Barbour Signals RGA Will Surrender Colorado
RGA chair Haley Barbour is signaling the national body dedicated to electing GOP governors is giving up on the chance at an open seat in a swing state after a competitive GOP primary produced a badly damaged nominee.
Speaking to reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor Wednesday morning, Barbour acknowledged the difficulties businessman Dan Maes (R) faces in winning election, and the RGA's unwillingness to throw good money after bad.
"We have spent money in Colorado. Past tense," Barbour said.
Last month, Maes narrowly beat ex-Rep. Scott McInnis (R) in the CO primary after revelations that McInnis had plagiarized sections from a paper he wrote on water rights. Maes had support from elements within the CO Tea Party movement, but his own checkered past has led the state GOP to take the extraordinary step of asking him publicly to withdraw from the race.
"We practice what I call ruthless targeting. When we raise money from people in good faith, our good faith pledge is we're going to use it where" it makes sense, Barbour said. "We don't pay for sure winners. We don't give to sure losers. We try to put our money where it makes a difference."
Maes faces Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) in the general election. Recent public polls have shown Hickenlooper running far ahead of Maes and ex-Rep. Tom Tancredo, a GOPer running on the Constitution Party ticket.
The poll was conducted by the Denver Post and 9news a local NBC affiliate that support John Hickenlooper.
Does that make it less credible?