Rocky Mountain Gun Owners: Greg Brophy For Governor

The "no compromise" gun rights organization Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, which dominated the opposition at the Colorado state capitol last spring to the slate of gun safety bills passed by the General Assembly, today announced their endorsement of Sen. Greg Brophy in the 2014 GOP gubernatorial primary. From their release a short while ago:

Gun owners have a huge responsibility in 2014: electing someone to replace the most anti-gun Governor in Colorado’s history.

No one running for Governor has championed your gun rights more than Senator Greg Brophy, and that’s why RMGO-PAC is proud to announce our endorsement of his campaign.

We’ve been able to rely on Greg’s leadership at the State Capitol for over 10 years, where he was even the first elected official to sponsor Constitutional Carry.

And if elected Governor, Greg won’t waste any time signing the dotted line on legislation aimed at repealing the radical gun controls passed in 2013.

Despite the organization's recent vow to turn up the heat against Democrats, there's no greater influence that the RMGO wields today than in Republican primaries–recent casualties who can attest to this include the Glenn Vaad, the moderate Republican who lost to Vicki Marble, and Larry Liston who lost to Owen Hill in Colorado Springs. Brophy may not be the strongest candidate to compete in the general election against Gov. John Hickenlooper, but the help of RMGO and Dudley Brown–always expected to be one of Brophy's closest allies–is a weapon Brophy's opponents may come to wish they had in their arsenal before this primary is over.

As long as you forget all about Jaxine Bubis, that is.

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It’s Official: Honey Badger for Governor!

Scott Gessler.

FOX 31's Eli Stokols reports on last night's not-so-surprise announcement that Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler is running for Governor in 2014, instead of re-election to his post as the "Honey Badger" of Colorado elections:

“Going around the state, talking to people and just thinking about it myself, I really got a sense of just how bad the last legislative session was,” Gessler told FOX31 Denver Tuesday afternoon…

Gessler, nicknamed “Honey Badger” by his detractors for pursuing brash reforms aimed at reducing voter fraud, has been a lightning rod for criticism by Democrats — he’s arguably the most high profile Secretary of State Colorado has seen in some time.

But he believes, of the other candidates in the field, he’s got the best chance of unifying the Republican Party.

Because Gessler has come to a Stuart Smalley-like realization! He's good enough, and smart enough, and doggone it…

“Folks from across the entire spectrum of the Republican Party like me,” Gessler said. [Pols emphasis] “They respect what I’ve done. I haven’t alienated any wing of this party; and people know who I am. I’ve got a record of achievement no one else can match.”

Scott Gessler enters the GOP gubernatorial primary as the only candidate to have won a statewide election, defeating Democratic appointed incumbent Bernie Buescher in 2010. But Gessler also has some of the worst, and most recent baggage in the race after losing his ethics case over misuse of his office's discretionary fund–not to mention his almost continuous spate of controversies, personal and professional, since taking office.

Visiting Gessler's new campaign website, we're greeted by a headshot of the candidate that–we just need to say this so it's off our chest–scares children. We've posted it after the jump, with comparisons. It's all about the lighting.

And for the record, Gessler for Governor? You heard that here first — last November.

Scott Gessler

Vincent Price

"Evil" Captain Kirk from The Enemy Within

John McCain

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Lt. Governor Garcia Names Scott Wasserman COS

Wasserman

Lieutenant Governor Joe Garcia has a new Chief of Staff. In an email to state government staff sent out yesterday, Garcia announced that Scott Wasserman will be taking over the job from Andrew Freedman, who left last month to head up the "Colorado Commits to Kids" tax initiative. From the email:

I am pleased to announce that Scott Wasserman will be joining our office as the new Chief of Staff beginning September 1.

Scott has a strong reputation as a collaborative leader who has the ability to cultivate and develop relationships with a wide array of stakeholders. He has served in a variety of legislative and government relations positions over the past 12 years and brings a tremendous level of experience from his most recent job as executive and political director of Colorado Workers for Innovation and New Solutions (WINS).

This is a good hire for Garcia. Wasserman is a veteran politico who understands state government and the legislature.

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BREAKING: Greg Brophy Still Wants To Be Governor

Momma said knock you out, Scott Gessler.

UPDATE: Not enough minutes later, Lee's embargoed story goes live. Maybe wait a few minutes after being "surprised" by the new Twitter profile? With that little stunt behind us:

A vocal opponent to stricter Colorado gun laws recently implemented, Brophy, who has represented his sprawling eastern Colorado district in both the state House and Senate, will seek the party's nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper…

Brophy is expected to hold a Sunday news conference in Parker. An official announcement had not been made as of Friday afternoon.

—–

That's the word moments ago from the Denver Post's Kurtis Lee:

So, we did:

Please excuse us while we make popcorn. Updates coming…

Full story: BREAKING: Greg Brophy Still Wants To Be Governor

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At Least He’s Not Your Governor

Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) likes nice things.

The Washington Post reports, one of the GOP's darling conservative "Tea Party" state governors, outgoing Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia, is facing calls to resign before his term ends as revelations of large gifts to family members from a corporate benefactor continue to grow:

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus says he’s “the wrong guy” to ask about whether Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) should resign amid revelations of additional allegations he took improper gifts from a prominent donor…

“I haven’t talked to the governor,” he said. “I know as much as you do. I don’t know the Virginia campaign finance laws. What I do know is Bob McDonnell has done an incredible job as governor. You’re asking the wrong guy.”

Gov. McDonnell has been reeling from the scandal over his relationship to a diet supplement executive, who supplied thousands of dollars for lavish personal spending on McDonnell's family members–and a $6,500 Rolex watch inscribed "71st Governor of Virginia" that McDonnell proudly wears (or least wore) himself. Columnist Ruth Marcus summarizes the fall of the once-enormously popular McDonnell, calling for his resignation:

As astonishing is the governor’s technocratic defense: that he is complying with the letter of Virginia disclosure rules, which do not require reporting of gifts to family members. “To, after the fact, impose some new requirements on an official,” McDonnell told a Norfolk radio show, “obviously wouldn’t be fair.”

But gifts and entanglements like these are simply wrong, a violation of the governor’s duty to citizens, whatever the rules. That McDonnell doesn’t get this basic point makes him unfit for office. Obviously.

Like we've said previously, Colorado's "ethics in government" law, Amendment 41, isn't perfect–Scott Gessler will naturally be first to agree–but the situation in Virginia provides reductio ad absurdum proof that you need to have something. More than just a "loophole," Virginia's status quo seems almost guaranteed to result in corruption.

Or maybe something besides the proverbial cream rises to the top in Virginia GOP politics.

Full story: At Least He’s Not Your Governor

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