MyDD :: CO-04

CO-04

by illinois062006, Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 12:28:07 AM EST

Here is some good news:

"In Colorado, Eric Eidness has thrown a curveball into the race for the state's 4th congressional district by leaving the Republican Party and running on the Reform Party ticket. As reported by Roll Call, Eidsness told The Daily Times Call in Longmont that he is troubled by the way the Republican Party has handled Iraq, the federal deficit, and Hurricane Katrina. "I'm shocked," Eidsness said. "It's not the party I joined when I was a young man." Eidness will face Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R) and state Rep. Angie Paccione (D) in November."

Eidsness's decision will most certainly create the conditions of possibility for a Paccione victory.

Perhaps if all of us donate to Paccione's campaign, she will represent Colorado in the US House in 2007.

Tags: Angie Paccione, Marilyn Musgrave, Eric Eidness, CO-04 (all tags)

Permalink :: 22 Comments :: Post a Comment

Whoa. (3.00 / 0)

That is really good news. I only pause because his criticisms of the GOP echo similar Democratic criticisms, rather than cutting into the far-right side of Musgrave's base. (Meaning he could be pulling equal amounts of potential Paccione voters, too.)

But realistically, it's almost impossible to be more right-wing than Musgrave. It's still good news.

Only question: who the heck is Eidness and does he have any name recognition?

Swing State Project: Campaign & Election News - Covering Key Races Around the Country

by HellofaSandwich on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 12:46:22 AM EST

Re: Whoa. (3.00 / 1)

According to The Coloradoan, Eidsness is "a Fort Collins resident and former appointee of President Ronald Reagan."

His choice to run as a Reform Party candidate will prove to be damaging to Musgrave. Read the following quote:

"I've talked to a number of people who are interested, as I am, in a change of leadership," said Eidsness, 60. "There are a lot of disaffected Republicans in the region who feel the party has left us.

"I'm trying to reclaim my party."

by illinois062006 on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 12:53:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

I looked into him, too. (3.00 / 0)

Check out his bio:

http://www.eric4congress.org/About/About .aspx

It doesn't look like he's held elective office before, but he had a "Cabinet-level" job at the EPA during the Reagan years.

The creepy thing? Check out his Endorsements page. He lists an endorsement from Ronald Reagan! Now, I know he's not saying that he's communicating with Reagan from the grave, as he did list the date under the quote, but it seems a little inappropriate to list that in a political endorsement page.

Anyway. Looks like his campaign manager is a former member of Congress, too! Jim Johnson was the 4th District's Rep. from 1973-1981. He previously tried to court a primary opponent for Musgrave. I assume that opponent demurred, so he's doing what he can to sabotage Musgrave via Eidsness. Kick-ass.

Swing State Project: Campaign & Election News - Covering Key Races Around the Country

by HellofaSandwich on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 01:01:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: CO-04 (3.00 / 1)

Yes, Eidness has some name recognition in the district. I am worried about him pulling from Paccione's support, but realistically Eidness is identified with the Republican Party in CO-4, even if he runs under the Reform banner - he'll draw from discontented Republicans more than the Greens and Democrats.

In 2004, we lost CO-4 by 5 points, mostly due to a competent Green candidate in the race. If Eidness pulls 5 points from Musgrave, we can take this seat.

by Phoenix Rising on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 12:50:22 AM EST

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

I'm inclined to blame Matsunaka's loss on the Green candidate but I'm surprised to see you describe Bob Kinsey as "competent". He really didn't run a viable campaign.

His votes came from folks who were making an ideological point and wouldn't have voted for Stan under any circumstances.

I agree with your concern about stripping votes from Paccione. That's a definite risk especially with her campaign in such disarray. The Q1 fundraising rumor mill is not being kind.

Unbossed and Colorado Confidential--pursuing truth over balance.

by em dash on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 01:16:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

From what I observed at least on the activist level, there were a number of Really Left Dems and of course the Greens that went for Kinsey; before Stan's last-minute recruitment (IIRC, he was announced at the State Assembly - that's LATE), there was a lot of talk among the newly-active about endorsing Kinsey.

Admittedly his campaign in the end wasn't a campaign at all, really, but I think we waited so long that we lost a core group of people that might come back to us now.

by Phoenix Rising on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 02:32:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

It didn't help that Michael Moore endorsed the Green candidate.

by jiacinto on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 11:36:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

Perhaps we can write him and ask if he will endorse Paccione. Maybe he can produce a documentary short on Musgrave.

by illinois062006 on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 11:39:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

Oops, that should be I'm NOT inclined to blame Kinsey for Matsunaka's loss.

Preview is your friend. Preview is your friend. Preview is your friend.

Unbossed and Colorado Confidential--pursuing truth over balance.

by em dash on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 01:17:11 AM EST

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

Matsunaka came so close in 04 mostly because a very wealthy Democrat (who lives in Boulder) spent almost $2 million in independent expenditure money on his behalf. That was almost twice what Matsunaka himself spent! I'm not sure that person is willing to try again though. Angie is going to be on her own. But that said, she is raising quite a bit of money herself, and this guy will help a little. This is definitely a wild card race this cycle.

By the way, if you all don't know who Angie Paccione is, she's pretty interesting. Progressive evangelical Christian, former very good college (Stanford) basketball player, daughter of a mixed race marriage, single woman. Absolutely spellbinding (when she's on) speaker. But some skeletons in her closet financially. I'd love to see her shake up DC (and she will!).

by ColoDem on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 10:51:08 AM EST

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

Care to share the details of the financial skeletons?

by politics64 on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 11:32:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

She had a personal bankruptcy some time ago. Not sure exactly why, but it's not pretty. Nonetheless, she's handled it very well (basically by not trying to hide it, and using it to identify with her struggling constituents).

by ColoDem on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 01:30:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

If you are referring to Tim Gill, he lives in Denver.

by Colorado Luis on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 12:15:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

No. Jared Polis.

by ColoDem on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 01:28:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

This is very good news.

It's nice to know that Republicans can eat their own, too.

I wonder if this makes CO-04 a top-tier or second-tier race. I would have said it was third-tier before.

by brownsox on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 11:15:32 AM EST

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

All the GOP-held Colorado seats are top tier, or should be treated as such.

The 7th is an open swing seat, possibly the highest priority of ALL the House races.

The 4th and 6th have vulnerable batshit-crazy incumbents in districts that are conservative but libertarian, nowhere near conservative enough to support the nuttiness of their incumbents.

And the 5th, which would ordinarily be hopeless, is open, with the departing incumbent angry at having been kicked around by the DeLay majority, and a smart, hardworking veteran as our Democrat, making a real race of it.

Plus we have an important Governor contest statewide, plus the effort to keep the state legislature in a state that has been trending blue overall, so it is crucial to turn the heat up across the state, not just for the individual Congressional races but for the effects up and down ticket.

by admiralnaismith on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 02:20:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

Well Paccione is going to have to do well in the rural parts of the district. By "doing well" I mean that she is going to have to keep Musgrave's margins down. For if Musgrave racks up punishing margins in those rural counties, she is going to beat Paccione.

by jiacinto on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 11:37:42 AM EST

Yeah but nobody lives there (none / 0)

Musgrave didn't win because she got 80% of the vote in some southeastern Colorado county with 800 people. She won because she carried Greeley and Loveland and held down Matsunaka's margin in Longmont. IIRC she even carried Fort Collins.

With the eastern Colorado high plains counties losing their few remaining non-inmate residents, it is time to stop calling CO-4 a rural district and start viewing it as the district of the small cities of the northern I-25 corridor.

by Colorado Luis on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 12:17:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Yeah but nobody lives there (none / 0)

Perhaps, but Bush racked up punishing margins in Kiowa, Kit Carson, Prowers, Otero, Baca, Sedqwick, Phillips, Logan, and the other rural counties that make up C0-4. Bush got more than 80% of the vote in one of those counties. If Musgrave wins those margins she can overcome what she doesn't have in the cities.

by jiacinto on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 02:55:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

On the plus side... (none / 0)

She doesn't have Bush's coattails to work with.

Swing State Project: Campaign & Election News - Covering Key Races Around the Country

by HellofaSandwich on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 04:15:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: CO-04 (none / 0)

Is Eidness gonna have any trouble getting on the ballot?
I asked on one of the Colorado blogs, but no one answered.

I'd love to see Paccione catch a meaningful break.
In addition to all the other ugly things we've always known about Musgrave, I've recently learned that she takes money from Exxon/Mobil:

http://www.actblue.com/page/Defeat+Exxon +PAC%27s+incumbents

It would be great if something factors in, this year, to make Musgrave more vulnerable.

by Christopher Walker on Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 08:41:00 PM EST

Re: CO-04 (3.00 / 2)

Hey, thanks for keeping an eye on this race. Our campaign is strong, we are raising $$$, and have thrown down the gauntlet. Stay tuned for an exciting race that will go down to the wire. Remember, MM only won by 6,407 votes - she is vulnerable! and... nearly 84% of the vote is in Longmont, Larimer Cty, and Weld Cty. Stan won Longmont and Larimer Cty in 2004. If you're supporting me in this effort, I hope you've already sent your contribution!!! BTW, I'm an avid "reader" of the blogosphere!

Best to you!

-Angie

by AngiePaccioneForCongress on Tue Apr 11, 2006 at 01:30:39 AM EST

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