in the general.
I agree with you that Republicans are in trouble in Colorado. But that isn't the fault of Doug Lamborn. The state GOP has been asleep at the wheel for years. They've chosen weak candidates like Pete Coors. Can't expect to win with bad choices like that.
Horse manure.
Lamborn won the Republican primary with a 27% plurality in a 6-way race. He didn't do particularly well -- he just did slightly better than his nearest opponent. Sufficient to get him into the general election, but not an "election" in any majority sense of the term.
He won the general election because he's a Republican and this is El Paso County, the most Republican county in the nation. Even so, he only beat his Democrat opponent 59-40 -- which is a pretty piss-poor showing in this district.
Who's this "we", kemo sabe? Did you recently move here from Tennessee?
It's amusing: folks always say that the time for Republicans to challenge Republicans is in the primaries. Well, they're doing that, and Lamborn has made it worth their while to do so.
I didn't vote for Lamborn last time, and I'm not inclined to do so this time, either.
That about sums it up.
Lose the hostility, FRiend, it won't help your cause. The other part is a red herring. Colorado isn't an island on another planet. EVERY House and Senate race and Governorship contest in the country concerns me and concerns many others. As an out-of-stater, all I've heard since the primary last year is nothing but ugliness against Lamborn, from Crank's folks and from Hefley. This is not helpful. You'd think Lamborn was voting like Diana DeGette from their hysterical behavior.
"It's amusing: folks always say that the time for Republicans to challenge Republicans is in the primaries. Well, they're doing that, and Lamborn has made it worth their while to do so."
That is the time, WHEN it is justified, but this sort of grudge match between Conservative Republican candidates that aren't going to vote virtually any different from the other, a match based almost solely on personalities and not much else, and against a competent incumbent (one who received the highest % of the vote as a Republican House candidate in CO), is not the kind of battle that needs to be fought repeatedly. That sort of unnecessary internecine battle is what aids the rodentry, and don't say a rodent can't win in that district if one GOP candidate manages to cripple another. They managed to polish off that Black GOP State Senator in Colorado Springs in a district where the Democrats could caucus in a phone booth, and don't forget what happened in losing McInnis's seat, let alone the Governorship. Crank and his folks need to suck it up and bury the hatchet.
"I didn't vote for Lamborn last time, and I'm not inclined to do so this time, either."
Does that include the general election, too ?
It's not hostility, FRiend. You said "we," as if you, like I, actually live in the Congressional District in question. You even undertook to lecture us dramatically on the evils of internecine squabbles.
You don't live here, and you won't vote here. I'm content to let Mr. Lamborn fight it out in the primary. And I'll be content to vote against him for the same reason I didn't vote for him in the previous primary: because he's a jerk, and had been a jerk for a long time prior.
Does that include the general election, too ?
I didn't vote against him. I held my nose, because the Democrat looked strong (and, for a Democrat in this district, he was strong).
Coulda fooled me. You can cut the anger with a knife.
"You said "we," as if you, like I, actually live in the Congressional District in question."
We as in Conservative Republicans. "I" have to count on "you" to vote for a Republican majority. My Congressional district hasn't voted for a Republican since 1872 (and that is NOT a typo -- think President Grant), and that isn't likely to change.
"You even undertook to lecture us dramatically on the evils of internecine squabbles."
Indeed, I did, and I will continue to do so.
"You don't live here, and you won't vote here."
I live in America, so who represents your district represents me vis a vis whom he votes for with respect to the majority party. Colorado is not an independent country or some island.
"I'm content to let Mr. Lamborn fight it out in the primary. And I'll be content to vote against him for the same reason I didn't vote for him in the previous primary: because he's a jerk, and had been a jerk for a long time prior."
You think he's a jerk ? Fine. I'm sure he doesn't feel this constant squabbling is helping the party's cause overall. Want to keep playing these petty games and the rodents will love it and stand to benefit.
"I didn't vote against him. I held my nose, because the Democrat looked strong (and, for a Democrat in this district, he was strong)."
And if he is renominated, I hope you continue to do so... that is unless Lamborn starts voting like DeGette or Udall, then I can understand why you would choose not to.
Coulda fooled me. You can cut the anger with a knife.
LOL! No anger, pal -- just wondering why you continue to pontificate so knowledgeably on a situation about which you obviously have no direct knowledge.
We as in Conservative Republicans. "I" have to count on "you" to vote for a Republican majority.
And primary challengers to Lamborn don't threaten that. You might take time out of your busy day to wonder whether we might actually elect a better Representative....
I'm sure he doesn't feel this constant squabbling is helping the party's cause overall.
See, that's what ignorance gets you. The fact is that Lamborn has a record of picking squabbles with other Republicans. He's a polarizing force, even within his own party. The little personal row with the two people he called and essentially threatened, is actually somewhat typical of his behavior.
Tell you what, dj. You worry about "the nation," and let the Republicans of El Paso County worry about who we elect to represent us in Congress.
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