Joel Hefley Fuming Over GOP Treatment

Congressman Joel Hefley (R-Colorado Springs) is furious over the way his fellow Republicans - both locally and nationally - are treating him, and an angry politician is a dangerous thing to his Party. Democrats have been smart to praise Hefley, and while a Party switch isn't a likely maneuver for the longtime Republican, his fellow elephants would do well to keep an eye on him.

As was widely reported, Hefley was removed from his positon as Chair of the House Ethics Committee after twice speaking out against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, and the pragmatic Hefley knew that there wasn't much his Colorado colleagues could do to save him on that one. Hefley was also passed over for the Chair of the House Committee on Resources, a position he was both in line for and lobbied to get, and the pattern of non-support is starting to get to him.

Hefley's opposition for the post was Congressman Richard Pombo from Tracy, California - a man often considered to be the least intelligent member of the House. But in 1992 Pombo sided with Tom DeLay in a leadership vote - and Hefley went the other way. A decade later and DeLay is still mad at Hefley, exacerbated by Hefley's ethical actions on the, ahem, House Ethics Committee.

Hefley lobbied Governor Bill Owens - who is close to DeLay - Senator Wayne Allard, Congressmen Bob Beauprez and Marilyn Musgrave (who had just been elected with significant help from Hefley) to all speak up for him and put in a good word with DeLay or House Speaker Denny Hastert.

All declined.

In fact, the only prominent Republican politician to speak up for Hefley was retired Congressman Scott McInnis.

Hefley built the Colorado Springs GOP machine, was a major donor and fundraiser for candidates on all levels, and was stunned that only McInnis came to his assistance when he asked for help. According to those close to Hefley, the Colorado Springs congressman is fuming mad. His wife, State Representative Lynn Hefley, is telling colleagues that she has no idea what her husband will do next - but won't deny that he could make a surprise move.

Hefley's smart enough to know that he can't change parties in a conservative district, but if the GOP pushed him over the edge - who knows? Another alternative could find him giving up his seat and taking his huge war chest with him, perhaps even to run for statewide office. If he went that route, don't look for him to back down - even if a heated primary ends up hurting the Republican's chances in November.

Hefley did the right thing, over and over, and continues to be punished for it by his own party. Jim Jeffords, anyone?

Comments

[Scott]

I think it is absolutely crazy to think for one second that Joel Hefley, a man of great morals and values, would switch parties because he didn't get a chairmanship. I am not sure where you got your facts on this one, but after a few calls to Allard's office, Owens office I think it is valid to say that your premise is way off. If you did a little research you would find out that Hefley and Hastert are close friends and while Hastert wanted to keep Hefley on, it was Joel who wanted to step down. Please get the facts straight.

[Alva Adams]

We think we have the facts straight. We're sticking by this one. What do you expect people to tell you when you call the office?

[Alva Adams]

And by the way - read the post. We went out of our way to say that Hefley would not likely switch parties. The GOP screwed Hefley big time, and now he's mad - as anyone from any party would be if the same thing happened to them.

[rjf]

Hefley being passed on the House Resources Chairmanship in favor of Pombo is old news. This happened at the beginning of the 108th Congress and hasn't been talked about, plus it was no surprise that Pombo got the nod. I support Hefley, but if you're reporting on this subject at least be timely.

[Alfalfa]

I'm not sure if Colorado Pols are getting spun by nervous Republicans, but there was a call for facts, so let's take a look at them.

Fact #1: Hastert buried the whole affair by waiting until the day of the State of the Union to announce the shake-up of the Ethics Committee.

Fact #2: He removes Hefley from the committee along with Kenny Hulshof and Steve LaTourette.

Fact #3: Hefley was Chairman last year when the Comittee admonished DeLay and was outspoken on the attempts to change ethics rules.

Fact #4: Hulshof chaired the subcommittee that looked into DeLay, and LaTourette objected to the House Leadership's attempt to weaken ethics rules.

Fact #5: Hulshof and La Tourette's replacements? Lamar Smith and Tom Cole - two guys who contributed big sums to DeLay's legal defense fund.

Fact #6: Hulshof and LaTourette have both spoken out and said they feel the cahnges in the committee were the result of the work of the committee did last year (i.e. looking at DeLay).

If it looks like a purge, walks like a purge, sounds like a purge, it's a purge. Of course, it would be against Republican orthodoxy to say Hastert and DeLay had nothing but clean intentions in this whole sordid mess. I'm certain these changes and the way they were handled by the Speaker were just run of the mill things and there was absolutely no intention to clean-out the Ethics committee of Republicans with sense to think for themselves. Give me a break.

[Stephen Swanson]

You win. Man, I guess I really should read all the posts to a blog before I comment and look like an idiot.

[Colby]

Hefley -- big giver to GOP? HUGE warchest?
As of latest FEC filings, Hefley has a whopping $95k on hand, which places him nearly last in the entire House.

He contributed the massive sum of $12,000 to GOP candidates last cycle, including $10k to the NRCC. "Active" members are expected to do at least $25k and more likely $50k to the NRCC.

While I agree with you that Hefley got shafted by DeLay, and is hugely pissed at the Party right now, he is not, and never had been, a big donor or raiser for Repub candidates/causes. Which makes it all the easier to screw him over.

[ohwilleke]

Time to put Hefley in the Governor's line.

[Alva Adams]

Don't forget that campaign committee funds aren't the only funds that politicians have - they're just the only thing you can look up.

[Scott]

FYI. I actually I talked to Jeff Crank, former Chief of Staff for Hefley, and once he stopped laughing about the post he called Hefley and asked asked him directly. I am not the kind of person who wnats to drop name, but I didn't exactly call the front desk and talk to the receptionist.

[Alva Adams]

Glad you cleared that up, except we never said Hefley would switch parties.

One more time...We didn't say that Hefley would switch parties. READ the post.

In fact, we said that it was not at all likely that he would. We did say that Hefley is pretty angry, and that his wife is not denying that he may be considering something like leaving the House to run for statewide office. We stand by what we said, and we don't need to defend ourselves over something we didn't say.

From the Associated Press:

(A) tribute was introduced by House Democrats, who said Hefley deserved better treatment. That brought tears to the eyes of Hefley's wife, state Rep. Lynn Hefley, R-Colorado Springs, who criticized Republicans in Congress. "Now you tell me, is it ethical to be bipartisan?" she asked.

You could have saved yourself some phone calls if you would have actually read what we wrote before you got so worked up.

[Imallymut]

El caliz de plata parecia brillar a la luz de las dos velas enormemente altas que
debian arder durante toda la noche. La mayoria de las poblaciones no podian
permitirse cirios pascuales en condiciones, pero el padre Ralph compraba en
Shaftesbury dos cada ano a los monjes, y los parroquianos acudian a la iglesia
para contemplarlos. No obstante, aquella noche, cuando oscurecio, unfrequented cinco
hombres admiraban las altas e inmoviles llamas.