The Colorado Rockies, after a brief run for glory, are now back in baseball’s doldrums. But citizens who savor politics as a contact sport can get better entertainment free of charge by watching the Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District. It’s a three-for-all.
Former state Sen. Ed Perlmutter slogged along for months, raising money and endorsements while considering himself the front-runner. But several polls showed former state Rep. Peggy Lamm with double-digit leads. Such early polls mostly measure name recognition, and Lamm carries one of Colorado’s best-known surnames, acquired during her 23-year marriage to Tom Lamm, brother of former Gov. Dick Lamm. The couple divorced in 2003.
In an apparent bid to close the gap with Lamm, Perlmutter unveiled television ads late last week to bolster his own name recognition. The ads feature his daughter, Alexis, who has epilepsy, and stress his support for embryonic stem-cell research that may help cure such maladies.
Tuesday, Perlmutter dropped the second shoe, airing negative ads accusing Lamm of pandering to the gun lobby and, worse in Democratic eyes, of supporting Republican Gov. Bill Owens’ reelection in 2002 against his little-known and underfinanced Democratic foe, Rollie Heath.
“She doesn’t act like a Democrat or a Lamm,” the ad thundered.
This two-edged charge is more baffling than biting. The Democratic Party stretches from Joe Lieberman to Michael Moore, and Peggy Lamm must fit somewhere under that big tent. And it’s even harder to figure out what “acting like a Lamm” means.
Perlmutter strategists have long argued that some voters were confusing Peggy with her popular former sister-in-law, Dottie Lamm. But far from separating the two in the public mind, the ad prompted Dottie to rally behind Peggy, telling 9News: “I think it’s despicable to attack an individual for her married name. I don’t know what point they’re trying to make.”
Perlmutter’s own website, perlmutter2006.com doesn’t repeat his attacks on Lamm, but does say: “Instead of simply calling the other guy (or gal) a crook or an incompetent, I pledge to campaign with a specific agenda on real issues.”
Lamm partisans may question whether Ed’s attack ad fulfills that pledge. But for the record, Peggy went negative long before Ed stuck back. Her own television spots won’t debut until Tuesday, but her website, peggylammforcongress.com, has been sniping at Perlmutter for months. The latest dig calls Perlmutter “in the pocket of Big Oil.”
There’s a third Democrat on the Aug. 8 ballot, Herb Rubenstein. His website, herbforcongress.com, stresses his opposition to the war in Iraq. Rubenstein’s latest ad deftly twits Ed and Peggy for slinging mud at each other while he addresses real issues like the war and health care.
A Denver Post editorial on this page today details how Republicans in the 5th District are waging a bitter six-way melee to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colorado Springs. But the 5th is so overwhelmingly Republican that the eventual nominee, no matter how bloodied, will be a heavy favorite over Democrat Jay Fawcett.
It’s a very different story in the 7th, a level political playing field that Democrats lost by just 121 votes to Republican Rep. Bob Beauprez in 2002.
Some Democrats fear a bitter Lamm/Perlmutter donnybrook can only help the unopposed GOP nominee, Rick O’Donnell, in November. But that may not be the case. Both Lamm’s campaign manager, Jim Merlino, and Perlmutter spokesman Scott Chase say it’s been good clean fun but neither candidate has hurled charges that would haunt the winner in November.
No Democrat wants a repeat of the 1992 U.S. Senate primary debacle, when Gene Nichol jibed that Tom Strickland was a “millionaire lawyer lobbyist.” Strickland won the primary, but Republican Wayne Allard used “lawyer-lobbyist” as a cudgel to beat Strickland insensible in the fall campaign and in their 1998 rematch.
But Allard was able to use that line because his own background, as a veterinarian who helps little puppies, presented such a professional contrast to the despised “lawyer-lobbyist” label.
By contrast, Lamm and Perlmutter are actually accusing each other of taking centrist positions. Such stances may turn off liberal voters who loom large in Democratic primaries, but they help in a general election.
Rick O’Donnell is a former member of Bill Owens’ cabinet. He’s not in any position to pummel Peggy Lamm for backing his old boss – let alone beat up on her for supporting gun owners’ rights that are GOP gospel. Likewise, it would be madness for O’Donnell to attack Perlmutter for supporting Colorado’s oil and gas industry.
So sit back and enjoy the show, Democrats. The Perlmutter-Lamm battle is like professional wrestling. It’s fun to watch and does no lasting harm to either contestant.
Bob Ewegen is deputy editorial page editor of the Denver Post. (bewegen@denverpost.com)
