Brief by Central Staff
Politics – January 2000 – Colorado Central Magazine
Granted, you’ve already seen too much about the presidential election, so we’ll change the topic a little to the congressional election in Colorado’s third district, which comprises Central Colorado, the San Luis Valley, and just about everything else between Pueblo and Grand Junction.
McInnis, a Republican who started in Glenwood Springs but now lives in Grand Junction, was first elected in 1992 (with a promise that three terms would be enough), and easily won re-election in 1998.
He’s not taking any chances for 2000. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan group that tracks campaign fund-raising (http://www.opensecrets.org), McInnis has already amassed more than $1 million for the 2000 election.
Why’s he need all that money?
“There is always the chance that some California-born millionaire from Vail or Aspen will want to challenge McInnis. It hasn’t happened yet, but it’s important to stay on our guard,” said McInnis spokesman Josh Parry.
So there’s Scott McInnis, standing firm to protect us vulnerable Coloradans from California-born millionaires, just as last year, he said he was protecting us from outsiders who might want more wilderness protection in the Third District of Colorado.
That might be admirable if McInnis were consistent. But a look at his contributions shows that he’s got nothing against taking money from “outsiders.” Denver and Dallas lead as sources of his money. He has received $17,500 from the “TV/Movies/Music” category, an industry segment that is pretty much dominated by those awful California millionaires that he wants to protect us from.
Oh well. The latest political gossip offers this scenario:
No videos appear of him snorting cocaine at a fraternity party, so Texas Gov. George W. Bush is elected president and takes office in 2001.
He appoints Ben Campbell of Colorado as Interior Secretary, which opens his senate seat. Gov. Bill Owens appoints McInnis to fill out the term until the 2002 election. That leaves McInnis’s house seat open, and Ken Chlouber, now a state senator from Leadville, gets appointed to fill out that term.
Remember, if this happens, you read it here first.