Secret memo promises bruising Senate battle
By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published January 29, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.
Updated January 29, 2008 at 11:20 a.m.
Two years ago, two of Colorado's richest Democratic benefactors plowed more than $7 million into Democratic candidates and causes.
Now a confidential memo to one of their advisers suggests that it would take contributions of nearly $12 million to finance independent political groups trying to influence the outcome of the presidential, U.S. Senate and 4th Congressional District races.
The money - to be spent by political groups known as 527s - would help buy TV ads, radio time and mailings, according to internal documents obtained by the Rocky Mountain News.
The memo was prepared by political consultant Dominic DelPapa and sent to Al Yates, who wears many hats, including adviser to Pat Stryker, a Fort Collins heiress. Stryker and philanthropist Tim Gill, of Denver, spent $7.46 million in 2006 to try to swing elections for Democratic candidates and causes.
In 2004, the pair, with two other Democratic donors, contributed $2 million, leading to a Democratic takeover of the state legislature.
The memo doesn't say who would contribute the money, and DelPapa wouldn't reveal any details. His memo outlines a proposed media strategy that suggests spending $5.1 million of the proposed $11.7 million budget on the Senate race alone.
Part of the Senate budget calls for a $1.9 million advertising campaign in March and April that would target Republican Bob Schaffer, who likely will face Democrat Mark Udall in the U.S. Senate race. "Define Schaffer/Foot on Throat," the campaign effort reads, according to a financial spreadsheet marked "very rough preliminary paid communications budget."
GOP fires back
DelPapa and Yates declined to discuss the documents or their clients, but Dick Wadhams, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, ripped the 2008 proposal as "character assassination" and said that Democrats need to reveal their donors immediately.
Democrats fired back, pointing out that Schaffer has served as a board member for various Republican 527s, political groups named for a section of the tax code that regulates them. Such groups typically engage in negative campaigning.
"Talk about hypocrisy," said Matt Sugar, spokesman for the Colorado Democratic Party. "And if Dick Wadhams is so interested in disclosure, perhaps he could enlighten us as to what millionaires are on the secret list attending Bob Schaffer's fund-raiser in Cherry Hills this Thursday with the president of the United States."
The memo - and the verbal volleys that followed - signal the fierce battle ahead as Schaffer and Udall vie for the seat held by retiring U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Loveland.
The race is expected to be the most expensive in Colorado history and one of the most closely watched nationwide, as Democrats hold only a one-seat majority in the Senate. Spending will top the $20 million-plus spent on the 2004 Senate race between Republican Pete Coors and Democrat Ken Salazar, who won that contest.
DelPapa, a partner in Ikon Public Affairs in Denver, says in the Jan. 23 memo that the proposal is so preliminary that it offers no "specific plans or strategies."
"The budget we submitted makes a whole series of 'blue sky' assumptions that represent little more than our own thinking about what a successful 527 operation for the presidential, U.S. Senate and CD4 elections might look like," he said.
More than $2.6 million would be earmarked to help Democrat Betsy Markey try to unseat U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Fort Morgan, the memo says. In the past two elections, Gill and Stryker have contributed money to independent groups attacking Musgrave.
Stunned over leak
DelPapa and Yates seemed stunned Monday when they learned that the documents, which are marked confidential, had been leaked.
"It was a document to give to perspective clients, and that's all I can say," DelPapa said.
"I would be careful if I were you about reading more into this than actually exists," said Yates, a former Colorado State University president active in civic affairs.
But Wadhams said that the memo seemed clear to him.
"This is nothing short of coordinated character assassination by a handful of left-wing billionaires," he said.
Following the money
Two years ago, independent political groups in Colorado raised more than $17 million that was spent on mostly negative ads.
Wadhams was asked why he didn't protest when Common Sense Issues, a Republican group, aired an attack ad against Udall last December. CSI is a nonprofit 501(c)4. and, as such, does not have to immediately reveal its donors.
"I believe in full disclosure for everyone," Wadhams said.
The independent expenditures expected to be spent in the Senate race are in addition to the funds that candidates raise themselves. Federal candidates are limited to $4,600 per donor in each election cycle.
If Gill and Stryker finance independent political groups in the Senate race, they probably won't be alone. Environmental groups, oil and gas companies, health care organizations and a spectrum of other special interest groups are sure to pour millions into the Colorado race.
bartels@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5327
Fundraising so far
Mark Udall $5.2 million
Bob Schaffer $3.04 million
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.
Featured
-
Rocky Multimedia
The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.
-
Holiday Lights
Is your house the jolliest on the block? Submit your holiday lights display.
-
Holiday Gift Guide
Looking to get a jump-start on the holiday shopping season?
-
Mount Crushmore
Which four Broncos greats should be immortalized on Mount Crushmore? Vote here.
-
Bronco Dean's rant
Listen to Bronco Dean's midweek rant on the Chiefs.
-
Broncos Video
Get the latest from Dove Valley as the Broncos prepare for Sunday's matchup.
-
Calendar wallpaper
Download this month's desktop wallpaper calendar
-
Sam Adams' Open Mic
Open Mic: Stirrin' the Soup with Matt Iseman
-
The Rocky @ 150 Years
Read the Rocky's coverage of Colorado's cannibal, Alfred Packer, in 1886.
January 29, 2008
7:20 a.m.
Suggest removal
a_watcher writes:
These multi-millionaires are facilitating the election of politicians whose only goal in life is to reach into voters pockets at every opportunity with higher taxes, more fees for pie in the sky projects, higher utility bills, agency fees for unions, lawyer friendly laws, and the like.
In effect, Tim Gill and Pat Stryker are taking money from us and our children, and doing so knowingly and maliciously. There needs to be a mechanism created so that ordinary citizens who are damaged by the politicians they promote have a mechanism to recover from these two (or four) millionaires.
That would slow them down.
January 29, 2008
8 a.m.
Suggest removal
rickg19611 writes:
Typical Democrats. When the crooks can't convince voters of a reason to vote FOR Democrats, they spend millions to scam voters into voting AGAINST Republicans. Typical Democrats. Crooks and con-artists, one and all.
January 29, 2008
8:27 a.m.
Suggest removal
RJS07 writes:
Speaking of offshore money, you perhaps need to do some investigating as to where the Kennedy clan keeps it's money...it's definitely offshore...
but that's okay, because they are democrat, huh..
January 29, 2008
8:31 a.m.
Suggest removal
jackwoehr writes:
Demopublicans. Republicrats. Clowns, thugs and jackasses. Vote Libertarian.
January 29, 2008
8:43 a.m.
Suggest removal
Cicero writes:
If you're upset at fat cats contributing to political campaigns, do something about it. Contribute some of your own money. Twenty or fifty bucks to the candidate of your choice. Get others to do the same. It adds up. There's a lot more people who can afford a little than those who can afford a lot.
And it makes for good publicity, if a candidate can point out the large number of small contributors on his side, versus the small number of fat cats on the other side.
January 29, 2008
8:50 a.m.
Suggest removal
jacka writes:
secret memo not that secret.
January 29, 2008
8:56 a.m.
Suggest removal
Darwin writes:
RJS07: True, and add George Soros the Democrat billionaire who promotes higher tax rates for us while he keeps his assets offshore and pays little or no income tax.
jackwoehr: You're right, but until many more voters take the blinders off their eyes, it's a losing battle. Both parties are full of liars, cheats, and thieves, yet their supporters blindly follow them like sheep (no offense to sheep). The 527s also need to be eliminated among other things.
January 29, 2008
9:34 a.m.
Suggest removal
aRe writes:
Whaaaaa! I'm a republican baby - it sucks when the shoe's on the other foot.
Hypocrites!
January 29, 2008
10 a.m.
Suggest removal
rickg19611 writes:
Who are the mysterious billionaires buying votes for their Democrat puppets? Even more intriguing, is how stupid a person needs to be to defend such corruption.
January 29, 2008
10:09 a.m.
Suggest removal
HolierThanThou writes:
Billionaires are just like everyone else except that they have a lot of money. Some of them can afford to view the rest of us like we are a herd of cattle. Working people are livestock to them. They could not care less if you loose your home or sicken and die for want of medicine. You are an animal that needs controlling in their opinion. And more often than not, you act like that's true and do exactly what you are told whether or not it's good for you.
The Republicans have been screwing you hard for the past 8 or so years. On average, your jobs pay less, your benefits are gone, your energy bills are sucking up all your fun money, you cannot afford decent medicine, and you're one paycheck away from eviction. Oh, and they want your kids to go fight their wars for fun and profit.
You're sick of this and smart billionaires know that. They don't want a bunch of socialists to take over the government. Socialists have nasty habits like siding with poor and working Americans, soaking the rich for taxes, and creating expensive programs that the billionaires would have to pay for; programs like job creation, universal health care, and infrastructure improvements like railroads, highways, and the like. You know, things that make YOUR life easier.
They can see that fewer and fewer Americans are being fooled by the conservative message. It's getting harder to get those who live poor to vote rich. So, they're hopping on the bandwagon and making friends with the Democrats. I predict in 10 years, you'll be complaining about those liberal Republican commies.
January 29, 2008
11:06 a.m.
Suggest removal
davis_x_machina writes:
I usually find it amazing and amusing that there can be all this talk about political donors and almost invariably the first name mentioned in the So-Called-Liberal-Media is Soros' with seldom a mention of all the Coors money that's been funneled through various wingnut causes over the years, and this is not to mention such people as Richard Mellon Scaife, Phillip Anschutz, or Sheldon Adelson. I've often wondered why this is.Even this talk of individual donors misses the many and sundry wingnut foundations like the Lynde and Harry Bradley foundations and the Koch brothers.
January 29, 2008
11:14 a.m.
Suggest removal
rickg19611 writes:
Another example of Democrat lies and hypocrisy.... instead of spending their slimey millions to pay Democrat puppets to vote for their pet causes, why don't they donate their millions to CHARITY that will HELP PEOPLE.
Instead, they try to buy their way past voters since normal voters refuse to support Democrat crooks.
January 29, 2008
11:18 a.m.
Suggest removal
Theoldguy writes:
Chicago's Richard Daley (the dad) used to have his Aldermen out on election day rounding up the wino's to vote. A bottle of Thunderbird was the usual gratuity given for voting for Hizzoner.
I can't wait to see what happens out here when the 1 oz. of pot is okayed. A baggy a vote. We'll see who starts to serenade the illegals for cheap grass.
January 29, 2008
9:33 p.m.
Suggest removal
freethinker07 writes:
I thought having the party coordinate 527 spending was illegal.