Idle down, Mr. TABOR

Conduct at legislature is out of line

The Rocky

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Even well before he was sworn in as El Paso County's newest state representative, Douglas Bruce had won few friends in the Colorado General Assembly. But if the abrasive Colorado Springs Republican wants to have any influence ever in state government, he'll have to quickly mend fences and abandon the sort of loutish antics he exhibited Monday in the House chamber.

Knowing the new legislator as we do, though, we're not holding our breath.

If we seem unusually invested in reining Bruce in, we plead guilty. It's because he actually kicked Rocky photographer Javier Manzano in the knee as Manzano took his picture during the ceremonial opening prayer Monday - an act that less forbearing souls might describe as a minor assault.

Apparently, Bruce's exalted sense of decorum was offended.

"I just think that's in such disgustingly bad taste, to be making clicking sounds and noises and taking photographs during a prayer and during the pledge of allegiance to our flag . . . his conduct was deplorable," Bruce later said of the incident.

How does Bruce think those photographs he's seen all of his life of people reciting the pledge or saying group prayers get taken? Is he really so naive about how responsible photographers must do their jobs?

Bruce had not even been sworn in at the time and was a guest of Rep. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs. He had no more right to dictate behavior than Manzano or any other observer. Bruce would also have been entirely out of line even if he had been a lawmaker by then. Individual House members have no unilateral right to define proper behavior - let alone attempt to impose their views with a foot.

House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, whose patience with Bruce has already worn thin, did not witness the incident but promised Rocky editor and publisher John Temple he would look into the matter and was taking it seriously. A video is on our Web site.

Bruce has long been a loose cannon whose zeal is his own worst enemy. It wasn't until the past few days, however, that we began to question his grip on reality. After being named recently to replace outgoing Rep. Bill Cadman in House District 15, he insisted on being sworn in five days after the General Assembly convened on Jan. 9 in an effort aimed at extending his legislative life by sidestepping term-limit restrictions. An annoying stunt, but par for the course for Bruce.

Then the Colorado Springs "investor/reformer" (as he is described on the legislature's Web site) seemed to lose it. In an e-mail to Romanoff, Bruce expressed a desire to take his oath of office before the full House and to be granted 90 seconds "to speak to MY NEW COLLEAGUES (not to an empty chamber)." Romanoff roundly rejected the request, calling it "unprecedented" and saying he was "not willing to delay the business of the House to indulge a member's vanity." Bruce shot back that he would "stick around as long as it takes."

By tradition, lawmakers appointed to vacancies are sworn in privately in an empty chamber.

As anyone but the lawmaker-in-waiting could have predicted, Romanoff prevailed, Bruce capitulated, and his swearing in occurred a little after 1:30 p.m. before friends and a few lawmakers.

Members of Bruce's own party are repelled by his behavior, which earlier Monday had also included a quip about AIDS that was in terrible taste. At a morning caucus meeting, House Republicans voted 22-1 to recommend that the vacancy panel that chose Bruce pick someone else if he hadn't taken his oath of office by the end of the day. (To his credit, Lambert voted with the majority.)

If Monday's performance is an indication of how Bruce intends to behave in the House, he can expect to be a permanent pariah and a very poor representative for his constituents. Even if he should champion worthy legislation, he'll never be able to build any sort of coalition and will remain nothing more than a single vote in a sea of animosity.

Shape up, Rep. Bruce. And for heaven's sake, get a grip.

• January 15, 2008

  5:37 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  p_myers661 writes:

  Looks like the left is still upset about Bruce getting that law passed requiring them to ask permission before picking our pockets. That doesn't excuse his action but it explains why they are making such a big deal about it. I'm truly sorry Bruce is a member of the legislature. There is a very big risk that he will be corrupted by the spending drug and forget that every dime spent is money earned by someone who actually worked for it. Perhaps the legislators are also afraid he will expose their sneak attack on Tabor with their attempt to change the initiative rules for themselves so they can gut it. Sure hope they try it while he is there. The Republicans had to act like that to calm down the noise. Now what was it that that Democratic rep did last year? Don't seem to remember such a fuss for that.

• January 15, 2008

  6:56 a.m.

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  glowrock writes:

  How someone can justify Bruce's disgusting actions by his past dealings with TABOR is truly insane. This has nothing to do with TABOR, this has nothing to do with politics, this isn't a partisan issue. Doug Bruce is a whiny little brat as shown by his rants and raves about his swearing-in ceremony, and has now been shown to be a volatile prick who's not afraid to physically harm someone else who he doesn't like.

  He's disgusting, and he needs to disappear.

• January 15, 2008

  7:46 a.m.

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  Armie writes:

  Some of Bruce's actions are strange. He is a different person and hard to talk with. But I will give him a A+ for getting Tabor passed. I shudder to think what the tax rate would be had this man not done this great favor for the people of Colorado.
  So, keep it up Mr. Doug Bruce you are a different person but you have got my vote.

  Armie

• January 15, 2008

  9:06 a.m.

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  malis writes:

  Many of Doug Bruce's ideas had an origin in good, logical hypotheses. Doug just can't help himself in pushing them to the realm of irrational absurdity.

  He theoretically represented me as a County Commissioner (in truth, he represents no one but Doug Bruce) and I'm really glad he's being replaced with someone who isn't entirely irrelevant to the process of governing (that partly based his being on the losing end of more 4-1 votes--on a very conservative El Paso County Commission--than would be possible for anyone who maintains some sort of relationship with the planet Earth).

  Too bad we of District 15 will effectively lose representation in the Legislature for the next couple of years. Have fun tracking his continued irrelevancy in Denver, and I hope we have enough sense to replace him when his half-term expires.

• January 15, 2008

  11:56 a.m.

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  peterpi writes:

  malis,
  There's good news today! You won't "lose representation in the Legislature for the next couple of years". By law, and possibly the Colorado Constitution, people appointed to fill vacancies must run for re-election at the next general election. That takes place November 2008. So, depending on what your fellow voters in District 15 think of Mr. Bruce, you may be stuck with him for only 1 session of the legislature.
  Why a guy who is so anti-government is now part of government is beyond me. TABOR was passed 16 years ago. All he's done since then is grandstand. He's also a hypocrite for doing an end run on term limits legislation he supports.

• January 15, 2008

  12:23 p.m.

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  RickyLee writes:

  Does anyone know what happened to the Ref.C money?
  Guv. Critter is making noises about asking for a tax increase for all the same things Ref.C was supposed to be for. This bulls#*t
  is exactly why I voted against it.
  I knew then the politicians(liars)wouldn't put it toward what they said they would.

  There's plenty more people down there that deserve a swift kick in the a$$!

• January 15, 2008

  2:18 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Lowtaxequalsfreedom writes:

  Doug has done a terrific job at bringing much needed attention to TABOR. TABOR is under a full-fledged assault by unscrupulous politicians. The greedy bureaucrats are twisting the intent of TABOR every chance they get. Politicians are blatantly overlooking the intent of TABOR and therefore overlooking the will of the people. Without an enforced Constitution a Republic is nothing more than a dictatorship. The DU panel and certain politicians are pushing a nefarious agenda through our Gov. as we speak. These folks would like to gut any fiscal limitations from our Constitution and then alter the citizen initiate process so that WE THE PEOPLE can never control their spending again. If you think your elected officials will control themselves you are wrong!

  Let' learn TABOR and defend TABOR. Let's get a TABOR in all 50 states. Let's take TABOR to the Fed. Let’s stop these Politicians who are bleeding the life out of Americans. This stuff is serious and it needs your attention now!

• January 15, 2008

  2:37 p.m.

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  jackwoehr writes:

  We're going to have to give Rep. Bruce his own theme song. Maybe Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick Out of You"?

• January 15, 2008

  3:15 p.m.

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  malis writes:

  Thanks peterpi--only one year of course. That makes me feel a little better. Article in the COS Gazette today already has a couple of people planning to run against him in the primary.

  lowtaxequ...etc. Don't you really wish you had someone sane as the public face of your crusade, rather than Bruce Almighty?

• January 15, 2008

  3:21 p.m.

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  p_myers661 writes:

  I was not justifying his actions with TABOR. I was justifying them, if you want to call it that, by asking why the overkill PR now and not for the antics of others last year. Guess, if you are an enemy of the tax/spend liberals, the mainstream media follows different rules. He should not have kicked the man, but I watched the video and had difficulty seeing the kick.

  Bruce is much more effective as a crusader and is wasted in the legislature. He should have turned it down. We are even in danger of him becoming a compromiser which would destroy his effectiveness.

  We need a new provision for TABOR requiring that any amendments or "debruceing" measures expire in two years. That way we would be able to get rid of Ref. C because the lies are now so obvious I can't imagine how they would pass it again.

  Doug is the only person to lead that crusade.

• January 15, 2008

  4:10 p.m.

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  malis writes:

  By the way,'m collecting. Here are the terms used so far to refer to Douglas Bruce from news stories, columns and editorials in the Colo Springs Gazette, Denver Post, and Rocky Mountain News:

  "The Karate Kid"
  "Leader of the House of Bruce"
  "Bruce Almighty"
  "a permanent pariah"
  "a very poor representative for his constituents."
  "His Irrelevancy"
  "...a loose cannon whose zeal is his own worst enemy."
  "The Chosen One"
  "the abrasive Colorado Springs Republican"
  "...[he] will remain nothing more than a single vote in a sea of animosity."
  "a cantankerous, obstructionist voice in the state House"
  "a polarizing force in the legislature"
  "Doug Bruce, that kick-fightin' man"
  "a laughingstock as a state representative"
  "a laughingstock even before he was sworn in"
  "once famous for...TABOR... and famous since for consistently making himself disagreeable "
  "Republicans Gone Wild?"
  ...the spectacle of the year - I know it's only January, but you can stop the voting now -"

  ...and, my personal favorite,

  "...the first Colorado Springs politician who didn't want to be photographed praying."

  Any other nominations?

• January 15, 2008

  4:19 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  irisman writes:

  Doug Bruce has been in the Legislature only one day and already he's a royal pain. The El Paso county Republicans knew what he was like when they appointed him, so I guess they're getting what they deserve. This guy is 10% fiscal conservative and 90% anarchist. If he doesn't settle down soon, the Republican Caucus should force him to resign.

• January 16, 2008

  2:11 p.m.

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  RickyLee writes:

  He's not a pain to me at all.
  
  I'd like to know; WHERE'S THE REF.C MONEY!?!??!?

• January 16, 2008

  3:19 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  jackwoehr writes:

  In the prison capital construction budget. Next question!