News from The Colorado Observer's Mark Stricherz today gives the clearest sign yet that Democrats fear the candidacy of former Coors Tek CEO Joe Coors Jr: they are already buying ad time in Colorado and suggest some might be used to defend incumbent Congressman Ed Perlmutter.
Despite Democrats' denials that Perlmutter is vulnerable, DCCC money speaks louder than words.
WASHINGTON – The House Democratic campaign apparatus plans to buy $2.5 million of television advertising on Denver stations after Labor Day to help three local House Democratic candidates, a list that might include Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Lakewood.
As Politico reported Tuesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved more than $32 million in TV advertising that would run in dozens of districts in 14 states. It has identified Colorado as one of the nation’s most competitive battleground states. Jennifer Crider, the DCCC’s deputy executive director, revealed in an interview that her organization might spend the money on TV ads to defeat two Colorado House Republicans – Scott Tipton of Cortez and Mike Coffman of Lone Tree — and defend Perlmutter. [Peak emphasis]
While defeating Perlmutter will be no easy task, as he trounced GOP contender Ryan Frazier in 2011, the fact that Nancy Pelosi's lackies are running around buying up ad time to defend Perlmutter is a sign his seat is not considered safe.
Ad time bought for the Denver media market would likely be for either CD6 (Coffman v Miklosi) or CD7 (Coors v Perlmutter), as very little of the Denver market reaches the CD3 race of Sal Pace and Congressman Scott Tipton. With the embarrassing campaign of Joe Miklosi, that money would probably be better spent defending Ed Perlmutter.
The acknowledgment that Perlmutter might need defending from national Democrats is a win in itself for Coors's campaign. It will strengthen the narrative that Perlmutter is more vulnerable than many folks thought a few months ago, and that Coors is running a serious campaign. It will also greatly please GOP strategists who are happy to see Democrats spending money defending one of their seats, rather than attacking a Republican incumbent.
With the district becoming more Republican after redistricting, Coors raising more than Perlmutter in donations from individuals, and Perlmutter's heavy reliance on special interest Political Action Committees (PACs) to raise money, the 7th Congressional District race is becoming one to watch.
Add in Obama's 36% approval rating in JeffCo, the heart of CD7, and this may not be the first time you hear of liberal or Democrat groups dropping big dollars to defend Ed Perlmutter.
of the Republicans outside of CD5. They were gloating over how much extra money the Republicans were going to have to spend to defend them. My, my, how things change.
Brandon Shaffer is looking like the next Andrew Romanoff, a State Capitol big shot has-been. Joe Miklosi never had a shot, and his fund raising shows it. The only Dem showing any electoral legs in the congressional contests is Sal Pace, and he’s no shoo-in.
If the DNCC is really spending money on an incumbent who was just recently considered safe, and who is not without considerable campaign resources, then Joe Coors must be doing better than they want to admit in their internal polling. It will be really interesting to see what the first public polls looks like.
Coors is probably CD7’s wealthiest resident. The GOP called on this til-now private citizen because he can self fund and therefore…. wait for it…. make the DCCC divert resources to an all-around competitive district. And now Peak, as a party mouthpiece, is simply doing its rah-rah for the sake of party morale which, given the Rmoney nomination, needs to be buoyed up.
Anyone who believes that this indicates anything else is naive.
(Yes, we all know that the Coors family is a political force. But many individuals, including Joe, have markedly NOT been public figures, just like not every Kennedy has been one, even if it seems like they all are. If Joe were sincere, he’d do what scions from powerful families always do – run for governor or the US Senate in a year when one of those offices is up for election.)
Like John F. Kennedy did in 1946? No wait, he ran for, and won, a seat in the House of Representatives then, and didn’t run for Senate until 1952. And both Mark Udall and his cousin Tom in New Mexico served in the House before running for their Senate seats.
Joe Coors is running for the House seat in the District in which he lives, and if you think that he has no chance to win, that this is just a “vanity” effort, you’re the one being naive.
Like I said above, Perlmutter is no mendicant begging for alms to support his campaign, he just doesn’t have that Coors name that is well known throughout the state. He is more than capable of writing hefty checks to support his run for re-election. If he now needs substantial support from the national party to stay competitive, that is news.
As for the rest, keep clicking your heels, Dorothy…
How will he ever survive against a evil rich 99%er like Joe Coors?
Oh that’s right, PAC money, Vail fundraisers and his 17th Street law firm buddies. Didn’t Fast Eddy’s spokeswoman just tell the heart-warming story of a 90 year old lady who sent a ten-dollar bill to Eddy? Did this sweet old lady also get an invite to the Four Seasons?
Big money in politics: It’s only okay if you’re a republican.
BTW, it’s 1%-er, you dumbshit.
my mistake; meant 1%er