Carlos Lam

Walker's Office: We Never Saw The 'False Flag' E-Mail From Indiana Prosecutor

Eric Kleefeld | March 25, 2011, 12:11PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Gov. Scott Walker's (R-WI) staff says that no one on the staff ever read an e-mail sent to them in February by a deputy prosecutor in Johnson County, Ind., which encouraged the Walker administration to stage a "false flag" assault or assassination attempt on Walker in order to discredit unions in the Wisconsin political battle over Walker's anti-public employee union legislation.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:

Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said the Republican governor's staff were surprised when an investigative reporter pointed it out to him.

...

Walker's office has received tens of thousands of emails since he unveiled and passed his plan to sharply curtail collective bargaining by public employee unions and that has made it difficult to go through them all, aides have said.

"If you could employ an associate who pretends to be sympathetic to the unions' cause to physically attack you (or even use a firearm against you), you could discredit the unions," said the e-mail from Carlos Lam, which was discovered by Wisconsin Watch, a project of the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. Lam, contacted by Wisconsin Watchdog on Thursday, initially denied sending the e-mail, claiming that his e-mail account had been hacked -- but admitted later in the day that he did send it, and resigned his job.

CO-GOV

Flying Solo: Everyone Abandons Dan Maes After Mistake-Riddled Campaign

Eric Kleefeld | September 10, 2010, 8:47AM

Dan Maes (R), candidate for Colorado governor

Things are not going well for Dan Maes in Colorado. After a series of highly-publicized miscues over the last few months -- and a third-party bid from ex-Rep. Tom Tancredo -- Maes' supporters are now leaving him in droves. The result? In a cycle where the GOP ought to be making strong gains all over the map, the party seems to be waving the white flag in the Colorado gubernatorial race -- where they should have had a great shot of winning.

Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter is retiring after one term, which saw him accrue negative ratings. The Dems are now running Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper -- and the Republicans no longer seem to be sure who they're running, even after the primary.

The trouble started with the two candidates in the GOP primary. Former Rep. Scott McInnis was caught in a plagiarism scandal, and Maes, the tea party-backed candidate who touted his business acumen on the trail, turned out to not exactly be a successful businessman. He was delinquent in filing required state paperwork, was late in making payments to his homeowners association, and had a lien placed on his house. Maes also made some interesting policy pronouncements, such as alleging that Hickenlooper's support for bike paths as mayor was part of a United Nations plot to destroy America's sovereignty. On the policy end, Maes proposed that he would lay off 2,000 state employees "just like that."

Then Tancredo threatened to get in as a third-party candidate if McInnis and Maes didn't drop out -- clearly as a potential threat to be a spoiler candidate -- and Tancredo later made good on his threat -- essentially splitting the conservative vote and all but handing the race to the Dem Hickenlooper.

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CO-GOV

Colorado Tea Partiers Angry At Tancredo: You Spoiled Our Party!

Eric Lach | August 23, 2010, 8:30AM

A tea party crowd. Tom Tancredo inset.

Tom Tancredo used to be something of a tea party hero. But not anymore, at least in Colorado. The ex-Congressman's foray into the state's gubernatorial race has essentially scuttled Republicans' chances in the contest -- and provoked outrage from local tea party members who feel betrayed after once counting Tancredo among their leaders.

Earlier this year, Tancredo was a featured player on the tea party circuit, giving an opening-night speech at Tea Party Nation's big February convention in Nashville. And in Colorado, Tancredo was a big force in the movement, helping to convince tea partiers to work within the Republican party structure instead of forming a new party.

Last December, Tancredo wrote an open letter to Colorado's 9-12 activists and tea party members, urging them to "think strategically" and arguing that forming a third party in the state was "suicidal and would only result in splitting the conservative vote and guaranteeing the re-election of liberals and socialists."

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CO-GOV

Dan Maes Upsets Former Rep. McInnis In CO-GOV GOP Primary

Eric Lach | August 11, 2010, 7:15AM

Colorado Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Maes.

It took all night, but Dan Maes has won the Colorado Republican gubernatorial primary. His victory culminates an improbable run spurred by his opponent Scott McInnis' plagiarism scandal, but overshadowed by Tom Tancredo's recent decision to enter the race under a third party's banner.

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CO-GOV

Republican CO-GOV Primary Too Close To Call

Ben Frumin | August 11, 2010, 12:04AM

Scott McInnis (R) and Dan Maes (R), candidates for Colorado governor

We'll have to wait a little longer to sort out whether Dan Maes or Scott McInnis has won the Colorado Republican gubernatorial primary.

With 76% of precincts reporting tonight, McInnis and Maes are locked in a virtual tie, 50%-50%. Maes currently leads by barely more than 1,000 votes, out of more than 300,000 already counted.

"We felt good coming in tonight," Maes told The Denver Post.

"The numbers are confirming what we thought. The numbers just need to stay there."

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CO-SEN

PPP Poll: Bennet, McInnis And Norton Lead Heading Into CO Primaries

Eric Lach | August 9, 2010, 2:59PM

Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)

A new PPP poll of tomorrow's Colorado Senate and gubernatorial primaries shows tight races all around, but maybe a little breathing room for incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet, who's facing a tough, late-charging challenge from former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff.

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CO-GOV

How Tancredo Ruins The CO-GOV Race For Republicans

Eric Lach | August 9, 2010, 8:31AM

Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO)

It's not like Republicans needed any help screwing up in Colorado. They were doing just fine on their own. But Tom Tancredo's third-party gubernatorial bid has pretty much sealed the deal. Polls -- and even some Colorado Republicans -- suggest that barring some highly unforeseen circumstance, Tancredo's presence in the race will all but hand victory to Democrat John Hickenlooper.

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CO-GOV

CO-GOV GOPers Struggle With Fundraising After Rocky July

Eric Lach | August 4, 2010, 11:18AM

Scott McInnis (R) and Dan Maes (R), candidates for Colorado governor

For Colorado Republicans running for governor, July was the cruelest month. And they've got the bank accounts to prove it.

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CO-GOV

Rasmussen Poll: Yep, Tom Tancredo Is Ruining The GOP's Chances In CO-Gov Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 3, 2010, 2:58PM

Tom Tancredo

Rasmussen is the second pollster to include Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo in its polling of the Colorado governor's race, and the results, once again, look good for Democrat John Hickenlooper.

In a Rasmussen poll conducted on July 15 -- before Tancredo threw his hat into the ring -- the governor's race looked tight: Hickenlooper led Republican Scott McInnis by two points and Republican Dan Maes by three points. But with Tancredo in the contest, Rasmussen's new poll numbers show, Hickenlooper pulls away from the pack. Against McInnis and Tancredo, Hickenlooper takes 43%, McInnis takes 25%, and Tancredo takes 24%. When the Republican is Maes, Hickenlooper leads with 42%, Maes gets 27%, and Tancredo trails with 24%.

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CO-GOV

SurveyUSA Poll: Tancredo Tanking GOP's Chances In CO-GOV Race

Thomas Rhiel | August 2, 2010, 12:41PM

Tom Tancredo

The Colorado GOP isn't thrilled that former GOP Rep. Tom Tancredo is running as a third-party candidate in the state's gubernatorial race. And a new poll of the contest finds that the GOP's fear -- that Tancredo will draw votes away from the Republican nominee in the race -- seems very justified.

A SurveyUSA poll of the race shows Tancredo almost splitting the GOP vote, giving Democrat John Hickenlooper a big double-digit advantage over his potential general election foes. In a two-candidate race, the new poll gives Hickenlooper a 48%-43% lead over Republican Scott McInnis. Add a dash of Tancredo, though, and Hickenlooper's lead increases: he's out front with 44%, with McInnis at 25%, and Tancredo -- outperforming McInnis -- at 26%. The story's much the same with Republican Dan Maes as the party's nominee. The poll shows that in a Hickenlooper-Maes matchup, Hickenlooper leads 50%-41%. Add Tancredo to the mix, though, and Hickenlooper's advantage increases: he gets 46% of the vote, while Maes and Tancredo are each at 24%.

The new SurveyUSA poll is the first from any pollster to include Tancredo in its match-ups. A SurveyUSA poll from June 17 showed McInnis topping Hickenlooper 47%-43% and Maes edging Hickenlooper 45%-44%. Even without the addition of Tancredo, then, the latest survey would be good news for the Hickenlooper camp.

The margin of error for the latest SurveyUSA poll is ±3.1 percentage points. The Republican primary is August 10.

CO-SEN

Rocky Mountain Lows: Colorado Republicans Stumbling Toward Primary Finish Line

Eric Lach | July 26, 2010, 8:32AM

Clockwise from top right, all from Colorado: Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R), GOP primary candidates for Governor Scott McInnis and Dan Maes, GOP Senate primary candidates Jane Norton and Ken Buck.

With just days to go before the August 10 Senate and gubernatorial primaries, Colorado Republicans are tripping, sparring and in some cases, falling apart. Each of the four major Republican candidates in the Senate and gubernatorial races seems to have done at least some self-inflicted damage recently. It's created an odd dynamic in which many of these Republican candidates haven't been able to truly capitalize on their opponent's troubles -- simply because they've been too busy dealing with their own.

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CO-GOV

Tancredo To CO-GOV GOPers: Drop Out, Or I'll Run!

Eric Lach | July 23, 2010, 10:21AM

Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO)

Ex-Rep. Tom Tancredo is throwing down the gauntlet. According to The Denver Post, Tancredo has demanded that the Republican Party's two scandal-stained candidates, Scott McInnis and Dan Maes, drop out after the August 10 primary, so that the party can appoint another nominee. If not, Tancredo says, he'll run as a third party candidate, "and I won't get out."

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Scott McInnis

McInnis: 'These Boots Are Made For Walking, And I'm Ready To Fight'

Eric Lach | July 19, 2010, 5:42PM

CO-GOV candidate Scott McInnis (R)

Today, Colorado Republican Scott McInnis made his first public appearance since The Denver Post reported last week that he had apparently plagiarized a series of articles, revelations that have seriously wounded his gubernatorial campaign.

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CO-GOV

Poll Shows Support For McInnis Slipping After Plagiarism Scandal

Eric Lach | July 19, 2010, 11:51AM

CO-GOV candidate Scott McInnis (R)

Scott McInnis said last week that "voters don't really care" about the plagiarism allegations that are rocking his campaign. At least one poll suggests otherwise.

Last week, the Denver Post caught McInnis apparently copying a state Supreme Court Judge's work for essays on water policy that he was paid $300,000 for after retiring from Congress. Twenty percent of Colorado Republican voters who supported McInnis before that revelation now say they'll back another candidate, according to a SurveryUSA poll commissioned by The Denver Post.

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CO-GOV

Nonprofit Demands Scott McInnis Repay $300K He Received After Turning In Plagiarized Work

Jillian Rayfield | July 16, 2010, 1:15PM

CO-GOV candidate Scott McInnis (R)

The Hasan Family Foundation, which paid Colorado gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis (R) to write articles he was later caught plagiarizing, is now demanding he repay the $300,000.

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Scott McInnis

It's Not Just Scott McInnis! TPM Rounds Up Other Pols Apparently Caught Plagiarizing

Eric Lach | July 16, 2010, 8:37AM

Former Rep. Scott McInnis (President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin inset)

Colorado Republican Scott McInnis has had his gubernatorial campaign nearly derailed by accusations of plagiarism this week. Since the Denver Post first reported the "striking similarities" between a series of articles McInnis produced in 2005 and 2006 and a 20-year-old essay written by a state Supreme Court Judge, rumors have swirled that he'll drop out of the gubernatorial race, and at least one Republican has called for him to quit.

But through it all, McInnis might just take solace in the fact that some of the most powerful politicians on the planet have been called copycats -- and fared pretty well post-scandal.

Here's a few of our favorites.

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CO-GOV

McInnis Vows To Stay In CO-GOV Race: 'I Am In It To Win It'

Jillian Rayfield | July 15, 2010, 4:27PM

CO-GOV candidate Scott McInnis (R)

Despite rumors that the Colorado state GOP was preparing for the possibility of Scott McInnis dropping out of the race following a plagiarism scandal, the gubernatorial candidate wrote on his Facebook page today that he is "in it to win it" and will stay in the race.

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Scott McInnis

Report: Colorado GOPers Prepare For Possibility Of McInnis Dropping Out

Eric Lach | July 15, 2010, 11:03AM

CO-GOV candidate Scott McInnis (R)

The plagiarism scandal plaguing Colorado Republican Scott McInnis isn't going away, and the Denver Post reports that state party members are starting to prepare for what happens if their frontrunner drops out of the gubernatorial race. With the primary just weeks away, their options appear to be limited.

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CO-GOV

Old McInnis Opponent Dings Republican Over Plagiarism Scandal

Eric Lach | July 14, 2010, 1:47PM

CO State Board of Education Chairman Bob Schaffer and CO-GOV candidate Scott McInnis (R)

Colorado Republican Scott McInnis' old opponent (and erstwhile TPM favorite) Bob Schaffer has taken notice of the plagiarism scandal that has turned McInnis' campaign on its head -- and is taking the opportunity to have a nice little jab at his former foe.

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CO-GOV

Denver Post Claims New Example Of McInnis Plagiarism

Eric Lach | July 14, 2010, 10:41AM

CO-GOV candidate Scott McInnis (R)

The hits keep coming for Colorado Republican Scott McInnis.

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Scott McInnis

Report: McInnis Offers Private Apology To Judge Over Apparent Plagiarism

Eric Lach | July 13, 2010, 3:55PM

CO-GOV candidate Scott McInnis (R)

Colorado Republican Scott McInnis has offered a private apology to Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs, the Associated Press reports, after a Denver Post story essentially outed McInnis for plagiarizing the judge's work in a series of past articles about water conservation.

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CO-SEN

Denver Post Catches Republican Gov Candidate In Apparent Plagiarism

Eric Lach | July 13, 2010, 1:17PM

Scott McInnis

Colorado Republican Scott McInnis might just be a copycat.

Tasked in 2005 and 2006 with producing a series of articles about water policy, the former congressman and current gubernatorial candidate turned in copy that appears to have been lifted from an earlier work by someone else, according to a report in The Denver Post.

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CO-SEN

Romanoff Beats Bennet At Colorado Dem Convention -- But The Primary Has Just Begun

Eric Kleefeld | May 24, 2010, 10:54AM

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff (D-CO)

It was a busy political weekend in Colorado, with both the state Democratic and Republican parties holding their conventions -- and snubbing incumbents and frontrunner candidates on both sides, most notably Dem Sen. Michael Bennet. However, this is not the last word in the campaign on either side.

Bennet's primary challenger, former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, handily won the convention by a margin of 60%-40% -- though Bennet was still over the 30% threshold needed to guarantee a place on the primary ballot, without having to petition his way onto it. For Romanoff, the upshot of his win here is that he will be listed in the first position on the primary ballot, with the incumbent Bennet in the second place on the ballot. This outcome had been expected since the party caucuses in March, in which Romanoff's supporters won more delegate seats.

This largely comes from two factors. First, Romanoff took advantage of a general anti-incumbent frustration with Washington. But second and perhaps more importantly, Bennet is an appointed Senator who never ran for anything before -- and therefore lacked the political base of Romanoff, who was far more organized for this early stage of the campaign. However, Bennet still has an edge in the primary for now, with the TPM Poll Average putting him ahead of Romanoff by 43.0%-32.5%.

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CO-GOV

Poll: Salazar Might Have Lost In Gubernatorial Race

Eric Kleefeld | January 7, 2010, 2:39PM

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar

A new Rasmussen poll of Colorado suggests that if Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar had run for governor -- he has just decided against it -- the former Colorado Senator and state attorney general may well have lost, and might not even have been the strongest possible Democratic candidate.

Salazar and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper were both tested in the poll, which was conducted yesterday, against Republican former Rep. Scott McInnis. Salazar trailed McInnis by 47%-41%, while Hickenlooper is also behind by a narrower 45%-42%.

That said, the pollster's analysis argues that Democratic chances of holding this governor's mansion have actually improved since the retirement announcement by incumbent Dem Gov. Bill Ritter, noting that Ritter trailed McInnis by an eight-point margin last month.