Former gubernatorial candidate Josh Penry is apparently ruling out joining the Scott McInnis for Governor ticket as a Lt. Governor nominee. Gary Harmon of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports:

State Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, said he isn’t interested in joining the ticket of his onetime rival, Scott McInnis, as the candidate for lieutenant governor.

“If I were hell-bent on being on the ticket, I’d still be in the race,” Penry said last week when asked about reports that he might be interested in the lieutenant governor slot.

Penry, however, didn’t tip his hand on a question that has five Republicans watching closely — his decision whether to run for a second term in the state Senate.

Under state law, a candidate for governor does not have to name a running mate until after the August primary - as Bob Beauprez did with Janet Rowland in 2006. Nonetheless; speculation surrounding several potential McInnis running mates has been heating up in recent weeks, notably state Rep. Amy Stephens of El Paso County.

The Democratic Lt. Governor slot may also be up in the air this year, as a desire on the part of incumbent Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien to pursue other career options was reportedly the catalyst for the Ritter/Bennet-Romanoff slapfight that Democrats are now embroiled in.

Full text of Penry statement follows:

Dear Friends,

This morning in a small park in Grand Junction I endorsed Scott McInnis to be the next Governor of the State of Colorado.

Experience and new energy are now on the same team, and that's good news for our state, our party, and the cause of conservative reform and good government that Colorado desperately needs.

It's bad news for Bill Ritter and a Democratic legislature that has rubber stamped his big tax, big fee, no drill economic agenda. The Democratic monopoly in Denver has helped usher in the worst economy in 60 years. Soon, it will be their turn to take a number in the unemployment line.

My endorsement of Scott is an enthusiastic one - it comes on the heels of two weeks of talks between Scott and I as well as other leaders in local government, the state legislature, and leading Republican names like Tom Tancredo. Those talks resulted in a common-sense conservative reform agenda that will be unveiled in the coming days - it's a governing vision that will get Colorado's economy moving again, and at long last rally the Colorado Republican Party on the principles and priorities that make us strong. Look for more on that soon.

It also positions Colorado Republicans for a historic comeback in 2010.   

On the morning of election day in 2004, Colorado was Republican Country.

The Grand Old Party in the Centennial State claimed a Governor, two United States Senators, five Members of Congress, a state Treasurer, Secretary of State, and a majority in both the State House of Representatives and the Colorado Senate.

By that evening, everything changed. And over the next five plus years, Republicans witnessed a literal electoral collapse, with Democrats taking the Governor's office, both US Senate Seats, five Congressional Districts, the state House, Senate and the Treasurer's and the Secretary of State's office too.
The reasons for our Party's demise are by now well documented: a well-funded, well-organized and highly-motivated Democratic and liberal machine out-smarted and out-maneuvered a Republican Party that was, for its part, divided, undisciplined, and underfunded.

This week, the long march back begins for Colorado Republicans.  On the heels of runaway election sweeps in New Jersey and Virginia, Colorado Republicans have a once in a generation chance to return our governing philosophy to a leadership position in Colorado - to defeat an incumbent Governor, to re-establish conservative control of both chambers of the Colorado legislature and in other key seats as well.

And my endorsement of Scott McInnis is one part of that. This election is about something more than personalities and personal ambition - it's about reclaiming this State, and demanding common sense and leadership from government.

I left the Governor's race last week to focus our resources and our common purposes on taking back the electoral real estate we've lost - yes, beating Bill Ritter, but also rallying our resources to make sure we elect conservative reformers to Congress the statehouse and courthouses across Colorado.

It's a little different role then we envisioned five months ago, but it's a critical fight for Colorado.  And right after I finish a little turkey and a lot of mashed potatoes with the family, it's a fight that I will wage vigorously.

For his part, Scott is eager to earn your support and vote. Ask him questions and hear him out. My bet is he'll convince you he's the right man to be Governor - like he did me.

Thanks for your time. Best wishes for a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Most Sincerely,

Josh

The McInnis campaign and other Republican leaders have been working to unify the party in order to take back Colorado from Democrat control.  Mike Rosen writes about this in the Denver Post.

The agenda, modeled on the winning reform recipes of Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell in their New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races, gives McInnis something concrete to run on rather than merely running against Ritter. It's sufficiently faithful to traditional conservative principles to please and reassure the Republican base, while specific, practical, and inclusive enough to attract swing-voting independents in the state. You might call it a Contract for Colorado.

Some of the provisions include:

• A commitment to limit taxes and state spending.

• Rescinding the Ritter executive order unionizing state employees.

• Requiring employers to participate in the federal e-verify program for new hires.

• Establishment of a state "rainy day" fund.

• Responsible development of renewable energy and Colorado's abundant oil and natural gas resources as well as nuclear energy.

• Appointing conservative judges to balance the court and reign in judicial activism.

• Expanding school choice through additional charter schools and education vouchers.

• Reversing property tax and auto registration taxes.

Concerns that the platform would repel moderates by taking an extreme position on abortion were unfounded. It simply reinstates Gov. Bill Owens' policy, banning taxpayer funding for abortion agencies like Planned Parenthood and making a general statement of principle defending the sanctity of human life.

This appears to be a winning agenda.  Republicans could have a great year in 2010 if this works out as planned.

Adam Schrager reports at 9News that Josh Penry has been carrying on a number of high-level discussion with Scott McInnis and Tom Tancredo in an effort to defuse a potentially destructive gubernatorial battle.

Within the last few days, Penry has attended two meetings with McInnis and potential challenger Tom Tancredo as well as a meeting with Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams.

"I'm using the good will I accrued by dropping out of the race to be a diplomat," Penry told 9NEWS Monday by telephone. "Every one of these conversations has been positive and leaves me with the impression we have more in common than we don't."
....
"I'm not going to tell Tom what he should or shouldn't do," Penry said. "I did suggest that we should engage Scott on his agenda and told Tom if he feels comfortable in that agenda, we can avoid the cost of a primary." Contacted by e-mail, Tancredo said he "completely agreed with Josh's characterizations of these discussions."

"It is important to know that, at least for me, the purpose of running for office is NOT the simple acquisition of that office," Tancredo wrote. "It is instead to advance a conservative agenda. If it takes raising and spending $3 million in a primary to do it - so be it. If, on the other hand, the goal can be accomplished in less expensive or less grueling ways, count me in. I have been surprised and heartened by the commonality of purpose I have observed to date. We shall see."

The three men met in person last Wednesday and spoke again by phone last night. The McInnis campaign confirmed the meetings with Tancredo, Wadhams and a host of state lawmakers who previously supported Penry and said the candidate would continue to reach out to Republicans throughout Colorado.

The ball is essentially in McInnis' court at this point. If he is successful in placating Josh Penry's major supporters the odds of a Tancredo candidacy greatly decreases. Penry is giving him a prime opportunity to repair some of the damage that was done by the premature leaking of the news that Penry was departing the race.

State Representative Scott Tipton is entering the race for the 3rd Congressional District joining Martin Beeson and Bob McConnell in the primary to unseat incumbent John Salazar.  Rep. Tipton told the Pueblo Chieftain Salazar's support of the health care bill pushed him into the race.

Tipton said Salazar's support for the House Democratic health care legislation "was the straw that broke the camel's back."

"Now we're moving to a government-run health care system," Tipton said in a telephone interview. "That will be punitive. They are talking about cutting $500 million from Medicare. No one can look me in the eye and tell us how this will create any more efficiency."

According to Tipton, State Senator and former gubernatorial candidate Josh Penry will not be entering the race, although there is no official word on Penry's future plans. 

As Josh Penry prepares to suspend his campaign for Governor, former Congressman Tom Tancredo may be preparing to deny Scott McInnis a clear path to the nomination.

This would not be a move without precedent. Tom Tancredo's gubernatorial intentions were made clear in the months following the 2008 elections when he told Republican insiders and organizations that he was planning to run for Governor. Those plans fell by the wayside in 2009 when Josh Penry began to consolidate support from conservative activists.

More recently, Tom Tancredo was reported to be on the verge of challenging Jane Norton for the Republican Senate nomination had Norton found herself the lone contender in that race.

Josh Penry is set to exit the race for Governor. This will leave Dan Maes and Scott McInnis as the sole remaining GOP candidates. The Washington Post was the first to break the story:

Colorado state Sen. Josh Penry (R) plans to end his gubernatorial campaign and endorse former Rep. Scott McInnis (R), according to two sources familiar with his thinking.

Penry's decision to opt out of the race is a stunner as many national Republicans had touted him as a potential rising star (and we had featured him in our "Rising" series that looks at up and coming politicians).

Despite rumors that Penry may become a candidate for CD-3 or Lt. Governor, it is more likely that Penry will not be a candidate for office in 2010.

UPDATE: The Denver Post is also confirming the story.

UPDATE 2: Penry will likely endorse Scott McInnis for Governor when he makes an official statement.

Readers should keep in mind there is no direct evidence to prove the previously posted video was authored by the Penry campaign.

( - Promoted by Hestons Ghost - )

The video is meant to make fun of McInnis and all it does is prove the juvenile mentality of the Penry campaign.  Our country and Colorado are in serious financial trouble.  I want a serious candidate for Governor that has the experience and maturity to tackle the issues of jobs and the economy.  Not one who thinks it's fun to make UTube videos about a fellow Republican.  We desperately need Scott McInnis in the Governor's office.

( - Promoted by Hestons Ghost - )

I know I’m a bit late on this, but I was struck recently thinking about Senator Josh Penry and Governor Bill Ritter’s back and forth related to the hiring of state employees. In an article this past month, The Denver Post illustrated the arguments of both governor candidates Penry and Ritter.

( - promoted by Rocky Mountain Right - )

I have to admit, it struck me as odd to see Ritter’s Chief of Staff posting the governor’s latest fundraising numbers on the Dead Guv’s site. All I could think about was half of Ritter’s staff in one room poring over the state budget for areas to cut and in the other is Carpenter happily counting cash in a dark room with one flickering, swinging light bulb. 

As Colorado citizens and state employees continue to make sacrifices, at least we can continue to read witty press releases and twitter updates from Ritter’s vast communications team.

The results are in from the Keystone straw poll. Considering that Scott McInnis opted to skip the event and instead coordinate with a 501c4 committee to release a primary poll while opening himself up to claims of ethics violations, it should come as no surprise that Josh Penry posted strong numbers.

Josh Penry: 79%
Scott McInnis: 11%

The race for U.S. Senate saw DC-favored candidate Jane Norton pull out a razor-thin victory. Fully two-thirds of those present were opposed to a Norton candidacy. Despite monumental efforts by the Norton campaign to drive supporters to the event and the widespread assumption that the central committee members present would overwhelmingly favor her candidacy, she instead received a muted response and ended up essentially in a three-way gridlock with Frazier and Buck.

Jane Norton: 34%
Ryan Frazier: 27%
Ken Buck: 27%

 ( - promoted by Rocky Mountain Right - )

 In their latest display of incompetent arrogance, the McInnis campaign decided yesterday that they'd go ahead and release a poll they paid for through their 501c(4), the Colorado Policy Institute.  Not only does the McInnis campaign not care if they're accused of ethical lapses (something that's been dogging Scott McInnis for over 10 years), they seem fine with it.  A few things for everyone to consider:

http://completecolorado.com/mcinnis.html

[note the direct reference by McInnis that: "Monica is working for us through Sean Tonner."]

and:

http://www.politicswest.com/43140/goper_love_boulder -- like the picture and caption?  Monica Owens is hosting fundraisers for McInnis all while "directing" the Colorado Policy Institute.

Josh Penry leapt ahead in the latest detailed survey of 500 GOP activists conducted by Ben DeGrow. This prompted the McInnis campaign to issue a predictably thin-skinned response to the Denver Westword:

"Rasmussen is a heck of a bigger deal than Ben DeGrow," Duffy says, adding that internal numbers he can't make public at this point reveal "that we're way ahead." Besides, the positive Penry numbers hardly "came down from Mt. Sinai carved into tablets."

Of course, Rasmussen didn't actually poll the primary which makes it an odd point to bring up. There was little accomplished by this latest incident aside from drawing attention to the survey itself, cementing the McInnis campaign's emerging reputation as hyperventilating at any perceived slight, and agitating the conservative blogosphere (who any candidate will probably want on their side should they get the nomination).

Furthermore, bringing up "internal numbers that he can't make public" probably isn't the brightest idea in light of  evidence brought to light earlier this year that suggests McInnis was essentially side-stepping campaign finance laws to conduct polling. Not to mention this gem quoted in the Denver Post article at the time that attempted to explain away his reference to "extensive polling":

"I haven't paid for polling. I try to go on websites and places like that and take a look at those polls."

Following up on the Washington Post's recent article predicting doom for Colorado Democrats, Rasmussen Reports follows up with polls on the Governor and Senate races showing bad news for Michael Bennet and Bill Ritter.

Colorado Governor's Race

Scott McInnis: 44%
Bill Ritter: 39%

Bill Ritter: 41%
Josh Penry: 40%

Colorado Senate Race

Ryan Frazier: 40%
Michael Bennet: 39%

Michael Bennet: 43%
Ken Buck: 37%

Of course, the NRSC is poised to piss away any gains in the Senate race by forcing through a divisive candidate as their annointed candidate and fracturing the party in the process. But, hey, us dumb hicks out here in flyover country can't be trusted to pick our own representation.

On another note, this is RMR's 1000th post so pop out the champagne and have a toast to the conservative  blogosphere. Or not.

( - promoted by Rocky Mountain Right - )

The past couple of days in both The Daily Sentinel and The Denver Post, the papers cover a budget battle between Gov. Ritter and Gov-candidate Penry. At issue is the proposed closure of a Grand Junction mental health facility that helps people with severe developmental disabilities. Penry is undoubtedly frustrated with Ritter’s decision to cut services to constituents that cannot care for themselves. However, Ritter’s office said these are part of the difficult decisions involved with the necessary budget cuts.

Now, that’s money well spent on a lobbyist! Favors keep coming event after they’re gone.

( - promoted by Rocky Mountain Right - )

Renowned reporter/blogger Chris Cillizza spends time this morning writing about Senator Josh Penry and his campaign to be the next Governor of Colorado.  In his "The Rising" series, Cillizza has spent time exploring the new faces of the GOP and what the party is doing to put forward candidates that don't fall in to the "same old same old" category.  It's a great piece that's worth reading:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/

This is just further evidence that Penry's campaign and his message of making a clean break from the GOP jokers that got our party in a ditch is gaining serious traction. 

In an e-mail to the state central committee today, Chairman Wadhams responds to the claims made in the Denver Post today by McInnis spokesman (and former Democrat activist) Sean Duffy.  Here's the article:

http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_13236516

In his e-mail to the party faithful, Wadhams responds to the fallacious claims being made by the McInnis camp and reminds party leaders about Duffy's history working for Tim Gill funded causes like gay marriage domestic partnerships.  Here's Wadhams' e-mail:

Monday, August 31, 2009

To:  COLORADO REPUBLICAN STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

From:  Dick Wadhams, State Chairman

COLORADO REPUBLICAN DINNER AND CANDIDATE FORUM

I am profoundly disappointed that one of the candidates for governor has indicated he will not attend our dinner and forum for candidates for Governor and U.S. Senator on Friday, September 25 at Keystone. 

Former Congressman Scott McInnis released a letter this past Friday saying he would not attend the event, alleging that the straw poll will create “infighting.”

But even more disturbing is the suggestion by his campaign spokesman that we are somehow rigging the straw poll that will follow the forum that evening.

I am very perplexed how a candidate for governor has reached such a conclusion.   Participating in a forum in front of Republican leaders from across the state and allowing those leaders to register their thoughts on who they thought did the best job in articulating why they should be our party’s nominee for major office is a tremendous opportunity for a candidate.

The letter from the McInnis campaign curiously alleges that the “straw poll provides discourse amongst ourselves.”  Indeed it does! 

“Discourse” is defined by Merriam-Webster as a “verbal exchange of ideas” and “formal and orderly and usually extended expression of thought on a subject.”  And that is exactly what the forum is intended to do.

As Republicans, we believe competition makes us better and stronger.  A rigorous, competitive nomination process produces better candidates.  I managed the campaigns for Senator Wayne Allard in 1996 and Governor Bill Owens in 1998 when they had competitive primaries and went on to win in the general election.

This will be the first time Republican leaders will be gathered in one place since the candidates for Governor and U.S. Senator have been defined.

Immediately following the release of the McInnis letter, the Colorado Republican State Executive Committee, meeting in Pueblo this past Friday, voted 16 to 1 to move forward with the forum and straw poll.  And we fully intend to do so. 

Finally, the McInnis campaign spokesman said in today’s Denver Post he was “suspicious” of the straw poll.  Consider the source of this allegation. 

The McInnis campaign spokesman previously worked for liberal billionaire Tim Gill who has spent tens of millions of dollars attacking Republicans in Colorado.  The spokesman just recently left his job at a Democratic political consulting firm that is running Governor Bill Ritter’s campaign.

From the Pueblo Chieftain:

"Republicans have lost all credibility over the past 10 years," Penry said after meeting with The Pueblo Chieftain editorial board. "Especially in Washington, D.C. We need to acknowledge those mistakes and break with them." Penry said he wants to refocus the party "where it's best: Lower taxes, personal freedom and reduced government."