GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.—On Wednesday, Gov. John Hickenlooper denied justice for four innocent victims by granting a reprieve and indefinite stay of execution to convicted murderer Nathan Dunlap.  Only a day after the announcement, the Colorado Republican Party released a web advertisement condemning Hickenlooper’s decision.

“Gov. Hickenlooper has denied justice for the innocent victims who were killed in cold-blood,” Colorado Republican Committee Chairman Ryan Call said.  “In Colorado, the death penalty is used sparingly, and only for the most heinous crimes.  It is clear that Hickenlooper’s cowardly decision was not about ensuring justice is done, but was all about his inability to make the difficult decisions required of a Governor.”

In 1993, Jason Dunlap entered a Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurant and murdered four innocent people, three of whom were teenagers.  Dunlap was convicted of murder, and a jury of twelve Colorado citizens unanimously determined that he deserved the death penalty.  Many appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court have upheld the jury’s decisions.  In granting a reprieve and indefinite stay of execution for this criminal, Hickenlooper is ignoring the unanimous decision of the jury, the finding of the courts, and the wishes of many of the families affected by this tragedy, to save the life of a cold-blooded killer.

“It’s astounding. Nathan Dunlap committed this gruesome crime twenty years ago, and has been given every consideration under the law. He has had his day in court, and what the law requires is clear. Sometimes, leadership means you can’t have it both ways.  And yet Gov. Hickenlooper is not only willing to allow his personal feelings to trump justice, but his action reflects a pattern of Democrats defending and protecting murderers at the expense of public safety,” Call said.  “Gov. Hickenlooper can’t say that he is serious about protecting our families and our communities from violent crimes and then deny the maximum penalty under the law for a cold-blooded killer like Nathan Dunlap.”

In response to today’s announcement, the Colorado Republican Committee released a web advertisement highlighting Hickenlooper’s decision.

The ad, titled “Justice Denied”, can be viewed HERE.

###

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.—This afternoon, Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper announced that he is denying justice to the victims of the 1993 Chuck E. Cheese’s murders by granting the killer, Nathan Dunlap, a reprieve.

Colorado Republican Committee Chairman released the following statement regarding Hickenlooper’s announcement—

"Gov. Hickenlooper's announcement today is cowardly. We are profoundly disappointed in his lack of leadership and inability to make a clear decision.  Gov. Hickenlooper's reprieve and stay of execution is denying justice for the victims and their families."

###

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.—No one is happier to see this week end than Pres. Obama.  As scandals mount, Colorado Republicans are working to ensure that the Administration is held accountable for its actions.

Below are some of the highlights from this week’s news cycle here in Colorado--

• “Combined with disclosures that the Internal Revenue Service targeted conservative groups for scrutiny and ongoing revelations about the political shaping of the Benghazi terrorist attack narrative, it's been a disappointing week for the administration.  These incidents demonstrate a lack of transparency, a disregard for civil liberties and, quite frankly, a particularly unattractive brand of arrogance.” (The Denver Post, “Obama in denial about three-ring circus”, 05/14/13).

• “A group in Colorado says it’s been unfairly targeted by the Internal Revenue Service, and now the U.S. Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into allegations the IRS targeted conservative groups. [….]Republican Rep. Cory Gardner fired off a letter on Tuesday accusing the IRS of ‘thuggish’ behavior and demanding a list of Colorado groups targeted.” (CBS 4 Denver, “Conservative Colorado group claims to have been targeted by the IRS”, 05/14/13).

• “The Colorado Republican Party called for Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, to recuse himself from any dealings with the investigation of the Internal Revenue Service's handling of conservative groups, saying a letter he wrote in February 2012 creates a conflict of interest.” (The Denver Post, “IRS asked Colorado conservative groups for names of friends, donors”, 05/17/13).

• “GOP Reps. Scott Tipton and Doug Lamborn were among a group of more than 60 House Republicans who expressed concern in March 2012 that the Internal Revenue Service was unfairly targeting and creating burdensome questionnaires for Tea Party and liberty groups.” (The Denver Post, “Reps. Scott Tipton, Doug Lamborn voiced concern last year on IRS Tea Party targeting”, 05/14/13)

• “Obama aides insisted the emails were either taken out of context or provided no new information but resisted pressure to make the emails public for five days, before finally disclosing the documents to reporters Wednesday. The emails revealed that then-CIA Director David Petraeus disagreed with the final talking points, despite the White House's insistence that the intelligence agency had the final say over the statements. […] ‘I'm ready to move on and get past this issue, but we just really need to find out the truth. I mean we lost a US ambassador and three other Americans,’Coffman said.’” (9News Denver, “Obama tries to regain control amid controversies”, 05/16/13).

###

May 16, 2013

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.—Today, Congressman Jared Polis made light of the Scandal Trifecta that is plaguing the Obama Administration.  In a Twitter post this afternoon, Polis, D-Boulder, used one word to describe each of the scandals, including Benghazi, the IRS and the Associated Press.  For Benghazi, Polis said “spun”; for the IRS, he said “oops”; and for the AP scandal, Polis said “creepy”.

Owen Loftus, spokesman for the Colorado Republican Committee, released the following statement regarding Polis’s asinine tweet--

“Every single American understands the gravity of these scandals.  A massive government agency targeting Americans with different beliefs is not just an ‘oops’.  An Administration going out of its way to intimidate the press is not just ‘creepy’.  Even partisan Democrats are now trying to distance themselves from each of these scandals, and for good reason—the freedom of the press, the freedom to assemble, the freedom of speech are the foundations of our nation.  The fact that anyone, especially a sitting Congressman, would try to trivialize these scandals is reprehensible.”

###

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.—On Friday, the Internal Revenue Service dropped a bombshell when it acknowledged that it had unfairly targeted conservative organizations in reviewing non-profit applications.  While the news was deeply troubling, it appears that the IRS may have been following the directive of several Democratic senators, including Michael Bennet of Colorado.

“Sen. Bennet played a role in pressuring the IRS to investigate conservative groups.  Now, Democratic Senatorial Committee Chairman is pretending he is surprised the IRS targeted conservatives and wants to investigate why the IRS targeted these groups.  It's outrageous,” Colorado Republican Committee Chairman Ryan Call said.

In a letter addressed to Douglas Shulman, commissioner of the IRS, Bennet, along with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and others, directed the IRS to investigate groups applying for 501(c)(4) status. While the letter did not specifically mention conservative groups, Bennet then independently called upon the IRS to target a specific conservative group in a press release sent shortly after--

“For instance, long-time partisan operative Karl Rove is a senior official behind a 501(c)(4) ‘social welfare’ charity, yet it’s common knowledge that his organization exists to elect and defeat specific political candidates.  Elections operations such as Mr. Rove’s should not be allowed to masquerade as charities to take advantage of their tax exempt status and hide their donors from the public.  It’s the IRS’s job to enforce the tax code and make sure that ‘social welfare’ organizations are what they say they are."

Adam Bozzi, spokesman for Bennet now tells the Denver Post that the Senator "believes that targeting any people or organizations based on political ideology is wrong. He's glad the chairman has called for an investigation in the Finance Committee and looks forward to getting more information through that process."

The IRS apparently was listening when Bennet called upon the federal agency to target conservative groups, and now one of Colorado's Democrat Senators is desperately trying to distance himself from the growing scandal.

Colorado Republican Committee Chairman Ryan Call said Bennet's new position doesn't add up, and that the Senator must recuse himself from investigating a scandal in which he very well might have played a contributing part.

“Sen. Bennet would like us to believe that this is just a coincidence.  The fact is that he pressured the IRS to investigate conservative groups, and that is exactly what the IRS did.  It is inappropriate for Sen. Bennet to investigate the very scandal in which it appears he had a role,” Call said.

News outlets across the country have been calling out Democrats, like Bennet, who are feigning dismay over the IRS following through on their directive.  In a piece written for US News and World Report, Brian Walsh stated--

“Over the last three years, Democratic senators repeatedly and publicly pressured the IRS to engage in the very activities that they are only now condemning today. At the same time, Republicans repeatedly and publicly warned against this abuse of government power and pointed to a series of red flags that strongly suggested conservative political organizations were being targeted by the IRS. Those warnings were deliberately ignored by the Obama administration and Democratic leaders in Congress.”

Call concluded that the only way the Senate can have an honest and complete investigation is if Bennet recused himself—

“We need to get to the bottom of this scandal, but there is no way we can if Sen. Bennet—who publicly pressured the IRS to investigate these groups—is playing judge.”

###

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.—On Friday the Internal Revenue Service has been inappropriately targeting conservative organizations whose opinions may differ from Pres. Obama’s.

Colorado Republican Committee Chairman Ryan Call released the following statement regarding the dangerous actions taken by the Obama Administration and the IRS--

"The Obama Administration is using the power of the IRS to target and silence Americans with dissenting opinions.  These suppression techniques have no place in a democracy.  They are beyond reprehensible; they’re dangerous.

"Every member of Colorado’s Congressional delegation, especially Sen. Mark Udall, must immediately make a public statement against the actions taken by the Obama Administration and the Internal Revenue Service.  They must also call for and support a thorough investigation of the actions taken against conservative groups.

"Chief Justice John Marshall famously observed that 'the power to tax involves the power to destroy.' Every American should be concerned when the federal government decides to use the taxing power of the IRS in an attempt to target and destroy political opponents."

###

Dear Friends,

Wednesday marked the last day of the 2013 legislative session in Denver—a session that will go down as one of the most partisan and controversial in the history of Colorado. The aftermath is now leaving Coloradans with massive new regulatory burdens, higher taxes, higher energy costs and less personal freedom.

We cannot afford to have Democrats in control ever again. That’s why we need you to join us in fighting back against the radical Democrats and donate $25, $50 or $100 today.

The state is already seeing the effects of Democrat's in control. Recently, The Denver Business Journal reported a study that job creators believe Colorado is less friendly than before because of “anti-business” Democrats. Some businesses have even announced they will close or move out of state due to the Democrats’ radical policies.

It has to stop. Please donate $25, $50 or $100 to ensure we have pro-business Republicans controlling the legislature and Governor’s Office soon.

Republicans, on the other hand passed bills to protect victims of rape, protect our water, protect the elderly from abuse, ensure our kids receive a quality education, stop fraud in Medicaid and much, much more.

We need more commonsense Republicans in the capitol. Please donate $25, $50 or $100 today to help us elect Republican majorities in the House and the Senate.

News outlets across the state have called this session everything from “radical” to “controversial” to “divisive”, yet Speaker of the House Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, told the Denver Post this morning that Democrats were “not out of the mainstream.”

Help us defeat Senate Pres. John Morse, Speaker Ferrandino and the rest of these radical Democrats by donating $25, $50 or $100 today.

Sincerely, 

Ryan Call, Chairman
Colorado Republican Committee

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.—It’s no secret that the Colorado’s Democratic controlled legislature is going down as one of the most partisan and vitriolic in the state’s history.  Now, the Democrat’s hyper-partisan agenda  is putting the safety of Colorado’s women and children at risk.

According to a report by CBS 4 Denver’s Shaun Boyd, Democrats “dismantled a bill to quash an effort by Republicans to resurrect a contentious issue [Jessica’s Law].”  The report goes on to state that Democrats have gone so far as “gutting the bill and even changing its name.  All references to crime were dropped to prevent Republicans from adding Jessica’s Law to it.”

Colorado Republican Committee Chairman Ryan Call said Democrats have hit a new low—

“Colorado is one of only a handful of states that does not have Jessica’s Law on the books.  It’s shameful that Democrats in the statehouse would use procedural tricks to stop legislation that will protect children from violent sexual predators.”

This isn’t the first time Democrats have played politics with legislation that will protect Colorado’s most vulnerable.

On Thursday night, Democrats in the House of Representatives laid over every single Republican bill, and only voted on Democrats sponsored legislation.  While Democrats eventually allowed some GOP bills to come up for debate, one of the causalities of the partisan power play was state Rep. Lois Landgraff’s Senate Bill 227.  The bipartisan bill, which passed the state Senate with unanimous support, will protect rape victims and their children from custody battles with their attacker. Democrats only have until Tuesday, May 7 to pass this important bill, or it will die on the calendar.

"These are real lives and real people that will be affected by the Democrats' games," Landgraf, R-Fountain, said in a release issued by the House Republicans. "Democrats are abusing the process at the expense of rape victims and their children."

Call added that voters will remember that Democrats are playing political games with legislation to protect women and children.

“Coloradans expect much more than the political gamesmanship coming from the Democrats at the state Capitol,” Call said.

###

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.—Today, the Colorado Republican Party unveiled its new coalitions effort.  The effort, headed by Jeff Hunt, will give Coloradans from all walks of life the opportunity to become active political participants within the Republican Party.

“While coalitions are not new to politics, building a broader and lasting coalition structure through our Republican Party as opposed to a particular candidate or for a particular election represents a decidedly different approach,” said Colorado Republican Committee Chairman Ryan Call.  “Our democracy works best when everyone takes an active role.  Our coalitions effort will make it easy for everyone to participate in our electoral process, and help us take back our state and nation from the radical Democrats.”   

People who are interested can visit http://join.cologop.org/coalitions-sign-up/ to sign-up for one or more of the various coalitions, including coalitions for women, young Republicans, educators, Hispanics, sportsmen and many more. 

Call also announced that Jeff Hunt, the former Colorado coalitions director for Romney for President, has been brought on to serve as the Colorado Republican Party’s Coalitions Director.  Before joining the Colorado GOP, Hunt also worked for the Senate Republican Conference and Sen. Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign.  Hunt studied political management at George Washington University, and has degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary and Westmont College. 

“We’re excited and fortunate to have Jeff on board in this important role. Jeff has proven himself to be a capable leader who knows the state and will effectively help our Party engage with our state’s diverse communities,” Call added.

Hunt is thrilled with the opportunity to lead the Colorado Republican Party’s new coalitions effort, and has many exciting plans to help participants get involved and stay engaged--

“The Colorado Republican Party gets phone calls and emails every day from people who are looking for opportunities to help reclaim our state and nation.  By joining a coalition, participants will be able to work on issues that are important to them and their community.”

Hunt said that he will be working with coalitions to organize voter registration drives, town hall meetings and other volunteer opportunities to help grow the Republican Party in Colorado.

“Our goal for each of these coalitions is to make the political process fun, informative and fulfilling for everyone involved,” Hunt added.

###

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.—The New York Times reported today that several Senate Democrats from states as diverse as Maryland, Montana and New Hampshire are growing increasingly concerned about the effects Obamacare will have on their constituents.

The Democrat senators have cited concerns about how the legislation is going to impact small businesses, how the law will force businesses to scale back employee hours, and how Obamacare will increase health insurance rates on working families.

One Democratic senator who has refused to make his thoughts on Obamacare known is Colorado’s Mark Udall who is up for reelection in 2014.

“We have seen Democrat Senators across the country speak-up and defend the concerns of their constituents,” Call said.  “Where is Sen. Udall?  Why is he remaining silent while so many Coloradans are going to be hurt by Obamacare?  Coloradans are forced to conclude that Udall’s silence means either he does not care how this legislation will negatively impact Colorado, or he doesn't want to call attention to the fact that he supported it, knowing full well the damage it will cause.”

Highlights from today’s New York Times’ article can be found below--

-“Democratic senators, at a caucus meeting with White House officials, expressed concerns on Thursday about how the Obama administration was carrying out the health care law they adopted three years ago.” (“Democratic Senators Tell White House of Concerns about Health Care Law Rollout,” New York Times, 04/25/13).

- Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, who is up for re-election next year, said, “We are hearing from a lot of small businesses in New Hampshire that do not know how to comply with the law.” (“Democratic Senators Tell White House of Concerns about Health Care Law Rollout,” New York Times, 04/25/13).

-Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa and chairman of the appropriations subcommittee on health care, said he was extremely upset with Mr. Obama’s decision to take money from public health prevention programs and use it to publicize the new law, which creates insurance marketplaces in every state. (“Democratic Senators Tell White House of Concerns about Health Care Law Rollout,” New York Times, 04/25/13).

-Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana and chairman of the Finance Committee, said last week that the administration deserved “a failing grade” for its efforts to explain the law to the public. “I just see a huge train wreck coming down,” Mr. Baucus said then. (“Democratic Senators Tell White House of Concerns about Health Care Law Rollout,” New York Times, 04/25/13).

-Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Democrat of Maryland, said he told White House officials on Thursday that he was concerned about big rate increases being sought by the largest health insurer in his state. The company, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, has sought increases averaging 25 percent for individual insurance policies that will be sold in the state insurance exchange, and it is seeking increases of about 15 percent for small businesses. The company said the higher premiums reflected costs of complying with the new law. (“Democratic Senators Tell White House of Concerns about Health Care Law Rollout,” New York Times, 04/25/13).

###