Author: Rachael Wright
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A LOOK BACK | DNC launches new tech programs, seeking to beat GOP at own game
Forty Years Ago This Week: After one too many election cycles of losing to the better prepared, better organized Republican Party, Democratic Party leaders said they were beginning to hone in on improved campaign methodology, consisting in part of direct mail fundraising, campaign schools and candidate recruitment. The newest program, said Ann Lewis, political director…
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A LOOK BACK | Owens, Democrats square off over special session goals
Twenty Years Ago This Week: Ten days before the start of a special legislative session called by Gov. Bill Owens, the governor outlined 14 specific items for lawmakers to discuss. By constitutional stipulation only the governor could decide which issues lawmakers discussed in a special session. Among the items outlined were: drawing new congressional boundaries,…
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A LOOK BACK | Representative’s travel indicates reapportionment concerns
Forty Years Ago This Week: Rep. Frank DeFilippo’s, R-Golden, travel history raised a few eyebrows among Boulder County Republican Party insiders. Within a week DeFilippo had attended gatherings in Clear Creek County, Kiowa in eastern Colorado and a steak fry in Boulder. With the upcoming reapportionment, several Boulder Republicans wondered whether DeFilippo was doing some…
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A LOOK BACK | Politicos name-drop for new congressional district
Forty Years Ago This Week: State Sen. Sam Zakhem, R-Denver, was overheard by numerous colleagues at the Republican Party state headquarters talking about how he never wanted to run for office again. The Colorado Statesman contacted Zakhem to confirm the rumblings and ended up with an in-person interview. Zakhem explained that he had not intended…
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A LOOK BACK | Schroeder alleges State Department impropriety
Forty Years Ago This Week: Colorado U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, D-CD1, and Kentucky Democratic U.S. Sen. Walter Huddleston filed Freedom of Information Act requests with the Department of State and Justice. The request came on the heels of suspected refugee and immigration policy violations by the two agencies. Schroeder told The Colorado Statesman that Reagan…
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A LOOK BACK | Tancredo affirms rumors he may vacate office
Forty Years Ago This Week: Several loud and persistent rumors surrounding the vacated position for the Region 8 director of the Department of Education was enough to warrant a response from one of the supposed candidates for the role, state Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Arvada. “I know that my name has been placed before the Secretary…
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A LOOK BACK | Air traffic controllers strike; Matsunaka weighs Owens challenge
Forty Years Ago This Week: More than 12,000 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization had just declared a strike. Within hours President Ronald Reagan called the move a “peril to national safety” and threatened severe action, including termination and imprisonment, if they failed to report to work within 48 hours. PATCO members were…
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A LOOK BACK | Reagan appointments, and rumors of appointments, grace Colorado
Forty Years Ago This Week: Christmas in … June. Federal appointments – the Crown Jewels of political gifts – were raining down like a holiday season come early on Colorado Republicans, courtesy of the Reagan administration. Former Rep. John McElderry, R-Lakewood, was tapped to head the regional office of the Department of Health and Human…
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A LOOK BACK | Mystery surrounds Durham’s supposed pending federal appointment
Forty Years Ago This Week: To the vexation of reporters and political gadflies alike, Rep. Steve Durham, R-Colorado Springs, was remaining entirely opaque as to the nature of his two-week long trip to Washington D.C. where he had met with several people whom he outright refused to name. “Oh, I was just kind of around,”…
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A LOOK BACK | Bilingual act repeal by Lamm decried by fellow Dems
Forty Years Ago This Week: The Colorado Statesman published a letter authored by several state legislators that took Gov. Dick Lamm to task for repealing Colorado’s Bilingual Bicultural Education Act when he signing Senate Bill 81-492 into law. Among the representatives who signed the letter were Denver Democratic Reps. House Minority Leader Federico Peña and…