Robo-chop: Traylor battling attack by automated calls
Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News
Published August 5, 2006 at midnight
Gov. Bill Owens' office has rebutted a political attack that implies he vetoed 14 of Republican Sen. Kiki Traylor's bills because they were linked to "left-wing Democrats."
Voters in Traylor's Senate District 22 in Jefferson County received automated phone calls from the Colorado Club for Growth that target Traylor, who has two primary opponents in Tuesday's election.
"Club for Growth is deliberately and irresponsibly misleading voters regarding Sen. Traylor's record," said Dan Hopkins, a spokesman for the governor. "Such deceptive tactics truly sully any credibility the group might have had."
Owens has endorsed Traylor in the Tuesday primary.
Colorado Club for Growth is an affiliate of a national conservative, limited-government organization. State officials could not be reached for comment.
The three-way battle in Senate District 22 is one of 19 contested legislative races on Tuesday, and one of several contests filled with party infighting and ugly attacks.
This year's legislative battles are being watched more than ever, with control of the Senate and House up for grabs in November.
In Senate District 22, Club for Growth endorsed Mike Kopp over Traylor and Justin Everett. The group accused Traylor of being a big-government advocate in its prerecorded "robo" calls to voters.
"Kiki's voted with left-wing Democrats so often, she forced Gov. Owens to veto her big-government agenda, which included a half-dozen stifling regulations on small-business owners," the announcer says.
"That's right. In total, Gov. Owens vetoed Kiki Traylor's liberal legislation 14 times."
Critics charge that the message implies the governor vetoed 14 of her bills. Owens did veto 14 bills that Traylor - and other Republicans - supported. But Traylor, who was appointed to the seat in January to fill a vacancy, has never had a bill vetoed.
She co-sponsored a measure that was vetoed, but that bill was sponsored by a Republican and had six other GOP lawmakers as co-sponsors, the governor's office said.
Traylor said she has spent much of campaign countering lies about her.
A week ago, she said, voters in her district were polled about whom they were supporting. If the person said "Traylor," the pollster asked, "Would you still support Traylor if you knew she had voted against every immigration-reform bill introduced?"
Traylor carried immigration-reform legislation.
She said she doesn't know who paid for the "push poll," the name given to polling where the aim traditionally is to spread misinformation about a candidate.
Another heated battle is in Adams County in Senate District 24, where Sen. Lois Tochtrop is being challenged by Rep. Val Vigil for the Democratic nomination.
Tochtrop sent one mailing calling Vigil "weak and whiney." In another, Tochtrop noted Vigil has unsuccessfully sponsored bills to give in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.
"On immigration, we need vigilance, not Vigil," Tochtrop's mailing said.
Vigil believes that Tochtrop's internal polling showed her trailing, which is why she began attacking him.
"That's not what my poll shows," Tochtrop countered. "My poll shows me ahead."
bartels@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5327
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