Timely reminder or just coincidence?
When Rep. Bob Beauprez, the Republican candidate for governor, unwrapped a five-point “Accountability Plan” last week, Democrat Bill Ritter’s campaign offered a tart response: Get back to work.
“Let’s hold him accountable today: Why is he collecting a taxpayer salary even though the people of the 7th (Congressional District) are clearly getting nothing in return?” Ritter’s campaign asked in a news release Tuesday.
The Ritter crowd crowed that Beauprez – who earns a base congressional salary of $165,200 a year – had missed 11 votes in less than two weeks by staying in Colorado rather than returning to Congress on Sept. 5
But by the time the Ritter release hit the street, Beauprez could not be found.
“The congressman is unavailable for comment as he is back in Washington, D.C., taking care of congressional duties,” wrote Beauprez spokesman John Marshall in an e-mail response.
Unlikely source has praise for Ritter
Bill Ritter’s performance as a prosecutor won praise in an unexpected place last week.
“For a big-city prosecutor, I think Bill Ritter did a good job,” said Republican Attorney General John Suthers during a meeting with the Longmont Times-Call.
Ritter has been criticized by Republican operatives for plea-bargaining 97 percent of the cases that came to his office during his 12 years as Denver district attorney.
Suthers served two terms as the elected district attorney for the Colorado Springs-based 4th Judicial District. He was also the U.S. attorney for Colorado.
Suthers estimated that as a deputy district attorney and district attorney for El Paso and Teller counties, and as U.S. attorney, he’d probably plea-bargained between 90 percent and 95 percent of his cases.
The national average is 95 percent, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
Funds of contention
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is calling on Republican U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave to return at least $5,000 it says she has received over the past four years from Ohio Rep. Bob Ney, who agreed Friday to plead guilty to corruption charges relating to convicted former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Musgrave came back with her own demand that Democratic rival Angie Paccione return her own $2,100 in tainted campaign funds to … Rosie O’Donnell?
Musgrave’s campaign contends the talk show host made parallels between “radical Christianity” and “radical Islam” on a Sept. 11 television show.
“That kind of in-your-face New York liberalism is entirely unacceptable,” said campaign manager Shaun Kenney.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Fundraising reports: Political watchers get another peek at campaign fundraising. Starting this week, candidates for state office have to begin reporting their contributions every two weeks. Reports for the first two weeks of September are due Wednesday.
