The
'Cut and Run' Republicans are at it again.
This time it's in Colorado's CD-5 where they have to go up against Air Force veteran, Bronze Star recipient, and Netroots endorsed candidate Jay Fawcett.
I'd be chicken too. But for all their bluster and all the slanders against those who would question our President, this set of pitiful Republican candidates in Colorado's Fifth has truly shown their colors: yellow and afraid to debate a decorated war vet.
This all started with a pre-emptive strike by one Republican candidate, Jeff Crank, to debate Jay while excluding his own rivals. Crank was
Joel Hefley's Chief of Staff and seemed to think he should be given the Republican nomination for this seat by acclamation - mostly his own.
Lt. Col. (Retired) Fawcett responded by trying to open up the debate and requested all the Republican candidates be invited. (He thought it easier to smack them down in one fell swoop - badabing!) But Jeff got cranky, and since he had been smacked down once before by Jay, went back to lick his wounds and get the rest of his boys to gang up on Jay.
This was to be done at a VFW hall in a "Republicans only" debate on Iraq. (Boy, is that like getting Charlie Manson to tell your fortune? - Ed.)
Jay saw the strategy and promptly made it known that all our citizens deserve to hear from all the candidates for this important congressional seat. And if the Republicans were going to exclude him, he'd probably crash the debate.
Well, the Republicans are instisting on limiting the discussion. I'm sure they'll all insist the President's plan is just fine and dandy. But how many ways can you say "stay the course"?
That ain't gonna fly with the voters here in the Fifth - many of whom are military and have been to Iraq. Jay said it best:
"To exclude the opinion of the most experienced and knowledgeable candidate from this debate, on a topic that will surely affect the lives many brave soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen from right here in Colorado, is once again showing the lack of integrity that has so plagued this nation."
Our country deserves more. Our democracy demands more.
And the cut and run Republicans are doing a disservice to us - and the soldiers who fight for us - by limiting this debate to the party that has brought us so many failures and left us with few good options in Iraq.