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Bruce demands audience for oath

'Vanity' request roundly rejected by Romanoff

By Alan Gathright, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 12, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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Bruce wants the state House full when he's sworn in.

Bruce wants the state House full when he's sworn in.

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Cantankerous anti-tax crusader Douglas Bruce is refusing to be sworn in as a state lawmaker Monday unless the Democratic majority allows him to take the oath before the full House.

By custom, lawmakers who are filling vacancies, as Bruce is, are sworn in during private ceremonies in an empty chamber.

But in an impassioned four-page e-mail to House leaders, Rep.-elect Bruce wrote that he wants to be sworn in during a full House session and granted 90 seconds "to speak to MY NEW COLLEAGUES (not to an empty chamber)."

Bruce, a Colorado Springs Republican, wrote that refusing his request would inconvenience the "many people" he's already invited to a 10 a.m. swearing-in.

House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, a Democrat from Denver, declined what he called Bruce's "unprecedented" request.

"I'm happy to accommodate any member's schedule," Romanoff said, adding that he's offered Bruce four different times - outside House session - to be sworn in.

"But I'm just not willing to delay to the business of the House to indulge a member's vanity," the speaker said. "I've never heard of a new member demanding an audience for his swearing in."

Bruce, who was appointed to serve out the vacant term of a lawmaker who moved to the Senate, didn't show up for the start of the session Wednesday with his colleagues. By taking office less than halfway through the vacant term, he extended his potential career in the House from six years to eight.

Now Bruce said he is insisting on the public swearing-in because Democrats have wrongly accused him of misconduct for showing up late.

"I don't want to create the impression I did something wrong. I did nothing wrong," Bruce said in an interview.

Bruce said Romanoff denied his request because the speaker holds a grudge against him for authoring the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which restricts state spending.

Bruce said he will enter the House chamber at 10 a.m. Monday as a guest of another lawmaker. If Romanoff refuses to administer the oath while the House is in session, he'll wait.

But he won't be able to vote until he's sworn in.

"I will stick around as long as it takes," he said. "It will not be a proceeding in secret."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. gathrighta@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5486

Comments

  • January 12, 2008

    2:03 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    BJG writes:

    Romanoff would do every Coloradan a favor by never administering the oath to Bruce.

  • January 12, 2008

    5:59 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    cfarmer writes:

    This is the hight of arrogance, If my party agrees with him I'll be greatly disappointed as they will not be doing the bussiness we are paying for.

  • January 12, 2008

    6:24 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jmfslots writes:

    Appointing this clown to the House vacancy is a joke to begin with. It sounds like Bruce is flying high on his ego.

  • January 12, 2008

    6:37 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    ColoradoDave writes:

    Hey Doug! You are already 3 days late for work, shut-up and get to work.

    What a piece of work....

  • January 12, 2008

    8:03 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jacka writes:

    Romanoff can have someone else take the speaker position and pull Bruce aside and do the oath at say 10a in the hallway

  • January 12, 2008

    8:05 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    glowrock writes:

    Doug Bruce is one of the most arrogant, obnoxious fools ever to step foot in the State of Colorado. First he comes in 3 days late in an attempt to subvert the term limits process. Then he asks for, no, DEMANDS, a public swearing-in, when it's not custom for "replacement" House members to do so?

    Sit down, shut up, and get to work. Period.

  • January 12, 2008

    8:46 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Jim writes:

    Romanoff. In the words of a beloved First Lady: "Just say no."

  • January 12, 2008

    9:27 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jackwoehr writes:

    Doug Bruce, the Uncle Ernie of Colorado politics. We get to watch as he fiddles about with the Legislature. He arrived just in time, this is going to be another "let's raise taxes for the children" session which is how they try to disguise the growing cost of the prison system which is devouring the whole state budget.

    Go get 'em, Rep. Bruce. Your tenure ought to at least be entertaining.

  • January 12, 2008

    9:37 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Jumbo writes:

    Romanoff should not allow this. If Bruce gets his way he will just keep making demands. The longer this doofus has to wait to take office, the less damage he does and the less opportunity he has to make a mockery of Colorado's legislature.

    Smackdown!

  • January 12, 2008

    10:04 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Cabermon writes:

    Yup, Doug Bruce is an arrogant jerk; no argument. That said, he's just what this spending crazy legislature needs. Their consensus is for overfunding the public education monopoly: a plurality of its members were (or are) employed as teachers, administrators, or school board members. Bruce's presence should provide a great show by tossing a little sand in their gears.
    By the way, does "bussiness" (as written in an earlier comment by cfarmer) have something to do with public transportation? I'm also not sure what "hight" is, but it looks like cfarmer is a huffy Democrat partisan product of said public education monopoly.

  • January 12, 2008

    10:17 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Clownsarefun writes:

    I assume, if the Napoleon of Colorado Springs gets his way, the audience will be required to knee during the swearing in. Perhaps Bonaparte a.k.a. Bruce, can crown himself as it seems he feels so superior to all therefore no one else would be worthy enough to do the honors.

  • January 12, 2008

    10:26 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    me2 writes:

    Why not televise it. Make a big deal out of this swearing in. Add some music and maybe a choir, then send him the bill. We all know how he loves to spend money.

    Any way I do love mavericks. Politics is so boring that someone like this is a treat.

  • January 12, 2008

    10:31 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    kathyM writes:

    Political gadflys can do a great job of keeping a complacent House on its toes. But if Bruce wants to have any effect on the political process, he needs to get IN it. Duh, Bruce!

  • January 12, 2008

    10:55 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    snowbelly writes:

    ok, i don't care if he's captain kangaroo,incarnate, TABOR is one of the greatest movements of the last 60 years.Nikola Tesla lived in springs,was terribly crazy and self-absorbed, and had some of the most important ideas of the last couple centuries.

  • January 12, 2008

    11:16 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    HolierThanThou writes:

    Doug Bruce, Lord of the Slums, we do hereby swear at you for thy leaky roofs, dripping plumbings, and unsafe wirings. Doest thy worst and charge thy tenants ridiculous rents to live in these thy drafty dilapidated eyesores in need of much paint and shingles.

    How's that Your Highness? Feel sworn in yet?

  • January 12, 2008

    11:27 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    DougH writes:

    When Conservatives ran the State Legislature, the public got to see just how extreme they were and immediately started voting for Democrats. Has anyone forgotten Senate President John Andrews and his midnight redistricting scheme. ?
    Doug Bruce will do the same for his very own Tabor amendment, the public will find out what kind of a screw loose radical he is and Tabor will soon be gone.
    Over reaching has always been the down fall of extremists, they can’t help themselves.

  • January 12, 2008

    11:33 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    westsidechan writes:

    Ahhhh... Our El Paso county gain (Bruce leaving) is State legislature loss (Bruce arriving).

    If your lucky he will never swear the oath, vote, or introduce anything.

    And this is from a conservative Rebuplican!!!!

  • January 12, 2008

    12:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    TheVentilator writes:

    This Buffoon will expose what an Extremist Mecca Colorado Springs has become. It has gotten so bad that they make Boulder look like a bunch of moderates.

  • January 12, 2008

    8:51 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Spencer writes:

    They should give HIM the oath in the men's room. He's already full of it.

  • January 12, 2008

    9:14 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    GOP_BKR writes:

    WOW, as a conservative I cannot believe this is the arrogant type of representation we get. I can guarantee I will never back this DORK again, I want someone who will GET TO WORK, I don’t need self promotion, this is embarrassing. Bruce, GET TO WORK and stop working at getting your mug in the media.

  • January 12, 2008

    10:47 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    farsidefan writes:

    I say let him stew for the rest of the session. I like a maverick every now and then too. But he isn't a maverick, he is an egotistical braggart. Always has been always will be. I think the people in the Springs wanted him out as county commissioner so they appointed him to this to get him out of their hair.

  • January 12, 2008

    11:19 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Brockage writes:

    What's the big deal -- swear the guy in with the others. Jeez, talk about local yocal small potatoes. Swear him in.

  • January 12, 2008

    11:55 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    AC writes:

    Brockage: The others already were sworn in. Bruce is demanding an unprecedented full House audience for his little late swearing-in, which he's done in order to subvert term limits his lind like so much, the hypocrite.

    No one gets sworn in before the full House in attendance. If he wants to be there, get sworn in a private ceremony like everyone else, and get to work. If he's not there for that, then admit he's there for the self-aggrandizement.

  • January 13, 2008

    1:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    iamman writes:

    Clever !!

    Now he has two more years of unearned income to bank. I wish some less ambitiuos citizens would run for office.

    Better yet, cut off the legislative retirement plan and watch the quality of elected sky rocket!

  • January 13, 2008

    11:58 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jacka writes:

    Go Doug Go

  • January 14, 2008

    9:58 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Lowtaxequalsfreedom writes:

    Doug Bruce is one of very few politicians who value freedom above all else. You cannot have freedom unless taxes are low. Doug Bruce is one of very few politicians serious about lowering taxes. Thank God I have one politician who represents my values and beliefs.

    What happened to limited government?

    DOUG BRUCE KEEP UP THE GOOD FIGHT. Shenanigans and all!