A Town Hall column by Paul Jacob describes the rough and tumble of politics in Colorado.
After the election, Sen. Hanna learned that the statewide Association of Realtors, of which the Jefferson County group is a member, had endorsed her Republican opponent, Tori Merritts. And not only that, they also contributed $1,400 to Merritts's campaign.
Hanna won, so there was really no need to rub anybody out. Still, the Senator was peeved. She fired off a letter to the Realtors Small Donor Committee, the political action committee of the statewide Association of Realtors, suggesting that "$1,400 in post-election debt relief" might be a wise move on their part "in order to set things straight."
The not-so-subtle threat worked, to a degree. The realtors soon sent Sen. Hanna a check for $400. But of course loan sharks don't accept less than full payment. Why should politicians? So, Sen. Hanna demanded the rest.
Did I say demand? Let's just say she humbly requested the rest. Her follow-up letter to the Realtors Small Donor Committee read:
My reparations request stands. It seems a rather small price to pay for creating a fracture in my relation with your organization. It is my hope that you will make our relationship whole again. There are going to be some very important issues ahead of us. You have a choice. So do I.
Senator Deanna Hanna (D-Lakewood) will face a probe by Colorado's Senate Ethics Committee that was requested by Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon (D-Denver) after Hanna's strong arm fund raising was reported in the Rocky Mountain News.
...Steve Welchert, a top Democratic political consultant and lobbyist, offered something of a defense of Sen. Hanna. He asked rhetorically, "Did Deanna Hanna push the envelope a little too far?" And answered, "Maybe so. But it's an everyday occurrence at the legislature. I've seen it. I've heard it. I've witnessed it."
Oh, he's certainly got a point, it's just the ho-hum, everyday, run-of-the-mill racketeering one would find in any capitol . . .
As the envelope expands, be on the lookout for a new round of campaign finance reform that will codify acceptable new levels of political extortion.
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