Best Scandal -- Political Denver 2004 -

Senatorial hot potato

Readers' Choice: Tracy Baker and the Arapahoe County Clerk's Office
In the beginning, the Colorado campaign for the !"! "enate #as looking about as e$citing as an
election in pre%in&asion Ira'! (o one thought incumbent Republican Ben (ighthorse Campbell
could be defeated, least of all prominent )emocrats, #ho treated their party's nomination like a
case of "AR", to be a&oided at all cost! But after )em #ild card Rutt Bridges, #hose lack of
name recognition #as balanced by a surplus of disposable cash, finally &olunteered for slaughter,
all hell broke loose! *irst, Campbell aide +innie ,ontnik resigned in the face of kickback
accusations from former Campbell staffer Brian Thompson! Then, #ith a congressional
in&estigation looming, Campbell used a case of acid reflu$ as rationale for retiring! -is decision
spa#ned the political e'ui&alent of Survivor %% e$cept in this case, the contestants #ere &oting
themsel&es out! Representati&e .ark dall declared his candidacy one day, then undeclared the
ne$t! Bridges remo&ed his hat from the ring, too, after Attorney +eneral ,en "ala/ar, #ho'd
pre&iously e$pressed no interest in the race, changed his mind! That mo&e, of course, #as
inspired by some#hat%freshly separated +o&ernor Bill O#ens 0ust saying no, follo#ed by a
laundry list of conser&ati&e politicos %% including Bob Beaupre/, .ike Coffman, Tom Tancredo
and 1ane (orton %% doing the same, lea&ing e$%Congressman Bob "chaffer as the last Republican
standing!
The #ay it looks no#, "ala/ar #ill snag the seat for the )emocratic 2arty! 3hich is only fair,
since (ighthorse Campbell #as the one #ho took it a#ay from the )ems a decade ago, #hen he
changed political horses mid%term!
Best Scandal -- Political Denver 2004 -
Senatorial hot potato

Readers' Choice: Tracy Baker and the Arapahoe County Clerk's Office
In the beginning, the Colorado campaign for the !"! "enate #as looking about as e$citing as an
election in pre%in&asion Ira'! (o one thought incumbent Republican Ben (ighthorse Campbell
could be defeated, least of all prominent )emocrats, #ho treated their party's nomination like a
case of "AR", to be a&oided at all cost! But after )em #ild card Rutt Bridges, #hose lack of
name recognition #as balanced by a surplus of disposable cash, finally &olunteered for slaughter,
all hell broke loose! *irst, Campbell aide +innie ,ontnik resigned in the face of kickback
accusations from former Campbell staffer Brian Thompson! Then, #ith a congressional
in&estigation looming, Campbell used a case of acid reflu$ as rationale for retiring! -is decision
spa#ned the political e'ui&alent of Survivor %% e$cept in this case, the contestants #ere &oting
themsel&es out! Representati&e .ark dall declared his candidacy one day, then undeclared the
ne$t! Bridges remo&ed his hat from the ring, too, after Attorney +eneral ,en "ala/ar, #ho'd
pre&iously e$pressed no interest in the race, changed his mind! That mo&e, of course, #as
inspired by some#hat%freshly separated +o&ernor Bill O#ens 0ust saying no, follo#ed by a
laundry list of conser&ati&e politicos %% including Bob Beaupre/, .ike Coffman, Tom Tancredo
and 1ane (orton %% doing the same, lea&ing e$%Congressman Bob "chaffer as the last Republican
standing!
The #ay it looks no#, "ala/ar #ill snag the seat for the )emocratic 2arty! 3hich is only fair,
since (ighthorse Campbell #as the one #ho took it a#ay from the )ems a decade ago, #hen he
changed political horses mid%term!
Best Scandal -- Political Denver 2004 -
Senatorial hot potato

Readers' Choice: Tracy Baker and the Arapahoe County Clerk's Office
In the beginning, the Colorado campaign for the !"! "enate #as looking about as e$citing as an
election in pre%in&asion Ira'! (o one thought incumbent Republican Ben (ighthorse Campbell
could be defeated, least of all prominent )emocrats, #ho treated their party's nomination like a
case of "AR", to be a&oided at all cost! But after )em #ild card Rutt Bridges, #hose lack of
name recognition #as balanced by a surplus of disposable cash, finally &olunteered for slaughter,
all hell broke loose! *irst, Campbell aide +innie ,ontnik resigned in the face of kickback
accusations from former Campbell staffer Brian Thompson! Then, #ith a congressional
in&estigation looming, Campbell used a case of acid reflu$ as rationale for retiring! -is decision
spa#ned the political e'ui&alent of Survivor %% e$cept in this case, the contestants #ere &oting
themsel&es out! Representati&e .ark dall declared his candidacy one day, then undeclared the
ne$t! Bridges remo&ed his hat from the ring, too, after Attorney +eneral ,en "ala/ar, #ho'd
pre&iously e$pressed no interest in the race, changed his mind! That mo&e, of course, #as
inspired by some#hat%freshly separated +o&ernor Bill O#ens 0ust saying no, follo#ed by a
laundry list of conser&ati&e politicos %% including Bob Beaupre/, .ike Coffman, Tom Tancredo
and 1ane (orton %% doing the same, lea&ing e$%Congressman Bob "chaffer as the last Republican
standing!
The #ay it looks no#, "ala/ar #ill snag the seat for the )emocratic 2arty! 3hich is only fair,
since (ighthorse Campbell #as the one #ho took it a#ay from the )ems a decade ago, #hen he
changed political horses mid%term!