Free Republic

Bentley Rayburn officially launched his campaign Thursday to unseat a fellow Republican, Congressman Doug Lamborn, by touting himself as "best positioned to reunite this party." Rayburn, who finished third in last year's primary for what was then an open seat, becomes the second challenger in the 2008 race, joining 2006 primary runner-up Jeff Crank. Lamborn has not made his re-election bid official, but he is raising money. Rayburn, a retired Air Force major general, devoted a good portion of his speech to "the war against radical Islam." He said the ongoing battle is a multi-generational struggle that will not be...

NEW YORK A couple who wrote a letter to the editor of a small community paper in Colorado were surprised to receive a threatening phone call at home complaining about it -- from a U.S. congressman. Rep. Doug Lamborn left two voice mails after they questioned his acceptance of campaign contributions from the gambling industry. In one he said there would be "consequences" if the couple did not respond. In his messages, reprinted by the Denver Post today, Lamborn appeal to them as "brothers and sisters in Christ" and asked them to call him to discuss their "blatantly false" letter....

A Colorado Springs couple is complaining that U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn left them two threatening voice mails after they wrote a letter criticizing his fundraising. Jonathan Bartha and Anna Bartha told The Denver Post that Lamborn said there would be "consequences" if they did not withdraw their letter. Lamborn, in a call to The Associated Press, said he had never intended to threaten anyone and just wanted to warn them that they would embarrass themselves with a false claim that he accepted campaign funds from the gambling industry.

Washington - The House voted Wednesday evening to reject President Bush's plan to eliminate the $420 million federal subsidy for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

CO-05th - Lamborn up big [Greg Pollowitz 10/20 08:53 AM] On Oct. 10th, I posted news that the race for the C0-05th was tied.  This was horrible news for Republicans as the district is very Republican.  A new poll out from SurveyUSA, however, tells a different story: Lamborn Keeps CO5 House Seat for GOP: In an election in Colorado's 5th Congressional District today, 10/19/06, Republican Doug Lamborn defeats Democrat Jay Fawcett, 51% to 38%, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KUSA-TV Denver. Lamborn wins by 24 points among men. The contest is tied among women. Lamborn gets 78% of...

Republican state Sen. Doug Lamborn's fiercest opponent in the 5th District race isn't his Democratic foe. It's the Republican he's trying to succeed -- 10-term Rep. Joel Hefley. Mr. Lamborn is running neck and neck with Democrat Jay Fawcett ... Shortly after Mr. Lamborn won a six-candidate primary on Aug. 8, Mr. Hefley, who is retiring, said he would refuse to endorse the Republican candidate, pointing to what he described as his "sleazy, dishonest campaign." That stinging rebuke, coming from the highly regarded Mr. Hefley, delivered a devastating blow to Mr. Lamborn's candidacy. Several other prominent Republicans soon joined Mr....

Fawcett finds a comrade in Murtha By R. SCOTT RAPPOLD THE GAZETTE When John Murtha was elected to Congress in 1974, 75 percent of its members were military veterans. Today, just 28 percent have served in the military, and Murtha says that’s part of the reason the U.S. is embroiled in Iraq. Murtha, a Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania and Vietnam veteran, has emerged as one of the foremost critics of the war. He spoke Saturday in Colorado Springs at a rally for a local veteran running for Congress. A couple of hundred people crowded into the basement of a downtown...

Rep. Joel Hefley (R-CO 05) just announced he wouldn't run a write-in campaign against state Sen. Doug Lamborn (R), but he's still not going to lift a finger to help his party hold the seat. -- Hefley's handpicked candidate, Jeff Crank, lost a close and nasty primary to Lamborn. The CO arm of the Christian Coalition sent direct mail accusing him of supporting "the radical homosexual lobby." Many prominent conservatives condemned the attacks and Lamborn's campaign. But Lamborn won because he had a solid enough lead among early voters who cast ballots before the pieces hit. -- A reliable conservative,...

U.S. Rep. Joel Hefley declined Tuesday to reconsider his retirement and run as a writein candidate, but he won’t be supporting Doug Lamborn, the Republican nominee for his seat in Congress. Hefley said he couldn’t endorse Lamborn because he ran a “sleazy, dishonest” primary campaign.

Rep. Joel Hefley is seriously considering running as a writein candidate to retain his seat rather than risk handing it over to Republican nominee Doug Lamborn. In meetings with national political consultants, Hefley and his supporters have come up with yard-sign designs and the key messages of a possible campaign, Republican Party activist Peggy Littleton said. Hefley, who has represented the 5th Congressional District for 20 years, has been the subject of a three-week push by high-level Republicans to take this nearly unheard-of step, Littleton said Monday. To be a write-in candidate, Hefley must file an affidavit of intention with...