Earlier this (Thursday) afternoon, while on the Caplis and Silverman radio show, Tom Tancredo said that his offer to get out of the governor’s race if Dan Maes gets out has expired and that he would likely stay in the race at this point even if Maes gets out. When asked if he’d exit the race if Maes gets out, Tancredo said “I can’t do it. That Rubicon has been crossed.”
In particular, Tancredo cited having raised a lot of money in a short time from many donors and the implicit and explicit verbal support accompanying the donations. Tancredo said he doesn’t see how he could drop out after the implied promise of a good-faith run for office which comes with accepting the donations.
While Tancredo didn’t absolutely rule out getting out of the race (as I hear him), when he was asked whether he would stay in if Maes got out even if it meant that a GOP replacement candidate such as Jane Norton would likely lose because of the split conservative vote, thus handing the election to John Hickenlooper, Tancredo said that “perhaps Jane should consider that” before deciding to get in the race, should the opening arise. Also, regarding the possibility of Jane being in the race, Tom said “let’s have at it.”
Tancredo was also feeling good after apparently doing well in the candidate debate at the Channel 12 studios earlier in the day. Talk show host Craig Silverman attended the debate and said on the air that he thought Tancredo won the debate and that Mayor Hickenlooper seemed like he didn’t really want to be there. Tancredo also said, when it came to explaining why he’s probably staying in the race no matter what, that “I kinda enjoy it.”
I surely hope that if Maes gets out, Tancredo will as well. If Maes gets out and Tancredo doesn’t, many Colorado Republicans will have a very difficult decision. I like Tom Tancredo, but if by some chain of minor miracles, we get Jane Norton as a replacement candidate for governor, I’ll certainly support Jane, believing she could possibly win even in a three-way race.
You can listen to the Tancredo interview HERE. (13.6 MB download) Start about 3:45 into the recording.
This probably won’t last long, one way or another, but just for fun let’s keep a running track of those calling for Dan Maes to get out of the race, particularly those who had endorsed him before. I’ll update the list as more people join the chorus:
Erick Erickson of RedState.com
I just received this e-mail blast from John Andrews, as he joins what I expect to be a freight train of un-endorsements of Dan Maes by Republican heavy-hitters…
STATEMENT BY JOHN ANDREWS
Former President, Colorado Senate
This morning I called Dan Maes to withdraw my endorsement and urge him to end his candidacy, for the public good. As a conscientious Republican who earlier voted for Dan, I cannot support a manifestly unfit nominee. He has flunked his job interview with the people of Colorado in the weeks since Scott McInnis faded. The party should cut Maes loose if he does not resign the nomination. I intend to write in a vote for Jane Norton for Governor.
09/02/10
Dan Maes: The Check
It’s just the latest mini-scandal surrounding Dan Maes:
Former Greenwood Village Mayor Freda Poundstone claims to have given Dan Maes some amount over $300 as a personal gift because Maes was having trouble paying his mortgage. Maes claims the money, apparently paid to him in cash, was a campaign contribution.
Here’s my guess…and it’s only a guess: It was a gift but Maes thought that the political ramifications of needing a gift/loan to pay his mortgage would be politically damaging. So when the story came out, Maes said it was a campaign contribution.
If true, this carries a whole host of problems for Maes, including:
- The amount exceeds the maximum legal cash contribution to a campaign. (From the beginning, Ms. Poundstone said she was aware of that and would therefore never give a cash contribution to a campaign.)
- Ms. Poundstone is not listed as a campaign contributor, an error which could lead to yet another substantial fine against Maes’ campaign. (A caller to the Peter Boyles radio show on Wednesday morning said that he too donated to the Maes campaign and is not listed as a contributor.)
So, the story goes, at a Jefferson County Republican meeting at which Ms. Poundstone was speaking and Mr. Maes was in attendance, Maes dropped a check into Mrs. Poundstone’s purse. A picture of the check was obtained by Peter Boyles, and can be seen here:
The check has raised quite a bit of controversy, not least for:
- It’s not signed
- There is not (as yet) a known entity called “Dan Maes for Governor", which is typed into the name section of this “counter” or “starter” check
- It’s written with two different pens
So here’s my theory:
1) The actual campaign must already have real checks and wouldn’t need this starter check. This is probably not campaign money, at least not directly. Maybe from money he “reimbursed” himself. Perhaps, he or someone with him, happened to have one of the original starter checks from the campaign account, but I think it’s more likely this is not a campaign account.
2) Given the fines he’s already paid, Maes probably knows that he must thread the needle on this.
3) Legally, he can’t say that Freda’s money was a campaign contribution without risking fines and worse. Politically, he doesn’t want to say he took a gift because he couldn’t pay his mortgage. That would make it look even more like he’s a guy running for governor because it’s his best chance at earning a decent living.
4) Therefore, I repeat, I think he’s set up a new account which is a personal account, not a campaign account, and wrote the check on that account. Someone, probably his daughter, put the “Dan Maes for Governor” on the check without any thought as to the ramifications of that name.
5) If the account name is not actually “Dan Maes for Governor", and I bet it’s not, I don’t think there is any sort of violation of the law. What matters is whose money it is, not the name typed on the check. Again, I suspect it’s just a personal account which someone put “Dan Maes for Governor” on just to try to make Maes look like a bigshot.
6) Instead, the whole thing simply reinforces the appearance of the Maes campaign as the Keystone Cops, as a paradigm of incompetence, and as unfit to be governor of Colorado. (And I say that as a Republican.)
I’d also note that if he did use campaign funds to repay money which the original donor says was NOT a campaign contribution, one can only imagine the possible legal ramifications. While Maes is in sort of a no-win situation here, it strikes me that yet again he is making the situation look as bad as it could.
The day after the Alaska Republican primary election in which newcomer Joe Miller beat incumbent semi-RINO Lisa Murkowski (although it wasn’t certain until yesterday), Murkowski said, regarding her polling going into the balloting, ” our numbers all throughout have not only been strong but really overwhelmingly strong.”
Murkowski conceded on Tuesday evening after counting of the majority of the absentee ballots caused almost no change in the over-1600 vote lead held by Miller.
Alaska, while heavily Republican, is not historically a bastion of pro-liberty senators or representatitves. They receive more federal dollars per resident, by far, than any other state. Recently deceased former Senator Ted Stevens and Congressman Don Young (Alaska is one of seven states with only one Representative) rode massive piles of pork to repeated electoral victories.
So, not only is Sarah Palin an outlier in Alaska Republican politics, but for Joe Miller to win (primarily on the strength of Palin’s endorsement) represents a sea change in the Alaska mindset.
Murkowski raises the key issue for November: “Clearly there was a shift, whether it was kind of the anti-incumbency feedback that you get in the Lower 48, I don’t know yet.”
I believe that even with the pro-GOP polling numbers we’re seeing, these “generic ballot” questions understate the likely tsunami coming in November. The real key is the enthusiam to vote among people who oppose the direction our nation is going, led at this time by Democrats but abetted by “go along to get along” RINOs who cave in on one important issue or another, such as Lisa Murkowski did with cap-and-trade.
The mood of the nation is well represented by the Gadsden Flag. It’s not an anti-Democrat mood as much as it’s an anti-government and anti-incumbent mood. Sure, the Democrats are worse on the issues of economic liberty and intrusive government, with Obamacare as the best example in generations. But the Republicans haven’t been much better in recent years and still have a lot to prove in terms of deserving our votes for a reason other than just not being Democrats.
Voters are showing that their prior patience/subservience is at an end. They’re showing that they care about the constitution, about the proper role of government, particularly the federal government.
The minority of Americans (though perhaps the majorities of Manhattan, San Francisco, and Boulder) who support government involvement in every aspect of your life, or at least every economic aspect, are far less motivated in 2010 than they were in 2008. Not only is Barack Obama not on the ballot, but the fact that their overt or stealth candidates keep losing, the fact that Glenn Beck can get hundreds of thousands of participants at a rally, the fact that even the dominant liberal mass media is giving some favorable – or at least not unfavorable – coverage to non-leftist candidates, shows that being a socialist is no longer universally hip and cool. Particularly for young voters, who voted for Obama over John McCain by something like a 40% margin, being hip and cool was a big part of the attraction. With that gone, those mind-numbed voters will not participate in November, to the great disadvantage of Democrats (and RINOs).
People are finally coming to understand implicitly, even if they never think about the concept of a “multiplier", that Keynesian “stimulus” only stimulates the growth of government. (For some good discussions on the issue, I recommend the work of Veronique de Rugy, such as HERE and HERE.) Americans realize that Obama and the Democrats (and a few Republicans) have crowed about piling a trillion dollars or more of additional debt on the backs of our children with the result of that debt being, as even Colorado Democrat Senator Michael “Who?” Bennet says, “we have nothing to show for it.“ It’s hard to imagine that motivating Democrats to the polls in 61 days.
Although we’ve seen some very interesting results in Republican primary politics, including incumbent Robert Bennet not making the final ballot in Utah, the outright loss of a senior incumbent Republican senator is a broadside across the paths of Lindsey Graham and perhaps even Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe: we’re done with RINOs. Get on board with liberty and limited government, or get the hell out of here.
At this point, I’d be surprised if the GOP picks up fewer than 50 seats in the House. And if I were a Democrat incumbent in a close Senate race, I’d be extremely worried right now. If I were Patty Murray (D-WA) or Russ Feingold (D-WI) or even Harry Reid (D-Unions), I’d be polishing up my resume for an upcoming job search.
We’ve all heard the maxim that a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.
I don’t know whether it’s a financial decision or an ego-based one, but Dan Maes has not yet hired a campaign manager.
It’s no wonder Maes’ reaction to the Freda Poundstone check mini-scandal has been so feckless. (More on this tomorrow.)
If it’s a financial decision not to hire a campaign manager, that’s a strong statement about Maes’ inability to raise money. If it’s an ego-based decision, i.e. Maes thinking that he’s perfectly capable of running his campaign – after all, that plan has gotten him this far, right? – it shows terrible judgment.
A guy who is perceived even by his supporters as having essentially zero relevant political experience, a guy who said as much when he announced the reasons for choosing his running mate: He asserted that Tambor Williams “will strengthen the weaknesses of my campaign without compromising its strengths." Not sure just what those strengths are, but he sure did remind us that his candidacy has weaknesses.
And others said it as well. For example, from this Greeley Tribune article:
Former state legislator Dave Owen, who worked closely with Williams when she was in the House, said the choice is a good one.
“She was very meticulous and she had a good grasp of the issues,” he said. “She has a good knowledge of state government, which is not his long suit.”
Williams said she’s excited to join the Maes campaign.
“He is a tremendously quick learner. When I first spoke with Dan I was thinking, ‘Oh there’s so much he doesn’t know,’ ” she said. “He has really gotten a tremendous grasp on the issues in Colorado.”
My point is that Maes knows that he must surround himself with smart, experienced people not just because he’ll make better decisions with their advice but also because he must put forward the image of a guy who is getting such advice. Maes’ only chance of winning (and it’s not much of a chance) depends on people being impressed with his team; there’s no chance that Maes alone can be sold to a state which as much as anything else wants and needs competency in its governing team.
From the You Must Be Kidding Files – or is it the What Has Dan Maes Said This Time Files – comes the story that Dan Maes’ claims of having worked undercover for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation were, according to Maes, “taken too literally.”
The Denver Post does a good job explaining the story (in part of their apparently never-ending quest to bury Mr. Maes): http://www.denverpost.com/technology/ci_15955549
I love this part of the story:
So was he really working “undercover"? “Those comments might have been incorrect comments,” Maes said. Who wrote them on the website? “Whoever typed it, typed it. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Maes said, before referring questions to his campaign spokesman. Later, his spokesman, Nate Strauch, confirmed that Maes had written the comments.
And Airbus has gotten in on the fun as well with this image:
Maes has deleted the part of his web page where you can see his prior claims about serving undercover. But I’ve recovered the page for your viewing pleasure. (Click HERE for full page, or see embedded doc below.) See the fifth page of the document (which says Page 4 on it) for the item on working undercover, as well as Maes’ horrendous misspelling of Cory Voorhis’ name.
Dan Maes might be right when he says that he never claimed to be a very successful business man – though he sure didn’t correct anyone when Maes’ own words caused us to infer that. But he did claim to have worked under cover for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, a claim which seems patently false.
Dan Maes remains Colorado’s Republican Walter Mitty – and Mr. Mitty will never be elected governor. The Wikipedia entry on Walter Mitty has this discussion of the use of the term when it comes to the military; it seems a propos to law enforcement as well: “Also, there is a military slang term, ‘Walt’, which is an abbreviation of the name ‘Walter Mitty’, which refers to someone who has aspirations to become a soldier, but none of the necessary personal qualities. This slang can also refer to someone who poses as an (ex-)soldier but who isn’t a soldier (serving or former), or who poses as something he isn’t or wasn’t; for example, regular army soldiers who pose as SAS troopers." Or guys who served as cops for 2 years but claim to have been undercover agents, working in the Sopranos world of gambling and drugs, and being moved out of the job due to bravely posing a threat to people in power. It’s hard not to laugh out loud.
Dan Maes, please GET OUT of this race while there’s still a chance to replace you with someone who can win.
09/01/10
Open letter to Dan Maes
[Although I haven’t considered this as something like a petition, please feel free as reader Jeremy did, to add your name via a comment to support of the thrust of my note to Dan Maes.]
I e-mailed the following to Dan Maes this morning…
Dan,
As much as it pains me to say this to a Republican, I want to strongly urge you to accept Tancredo’s offer for you both to exit the governor’s race at the same time.
While I believe your pro-liberty instincts are genuine, your candidacy is hopelessly damaged by one mini-scandal or gaffe after another. I, and I’m sure many others, would be interested in supporting you in a future race, perhaps for the state legislature. But, unfortunately, it is all too clear that this is not an appropriate time for you to be a candidate for the highest elected office in Colorado.
Particularly with redistricting on the horizon, Republicans cannot afford to lose this election. If you and Tom stay in the race, you will be ensuring that outcome.
Again, it gives me no pleasure to urge you to get out of the race but my interest in good government in our once-and-future great state leaves me no choice.
Most sincerely,
Ross Kaminsky
H/T Patrick P.
Sam Meas is running for Congress in Massachusetts’ 5th Congressional District. It’s Massachusetts and the seat is currently held by someone with a famous last name, Nikki Tsongas, but in a year like 2010, one can’t completely rule out a longshot victory by an appealing candidate.
Could Sam Meas be such a candidate? Honestly, the chances of him being able to raise enough money to beat an incumbent Democrat are very small. But I just made a modest campaign contribution to do my part to help.
Meas is one of four Republican candidates in a September 14th primary election.
I became aware of Mr. Meas, whom I hope to have on my radio show in a couple of weeks, when my friend Patrick e-mailed me a link to an article entitled “D.O.B unknown – Former Cambodian orphan and refugee running for Congress“.
Meas was born in Cambodia sometime between 1970 and 1972. According to his web page, “Mr. Meas’s father was sent to be ‘re-educated’ by the Khmer Rouge and was never heard from again. During the chaos following the regime’s collapse in 1979, Mr. Meas was separated from his mother. He never saw her again. Marching night and day toward the Thai border with a cousin, Mr. Meas recalls stepping over corpses and watching bloated bodies float down jungle waterways.”
After about 6 years in a refugee camp, at about the age of 15, Meas was adopted, via Catholic Charities, by a single parent in Virginia who raised a guy who appears now to be everything that Americans should revere in their nation. While not rich, he is nevertheless the epitome of the American Dream.
While not very political in the past, Meas helped organize Cambodian voters for Scott Brown, claiming to get about 800 votes for Brown.
Meas’ political views strike me as between conservative and libertarian, with an emphasis on “live and let live” combined with support for Arizona’s controversial anti-illegal immigration law. He’s for cutting government spending and taxes and for defunding Obamacare in advance of repealing it. You can read more on Meas in the article linked above and at the pages referenced below.
This sort of semi-professional video is the kind of thing that I think would have great appeal to many voters, though people in Massachusetts are not like regular Americans so it’s hard to say how they’ll react:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1hx1–c094
You can find out more about Sam Meas at his campaign page and his Facebook page and I encourage you to do so, as well as to donate to his campaign, even if it’s just a few bucks. I have not done much homework on Mr. Meas and it’s possible that there’s some information out there about him that would make him someone I wouldn’t support. But based on what I know how, I hope that we might be able to help him in the same way that so many people from outside Massachusetts helped Scott Brown. I’d bet a few bucks that Mr. Meas would be a much more reliably pro-liberty member of Congress than Mr. Brown is.
Who could be more American than a Cambodian-born victim of communism who views his adoption into the USA as “going from hell to heaven” and who ends his campaign ads by saying “I’m Sam Meas. I approve this message and I approve of the American Dream."?
Sometime soon, I hope to interview (for Backbone Radio) Wisconsin Republican Congressman Paul Ryan who, whether you agree with every detail of his “Roadmap for America’s Future” or not, is undoubtedly the most budget-savvy member of Congress. He is also quite likely to be Chairman of the House Budget Committee starting in January after the GOP regains a majority in the House of Representatives.
Paul is a dedicated family man, the main reason why I’d bet a lot of money that he will not run for president in 2012, and he reserves his Sundays for his family whenever possible.
Therefore, my radio interview with him will be recorded prior to a show and then played during the show.
Since the interview won’t be live, my listeners won’t have the opportunity to call in to ask questions of Congressman Ryan.
Therefore, I’d like to ask any of you who have questions to e-mail them to me or post them as comments to this note. I will select from among the questions offered based on what I think are the most interesting and important questions. I’m not looking for softball questions, but instead thoughtful and relevant questions regarding our nation’s fiscal and economic situation and what are likely to be the most successful (or least successful) parts of a plan to get us back on a road to economic prosperity.
I hope Paul does run for president some day. Although his voting record isn’t perfect, he would be the first Republican I could whole-heartedly support since Ronald Reagan – and I do not intend that as hyperbole.
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