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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

In Colorado, I’m a Ken Buck Fan

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  February 11th, 2010 at 11:25 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

I’m sending him some money. I like this guy. He can win. There are some others in the race, but I think Ken’s back ground is going to help him win. He’s an aggressive defender of TABOR. He’s a prosecutor who sees first hand just how badly bungled the feds have made criminal prosecution in this country. He knows from his day job that when the feds decide to federalize everything, it weakens the states.

He’s right on the issues. I like him. We’re not going to have to wonder if he’s one of those “split the baby” politicians.

I hope you’ll check him out and join me helping him get elected.

I’m going all in for Ken.

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  • hoosierstate

    Would someone PLEASE, PLEASE get a message thru to Erik Erickson to check out and support Marlin Stutzman for US Senate in Indiana. The NRSC has hand picked Dan Coats who hasn’t lived in Indiana for over 12 years, has been a DC lobbyist, and can’t even sign his own petition to get on the primary ballot. Marlin is the right man to make the strongest contrast to Evan Bayh in the fall but we need some national support to fight against DC trying to pick our candidate. Erik could help us accomplish this. Please get this message out. To learn more go to www.gomarlin.com

  • ladyimpactohio

    http://www.janenortonforcolorado.com/issues

    Looks like she has a good chance of beating Bennett.

    http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/colorado/election_2010_colorado_senate

  • eburke

    bona fides whereas Norton has….John McCain.

  • audax

    for Texas Governor. Perry has had EIGHT YEARS to cap or reduce property taxes and hasn’t done JACK. Don’t see where FOUR more years would do Texans any good.

  • TxCon

    http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/yahoolatestnews/stories/021210dntexmedinabeck.109bf4ec0.html

    Just say “absolutely not” and move on.

  • KeepOhioRed
  • Wes_W

    John McCain, and she supported referendum C. Ref C was a tax increase that weakened TABOR.

  • Wes_W

    John McCain, and she supported referendum C. Ref C was a tax increase that weakened TABOR.

  • morstar150

    I heard from her own mouth that she will not disavow the 9/11 truthers. Sorry but that makes her a nut to me. Didn’t like her didn’t trust her.

    Jane Norton has a 14% lead over Bennet in Colorado. Why are you trying to make things harder for a Republican takeover? Buck is only 4 up on Bennet.

  • http://www.colbykamin.com/ Colby Kamin

    …stands much of a chance at all of pulling out a primary victory, it shows you haven’t been paying much attention to Colorado politics. Jane Norton is doing everything she can to play up her conservative “bona fides,” whether they actually exist or not, and raised more than 13 times as much as Buck did in Q4 2009. I’ve met Buck at least 5 times, and he’s a really nice guy, is right on most issues, and would work hard for Colorado. But he’s not going to win the GOP primary. Not this year.

  • Wes_W

    A McCain Republican that supports tax increases vs. a tough on crime Republican that has pledged to not vote on tax increases. Sorry, but I will stick with the later and take my chances on the 4% in the polls.

  • ladyimpactohio

    http://www.peoplespresscollective.org/2010/01/jane-norton-defends-her-support-of-ref-c/

    Norton has been accused of being a “lobbyist,” although she claims never to have registered as one. She has also been accused of taking a ton of $$ from outside of CO. So has Scott Brown, DeVore, Hughes, Rubio and others to come. Here is Norton’s campaign donor sheet:

    http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/campaigns/jane-bergman-norton.asp?cycle=10

    62% from CO.

    Here is Buck’s campaign donor sheet:

    http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/campaigns/kenneth-r-buck.asp?cycle=10

    69% from CO. Not really much different. But look at this:
    tons of donations from the same company, all over the country; Hensel Phelps. What is up with that? I tweeted at him to ask, and have had no answer yet.

    But here is the irony in this. You criticize her because of McCain. According to Malkin, our beloved Scott Brown is making robo-calls to people in AZ urging them to support McCain. And also, our beloved Sarah Palin is supporting McCain and intends to campaign for him.

    http://michellemalkin.com/2010/01/22/conservatives-beware-of-mccain-regression-syndrome/

    How does one assimilate these two contrary facts? Not sure.

  • letswinsomeelections

    Why would you put such a post out there. Are you trying to prop up this guy who couldn’t even raise $50,000 in a huge state like Colorado in three months. Norton is way ahead of him compared to Bennet in the polls.

    Red State really need to re-evaluate.

    Norton is conservative up and down the list on the issues

    PLEASE SOMEONE GO HERE:
    http://www.janenortonforcolorado.com/issues

    AND TELL EVERYONE WHAT ISSUES ERICK DISAGREES WITH NORTON ON. Is Erick Pro-Wasteful Spending, Is Erick Pro-Terrorist rights? Is Erick Pro-Stimulus? Is Erick pro-abortion. Is Erick pro-gay marriage? Is Erick pro-governmetn run health care?

    Just where does Erick stand?

  • amojave1

    Our goal here is to win; there is no real policy difference between the two. Rather, it is a test of who is both electable and a best representation of CO conservatives. Buck may have some local support in pockets, but we can’t win our elections on pockets.

    I find the McCain accusations so funny; we never bat an eye when other politicians stump for McCain, like Palin, but God forbid a Senate candidate should be even loosely affiliated. By that logic, Sarah Palin is the most rabid McCain supporter on the books because she was the closest to him (as a VP candidate).

    You mention Buck’s abhorrence to out-of-control..well, control by the feds…do you have any evidence that Norton likes the Fed or the feds?

    I see no evidence that Jane is not a clear-cut, mainstream Reaganite who is our best chance to pick up a Senate seat in our camp come November. Colorado is still a red state at heart, and propping up third-tier candidates just because we harbor suspicions about the frontrunner only ensures that we divide ourselves and lose again.

  • http://www.colbykamin.com/ Colby Kamin

    Questioning whether Erick Erickson is really a Conservative is like questioning whether or not the Pope is really Catholic. I agree that he appears not to be privy to much information about the political landscape in Colorado at the moment, as Norton appears poised for rather easy primary and general election victories. But let’s be real here…Norton’s limited history has shown her to be a bit squishy on certain issues, and it’s no secret her family is about as well connected as could be (see: lots of lobbyists). I’ll almost certainly vote against her in the caucuses and for her in the general, but facts are facts. And they don’t appear to be on your side.

  • colawman

    Lady,
    Easy to explain Scott Brown. He is not what anyone by any measure would consider a conservative. He is a Republican but so is Snowe and McCain. conservatives came out in support of Scott Brown because the alternative was a Democrat that would vote for Obama Care and Cap and Trade. Even the staunchest conservative would prefer Scott Brown in that particular race. In Colorado you have a true conservative candidate in Ken Buck running in a primary against a candidate that was hand picked by John McCain who is anything but a conservative.

    Remember Charlie Crist was the annointed one in Florida by the GOP. Rubio is the conservative and initially polled far behind Crist. When Red State and Demint and the Tea Party came out in support of the true conservative look what happened. He know is polling double digits ahead of Crist.

    I am a Republican and am tired of the GOP moving away from the fiscal conservative platform built by Reagan. I am upset with a lot of the current GOP leadership and I believe so is much of the country. I believe the grassroots movement is toward conservative ideals rather than moderate ideals that have been espoused for far too long.

    McCain did not even beat Romney in the Presidential primary in Colorado. His endorsement means very little to me a conservative. Scott Brown making calls in Arizona is evidence of his agreement with past McCain associations with Kennedy!

    Buck has been polling ahead of the Dem candidates just as the other Republican candidates have been doing. This endorsement validates what we who know Ken Buck already knew. He is the true conservative in this case and is not beholden to moderate GOP puppeteers.

    My guess is Ken Buck will now find it awfully lonely at forums and debates. His main opponent has not been fairing well against him in these public forums. I assume she will now be absent at upcoming forums. Stay tuned this is going to be a fun ride.

  • colawman

    The evidence refutes your claim about Jane Norton being a mainstream Reaganite. She supported the largest tax increase in Colorado history as the Lt. Governor. (Referendum C). It weakend the Tabor amendment. Go check her reasons for supporting that Referendum. It would help us out of a recession and insure Colorado’s future would be secure in the future from such “radical” fixes to our economy. Fast forward to today and we have a billion dollar deficit we need to address and 9 tax increases currently being advanced to once again save us from a recession. 9 tax increases that were made possible by Norton’s weakening of the Tabor Amendment.

    Calling Ken Buck a third tier candidate is the same rhetoric that was being tossed around Rubio by the powerful national GOP. Your claims regarding local support (as a perjorative) is exactly why Ken Buck is the best candidate for Colorado. Ken Buck understands states rights trump federal government. That is what the entire Tea Party movement is about. States rights, less federal government. That does not occur in a vacuum. It occurs when we elect candidates with local support and their allegiance is to their state constituents, not to the Washington insiders who lined their political war chest from the beginning.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    I like Ken too. What he did in Weld County by turning an identity theft case into an immigration sweep was masterful. If the cops hadn’t messed up the warrant he’d have won the case too, but the Supremes actually got one right and struck it down.

    The Norton supporters on this thread need to take a valium. I’ve said before here that this is Norton’s race to lose, but Ken is a viable candidate here. I can guarantee if Norton is elected she’ll have her “McCain moments” from time to time. I’ll just sit back then and say “I told you so”.

    BTW, I like Ken, but I haven’t decided in this race either. Regardless of Norton’s reasons for supporting Ref. C, it concerns me that her first instinct is to raise taxes when times get a little tough.

  • eburke

    after all, Clinton vs Giuliani as a lead-pipe cinch, McCain’s campaign had over/unders on it as far as when it would fold, and Obama was a no-nothing, never-done-anything lightweight who could never defeat the Clinton machine, and Rubio was going to be destroyed by the fund-raising prowess of the Crist machine.

    Uh-huh.

    And, you may want to know just how much I follow politics in general and CO politics in particular before you deign to know how closely I am in tune with CO politics.

    If you never swing the bat, you never know if you can hit the ball. Like HCR being defeated by the election of a Republican in Mass-a-freaking-chusetts.

  • eburke
  • ColoradoRed

    …all of those races had something different going on. For example, in Massachusetts, it became a national race rather than a state race because all the attention got focussed on it. So Brown raised way more money than he would have if there were 32+ other Senate elections on that same night. I actually saw his rise coming and made my first ever political contribution to him weeks prior to the election. And I live in Colorado and make $7/hour after taxes. So you can bet your ass I wasn’t wasting it on something I believed to be a long shot.

    In the Rubio/Crist race, it’s an incumbent Governor with some very shaky recent history. Honestly, if he hadn’t campaigned for the stimulus package (and more precisely hugged the President while doing so), despite all the other ways he’s a liberal wet dream, he would have been unbeatable in this primary. Jane Norton is not an incumbent, has the ability to raise money, has the ability to say she’s a product of the Reagan administration, and has virtually no voting history from which to draw conclusions about her beliefs. I would much, much prefer Ken Buck be my Senator. Trust me. But the only ammo her opponents have against her is Ref. C, and they’re going to need more than that. She’s talking the talk very well lately. It’s pretty transparent talk, but GOP caucus-goers wont see that until it’s too late. Mark my words.

  • colawman

    Colorado Red,
    I believe the political landscape has changed (for the better) as a result of the Tea Party and 9/12ers assault on status quo. What you say about the caucuses is true historically but these are different times. People are looking for more than the stamp of approval on candidates from the National Headquarters. People are attending caucus training classes in numbers not see before. Why? Because people are feeling empowered and educating themselves on the process. People who have never attended caucuses in the past will be attending this year and standing for election as a delegate. I happen to be one. My caucus training class had 50 people in attendance. The only way Colorado wins is by replacing those who are closely tied to the old guard. Referendum C is very big in peoples minds. Ties to Washington insiders and lobbyists is out of vogue. If Crist’s only sins were hugging Obama and supporting the stimulus package then your argument supports my belief. Any overt sign that indicates an unwillingness to live or to have lived a strict fiscal conservative regimen it is going to be subject to attack. It is a vulnerability I would not want in a candidate I supported. Redstates endorsement is big for Ken Buck. Money will follow success. Ken Buck has proven to be very formidable in side by side events with his opponents. People like him and trust him. I believe they are looking for reasons to support him with their deeds and their money. Redstate just gave them the reason. I believe this endorsement will also strengthen the resolve of people like you who prefer him but are unsure of his chances. You already said you supported Brown before his campaign became a bandwagon. Go to Ken Buck Facebook and join up. He needs support from people like you.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Because she puts stuff on her web page? Really, you’re just going to take her word for it??

  • audax

    and my point is Perry has had EIGHT YEARS to do something about what he so far has just TALKED about and not done anything about, and that is CAP or REDUCE property taxes!

    Washingtonian KBH loves taxes. Perry hasn’t done JACK you know what about taxes why would he in the next FOUR?. Medina says she wants to TABOR property taxes.

    Haven’t watched the Beck/Medina video yet but it is IRRELEVANT to my point. It’s also irrelevant to my vote which I cannot change as absentee ballot went out yesterday. Do I want to send a message to Perry? YOU BETCHA!

    Know we have a write up about Medina as I requested in my above post, maybe there will be more to come before the March 2nd primary.. Is she a professional politician…I don’t think so from what I’ve read. Are Perry and KBH professional politicians? YOU BETCHA!

    I could give Jack about truthers or birthers or whatever conspiracy theory is going around. Do I care about property taxes? YOU BETCHA!

  • ColoradoRed

    I’ve met her, I’ve had dinner with her, I’ve listened to her speak several times…and it’s just as see through as could be. Maybe (and I use even that word with skepticism) she really does believe in conservative principles of government. Maybe her support for Ref. C was simply her duty as #2 in the Owens administration. But when you hear her speak, sometimes she doesn’t even make sense. She wont use complete sentences. She’ll just throw out, quite literally, short catch phrases and buzz words and pretend she said something. I’m not sure what to make of it. She’s seems like a nice enough person, and yet I can’t help but feel she would be a McCain Republican, as colawman suggested. And if there’s one thing we need, it’s less McCain/Graham/Snowe/Collins/Specter** type Republicans. We need more Jim DeMint’s.

  • audax

    That’s why I asked for a write-up. Now we have one. Too bad it came too late for me since I had to cast my ballot with the info I had at the time.

    Now have sent my message to send Perry and the politicians in Austin that TEXANS want TAX relief. Texans want TEXAS to be a place that people want to come. To start their businesses and enjoy a great quality of life. To not worry about why their PROPRTY TAX bill is more than the principle and interest on their mortgage. Sent it with my vote. Lucky me I’m an American that can still do that.

  • merryj1

    for the Secretary of State post.

    I’m in Illinois, and not familiar with the Colorado landscape — but I do know Gessler’s family (conservative to the bone) and educational (summa cum laud) background. I also know he’s fighting against the Soros-backed “Secretary of State Project” (the outfit behind the Minnesota Sec of State that put Al Franken in the US Senate). ‘Nuff said?

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    He was very frustrated because he got the typical politician evasive non-answers. We were getting a lot of that. I think she’s improving though. When she first started out she was the typical inside-the-beltway candidate. She ignored the grassroots and played the high-society games. When the backlash from that was getting loud, she changed tactics, and started listening to the grassroots. My friend is a really good education policy guy, and she’s asked him to come into the campaign to help her set policy for her campaign.

    My hope is that if elected, she continues down this road and doesn’t revert back to her old ways, but I have no reason to believe that will be the case.

  • Scope

    the Campaign for Liberty is really really PO’d that any money was given to him by their organization because he is a “NEOCON.”

    http://snardfarker.ning.com/profiles/blogs/ron-pauls-campaign-for-liberty?xg_source=activity

    You have to see the references to someone in the group who is accused of being a destroyer of their third party movement. Any more questions as to what the C4L really is working towards?

  • warrantandthesanction

    There are differences between the two serious candidates in the Colorado race, Buck and Norton.

    Buck is a confident, intelligent, conservative candidate. He has experience in the trenches of local, state, and federal politics. Buck tackles tough issues head on with little regard for irrelevant, extraneous approval. He does what’s right and has the record to prove it. Hensel Phelps, a miulti-billion dollar business, supports Ken Buck? A small community construction business creating jobs and wealth in Colorado supports a candidate for U.S. Senate – sounds like an excellent endorsement to me.

    Norton, on the other hand, makes erratic comments on policy issues such as suggesting she’d dismantlle of the Department of Education or that she supports national sales and flat taxes. She supported Colorado’s largest tax increase in perpetuity (RefC) and is backed, paid for, and handled by old guard Republicans inside and outside of Colorado. (http://coloradopols.com/diary/11554/tell-jane-norton-dont-tax-our-eggs)

    NightTwister’s right about one thing – Ken Buck’s a viable candidate. With grassroots support growing consistently and an endorsement from Erick, I think he’s unstoppable. I’ve seen the two candidates debate and I’d pick Ken to fight my legislative battles any day. Ken Buck is a true conservative, but he’s not one to give you a silver-tongued, politically convenient answer. His positions are solid, well reasoned and based on doing what’s right for Colorado. Check him out – you won’t regret it.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Honestly, I have no idea what you’re referring to here. Did you intend to “Reply To” one of my comments?

    I haven’t made a decision yet. I like Ken, and I’ve made that clear. I have concerns about Norton, and I’ve made that clear.

  • gabesantos

    Why back Buck? ONE issue? Seriously, ONE ISSUE?

    Did you bother to look at any of the other SIX candidates? Did you at least talk to or read Tom Wiens website? Wiens at least has rasied enough money to keep the lights til the primary. AND he has the conservative legislative record on which to back his claims.

    Buck? He’s got nothing. No legislative record. No policy decisions to point to. No conservative choices he’s made.

    The ONE thing he’s done is anything but conservative. He is the ONE who chose to prosecute a murderer under HATE CRIMES. A MURDERER. An open and shut case. And he decides to toss on “hate crime” and the next day write an editorial in the Denver Post. Oh, and the next day announce his run for the Senate seat.

    Conservative? He’s got the OPPOSITE record. He supports Barbara Boxer and Chuck Schumer’s policies.

    Erick, have you ever spent time in our state? We don’t think Boxer is a Conservative.

  • astrong9

    The best candidate in the Colorado Republican primary truly has all the qualifications to go all the way. Wiens is a successful businessman/entrepreneur and rancher. He has always cared about his state and country and in recent years took the plunge into Colorado politics as a state senator. He was effective and was re-elected with sizable majorities. Tom is right on all the issues and is the kind of real deal, non-career politician, we are looking for. On top of a ton of real world experience, and a great family, he has the political experience, and fund raising skills to go all the way. Ken Buck is a good guy, but Wiens is the best choice for Colorado and has the best chance to win in November.

  • tjomac

    I am supporting Ken Buck for Senator. Overall crime in Greeley is down 10% in the last year. This is due in part to Ken’s strong stance against crime and his diligent efforts to prosecute criminals.

    He has conservative values, and supports strong States’ rights, while having excellent ideas for national security, border control, health care reform, and many other issues confronting Colorado and our Country.

    I will be at the caucus supporting Ken. Scott Brown has shown us all the value of a grassroots movement. Don’t rule Buck out, he is the conservative Senator that Colorado should send to DC!

  • warrantandthesanction

    Tom Wiens won with a sizable majority? Maybe in Douglas County – a far right leaning district. Statewide is another issue. No offense, but Tom Wiens’ famiily doesn’t make him a good candidate. Tom Wiens has virtually NO chance of winning in November, or even making the primary ballot. Outside of his cronies in Douglas County, Wiens’ statewide support is negligible. He’ s behind in every poll and funding his own lackluster campaign effort. Sorry, I’m sticking with the true conservative in this race, a candidate who has more than a chance of beating the Dem in November: Ken Buck.

  • anton8359

    Tom Wiens was right on Referendum C, the biggest tax increase in Colorado’s history. Jane Norton voted for it, and has defaulted her claim to the Republican Senate nomination by doing so. In addition, she routinely makes statements which are inconsistent and betray a desire to pander to conservatives, while not being one herself. Let’s get behind the real conservative, Tom Wiens. Ken Buck may be a good guy, but has no fundraising strength, and does not have what it takes to go all the way.

  • ericalynn

    A true conservative who is willing to call the big government Republicans on the carpet as well as the Democrats. He tried to stop the Republicans from supporting Referendum C, the biggest tax increase in Colorado history. He opposed it. But they did it anyway. Tom is the kind of candidate that can shake things up. He is a rancher and small business man. He actually has run a business, met a payroll, and created jobs. Jane Norton is a creature of the Republican insiders, Ken Buck is a good guy but is not ready for prime time.