« VA-02: GOPer Drake: War Critics "Greatest Threat To America" | Home | VA-SEN: Poll: Webb Within Three Points Of Allen »
AZ-08: Good News For Dem Giffords: Kolbe Refusing To Endorse GOPer Graf
Dems pleased about facing conservative GOP nominee Randy Graf have just received more good news: Retiring 11-term GOP Rep. Jim Kolbe has just announced that he's refusing to endorse Graf. The backstory here is interesting: Graf ran a nasty primary against Kolbe in 2004, with observers insinuating that Graf was tacitly using the fact that Kolbe is openly gay to whip up right wing support. In that light, Kolbe's statement citing "profound and fundamental differences" with Graf seems to have more resonance. Either way, Kolbe's announcement will make life much tougher for Graf in the coming showdown with Gabrielle Giffords, who romped to the Dem nomination last night.
Advertisement
What goes around comes around.
global citizen
September 13, 2006 7:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cluck, cluck. The chickens are coming home to roost.
September 13, 2006 8:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kolbe better brace for another onslaught of character assasination.
The only way for Graf to make lemonade out of this bitter lemon is to pretend something along the lines of "I wouldn't want that old queen's endorsement anyhoo..."
Such is the ethos of the contemporary right wing. Sad sad sad...
September 13, 2006 10:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've known Jim Kolbe and his family for my entire life. I haven't always agreed with his politics, but the bravery he has shown in the House by coming out as he did demonstrated tremendous courage. The current nominee gives the lie to the myth of a "big tent GOP," not that any of us actually believed that myth. Rep. Kolbe deserves our support and encouragement, now and in the future.
September 14, 2006 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
While agreeing with you, as a denizen of Tucson for twenty+yrs I believe things are even worse here in AZ than peripheral states. The republicans here desperately want AZ to be a more Southern, George Allen kind of state. I have travelled and worked all over this state, and a vast majority of the right have embraced a bigotted "I got mine, screw you!" mentality. Kolbe was forgiven his "faults" 'cause the man shore brought home the bacon. And he kept a majority of military bases from the axe.
September 14, 2006 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink