Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

MoveOn targets Beauprez, Musgrave

Joe Garner, Rocky Mountain News

Published June 2, 2005 at midnight

Text size  

More Colorado Government

More stories »

An online liberal advocacy group targeted two of Colorado's four Republican House members Wednesday, asking them to dump Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

The MoveOn political action committee also says U.S. Reps. Marilyn Musgrave and Bob Beauprez received $20,000 of "dirty money" from DeLay, and challenges them to return it. MoveOn volunteers said they delivered petitions to Musgrave's and Beauprez's Colorado offices.

A receptionist at Beauprez's Wheat Ridge office accepted the 95 pages, signed by 1,279 constituents, said Sandy Nance, leader of the group of 23 that delivered the document.

"She was cordial, and we were cordial, but we were told he wasn't there," Nance said.

Jordan Stoick, Beauprez's press aide, declined to comment.

Another group of volunteers found Musgrave's Longmont office closed, despite a call Tuesday to arrange for the delivery, said Geof Cahoon, the leader. The volunteers then went to Musgrave's Loveland office and delivered their 119-page petition, signed by 1,631 district voters, to a receptionist about 3 p.m., Cahoon said.

"I do expect her, at least, to realize that a significant number of her constituents do not agree with her right-wing agenda," he said. "And an election is coming."

Musgrave issued a statement, calling DeLay "a talented leader (who takes on) Washington's unwillingness to reform."

"I support Tom DeLay because of his success and stewardship in creating change, which, as a result, have made him a prime target for several slanderous claims," the statement read. "Instead of debating the merits of substantive policies that are helping Americans in their daily lives, MoveOn is playing a game of distraction by creating ever-changing accusations about Leader DeLay."

The petitions, which had been circulated electronically and then printed, were an attempt "to put heat on Republicans to let them know they are going to have a liability in 2006 if they don't dump DeLay," said Tom Matzzie, the PAC's Washington director.

Matzzie said the petitions were among those delivered to the offices of 195 GOP House members Wednesday.

Wednesday's political theater comes six days after a Texas court ruled that DeLay's political committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, violated Texas campaign laws when it failed to disclose over a half-million dollars in corporate contributions.

The state's two other GOP representatives, Joel Hefley and Tom Tancredo, were not targeted because they have split from DeLay, Matzzie said.

or 303-892-5421